Tallinn is a beer lover’s paradise. The city’s beer supply covers almost the entire world. In addition to traditional beer countries such as Belgium, the Czech Republic and Germany, you find craft beers from Denmark, Scotland, the USA and of course, Estonia. For the best gastropubs and beer pubs in Tallinn check out this updating list. Even the number one tourist trap in Tallinn, the Old Town, has some great pubs at reasonable prices as long as you know which door to go through.
Hell Hunt
Pikk 39, Tallinn, old town
Opened back in 1993, the legendary bar is said to be the first bar in Estonia. The interior design would suggest as much. Hell Hunt is divided into two quite spacious halls. There are 10 taps on the bar, four of which are dedicated to the house beers. The bottles contain Czech, English, Belgians… The microbreweries include To Öl, Mikkeller, Brewdog. Estonian beers available in a changing range. Hell Hunt’s summer terrace is great. Tables in the shade of trees between two narrow streets invite the thirsty beer lover. The food at the Hell Hunt is also very well catered for. An extensive and cheap list of pub grub. Try the pork belly or the pelmeni.
Kennedy’s Baar ja Köök
Pikk 13, Tallinn, old town
Perhaps the most horrific Corona-era restaurant victim in Tallinn. The great gastropub Clayhills is gone and replaced by Kennedy`s. The beer selection is from Saku and probably the food too. If something positive, the service might have improved a bit.
Brewery Gastropub
Pikk tn 1, old town, Tallinn
Despite its name, this bar/restaurant appears to be more of a sports pub than a gastropub. Beige leather and TV screens. It does, however, have its own beer production, which leaves a beer traveler little cold. On the food side they stretch the classics: the dish pictured was labelled as a wiener snitchel on the menu, but a breaded pork chop appeared on the table. Very good pork chop though.
White Monk Pub
Lühike jalg 9, Tallinn
Up the steps towards Toompea Hill and you are there. White Monk’s signature beers are made at the Raasiku brewery. They don’t break the bank with their flavour, but the pub’s terrace is truly unique. The shelter from the wind and the warm sun make it a great place to spend the day – even in October.
Porgu
Rüütli 4, Tallinn, old town
Porgu, or hell in Estonian. Enter through the small doorway and down the reddish and dark stairs to the basement. The atmosphere is as the name promises. The waitresses are dressed in tight and black. Ancient music blares softly from the speakers. A very well themed bar.
The beer selection is not from hell, its from heaven. In addition to Porgu’s own products, there are some very interesting names on tap, mainly from Estonian microbreweries. The first two pages of the bottle range are domestic craft beers. Belgium is well represented, including small breweries. Beers from Poland, USA, Germany… even one from Japan. Bottle prices are quite reasonable. The food side of the Porgue is praised in town and during the day you’ll mostly only see families eating out. But in the evening, no doubt, a Bacchanalian atmosphere takes place.
www.porgu.ee
Koht
Lai 8, Tallinna, old town
The shrine of beer geeks is not easy to find, but it’s well worth the effort. Enter beside the small beer store on Lai Street, through the narrow archway and into a small vaulted hall. The very knowledgeable lady has no list because selection lives all the time and averages a staggering 800 brands! In practice this tiny bar is the first place to sample all the Estonian specialities and novelties.
I asked on the way out, how can you have one of the best bars in Northern Europe and nobody knows about it? The lady said; – That’s not true. Everyone knows who needs to know. Makes sense.
www.facebook.com/tubakas
Beer House
Dunkri 5, Tallinn, old town
Smelling very touristy from the outside, the Beer House smells even more so from the inside. Some money has gone into this complex. Long massive wooden tables and benches in a huge bar hall. Waitresses in national costumes and waltzing songs over the loudspeakers. True Men’s food and one-litre Mass pints. You can’t miss it. German and Austrian Bierhauses have been the inspiration for this beer restaurant.
The Beer House doesn’t offer a wide selection, but everything is fresh beer from the copper kegs in the middle of the restaurant, which Beer House’s beer master Eve Toomela learned to make in Austria. And the beer is really good. Try the BH premium from the litre mug. It makes you feel like a king! If you can’t make up your mind from the seven beers on the list – order all of them in 0.25 litre glasses to taste first – and then decide which one to have.
www.beerhouse.ee
Olde Hansa
Vana turg 1, Tallinn, 10140
The number 1 tourist trap in Tallinn’s Old Town. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit. The experience is like stepping back into the Middle Ages. The house brew, the honey beer is dark, malty and sweet. It contains all the vitamins a growing youth needs for an active day.
The Highlander Scottish Pub
Pikk 13, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn still has authentic, shady basement bars. A small but peppery Scottish pub, but with very few Scottish beers. Estonian microbreweries, though and of course whisky. A great place with a very special atmosphere.
Drink Bar & Grill
Väike Karja 8, Tallinn, old town
The suburban-sounding name and rather unimaginative decor does not do justice to what this unique craft beer heaven has to offer with its 150-strong menu. Taps feature Paulaner and Fullers, but the bottle selection is where the bank breaks – especially when it comes to Estonian microbreweries. Pohjala, Tanker, Sori and Vorms are well represented. Beyond that, really marginal breweries; like Nöösker, Mötsalise and Öllevolur. Despite being close to the infamous Town Hall, bottle prices remain in very affordable. Special thanks for friendly and knowledgeable staff.
www.facebook.com/Drinkbaarandgrill
Valli Baar
Müürivahe Tänav 14, 10146 Tallinn
There’s still a place in the Old Town where people from Tallinn also go. The beer is Saku, but with a bit of luck you might find something else as well. But the atmosphere is authentic – like a trip back in time to Soviet era Estonia.
Karja kelder
Väike karja 1, Tallinn (vanhakaupunki)
Karja Kelder is one of those shady basement bars in Tallinn that Finnish used to talk about in coffee tables at the 90s. The basement cave, which was dilapidated in those days but has since been magnificently renovated, is full of atmosphere. It can get crowded on weekends. The two-page beer list offers a selection of assured choices from all over Germany and England. Saku and kiss on tap. Not exactly a microbrewery haven, but the low prices and legendary location justify a visit.
www.facebook.com/karjakelder
The Dubliner
Suur Karja 18, 10146 Tallinn
The Irish bar of the Vana Willem chain delivers what the name promises. The chain’s own British-style beers and, of course, Guinness. Not forgetting Germany and the Czech Republic. The pub food is authentic, delicious and affordable. Great atmosphere. Read the papers during the day, watch the game in the evening.
Kalamaja
Humalakoda Pub Restaurant Brewery
Kopli 1, Tallinn 10149 A beer bar on the roof terrace of the new and spacious Balti Jaama Turg shopping hall. Food comes from the own kitchen and drinks from the fermentation tanks visible behind the window. The beers are also very good. The pricing style of the Kalamaja region guides you to go big. For larger portions, the price per litre is significantly lower than for smaller portions.
SIP veini- ja õllepood
Telliskivi 62, Tallinn 10412 (Kalamaja)
A beer shop with a “bar” in the back room where you can sample what you’ve picked off the shelf, for a small extra charge. Estonian microbreweries, plus good samples from Germany, Belgium, the UK… An excellent and reasonably priced shop/bar. Drive a van to the courtyard and pack it up.
sip.ee
Põhjala Tap Room
Peetri 5, Tallinn 10415
The new sanctuary in Pohjala is impressive. The tap-room-restaurant-brewery complex, built at the edge of Kalamaja in an old factory building at a cost of millions of euros, smells of quality in every aspect.
The 24 beers on tap are mainly from the brewery itself, but also include Tanker and Puhaste beers. The bottle list of a few dozen beers continues the same distribution. In the open kitchen, appropriate dishes are cooked in the Texas BBQ style. The tap room also offers a view of the brewery itself.
pohjalabeer.com/taproom
St Vitus
Telliskivi 61b
A stylish and large gastropub. Just under twenty taps and a great list of bottles. A huge representation of Estonian microbreweries and big names from the Czech Republic, Germany and England. Belgians, including Beersel’s lambics. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the printed list is that not everything promised is available. The food side is in very good condition. Pricey for the Kalamaja region, but quality always costs money.
www.vitus.ee
Purtse Tap Room Telliskivi
A small bar with a selection of Purtse’s quite excellent beers. A small terrace extends the space in summer. Pricing model is the same as all the other craft bars in the area – you can get a large glass for almost the same price as a small one.
Põhja Konn
Telliskivi 58e, 10412 Tallinn, Estonia Pohjala took over the old Pudel-bar space completely, stripped the place down (including the legendary toilets) and the business continues under the name Põhja Konn. DJ nights and a great terrace on two floors. Pohjala products on tap, but also other Estonian microbreweries. Pricing ok, though very much quantity driven.
Telliskivi 60a, C1, Tallinn A unique-looking trendy bar/restaurant in the boohem of the Telliskivi factory district. Main focus on food and cocktails, but for the beer lover there are a few local options, both on tap and in bottle/cans. These, though at rather hefty prices.
Valmiermuiža Craft Beer Embassy – Shop & Bar
Telliskivi 60/2, Tallinn, Telliskivi Kvartal
If the aim was to find the most boring location in Telliskivi, Valmiermuiža did it perfectly. It’s like sitting in the back of a car dealer on the ring road. A shame because the beers from this Latvian (not exactly a small brewery) are excellent. The traditional quality. If you leave the ambience out of the equation, it’s a recommended place.
Other regions in Tallinn
Mikkeller Tallinn Viru
Viru väljak 4-6, 10111 Tallinn, Estonia
A manifestation of Danish trendsetter brewery Mikkeller in Tallinn. This concept is a perfect fit for the restaurant scene that opened in Virukeskus in the summer of 2022. Food from around the world and imaginative beers to accompany it. Prices are high for Tallinn, but nowhere near what they are in Mikkeller Helsinki.
Beer Garden
Aia 10 / Inseneri 1, Tallinn
A cross between a German beer hall and a sports pub, it’s a popular evening spot on the edge of the Old Town. Twenty brands on the list; on tap and in bottles. German-influenced selection, but not hung up on the theme. Includes British, Scottish and Belgian. Beer Garden also does its own Bavarian-style lager.
beergarden.ee
Taptap-Tallinna
Rotermanni tn 2, 10111 Tallinn
Bottle shop and bar. The full selection on the shelves is also available from the fridge. A few taps can be found at the bar table. Main focus on Estonian craft. Rarities in big bottles from Belgian lambic breweries. Great ambience in the basement of an old house. The hot dogs from the kitchen are also very good.
taptap.ee
Kochi aidad
Lootsi 10, 10151 Tallinn
Built in an old brick warehouse, the Brewery Restaurant is a unique attraction next to Terminal D. In the sumptuously high interior, copper pots, bandstands and solid wood furniture create a unique atmosphere. There are six beers of the house brand (in varying quality levels) and they can also be bought for the table in an impressive 3-litre tap jug. In addition to the house beers, the selection includes Põhjala and a varying selection of other Estonian craft brews. Reasonable prices.
www.kochiaidad.ee
Vana Villem
Tartu mnt 50, Tallinna
An iconic and absolutely stunning two-storey British-style bar-restaurant. The upstairs is unfortunately often closed. Beers from England and Germany to match the historic setting. The food follows the theme; classic pub food at great prices.
www.villemipubid.ee/vana-villem/
Ufopubi
Gonsiori 8, 10117 Tallinna
Right, now we move on to the UFO section. The small basement bar is full of atmosphere. Regulars and Finnish bar enthusiasts. On the ceiling is a rare collection of coasters. The bar’s smoking booth is an absolute joke. A few bottles are available at UFO pub – in very cheap prices. Affordability and authenticity are Ufo pub’s trump cards.
Pööbel
Toompuiestee 16
A bar-restaurant in an old wooden house. Good selection of Estonian microbreweries and bigger names from elsewhere. There is also a playroom for children. A cosy terrace complex in the backyard combines the tables of three restaurants and a café.
facebook.com/poobel.toompea
Last Updated on October 8, 2022 by Flavorado
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