Karjase sai — Restaurant in Tallinn

Karjase Sai is our local place and I encourage people to visit the place at least once if visiting Tallinn. The pastries are very good and the location is in the upcoming and exciting neighbourhoods that a few years ago locals would have avoided with a passion. Sadly today we leave there with a bit of a negative vibe as the service wasn’t the usual happy and chirpy self. Upon arrival there were a few people ahead of us but didn’t take long for our turn. We ordered a selection of their pastries and coffee and a green tea. The server Taavet mentioned that there is a 10-15 minute wait for coffee & tea which was no problem at all for us. We were handed the pastries and we went outside to patiently sit and wait. After a while Taavet comes outside with the tea and almost like complains that he has to make a new coffee because we apparently didn’t pick up the coffee and tea on time. The music was blaring inside and the other music was blaring outside. The tea arrived which was literally just warm water with a barely visible tint of green and not even hot but the coffee he had to make again. Yesterday I was told to sit outside and wait for my coffee which was going to be brought to the table which seems to be the logical thing to do instead of customers having to run backwards or forwards to check if their coffee is ready and clogging up the small space in front of the counter. In a situation like this wether a misunderstanding or not should and could of been handled a lot better and since the service and hospitality is key in any successful place then this is what...

In one word: Food-gasm.

It is known that Estonia has a few good things to offer.. one of which is food. The others are fashion and design.

When I walked in (I worked there as dishwasher for a day) I thought.."what?!? 3 Euros for that miniroll which looks like a sausage? Unbelievable."

I later tried it (we were given takeaways for home)- still no idea what it was- but it had rosemary on it? And was probably a fancy sausage roll. It made my tastebuds explode.

Also excellent was an almost covered croissant with a very peculiar nut? marzipan? Filling. Fantastic.. but I couldnt define the ingredients.

Coffee was quite good but not extraordinary (I paid for this one myself), same for the hapusai which was very good, but I guess Ive had it too many times before.

In any case.. try it. If the Restaurant (which opens after 16.00 in the same place) is half as good.. we have a winner for the best restaurant list.

Shame for them they are so far off the beaten track.. oh, and nice young waiters as well.

UPDATE: We came back to have breakfast, again with coffee, an almond croissant and a cheese pastry. VERY GOOD.

(Photos by Me and...

Today my girlfriend invited me to go to this Bakery in Kopli.

We ordered this Sea Salt and Rosemary bread, Tosca and a Pastel de Nata.

The young man by the till was knowledgeable about where the Pastel de Nata was from and very confident about the quality of it, having in mind I told him I'm Portuguese, a professional Chef and I'm able to make Pastel de Nata. He said "still I'm confident".Unfortunately he wasn't interested in my opinion regarding the quality and authenticity of the pasties after I tried one, but that's another story.

Was exactly what I could expect just by looking at it. It was really below expectation. The pastrie was over cooked and the Creme Patissiere was too stiff and over done. Wasn't creamy as its supposed to be, didn't taste at all like a Pastel de Nata...a suggestion, learn first how to make proper Creme Patissiere....I wonder where they took this from, calling that a Pastel de Nata....it would be as someone asked me "where do you live?"...and I will answer...." Estonia, you know....Russia"....

I understand the culture of the place....but call it something else, not a...