TALLInn - In Your Pocket

52 nightlife nightlife 53
Imperial Pub B/C-2, Nunne 14, tel. (+372) 627 48
05, pubi@imperial.ee, www.imperial.ee. A little off the
beaten track but still not a hike to get to, the Imperial is
a cosy, quiet place perfect for large groups or even just
a few close friends. With its hearty food, cheap beer and
hits from the 80’s streaming quietly through the speakers,
this classic pub feels like a warm and friendly second living
room. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00. (€7.70).
TJUISW
Island Bar & Cafe G-3, Narva mnt. 7, tel. (+372)
610 99 00, info@island-cafe.ee, www.island-cafe.ee.
It works as a nondescript lunch café by day, but at night
Island really comes into its own as a popular drinking lounge
and warm-up spot for nearby clubs. The real hit seems to
be the cocktail happy hour, which happens runs... all day,
now that’s a ‘Happy Day’ if you ask us. QOpen 10:00 -
02:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 10:00 - 04:00, Sat
11:00 - 04:00. W
Shooter bars
Loads of bars in Old Town offer shots or shooters but
these places seem to specialise in them.
Hullumaja Baar C-2, Suur-Karja 11, tel. (+372)
58 33 83 39. It’s pretty craz-e-e-e-e... Hulumaja means
‘nuthouse’ in English and given the low shooters prices,
a few hours spent here can certainly end up contributing
to a less than sharp mental state. The interior décor is
a little lacking, we would have liked to see all manner of
freaky medical instruments hanging on the walls, but a
smattering of signs, padded walls and shots served in
urine cups get the point across. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. See Facebook page for up-to-date
shots prices. J
Kohvik Noorus C-2, Lai 10, tel. (+372) 600 53 73,
rekkalesbi@kohviknoorus.ee, www.kohviknoorus.
ee. We promised some of our friends that we wouldn’t
give this place too good a review as we always seem to
ruin a good thing by letting too many tourists in on it -
but friends don’t pay our bills. Cheap drinks, free flowing
shooters and gorgeous girls who might even show you
their boobs for a couple of shots, abound at this locale.
This place is awesome. There - we said it, and only
feel mildly bad about it. QOpen 18:00 - 05:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. J
Labor C-3, Väike-Karja 1, tel. (+372) 58 33 83 39.
‘Labor’ which means ‘lab’ in English is pretty much just
that - they’ve got loads of experimental shooters on the
menu, served in holders containing ten test tubes. If you’d
prefer to sip your chemical concoctions, they also offer
an explosion of other science-themed cocktails, certain
to please even you got an ‘F’ in chemistry. Spending
too much time here could be hazardous to your health.
QOpen 19:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. J
Shooters C-2, Suur-Karja 4, tel. (+372) 600 22 20,
info@shooters.ee, www.shooters.ee. As the name
quite obviously implies, Shooters is pretty much all about
the booze. Add to that its location on one of the busier
bar streets in Old Town and the ongoing special of 5
shots for €5 and ding-ding-ding, we have got ourselves a
winner - or a lot of losers depending on your perspective.
QOpen 11:30 - 04:00, Wed, Thu 11:30 - 05:00, Fri, Sat
11:30 - 06:00. Age restriction 18+. JEW
Karoliina Bar D-2, Harju 6, tel. (+372) 631 05 05. This
quirky little bar shaped like a tunnel and dug into the hill heading
up to Toompea is excellent option for a secluded, quiet
catch up with friends. Stretched cow skins and fake rose
vines along the walls make an odd decorative combination.
Try the Karoliina special - hot wine spiked with spirits. QOpen
11:00 - 23:00. J
Kompressor C-2, Rataskaevu 3, tel. (+372) 646 42 10,
egiid@hot.ee, www.kompressorpub.ee. Students in particular
seem to be drawn to this simple, unassuming bar with
oversized tables and cheap drinks. Kompressor is also locally
famous for its excellent pancakes, which are both cheap and
filling. Kitchen closes at 22:00. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. JN
Must Pada B-3, Uus 25, tel. (+372) 608 87 50/(+372)
505 55 28, info@mustpada.ee, www.mustpada.ee. This
reincarnation of a longtime, local watering hole hasn’t changed
much, except for perhaps the name and the story of why it
exists at all. Not to be unfair however, it serves up traditional
Estonian pub-fare, decently priced liquid refreshments and
even has a small play-corner for the young drinkers-in-training.
At Must Pada, what you see is what you get - so don’t expect
too much and you just might end up with a decent experience.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 -
23:00. TJ6SW
Őlletorn H-3, Liivalaia 40, tel. (+372) 660 60 10, info@
olletorn.ee, www.olletorn.ee. If beer is your passion and
you’d rather hang out with locals than expats, you may want
to check out the ‘Beer Tower’ cleverly hidden behind some
apartment blocks near the Stockmann department store.
We’re still trying to figure out if it’s the 101 beer varieties, the
ominously glowing fish tank or occasional live act that keeps
drawing the largely Estonian crowd. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00,
Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. EX
Põrgu C-2, Rüütli 4, tel. (+372) 644 02 32, porgu@
porgu.ee, www.porgu.ee. A great place to grab a decently
prepared bite or an interesting beer, Põrgu or Hell in Estonian
is worth a visit. Ironically enough it’s situated in a cellar but we
didn’t notice any roaring fire the last time we visited - unless
of course you can call candle flames roaring. You’ll be able to
find a good selection of Estonian micro-brews here as well.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. J
St. Patrick’s C/D-2, Suur-Karja 8, tel. (+372) 641 81
73, info@patricks.ee, www.patricks.ee. The name and
décor may be Irish, but the crowds in each of Tallinn’s four St.
Patrick’s pubs are just about as Estonian as they come. The
one here on Suur-Karja is the most famous, cleverly built into a
spacious, medieval hall. All offer decent, cheap food, and every
fourth Saku Originaal is always free. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00,
Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. Also at: D-2, Vana-Posti 7, tel. 631
48 01. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Fri-Sat 11:00 - 04:00. Also at:
E-2, Pärnu mnt 20, tel. 669 18 16. Open 11:00 - 02:00,
Fri-Sat 11:00 - 04:00. Also at: G-3, Narva mnt 5, tel: 664
04 43. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Fri-Sat 11:00 - 04:00. J6W
The Dubliner D-2, Suur-Karja 18, tel. (+372) 644 46
94, dubliner@hot.ee, www.dubliner.ee. Part of a large
Estonian chain of mediocre pubs, the most Irish thing about
the Dubliner is the Guinness beer on tap and the picture
of Bono on the wall. The microwaved garlic cheese bread,
lacklustre service and soggy schnitzel left us feeling a little
limp. Needless to say, we were rather unimpressed with our
overall experience, but we hear that it can be a fun place
for drinks and an inexpensive lunch - we’ll let you decide for
yourself. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 24:00, Fri,
Sat 11:00 - 03:00. (€7). JSW
The Hard Currency Bar (Valuuta baar) C-4, Viru
väljak 4, Sokos Hotel Viru, tel. (+372) 680 93 00, www.
sokoshotels.com. Located inside Sokos Hotel Viru, the Hard
Currency Bar attempts to bring a little nostalgia back to Tallinn
and it pretty much looks like it did during the Soviet times when
it was pretty much the only bar where foreigners were officially
allowed to go. Back then you could find prostitutes and swarthy
thick-necks who would try to buy ‘hard currency’ from you as well
as set you up with one of their ‘lady friends’. The experience is
rounded out by popular Soviet music from the 1970’s and 80’s
and the a cocktail list featuring some of the favourite drinks of the
time - only they’ll cost you a little more. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00,
Mon, Sun 11:00 - 19:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 03:00. J
The Shamrock Pub C-3, Viru 24, tel. (+372) 631 31
36, merike24@msn.com. Though strewn with off-the-shelf
Irish décor, Shamrock’s character seems mostly derived from
its high-traffic location at the foot of Viru tänav. It’s often
packed by a transient, motley crowd of tourists and locals,
many drawn in by the karaoke or sports events shown on the
large-screen TV. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00.
Age restriction in the evenings 18+. JXW
Vana Wiru Pub C-3, Viru 11, tel. (+372) 669 15 10,
pub@vanawiru.ee, www.vanawiru.ee. A no-nonsense,
classic pub with hints of an Old Tallinn theme. Vana Wiru’s
ideal, Viru street location that makes it a convenient stopping
place for families to hunker down with their drinks. Check out
the interesting jukebox selections. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00. TJUGS
www.inyourpocket.com
Casinos
Although slowly becoming more scarce, Tallinn is
swimming with so-called ‘slot halls,’ which have gaming
machines only. A few casinos, however, offer real
gaming tables, meaning blackjack, poker, roulette, etc.
Casino Grand Prix D-2, Vana-Posti 8 (Club Hollywood
building), tel. (+372) 641 95 53, www.
grandprix.ee. Though it’s pretty much all slot machines
and electronic roulette, this roomy place in an Old Town
cinema is a cut above the usual. Q Open 24hrs. J
Olympic Casino & Lounge H-4, Kreuzwaldi 23,
Reval Park Hotel & Casino, tel. (+372) 1677, info@
oc.eu, www.olympic-casino.com. Tallinn’s largest, most
complete and glitziest casino is the Olympic’s flagship
branch, in the Reval Park Hotel. They offer slots, blackjack,
poker, roulette and a snazzy lounge where you can either
take a break between gambling or just hang out with
friends for a drink or three. Q Open 24hrs. Age restriction
21+. Also at: C-4, Vana-Viru 14. Open 24hrs. JEX
WELCOME TO
Olympic Lounge 24H
Reval Park Hotel & Casino Kreutzwaldi 23
FREE DRINK + SURPRISE BY PRESENTING THIS AD
Bar with the best bartenders
Exciting cocktails
Delicous snacks
Excellent entertainment
Great prices
Identification card required for entrance. Minimum age limit is 21 years.
Tallinn In Your Pocket tallinn.inyourpocket.com tallinn.inyourpocket.com
October - November 2012