Where to eat and drink in Tallinn
I love to find great places to eat and drink when I’m on holiday. But in Tallinn, I hadn’t expected this to be such a highlight. Estonian food is quite meaty, with a lot of potatoes, pork, and fish served with dairy like kefir or sour cream. But the local restaurants in Tallinn feel far more contemporary, with a great selection of veggie, vegan, pescatarian, and meat dishes to choose from. These were our favourites.
La Prima
Wherever you travel to, you’re likely to come across a lot of Italian restaurants. And for this reason I tend to avoid them in favour of trying something new. But the door of La Prima was adorned with so many “Best Restaurant in Tallinn” awards that it was hard to ignore. And when a table for four cancelled their booking just as we turned up with no reservation, it felt like it was meant to be.
The menu at La Prima is extensive, with pizza, meat and fish dishes, and plenty of pasta which is what we went for. The truffle linguine was on the small side, but delicious. And each guest is served with a free glass of prossecco on arrival, which sweetened the deal. It’s not the cheapest place to eat in Tallinn, but the quality of the food is definitely worth the hype.
Ocean 11
We visited Ocean 11 after taking the hop-on-hop-off tour bus around Tallinn and into the city’s port. The walk to the restaurant felt like we were heading towards nowhere, until the pier suddenly opened up onto a modern courtyard and a beautiful, glass fronted building with outdoor seating and a large indoor space with a living plant wall at its entrance. It was sunny, so we sat outside with a view over the Baltic sea.
The food here was delicious – I had the mushroom orzotto, which like the mushroom pasta at La Prima was small but very tasty. I’m sure if you go to some of the less-modern restaurants in Tallinn you’ll get more generous portions, but I’m not sure the food would be as tasty and as memorable as it is at Ocean 11. Their cocktail menu is also worth staying for, with the Maralicious being the stand-out.
Pegasus
Another highly-rated restaurant in Tallinn, Pegasus did not disappoint. The menu is simple, with a chicken, lamb, fish, and vegetarian dish to choose from and a few sides. The spicy cauliflower main lived up to its name and was made even more tasty thanks to a side of crispy potatoes with kimchi aioli. The dover sole was fresh and delicious, but the truffle cauliflower side was a little disappointing. On the drinks menu was a Somerset cider – a rare and exciting find in mainland Europe – and the restaurant itself as a modern feel with a great atmosphere.
Whisper Sister
We tried to get into Whisper Sister, a speakeasy bar on the outskirts of Tallinn old town, on our first night in the city. But it was fully booked, so we secured a place for the following evening. The bar is hard to find by design. Just look out for a small gold plaque, and phone the number to let them know you’re there. On arrival, the staff lead you down a staircase into the basement bar and give you a tour of the rooms.
The menu is unique and inspired by cocktails from around the world as well as different periods in time. Our waiter told us about the building’s history as a KGB escape room, and how the jungle theme alluded to bar owners in the prohibition era who would disguise their business as a place to pet exotic animals like tigers, snakes, and monkeys. It even takes its name from the women who opened these secret underground bars when alcohol was illegal. Try She’s Fizzy and A Weekend in Pompeii if they're on the menu during your visit.
Sessel
When we couldn;t get into Whisper Sister, we went to Sessel. It’s another speakeasy-inspired bar in the old town, but with fewer hoops to get in. The bar is located above a store, so you need to go into the shop and up a staircase. Once inside, it’s a cosy room with tables that line an open balcony overlooking the old cobbled streets. We only stayed for one drink, but the vibe was lively even on a Tuesday evening.
Fotografiska Restoran
On the rooftop of Fotografiska gallery is a Michelin-starred bar and restaurant with a terrace that boasts amazing views across the city. We stopped for a cocktail in the late afternoon, but if we’d known about the menu we would have come back for dinner too (although that would have meant we’d missed Pegasus, so I don’t regret the decision!).
Want to know the best things to do in Tallinn? Read our blog here.