Vesta Is a Surprise Worth Repeating
Text and photos Stewart Johnson
Our seat at Vesta’s “kitchen table” let us watch the staff prepare the food.
Even though by definition you can’t repeat a surprise, I look forward to going back to Vesta, and I now fully understand why the Michelin Guide had awarded them with a Bib Gourmand. Upon arriving at this small, quiet, and unassuming yellow building on Tööstuse tn, or Industry St, just outside of Tallinn’s downtown area, I couldn’t help but notice the unnaturally bright shade of paint on the outside. But when we stepped inside on a warm evening in June, the atmosphere was the exact opposite of our first impression.
Vesta’s interior is a trendy mix of nostalgia and modernity, cosiness and creativity. You might even call it eclectic. Before being seated, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the garden. Just walk through the tables full of energetic patrons, and step into what might be described as a grandmother’s hidden wonderland, perfectly hidden away in the city. This outdoor area was also full of tables.
My editor Susanna and I decided to sit at the kitchen table, however. By kitchen table I mean a large surface that spans half of the restaurant, and where the brigade de cuisine prepares the works of art that we were about to eat right in front of us. We were immediately presented with menu cards. Our server was able to quickly answer any suggestions, and recommend the best wines to match our choices, which were also made equally quickly because the menu is very small. This means that Vesta had chosen to perfect a few specific dishes.
Our starters were whitefish ceviche, and stracciatella, both served with two slices of delicious sourdough lightly toasted in butter. The bread alone would have satisfied my palate, but when dipped in the extravagant sauces in each dish, this is when I knew this place truly was larger on the inside in every way. What seemed like a small bowl of cream or fish sprinkled with pistachios was actually an entire spectrum of flavours that the chef had managed to condense into one single portion of pure delight. And if you’re worried that the pistachios might disrupt the consistency of the food, they were nice and soft, a very welcomed yet unexpected addition.
Sea bass was Susanna’s choice of main dish, and mine was the “simple” steak and fries. I judge all restaurants by how they handle beef. My steak was served with green peppercorn sauce with chives, but this sauce was anything but simple, as the name might imply. A rare cut of beef that was well done—not in the grilling sense—and seemed to activate every tastebud I had. The fries somehow balanced it out perfectly.
Vesta is very comfortable for a meal, but it might not be the perfect place for an intimate evening, as it’s rather loud due to the concrete floors and hard surfaces of the walls. Instead, the interior creates an excitable mood that encourages people to almost shout to each other. For dessert we decided to sit outside. I ordered the chocolate mouse, this time topped with hazelnuts that reminded me of the soft nocciole of Italy’s Piedmont region. This small dish was the restaurant itself: much larger on the inside.
Vesta is open Tuesday through Saturday, and by reservation only, at vestavesta.ee.
Vesta, Tööstuse tn 88, Tallinn.
To learn more about this and similar topicsdining out in Estonia eating in Tallinn Estonian Cuisine Michelin Vesta
