Editorial
Tallinn drinks between two worlds, the candlelit medieval Old Town and the craft revival out in Telliskivi and Kalamaja. These six run from a rooftop with the city's best view to its first pub, its most awarded cocktail bar and a Pohjala-linked beer hall. We checked each against current listings and venue records in June 2026 and kept only the rooms still trading. Several names from older lists had closed or could not be verified, so we cut them.
The sixth-floor rooftop bar at Fotografiska, the photography museum in Telliskivi, pours seasonal cocktails over sweeping views from the Old Town to Kalamaja. A Bib Gourmand kitchen feeds it, and Friday nights bring DJs and late exhibitions. Order a seasonal drink at golden hour. Best on a clear summer evening before sunset. For drinkers who want Tallinn's best view with their cocktail.
Sigmund Freud Bar in the Old Town is Tallinn's most-recommended cocktail bar, a dim room themed on psychoanalysis with the doctor's silhouette on the wall. The menu runs to more than 25 signature drinks, homemade tinctures and classics, and it sits on 50 Best Discovery. Order the Zombirella, served in a green Freud-shaped mug. Best on a Friday or Saturday for the party. For drinkers who want craft cocktails with a sense of humour.
Hell Hunt near the Old Town wall bills itself as Estonia's first pub, open since 1993 and a fixture ever since. The name means gentle wolf, and the long wooden room pours its own house lagers alongside a broad Estonian beer list. Order a house Hele or Tume and a plate of elk. Best in the evening when locals and visitors mix. For drinkers who want the original Tallinn pub.
Olde Hansa near the Town Hall Square is a candlelit medieval tavern where servers in period dress pour honey beer and spiced wine. It is theatre as much as a bar, with no electric light and a kitchen of old Hanseatic recipes. Order the honey beer and a board of game. Best for the full medieval evening, not a quiet pint. For drinkers who want Tallinn's most committed historical setting.
Frank in Kalamaja is a relaxed all-day cafe and bar near Telliskivi, a bright room of brunch plates by day and cocktails and natural wine by night. The crowd is young and creative, the playlist careful. Order a natural wine or a house cocktail after dark. Best for an easy evening in the creative quarter. For drinkers who want Kalamaja's casual side rather than the Old Town.
Pudel Baar in Telliskivi is one of Tallinn's leading craft beer bars, a Pohjala-linked taproom with a long rotating tap wall and a deep fridge. The industrial room spills onto the Creative City courtyard in summer. Order a flight to range across Estonian and visiting brewers. Best on a warm evening with the doors open. For drinkers who treat beer as the main event.
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Tallinn's best drinking splits by district. The Old Town holds Sigmund Freud Bar, Hell Hunt and the medieval Olde Hansa within a short walk of each other, while the creative quarters of Telliskivi and Kalamaja keep Frank, Pudel Baar and the Fotografiska rooftop. The Old Town rooms run latest in summer when the squares fill.
For more across the region see our Northern Europe bars guide and the Copenhagen bars list.
Sofia Reeves covers bar design and the craft behind the room, from Tallinn's medieval taverns to the late bars of Europe.
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