Very Opinionated Guide to Tallinn's 10 Essential Places to Eat & Drink

My Top 10 picks for diverse and delicious dining and drinking in Estonia's storybook capital city. While the well-preserved medieval Old Town retains loads of history and charm, the former industrial area of Kalamaja fairly thrums with modern action. Mobile bars and food trucks line the waterfront, electric scooters and bikes whiz from one refurbished warehouse to another. A bit further afield, former Soviet-era factories in Telliskivi display colorful new life as a hipster district overflowing with sexy craft breweries, restaurants, and street art. A thriving food scene dominates all neighborhoods and this list could be much, much longer. But, if your time is limited, these are the 10 to NOT MISS! And, whatever you do, do not let anyone talk you into eating at Olde Hansa. This touristy juggernaut may be high on medieval kitsch, but the food is downright mediocre.

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Restaurant Moon

@dawnhagin

With food as pretty as it is palatable, this delightful spot offers mixed matched dinnerware, overflowing flower boxes in the garden dining area, and some of the best cocktails in town. While you truly can't go wrong with any food choice, don't miss the extraordinary beet soup and the passionfruit pavlova.

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Restaurant Odessa

@dawnhagin

Ignore the dark basement location and uninterested servers and just focus on the delicious food. Your meal starts with a complimentary amuse bouche of mackerel mousse on dark bread and a shot of horseradish vodka and just continues to get better and better. If you don't order the sour cherry dumplings with fresh cream for dessert you should be arrested. Our favorite place in town and reasonably priced to boot.

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Vegan Restoran V

@dawnhagin

Creative and flavorful dishes that will surprise and satisfy you even if you aren't a vegan. Pair the clever food with the warm vibe of its cozy confines, and you'll enjoy a memorable evening. Reservations essential.

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Kanuti Ramen Bar

@dawnhagin

Legit broth, sumptuous pork belly, and homemade noodles make this ramen bar sing. Add in the fresh toppings, perfectly cooked soft-boiled eggs and you can't miss. But what puts it Kanuti in this top 10 is its fantastic wine list.

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Restaurant Pegasus

@dawnhagin

Bread in the Baltics is universally fabulous, so when when I say the bread and butter at Pegasus is truly the best — you know I'm not kidding around. Delightful dishes populate the entire menu, and, it's a lovely day, the outdoor dining are offers some of the best people watching in town.

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Restaurant F-Hoone

@dawnhagin

Hearty brunch, big sandwiches, and eclectic entrees all served in a post-industrial chic former factory. Kick back with a cocktail and feel the sun streaming in through the giant windows fill you with good vibes. F-Hoone is just a cheery place to linger over lunch.

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Hell Hunt

@dawnhagin

Unlike Olde Hansa, this touristy spot is worth a stop for its bangin' burger, giant draft beers, and its history as the first Tallinn pub to open after the fall of the USSR. The pub's facade and logo are among the most Instagrammable in town.

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Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

@dawnhagin

Grab a Bolt electric scooter and glide along the waterfront paths to this massive modern brewery on the outskirts of Kalamaja. Delicious BBQ and a huge (and diverse) selection of beers on tap make this THE place to spend an afternoon. Perhaps cab back to your hotel or Airbnb, though?

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Mix

@dawnhagin

Enjoy an epic, three-course, prix fixe lunch for just $18 USD. Flawless food and service and great wines for pairing make Mix a great choice for an intimate and celebratory dining experience.

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Restaurant Rataskaevu 16

@dawnhagin

With elevated and beautifully plated fare, this popular spot is the place to splurge. Shockingly tender elk steak and desserts as varied as blue cheese cake (yup, really) and bread pudding make this a meal to remember.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn Hagin

Available for hire

My free and for-purchase guides are action-packed, very opinionated, and lean heavy on wayfaring (enjoying destinations by foot, road trips). I specialize in travel for active, 40+ traveling couples who neither spend extravagantly nor journey on a shoestring. I know where to splurge and where to save, and will advise on the best way to thrive when on the road. I live and work from abroad 8 months of the year with my husband, Adam. The other four, I explore every last hiking trail in my home of Sedona, Arizona, USA. FYI — we rent out our home nightly via Airbnb and VRBO. Check out at sedona-vacation-home.com. I'm food-motivated and passionate about weird, little museums; explore by foot whenever I can — clocking miles on pavement, sand, and single track in places as diverse as Kyoto, Cartagena, and Tallinn. I balance my travel time returning to favorite spots (Oaxaca, Mexico; Siem Reap, Cambodia) and peeling back the layers of somewhere new. I'm available for hire as a travel consultant and I will continue producing very opinionated travel guides here on Thatch and publish my travel musings via posts and stories on Instagram via @wayfarerdawn and on my website wayfarerdawn.com.

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