National Geographic Traveller UK - 01 e 02.2022

MORNING

There’s no denying the beauty of

Tallinn’s labyrinthine Old Town.

Magnificently preserved, its

medieval Hanseatic architecture

attracts visitors from around the

world. A group tour will ensure you

don’t miss any of the highlights, but

if you’re going solo, Raekoja plats

(a square beside Tallinn Town Hall)

will help you get your bearings. The

buildings framing the square are

endlessly photogenic — none more

so than the mighty, gothic town

hall itself — but look out for the

Raeapteek, a pharmacy that ’s been

in use since the 1400s and said to

be Europe’s oldest. Follow your

nose around the cobbled streets

and lanes, and head up Toompea

Hill to admire the Estonian

parliament buildings, the palatial

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and

sensational city views.

AFTERNOON

With historic Tallinn in the bag,

it ’s time to look to the city’s

more futuristic side, at Telliskivi

Creative City. This former wreck

of an area is now home to dozens

of creative start-ups. An easy walk

from the Old Town, much of the

architecture is industrial on the

outside but with inventive gems

to discover within. Fotografiska

is unmissable: part museum, part

gallery, it ’s home to permanent

and temporary photography

exhibitions, not to mention an

excellent restaurant. Opposite,

La Muu is an incredibly popular

local ice cream shop. Around the

corner, you’ll find a coffee shop,

a brewery and the Junimperium

Distillery — a producer of artisan

gins — sitting side by side, with

the Vintage Beauty OÜ furniture

shop opposite.

EVENING

Head towards the seafront, where

you’ll find Põhjala Brewery & Tap

Room. Set inside a cavernous

facility that also houses its own

restaurant and sauna, it has 24

house-brewed beers on tap. The

surrounding Kalamaja district

is also undergoing massive

regeneration, with Noblessner

Port unrecognisable from its days

as the main submarine shipyard

of Imperial Russia. Instead of

belching chimneys, you’ll now find

excellent restaurants and bars, as

well as the Proto Invention Factory,

a sort of theme park for virtual

reality and prototype technology

set in a former warehouse. From

here, head to the new Iglupark and

its black-wood saunas. Watch the

sunset, then round off a spell in the

steam rooms with a plunge into the

icy Baltic Sea.

DAY ONE CITY & SEA

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FROM LEFT: Alexander

Nevsky Cathedral and St

Mary’s Cathedral; boats at

Noblessner Port

LEE

Founded by a chef, Janno

Lepik, and a sommelier,

Kristjan Peäske, Lee goes

big on dishes like Estonian

venison and locally caught

trout. Can’t make up your

mind what to order? Opt

for the Lee Experience: a

number of culinary highlights

from the sophisticated

menu. leeresto.ee

ÜLO

A short walk from Telliskivi,

Ülo has a menu that wouldn’t

look out of place in a San

Francisco restaurant, offering

up the likes of beef-cheek

tacos, and tiger prawns with

grilled pineapple. Over half

its dishes are vegan, too.

facebook.com/ulorestoran

LORE BISTRO

Down by the Noblessner

docks, the Lore Bistro

ˆÃ>w˜i«>Vi̜`ˆ˜iˆv

you’ve visiting the nearby

Proto Invention Factory

or Estonian Maritime

Museum. Expect inventive,

seasonal dishes made almost

exclusively with Estonian

produce. lorebistroo.ee

R ATAS KAE VU 1 6

At this popular little spot

in the Old Town, most of

the dishes are made from

produce sourced from

Estonia, whether that’s the

`ÕVŽwiÌÃ]   >ÌˆV…iÀÀˆ˜}œÀ

the show-stopping elk roast.

rataskaevu16.ee

PEGASUS

Pegasus has been an

"`/œÜ˜wÝÌÕÀiȘVi

the early 1960s, but with

the modern decor and

slick presentation of

local dishes, it can’t

be accused of not

moving with the times.

restoranpegasus.ee

TOP 5

Tallinn

restaurants

Jan/Feb 2022 61