Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A few years ago it was hard to find authentic local cuisine, but now Estonian food is
trendy—a hearty Northern mixture of meat, potatoes, root vegetables, mushrooms, dill,
garlic, bread, and soup. Pea soup is a local specialty. You usually get a few slices of bread
as a free, automatic side dish (as in the rest of the ex-USSR). A typical pub snack is Estoni-
an garlic bread
(küüslauguleivad)
—deep-fried strips of dark rye bread smothered in garlic
and served with a dipping sauce. Estonia's Saku beer is good, cheap, and on tap at most
eateries. Try the nutty, full-bodied Tume variety.
Dining in the Old Town
Estonian Restaurants
VanaemaJuures
(“Grandma's Place”), an eight-table cellar restaurant, serves homey, tra-
ditional Estonian meals, such as pork roast with sauerkraut and horseradish. This is a fine
bet for local cuisine, and dinner reservations are strongly advised. No tacky medieval stuff
here—just good food at fair prices in a pleasant ambience, where you expect your waitress
to show up with her hair in a bun and wearing granny glasses (€8-17 main dishes, Mon-Sat
12:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, Rataskaevu 10/12, tel. 626-9080, Ava mothers you).
Restorant Aed
is an elegant, almost gourmet, health-food eatery calling itself “the em-
bassy of pure food.” While not vegetarian, it is passionate about serving modern, organic
Estonian cuisine in a woody, romantic setting (€7-14 main dishes, Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00,
Sun 12:00-18:00, Rataskaevu 8, tel. 626-9088).
