Ximena's El gazpacho de Escolástica, or the best gazpacho in the world

Those of you who read Ximena's blog, Lobstersquad (and you all should, because it's brilliant!), already know that 1) she's the talented illustrator behind my new banner, 2) she has some great tips for cooking sausages, 3) she's holidaying in Estonia at the moment, and 4) she knows her gazpacho. So much so that earlier this summer she gave her dear readers an all-encompassing in-depth virtual flash-course in gazpacho-making, introducing us to the do's and dont's (Gazpacho 101), the basic recipe (Gazpacho 101.2), variations on the latter and allowed garnishes (Gazpacho 101.3), and last, but not least, a recipe for El gazpacho de Escolástica, or the best gazpacho in the world (Gazpacho 101.4).



Last weekend, after a day of forageing the forest for wild mushrooms and forest berries, we stocked up on tomatoes in one of the local supermarkets. I'm extremely relieved to note that Ximena totally approved of the tomatoes available, as I was a bit worried she'd declare them incomparable to the Spanish ones and utterly unsuitable for gazpacho-making. She then whipped up a large batch of El gazpacho de Escolástica to feed six hungry diners. Her brilliant gazpacho was served as the starter that night, followed by three types of fried wild mushrooms picked earlier during the day (gypsy mushrooms, various ceps, yellow chantarelles) and a dessert of Finnish bread cheese in a creamy rum sauce and served with fresh cloudberries.

Anyway, back to the gazpacho..

I must say that I haven't had much gazpacho in my life. I've only been to Spain once, in 2004, and spent most of the time either catching or recovering from sunstroke (stroke) heatstroke. But even with my limited gazpacho experience I can say that Ximena's gazpacho was indeed outstanding - smooth and silky, excellent-tasting, beautifully coloured, so simple, yet so sophisticated. And J., Ximena's darling husband, agrees, and claims this gazpacho is as good as his mother's - which, as we all know, is the ultimate compliment from any Mediterranean man ...
So head over to Ximena's blog for that gazpacho recipe. I'll be stocking up on tomatoes later this week, hoping that I manage to convince Ximena to whip up yet another batch of it coming weekend..

Restaurant Review: Gourmet Restaurant Stenhus, Tallinn

The people behind the Estonian Gastronomy Award, SilverSpoon, have named Stenhus the Best Gourmet Restaurant in Estonia for three years in a row now (2004, 2005, 2006). And I can see why. It's a charming venue with wonderful atmosphere and gorgeous food. I was definitely sold the moment I stepped down those medieval stairs, and when I saw that they had have a Menu Estonie, I knew it was my kind of place. A bit pricey, granted, but well worth the money.

K. took me there last July, when I was still an expat-Estonian, so a special 'Estonian menu' at an upmarket restaurant was instantly appealing. I love Estonian food - especially our way with mushrooms, our humble grain porridges and fluffy mousses, hearty soups, and the simple desserts consisting of wild berries. But in the fancy world of haute cuisine and über-creative foodblogging, Estonian food tends to remain the poor old country relative.. Not in Stenhus, though. The Chef Tõnis Siigur (still in his early 30s) is obviously very talented and rather creative. He's taken some of our humblest ingredients and simplest dishes and re-invented them. I loved every single morsel I was served, and left the restaurant a bit giddy and full of ideas of re-inventing some 'culinary oldies' myself.

I apologise for the lack of pictures. It was my first meal with K. since our trip to Paris, so I just wanted to enjoy the meal and the company. By the end of the meal I felt brave enough to take one sneak shot, however (see above). I blame a certain bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for that moment of courage...

Menu Estonie
705.00 EEK / 45.05 €

Beignets of Baltic Herring with Yoghurt and Morena Roe Sauce, Fresh Cucumber Salad with Coriander

I really enjoyed this one, though I had only realised few days earlier at a wedding in Stockholm that I actually quite like (some) fish roe after all. The fish was moist and flavoursome, the coriander & cucumber salad refreshing.

Spiced Potato with Lingonberries and Croutons, Parsley Salad

A truly delicious course, based on the local peasant classic, mulgipuder. It's such a simple dish consisting of mashed potatoes and cooked pearl barley, topped with some fried lardons. Yet, the Chef had done wonders to it. There was a small mashed potato/barley disc on the plate, topped with tiniest of bacon morsels, and surrounded by small puddles of lingonberry coulis. Surprisingly elegant and light.

Estonian Pork Confit with Turnips and Sweet Onions

This was the richest of the offerings, which is not surprising for the main course. I didn't finish all the pork, but the confit was gutsy and flavoursome. The caramelised turnip was an interesting addition, and there was not a potato on sight (a rarity in Estonia, believe me).

Green Apple Jelly with Black Bread Cream and Oatflake Cookie

Yet another revelation. Rye bread soup (leivasupp) is a very old Estonian dessert, which I quite happen to love, when well-made. Tõnis Siigur had turned it into an ice cream, which was brave and definitely a successful move. Very nicely balanced by the tart apple jelly and caramelised oatflake cookie.

The Menu Estonie has four courses, but I had a lovely extra dessert that night. As K. had ordered the 5-course Menu Degustation/Assorted Specialities of the Chef (950.00 EEK / 60.70 €), then the restaurant brought me an extra dessert, too.

Tomato and Strawberry Gazpacho with Basil Ice Cream

(above) was a perfect choice for a hot and long July evening. It was exactly what it promised - a sweet red gazpacho and herby sorbet (you can see a wonderful rendition of the latter over at Bea's blog). Come next summer and I'll be turning my mum's first strawberries into a dessert gazpacho for sure.

I cannot wait to go back. The roaring fireplaces must be even more enchanting during long and dark winter nights...

Restoran Stenhus
Pühavaimu 13/15
Tallinn
Telephone: +372-6997780
Chef: Tõnis Siigur

Cold Kefir Soup for Hot Summer Days

I start with an apology. I cannot remember where I got this recipe from. But it was in my old recipe card box, and the only note was 'Uzbek recipe?' (refering to Uzbekistan, the country in Central Asia; well, actually it said 'usbeki retsept?' on my recipe card, but you know what I mean). I don't know about that - apart from the Cayenne pepper, it sounds very Estonian to me. And on a hot summer day last week, I made this soup - it took me 5 minutes in total, and I fell in love with it all over again.

If you live in the US, you'll find kefir in Whole Foods and international food stores. Lifeway Foods does a decent one. Here's what they've got to say about kefir:

A creamy probiotic dairy beverage similar to but distinct from yogurt. Lifeway believes it offers the largest selection of kefir in the world. Low-fat or non-fat pasteurized milk is the basic ingredient in kefir. Its effervescent quality stems from the kefir culture, which contains ten active "friendly" microorganisms, compared to two or three in yogurt.

What I've got to say about this soup, is following: it takes 5 minutes to put together; it tastes fresh and refreshing; it's highly versatile - you can use any herbs you like or have around; it looks pretty gorgeous; it's good for you; it's very easy to digest :)

Cold Kefir Soup
(Külmsupp usbekkide moodi)
Serves 4

1 litre of plain kefir
250 ml/1 cup cold water
salt
Cayenne'i pepper
2 green 'English' cucumbers
1 bunch of crisp radishes
3 - 4 scallions/spring onions (incl. green parts)
4 Tbsp or more fresh chopped herbs - parsley, dill, coriander/cilantro

Mix kefir and cold water, then season with salt and Cayenne'i pepper to taste.
Wash and dry the cucumbers and radishes, then cut into small cubes or slices. Chop spring onions/scallions and herbs finely. Divide between four soup bowls. (Add an ice cube to each bowl, if it's really hot outside).

Pour the cold kefir mixture over, and serve the soup at once.

See also:
Ximena's El gazpacho de Escolástica, or the best gazpacho in the world
Ajoblanco: the other Spanish chilled soup

Blueberry and feta salad

We've had a few good sunny and warm weeks here in Estonia, with temperatures hovering above 20 C on most days (that should be around 70 F). Warmer on some days, with occasional showers. A nice summer indeed.

The weather also determines the food, of course. Ice teas, panzanella and fattoush salads, gazpacho-style and kefir-based cold soups (sweet and savoury) - all these feature heavily. Ice-cream as well, both homemade and shop-bought (Estonian major ice cream makers have come up with some nice flavours, and there's the expensive, but delicious, local organic ice cream brand now, La Muu). Various berries from the farmers market stalls and straight from the bush in our backyard.  Proper summer food :)

I love watermelon and feta salads and have shared few recipes here on my blog: watermelon and feta salad with olives, watermelon and feta salad with lime, watermelon and feta salad with roasted pepitas and balsamic glaze. Still, I was thrilled to discover an alternative fruit and feta cheese salad using blueberries instead. I spotted the recipe over @ the improvised life, and vowed to make it as soon as bilberry season begins. At the end I ended up using large blueberries instead, as I thought they'd be easier to chase with a fork and a knife on a plate than our smaller forest bilberries.

(See the end of the post for more blueberry and feta salad ideas).

Blueberry and Feta Salad with Mint
(Mustikad feta ja mündiga)
serves 1, can be easily multiplied

a large handful or two of blueberries
crumbled feta cheese
few mint leaves, chopped, if too large
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Place the blueberries into a shallow plate, crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with mint. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle about a teaspoonful of olive oil on top.

Serve immediately.

More blueberry and feta salad recipes:
Blueberry and feta salad with poppyseed dressing by Laura @ Real Mom Kitchen
Blueberry, cucumber and feta salad by Stacie @ One Hungry Mama
Blueberry feta salad with toasted pecans by Courtney @ The Fig Tree: Vegetarian cuisine from around the world
Blueberry, almond and feta salad @ Savvy Mom
Blueberry and grapefruit salad with mint and feta by Briat @ Thought for Food
Blueberry feta cheese salad by Alessandro @ Curative Cuisine
Watermelon, blueberry and feta salad @ Skinny Muffin
Cold pasta salad with asparagus, blueberries, feta and basil by Rowena @ She Knows
Blueberry, cucumber, feta salad by Sharib @ My Judy The Foodie
Salad with feta, blueberries and almonds by Catherine @ Albion Cooks
Blueberry and feta salad by Sues and Chels @ We are NOT Martha

Kahvliahvi Kokakool aka Kitchen Monkey's Cookery School

Here's a children's poem in Estonian, written by Heljo Mänd in 1960s, describing small elephant's Bumbu's birthday party in the jungle, where monkeys were eating wafers ("vahvel" in Estonian) and the crocodiles were eating forks ("kahvel" in Estonian). If you combine the monkeys and the forks of this poem, you'll get kahvliahvid aka kitchen/fork monkeys.

Tingel-tangel-tungel,
kära täis on džungel.
Sünnipäev on Bumbul,
elevandijumbul.

Tangel-tungel-tingel,
pidulaual kringel.
Ahvid pistsid vahvleid,
krokodillid kahvleid.

Tungel-tingel-tangel,
limonaad on kange,
jookseb mööda lonti
justkui sada tonti.
 


Couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from a well-known journalist and party organiser, asking to give a cookery demo to a group of kids and their parents at a small music festival in a small Estonian town of Kilingi-Nõmme.  The workshop, called Kahviahvi Kokakool ("Fork Monkey's Cooking School", or probably better translated as "Kitchen Monkeys"), was to have four cookery sessions/demonstrations, and I was asked to give one of them. I agreed - it was a chance to get out of town and listen to some nice music in fresh air before and after the cooking demo. We were discussing the possible menu options, taking into consideration what the other sessions were focusing on, and finally agreed I'd teach the kids and their parents (26 in total) how to make cold soups. Not your usual gazpacho, mind you, but a kefir and a buttermilk soup, respectively - one savoury, one sweet.

It's summer, after all! As it turned out to be a really hot on Saturday (the music festival and the culinary workshops took place on Saturday, July 7th), cold soups seemed to have been a wise choice indeed :)


My cold summer soup workshop was at 5.30 pm, third one of the afternoon:


I tied the apron strings and was ready to begin. Note the sweet monkey-fork/fork-monkey design:


The kids were all anxiously waiting and ready to start chopping:


We began with the savoury kefir soup. Basically we made this chlodnik, but adding beets/beetroots and grated horseradish was optional, and everybody added some cooked mortadella-style sausages as well, to make the soup a bit more substantial. I must admit that about 3/4th of the kids asked for both the beets and the horseradish, which made me very happy indeed :)

Small (and some slightly bigger) kitchen monkeys in action. Note the high concentration of fathers - at least four - who were accompaning their children:




My role was to make sure everyone has understood the instructions and are progressing nicely:


Cutting the sausages into small dice for the soup requires some serious focusing and concentration:
 

Me, making sure that everyone got some vitamin-rich green onions:

Here's a close-up of the cold kefir soup with scallions/green onions, finely chopped sausages, beets and cucumbers (you can only guess there's beetroot at present at this point, as the stirring of the soup was a serious and time-consuming job as well):


Once everyone had finished making and eating their cold kefir soup, it was time to start making the dessert. I had chosen the wonderfully summery Danish buttermilk and strawberry soup koldskål - you'll find the recipe here on Nami-Nami. We did use kama cereal balls instead of crushed biscuits/cookies, however.

The main component - local Estonian strawberries, which are at their peak just now:


Mint, destined as garnish of the cold buttermilk-strawberry soup (lemon balm works just as well)

 Choosing the prettiest strawberries for the buttermilk-strawberry soup:



Here's our daughter (3 y 5 m) enjoying the buttermilk-strawberry soup she made all by herself:



Thank you, Merle Liivak, Kahvliahvi Kokakool & Schilling, for inviting me! I had a lovely day indeed :)

All photos by my food-blogging friend Liina Vahter .

Cold Beetroot Soup (kind of Chlodnik or Холодник)

Although the tropical heat wave has given way to a beautiful Estonian summer (temperatures at around 25 C, with some
showers), it's still warm here in Estonia. Perfect excuse for eating lots of cold summer soups. My cold soup repertoire isn't huge, I must admit. I love Ximena's gazpacho (and will be making it again and again in a week or so, when our tomatoes are ready). I also love this simple cold kefir soup with herbs and radishes. But radishes are finished for this year, so I needed a new cold soup recipe. The recipe here is slightly adapted from this Russian foodblog, and we loved both the flavour as well as the stunning colour. Our little daughter, who's almost 1 year and 6 months now, heartily approved as well!!

I love roasting the beets, as this gives them an exceptionally sweet and earthy flavour. If you're short for time, then this works with boiled (and even ready-grated and vacuum-packed) beets as well.

Cold Beet Soup with Kefir
(Külm peedisupp)
Serves four to six



3 small beets, each about the size of a tennis ball
2 short green cucumbers ("Lebanese cucumbers")
handful of green onions, chopped
3-4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1 litre kefir
1 Tbsp grated horseradish
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-4 eggs

Wash the beets, wrap in foil and roast in a 200 C oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked through (test for doneness by piercing with a sharp knife). Cool completely, then peel and grate coarsely.
Hard-boil the eggs, then cool under cold water. Peel and cut into half lengthwise.
Wash the cucumbers, cut into small dice.
Take a large bowl, throw in the grated beets. Stir in some of the kefir, then season the soup base with horseradish and some salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients, except boiled eggs. Taste again for seasoning - you may want to add more salt or pepper, or perhaps even some lemon juice.
Serve very cold, topping each portion with a boiled egg half or two.

Keeps well in the fridge for a day or two.

Leivasupp - Estonian Bread Soup

I'm cooking more and more traditional Estonian fare these days, and really enjoy (re)discovering our humble but delicious cuisine. Here's another pretty unusual recipe for you - a bread soup. And before you start thinking something along the lines of bread-thickened gazpacho and garlic and olive oil, note that this is a SWEET bread soup. It contains rye bread, sugar, cinnamon, raisins and fruit juice. Although it may sound weird to you, it's actually very delicious :) It's an excellent idea for using leftover dark rye bread that's so popular here in Estonia and other Nordic countries, and more easily available across various ponds and oceans as well. We eat it as a dessert after a meal, although it would also make a lovely dessert or mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

The bread should be naturally leavened sour dough rye, and may contain caraway seeds, but not various other seeds (so the German style square rye bread slices with lots of seeds are no good).

Estonian Sweet Rye Bread Soup
(Leivasupp)
Serves 4



400 grams stale rye bread, cut into chunks
1,5 litres of water
a scant cup of raisins, rinsed
100-150 ml (about half a cup) sugar
a cinnamon stick
200 ml cranberry/redcurrant/apple juice

Soak the bread in water until soft. When bread is all mushy, bring the mixture into a boil and simmer, until soft and liquid. Press through a fine sieve and put the bread pureé back into the saucepan.
Add the raisins, cinnamon stick and sugar, sharpen with juice. Bring slowly into a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, fork out the cinnamon stick and cool the dessert soup.
Ladle into small bowls, serve with a dollop of sour cream, whipped cream or milk.

PS The photo above was made when the soup was still slightly warm, and it's pretty smooth and liquid. Leave it overnight, and the soup is much thicker, and you can see the raisins more clearly. Plus you'll be able to eat it with milk.

A luxurious start to the New Year: Pädaste mõis

On New Year's Eve, K. and I went to my friends' place in Nõmme, Tallinn - just like a year ago. Back then we didn't know that our short aquaintance would lead to anything more than a friendship, but to my great (and hopefully his:) delight it has. A year on, I've moved back from Scotland and in with K., and I'm enjoying every moment of it.. Anyway, the New Year's Eve was a leisurely affair with some 15 friends or so, some good fingerfood and cakes and bubbly at midnight. We stayed the night with my parents who live nearby to save us an unnecessary trip across town in the middle of the night and back next morning. On the late morning of January 1st, we headed towards west.

As a New Year's treat, K. had booked us a suite at Pädaste Manor, a small luxurious resort on the island of Muhu. After a few hours (including a 45-minute ferry trip) we arrived at the premises, and checked into our room. [See the beautiful and inviting entrance - and the guardian Labrador dog, Prick, on the right]. We had a walk around the grounds of the estate, I treated myself to a one-hour spa treatment, and at 7pm we walked across the torch-lit courtyard to the restaurant at Meremaja or Seahouse. It's a small restaurant, seating just 18 persons, and specialising on new Estonian cuisine. It's extremely cosy, with its dark wooden decor, a huge flickering fire-place and understated romantic lighting. We ordered a glass of champagne (Ruinart) and studied the menu.

At this time of the year (i.e. during the low season), the Chef prepares a table d'hôte menu (click on the menu to enlarge), though special dining requirements can be adapted.


[Click on the image to enlarge & read the menu]

We opted for the three-course dinner, accompanied by a bottle of Barbera d'asti. My gazpacho was really delicious - with a distinct and pleasant spiciness, good texture and fresh taste. K seemed to enjoy his goat cheese salad. The Pädaste bread basket came with a choice of six different breads - two baked on premises and others made specially for them. All lovely.

The main course - a duck confit with roasted fennel, courgette and some potato rösti - was also delicious. The duck was local, i.e. bred & raised in Estonia, though not on the island. Dessert was nice, if a bit paler than the first two courses*. K had a cheese plate, like usual, and he wasn't overjoiced by it. My kama mousse was nice, but a bit 'homely' - not something you expect at a fancy restaurant. The plate of petit fours that came with a coffee was a positive surprise, however, containing various chocolate truffles, nougat, cookies and some fresh berries.

We returned to our suite happy and content. The breakfast on the following morning provided a lovely end to our stay. First there was a good choice of teas, a shiny samovar, ice-cold Spanish cava, a selection of hand-made jams & marmalades, local honey:

There was also a selection of cut cheese and charcuterie, eggs, sausages, yogurt, milk curd cream etc. Quite decadent:)

Overall - a lovely place and highly recommended. Definitely worth the trip across the sea, and I'm looking forward to going back during summer. The place must be even lovelier during the long, white summer nights, when you can dip into the sea after the meal...

* I'm not sure why, but this has been the case in all three fine restaurants we've dined during the last few months (i.e. Pädaste, Vertigo & Le Bonaparte - I'm yet to write about my meals at the last two). The starters and mains have been excellent, desserts somewhat a let-down. The delicious desserts at Stenhus - another wonderful restaurant - were an exception rather than rule..

Nami-Nami recommends: where to eat out in Tallinn in Spring 2012

You can tell that the tourism season has started in earnest here in Estonia by the fact that I received no less than three e-mails from Nami-Nami readers this week alone, asking for my advice regarding where to eat out in Tallinn (and beyond) during the next few weeks. It's easier for me to write one blog post as opposed to reply to individual emails, so that's what I do. I'll include a link to this post on my sidebar later, so you can find it easily. I'll be updating it over the Spring and Summer, and hopefully some other Estonian bloggers and Tallinn foodies will add their favourites in the comments..

Here we go then. Remember, I've been on maternity leave for over three years now, so eating out in the evenings has been a rare treat. The following list is heavy on cafeterias and lunch places, and the pub recommendations are from my partner and friends :)

Places for a cup of coffee and something light on the side:

VERTIGO GOURMET DELI ja CAFĒ (Viru 17, Vanalinn/Old Town)
A good place to grab a coffee while wandering in the old town. Just 3 tiny tables, so not a place for lingering, but a good choice of cakes. If you're lucky, you might meat the proprietor - a local  food celebrity Imre Kose - he'd be the sunny guy with curly hair and permanent smile on his face :)

GOURMET COFFEE (Koidula, Kadriorg)
Definitely the best coffee in town - they roast and blend their own beans, so you're guaranteed a decent cuppa. Nice soups and salads, too, and they order cakes from Vertigo and Café More. There's a tiny, but well-equipped children's play area as well.

PARK CAFĒ (Weizenbergi 22, Kadriorg, Tallinn)
Opened 10 am - 8 pm, closed on Mondays

A beautiful Viennese-style café next to Luigetiik in Kadriorg Park. You can sit outside on a warm day and enjoy one of their German-style cakes. Illy coffee.

CAFĒ MORE (Viru Keskus, 4th floor, adjacent to the Rahva Raamat bookstore)
Angeelika Kang is a well-known cookbook author who opened a café just over a year ago. Popular lunch location - good soups and salads and very nice pastries (Swedish-style cardamom twist buns are my favourite). In the morning you can choose from a selection of organic whole-grain porridges. The coffee isn't bad either :)

SAIAKANGI KOHVIK (Saiakang 3, Vanalinn/Old Town)
Open at 9am.
Surprisingly nice pastries, small fresh salads and open sandwiches, all made on the premises. Not one of the "hip" places, but a good option if you're after a quick small snack and/or on a budget.

KOHVIK KOMEET (Solaris Centre, reservations 6 140 090)
Located at the top floor of the newish Solaris Centre just outside the Old Town is a café run by a former model, hip and popular cookbook author Anni Arro. The place has wonderful views  and is great for people-spotting, while enjoying a cake or a salad from the menu.
     The place tends to get pretty busy during lunch and before evening cinema sessions - if that's the case, you can always descend to the ground floor and enjoy a coffee and a cake at Café Coco (much more budget-friendly as well :))

HEIDI PARK (Välja 20, 2nd floor, Mustamäe, telephone 658 8125, her website)


Heidi Park isn't a café, but a talented American-born pastry chef based in Tallinn. Although you can get a cup of coffee when buying cakes at her bakery in Mustamäe, you're better off looking for her excellently rich chocolate brownies and other American-style cakes in Kohvik Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20, Vanalinn/Old Town; probably the best choice of Heidi's cakes), NOP café (Köleri 1, Kadriorg), Hell Hunt pub (That's "Gentle Wolf" to you, English-speakers; Pikk 39, Vanalinn/Old Town), Gotsu (a Korean restaurant, Pärnu mnt 62a, Kesklinn), Clayhills gastropub (Pikk 13, Vanalinn/Old Town) and Bioteek organic store (Kopli 18, Kalamaja).
She did the catering for my first cookbook's launch party in December 2010 (pictured above), and most recently a cake for 120 people at my K's birthday party in January, so I heartily recommend her :)

MAMO (Tornimäe 5 and Liivalaia 14)
A popular lunch place, open from 8 am till 8 pm (Liivalaia) or 9 pm (Tornimäe). Focus on healthy and substantial salads, sandwiches and soups, fresh smoothies and wholesome cakes that can be enjoyed on the premises or bought for take-away.
Tornimäe MAMO also has a children's play area.


Places for a more formal lunch or dinner:

NEH (Lootsi 4, reservations 6022222)
A cosy gourmet place near the Harbour area. Excellent food, some special themed events. There's a chef's table overlooking the kitchen, if you want to see your food being made.
Here's my review from December 2010, and I've been there on several occasions since then. NEH is Pädaste Manor seasonal kitchen in the city - you see,the culinary team's true home is at Pädaste Manor on Muhu island. The restaurant has restricted opening hours during summer - as of May 1st, NEH will be open for dinner only on Tue-Sat, and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

TCHAIKOVSKY (Vene 9, Hotel Telegraaf, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 6000610).
A fine-dining restaurant, serving "a symphony of Russian cuisine". The main restaurant is pretty dressy, but during summer there's also a wondeful summer garden that serves a shorter menu in more casual surroundings. I still crave their cold gazpacho with lobster meat from last summer..

MOON (Kalasadama 3, reservations 6314575, website)
An excellent and friendly family-run restaurant outside Old Town and near the Linnahall. It's run by Roman Zaštšerinski and his wife Jana and cousin Igor, and the restaurant specialises on a mix of Estonian and Russian dishes. Always a treat, and very delicious. Try their borscht and the accompanying pirogi!

LEIB RESTO ja AED (Uus 31, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 6119026)

Opened last summer and quickly became a favourite with those-in-the-know. One of the proprietors is Kristjan Peäske, a top sommelier who knows his wines, his beers and his food. Casual and delicious food with clever Estonian twists (think Crème brûlée with caramelised rye bread crumbs), outside seating on two levels in a quiet and large old town courtyard. Here's my review from last summer.
There's even a small sandbox for kids outside, so it's ideal for a family lunch during summer.
NB! Note they're currently closed on Sundays and between 3pm-6pm during the rest of the week, but they will be open seven days a week from mid-May onwards (limited menu after lunch and before dinner).

MEKK (Suur-Karja 17/19, reservations 680 6688)
MEKK stands for Modern Estonian Kitchen, and the chef Rene Uusmees is doing a good job in serving unpretentious delicious food in serene surroundings just on the edge of the old town.
By the way - the kids eat for free (from the very reasonable children's menu) with their parents, and we've always felt very welcome when visiting with our family.

TIGU (Pikk 30, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 56668493)
A pop-up restaurant that used to be located on the outskirts of Kadriorg, but now only opens for a couple of weeks at a time on various locations across town. This time it's open until May 25th only.
A casual Mediterranean food, well-known for its seafood dishes.

OLDE HANSA (Vana Turg 1, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 627 9020)
I admit it's been a few years since I was there, but I do love their borderline kitsch Medieval atmosphere, and I used to be a huge fan of their wild mushroom soup, served with soft roll and cream cheese spread.

F-HOONE (Telliskivi 60a, Telliskivi loomelinnak)
A popular venture behind Balti Jaam (Central Train Station), in the Telliskivi complex. Former printing house with extremely high ceilings and bohemian feel. I must admit I like the atmosphere much more than the food (buzzing and full of people on a midweek night), but there are some gems on the menu.  It's very popular with trendy artists and students, and the prices are pretty reasonable.
There's also a children's play area, although it's out of sight of the parents :)
There are several other diners/cafés in the area - Boheem, Kukeke, Kamahouse, if you cannot get a table in F-Hoone.

Pubs in Tallinn:

PÕRGU (Rüütli 4, Vanalinn/Old Town, telephone 6 440 232)
Good beer and nice food, a basement pub behind Niguliste kirik.

DRINK BAR (Väike-Karja 8, Vanalinn/Old Town, opened till 3 am)
Run by a British expat James, the place is a favourite of many big pub-going friends of mine :)

Highly recommended outside Tallinn:

OKO (Kaberneeme jahisadam, Harjumaa, reservations 53 00 4440)


About 30 minute drive from Tallinn city centre towards Lahemaa is a sea-side restaurant where one of the capital's top gourmet chefs, Tõnis Siigur, cooks more casual, yet sophisticated food. Extremely popular during summer, which affects the service on a negative way, but if you manage to avoid the peak times (weekend lunches and dinners), you're guaranteed to have a wonderful day - and meal - out.

PÕHJAKA (Mäeküla, Paide vald, reservations 5267795)




I haven't blogged about it, but you can check out my Flickr photo set. Probably our best eating out experience last summer. Everything - the food, the location, the atmosphere, the welcoming service - was flawless. You can sit outdoors during summer, the food is mainly simple Estonian, but served in a fun way.
It's highly popular, so do book ahead, especially as it's about an hour's drive from Tallinn.


SUPELSAKSAD (Nikolai 32, Pärnu, tel. 4422448)

A café in Pärnu, the "Summer Capital of Estonia". I shared some photos from our visit in June 2010, and it has remained a must-to-visit whenever we are in Pärnu. It also received the Best Café award at the 2011 Silverspoon competition, so it's still going strong.