Estonia: Olde Hansa Medieval Restaurant in Tallinn

Last update: 01/06/2019

Check out this super tip for a medieval restaurant in the city of Tallinn, capital of Estonia! Olde Hansa is a very traditional restaurant in the city that serves very different but tasty foods. It is worth including this gastronomic attraction in the itinerary.

THE OLDE HANSA MEDIEVAL RESTAURANT

The Medieval Olde Hansa Restaurant is more than a simple restaurant, it is a place full of history where you can taste typical medieval dishes with exotic flavors, which will make your visit to Tallinn even more interesting. It provides an authentic meal inside a true medieval city. According to the restaurant's website, it was “created to honor the Hanseatic League” (an old mercantile alliance between northern European cities) “and its ancestors”. The aim is to take customers on “a journey into Tallinn's golden age”.

Situated on Market Square in Tallinn's medieval center, Olde Hansa was built in 1517 by a wealthy merchant. His house was built in such a way as to enhance the enjoyment of the happy moments in the life of a Hanseatic merchant. Not just eating delicious food and enjoying a good drink, but also enjoying good music and the hospitality of medieval times. All dishes on the menu, including many wild game delicacies, are cooked using 15th-century recipes and methods. From Tuesday to Sunday between 6pm and 9pm, medieval musicians perform in the restaurant playing medieval songs. Don't even think about asking for a Wifi password…there was no Wifi in medieval times, right? The experience is like time travel!

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FIRST PRINTS OF OLDE HANSA

We were in Tallinn on a hot sunny day. Outside there were a few tables, but we were interested in visiting the inside to get into the medieval atmosphere of the restaurant. And it didn't take long! We were greeted by a person in traditional attire speaking in Old English “Greetings, my lord and lady! We would like to have you as our guests of honor.” By the way, all restaurant staff wear typical medieval attire and need to speak four languages fluently (English, Estonian, Finnish and Russian). They undergo rigorous training to learn medieval vocabulary and accent. Amazing, isn't it? All this to leave visitors feeling, really, in medieval times!

Even before placing our order, we were delighted by the decor of the place. By candlelight (no electricity inside), with several old paintings on the walls and very rustic dark wood furniture. The paintings on the walls that depict life in medieval times and each one has a meaning.

One of the employees handed us a beautiful menu, which looked like it had been hand-drawn and written in the olden days. The dishes are very different from what we are used to eating. One of the bases of Estonian cuisine is game meat, including bear! And, of course, we wanted to try something different and traditional from the local cuisine. There are dishes for a minimum of 2 people (huge Feasts) and individual a la carte dishes. The menu is very varied and has many options of salads, soups, and dishes with various meats.

OUR EXPERIENCE AT OLDE HANSA

To be honest, we made our orders based on what was written on the menu, more with high expectations than with certainty of what would come on the plate! Paulo ordered a local beer that came in a medieval style mug and the dish “Delicacy of Old Reval”, a dish that promised to come with game meat and sauerkraut.

I ordered the “Himalayan lamb dish with warming spices Mountain people style”, a lamb dish with peppers “mountain people style”. I had no idea what that meant (and still don't!). When the dishes arrived, a surprise: the dishes were huge, full of different side dishes. The waiter even told us everything he had, but I swear I can't remember.

There was something based on beans, a medieval stuffed bun and other very different foods, nothing that is everyday for us. The seasoning was different, but everything was quite tasty and the meat was very tender.

Finally, Paulo ordered an “Olde Hansa” coffee. I don't like coffee, but he always has a cup of coffee after lunch to wake him up and get ready to walk around the city for the rest of the day. When the waiter brought it, I could see that the coffee was also very different, huge, with cream! It was priceless to see Paulo's face when he tasted it: the coffee was very, very strong! It wasn't strong because of the amount of coffee, but strong because it contained a mixture of alcoholic beverages in large doses! It wasn't for the weak!

I believe that traveling has to include having an innovative experience that takes us out of our comfort zone and, at the same time, makes us happy. Olde Hansa perfectly fulfilled this wish, as we left satisfied with our medieval lunch.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Olde Hansa Medieval Restaurant

• Address: market square, 10146 Tallinn, Estonia
• Schedules: daily from 11 am to midnight

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