Discover the Best Estonian Restaurants from Fine Dining to Street Food 2023

Discover the Best Estonian Restaurants from Fine Dining to Street Food 2023 II print

Cover Photo: Lauri Laan

180degrees.ee

Staapli 4, Port Noblessner

Texts: Heidi Vihma

Designer: Aleksander Karu

Photos: Kaupo Kalda (7), Lauri Laan (8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 32, 33, 36, 37), Alina Birjuk (22, 23), Harry Tiits (34), Mana Kaasik (54, 55), visitestonia.com (63), private collections.

Publisher:

Best Guides OÜ

www.bestguides.ee

Enjoy the Best Restaurants in Estonia!

Our small country is filled with large flavours, exciting and unique eateries. Best Guides has selected the best of the best. No matter whether it is a fancy, fine dining restaurant or the vendor of simple street food, they are all places where we eat, where we invite our friends and acquaintances, and that we are always happy to recommend to foreign visitors.

Estonia has always been a border country both geographically and gastronomically. Like other Nordic countries, we prefer pure and fresh flavours. However, these have been enriched by both our close neighbours the Russians, as well as the Germans, with whom we shared a cultural space for centuries. Yet today, the local flavour palette includes the entire world – we are curious and open to trying new things. The high quality of our restaurants is proven by the fact that, in 2022, several Estonian restaurants came under scrutiny by the MICHELIN Guide. In 2023 two MICHELIN Stars were awarded to one restaurant, one MICHELIN Star to one restaurant, six others received the Bib Gourmand designation. and two were awarded the MICHELIN Green Star.

Wishing you flavour journeys filled with new experiences,

Katrin Weiss Editor Best Guides OÜ

Heidi Vihma

Restaurant Critic Estonia

Discover All Experiences with Best Guides

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Fine dining hasn’t meant classical restaurants with white tablecloths for a long time now. Today, fine dining restaurants can be very unique and special. But basic truths never change and they still value the completeness of the experience, and turn their attention to all aspects thereof. These are places where the food and service are first class, and the menu represents the head chef’s unique creations that are born of commitment. In these places the beverage menu is outstanding, the design supports the whole, and attention is paid to the smallest details.

Fine Dining Casual Dining

In some cases, the line between fine dining and casual dining may be paper-thin, but usually casual restaurants do not set goals that are comparable to fine dining. Instead they focus on the atmosphere. The casual style gives chefs the courage to try various flavour combinations and techniques, and provides the guests with a pleasant atmosphere in which to enjoy them. Under the heading of casual dining, we have collected those restaurants and cafés that provide a gastronomical experience, pleasant service and relaxing atmosphere. These are places where you can also stop by for a drink, snack or light meal.

Street Food

The fact that street food can also be gourmet food is proven by the best street food vendors around the world. During the last few years, local gourmet street food has also developed in Estonia. Initially indeed based on examples from the rest of the world, since Estonian street food is still developing. A new phenomenon on the Estonian culinary landscape is the chef going and ‘mixing with the people’. Searching for new challenges, internationally experienced top chefs are establishing street food kiosks, and applying their high culinary experience in a new context and raising street food to a totally new level.

Tallinn – the city of good food

During the last ten years, the Tallinn restaurant landscape has undergone exceptional rapid development. Good restaurants of various styles, which value local ingredients, can be found in every neighbourhood. The greatest concentration of restaurants, cafes and bars is in the Old Town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. But when seeking gastronomic adventures, one shouldn’t limit themselves to the main thoroughfares, but also pop into some of the back streets. In the city centre, it’s worth visiting the Rotermann Quarter, where there are many special eateries. Some of the fancier fine dining restaurants are located outside the city centre in Kadriorg, Pirita and elsewhere. The street food is concentrated in trendy Kalamaja, especially around the Baltic Station, and in Pelgulinn. Tallinn is a food capital that deserves attention.

180° Experience

by Matthias Diether

180 Degrees, a fine dining establishment located in historic Port Noblessner, serves a four- and a six-course tasting menu. The flavour experience is completed by the visual enjoyment provided by the sea view and the kitchen in the centre of the dining room, which is open on three sides. The head chef is Matthias Diether, a Michelinstarred chef from Germany, whose ambition is to raise the quality of the local cuisine to a new level. The taste experience providing culinary brilliance is perfected by the relationship between food and drink.

180degrees.ee

Fotografiska Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

Sustainable and seasonal

The restaurant, situated on the 6th floor, offers panoramic views of the city with its 360-degree perspective. It boasts its own garden with beehives, where a variety of herbs are grown and incorporated into the dishes. Additionally, the rooftop bar provides an exceptional vantage point for witnessing sunsets. Head chef Peeter Pihel is probably the Estonian food authority who has attracted the most attention, having had a brilliant career at the Alexander restaurant in the Pädaste Manor, as well as at the Fäviken Magasinet in Sweden and Fulgurances in Paris, which are among the best in the world. Fotografiska has received the MICHELIN Green Star as the only one for the second year in a row.

The founders of the Härg (Ox in English) Restaurant are two Estonian meat specialists and grill masters – Enn Tobreluts and Andres Tuule. The menu favourites include high-quality steaks, slow-cooked meat, and grilled dishes. The menu also features lamb, pork and duck dishes, fish, seafood, vegetarian dishes and healthy salads. The Härg’s modern interior design, which has been deemed worthy of a nomination for the annual prize awarded by the Estonian Association of Interior Architects, makes it special and festive. In the summer the restaurant expands onto the terrace, and the courtyard can accommodate larger groups of guests.

Modern meat restaurant Fine

Lee Restaurant

A restaurant with a fairytale-like garden in the Old Town

Lee refers to the ancestral hearth where life simmered and delicious meals were prepared. Located in Tallinn’s Old Town, Lee restaurant, led by Japanese-born chef Hiro Takeda, combines his international skills and playful curiosity with locally sourced ingredients from Estonian farms and forests. The best way to experience Lee’s flavors is through the Lee Experience, a surprise menu meant for sharing among the guests. The impressive drink program is curated by multiple-time awarded Best Estonian Sommelier, Kristjan Peäske, and his team. Lee’s enchanting summer courtyard is one of Tallinn’s best-kept secrets.

Mantel ja Korsten

The Mantel ja Korsten restaurant in the green wooden house with a red roof in Kadriorg combines cozy hominess with elegant cuisine. The name comes from the architectural rarity of a mantle chimney, in which a small private room is located. The restaurant offers a nuanced Mediterranean cuisine, presented in a simple Estonian style. The dishes surprise not only with their tastes, but also with the simplicity and naturalness with which domestic and foreign ingredients are melded into a harmonious whole. The exciting drinks menu is also a separate value. Trust the sommelier who offers the best!

mantel-korsten.ee

Flavors in a small wooden house in Kadriorg

Moon

Modern Slavic cuisine

Moon was established around fifteen years ago when the top chefs in Estonian cuisine at that time, Roman Zaštšerinski and Igor Andrejev, decided to leave high cuisine, return to their roots, and open a family restaurant together with Roman’s wife Jana. As one of the few restaurants in Tallinn, Moon represents modern Slavic cuisine. Since the beginning, with minor changes, the menu includes classics such as borscht, dumplings, blinis, and stuffed pies. Moon’s chefs have the ability to conjure up flavors worthy of haute cuisine even from less expensive ingredients. Over the years, their work has been highly praised by both locals and professional food critics and guides.

Restaurant Pull

Outstanding meat dishes

The founders of the Pull (Bull in English) Restaurant include Enn Tobreluts, Estonia’s most authoritative meat specialist and grill master, and therefore, one can be sure that the meat dishes served here are outstanding. Most of the dishes are prepared over an open fire. And it is definitely worth trying the ‘dirty steak’, which is cooked in charcoal, and has become one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The menu also includes fish and vegan dishes, but it is the very plentiful and high-quality meat selection that is so impressive. Fresh salads and a large selection of wines to accompany the meat are also on offer.

Accentuated Frenchman R

udolf

The restaurant named after Estonian composer Rudolf Tobias, situated in Kadriorg. The kitchen conductor Sten Märtin’s notes consist of pure French culinary culture intertwined with modern European cuisine. Unexpected harmonies add a contemporary touch. Foie gras “rubber duck”, the traditional French onion soup with our local wild garlic, and the king of desserts, mille feuille. On weekends, Rudolf treats the city with the best brunch in town. The menu is complemented by a versatile drink list created by the best bartender in the Baltics, Erik Tammeleht.

rudolfrestoran.ee

A Representative of Good Taste Smak

Smak, built in a warehouse of Tallinn’s former cargo port, is romantically bright and airy. The mood is complemented by the artworks displayed on the limestone walls. The soul of the restaurant is chef Dmitri Rooz, one of Estonia’s top chefs, who has represented Estonia at the Bocuse d’Or competition one of the world’s most prestigious cooking competitions. The menu changes seasonally and provides experiences for every occasion. Smak’s menu is like an improvisation of wellknown themes, with “something more” being added to the original favourites, i.e. some unexpected addition, some new flavour nuance or even a technological stunt. Whereas the surprises are never intended to be just tricks, but rather as an expansion of one’s culinary horizons.

Five-star hotel standards in a medieval building

The Stenhus Restaurant is situated in the Old Town of Tallinn at the five-star Schlössle Hotel, offering a unique gastronomic experience since 1998. Steeped in history the restaurant has stunning architectural features, roaring log fires, offering its guests a warm and relaxing atmosphere. The summer terrace located in the courtyard offers you a gourmet experience in a green oasis in the middle of the medieval city. Restaurant’s Cigar Lounge is an inviting spot to have a cognac and enjoy a quality cigar before or after dinner. The menu consists of enticing classic and contemporary dishes using quality seasonal ingredients.

stenhusrestaurant.ee

Traditional tastes in a new way

Restaurant Wicca is located just thirty kilometres from Tallinn in LaSpa, one of the most popular spa hotels near Tallinn. The menu improvises with Estonian food traditions combining the old and the new in unexpected, but always delicious, ways. Restaurant Wicca offers something unique that can seldom be found elsewhere, be it novel flavour combinations or special, yet to be widely discovered, ingredients. All of these are sourced locally from small-scale farmers and producers, as well as from the forests and meadows. Restaurant Wicca head chef Angelica Udeküll also introduces Estonian flavours in her signature TV cooking show.

Mediterranean-inspired cuisine Koho

The restaurant Koho is located in the Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial area that now houses numerous galleries and creative workshops. Koho is the project of head chef Jaanus Koho, who has 20 years of experience working in the kitchen. The menu is also creative, reflecting the artistic vibe of the creative city, with Mediterranean risottos, pastas and pizzas complemented by Estonianstyle fish cutlet, Latin American ceviche, and classic European dishes. Fresh bread and homemade hummus are served with the dishes. If there is no time to sit down in the restaurant, you can grab a warm pie and coffee to go. During the warm season, you can enjoy the special atmosphere of the Telliskivi quarter on the restaurant’s sunny terrace.

facebook.com/kohorestoran

olm Sibulat

Borderless Onions

Like a real onion, Kolm Sibulat (Three Onions) is complex and multi-layered: the menu is inspired by both Asia and Europe, and both fast and slow food. Kimchi, lentils, slowly cooked meat dishes with Asian seasoning, cold water fish, and local vegetables are presented on plates in new and exciting compositions. Regardless of where the inspiration comes from, the components are balanced, and the flavors are on point. The balance is maintained by a rich selection of drinks, knowledgeable service, and a cozy atmosphere. It is a family restaurant created by the same people who represent Slavic cuisine at Moon. In the summer of 2023, Kolm Sibulat will move to a new location on Maakri Street. kolmsibulat.eu

The Kolu Inn at the Estonian Open Air Museum in Rocca al Mare serves traditional Estonian food in an original 19th-century building. The menu is focused on century-old traditions, but also makes some detours into the present day. As is typical of farm food, the dishes are simple, but prepared with a warm heart and skilful hands. In modern terms, the dishes at the Kolu Inn can be described as the most authentic slow food. The menu includes pork and porridge, sauerkraut, pea soup, and other simple farm dishes that fewer and fewer members of the younger generation still know how to prepare.

Traditional rural inn

Mix mixes continents and countries

Mix’s cuisine boldly blends different flavors and culinary traditions from around the world. Whether it’s global cuisine or local dishes, there is balance and harmony in the dishes. The menu focuses on local ingredients, adding color and flair with both Asian and Mediterranean flavors. The selection includes smoked fish, shrimp, Italian burrata, and local Andre farm cheeses. The restaurant’s drink selection is rich enough to support the chef’s fantasies, and the service is caring and attentive. Mix shares spaces with My City Hotel, but it is an independent restaurant whose creators share a long-standing friendship, a passion for good food, and hospitality.

Meeting place at the crossroads of pedestrian pathways

Platz was one of the first restaurants to establish itself in the newly renovated historical Rotermann industrial district. And it secured the best location at the crossroads of the pedestrian pathways. The minimalist Scandinavian-style interior and diverse menu are ideal for a no-nonsense business meeting, quick lunch or a formal dinner. On several occasions, Platz has been chosen as the restaurant with one of Estonia’s best beverage menus, which is much more diverse than usual. The terrace, which is an integral part of Platz in the summer, is a great place to rest and observe the hustle and bustle of the city.

Trendy Delights Salt

Salt’s menu combines modern highend street food and fusion cuisine in a unique, special, and slightly crazy way. As if in a culinary laboratory, they try to catch the trend winds and mix flavors and cuisines, without testing the tolerance of their guests. The restaurant’s ambiance is just as unique as the menu. In a small basement room, there is an atmosphere more reminiscent of a cozy dining room than a restaurant.The terrace with an interior courtyard atmosphere and a view of the radio house offers a contrasting extremely urban atmosphere.

F. Burger

Street Food with a Fine Dining Touch

The letter “F” stands for Dmitri Fomenko, the creator and head chef of F. Burger, a place established as a family venture together with his wife Eva Unt. Fomenko’s burgers are extraordinary, as he brings his fine dining experience from Michelin-starred restaurants in Scandinavia to the world of street food. In addition to the original Dirty Juicy 100% Craft burgers, they also offer meat and gluten-free alternatives. The menu includes a small selection of salads, soups, main courses, and desserts, accompanied by wines, homemade lemonades, and herbal teas made from hand-picked botanical blends. To enhance the experience, they also serve a selection of champagnes from small producers, available by the glass.

Patarei Burger

Full-value fast food in the Noblessner Port City

Patarei Burger’s high-quality burgers, made from premium ingredients, are cooked in a Spanish charcoal oven, where the meat remains exceptionally juicy due to the high heat. The burgers draw inspiration from various national cuisines – some have an American touch, others reminiscent of Mexico, and others of Italy, and so on. All burgers are also available with a plantbased Beyond Meat patty. In addition to burgers, they offer a variety of fries, salads, seafood, snacks, and desserts, as well as local Patarei craft beer and cocktails. The taste experience is complemented by a pleasant atmosphere, a terrace with a sea view, and an interior design inspired by the notorious Patarei prison, from which the restaurant gets its name. patareiburger.ee

One of the most exotic representatives of Tallinn street food, Stereo Street Food, located in the Viru Center food street, allows you to experience the hot tastes of Latin America, the Caribbean and other exotic countries in the northern city of Tallinn. Stereo combines the innovation, flavors and traditions of street food, offering unique dishes prepared according to original recipes, complemented by a rich wine list. The daily changing lunch offers are undoubtedly the most exciting in the city: Peruvian anticuchos, Caribbeanstyle grilled octopus, Bobó de Camarão, a Brazilian shrimp stew and Filipino picadillo.

facebook.com/stereostreetfood

Latin America is not so far away after all! Stereo Street Food

Uulits

Street gourmet

Uulits, the only local street food chain, which can also be considered the pioneer of street food in Estonia, offers traditional street fare with a healthy and contemporary approach. This is gourmet street food, prepared in the style of a first-class restaurants the burgers are prepared to order and everything is made on-site – beef burgers, burger wraps, salads, sauces and fries. Starting years ago with a modest kiosk, the chain has expanded to several locations in Tallinn, Viimsi, Tartu and summer season pop-up in Pärnu.

The largest selection in the city Viru F

ood Hall

Viru Keskus is an urban changemaker, not only in terms of space, but also in its radical approach to food and beverage. The Viru Keskus Food Hall, launched in 2022, houses 15 unique restaurants and bars that all embody the central ethos of authenticity. What sets this food hall apart is the combination of local heroes, international superstars, and even Michelin-starred chefs coming together under one roof to cater to the needs of the modern customer. Whether you’re looking for indulgence, world-class coffee, a pint of the finest craft beer, or a healthy lunch, you can enjoy it in a shared seating area. virukeskus.com

Viru väljak 4/6, 10111 Tallinn

Kolm Tilli pizzas are prepared in a wood-fired oven, and the pasta is handmade on-site. Bliss combines plant-based food with a rich buffet table, while Kebaboom offers organic meat döner kebabs. The world-renowned craft beer producer Mikkeller and artisan ice cream maker KÜLM showcase their own creations. Pavlova delights with desserts, Papermill serves coffee, and F. Burger offers artisan burgers. KimiJimi represents Asian street food, PokeBowl & Meze brings the flavors of Hawaii, Stereo StreetFood offers South American cuisine, Samsa Family Bakers brings Uzbekistan flavors, MySushi and CHI showcase oriental tastes. Refreshing the food selection are pop-up restaurants that find their home in the iconic Airstream food truck.

Tartu – the city of good flavours

Tartu is not only a university city, but also a city of good flavours. Its numerous restaurants serve exciting flavour experiences, whereas many of the raw ingredients came from local small producers and farms in South Estonia. During the summer, pop-up cocktail and wine bars, for taking time out in Tartu style, appear on the Emajõgi River promenade. The year’s greatest food event is the Food and Wine Festival in August, when good food and drink occupy the entire city for three days. Other contributions are made by the Tasty Tartu Restaurant Month and the Home Café Days in May, August and September.

Special and impressive Hõlm

Its location in Tartu, in the Hotel Lydia, a 4-star superior hotel at the foot of Toomemägi Hill, makes the Hõlm fine dining restaurant very special and impressive. The views from the windows of the modern building of the park and City Hall Square, elegant interior design, rich drink menu and menu designed by head chef Sven Pärn are also special. His dishes combine the historic with the modern: they are inspired by the recipes of the hotel and restaurant owner’s great grandmother, but executed with a modern twist. The open kitchen allows the guests to view the birth of the culinary art. The Hõlm provides the best that Tartu has to offer to lovers of good food. And a generous drink menu created by sommelier Alar Pärn.

Joyce

Joy of Flavours

The excellent choice of flavours at the Joyce restaurant is a delight. The proprietors have discovered that elusive something that makes a good restaurant into an excellent one. The menu creates unexpected harmonies, by passionately combining continents and lands. These result in some of the city’s most exciting flavour games, which are played with youthful fervour. Joyce is focused on two values that are understood around the world: ‘joy’, which results from time spent in good company; and the ‘choice’ of impressive flavours that will please any guest. joyce.ee

GMP Pühajärve Restaurant

Enchanting atmosphere, delicious flavours clubhotel.ee

The GMP Pühajärve Restaurant is like a hidden jewel on the shore of the picturesque Lake Pühajärv in South-Estonia. It has been among the best eateries in Estonia for years, by serving top-quality culinary arts. The menu includes many elegant dishes prepared from local ingredients, which always provide a positive surprise. Head chef Koit Uustalu’s efforts are not limited to what is prepared in the kitchen. And the entire team works hard to give the guests a warm welcome and make sure they feel comfortable. And these same values guide the entire staff at the GMP Clubhotel as a whole.

The Islands and Lääne County

If, restaurants elsewhere that appreciate local food try to obtain their raw materials from suppliers within a radius of a hundred kilometres, on the islands and in Lääne County, one doesn’t need to travel that far – almost everything exists locally. Through the ages, much of the staple food has come from the sea, which is why the fish dishes prepared there are better than anywhere else. Because the soil layer is thin, the coastal meadows have not been ploughed into fields, and the sheep and cattle are able to graze in the heritage landscapes as they’ve always done. The grain comes from the fields. The mushrooms and berries from the forests. Valuing seasonal local ingredients and a curiosity about the world’s gastronomic innovations has made sure that the eateries of the quiet resort town of Haapsalu, as well as the restaurants of Kuressaare, the largest city on the islands, have a place on the gastronomic map of Estonia.

Fish Cafe at the End of the World Dirhami Kalakohvik

In the small Dirham fish café, located in the far corner of Lääne County, where the bounty of the sea reaches the table, the menu is as changeable as the sea itself. Freshly caught fish from the sea or smoked at the local fishery, the harbour and fishing boats, the terrace on a sandy beach, as well as the rushes and sunset view, have all made this small eatery so popular that advance bookings are recommended. The dishes are simple, but full of surprising flavours. Dirham’s chef has discovered new nuances for preparing the most ordinary local fish, like Baltic herrings and sprats. The wine selection is not large, but harmonises well with the dishes. The service is low-key, and homely, as is typical of the countryside.

Causal Dining

dirhami.ee/kalakohvik

Von Gernet CaféRestaurant

Boutique hotel restaurant in a noble family’s summer home

In Haapsalu, the newly restored Friedheim villa provides culinary and drink experiences in the Von Gernet café-restaurant. The restaurant has been named after the Gernets, the noble family who formerly owned the building. As is appropriate to its status, the menu caters to the food preferences of the tsarist court and is based on 19th-century cuisine. The classic style has been supplemented with modern ideas from both European and Russian cuisine. The restaurant’s flower-drenched terrace opens directly onto the seafront, providing enchanting sea views. The eye-catching interior design features spacious windows, a von Gernet family photo and display case filled with sumptuous patisserie, i.e., French-style pastries. The Villa Friedham boutique hotel and Von Gernet Restaurant are part of the GMP Group, which has garnered fame among gourmets with the highly regarded Pühajärve GMP Clubhotel restaurant and GMP Patisserie café in Tartu.