Which food should I definitely try in Tallinn?
Estonia has some very common food products that locals love and use in everyday life. These are the things that every Esonian will miss when living abroad. First very important thing is the local black bread – people eat it plain next to all the main dishes and as a sandwich bottom. There are very many different types available in the supermarkets! Another specific thing that we eat is bloodsausage, but people usually cook that on winter so if you happen to be here at that time – try it, it’s good! It’s served with classical potatos, sauerkraut and cranberry jam. Then there is a dessert, which is called Kohuke and is made out of curd cheese. It’s usually surrounded by chocolate and filled with some type of jam. It’s something that every person in Estonia fancys and you will find it in every supermarket and it’s usually located right next to milk and other milkproducts. Don’t forget to try our handcrafted beers and local liquer Vana Tallinn! Some popular craft beer breweries are Põhjala, Pühaste, Õllenaut and Tanker.
Are there any restaurants, bars, cafes that I should definitely visit?
Tallinn is known for different sorts of great reastaurants, bars and cafes all over the town. Honestly if you concider yourself a food lover then you will not get bored in Tallinn. We tried to pick out some ouf our own favorites and the most popular places and sort them a little for you.
If you are looking to spend a fancy evening in a fine dining restaurant, then there are options like Dominic, Tchaikovsky, Restoran Ö, Noa Restoran, 180 degrees, Cru, Parrot Minibar and Fotografiska. The last one was just opened last summer in a renovated building with a cafe and a art exhibition hall downstairs. The restaurant itself is located way up and has a large terrace and and a panorama view to the town.
For mid-range cost there are lots of different restaurants. If you are looking for seafood, then we would suggest to visit restaurant The Nautilus in the Old Town. Other great options for spending the night out are Pegasus, Rataskaevu 16, Umami, Kolm Sibulat, Ülo, Must Puudel, NOP, Kivi Paber Käärid, Humalakoda, Platz or Pull.
If you are looking for a cheap, but very tasteful meal then we would recommend places like F-hoone, Uulits, Boheem or Jahu Tänavagurmee. If you want to crab a coffee or just chill in a friendly atmoshphere then there are cafes like Maiasmokk Cafe, Ristikheina Kohvik, Raven Cafe, Lavier, Carmen Cafe, Pier and for example Kochi Aidad Kohvik.
If the evening arrives and decide to get a drink somewhere then you shouldn’t have any problems finding the right place for you. If you are looking for a place where to drink some wine then Pazzo Wine Bar is a great choice for you. If you are more into cocktails then it would be nice to visit places like Whisper Sisters, Sazerac or Butterfly Lounge. For trying different types of beers there is the oldest bar in Estonia called Hell Hunt, Pudel, Humalakoda or Põhjala Tap Room. If you are a true gin expert then we should probably let you know that there is a new gin bar called Junimpeerium in Talliskivi Creative City, which makes their own award-winning gin at place and gives a house tour for you if you sign up for that first.
What to do in Tallinn?
We would suggest to definitely spend one day just exploring our beautiful Old Town. Old Town is filled with many interesting and cozy restaurants, bars and cafes. The best way to explore Old Town in Tallinn is to walk the historic, cobblestone streets and admire the beautiful and colorful buildings.
Another interesting area among local residents is called Telliskivi Creative City. The whole area has a different “hipster vibe” in it. You will probably meet there some very friendly people and most popular bars and cafes. This area has it’s own unique architecture so it’s nice just to have a little walk there as well. Between Telliskivi Creative City and Old Town is a new modern market called Balti Jaama Market. Go check that out if you have time. In case you are interested in beers, then there’s a good local brewery and restaurant next to the Market called Humalakoda.
For fashion and food lovers, another area called Rotermann Quarter is worth having a look as well. If you would like to spend a day in a beautiful nature, then I would suggest to visit Kadrioru Park and Kadrioru Castle with it’s beautiful flower garden. Very close to the Kadrioru Castle is a beautiful Kadriorg Art Museum. If you are interested in Museums then we have another more modern museum called KUMU, which is pretty nice.
One more thing we would recommend to visit in Tallinn is Estonian Open Air Museum. It’s a museum that introduces rural architecture and landscape as well as a competence centre that deals with restoration, conservation and digitization. There is also a resutaurant which lets you taste the real Estonian food which has been on our dining tables through many years. It’s a great place overall to have a look at Estonan history and see how people used to live here. It’s located quite close to our zoo in Estoania as well so you could easily fit the visit to the zoo and to the Open Air Museum on one day.
Photo: Mariann Liimal, Visit Estonia