GMP Patisserie

Indeed, GMP is a Tartu institution, but this distinctive café and bakery could just as well be located in Paris’ St. Germain neighborhood, so squarely and unapologetically French is its cultural identity. The staff has been trained by top French experts, you won’t find baguettes as authentic as these anywhere else in Estonia.

The same goes for the pastries and everything else, down to the onion soup. It took a while for the locals to warm up to that rustic dish, the chunk of bread floating in the soup––with a goopy mess of melted cheese on top––was a great big flop when it was introduced. Once it was reinvented––the cheese grated on a pillow of onions at the bottom of the bowl, the bread sprinkled in crouton-form and the broth poured tableside––they embraced it completely, We dare say, if made with the famous Lake Peipus onions, this onion soup would make waves in France too!

The Tartuans’ skepticism toward everything foreign is well-known. Tallinn’s inhabitants, meanwhile, cannot wait for the patisserie to open in the capital and take every opportunity to eat the stronger cakes in the country when visiting Tartu.