21.7.2024 | Restaurants

Treat yourself at Estonia’s Michelin restaurants

The Michelin restaurant guide has evaluated Estonian restaurants for a third time, with a total of 35 restaurants making this year’s prestigious list.

Text Susanna Poikela, Timo Huttunen
Photos Lauri Laan, Johannes Hõimoja/NOA Chef's Hall, 
Visit Estonia / Näljane Nelik, Silver Raidla/Nok Nok, 
Kätlin Tamm/RADIO, Iris Kivisalu/SOO

180° by Matthias Diether is Estonia's only two-star Michelin restaurant.

The highest type of recognition you can receive from the Michelin guide is a star, of which you can get up to three. If the restaurant doesn’t get stars, but is still of a good standard, it can receive another accolade or simply be recommended by the guide.

About a fifth of the restaurants in the Michelin guide are star restaurants.

Michelin started rating restaurants with stars as early as the 1930s. Stars are awarded to restaurants that, in the reviewers’ opinion, represent exceptional quality in terms of both food culture and cooking skills.

The stars only tell about the food served in the restaurant. The evaluation is based on five criteria: the quality of the raw materials, “craftsmanship” i.e. the method of preparation and the compatibility of flavors, “personality” i.e. how you have managed to bring out something unique, price-quality ratio and consistency of quality, i.e. the dining experience must be at the same level all the time.

A restaurant can get one star if the reviewers think it is very good in its category. You get two stars if the staff’s skills are excellent. In a three-star place, the cooking skills and the restaurant’s food are exceptionally good.

Fellin in Viljandi received the Bib Gourmand recognition.

The Rising Star designation is awarded to a restaurant that is a potential candidate for a first or additional star. The Bib Gourmand designation is given to a restaurant with a particularly good price-quality ratio. In addition, the so-called “fork and spoon” badges, indicating good quality, can be given to the restaurant from one to five.

Michelin’s restaurant reviewers usually have training in the restaurant industry and several years of practical experience in the field.

The estimate is based on visits that take place each year, which can increase or decrease the restaurant’s stars or remove them completely.

The reviewers are anonymous, they don’t tell about their visit and they pay for their own food and drinks. They remain unknown even outside of their work.

In 2024, Estonia has two Michelin-starred restaurants. In comparison, there are eight in Finland.

Michelin yksi tähti, NOA Chef's Hall — NOA Chef’s Hall retained its one Michelin star again this year.

Restaurant ÂME is a newcomer in Estonia’s Michelin Guide.

Michelin Guide Estonia 2024 recommends a total of 35 Estonian restaurants, among which there is one restaurant awarded with two Michelin stars and one restaurant with one Michelin star.

180° by Matthias Diether is the first Estonian restaurant to receive two Michelin stars. The restaurant already got its second star last year and kept it this year.

NOA Chef’s Hall in Tallinn, led by chef Tõnis Siigur, retained its one Michelin star.

According to the guide, both restaurants offer a unique dining experience.

Kolme vihreän tähden ravintolaa, Kolm Sõsarat — Kolm Sõsarat in Valga County received the Michelin green star awarded for its environmental friendliness.

SOO, Maidla, Kolme vihreän tähden ravintolaa, — SOO restaurant based in Maidla, Central Estonia, was also awarded with a green star.

Three green star restaurants

One new restaurant, Kolm Sõsarat, was awarded a Michelin green star. There are three green star restaurants in Estonia. They are Fotografiska, Kolm Sõsarat and SOO.

Good food at a reasonable price

This year’s guide includes six Bib Gourmand restaurants, just like last year. Bib Gourmand restaurants are places that offer very good food at a reasonable price.