Jahu Resto

Even though Jahu (Flour, in Estonian) is located right next to Tallinn’s best and most famous market––the Baltic Station market––it’s hidden in plain sight. It lurks in a building more known for its bathroom equipment store. This dining room, incongruously cozied up to a showroom full of bathtubs, sinks, and other ceramics, divide visitors almost like politics do. Some praise it as an innovation that perfectly captures the spirit of the hipster district.

Others turn on their heels, because who wants to eat next to a bathtub, anyway? To make matters even more complicated, the owners’ passion for food is on the peculiar side, too. They love anything made with flour and they know how to choose and use their flour, because their pastas and pizzas tend to be, if not a strong option, then certainly among the stronger in Tallinn. Well prepared, simple food is matched by a wine selection that is heavy on grapes grown in volcanic soil.

This particular passion has paid off, as the owners’ small, centrally located kiosk (see: Jahu Street Gourmet) quickly spawned a tiny business empire comprised of three restaurants. Serving well-loved classics with a twist seems to be the Jahu empire’s foundation.