Falstaff highlights the best places to eat in Estonia in the Restaurant & Bistro Guide Nordics, presenting awards for Chef of the Year and Sommelier of the Year.
Estonia's restaurant scene is thriving like never before. From innovative fine dining concepts in vibrant city centers to cozy neighborhood restaurants serving seasonal, locally inspired cuisine, venues across the country are setting new standards for quality, creativity, and hospitality. Falstaff reveals its category winners:
Angelica Udeküll, “Wicca”, Laulasmaa
89 points, 2 forks
Angelica Udeküll is the most prominent female chef on the Estonian restaurant scene. Her restaurant, “Wicca”, stands out above all for its connection to nature. In every thing. This is evident in its location on the seashore in a pine forest in the Laulasmaa Spa House, or the way food is prepared, making maximum use of local, seasonal ingredients, or the drinks menu, which she helps to curate and which offers a local drink to complement every dish. Angelica is considered one of the best connoisseurs of Estonian small-scale food producers. While making television programs about small-scale producers, she has travelled all over Estonia and met all the key players in this field personally. The kitchen at Angelica’s restaurant serves seasonal, modern Estonian cuisine, where traditional dishes are prepared using the latest cooking techniques and enhanced with new and unexpected flavors. Working at her restaurant is now a stepping stone in the careers of many young chefs.
Karoline Reinhold
Grape growing and wine production are marginal in Estonia’s cold climate. You might not expect to find any top-level wine experts here, but quite the opposite is true. The current ASI European Sommelier of the Year is Estonian Mikk Parre. Karoline Reinhold is a colleague and fierce competitor of his. They have both won the title of Estonia’s Best Sommelier twice. Despite her youth, Karoline has already gained certificates from the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Certificate and the ASI Gold Diploma. A determined self-developer, she has worked in renowned restaurants with excellent wine offerings in Greece (Pelagos) and the UK (Lympstone Manor, Moor Hall, and 67 Pall Mall). She has also worked at Estonia’s top restaurants: “NOA Chef’s Hall”, “180 Degrees” by Matthias Diether, and “Bombay Club”. Karoline’s special skills include pairing food with wine and introducing guests to the world of wine. She now shares her expertise as a consultant to restaurants seeking to create compelling and distinctive drinks menus.
