Bars

Tops is one of those places that opens one day and becomes crowded the next day and stays popular for years. It is a bar at the beginning of Kalamaja district, about one kilometer away from the Old Town. Kalamaja is a bohemian district of Tallinn, where young creative people live and gather and Tops is their little “baby”.

It is a place where I would not eat (it is rather hard to fill your stomach with bruschettas), but it is a perfect place to drink some beers and meet interesting people. A good collection of vinyls allows anyone to put on the music of their choice. So far I have never got an evil eye here, even though it was not always an uplifting and popular music that I would put on, but TOPS visitors and staff respect everyone’s choice.

TOPS is always crowded on the weekend evenings mostly with the people who live close by. TOPS is situated in a so-called “Lender house” (typical houses in Tallinn that were built between 1904 and 1913) and its interior reminds me of some old school salon. An old piano offers the possibility of live music that’s played here almost every evening but I have never found out when exactly, as it seems to depend on the mood of the pianist. I would recommend to come here on Friday when a party series called ‘Femme Fatale’ (girls DJ night) is held and politically in-correct dressing and topics are welcomed.

Dubliner is a typical Irish pub that serves all possible kinds of beers and shows football even when there isn’t a game played at that moment. Dubliner is suitable for two things – having some drinks with your friends in the evening or going for a simple lunch in the afternoon.

The pub has an excellent menu where everyone should find something suitable – a hamburger for the children or a fancy pasta dish for the adults. Dubliner offers basically everything from basic omelettes or French fries with sausages to exquisite high-class crème brulées. And all the dishes have such good prices! Seriously, you have to check it out, this really is the best place where to have lunch (if you’re looking for real food, not McDonald’s or something like that.)

Depending on the time, the waiting time may be a bit long, that’s the only negative thing.

My personal favourite is their Caesar salad which they serve heated. The portion is big enough and costs only € 3.30.

Tallinn has such a beautiful skyline and leaving without a photo would be a shame. The best photo taking spot is located at a top floor of Radisson BLU hotel at a cocktail lounge called Lounge 24. It’s a restaurant / lounge that has a open air terrace on the 24th floor (hence the name of the lounge).

Since it’s a restaurant you would be expected to order at least a drink there but so many people go there just to take photos, I think they don’t mind anymore and you can just easily walk straight to the terrace at the back of the restaurant and ask kindly if you could take some photos. They never decline. And while you’re there taking your photos, you’ll probably be joined by others like you.

If you feel like having a cosmopolitan with your girlfriend or just a cold beer then the lounge is a fabulous place to do so, you’ll have amazing views over the city.

The infamous Noku Klubi is as secretive as they come. It’s situated downtown, just a quick stroll from the main square. There is no marking on the door, which stands closed most of the time. If you didn’t know any better, then this could just be any other door in downtown Tallinn. The name derives from the Estonian “Noorte Kultuuriklubi” or youth culture club, but “noku” is also a word for the genitalia of a young boy – in a cute way though.

Inside you’ll get reasonably priced food and alcohol (food € 3 – € 7). For the more adventourus ones there are selections of cards and board games. It’s a nice and calm place for a relaxing hangout. I like the menu as it is quite small and simple. Here you can often taste some good traditional (almost) Estonian food.

The place is mostly occupied by artists and the young Estonian intelligencia escaping the noisy downtown for talks about Russian literature, German philosophy and classic cinema. Despite that, things can become quite interesting late at nights.

Due to the secretive nature of the place it is hard to enter the place. You can enter with a magnetic card, which you’ll need to apply for at the barcounter – which also requires recommendations from friends who already have one as well. It always worked for me to wait outside for a a friendly cardholder who is going out for a smoke, but once in a while the doors are opened.

Paar Veini is a new type of wine bar. It’s not a wine cellar where making a decision can take you hours and cost you fortune. But I assure you that here you will order wine in litres, at least one. In this wine bar there are only two options to choose from – red or white (win-win). There is actually also a much bigger selection of wines, but the house wine is of good quality too.

This wine bar has only light snacks to offer – my favorite is a chilly olive plate. The cheese plate has some of the best Estonian cheeses including smoked cheese and local goat cheese. Paar Veini can be empty on working days, but is crowded on Friday and Saturday nights when it would be better to secure a table beforehand.

Often electronic music is played here on the weekend, but then you will have to pay a fee at the entrance. It is still far away from being a club, so if you are up for a more chill night with a combination of chat-dance-wine-chat then take your friends to Paar Veini and let the wine flow from the jug.

P.S. You can get beer here as well