The Estonian Table

For the February 2021 issue of Bell’Europa magazine, I was commissioned to write and photograph a food story about Tallinn — my current home city.

Working in a place you know intimately changes the perspective. The assignment became an opportunity to look at familiar streets and kitchens with fresh eyes, focusing on the restaurants, bakeries, cafés, bars and craft breweries that define Tallinn’s contemporary identity.

I met chefs, sommeliers, pastry chefs, brewers and entrepreneurs who are shaping a distinctly Estonian approach to food — rooted in tradition yet open to experimentation. From Nordic-inspired tasting menus to rye bread still warm from the oven, from small-batch beers to carefully curated wine lists, the city reveals a culinary scene far more dynamic than its size suggests.

Not every tasting made it into the final article — including a memorable shot of Kazakh vodka — but the story captures what makes Tallinn’s food culture personal, evolving and deeply connected to place.