Salt and spice and everything nice

Salt is a cosy little restaurant in Kadriorg. The place can sit up to 30 people and it's literally home away from home for both: those enjoying a quick business lunch or those sipping bubbly over oysters during dinner. The menu features classic dishes across the world, made using the freshest ingredients from the local markets and other European countries. And believe me, they take the "across the world" part very seriously here: San Francisco crab salad, bavette and cucumber noodles, marinated with soya and maple syrup, Sicilian shrimp stew, celery veloute with Vacherin cheese and salted granola, their famous grilled octopus, - these are just a few to name from their constantly changing menu. The open kitchen jazzes it up even more - everyone can see the masters @ work. The heart and soul of the fingerlicking good food habitat, the lady of the house is my former boss from ZARA, Tiina Treumann, enthusiastic and talented in many ways.

I wanted to visit Salt for a long time and Tallinn Restaurant Week came in handy. We started off with some lovely chicken liver pate with red onion jam and roasted olive bread, followed by Korean style ramen noodle soup with crispy pork belly, poached egg and kimche. Chocolate delice with salted caramel and pumpkin cream with crue de cacao and mandarin sorbet were both perfect to seal the deal. Extra points for the atmosphere and Tiina's personal and hearty service. We will definitely be coming back for that tdf octopus and those oysters.

Open from Tuesday to Friday for lunch and dinner reservations and Saturdays for dinner only.

Photos by Lauri Laan. Courtesy of Flavours of Estonia.

Food for people

What better way to start off gloomy, foggy November than go out and celebrate? Restaurant weeks were first conceived in New York but have since gone global encouraging diners to celebrate eating out as a cultural event. A decade on, restaurant weeks are now held across the globe and have become annual drawcards for locals and visitors alike. The Tallinn initiative started a little over 4 years ago and has gone viral ever since. It all started with some 2 restaurants and now there are 44 of them taking part in the act of offering dining out as a cultural experience to all foodies and foody wannabies at heart. The table is yours.

We started off Tallinn Restaurant week with a late night Monday dinner at Neh. Neh is Pädaste Manor seasonal kitchen in the city. A bistro style foodie heaven that invites to meet Estonia’s best culinary team (Chef de cuisine, a 30-year-old Danish Yves Le Lay has worked in several Michelin establishments in his home country) whose true home is at Pädaste on Muhu island. In this city sanctuary they continue to pay respect to Nordic islands’ cuisine, authenticity of produce and flavours of the season. Neh might be just a touch less (much more less) sophisticated than Alexander at Pädaste (Estonia's number one restaurant for 4 years in a row) – and the style is casual rather than fine dining – but they say that it fits the city. And you know what? It does.

We helped ourselves to a 3-course degustation menu which consisted of creamy white fish soup with sunchokes & dill oil, braised island beef cheek with parsley root, parsley purée, bacon and lingonberries and Kadri plums with milk foam, ice cream made of plum stones and sealed with fresh liquorice. Simple, laconic, yet yummy. Paired with a very descent wine package, this was truly a meal to enjoy. Extra points for the smooth, up to the notch service. Yeah for Neh.

Photos by Lauri Laan. Courtesy of Flavours of Estonia.