Estonia — Food and Dining
Cuisine
Estonian food can seem very fatty and starchy to some. There is a wide range of international dishes available, especially in larger towns.
National specialties:
• Sült (jellied veal).
• Täidetud vasikarind (roast stuffed shoulder of veal).
• Rosolje (vinaigrette with herring and beets).
• Braised goose stuffed with apples and plums.
• Verivorst (blood sausage).
National drinks:
• Saku beer.
• Eesti Kali (local form of kvas, a Slavic fermented drink made from bread)
• Vana Tallinn (a local liqueur that's probably best left to the locals to sip).
Legal drinking age: 18.
Tipping: 10% is standard for restaurants in larger towns, although sometimes it will be added automatically, so check your receipt before adding anything extra. In rural areas tipping will not usually be expected.
Nightlife
Tallinn is a favored city break getaway for people all over Europe, especially Finns who come for the cheap alcohol and Brits who have been coming in ever growing numbers on stag and hen nights. There is a wide range of restaurants, cafes and cosy bars, as well as livelier nightclubs that sometimes feature live bands. Socialising is at its most active Thursday-Saturday nights, between 2300-0300. For culture vultures in Tallinn, there is the Estonia National Opera, the Estonia Concert Hall (tel: (6) 147 760; www.concert.ee), the Vanemuine Theater (tel: (7) 440 100; www.vanemuine.ee), and for children, the Estonian Puppet Theater. For further details on cultural events, contact the Estonian Institute (www.culture.ee).
