Estonia Restaurant

The Estonia is an imposing structure in the heart of Tallinn. An opera and ballet theatre in one wing, a concert hall in the other, and a brand new restaurant in the hall connecting the two. The stages at the two wings have hosted the top of Estonian (and its guests’) culture. The name and location set exacting expectations.

The restaurant’s atmosphere is timelessly elegant, carefully tuned and conservative. The menu follows suit. The Estonia is distinctive from the crowd with special menus inspired by the season’s plays. They consist of three dishes along with drink pairings.

The menu created to honour the Romeo and Juliet ballet is as dramatic on the plate as the spectacle on the stage. Wafer-thin slices of raw tuna, served on black plates with lemon mayonnaise, initially look not the freshest. But lifting a slice with a fork lets the true pink shine through, and the flavour erases any shadow of doubt. The saffron risotto with langoustines represents an intriguing combination and the lemon ciambellone rises to a sweet-and-sour culmination.

The opera and ballet on the plates at the Estonia feeds the fantasy and prolongs the afterglow of the show.