TALLInn - In Your Pocket

28 restaurants restaurants 29
French
Bonaparte B-3, Pikk 45, tel. (+372) 646 44 44,
bonaparte@bonaparte.ee, www.bonaparte.ee. You'll be
hard pressed to find a more elegant locale for French cuisine.
Set in an amazingly restored 17th-century merchant's house,
Bonaparte is a high-class affair all the way, from the complimentary
elk carpaccio to the wine and cheese cellar. The
portions seem small though - maybe it was the huge plates.
QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Wed 20:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00.
Closed Sun. (€19). JSW
C'est La Vie C-2, Suur-Karja 5, tel. (+372) 641 80 48,
info@cestlavie.ee, www.cestlavie.ee. One of the most
impressive restaurants we've had the pleasure of reviewing
comes in the form of this snazzy cellar venue. From the black
and gold 1920's motif to the friendly service and the heated
floors, C'est La Vie gets top marks. The internationally
infused menu contains just the right amount of Frenchness
and the artfully prepared food is more than magnifique.
We think it's the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or just
a classy start to any evening out. QOpen 13:00 - 24:00.
(€13). JESW
Restoran Lusikas C-3, Aia 7, tel. (+372) 646 30 30,
info@restoranlusikas.ee, www.restoranlusikas.ee. Still
trying to find its feet when we last visited, the atmosphere
and cuisine on offer were decidedly more French than anything
else. The dishes we had were prepared rather well but the
prices were a little lofty and the view from the terrace into a
parking lot and onto garbage containers from the attached
supermarket were a little to be desired. We'll have to revisit
them for next issue to be fair though, and perhaps we'll opt for
an inside table. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (€13). JUIBW
Garlic
Balthasar C-2, Raekoja plats 11, tel. (+372)
627 64 00, balthasar@ag.ee, www.balthasar.ee.
Beautifully-restored dining rooms overlooking Town Hall
Square provide Balthasar the perfect aristocratic setting
for its refined establishment. The speciality of the house
is garlic, and everything that can be made with it. The
number of bulbs next to each menu item indicates the
dent it will put in your evening’s social prospects. Just
when you thought you had enough garlic, a quick look at
the dessert menu reveals …garlic ice cream! Reservations
are recommended. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (€17).
TJEW
German
Baieri Kelder E-2, Roosikrantsi 2a, tel. (+372) 640 00
45, www.baierikelder.ee. All the classic beer-hall elements
are presented in the Hotel St. Barbara's cellar restaurant. It's
got the vaulted stone ceilings, the heavy wooden tables and
the obligatory, outrageously happy, piped-in schlager music.
The brief menu offers things like Bavarian hunter sausages and
Vienna schnitzel. Our pike perch came decently peppery, but
was served with less-than-cohesive potato dumplings. QOpen
12:00 - 23:00, Sun 14:00 - 21:00. (€9). TUILXSW
Beer House C-2, Dunkri 5, tel. (+372) 644 22 22, info@
beerhouse.ee, www.beerhouse.ee. In keeping with its
beer-drinking theme, the menu at Tallinn's only microbrewery
lists six different kinds of sausages (pizza also available). The
real reason to stop in though is the beer-hall ambience and
the unpasteurised, home-made brew, which comes in seven
varieties. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00.
(€10.55). J6EXS
Schnitzel Haus D-2, Rüütli 28/30, tel. (+372) 645
00 59, schnitzelhaus@schnitzelhaus.ee, www.schnitzelhaus.ee.
Accordion-heavy pop hits, wooden beer hall
tables and vaulted ceilings, come together to form this den
of schnitzel. The menu consists mainly of... well - schnitzel
and they will certainly have you yodelling. Just in case you're
not in the mood for a pounded-flat, breaded and fried meal,
they've also got a few other meaty mains to choose from
and a 'Radler' on the drink menu was also a plus. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00. (€8.30). TJ6ISW
Greek
Artemis Taverna B-3, Pikk 35, tel. (+372) 644 11 14,
info@artemis.ee, www.artemis.ee. Having Greek owners,
one would expect that the quality and price for portion ratio
would be much better - in fact, it was much better a few years
ago, but for some reason recent guests haven’t had the best
experience and we find that sad to say the least. You’ll have
to pay for all the side dishes seperately as well which, in our
books at least, is always a no-no. Being one of the only Greek
establishments in town we would expect more from them.
Probably best to just grab a light bite and an Ouzo to wash away
that ‘been kind of cheated’ feeling away. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (€14.20). JS
Syrtaki Taverna C-1, Piiskopi 1, tel. (+372) 644 60 76,
syrtaki@hot.ee, www.syrtaki.ee/tavern. One of the very
few eating establishments located on Toompea, this little
Greek Tavern serves up hearty, meat and onion-laden dishes
even Zorba could appreciate. Although we’ve had better, expect
to find a plethora of Greek favourites prepared according
to traditional recipes. Be warned though that portions here
are rather large and the meals meant for two could almost
feed an army. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00,
Sun 10:00 - 19:00. (€9.60). JIS
Gastropub
Clayhills Gastropub C-2, Pikk 13, tel. (+372) 641
93 12, clayhills@clayhills.ee, www.clayhills.ee. The
first of its kind in the Baltics, Clayhills Gastropub has raised
the bar high. With executive chef Argo Ots (formerly of
Pegasus) at the kitchen’s helm, the fresh cuisine is more
along the lines of a Michelin Star restaurant than that of a
pub. Fortunately you won’t have to pay Michelin level prices.
The rich interior is heavily garnished with leather and the
cellar is well stocked with quality beers and wines alike.
The service also comes with a smile and the atmosphere
is brimming with warmth. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Wed, Thu
11:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00. (€11). J6EW
Indian
Café VS E-2, Pärnu mnt. 28, tel. (+372) 627 26 27, info@
cafevs.ee, www.cafevs.ee. After all these years Cafe VS is
still a popular, cutting-edge bar rather than a traditional Indian
restaurant. Nevertheless this is where Tallinn’s expats, Indians
included, end up when they crave a good Indian meal. The main
courses can be quite large, but they do offer a half-portion not
listed on the menu. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri 10:00 - 02:00, Sat
12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (€10.55). USW
Chakra B-3, Bremeni käik 1, tel. (+372) 641 26 15, info@
chakra.ee, www.chakra.ee. If there’s one thing you should
know about Chakra, it’s that the people who envisioned it have
a long and successful history bringing innovation and quality to
the local dining scene. The atmosphere comes complete with
authentic, often naughty, knick-knacks from India. The food is
prepared with care, using top-notch ingredients and recipes, some
of which only the best chefs from the home country can pull off. In
short, we think that it probably won’t be the last time we’ll dine here.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. (€11.95). JSW
Elevant C-2/3, Vene 5, tel. (+372) 631 31 32, elevant@
elevant.ee, www.elevant.ee. This is an exceptional Old Town
alternative to medieval theme restaurants. Beautiful décor from
the entry foyer’s antique wrought iron staircase to the sparse
earthy sheik furnishings make it a place to linger over your meal.
The sophisticated East meets West style also extends to the
menu, offering a wide selection of innovative, carefully prepared
Indian and fusion dishes. Adventurous diners should pay particular
attention to the meat selection. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00.
(€9.60). TJS
Maharaja C-2, Raekoja plats 13, tel. (+372) 644 43 67,
info@maharaja.ee, www.maharaja.ee. Of all the Indian restaurants
in Tallinn, this old favourite on Town Hall Square is the
most formal and the most involved - someone even greets you
at the door and fusses over you until you’re seated. The food
here is absolutely amazing, so if you don’t mind the fact that
an order of rice here costs the same as a full meal elsewhere,
it’s a fine choice. Every detail here is authentic, from the large
likeness of Vishnu down to the mango chutney. QOpen 12:00
- 24:00. (€13.75). JS
Spice C-2, Mündi 4 / Pikk 14, tel. (+372) 644 18 18,
info@spicerestoran.ee, www.spicerestoran.ee. Looking for
friendly service in Tallinn? It actually does exist at Spice, where
they serve up a smile alongside fresh, flavourful and spicy Indian
cuisine. If you can’t handle the heat, you’ll also find a decent
selection of coco-nutty Thai dishes, a handful of European
and some interesting vegetarian offerings. We hear that all the
chefs here hail from India, so you’re in for a real treat. QOpen
10:00 - 23:00. (€7.50). JSW
Tallinn In Your Pocket tallinn.inyourpocket.com tallinn.inyourpocket.com
October - November 2012