Ruhe

There’s no doubt about it, Ruhe offers Estonia’s most dramatic restaurant setting. Perched right at the water’s edge, the views of the sea are endless and ever-changing with the seasons and the weather. On the terrace, a lone apple tree reaches toward the sky next to an old wooden boat, as if they’d both been placed there by a minimalist set decorator. All of it is heart-piercingly beautiful and calls for champagne and any dish that contains fish.

It’s ironic that the seemingly bottomless ocean is so stingy with its bounty and that Ruhe’s guests, despite the restaurant’s location right in the harbor, often have to make do with catches from further afield. On those days, go for the catfish. This tender and white, nearly boneless fish of African origin is raised in Estonia and Ruhe’s kitchen team knows how to prepare it. Cod liver pâté, an intergenerational, Estonian favourite, is another good bet.

Strangely, few restaurants put it on the menu, at Ruhe it’s always there. You’d do well to spend the night in one of Ruhe’s guest rooms, the better to experience its charms a bit more.