restaurant review: mekk in tallinn, estonia

Mekk.

I was very excited to check out the dining scene in Tallinn. I've heard plenty of good stuff. I heard comparisons to Scandinavian cuisine due to its proximity and history with those countries. That may be true -- I have yet to visit Scandinavia -- but I thought Estonian cuisine definitely had similarities to those of its Baltic states neighbors -- i.e., lots of rye bread and Baltic seafood.

My first taste of Estonian cuisine came in the form of the food served at Mekk, which, I was told, was short for the Estonian language equivalent of Modern Estonian Cuisine. Located in the outskirts of the old town near Freedom Square, it was easy to find and get to. Below are my thoughts.


The Scene

I walked in during lunch without a reservation. My first thought was that the place was where business folks went for a power lunch. And, I was not mistaken. Most of the diners were wearing suits, talking shop (in English) and/or wearing suits while talking shop in English. Although I walked in wearing my standard winter travel clothes (thick coat, jeans, boots and a warm shirt), I didn't feel under-dressed. I suspect that they were more than happy to welcome me because while the room had a few groups of business diners, the dining room still remained fairly empty.

Inside Mekk.

The Food

• rye bread - I heard plenty of good things about Estonian rye bread but this version was a bit too dense for me.

Rye Bread.

• fish starters - sprat parfait (which was freezer fresh and still a bit hard), cold smoked salmon (which was smoky, firm and fresh), marinated herring (which was fresh and nicely oily), and a quail egg (which was perfectly boiled).

Seafood starter.

• baked white fish filet (which was locally sourced and cooked flaky with a crisp skin) served with salmon pancakes (which was wrapped in a crepe).

White fish.

The Service

The server was nice and spoke English well. He also accommodated my request to sit by the window.

My view from my table.

The Price 

It was not a cheap lunch at €32. But, as a business lunch place, I did not expect it to be. I am still thanking my lucky stars, however, that the value of the dollar was a lot stronger than the Euro during my visit. Phew!

The Verdict

I particularly liked the quality of the ingredients served at Mekk. Although there were a few flaws with the dishes, I thought it was a great way to start my exploration of Estonian cuisine. I enjoyed my first taste of the cuisine but, of course, with hindsight, I had other restaurants I enjoyed more. Stay tuned....


Have you dined at Mekk? What did you think?