Tallinn: the best routes through the eyes of influencers

Ulla Zirne

2x winter olympian, creative director, explorer

Route:
Barbarea restaurant — Rara bar — Fotografiska Tallinn — The Brick coffee — Chado tea room —Karjase Sai

Fotografiska

A place for art and food. There are always some cool exhibitions worth the visit. And also the cafe and restaurant are amazing! My personal favorite is brunch at their cafe—kimchi sandwich & granola bowl was my pick. But everything on my friend’s plates looked good as well. The coffee is amazing too.

Barbarea restaurant

This is my all time favorite restaurant. The high quality food made simply perfect. And since I am a fan of natural wine as well, this is heaven for my soul. And ofcourse the interior and atmosphere. Everything about this place is just the way I love it. I keep coming back and everything just gets better every time and keeps surprising my taste buds.

Karjase Sai

Is also a member of the Barbarea family and is located in the same place. An amazing bakery with freshly baked goods every morning and the amazing Kalve coffee.

Chado tea room

I am a tea geek. And I do daily tea ceremonies so this is something very special for me. Such quality teas are not easy to find so whenever I am in Tallinn I come here to pick up some treasures. But even if you are not into the tea world that deep, there are many eye & soul catching things. And people who will tell the stories behind everything and make it a great experience.

The Brick coffee

The local roastery I would also suggest to visit 🙂 Get their Etiopia Guji coffee beans as a souvenir for a perfect coffee at home.

Vika Anisko

Photographer & Influencer

Route:
Fotografiska Tallinn — Kumu Art Museum — Kadriorg Park — Port Noblessner — Arvo Pärt Centre — Patkuli viewing point — Port of Tallinn —Radisson Collection hotel —Päris — Gianni — Chedi — Barbarea restaurant — Røst Bakery —Telliskivi district — Maximalist

Port Noblessner

Not only full of great restaurants and art galleries (Kai Art Center, Temnikova and Kasela Gallery), but also a nice area to relax by the sea.

Arvo Pärt Centre

Сombines the composer’s personal archive with an information and music Centre. Thank you to my friend Guna Leiskalne-Rokk, who showed this place to me a year ago. If you are interested in architecture—it’s a must visit place (located in Laulasmaa, 35 kilometers from Tallinn).

Maximalist clothing store

Selection of Toteme, Proenza Schouler, Marni, Low Classic, JW Anderson etc.

Katrīna Jurkevica

Deputy director of Zuzeum

Route:
Fotografiska Tallinn — Kai Art Center — Balti Jaama Turg — VLND Burger — Kopli Couture and Cbetka Vintage Shops — Gelato Ladies

Kai Art Center

Housed in a historic building by the harbor, Kai Art Center mixes thought-provoking contemporary exhibitions with outdoor sea views. It gives off similar vibes to Zuzeum, with that artsy, modern atmosphere.

Balti Jaama Turg

Markets are my go-to for local energy and meeting people. Balti Jaama Turg is a unique experience, with each floor offering something different—from fresh produce vendors to cool shops. The food court is a must—with diverse bites to try.

VLND Burger

Since you’re already at Balti Jaama Turg, make sure to make a pitstop at VLND Burger. This burger place has been placed as one of the best burgers in Europe.

Vintage Shops

If you love vintage hunting like I do, Tallinn’s got some gems. Kopli Couture and Cbetka are great for unique finds, and there’s always a Humana Vintage to check out too.

Gelato Ladies

For something sweet, head to Gelato Ladies in Old Town. Cozy place and delicious house-made Italian gelato.

Karlīne Anete

Designer, Half of BINSKI studio

Route:
Karjase Sai — Barbarea restaurant — Fotografiska Tallinn — Basaar — KAI Art Centre — Lore Bistroo — The Kumu Art Museum — Bar Rara — Hop&Hen — Biit Me & Old Town Records — Hall Tallinn — Tommy Cash concerts — Racer worldwide store — Barbed Creative studio

Basaar

Basaar is a second hand shop. Absolute gem! From basic tees to high-end designer clothes. The range of items is impressive, catering to all tastes and styles. Also—the location is cool. It’s inside a gastronomic market.

Temnikova & Kasela Gallery

First met Olga Temnikova at Zuzeum’s Baltic exhibition (she curated it), and fell in love with her energy, knowledge and eye for the art scene in Baltics and Europe. So when planning a visit to Tallinn, her gallery was a must visit. The gallery provides local and international professional representation for established and emerging artists from the region including Estonia, Latvia and Finland. Gallery program core is around conceptual contemporary art with a strong social message.

Lore Bistroo

Сharacterful modern bistro which sits in a cavernous warehouse overlooking the harbor at Port Noblessner. Open kitchen adds to the buzz of the overall feel of the restaurant. We went for “Lore Experience”: dishes served “family-style”. Eclectic menu consisting of good old-fashioned classics with a nice modern vibe.

Kumu

The Kumu Art Museum is an art museum in Tallinn, Estonia. It is one of the largest museums in Estonia and one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe. KUMU has both permanent and temporary exhibitions; the former displays Estonian art from the end of the 18th century, and the latter—international and Estonian contemporary art. Take a valuable tour of Estonian art history in this glorious modern palace. The art will delight and inform you the building itself will wow you—beautiful & practical design.

Hall Tallinn

Not an actual place or space—but worthy to mention in context of the nightlife of Tallinn: The one and only Tommy Cash (get lucky and catch a concert of his in his hometown).