Estonia
Our Guide To Estonia’s Best Pubs and Bars
Estonia's history post-independence has diverged from neighbours Latvia and Lithuania, with more Scandi and Western influence, and an economy that has already caught up with the likes of the UK. Prices in the capital are virtually on par with England these days, more expensive in places, so any tales of cheap Eastern European holidays have become fast outdated.
However, culturally there are still major ties to Russia and a sizeable ethnic Russian minority. This is still reflected in the business and the cuisine. Estonia plays a sort of moderator role between Finns, Russians and Western visitors. The best bar to sample that is at Valli Baar, a Soviet-era dive that has survived almost unchanged since the late 60s. There you can meet people of all different ages and conversation with your neighbour is so natural you'll wonder why all bars aren't made like it.
Tallinn is an architectural marvel, one of the few cities in Europe that genuinely lives up to its billing. On a winter's day there are few cities on Earth that capture the atmosphere Tallinn does, in its frosty majesty. Looking across its skyline you can trace everything from the Livonian order to Russian occupation to the present, fragments of which leave an ensemble unlike anything or anywhere else.
Estonian drinking is heavily accented by strong liquor, necessary to fortify the body at times in their frigid winter climate. Get used to a drinks order including vodka alongside a beer.
The old pubs are mainly disappearing with craft brewery taprooms taking their place, but the need for cosy surroundings and candlelight has never gone away. In the capital you can find everything from the most cro-magnon rustic middle ages tavern to a bar dedicated to Depeche Mode. The offerings are diverse rather than deep, but overall easily justify a long weekend.
Outside of Tallinn, the cities of Turku to the South and Narva to the east have always played a detached role, owing to the fact Estonia has never been a consolidated kingdom, giving each a distinctively different feel even today.
However, culturally there are still major ties to Russia and a sizeable ethnic Russian minority. This is still reflected in the business and the cuisine. Estonia plays a sort of moderator role between Finns, Russians and Western visitors. The best bar to sample that is at Valli Baar, a Soviet-era dive that has survived almost unchanged since the late 60s. There you can meet people of all different ages and conversation with your neighbour is so natural you'll wonder why all bars aren't made like it.
Tallinn is an architectural marvel, one of the few cities in Europe that genuinely lives up to its billing. On a winter's day there are few cities on Earth that capture the atmosphere Tallinn does, in its frosty majesty. Looking across its skyline you can trace everything from the Livonian order to Russian occupation to the present, fragments of which leave an ensemble unlike anything or anywhere else.
Estonian drinking is heavily accented by strong liquor, necessary to fortify the body at times in their frigid winter climate. Get used to a drinks order including vodka alongside a beer.
The old pubs are mainly disappearing with craft brewery taprooms taking their place, but the need for cosy surroundings and candlelight has never gone away. In the capital you can find everything from the most cro-magnon rustic middle ages tavern to a bar dedicated to Depeche Mode. The offerings are diverse rather than deep, but overall easily justify a long weekend.
Outside of Tallinn, the cities of Turku to the South and Narva to the east have always played a detached role, owing to the fact Estonia has never been a consolidated kingdom, giving each a distinctively different feel even today.
Ratings Key:
A: Choice and/or quality of drinks
B: Style and décor
C: Atmosphere and feel
D: Amenities, Events & Community
E: Value for money
F: The Pub Going Factor
| Name | Location | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| Valli Baar | Tallinn | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8.8 |
| Koht | Tallinn | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8.6 |
| III Draakon | Tallinn | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8.5 |
| Vana Villem | Tallinn | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Pööbel | Tallinn | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7.6 |
| Hr. Mauruse | Tallinn | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7.6 |
| Sitsimäe Kelder | Tallinn | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7.5 |
Tallinn
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
pop. 445,309
Estonia's capital has emerged from Soviet occupation with a flourish. Already one of the cultural highlights of the Baltics, a surging economy in the last 30+ years turned the nation around as well as increasing the cost of living. Don't visit Tallinn expecting any sort of cheap Eastern European holiday. You'll be paying English prices, in some places more, as befits a city that very much looks to Scandinavia as a cultural reference point.
An architectural marvel with an ensemble of city walls, civic buildings and religious monuments set across a hill top and slope, covering everything from the Livonian order to the present day. The amount of attractive lookout points, parks and beautiful cobbled backstreets is diverting, immersive and richly enjoyable.
You'll find the attractions are diverse from a hollowed out submarine turned maritime museum, a VR theme park, a museum to banned books, and more traditional attractions like the guildhall justify buying the Tallinn Card providing you commit to exploring and getting your money's worth.
The bar scene is similarly diverse, if not that broad. Most tastes are covered by at least a couple of venues. Perhaps the most obvious emerging scene of late has been the craft beer taproom which is strongly represented in the repurposed hipster area of Telliskivi, Balti Jaam market and Kalamaja district. These strongly accent the overall impression of Tallinn's drinking scene. However, the highlights overall are some of its distinctive central venues with the preserved heritage venue Valli Bar, cosy beer specialists Koht and love-or-hate middle aged Inn III Draakon.
Drinks are focus on the typical macro lager, Estonian new wave independent craft beer, Vana Tallinn's liqueurs and of course, vodka, built for fortifying the body during those frigid winter month's where the mercury can drop to minus 10 Celsius and lower even during the day.
Over a long weekend you cannot fail to be satisfied at least by what Tallinn has to offer.
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
pop. 445,309
Estonia's capital has emerged from Soviet occupation with a flourish. Already one of the cultural highlights of the Baltics, a surging economy in the last 30+ years turned the nation around as well as increasing the cost of living. Don't visit Tallinn expecting any sort of cheap Eastern European holiday. You'll be paying English prices, in some places more, as befits a city that very much looks to Scandinavia as a cultural reference point.
An architectural marvel with an ensemble of city walls, civic buildings and religious monuments set across a hill top and slope, covering everything from the Livonian order to the present day. The amount of attractive lookout points, parks and beautiful cobbled backstreets is diverting, immersive and richly enjoyable.
You'll find the attractions are diverse from a hollowed out submarine turned maritime museum, a VR theme park, a museum to banned books, and more traditional attractions like the guildhall justify buying the Tallinn Card providing you commit to exploring and getting your money's worth.
The bar scene is similarly diverse, if not that broad. Most tastes are covered by at least a couple of venues. Perhaps the most obvious emerging scene of late has been the craft beer taproom which is strongly represented in the repurposed hipster area of Telliskivi, Balti Jaam market and Kalamaja district. These strongly accent the overall impression of Tallinn's drinking scene. However, the highlights overall are some of its distinctive central venues with the preserved heritage venue Valli Bar, cosy beer specialists Koht and love-or-hate middle aged Inn III Draakon.
Drinks are focus on the typical macro lager, Estonian new wave independent craft beer, Vana Tallinn's liqueurs and of course, vodka, built for fortifying the body during those frigid winter month's where the mercury can drop to minus 10 Celsius and lower even during the day.
Over a long weekend you cannot fail to be satisfied at least by what Tallinn has to offer.