Tallinn
Tallinn's deepest whiskey lists live in rooms where the bartenders know every label. The whiskey bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Old Town, Telliskivi, Kalamaja, Kadriorg all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
OLD TOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Tallinn's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
TELLISKIVI · $$ · HIDDEN GEMS
Craft-beer pub with thirty taps including Estonian craft beers. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for regulars and anyone tired of polished rooms. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
KALAMAJA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
OLD TOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail bar inside a medieval vaulted cellar. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
TELLISKIVI · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Craft-beer-and-cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Tallinn or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten whiskey bars that any serious drinker in Tallinn would tell you to put on the list.
Tallinn's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Craft-beer pub with thirty taps including Estonian craft beers. Order: Vana Tallinn liqueur sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for regulars and anyone tired of polished rooms. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.