Fii

While minimalist Fii at Hotel Sophia in Tartu Lõunakeskus has floor-to-ceiling windows, its sweeping views face a shopping center and a science park, nothing to write home about, in other words, but the restaurant makes up for this by serving particularly attractive food. Just keep your eyes on the plate. The young head chef, Ken Trahv, rejects all limits as a matter of principle.

Oysters are cooked, sliced and presented in their shells as soup; trout tartare is made into “sea stones” with sushi rice. Trahv’s signature cuisine is currently making headlines in Estonia, you find yourself itching to try this, that and the other, even the dishes served at the neighboring table. The menu is inconsistently updated, but it changes frequently enough to merit repeat visits.

It used to be that the food outshone the drinks, as of late, however, the latter have vastly improved. Those bored with sparkling wine would do well to try the Cucava, a masterful cocktail and excellent aperitif with cava, cucumber liquor and elderflower-rose tonic. The drink to pair with the oyster soup is a Bulgarian Edoardo Miroglio Blanc de Noir, a slightly creamy white wine made with red grapes.