Vegan Restaurants in Tallinn Offer Wonderful Variety
Text and photos Stewart Johnson
Purée’s owner posing by the large menu and great selection of vegan desserts.
My high school girlfriend one day decided to become a vegetarian, and on a date, she ordered a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich, and asked the waiter to hold the steak. So I added, “She just wants a grilled cheese sandwich.” Years later I still laugh at this, but I’ve also learned that vegetarian food, and especially vegan food, does not necessarily mean a restrictive diet. Quite the opposite: it’s important to think of vegan food as its own cuisine. And Tallinn offers a huge variety of said cuisine.
Purée in the Rotermanni Quarter at Rotermanni 2 offers a stunning array of vegan food home-cooked by Armenians. Daily lunch specials are hearty, filling, and only cost €5.60 to €7.70, depending on if you want soup, or something on a plate. The dessert cakes and pastries are simply delicious, and only €5.
VegB12 is a small vegan restaurant in the outdoor part of the Balti Jaam Market. Open from 9 until 19, there is nothing on the menu for more than €9. Sandwiches, soups, stews, and salads, all vegan, all delicious, and all served right away.
VegMachine is inside Balti Jaam Market itself and specialises in vegan burgers, sandwiches, and salads, all between €8 and €11. Combos range from €13 to €21.50. My personal favourite is their “Mother Trucker Burger”, served with a strawberry “milkfake”.
Rohe is a very conveniently located vegan restaurant just across the street from Balti Jaam Market, at Kopli 4 in Tallinn. Breakfast is served daily from 9–12 for €5–8 and includes porridge, croissants, and pancakes. Or get their Breakfast Bowl for €11 if you want to stay full and feel good all day. The selection, especially for dessert, offers a lot. What I like about Rohe is that you don’t know that you’re not eating chicken when you order their Teriyaki Tšikin, for €12.50. The food is served very fast.
The queen of all vegan restaurants in Tallinn, perhaps even in Estonia and possibly the Baltics as a whole is without doubt Vegan Restaurant V in the Old Town at Rataskaevu 12. I have eaten there several times for a reason, and this restaurant specifically is why I consider vegan food to be a cuisine of its own. From appetisers to desserts, everything at V is worth the wait. What wait, you might ask? Well, you can only eat there by reservation, and they are quite often booked several days in advance. Once you sit down and order though, the food is served quickly. Light meals range in price from €8.50 to €16, and main dishes from €15–18. The unique desserts at V are around €9 apiece.
Vegan Restoran V, Rataskaevu 12, Tallinn.
To learn more about this and similar topicsBalti jaam healthy food Purée Rohe Tallinn Restaurants vegan food VegB12 Vegetarian
