An alternative weekend in Tallinn: 48 hours to explore

Day one

Stay overnight: The Burman Hotel

The right hotel can shape your entire impression of a city. After a full day of exploring,  there’s nothing better than sinking into fluffy pillows, crisp sheets, and sipping a cup of herbal tea before bed. This time, we checked into the boutique, The Burman Hotel, which is located in the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town and is housed in a 15th-century building from Tallinn’s Hanseatic days.

The property has a long history of hospitality: the first hotel opened here in the 1890s. In the 1930s, it was remodeled by Estonian architect Karl Friedrich Burman (hence the name), the mind behind Viljandi’s branch of the Bank of Estonia and several standout Art Nouveau residences in Tallinn.

Today, Burman Hotel, a proud member of the Small Luxury Hotels association and awarded with a 5-star superior ranking, has 17 rooms, each one an example of boutique perfection. They feature soaring ceilings, bright spaces, marble details, soft rugs, oversized duvets, a pillow menu, candy jars, and a well-stocked wine bar. As a showpiece, there is also a €10,000 handmade, French Tréca mattress—we tried it and can confirm that it really does feel like sleeping on a cloud! 

Cycle along the seafront

One of the best ways to (re)discover Tallinn is by bike. Bike paths cover most of the city (check the map here). Start in Kadriorg Park with its charming wooden houses, stop by the Japanese Garden before heading towards the sea. Look out for this coastal monument as a marker. From there, follow Reidi Tee and the Kalaranna Promenade until you reach the Noblessner Port area. On one side is the bay. On the other is a cool, new district with a distinctly Nordic feel, dotted with bistros and saunas right by the water.

Rental bikes can be arranged by The Burman hotel concierge or Bolt.

Lunch: Maison François 

After your ride, head back to the Old Town and stop at Maison François, a bistro and bakery run by third-generation Belgian baker François. It is a veritable shrine to French pastries, with an array of options including pain au chocolat, almond twists, puffed pithiviers with duck, madeleines, brioche and éclairs… The food menu is concise yet impressive, offering choices such as goat’s cheese salad, pâté en croûte, duck rillettes on toasted baguette, and French onion soup. To finish, we enjoyed a rich dark chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream. 

We recommend booking a table in advance.

Culinary Theatre: KOYO

For a unique dining experience, try KOYO, a Japanese omakase restaurant where cooking is treated as a performance. Here, one does not order, each dish arrives as a surprise, chosen by chef Kazuto Hokari based on seasonality, ingredient quality, and even the guest’s mood. The name comes from kōyō, the Japanese word for autumn leaves changing colour.

Hokari moved from Japan to Tallinn, where he specialises in sushi, particularly eel and akami tuna, which are his personal favourites. In 2025, KOYO earned a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Enjoy cocktails and sociable atmosphere of Jazz: The Peacock Lounge

Finish off the evening back at the Burman Hotel, in the opulent Peacock Lounge. Located on the highest floor of Bombay Club, The Peacock’s ambience is a perfect combination of elegant decor and seductive rhythms. With breathtaking views over Tallinn’s resplendent red rooftops, every visit becomes a journey through sophisticated taste and soulful music.

Day two

Reset: The Burman Spa

Mornings feel twice as good when a hotel has a spa. Tallinn’s best spas are located in hotels, and Burman Spa is no exception. We went early, before breakfast, and had the place to ourselves. Facilities include a hot tub, a sauna, treatment rooms, and even a traditional Japanese hot bath for deep relaxation and cleansing. For those seeking the ultimate in skincare, Burman Spa also offers exclusive Biologique Recherche treatments.

Breakfast: Écrin

Once you’re feeling refreshed, time for breakfast at Écrin, Burman’s pearl-inspired restaurant. With white tablecloths, towering vases of flowers and shell-like wall décor, it exudes elegance.

The buffet offers signature lobster omelette, yoghurt, croissants, berries, cheeses, granola, muesli bars, and pastries, while the menu includes eggs, porridge, avocado toast, pancakes, and waffles. All dishes are beautifully presented.

Return later for afternoon tea served on weekends between 1 and 5pm: offering a refined blend of English tradition and French technique, paired with a curated selection of teas. Expect everything from silky Himalayan white to smoky dahongpao, along with rarities like Spanish almond or Malawian black served with milk.

Explore Art: Kumu, EKKM & Creative Hub

Tallinn’s art scene is well worth exploring. Designed by Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori, Kumu Art Museum rises out of Kadriorg Park like a limestone sculpture. Its curved forms were even featured in Tenet, standing in as Oslo’s Freeport. Inside, the collection spans Estonian art from the 18th century onwards, plus excellent temporary exhibitions (check the website before you visit).

For a more underground experience, visit EKKM, the contemporary art museum housed in a former power plant near the port. Once a squat, it was transformed by artists into a gallery and museum, complete with a sculpture park and community garden.

Nearby is the Tallinn Creative Hub, a repurposed industrial space that now hosts festivals and events. Be sure to check the programme.

Lunch & Local Life: Balti Jaama Turg

After enjoying the museums, head to the bustling Balti Jaama Market. Having recently been redeveloped, it is now a vibrant hub where one can browse produce, street food, crafts, and even vintage treasures upstairs.

For a great lunch, try a burger at VLND  or lunch at Café Tempo. Finish with coffee from Surf Café. Then browse the vintage stalls — you might just stumble upon some real gems!

Dinner: Shang Shi

Finally, enjoy dinner at Shang Shi, a fine-dining Chinese restaurant that might surprise even those who don’t usually seek out Chinese cuisine.

Chee Hwee Ton, Michelin-starred chef with multiple awards, reimagines Cantonese traditions to create refined, modern dishes. Our dinner began with lotus flowers prepared in several ways, followed by an exquisite dim sum set (the dim sum chef has 18 years of experience), wasabi prawns, char siu pork with rice, and asparagus with mushrooms and lotus root.

For dessert, we tried a delicate peach melba and the standout wasabi blanch—an apple-based dish with wasabi ice cream, created by Shang Shi’s Iranian-born pastry chef, who blends French techniques with Chinese flavours.

The name Shang Shi translates as “royal feast”, and it truly lives up to its name.