Beer and wine in Tallinn - beer bars, German beer hall and Ukrainian food

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Guest writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré

Tallinn is a popular weekend destination and there is much culinary and historical to experience. The focus of this trip was to discover some unusual gems for those who just long for a nice weekend, not least with a focus on beer and wine in Tallinn.

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A weekend of beer and wine in Tallinn

The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are both close and cheap to visit. There are daily flights from Stockholm to all three countries, but there are also plenty of flights from Gothenburg.

Then of course there is also a ferry if you have a little more time and want to enjoy a trip with good food and drink. After visiting both Riga and Kaunas, it was time for Tallinn, where I arrived with just under an hour's flight from Stockholm. 

My weekend started with a quick check-in at the hotel and then I went to the Balti Jaama Turg market to check what to buy to take home. Usually the first thing I do is check out a bigger market so I know what to buy if it turns up along the way in a more fun form or at a better price.

Then it was time to visit some lovely places to relax and enjoy the holiday. You can take a taxi or public transport but it's tricky to buy tickets so I chose to walk, which is easy as you can walk through the city centre in just 15 minutes. 

Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

Address: Mr Peetri 5

For those of us who love beer, Pohjala is a well-known brewery, their beers can be found all over Europe and of course in many places in Sweden. They are known for their tasty beers that range from those hop-laden orange juice-like ipores to strong barley wines with notes of caramel and burnt sugar at 12 %.

You can walk to the brewery and it takes about 20 minutes from the city along the cosy streets with old wooden houses in different colours.

Once there, there is a substantial bar with 24 beers on tap and the prices are really good at 5-6 euros for a beer, almost half the price compared to home. Food is also available, as are guided beer tours and tastings. 

Koht Beer Bar and Öllepood Pothouse

Address: Lai 8

If you are interested in trying even more beer at a good price, there is a cosy little pub with around 800 bottled beers from all over Europe. Here you will also find Swedish beers but at a cheaper price than at home in Sweden and a lot of slightly odd nectar that can be difficult to get hold of. The small beer shop is visible from the street but the pub itself is a few metres behind it. 

Ukrainian food at Odessa restaurant

Address: Dick 30

Right next to the Swedish Embassy in Tallinn is the Odessa restaurant, where both the chefs and many of the staff are from there. The restaurant is decorated with everything from wine bottles to posters and plates from Ukraine.

The food is of course authentic and several of the flavours were completely new to me. The moulded and whipped fat with rose pepper was perhaps a little too different but definitely something to try if you are a foodie. If you are several, order different dishes to share. 

Next door is the Hell Hunt beer hall with a really good beer menu and friendly staff. 

Rustic food in German beer hall - Beer House Tallinn

Address: Darkness 5

Personally, I'm very fond of German beer halls, an interest I got from Vietnam where there were many either German or Czech beer halls. I've probably visited far more German beer halls outside of Germany than in, so it's become a thing on my travels to seek them out. Apart from Vietnam, I have visited German beer halls in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia. 

The rustic dishes are of course served by staff in German clothes and the food is hearty so don't order too much when you visit.

How about pork marinated for a day and then cooked for several hours, served with sauerkraut and a mild curry sauce. The fried pig's ears were also one of those things that was a first for me, it went well with beer but felt a little too exotic even with the lovely dipping sauce.

The beer is brewed on site and it's the usual German styles but fresh beer is always better so it was a delight to taste. Of course you can order a Maß, the large German beer glass that holds one litre. 

Even more great beer - Vaat brewery & taproom

Address: Telliskivi 60M

This is a bit like Pohjala but smaller and more central. The brewpub is close to the Balti Jaama Turg market and is more personalised than the big Pohjala or Beer house. The staff is amazing and really passionate about their beer.

You can also play chess if you really want to take your time. They have their own beer on tap and a lot of other beers in bottles and cans. The visit here should not have taken so long but it was so nice so here I was almost a whole evening. 

For wine lovers Vixen Vinotek

Address: Paagari 1

It's a short 10 minute walk and a cosy area with cobblestones and lots of old houses housing both restaurants and bars. The wine bar has several hundred wines in bottles but always a handful by the glass. A little more exclusive but perfect if you want to luxuriate a little but at a better price than at home in Sweden. 

In addition to the mentioned gems, I just enjoyed walking around the city with a little coffee here and there and the occasional sweet. I think Tallinn is a perfect city for a cosy weekend where you can choose to see a lot of places or just enjoy good food and drinks.

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Jonathan Gharbi De Maré

Jonathan runs the start-up abudhabibeer.com about beer both in the UAE with offshoots in neighbouring regions. Jonathan opened the first craft brewery in Burkina Faso and wrote the book Beer guide to Vietnam. He is a regular writer for the beer magazine Maltesen. In addition to beer, he has a keen interest in nature and more unusual travel destinations. He has written articles for a variety of newspapers and magazines.

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