Parking Space – restaurants in Harjumaa
Renowned Berlin chef Matthias Diether has moved to Tallinn, bringing with him a healthy dose of big-city glamour. Enchanted by the interior, the attentive service and the first promising tastes, diners are discovering that classic fine dining, often considered a little passé, is alive and well here. Matthias Diether runs his kitchen in the spirit of proper German organisation, while the dining room embodies effortless French elegance. The combination creates a refined dining experience unlike any other restaurant in Tallinn.
If you are here for the first time and something seems familiar, there is no reason to be surprised. Today's leading chefs of several dozen restaurants cooked their first great dishes over the same hearth, following the guidance of mentor chef Tõnis Siigur. Dishes that are considered classics here live on in other restaurants in a slightly different style. At NCH, however, they taste completely anew with each successive menu that Tõnis creates in collaboration with his mentees. NCH is at the forefront of Estonian gastronomy.
The Fotografiska restaurant has been serving sustainably prepared, zero-waste food since it opened. Food produced without waste tends to be more flavourful. There are more textures on the plate and the dishes look more colourful and elegant. Today, using ingredients from leaf to root and from nose to tail is a novelty and people come to Fotografiska out of curiosity. In the future, it should be the norm. Fotografiska's kitchen is leading the way and sharing its knowledge.
Maidla Nature Resort is a micro-hotel with three small forest villas. SOO is a restaurant for ten guests within the resort. It couldn't be more exclusive. The chef personally brings all the dishes to the table and introduces them to everyone. It's like having your own private chef. The only difference is that instead of you deciding what to eat, he does it for you.
It is generally accepted that a good restaurant can be opened anywhere. People who love good food will discover it. Lahepere Villa is such a place. The driving force that keeps food lovers flocking and queuing is Chef Silver Saa. Silver's fine cuisine is a fascinating contrast to the summer house atmosphere of the restaurant.
The glamorous lifestyle is rather unfamiliar to Estonia. Those who can't live without glamour look for it elsewhere, for example in Monaco. But there is one place in Tallinn that bears a strong comparison with Monaco. This restaurant is Puri in Kakumäe Marina Haven. Start with champagne and caviar, move on to sole or halibut and finish with a dessert called Malibu Club. Tallinn is just big enough for a well-run, classy restaurant to thrive, especially as the glamour is authentic and not a carbon copy from somewhere else.
NOA Restaurant is the little brother of the famous NOA Chef's Hall and is located next door in the same building. The casual dining here is not far from the fine dining experience offered by NOA Chef's Hall. The view of Tallinn Bay and the Tallinn skyline is just a little more impressive. The cuisine reflects the latest trends.
Horisont is worthy of its lofty location on the 30th floor of the Swissotel. Since it opened, it has set such high standards in terms of food, drink and service that few restaurants on the ground floor can come close to matching them. The bar always offers cocktails with very exquisite flavours and the restaurant offers fine dining at the highest level. Horisont's standards are consistently high. A solid choice for entertaining.
Rudolf is an elegant restaurant. The interior has strong Nordic influences, but the ambience is truly French. A glass of champagne is always the perfect drink, and the hearty onion soup is one of the most requested dishes. There are several French restaurants in Tallinn, but they can't quite compete with Rudolf's elegant service. Rudolf is like a French Academy of Etiquette in Tallinn.
Located in a small wooden building next to the large Kadriorg Park, the restaurant is designed to represent the Mediterranean spirit of Estonian life. The competent and always young and cheerful service will advise each guest on the most suitable dish and drink. However, the tasting menu is the restaurant's best experience.
Life literally follows the sun at Lore, a bistro on the pier of Noblessner's harbour. As soon as the sun comes out from behind the clouds, the bistro is filled with people wanting to eat, drink and socialise. But don't underestimate Lore on a gloomy day. If you run out of things to talk about, the food will make up for it. Eclectically prepared from local ingredients, it boldly incorporates flavours from all over the world and is paired with drinks from an extensive menu.
During the Soviet era, Tuljak was built in the Flower Pavilion so that the whole complex could be seen as an example of the success of socialism. In the early years of Estonia's regained independence, the Carina restaurant on this site was like a bright dream of what life would be like in the future. Now the dream has come true. Tuljak is one of the most stylish restaurants in Estonia, both inside and out, and the food and drinks are equally impressive.
When you enter Radio, you will find yourself in a wine shop. The restaurant is in the next room behind the shop. The menu here is short, easily fitting on one page, while the drinks list is many pages longer. This makes sense as the sommeliers suggest several wines to go with each dish. If you are interested, you can try them all and then choose your favourite.
Fire and smoke are the main flavours that Restaurant Härg embraces in its dishes. If we had to introduce Härg with just one dish, it would be the dirty steak, a ribeye cooked directly over charcoal. The third dominant flavour - juniper - stems from the drinks list, more specifically the gin list, which is practically an encyclopaedia of the beverage.
ISSEI is the only restaurant in Estonia serving Nikkei or Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine, which is currently making waves around the world. Located on the top floor of the Radisson Collection Hotel, guests can enjoy exotic flavours and stunning views of Tallinn's Old Town and the ocean. The restaurant's bar serves cocktails that pair well with the food.
Nõmme is the most sought-after district in Tallinn. Paju Villa is a prime example of the neighbourhood's elegance. Stylish, with a large shady garden where it is pleasant to sit in the summer months. In winter, Paju offers all the privacy of a private residence with a variety of dining rooms. The well-groomed service team adds to the overall experience. The food is well presented and of excellent taste.
The Radisson Collection Hotel's MEKK restaurant is open all day and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast is particularly rich and very representative of local flavours. Frankly, it's worth a visit even if you're not staying at the hotel. In the evenings and at lunchtime you can enjoy the unique culinary signature dishes of Rene Uusmees. He is a relentless innovator of Estonian cuisine.
Tall glass windows offer an impressive view of Tallinn's harbour, huge ships coming and going and the vastness of the sea. At Ocean 11, the sea is the main backdrop and creates the atmosphere. The varied menu keeps you coming back for more. To counteract the ever-changing weather, the restaurant offers delicious food, mainly seafood, prepared with great skill.
OKO is not just a restaurant by the sea, it is a beach restaurant in the truest sense of the word. Champagne parties at sunset are what OKO is renowned for. Not surprisingly, OKO's food is a worthy companion to the bottles of bubbly. Unlike other beach restaurants, OKO is open all year round. It is not ideal for winter swimmers, but for those who enjoy good food with stunning sea views.
Start or finish your meal here with a snazzy cocktail. The staff will be happy to recommend one. The food has a contemporary touch and it is worth noting what the chef recommends. A homemade schnapps is an elegant way to end a sophisticated meal.