22 April 2024
So far on this Nordic cycle it’s been a bit of a bust foodwise. The Helsinki stay was nice, especially with a touch of winter. However, the dinner at Natura didn’t quite hit the mark. Oh well. Now “home” to Estonia.
After an annoying boat ride (the “fast” boats now take 2 hours instead of the earlier 90 minutes…what, so people can drink more and buy more useless shit on-board?) I get into town, run out and my Bolt was waiting for me. Off to my hotel and soon off to meet a dear old friend for a night of music, food and drink, having not seen each other since my last trip in 2018.
The next morning I got up early and front-loaded my itinerary again, since now we’re hearing about an unexpectedly strong snowstorm heading into town later in the morning. So I was out of my hotel by 6am and by 11am I was exhausted, looking at the snow starting to fall. I met another dear old friend for a long lunch, but had to miss meeting another friend due to the weather and not wanting to delay his trip off to the islands. I then headed back to the hotel to get a little rest, having run on fumes since leaving Chicago a few days earlier.
I then headed out to dinner in the Old Town at a place called Rado. I’ve heard good stuff, and their daily-changing menus caught my eye. There always seems to be interesting stuff, including offal, so I was really looking forward to dinner. I need a good one, after the two failed dinners so far this trip.
I took a seat at the back of the cute restaurant space in a building I’ve walked past hundreds of times. Relaxed with a drink and looked over the chalkboard menu they brought me. Interesting stuff. I ordered and relaxed. So good to be able to do this in Estonian again… And soon it started.
Oh, this is the perfect fish fry! So delicious these smelts. Breaded and fried perfectly, these beauties were meatier than usual too. So good. A wonderful start! Is my trip turning around food-wise?
Then this nice lamb shank, the meat just about perfect. Soft but retaining wonderful texture, without it falling off the bone like some demented BBQ. And absolutely flavourful, where you can taste the lamb and not some misbred joke. So good.
What a wonderful little discovery this turned out to be! Plus the service was impeccable. I chilled and went with a dessert as this has been so darn good all night.
A nice tres leches with some rhubarb additions. The latter is in season, so I expect to see this a lot on this trip. Delicious, the tartness of the rhubarb plays so well with the sweetness of the cake. An excellent close!
I thanked my excellent server as I headed out into a nice cool evening, really having enjoyed an excellent evening here at Rado. It was such a fun night I decided to drop into one of the top cocktail bars in the city, Whisper Sister, for a nightcap. Well, that nightcap turned into 3. Then into way too many more, basically drinking the place until it closed.
I’m gonna pay for this evening, but it was absolutely fun. Finally this trip is getting good!
Rado is very much recommended if you are in Tallinn. Fabulous cooking with well-sourced ingredients, excellent service, a winning package!
Rado
Vene 7
Tallinn, Eesti