TALLInn - In Your Pocket

58 nightlife nightlife 59
Trendy lounge bars
Dress to impress and mingle with Tallinn's trendy club
types or upwardly mobile elite.
Butterfly Lounge C-4, Vana-Viru 13 / Aia 4, tel. (+372)
56 90 37 03, getter@kokteilibaar.ee, www.kokteilibaar.
ee. When we were last here we got the distinct feeling that
this lounge was geared primarily towards the ladies. Perhaps
it was the pink-clad waiters, overall butterfly motif, frou-frou
menu items and more cock... tails than you can shake a stick
at that made us feel this way, but if you want to spend the
evening hanging out with a harem of beautiful dames this
just might be the perfect place. Excellent service. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Wed, Thu 12:00 - 02:00, Fri 12:00 - 03:00, Sat
15:00 - 03:00. Closed Sun. Age restriction 18+. J6EW
Deja Vu C-3, Vana-Viru 8, tel. (+372) 56 88 44 55,
info@dejavu.ee, www.dejavu.ee. Now that it has moved
locations, this super-stylish restaurant/lounge/champagne
embassy has only gotten better. There's more room, the location
is prime and the kitchen, which churns out some fantastic
food, is open until the wee hours. Pop by for the many special
events, often involving champagne or lingerie - sometimes
both, on Friday and Saturday nights. QOpen 12:00 - 06:00,
Mon, Tue 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. JEXSW
El Niño D-2, Vana-Posti 8, tel. (+372) 609 77 07, info@
elnino.ee, www.elnino.ee. This lounge is a reincarnation
of a reincarnation and with walk-down centre bar does kind of
remind one of a tropical storm, as do the numerous blenders
whipping up all manner of alcohol-laden cocktails. Although
on weekend nights they do have their own DJs spinning
house to funk, it's a decent place to grab a cocktail with
some friends while waiting for the clubs to start pumping.
QOpen , Wed, Thu 17:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 05:00,
Sun 17:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon, Tue. JEW
Embassy Lounge D-2, Väike-Karja 1, tel. (+372) 641
22 02, info@embassy.ee, www.embassy.ee. Coming here
is like spending time in your best friend's living room, only it's
equipped with an extensive cocktail list. Overall nothing incredibly
special but certainly comfortable and a good place to catch
a few drinks and possibly a date for later on in the evening. For
a more lively experience, stop by later in the night rather than
earlier - that's when the cocktails kick in and the DJ tries to
coax some of the more adventurous types to bust a move.
The heavy, sex smell we experienced on our last visit though
was both puzzling and confusing. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00, Fri,
Sat 17:00 - 05:00. JSW
Lai V Bar C-2, Lai 5, tel. (+372) 616 11 88, info@bar5.ee,
www.bar5.ee. Tucked into an Old Town cellar on Lai street,
this lounge/restaurant/bar is decently stylish but not overly
pretentious in its presentation. You'll be able to grab a decent
meal here, enjoy some live DJ's on the weekend or just hang
out with friends while enjoying a few 'well-crafted' cocktails.
Sometimes simplicity works. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Age restriction
21+. JW
Lounge 24 H-3, Rävala pst. 3 (in Radisson Blu Hotel), tel.
(+372) 682 34 24, info.tallinn@radissonblu.com, www.
radissonblu.com/hotel-tallinn/dining/lounge-24. A full 90m
above street level, the suave lounge on the Radisson's 24th floor
is the place to come for drinks with a view. At night, the stylish,
little bar turns its lights down low, letting the cityscape fill the
windows and creating a romantic mood, but when the weather
is warm, the outdoor terrace is the place to be. Cocktails and
light meals on the menu. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. T
Suite Lounge
Pühavaimu 13/15, Tallinn
Reservations: +372 699 7780
www.suitelife.ee
Shimo C-2, Kuninga 1, tel. (+372) 55 61 16 11/(+372)
58 05 40 22, shimo.tallinn@hotmail.com. This old haunt
in new clothing has somehow lost that love and feeling - not
a bad place overall but somewhat pointless in our eyes. The
last couple of times we popped in, it was only us and them and
even though we heard music, there was an awkward silence.
We hope it changes because we certainly like the location.
QOpen 11:00 - 15:00; 19:00 - 02:00, Sat 17:00 - 05:00,
Sun 19:00 - 02:00. J6IEW
Sohvabaar LaVie C-2, Rataskaevu 22, tel. (+372) 641
34 14, info@sohvabaar.ee, www.sohvabaar.ee. Certainly
has a nice atmosphere and interior but this little lounge is
nothing special overall. In fact, we can't really tell the difference
between it and the previous lounge that existed in the same
spot. We're not saying "Don't check it out", just that there are
better locales with more 'going on' in this category. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. JE
Suite Lounge Tallinn C-3, Pühavaimu 13/15, tel.
(+372) 699 77 00, www.schlossle-hotels.com. Not just
in Marbella anymore, the Suite Lounge has opened it's classy
establishment in Tallinn as well. Expect the usual and unusual
movers and shakers, some fancy cocktails and the décor to
be amply supplied with a bevy of Russian Goddesses - and
if their tanned skin is any indication, many of them spend
ample time in Marbella. At any rate, if your lounging is to be
first rate - Suite will sweeten your night. QOpen , Fri, Sat
21:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon - Thu, Sun. JX
Vabandust D-2, Vabaduse väljak 10, tel. (+372) 503
00 67, vabandust@vabandust.ee, www.vabandust.ee.
'Excuse me' in English, Vabandust is more of an after-party
than the main event - which is precisely how it's being positioned,
even though it does open at 9pm. Overall nothing
really special, but given it's proximity to a bunch of bars,
clubs and lounges it certainly does draw a decent crowd,
some reasonable DJs and can turn into quite a party in the
wee hours. QOpen Fri, Sat 24:00 - 08:00. Closed Mon -
Thu, Sun. J
Midnight munchies
If you’re looking for food and drink after the pubs close,
don’t expect much of quality. Here are some options.
Istanbul Café D-4, Estonia pst. 7, tel. (372) 55 59 79
15. Dying for some döners done right? This kebab place is actually
owned by real Turks who, as it turns out, also prepare the
food. Here you can find mouth-watering pitas stuffed with loads
of meat and veggies basted in several thick sauces. QOpen
10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 06:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. JS
Loca E-2, Tatari 1, tel. (+372) 55 51 52 35, info@loca.
ee, www.loca.ee. Open late on Friday and Saturday nights,
Loca isn’t too far to stumble from Old Town and they offer a
little more variety than some of the kiosks in the centre. Pizzas
will set you back about €5. QOpen 11:00 - 23:30, Fri, Sat
11:00 - 07:00. JS
Taco Express D-2, Suur-Karja 18, tel. (+372) 682 55
08, info@tacoexpress.ee, www.tacoexpress.ee. This
little ‘tacos’n’more’ joint offers up some pretty spicy offerings
alongside a few decent pizzas and is altogether centrally
located enough that your newly acquired jello-legs will probably
even manage to bring you here from most of the establishments
offering up liquid courage in the area. QOpen 09:00
- 07:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 10:00. (€4). JSW
Clubs
Tallinn has quite a bit to offer on the club-scene. From
tacky to cutting edge, you'll certainly find something that
fits your needs. The regular admittance age to most clubs
is 18+, exceptions are listed at the end of our review.
Arena 3 G-3, Sadama 6, clubarena3@hotmail.com,
www.arena3.ee. Located a little off the beaten track in the
port area, Arena 3 might easily be one of the biggest clubs in
the vicinity of Old Town. The music is bumping and the crowd
seemed to be a mix of Estonians and Russian-Estonians with
a healthy dose of non-locals as well. We found the atmosphere
quite reasonable, the drinks prices affordable and the
large, rooftop terrace to be quite a bonus - at least during the
warmer months. QOpen Thu, Fri, Sat 23:00 - 05:00. Closed
Mon - Wed, Sun. X
BonBon B-4, Mere pst. 6e, tel. (+372) 54 00 54 11,
info@bonbon.ee, www.bonbon.ee. "The beautiful people,
the beautiful people...", we have a feeling we already wrote
that somewhere before. At any rate, the newly renovated
Bon Bon - long a hot spot for Tallinn's 'most beautiful', still
seemed to be teeming with an 'experienced' yet attractive
crowd when we checked it out. Time will tell whether or not it'll
be able to keep the elite interested, but it did seem to thin out
a little around 3am. Drinks prices, as can be expected for an
establishment like this, were quite high - guess that's how they
keep the riff-raff out. QOpen Fri, Sat 23:00 - 05:00. Closed
Mon - Thu, Sun. Admission €10. Age restriction 20+. LXW
Café Amigo C-4, Viru väljak 4, (Sokos Hotel Viru), tel.
(+372) 680 93 80, amigo@amigo.ee, www.amigo.ee.
Surprisingly hip and happening for a hotel club, Amigo attracts
a good mix of Finnish tourists and local party animals
who tend to be slightly older than the typical club monkeys.
The big draw here are the live rock and blues bands - the
country's best-loved names - that play here almost nightly.
Before bands come one, DJs spin all your favorite pop dance
hits from the 70s-90s, and always manage to fill the floor
with a cross-generational crowd. QOpen 22:00 - 04:00, Fri,
Sat 22:00 - 05:00. Admission €5, Fri-Sat €8. Age restriction
21+. JULEXW
CatHouse C-4, Viru väljak 4/6, tel. (+372) 610 14 30,
cathouse@cathouse.ee, www.cathouse.ee. Billed as the
sexiest club in Tallinn, it just might be that. They have some
pretty sexy events, which happen fairly regularly, including
Playboy parties, topless DJs and the occasional sex show. The
crowd is primarily Russian, but the Slavs often have a leg up on
the Estonians in terms of the 'fun factor'. We had an all right time
when we were last there, but for some reason couldn't keep
our eyes off of the DJ - perhaps it had something to do with
the breasts. QOpen Wed, Thu 23:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 23:00
- 05:00. Closed Mon - Tue, Sun. Admission €3 - 10. LXW
Tallinn In Your Pocket tallinn.inyourpocket.com tallinn.inyourpocket.com
October - November 2012