Hansa Tall & Hansa Hoov — Restaurant in Tartu linn

Visited the charming city of Tartu on August 24, 2025. The venue is advertised as a restaurant of traditional Estonian cuisine. Overall, I liked it. The place is styled like a beer garden — large indoor halls, outdoor verandas, and a stage for concerts.

On a summer Sunday evening, it was rather empty — only about a dozen guests, half of whom were expats.

Unfortunately, the menu does not clearly highlight traditional Estonian dishes, nor does it explain their background or history. The music playing inside consisted of overplayed 80s hits. Why not Estonian folk music?

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What I especially enjoyed: • The rye distillate Handsa Hõbetiigli Kangus • The rhubarb dessert Kamavahu-rabarberi maiuspala

(To understand what these were, I had to look them up myself — thanks, ChatGPT!)

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My suggestions to the owners: • Curate a playlist of pleasant Estonian folk music to enhance the atmosphere • Expand the descriptions of traditional dishes on the menu — what they are, their origin, and cultural meaning

Otherwise, we expats are left unable to fulfill our curiosity and desire for authentic local...

We would have gladly done without the experience at Hansa Tall during our visit in Tartu. For starters, we had pork tongue (mediocre) and seljanka (mediocre). For mains: Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Beetroot Salad and Fries (mediocre; Beetroot Salad very poor as not fresh). All dishes unfortunately taste not freshly prepared, flat and mediocre; more like reheated in a bad snack bar. The staff was friendly and professional. Service was good. However, it unfortunately does not make up for the food. Ambience is rather rustic touristy; almost like Disneyland. Cute. A lot of effort is put into...

I had a fabulous evening with my fiancé at this restaurant!

It was an incredible good food, in an incredible great atmosphere. And i can tell you, the service was outstanding. (a very polite gentleman served us)

Of course, it's not the cheapest restaurant in Tartu, but the price is fair and i am absolutely willing to pay for good quality and good service. And the ambience is fantastic!

(to the chef: i ate the greatest feta salat I've EVER eaten in Estonia! I'd like to take a bath in that marinade! Please don't change anything until i die 🤭)

Thank you, guys, for making our...