loaded:/images/placeholder.png
loaded:/images/placeholder.png
loaded:/images/placeholder.png
loaded:/images/placeholder.png
loaded:/images/placeholder.png
Tallinn’s best food districts
07.06.2023
Tallinn is an excellent place for food lovers. The city has something for all tastes and price ranges – whether you want to have a Michelin-starred food experience or try the best street food in the city. Great food can be found all over the city. We'll highlight some of the most special places where you can tempt your taste buds.
Tallinn's cafés and restaurants also provide outdoor service during the summer. Every summer, a new street, square or terrace appears in Tallinn that becomes the centre of attraction for the season.
The Old Town – excellent food from every era
The atmosphere of Tallinn's medieval Old Town can best be felt in the summer, when the entire Old Town transforms into a large open-air stage where all of the city's most important events take place. The heart of the Old Town events is and will always be the Town Hall Square.
On the corner of the Town Hall Square is the street café Kooker, whose thick mini pancakes are delicious and handy to grab on the go. On the other side of the Town Hall Square, right under the vaults of the building, operates a medieval-style folk tavern III Draakon, where they serve affordable food and drinks. The place is run by a talkative innkeeper who likes to test the humour of visitors.
Viru Keskus food hall – the largest food hall in Tallinn
The popular shopping centre in Tallinn's city centre underwent a refurbishment in 2022 and now houses the capital's largest food hall on its ground floor. In an area of 1500 square metres, 15 food and drink stations await visitors, offering a variety of culinary delights from around the world.
Based on the food hall concept, the customer can order their favourite food and drinks from a variety of restaurants and then enjoy them in a communal seating area. To save water and energy, all the used dishes are collected and washed together, thus using less water and reducing the need for cooks to wash dishes while working.
The seating area of the Viru Keskus food hall will also be extended to the outdoor terrace by Tammsaare Park.
Rotermann Quarter – from an industrial centre to a modern city
Tallinn’s actual centre point at the intersection of several roads is the former industrial area Rotermann, which has become one of the city's most prominent oases of modern architecture with a wide range of opportunities for leisure, including cafes and restaurants.
The flavours of the world, from Asian to Mexican cuisine and kosher food to Estonian cuisine, are woven in between modern and historical architecture.
The Stalker Passage on the edge of the former orchard is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of the whole quarter and a paradise for food gourmands that fulfils the heart's desires of both meat lovers and vegetarians. In the summer, these places smelling of good food, cardamom bread and coffee bring their products outside, right onto one of the most special streets in Tallinn.
Balti Jaam Market and DEPOO food streets and one of a kind Literaat
Balti Jaama Turg is a food market where in addition to shopping for things to take home, food is also offered on-site in case you get hungry. Soup fans, khachapuri worshipers, vegans, waffle enthusiasts and pie and pizza lovers will all find something to enjoy on the kiosk street. On top of all that you can enjoy all the delicious scents walking around the area, as all that good food is prepared on-site. The food street of the market attracts cake lovers, sushi and smoothie fans and has some surprises for wrap enthusiasts.
The DEPOO food street is a unique business idea where various cafes and traditional food providers have established themselves in ship containers, authentic train wagons with a colourful historical background and even in train repair depots.
Just a little further is one of the most unique food places in Tallinn – Literaat. The cosy restaurant is located in the middle of a Rahva Raamat bookstore, so you can enjoy both good food and quality literature at the same time. Literaat has become an attractive addition for the Telliskivi Creative City located right next door.
Telliskivi Creative City – a special community centre
The former factory area has become Tallinn's hipster community and culture centre, enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The rediscovery of Telliskivi began with a restaurant with a strange name, F-hoone (Building F). Back in the day, the factory buildings were referred to by letters instead of addresses and this tradition is still followed in the Creative City.
At present, dozens of food services are offered in Telliskivi Creative City including one food truck, Bueno Gourmet, which introduces the flavours of South and North America. Telliskivi also offers street food for children: La Muu, the first Estonian manufacturer of eco ice cream, prepares and offers its refreshing products here. French, Asian and Nordic cuisines are also represented in Telliskivi.
Telliskivi got a whole new breath of life when the top photography centre with Swedish roots Fotografiska set up here, whose concept includes both food and food education as well. In Fotografiska you can find a café, a bar and a restaurant where cooking is based on the principle of zero-waste, resourceful use of all raw produce.
In the summer, the cafés, bars and restaurants of Telliskivi Creative City spread out to the courtyard of the Creative City, amplifying the pleasant community feeling that prevails in the area.
Port Noblessner – a combination of marine and urban
The gem of the former industrial area Noblessner is undoubtedly the restaurant 180° by Matthias Diether, which just received its second Michelin star. Delicious food, excellent service and a beautiful sea view create an unforgettable restaurant experience.
What is remarkable about Noblessner is the equally powerful reputation of their food and drinks, right on the huge sun terrace that reaches directly over the sea during summer. You can find bistro Lore, Kaif bar and Kampai restaurant, which brings together all kinds of Japanese cuisine from street food to the chef's own handwritten dishes. The summer terrace of Port Noblessner seems to be whispering: “If you’re not here, you don’t exist.”
The Põhjala Tap Room, a small brewery just off Noblessner’s central square, is heaven for beer lovers. The restaurant delights its guests with a wide selection of beverages, while the menu focuses on authentic Texan barbecue dishes. In the summer, you can sit on the balcony or in the front yard.