Tallinn for Foodies

Tallinn eats like a modern Nordic-Baltic city: great coffee and pastry culture, creative districts with casual gems, and restaurants that make local ingredients feel exciting without being stiff.

Tallinn is small enough that you can eat very well without planning every meal — the trick is to book one “special” dinner and let the rest happen naturally.

The best foodie rhythm:

• One bakery/cafe morning
• One market lunch
• One special dinner
• One casual “choose on the spot” evening

If you’re staying in the center, Rotermann is a great base for a food-first trip (easy walks to Old Town and the waterfront).

• Market lunch: Balti Jaam Market
• Bakery morning: RØST (then wander Kalamaja/Telliskivi)
• Old Town sweet pause: Maiasmokk or Kehrwieder
• Special dinner: Rataskaevu 16 or LEE

Day 1 (Old Town classics + one special dinner):

• Morning: Old Town walk + a historic cafe dessert stop
• Lunch: keep it light (so dinner feels like an event)
• Afternoon: coffee + a short viewpoint loop
• Evening: your booked dinner (Old Town, Rotermann, or waterfront depending on mood)

Day 2 (markets + creative neighborhoods + casual night):

• Morning: bakery start (then wander Kalamaja)
• Midday: Balti Jaam Market
• Afternoon: Telliskivi browsing + a cafe stop
• Evening: casual dinner + drinks (Telliskivi/Kalamaja), or a sunset beer/walk in Noblessner

Want a sightseeing version of this plan? Use Weekend in Tallinn and simply plug meals into the same clusters.

• Morning: bakery + coffee → Kalamaja streets
• Midday: Balti Jaam Market
• Afternoon: Old Town walk + dessert pause
• Evening: dinner reservation night (Old Town or waterfront)
• Optional: drinks at Põhjala Tap Room in Noblessner

If you want the sightseeing version of this day, use Things to Do in Tallinn and swap in one museum or one viewpoint.

Tallinn’s best food days usually include a mix of classic and modern:

• Pastry + coffee morning
• One market meal
• One “modern Estonian” dinner (seasonal, local ingredients)
• One cozy soup/stew-style lunch (especially in cooler months)
• One dessert stop that feels historic

If you want the “traditional side,” use Traditional Estonian Food.

• Food in Tallinn (start here)
• Traditional Estonian Food
• Vegetarian & Vegan Food
• Food Markets
• Best Desserts

Plant-based eating is very doable here — it’s easiest when you plan one Telliskivi/Kalamaja day and one city-centre dinner.

Start here: Vegetarian & Vegan Food in Tallinn.

• Book one dinner you really care about, then keep the rest flexible.
• Use markets and cafes to avoid “reservation stress.”
• Walk a lot — Tallinn’s best eating days pair perfectly with long wandering.

A foodie trip feels even better when it’s stitched into the city’s walking rhythm:

• Dessert → viewpoint
• Market lunch → neighborhood wander
• Dinner → Old Town night walk

Walking routes: Walking Routes in Tallinn.