TALLINN - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 217

At Leib, at the seaside end of the Old Town, you enter up steps into a fun garden under
the medieval walls, and can sit indoors or out. As at other reasonably-priced places, a great
three-course meal costs no more than €20: Try pea soup (€4.50), followed by free-range
chicken (€10) and a €4 dessert (daily 12:00-23:00, Uus 31, tel. [phone]).
Mekk is a small, fresh, more upscale place whose name stands for “modern Estonian
cuisine.” They offer two great deals: artful weekday lunch specials for just €5, and a
€30 four-course set-price menu for serious eaters. Young, elegant locals take their lunch
breaks here (€16-25 main dishes, Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00, closed Sun, Suur-Karja 17/19, tel.
680-6688).
Russian and Caucasian Food
As about a third of the local population is enthusiastically Russian, there are plenty of
places serving Russian cuisine (see also under “Budget Eateries,” next page).
Troika is my choice for Russian food. Right on Town Hall Square, with a folkloric-
costumed waitstaff, they serve €6-9 bliny (pancakes) and pelmeni (dumplings), and €12-20
main dishes. Sit out on the square (reserve for dinner), down in the trippy, trendy cellar,
or in the more casual tavern (ground level out back, prices 15 percent lower). A balalaika
player usually strums and strolls after 19:00 (daily 12:00-23:00, Raekoja Plats 15, tel.
627-6245).
Must Lammas is straightforward and elegant, focusing on just plain tasty Caucasian
food from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (€9 lunch specials, €10-18 main dishes, Mon-
Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, Sauna 2, tel. [phone]).
Medieval Cuisine
Two well-run restaurants just below Town Hall Square specialize in re-creating medieval
food (from the days before the arrival of the potato and tomato from the New World). They
are each grotesquely touristy, complete with gift shops where you can buy your souvenir
goblet. Both have street seating, but you'll get all the tourists and none of the atmosphere.
Olde Hansa, filling three creaky old floors and outdoor tables with tourists, candle
wax, and scurrying medieval waitresses, can be quite expensive (€13-35 main dishes, daily
10:00-24:00, musicians circulate nightly after 18:00, a belch below Town Hall Square at
Vana Turg 1, reserve in advance, tel. [phone]). Peppersack, across the street, tries to
compete (Vana Turg 6, tel. [phone]).
Pubs in the Old Town
Young Estonians eat well and affordably at pubs. In some pubs, you go to the bar to look
at the menu, order, and pay. Then find a table, and they'll bring your food out when it's
ready.
HellHuntPub (“The Gentle Wolf”) was the first Western-style pub to open after 1991,
and it's still going strong, attracting a mixed expat and local crowd with its tasty food. Con-
sider making a meal from the great pub snacks (€2.50-€4.50) plus a salad (€5-6). Choose a
table in its convivial interior or in the rustic courtyard across the street (€4.50 soups, €6-10
main dishes, daily 12:00-1:00 in the morning, Pikk 39, tel. [phone]).