American-style
Amarillo: Viru väljak 4, in the Sokos Hotel Viru, tel. 680-9280. Open:12-01, Fri., Sat. 12-02. Good Tex-Mex food, atmosphere and bar. They also have a nice and spacious summer terrace.
Cantina Carramba: Weizenbergi 20a, next to Kadriorg Park, outside the city center; tel. 601-3431. Open:12-23; Sun. 12-20. Cantina Carramba is arguably the best Tex-Mex place in Tallinn. It’s a cottage-sized restaurant with saddles on the rafters and photos of Mexican bandits nailed to the walls. The service here is good, defying the sign above the bar declaring, “The Client is Always Wrong.” Ribs to excellent fajitas—even milkshakes. Good-cheer atmosphere.
Cantina La Playa: Lauteri 5, near the Reval Hotel Olümpia; tel. 610-6848. Open:11-23, Sat.12-24, Sun.12-22. If you’re in the neighborhood and you just have to have Tex-Mex food, this place might do the trick. Otherwise, foget it.
Texas Honky Tonk: Pikk 43, under American and Texas flags; tel. 631-1755. Open:12-24; Fri.-Sat.12-02. This venue has had so many reincarnations over the years, it’s hard to keep track. More recently it was a German-style grill called Lübeck. Texas Honky Tonk is, it goes without saying, more laid back and, well, more fun. Here you are encouraged to whoop it up and dance to lively and loud country, blues or rock—which is occasionally live. The food on offer is a mixture of Tex-Mex and down-home-at-the-ranch American dishes. The main difference with the real thing back in the Lone Star State is that this Estonian equivalent is cleaner and classier; it’s got the requisite U.S. flags and battered Texas license plates nailed to the ceilings and walls—but the dim light and pastel walls give it that extra bit of refinement. You’re still invited to dress shabbily, in your grimiest-looking boots and jeans.
Caucasian
Must Lammas: Sauna 2, in the old city; tel. 644-2031. Open:12-23; Sun. 12-18. Serves classy food from the Caucasus. Some dishes hit closer to target than others, but many are a delight. Their forte is appetizers, like the show-stopping stuffed grape leaves, dolma, and hachapuri. You could order appetizers alone and come away full—and fully satisfied. Traditional Georgian rugs on the walls. Service tends to be top-rate with several veteran waiters who know what they are doing. The Black Lamb, more than the other Caucasian options, is a good venue for more formal nights out.
Pirosmani: Üliõpilaste tee 1, between Tallinn Technical University and the Nõmme suburb, tel. 639-3246. Open:10-01. A magnet to Georgian-food lovers. Pirosmani, named after Georgia’s best loved painter, is in a shack-like building by the roadside that isn’t entirely devoid of atmosphere: it’s wood-paneled and candle-lit, with windows facing a pine forest. Sometimes good, deep-throated Georgian choral music. Pirosmani does seem to attract heavy smokers, which is unfortunate seeing as the ventilation’s so bad. But the food, which is good to excellent, undoubtedly makes up for any lack of refinement. Georgian cooks ply their trade over a wood-burning grill out back.
Šeš-Beš: Gonsiori 9, tel. 661-1422. Open: Mon.-Thu. 10-01; Fri., Sat. 10-02; Sun. 11-23. The focus of this good restaurant is food from Azerbaijan. The interior is quite tasteful, with a slight oriental flavor: violet, orange and blue drapes hanging from the ceiling. The shish kebabs are cooked before your eyes and are tasty; the cooks are Azeri, so there’s a mark of authenticity to all the dishes. Prices are reasonable.
Chinese
China White: Suur-Karja 20, in the same building as the McCools pub; tel. 640-3606, in the old city. Open:12-24. Mon., Tue. closed. Quite good food and there’s a well-priced lunch buffet.
Golden Dragon: Pikk 37, in the old city; tel. 631-3506. Open:12-23. A Chinese restaurant with many dishes that are very good
Little China: Vene 30, tel. 631-3126. Open:12-23. Some say the Chinese food at this restaurant, built into an old city wall, is the best Chinese in town.
Peking: Müürivahe 52, tel. 644-0571. Open:11-23. A Chinese restaurant along the old-city wall.
Estonian
Eesti Maja (Estonian House): Lauteri 1, tel. 645-5252; in the city center, by the Foreign Ministry. Open:11-23. The emphasis is completely on Estonian cuisine and it’s hard to imagine it being done any better. There’s no sense the cooks are just going through the motions, cooking, so to speak, by the numbers. It’s among the most authentic Estonian food in town. The bean soup to the verivorst to the sült hit the mark. Good luch buffets on weekdays for 75 kroons.
Kuldse Notsu Kõrts (The Little Piggy Inn): Dunkri 8, old city; tel. 628-6567. Open:12-24. Whether or not this is exactly what old Estonian inns looked like may be open to question. But in sheer comfort, good cheer and fine food, one would like to believe they were just like The Little Piggy Inn. A roaring fire place in the center of the main room sets the mood for the entire restaurant, which is run by the same people who do the impressive Schlössle and St. Petersbourg hotels. There’s a grandfather clock in one corner, wagon wheels for lamps and beer mugs hanging from the ceiling. Estonian country wisdom is scrawled on the white walls, including advice to the lazy that “a mouse doesn’t just run into the cat’s mouth.” The menu includes such delicacies as boiled crayfish, the delightfully odd sounding “beer soup with ice cream” and sauna-smoked lamb leg. The bread’s made in-house, and includes a succulent black bread laced with chunks of bacon.
Nõmme Kõrts: 45 km south of Tallinn, off the Tallinn-Rapla road 43rd km. Look for the Nõmme Kõrts sign; tel. 485-8096. Open:12-24; Sat., Sun. 12-02. An old inn that’s changed little since disgruntled serfs got drunk here and burned down nearby German manor houses in the 1800s. No more landlords left to harass, but fun nonetheless. Down-home atmosphere; live country music on weekends. Ask about the log-cabin guesthouse with a wood-burning sauna that will thrill sauna lovers.
Talu Kõrts: Viru 18, in the old city; tel. 641-8387. Open:10-22. The interior here includes what seems to be 100-year-old cottage furniture charred in an inferno of some sort. The stress is on things Estonian, from folk-accordion music to the menu: herring, mutton in peppermint garlic sauce and roast roe deer in herb-wine.
Vanaema Juures (Grandma’s Place): Rataskaevu 10/12, tel. 626-9089. Open:12-22; Sun. 12-18. The name captures this restaurant perfectly: it’s nothing especially refined, but it wouldn’t be grandma-like if it was, now would it? Located in a cavernous old-city basement, furnished with 1920s-30s period furniture and decked out with faded family photographs. Here, unlike at many Tallinn restaurants, the music’s in harmony with the atmosphere: ’20s and ’30s tunes that sound like they’re being played on a prewar gramophone.
Fast Food
Café Kompass: Narva mnt. 7c, tel. 633-9811. Open:11:30-22; Fri.11:30-23; Sat.12-23; Sun.12-22. In the Reval Hotel Central. Offers good fast-food: sandwiches and even wok dishes, all at reasonable prices.
Deli 24: At Pärnu mnt 20, and at Pärnu mnt. 139, tel. 630-6545. Open 24h. Simple but fantastic! A highly functional deli, grocery store and video rental. Ideal for Tallinn residents on the run or as a pit stop for coffee; they even serve bacon and eggs in the morning. Always open, and you can snare above-average, ready-made meals. You pay for the pre-prepared but tasty food by the gram, which is cost effective. Great service and always pleasant background music—a welcome contrast to so many other stores favoring bone-chillingly loud and tacky Euro disco.
Hesburger: Viru 27A; Lootsi 7, in Norde Centrum; (C-6) Punane 43, in the Lasnamäe suburb; by the Kadaka Market, off Tammsaare tee; in Laagri, Pärnu mnt. 453e; Paldiski mnt. 98a and in the Sikupilli Shopping Center. A Finnish hamburger chain.
Kathmandu Hill: Pärnu mnt. 36, tel. 631-4212; Open:11-22:30. This place has achieved a challenging feat: Offering moderately priced food that’s also top-notch quality. A mix of Chinese and Indian dishes that you can eat here or take away.
Mandarin: Endla 23a, tel. 646-0019. Open:12-20; Sun. closed. Mandarin is located in a spartan street-side building that might not otherwise draw you inside; but discount appearances and go on in for the food. Excellent Chinese and Indian dishes at surprisingly moderate prices.
McDonald’s: Viru 24, old city, by the Viru Gates; in Mustamäe, at Sõpruse 200b, in Pelgulinn, at Paldiski mnt 44/46; at Paldiski mnt. 102 by the Rocca-al-Mare shopping center and in Lasnamäe at Mahtra 29.
New York Pizza: Tartu mnt. 73, near the bus station; tel. 601-0284. Open:10-23. Good crusts and juicy toppings: try the seafood pizza or the one with kebab meat. It’s along a busy road, but there’s free parking at the back, off Kappeli road. They also have a take-out at the Pirita Selver, Rummu tee 2, tel. 667-3585.
Peetri Pizza: Liivalaia 40, tel. 661-4122. Also outlets at Odra 16 (C-4), near the bus terminal, Kopli 2c (B-2), Mere pst. 6 (B-3) at Pärnu mnt. 22 and at Pirita tee 26. Mostly takeout; the Liivalaia and Odra Peetri Pizza have a sit-down restaurant. For home deliveries, call tel. 656-7567, mob. 50-91567.
Pizza Americana: Müürivahe 2, in the old city, just off Vabaduse Square, tel. 644-8837. Open:11:30-22:30. Quite good pizza; they deliver, too.
Sindbad Kebab: Liivalaia 51, tel. 625-8914. Open:11-23. In case Stockmann’s deli isn’t enough, there’s this place, in a basement nextdoor. Best for lunch in a rush. Good prices.
Tiina Pizza: on Mustamäe tee 39, in the Mustamäe suburb; tel. 672-7212. Open:09-05; Sun.12-05.They have another outlet at Liivalaia 27, (C-3), tel. 646-7505. Open:09-23. This establishment makes pizza to rival bigger pizza players in town. They also deliver.
French
Cathedral: Lossiplats 2/Toomkooli 1, next to Parliament; tel. 644-3548. Open:12-23; Sun. 12-18. Cathedral is in the shadow of some of the most notable buildings in Tallinn, including Toompea Castle and the Aleksandr Nevsky Cathedral. The parliament building is so close you could literally throw a stone at it from your restaurant chair, if you felt you needed to for some reason. The interior, which plays off a court-jester motif, is tasteful and fun-loving. The menu is thin—mostly French, and some Russian items. Most dishes are exquisite. Count on shelling out at least 50 dollars for a meal for two.
Charital: Kloostri tee 6, in the Pirita district, tel. 623-7379. Open:12-23. A posh Belgian-French restaurant with lovely views of Pirita River, just where it runs into the sea. Blindingly bright but painstakingly neat, upscale atmosphere. The food is very good and features fresh lobster, plucked live from an in-house tank—a specialty that’s still not too easy to come by in these parts.
Egoist: Vene 33, old city; tel. 646-4052. Open:12-24; Sun. closed. Walking around this stately restaurant in Tallinn, you half expect to turn a corner and bump into Winston Churchill chomping on a cigar. The truly awe-inspiring interior here conjures up visions of high-society, pre-war Europe. But there is also a warm, loving touch to Egoist—an indulgence of owner and well-known Tallinn restaurateur Dmitri Demjanov. There are three or four different dining areas here—including several discrete private rooms. The cuisine echoes its sister restaurant Gloria, with a menu of lovely lamb and duck dishes. A meal for two, however, can easily set you back 100 dollars or more. But if you want to be treated like royalty, if you’re firmly convinced you deserve it, Egoist is your place.
Gloria: Müürivahe 2, old city; tel. 644-6950. Open:12-23:30; Sun. closed. This top-class restaurant feels like a step back in time to high-society Europe of the 1930s. The interior is decked out with Art Nouveau originals, all of which graced restaurants in the Estonian capital before the war. The artifacts, from owner Dmitri Demjanov’s private collection, make this a veritable museum of pre-war design. The beautiful and distinctive atmosphere sets just the right stage for the cuisine—served by extraordinarily attentive waiters and waitresses. In line with the old Europe nostalgia, Gloria offers before and after-dinner Cuban cigars. Thanks to the outstanding Gloria Wine Cellar, linked to the restaurant, they also have the best wine list in Tallinn. A meal for two costs around 100 dollars.
Le Bonaparte: Pikk 45; old city; tel. 646-4444. Open:12-24; Sun closed. Le Bonaparte is very impressive. The interior designers let the medieval interior—its majestic wooden beams, its broad, crooked windows and stone walls—speak for themselves. The medieval atmosphere mixes unexpectedly well with continental class: the silver tableware, the lanky candleholders and the classical music. The menu is, naturally, exclusively French; everything they do, they do well. A meal for two can easily run you 100 dollars.
Le Paris: Toompuiestee 27, inside the Grand Hotel Tallinn; tel. 667-7105.Open:07-10, 12-23. Mostly French menu.
Pika Jala Restoran: Pikk jalg 16, tel. 644-1344. Open:10-23; Sun. 10-20. The Pika Jala Restoran, named after the so called long-leg road that winds down from the upper old city, is wonderfully understated; it’s classy but they don’t try to woo and wow you. Soft lighting, soft music and high windows that frame medieval houses across the cobblestoned street. Great French country-style salads, soups, sandwiches and much more. The cook here is widely celebrated as one of the best in Estonia.
German
Baieri Kelder (The Bavarian Cellar): Roosikrantsi 2a, downstairs from the Scandic Hotel St. Barbara; tel. 640-7425. Open:12-23. Ideal if you’re big on German cuisine. Located in a cavernous, red-bricked cellar, this restaurant has elements of a fine hofbrauhaus: heavy tables, bratwurst, soft German music and German beer on draft. Baieri Kelder will probably not be sufficient if you are looking for a place to cut loose and maybe swing from the chandeliers at midnight. This is a more relaxed, gentlemanly venue. Good sausages, sauerkraut, dumplings, and more. The main courses are so filling you can feel like you’ve just eaten a horse. (Hot tip: order half portions.) Waiters and waitresses are clad in Bavarian-style uniforms.
Greek
Vasilio: Vene 6, old city; tel. 644-9591. Open:12-24. The terracota-colored interior with Greek-syle knick-knacks is comfortable, and Greek pop hits as background music adds a pleasant touch. The menu includes an array traditional Greek appetizers and somewhat less traditional main courses.
Syrtaki: Piiskopi 1, on Toompea hill, tel. 644-6076. Open:10-23, Sun. 10-20. This new Greek restaurant, set near parliament, may be hard to avoid. But you should try your best. The okay atmosphere doesn’t come close to making up for the greasy, so called Greek food.
Hungarian
Egeri Kelder: Roosikrantsi 6; tel. 644-8415. Open:12-22; Sat., Sun. closed. Good Hungarian food. A good place in central Tallinn for a quick lunch.
Kapten Tenkes: Pärnu mnt. 30, tel. 644-5630. Open:12-23; Sun. 13-22. An eye-catching Hungarian restaurant; rings of garlic draped with ribbons the color of Hungary’s flag hang from the ceiling; Hungarian folk and pop music in the background; assorted Hungarian decor, including a St. Stephen’s coat-of-arms over the door. Hungarian wines and some imported beers. The food, while generally good, seems somewhat modified to suit delicate local palates.
Indian
Elevant: Vene 5, old city; tel. 631-3132. Open:12-23. A windy wrought-iron staircase carries you upstairs where funky Casbah meets elegance. Elevant’s open and airy décor is an atmosphere of Eastern inspirations recreated using natural paints and fabrics. The thing that really distinguishes Elevant from all the other Indian restaurants in Tallinn is its casualness. The dining chairs made out of wicker are so sprawling and comfortable, they invite you to kick out your feet and slouch. The background music of choice isn’t traditional Indian, but rather ambient Indo-techno that is surprisingly soothing. Food quality is good here but the price-quality ratio is a main attraction. Around 30 dollars for a full meal for two.
Maharaja: Raekoja plats 13, the old city; tel. 644-4367. Open:12-23. Maharaja was one of the first Western-class restaurants in the Baltics. When it opened in 1991, it was water in a desert of crummy, customer-unfriendly dumps. It’s slid a bit since its glory days, but remains a sentimental favorite of many.
Tanduur: Vene 7/Apteegi 6, in the old city; tel. 631-3084. Open:12-24. Tanduur has the mark of good taste—though some complain service has slipped. The interior is elegant but not too stiff; the miniature lights embedded in the bamboo-lined ceiling create a sense you’re sitting under stars somewhere in the hinterlands of India. The soft Indian music adds just the right touch of the exotic without giving the place the feel of a theme park. Tanduur offers mouth-watering naan to specialties like prawns in coconut sauce. Prices at Tanduur are high: a meal for two, not including wine and dessert, will run you 50 hard-earned dollars—at least.
Villa Thai: Vilmsi 6, tel. 641-9347. Open:12-23.
International
Admiral: on a boat near Lootsi 15, by the D Terminal at Tallinn Harbor; tel. 662-3777. Open:12-23. A seafood place in an old steamship anchored at the harbor. Interior has the feel of a Mississippi gambling boat. The food won’t leave you whistling as you cross the plank on your way out, but Admiral can be a worthwhile experience.
Argentiina: Pärnu mnt. 19, tel. 660-5177. Open:12-24. A good South-American restaurant. Grilled meats cooked on an open stove in the middle of the restaurant.
Balthasar: Raekoja plats 11, old city; tel. 627-6400. Open:12-24. Medieval atmosphere can’t get much more authentic than this: here, you half expect Romeo and Juliet to come skipping down the foyer staircase. Balthasar, named after a medieval-era chronicler from Tallinn, sits atop Estonia’s famed 13th century Town Hall Square pharmacy. The place has original beams, floorboards and windows looking out across Estonia’s most famous and beloved cobblestone square. Balthasar markets itself as a “garlic restaurant,” but you can still eat here and not come away with breath to stop a clock. But it’s true Balthasar is, ultimately, hog heaven for garlic lovers: garlic-laced dishes include chicken salad with apricot-garlic sauce and the dubious-sounding ice cream with honey and garlic sauce.
Barons: Suur-Karja 7/Väike-Karja 2, in the old city; tel. 699-9700. Open:08-23. The second-floor restaurant in the lovely, 1930s-style Barons Hotel offers some of the most gripping, nostalgic views in Tallinn—with high windows that look out over cobblestone streets and at some of the city’s most beloved Medieval structures. For fans of things from the ’30s, this classy if ‘pricey restaurant is probably a must. Fairly standard menu, with a fine range of soups, salads, meat and fish dishes.
Black Sea: Viru 8, the old city; tel. 644-9167. Open:11-24. A basement restaurant featuring traditional food from countries around the Black Sea: Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. Quite good food, OK atmosphere and service.
Bordoo: Pikk 71, at the fine The Three Sisters hotel; tel.630-6300. Open:17-23. Upscale restaurant with an excellent wine list.
Du Nord: Rataskaevu 3/5, in the old city, tel. 631-3017. Open:11-23; Sun. 12-22. An okay restaurant that offers the standard fare.
Galaxy: Kloostrimetsa 58a, tel. 623-8250. Atop the TV tower. Open:10-01. The view from here is breathtaking, almost worth the trouble of coming. Everything else falls short; the music’s bad and the doormen gruff. It can be romantic if you ignore the little things—like the food and service.
Kadriorg: Weizenbergi 18, in the Kadriorg district; tel. 601-3636. Open: 12-24; Sun. 12-18. Still another restaurant very much in tune with the latest world trends and one that confirms what CITY PAPER has been saying for months: that industry standards have ratcheted up a notch or two over the past year or so. The three-floor boxy restaurant building looks deceptively plain from the outside, but belies a cutting-edge interior inside—a kind of cross between a Japanese rock garden and an exclusive Swedish furniture store. There is an open grill on the second floor and a designer fireplace roaring on the third, with natural light pouring in from multiple windows; they play soothing if modern background music. The food is a lively mix of standard international dishes, from Italian pasta to a range of meats and fish. (On a recent evening, they flew in fresh oysters from France.) If you overeat, which you may be prone to do given the food quality, you can always walk it all off in one of Tallinn’s most celebrated and beautiful parks, Kadriorg, which is just a matter of meters away.
Karl Friedrich: Raekoja plats 5, tel. 627-2413; on Town Hall Square. Open: 10-24. The most distinctive thing about Karl Friedrich is that it’s one of the few places in the old city where you actually have a view of the old city. Here, tall windows frame the ancient Hansel and Gretel merchant houses that surround the cobblestoned square outside. The food is good. With its manor-house-like elegant interior Karl Friedrich is suited for formal occasions.
Lydia: Koidula 13a, in Kadriorg; tel. 626-8990. Open:12-23; Sun. 12-19. A fine, suit-and-tie kind of restaurant next to Kadriorg park. Lydia—named after Estonia’s celebrated 19th century poet Lydia Koidula—is an upscale restaurant with a warm, harmonious interior.
Moskva: Vabaduse väljak 10, tel. 640-4694. Open:08:30-24; Sat., Sun. 11-24. This trendy and spacious cuisine nouvelle restaurant has become a new popular hangout for the chic crowd. Live music or a DJ in the club section from 20:00 or 22:00.
Novell: Narva mnt. 7c, a five-minute walk from the old city, linked with the Reval Hotel Central; tel. 633-9891. Open:12-24; Fri.-Sat. 12-01. If places like this are emerging as the new standard for Tallinn’s dining scene, there’s reason to sing joyously from the rooftops. This café/bar/restaurant rolled into one is done up in ultra hip, New York style—with its fine background music, funky colored lighting and clean-cut interior; the service is also highly attentive. It’s located along a traffic-jammed, gray Tallinn street, but designers have even used this to their advantage, positioning some of the café chairs close to the tinted street-front windows, enabling patrons to people-watch in comfort and anonymity. Novell has, delightfully, also not forgotten about the small matter of food: it’s lovely!
Park Lounge: Kreutzwaldi 23, tel. 630-5305. Open:12-23. A pleasant new restaurant inside the Reval Park Hotel & Casino. It is far more modern and hip than what was here before. A very good reincarnation.
Pegasus: Harju 1, in the old city; tel. 631-4040. Open:08-01; Sat. 09-01, Sun. 11-18. A trendy, top-of-the-line restaurant/bar in what used to be a heralded Soviet-era café. There’s a crisp, ’60s-retro feel to this place—with a bright-white minimalist decor (maybe slightly too sparse for those who like lots of furniture to cower behind when they go out), a stainless-steel staircase and red-and-purple plastic floats dangling from the ceiling. Pegasus has the feel of a posh Manhattan club, though with great views of medieval buildings instead of skyscrapers. Everything from the designer knives and water glasses to the ultrafashionable bathrooms have the mark of refinement. The background music stands out in Tallinn for its appropriateness—on a recent evening, there was a good mix of jazz, ambient house techno and the likes of Radiohead. The food, prepared by award winning cook Michael Bhoola, is spectacular. The menu’s always changing, but had included the likes of Thai green curry with lime rice and pan-fried foie gras with caramelized mango. Sunday brunch from 11-16. Prices are on the high-end.
Olde Estonia: Raekoja plats 8, tel. 641-2183. Open:10-01; Fri.-Sat.10-02. The name is a little deceptive: this is no medieval-themed restaurant, rather a restaurant that serves a range of modern delicacies; they have a fine selection of wines too. Whatever you call it though, this comfortable, dimly lit restaurant is very good. One of the nicest features of Olde Estonia are the tall glass windows that look out across the cobblestoned Town Hall Square, the hub of the old city. In the summer, the windows come off during the day. Another wonderful new attraction: They have live jazz on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.
Ö (Island in Swedish): Mere pst. 6e, tel. 661-6150. Open: Mon.-Fri. 12-16 and 18-24; Sat. 12-24. This new place is further proof, if you required it, that restaurant standards in Tallinn have taken another leap forward. The classy, candle-lit Ö is located in a 19th-century warehouse between the old city and harbor, featuring exposed steel beams, soft music and well-schooled waiters and waitresses. There’s a day menu, and at night they offer dishes inspired by countries around the Baltic Sea. Ö has a similar aura to another top-notch Tallinn restaurant, Bocca—though the food is not quite as good here as it is there. Easy parking on the street or out back, by the Metropol Hotel.
Paat (Boat): Rohuneeme tee 53, right next to the Viimsi open air museum; tel. 609-0840. Open:10-24, Fri.-Sat. 10-02. From the outside it looks like a capsized Viking ship that’s been dragged onto shore. That might be reason enough to drop by this quite classy seaside restaurant/bar that has lovely views of wind-swept Tallinn Bay. Paat has the loveliest summer terrace anywhere in Tallinn: right next to the beach with lovely views of the city and an open-air museum near-by.
Revalia: Raekoja plats 8, tel. 631-4775. Open:09-24, Fri., Sat. 08-01. Great views of the historical Town Hall across the cobblestoned square. The shortish menu includes Russian, Italian and Estonian cuisine; try the cucumber with honey vodka.
R.I.F.F.: Viru väljak 6, in the Viru Keskus, tel. 610-1430. Restaurant open:11-24; nightclub open: Wed., Thu. 22-04; Fri., Sat. 22-06. This spacious, trendy restaurant/bar/night-club done by a top-of-the-line Helsinki restaurateur, is a welcome addition to the Tallinn entertainment scene. Everything here is in good taste, from the warm-color interior to a very good taste in background music. Good food, good service, including on a large terrace in summer. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights there's a nightclub downstairs; at the club, they mostly play good R&B.
Stenhus: Pühavaimu 13/15, in the Schlössle Hotel; tel. 699-7780. Open:07-10:30, 12-15, 18-22:30. This is a sure bet if ever there was one! Even at most top-flight restaurants, there’re usually one or two things that are a little off. But it’s hard to find anything that Stenhus doesn’t do absolutely dead-on right, from the luxurious tableware to the lighting to the meticulous, first-rate cuisine and wine. This is easily one of the top five restaurants in Tallinn. Over the years, this already lovely cavernous cellar restaurant has become ever more comfortable and quaint. The food’s always been spectacular, and nothing’s changed on that front: a menu that is ever-changing recently included a divine marinated English goat cheese with artichokes and a wonderful Canadian lobster; the range of fine wines is also extremely impressive.
Italian
Bocca: Olevimägi 9, in the old city; tel. 641-2610. Open:12-24. This is one of the most notable places in Tallinn; it arguably set a new restaurant standard for the Estonian capital. The interior design, for starters, deserves the highest possible marks. Bocca is located in a 500-year-old warehouse, with high ceilings and arching cavernous pillars. This medieval shell is tastefully filled with fashionable minimalist decor: there’s a strong sense of cutting-edge New York and Nordic fashion to the place; all the light is ingeniously indirect, including from two giant globe-like lamps, replicas of ones that hang in the Barcelona Opera House. On a recent evening, the background music ranged from ambient space music to Frank Sinatra. This is a restaurant where form and content don’t clash. That is to say, the food is as spectacular as Bocca’s physical surroundings. The menu has recently included the likes of a salmon carpaccio with avocado and strawberry salad, Wolf fish, a wild duck in muscatel sauce and fruits flambé with champagne zabaglione sauce; lots of pasta dishes, too. (The web site below includes the full menu.) Prices aren’t cheap at Bocca; a meal for two will cost at least 50 dollars. But who said the best things in life were free? They were wrong.
BuonGiorno: Müürivahe 17, tel. 640-6858. Open:10-23. A small, basement Italian restaurant—a popular hangout of local Italians. Good coffee, homey dishes. Italian dailies and magazines, even Italian TV. This homey spagettheria is a good place to watch Italian league football.
Controvento: Vene 12, along old city's Katariina passage; tel. 644-0470. Open:12-23. Without a doubt, this is Tallinn's best Italian restaurant. Excellent food, excellent service, excellent atmosphere. It's located off one of the quaintest alleyways in the Baltics and in one of the most tastefully renovated Medieval houses. Great stuff all the way around. Italian owner, Italian chef, imported Italian ingredients. Result: top-notch food.
Fellini: Kinga 1, in the old city; tel. 631-4775. Open:11-24; Fri., Sat. 11-01. Fellini, part of a growing complex of Town Hall Square restaurants run by the same owner, is very good an threatens to get even better and better. The food here is excellent, thanks to Fellini's top-class Italian cook, whose inventive pasta dishes are among the best in Tallinn; wonderful grilled meats and outstanding pizza. Soft, candle-lit atmosphere that, many evenings, includes live piano music. Also note that a sprawling Brazilian-themed club/bar will open downstairs on the first floor soon—and, by all accounts, it is certain to become a new hub pf hip, classy nightlife in the capital. One to watch!
Palermo: Köleri 2, down-stairs of Bally's casino; tel. 606-1966. Open:08-23:30; Sat., Sun. 11-23:30.
Japanese
Ami-Ja: Narva mnt 36, tel. 646-6096. Open:12-23. Bonsai trees and private rooms. Meat cooked on open stoves on your table. Bowing, smiling Estonian waiters and waitresses are a sight to behold.
Silk: Kullassepa 4, in the old city; tel. 648-4625. Open:11-24.Hip, tasteful interior; the music is a pleasant if slightly loud drum-and-base, ambient techno. Best of all, the sushi is top notch, with a vast and varied menu. Especially on weekends, it attracts a young, club-going crowd.
Sushi Bar: Narva mnt.7, tel. 610-9228. Open:11-24. While it is located in an office building, the interior here is still tasteful: it has the Japanese clean lines, indirect lighting and Japanese music hums in the background. The sushi is okay, but lacks authenticity; it is more Estonian sushi than Japanese. Service is on and off.
Sushi House: Rataskaevu 16, in the old city; tel. 641-1900. Open:12-24. Whether you like sushi or not, you’re almost certainly going to love Sushi House. Medieval Tallinn meets modern Japan in this delightful new restaurant, located in a 500-year-old building that was once believed to be haunted. Stone walls and original rafters set the tone here, though there’s a contemporary touch to almost everything else, including the red Startrek doors that slide apart automatically as you enter. One lovely feature are the hideaway rooms, including a private, pillow-filled den (with no chairs) and a loft-like cigar lounge. The background music, unsurprisingly, is also well-thought-through—ambient house at times, as well as progressive rock or jazz. As for the food, well, as you’d expect—it’s excellent, even breathtaking. The smaller, street-front room concentrates on sushi staples, like sake salmon and ebi shrimp. If you have more time, head to the larger dining room in the back, which offers a more extensive menu, one that includes non-sushi items such as lobster tail, yakitor (a Japanese-style kebab) and lots of wok dishes. At Sushi House, the only potential pitfall, it would seem, is the occasional ghost.
Korean
Ariran: Telliskivi 35, tel. 673-3992. Open:11-22. In the Pelgulinn suburb. North Korea meets Twin Peaks. Service and food that's pot luck: sometimes good, sometimes not so good.
Kim: Filtri 5, tel. 601-4102. Open:12-23. By the bus station. A distinctive Korean-Russian ambience. An offbeat, pleasant experience.
Medieval-Themed
Le Chateau: Lai 19, tel. 665-0927, right next to the City Theater. Open:12-23. There was a time when you couldn’t find a medieval-themed restaurant in Tallinn if your life depended on it. Nowadays, though, you can hardly walk a block without bumping into an establishment claiming to be one. This newest place to apply that label has most of the right ingredients: it’s located off a cobblestoned street that couldn’t be more medieval, and it’s in a dark, lovely cavernous cellar—lit almost exclusively by candlelight. But the food is expressedly not out of the Middle Ages; there are mostly non-spectacular French dishes with an Estonian touch. Favorably-priced special day menu daily until 18:00.
Maikrahv: Raekoja plats 8, along the Town Hall Square; tel. 631-4227. Open:12-23. The name means May Count, but Maikrahv might well be renamed Sconce World; this comfortable, medieval-styled basement restaurant even has cast-iron toilet paper rollers and a dungeon for a garderobe. But the cuisine is as 13th century as the ultramodern table settings: that is to say, it’s not. The hauteish northern European food hits the spot: their rosemary rolls deserve a medal, and the sage-flavored piglet filet with polenta and cider sauce is fantastic—as is the créme brulee. Also some traditional Estonian dishes on offer, and something for vegetarians. This classy, professional operation is more reasonably priced than other restaurants along the Town Hall Square. There’s often live classical music on the weekends.
Olde Hansa: Vana turg 1, tel. 627-9020. Open:11-24. By far the most heralded Medieval restaurant in the Baltics! To make sure they got it right, Olde Hansa consulted experts on life in the Middle Ages. There is a feel of real authenticity here: the background music (from the 15th century or earlier), the candlelight, the heavy wooden benches draped with boar skins. The menu recently included Nobleman’s smoked fillet mignon, wild boar with nuts and sauerkraut, herb-juniper cheese, bear (believe it or not), and much more; there are historical explanations provided with each dish. For dessert, try the apple and honey under a crispy bread coat and soaked in almond milk. Beverages are also true to the medieval theme and include berry schnapps and the much-heralded dark honey beer, which is served piping hot. Overall, the quality of the food is good; the service is exemplary, and good-humored. The dining experience is almost certainly unlike anything you may have experienced before.
Peppersack: Viru 2, tel. 644-1294. Open:12-24. The gorgeous medieval dining room is an attraction unto itself; you can sit on balconies above the main room with more privacy. There’s a fine café in an adjoining room and a grill in the cellar area. Above average food in an environment that can’t really be beat.
Marcelle: Rüütli 28/30, in the old city; tel. 646-4900. Open:13-24. A notable new Roma (or gypsy) restaurant—the first of its kind in the Baltics. The menu here begins by quoting the rather awkward, un-PC Roma saying that “God created wives and horses, and you made the whip yourself. May your passion and love for them never end.” This vast, dark cavern has the feel of a Bohemian cellar in Budapest, illuminated by candlelight and sporting murals of Roma encampments. A short but tasty menu, including trout a la tartar and several lamb dishes.
Russian
Klafira: Vene 4, tel. 667-5144. Open:11-24; Sat., Sun. 12-24. Klafira, always good, is even better after repainting the place and partly refurnishing—adding more interior warmth. Appropriately, it’s on a street called Vene, “Russian” in Estonian. Soft light from old table lamps and candles; there’s a faint 19th century feel to the place, though it’s not too formal or stiff. Great food. Prices are about what you’d expect for a high-quality Tallinn restaurant: about 40 dollars for a meal for two.
Nevskij: Rataskaevu 7, in the classy Hotel St. Petersbourg; tel. 628-6560. Open:18-23; closed Mon. A smaller, exceptionally cozy Russian restaurant that could have been the palace den of a 19th century Russian boyar—with samovars on some tables, Russian folk songs as background music and pillows along tableside couches. There’s also an English drawing-room feel to it, with the fireplace, fresh flowers and abundant fine-art along the walls. High quality all the way around, including the food and service. A meal for two will run you at least 80 dollars.
Troika: Raekoja plats 15; tel. 627-6245. Open:12-23. When it rains it pours. Until early 2000, there were virtually no Russian restaurants worth mentioning in Tallinn. Now, with Troika, there are at least two. Troika, along with Klafira (above) is vying to become the No. 1 Russian restaurant in the capital. One big thing it's got going for it is a wonderful atmosphere. It's in one of the loveliest Medieval-era halls in Tallinn, with high cavernous ceilings and bulky oak staircases sweeping into the main dining area; the brooding, dimly-lit surroundings capture the Russian spirit. There's often a solo guitarist here belting out Russian folk songs.
Seafood
Mõõkkala: Kuninga 4, tel. 631-3583. Open:12-24. An old Tallinn favorite that recently moved to a new location—on the beaten path in the old city. Mõõkkala (Swordfish) has the reputation of having some of the best fish dishes in the country. They serve the range of standard fish as well as shark with cherry dressing and, as you might expect, swordfish. Located in a cavernous hall that was once a rich merchant’s dining room.
Trahter Laguun: Vene 10, in the old city; tel. 631-4727. Open:12-24. The interior here mimics the deck of a ship. It tends more toward a pub than a restaurant.
Thai
Villa Thai: Vilmsi 6, a short taxi or tram ride from the old town; take tram #1 or #3 to Kadriorg Park; tel. 641-9347. Open:12-23. Villa Thai offers outstanding food prepared by a top-notch chef from India. They have both a Thai and an Indian menu and well-priced lunch special on weekdays. Pleasant atmosphere.
Royal Siam: Mündi 3, just off the Town Hall Square in the old city; tel. 641-2456. Open:12-23. A lovely Thai restaurant that existed earlier at another location. The new cellar premises are far better; it’s extremely well designed—classy yet cozy. Soft light and Thai music, plus friendly and efficient service.
Turkish
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