TALLInn - In Your Pocket

40 restaurants restaurants 41
Seafood
Fish & Wine C-2, Harju 1, tel. (+372) 662 30 13,
gloria@fw.ee, www.fw.ee. With its polished design, this
large restaurant looks more like a trendy lounge at first
glance. The friendly table service, however, extends all the
way to complimentary roll and olive oil. As the name implies,
a selection of, mainly, fish dishes makes up the menu, and
if you're stuck, the wines by the glass 'go with everything'.
Be aware that the price to portion ratio is a little lopsided,
thank-God for the free bread. QOpen 11:30 - 23:00, Fri,
Sat 11:30 - 01:00, Sun 11:30 - 21:00. (€9.80). J6SW
Restoran Kaljas C-3, Viru 23, tel. (+372) 666 00 02,
info@kaljas.ee, www.kaljas.ee. Giving Tallinn's proximity
to the sea, it's surprising that there aren't more seafood
restaurants in the city. The interior of this place gives one the
feeling that they are dining inside a wooden ship and although
kind of the point it's done quite well. Even though Kaljas seems
to cater more for the tourist than locals, overall the food and
experience is certainly worth checking out. Excellent lunch
specials too. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Wed, Thu 12:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. (€15). JSW
Spanish
Tapas Bar & Restaurant H-2, Paldiski mnt. 4 (Meriton
Grand Conference & Spa hotel), tel. (+372) 667 71 10,
grandhotel@meritonhotels.com, www.meritonhotels.
com. If you've ever been to Spain you'll know that tapas are
a very important part of the easy going lifestyle there. Diners
here can appreciate these little bite sized temptations (€2 - 6),
alongside a full bodied Spanish red, accompanied by a well
endowed blonde or in the company of good friends. If you'd
rather not fill up completely on tapas, they've got a decent
selection of other Spanish delicacies on offer. The smaller Old
Town Garden location however, only offers up tapas. QOpen
08:00 - 24:00. Also at: Tapas & Wine - Meriton Old Town
Garden Hotel, B-3, Pikk 29, tel. 664 88 03. Open 12:00
- 23:00. (€6.40). J6UILSW
Latvian
Lido D/E-3/4, Estonia pst. 9 (Solaris Centre), tel.
(+372) 609 33 64, lido@lido.ee, www.lido.ee. What is
a Latvian restaurant anyway? Lido is an institution in Latvia
and practically every Estonian and their mother has been
to at least one of the locations in Riga at least once. With
their first satellite location now open in Estonia, you too
can see what all the fuss is about. The market concept is
pretty simple and the food quite hearty. Just grab a tray,
and point at what you want, the prices are all listed and
the helpings are rather large. You certainly won’t leave Lido
hungry. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (€6.40). TULSW
Tex-Mex
Amarillo C-4, Viru väljak 4, tel. (+372) 680 92 80, amarillo.
tallinn@sok.fi, www.amarillo.ee. Bright, friendly colours, hot
(spicy) food, and a professional outlook set Amarillo a notch
or two above most other Tex-Mex contenders. More Yankee
choices like burgers and pizzas are as available as quesadillas
and fajitas. The vast dining area and large kid's play corner, make
this restaurant on the ground floor of the Sokos Viru Hotel a great
choice for families, while two bars cater to an after-work crowd.
QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (€11.50). TULES
Cantina Carramba G-5, Weizenbergi 20a, tel. (+372)
601 34 31, restoran@carramba.ee, www.carramba.
ee. Something this, well, Mexican is a surprise find out in the
Kadriorg neighbourhood. One advantage Carramba has over
its competitors, besides the inviting pueblo décor, is the spice
level - Carramba doesn't skimp on the peppers, and even the
otherwise innocent-looking rice is fiery. The enchiladas, burritos,
fajitas, etc that make up the menu might not be up to expectations.
Among the appetisers, go straight for the hot wings.
QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (€10.55). T6S
Taco Express D-2, Suur-Karja 18, tel. (+372) 682 55 08,
info@tacoexpress.ee, www.tacoexpress.ee. Beware of
the hot sauce! It's twice as hot coming out. Although not overly
authentic, Express certainly does fill a niche in Tallinn. They've
got loads of pseudo Mexican choices available, in different
combinations and with varying degrees of heat. There are also
pizzas available, a fair amount of vegetarian items and a few
breakfast choices, including the ever popular breakfast burrito.
All aboard the Taco Express, let's see where it takes us. QOpen
09:00 - 07:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 10:00. (€6.50). JSW
Thai
Krua C-4, Vana-Viru 13/ Aia 4, tel. (+372) 646 26 13, info@
krua.ee, www.krua.ee. One of the few truly Thai places in the
city, Krua disappointed us. Don’t get us wrong, the food that we
finally managed to eat, after a frightfully long wait, was quite fresh
and decent - but the service was a nightmare and it appeared
that the waitress we had was in fact ‘newer’ than the restaurant
itself. Even our beer took over half an hour to get to us and after
a few false food deliveries we were told that they had run out
of spring rolls that we had ordered. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri,
Sat 12:00 - 23:00. (€9). JSW
Villa Thai G-4, J. Vilmsi 6, tel. (+372) 641 93 47, villathai@
villathai.ee, www.villathai.ee. A well-established favourite
in the Kadriorg district just outside the city centre, the Villa is
a quiet, comfortable affair. Sit with the ceramic elephants and
drapery of the dining room or head to the bamboo-filled atrium
with its gurgling fountain. Interestingly, the menu goes well beyond
Thailand, encompassing Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian
and Tandoor dishes. Some dishes are on the heavy side. We
liked the fish cakes. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (€8). TUSW
Vietnamese
Saigon H-3, Pronksi 3, tel. (+372) 640 39 44, www.
saigon.ee. The menu here offers both Vietnamese and
Chinese dishes, and we (along with our waitress) had
trouble working out which were which. Still, it’s a pleasant
enough little place, clean, casual and café-like and our
food, whichever nation claims it, was highly edible. Ingredients
are fresh and rice dishes are excellent. QOpen
11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00.
(€7). TULVSW
Theme restaurants
Estlander C-2, Vanaturu kael 3, tel. (+372) 627 90 24,
reserve@estlanderfood.com. This establishment is certainly
worth checking out. Set in the historic Hopner Merchant House,
the idea behind this eatery is a 17th-century tavern and it doesn't
get much more authentic than this. The menu is fairly simple and
consists of dishes and drinks from Estonian recipes of that era.
To really experience the history of the building you really must
check out the upstairs. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (€18). JI
Korsaar C-2, Dunkri 5 (Beer House), tel. (+372) 666
8064, booking@korsaar.ee, www.korsaar.ee. Avast
mateys! If you've ever dreamed of running away to become
a pirate or a wench, now's your chance. This stunning piratethemed
restaurant goes way beyond anything we've ever
seen in terms of attention to detail and authenticity. From
gangplanks to shark tanks, this subterranean grotto has
everything covered. The international food is equally fantastic,
with leanings on the creole and seafood side of the port bow.
This would be an awesome place for kids, sadly they insist on
not allowing children under the age of 12 in to the restaurant
- which we are not even sure is legal. QOpen 12:00 - 15:00;
18:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (€19). JXS
Le Château B-2, Lai 19, tel. (+372) 665 09 28,
restoran@chateau.ee, www.chateau.ee. Elaborately
done up in the style of old France (think musketeers, etc), Le
Château is of Tallinn's best-kept secrets. Essentially it's an elegant,
candle-lit cellar full of heavy, wooden furniture and staff
in 16th-century French garb. The real treat here though is the
food - particularly the high-value lunch specials. If you come
for dinner, be sure to try the soup, served in an enormous
terrine. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. (€10.55). JL
Turg C-2, Mündi 3, tel. (+372) 641 24 56, reserve@turg.
ee, www.turg.ee. The name in Estonian means ‘market' and
that's exactly what this theatricaly-decorated cellar restaurant
looks like inside - a classic, outdoor market square, complete
with overhanging eves, a tree, chirping birds and some faux
produce. That doesn't mean you can haggle over menu prices
though. The food on offer tends towards the Eastern European
with a few Italian pizzas thrown in for good measure. For the
frugal try the lunch buffet on offer Mon to Fri between 11:30
and 15:00. QOpen 11:30 - 24:00. (€9.60). JS
Trendy home-style
The newest category of eateries to hit the Tallinn dining
arena sees the combination of trendy elements, homestyle
cuisine and down-to-earth dining all rolled into one. A
fresh alternative to the ever present pub scene.
new
Kohvik Kompott B-3, Pikk 30, tel. (+372) 641 60
15, kompott@kompott.ee, www.kompott.ee. Located
in a cellar on Pikk street, Kompott certainly doesn’t give
the impression of a cellar restaurant once you enter.
Bright, cheerful, often eclectic decor abound and the ultra
cute wait-staff in their little aprons flit about attending to
their patrons with a smile. In fact, overall we quite liked the
experience but think they can do even better in the cuisine
department. It was quite decent, but seemed a little like
they were trying too hard to be different and they somehow
didn’t quite meet even their own expectations. We’re sure
though that over the next few months they’ll find their niche
and despite their shortcomings we still reccomend you give
them a try. Small play-corner for the kids too... something
difficult to find in Old Town, so a decent choice for families.
QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (€7.90). T6LSW
Mamo H-3, Tornimäe 5, tel. (+372) 680 12 62, mamo@
mamo.ee, www.mamo.ee. Brought to you by the same
imaginative soul who envisioned the fantastic Olde Hansa
concept, this café takes the cake - actually it gives the cake.
We were super impressed by the fresh sandwiches, wonderful
desserts, the stylish atmosphere and the attention to detail.
We will certainly be back for Ma-more. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00.
Closed Sat, Sun. Also at: H-3, Liivalaia 14, 682 59 77.
Open 08:00 - 18:00, closed Sat, Sun. (€4). TSW
nAnO B-3, Sulevimägi 5, tel. (+372) 55 52 25 22, priit@
nanohouse.ee, www.nanohouse.ee. The brainchild of an
Estonian fashion icon and her DJ partner, nAnO is a quaint
little bohemianesque place that's both warm and friendly. It's
hard to pin down the exact style of food other than to say it's
home-style, fresh and healthy. You won't find any heavy meat
dishes here, nor will you find beer - there are enough places
in Tallinn that serve those kind of things. They don't currently
have any solid opening hours, but if you want to experience
the lovingly prepared food and warm atmosphere be sure to
make reservations in advance. Q TJ6NW
Ukrainian
Odessa G-4, Narva mnt. 36, tel. (+372) 648 58 10,
info@restoranodessa.ee, www.restoranodessa.ee.
This place out on Kadriorg’s doorstep is overall quite
good, the food is prepared fresh, the service was quite
prompt and friendly and the overall atmosphere was quite
desirable. It loses a few marks based on authenticity
though - other than the ‘Chicken Kiev’ we couldn’t find
too many actual Ukrainian dishes on the menu. We know
Russian and Ukrainian cuisine share a lot of things but
we’ve eaten Ukrainian food enough times to know it when
we see it. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (€12). SW
Trahter Bogdan Mustamäe tee 116, tel. (+372)
625 18 50/(+372) 55 67 92 56, info@bogdan.ee,
www.bogdan.ee. For the best Ukrainian food in the city
you’ll have to travel a little outside of the centre. Approx.
only a 15-minute car-ride from Old Town, Bogdan serves
up authentic food and is much closer than travelling all
the way to Kiev. The service can be a little slow, but the
warm feeling in your belly after dining and the genuine
atmosphere make it well worth the wait.Take trolleybus
N°1 from Kaubamaja, or N°5 from the Baltijaam train station
to the Tammsaare stop and keep walking. QOpen
11:30 - 23:00, Fri 11:30 - 24:00, Sat 12.00 - 24:00, Sun
12.00 - 23.00. (€6). T6LSW
Tallinn In Your Pocket tallinn.inyourpocket.com tallinn.inyourpocket.com
October - November 2012