The Nautilus

Sad, but true, even though Tallinn sits right on the sea, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a good fish restaurant here, the situation is no better in Estonia as a whole. Of course there have been brave attempts to open real fish- and seafood joints, but those have generally fizzled. The exception to this rule would be almost two year-old Nautilus, a place that shows no signs of slowing down.

It’s filled with the usual Old Town mix of international tourists and local seafood lovers, they get along just fine in the three, rambling and interconnected rooms that each offer a different ambiance. One looks into the kitchen, the other has easy access to the drinks bar while the third has a view of the street and the raw bar stacked with fresh oysters and various tartares and caviars. Nautilus is the only eatery in Tallinn where you’ll find generous platters of fresh seafood on crushed ice, be warned, however, that local fish is a rarity, much to the tourists’ disappointment.

The wine selection, however, is refreshingly diverse. And finishing with one of the four aquavits is a priority.