Spending Time in Tartu: Tähe Piljardiklubi

Tähe is located on the third floor of "Kesklinna Keskus" -centre. Tähe is a Pool hall that offers also other games such as fussball, air hockey and other small games. The focus is on pool and it is relatively cheap to play. This is the ultimate man cave. 

The stair case leading to the bar is repulsive and smells of urine. It looks very dangerous and is not a place you would hang out otherwise. The interior is nice enough, it is not trying to be anything else than a pool bar. 

The stair case in all its horror

The drinks are very cheap and you can order small snacks. The house shot is called "Scratch" , it costs one euro and it was surprisingly good. If you want to play pool and drink beer this is the place to go to, otherwise stay away. 

More About the Establishment at:

http://www.tartupiljard.ee

The Official Bokkila Score:

Spending Time in Tartu: Shooters

Shooters is a relatively small club in the heart of Tartu, along the idyllic Vallikraav street. The demographic is young and mostly local. The menu has an extensive selection of shots and Shooters is mainly knows for these shots that you buy in sets of five. The Happy hour starts at 9 p.m. lasting three hours. It starts with an offer of 2 beers or ciders for the price of one, the second hour offers ten shots for the price of five and the third hour you can spend drinking two cocktails for the price of one. As a specialty Shooters has giant mojito jars, which are perfect for sharing.  

The music is variable and depends on the night. The house DJ plays whatever he wants, he definitely does not want to hear your requests. He likes to play the newest hits, but he also likes to play random songs and he has a fixation with the song "Eye of the Tiger", which he will play several times whenever he is released upon the poor dancers.  All and all a nice place to start the night and have a quick dance before "Eye of the Tiger" starts playing and you know it is time to move on.

More About the Establishment at:

Shooters on Facebook

The Official Bokkila Score:

Jibba Jabba: ABC Party - Anything But Clothes Party

In February 2016, Bokkila got invited to an ABC-party. ABC stands for "anything but clothes", and the main idea is that you show up wearing something creative. Here are some examples of what Creative can produce. 

Bokkila designed two outfits for the party that would make even Lady Gaga jealous: 

The Nightmare of the Librarian

1. Acquire books. The funkier the better.

2. Staple and glue books together.

3. Sacrifice two pairs of old stockings for the costume. One pair is tied around your waist and the other around your upper body.

4. Hang the chains of books on the stockings, aim for a twisted hula skirt.

5. Party!

6. Add tape as the evening progresses, because this dress is not going to keep its form for the entire night.

Books. 

More books

A Bonanza of Stuffed Animals

1. Acquire a shitload of small stuffed animals.

2. Glue everything together with a hot glue gun.

3. TADAH!

Accessories: Barbie head earrings, finger puppet ring, stuffed animal boots and a manta ray hat.

Aquire boots, glue stuffed animals on boots, tadah!

Eating in Tartu: Lokaal Pirogov

First Impressions

Lokaal Pirogov is mainly a bar, but during the week they offer daily soups during lunchtime. The bar is located along the main pedestrian street "Rüütli", where most of the bars in Tartu are located. As a bar, this is a good place to hang out with friends and have a beer or two. The speciality of this bar are small intimate booths covered with mirrors, which are suitable for two to three people. The atmosphere is young and hip and a lot of foreign students spend their time here. There is a fussball table in the back, where you can find the locals having their tournaments. The beer is cheap, and often they have good offers on drinks. During the daytime, Pirogov is more like a cafeteria. It's the perfect place to go have a warm soup during a cold day and watch the people walk pass on Rüütli. 

The Food

There are five different daily soups on the menu, which are the same every week. The soup portion sizes are big and they cost 3 euros. In addition to the soups, there is usually some cake and different snacks on offer as well. The prices are low, and it is possible to offer a combo meal for less than 5 euros, which consists of the daily soup, cake and a cup of coffee. 

Bokkila ordered:

Goulash soup - This is a spicy and tasty soup with a lot of meat. They have really thought about how to make a hearty dish. Usually lunch soups are lean and thin on meat, but this soup is the opposite with proper beef (No pork!) and lots of different veggies, not just potatoes and meat. 5/5

Eggplant cream with grilled bread - The cream is plentiful and delicious with a lot of garlic. A good side dish with a beer or for just a small bite. 5/5

Brita Cake - The cake seems home made. It was not as fluffy and fresh as one would expect of a brita cake, but an okay cake. 2.5/5

More About the Establishment at:

Lokaal Pirogov on Facebook

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Genialistide Klubi

First Impressions

This is a piece of Berlin in Tartu, the ultimate undergroundish club/bar/restaurant/venue. Like its cousins in Berlin, this establishment emits Bohemian vibes. Genialistide Klubi is located in an old house and the interior is rough, but in a cozy way. The furniture is variable with different pieces that seem to be collected from various flea markets. There are a lot of small details, which makes you feel like you are in your eccentric grandma's cottage, there is even a fireplace during the winters. The atmosphere is genuine, it is not forced on the visitor, it just is. The staff is friendly and welcoming, adding a lot to the atmosphere. 

This is a multi-facaded venue, which during the weekends provides events such as concerts, stand-up and parties. This is the only bar in Tartu at the moment to offer monthly gay friendly parties. The downstairs serves as a bar and during the day as an eatery.

The Food

The food reflects the Bohemian hipstery vibe of the place. There are only vegetarian options on offer and the menu is quite innovative with surprising combinations of ingredients. The prices are cheap, varying from 2 euro soups to 5 euro main courses. The menu consists of salads, pastas, wraps and desserts. 

Bokkila ordered:

Spinach Pasta with Coconut Milk - This is a surprising yet delicious combination that works perfectly. The taste of coconut comes nicely through, but is not overwhelming. The portion size is adequate. 5/5

Vegan Pancakes - You get four medium-sized pancakes with what would seem home made jam. You can taste that the pancakes are made without products of animal origin, but as far as vegan goes, they are pretty tasty. 3/5

Wostok Plum and Cardamom Lemonade - This German Lemonade label is all about bringing together delicious flavors for the customers taste buds. This soda was pleasantly sweet and fruity. A very nice combination. 

More About the Establishment at:

 http://www.genklubi.ee/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Jibba Jabba: Space Party

A party was hosted for all the creatures of the Universe to celebrate a crater on Mars being named after Bokkila. Time and space was bended so that the party could be hosted in a flat in Tartu. The Universe works in mysterious ways. 

A bunch of exoplanets were transported to the flat and a couple of Space Invaders crashed the party.

The lamps were transformed by silhouettes of E.T. riding a bike and cowboys from Aliens vs. Cowboys. Even Aliens and Predators made a truce for the evening.

The party space was transformed into an alien-friendly environment with gadgets reminding them of home, such as the mystery drink disposer and the sub zero container of liquids.

The guests were offered treats from various worlds. 

Guests came from every part of the universe, actually the Universe Herself attended the party. Her dress was made of antimatter and stars, while the planets rotated around her giving her the perfect accessories.  

Although Barbarella has a very busy schedule, she managed to squeeze in a bit of party time. 

After spending some time in the psychiatric ward for trying to kill his crew, HAL 9000 was released. He seemed very relaxed and ready for new adventures.

Jibba Jabba: Jello Shots

Wondering how to make jello shots? Well wonder NO more! 
Here is an easy recipe:

1. 1/2 the liquid in boiling water
2. 1/2 the liquid in Vodka
3. Mix boiling water with jello powder
4. Mix the above with Vodka
5. Put in shot glasses
6. Refrigerate
7. Get drunk

An extra tip for you drunkards:

How to make Rum and Coke the funky way

1. Buy Coca-Cola gummy candy

2. Mix with Rum

3. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours, until Rum is absorbed by candy

3. Get drunk

Rum and Coke

Jibba Jabba: Halloween with Creepy Clowns

This time the city of Tartu is terrorized by evil twin clowns. How will the citizens survive this massacre? 

Scared yet??

How about now????

Jibba Jabba: Halloween with King Kong and Godzilla

Godzilla and King Kong destroying the city of Tartu! 

Godzilla vs. King Kong. Who is the master of them all?

Godzilla firing blue laser beam. King Kong and the lovely Ann.

Jibba Jabba: A Crater on Mars

Great news! There is now a crater on Mars named after Hada Bokkila!

Spending Time in Tartu: Comedy Estonia

Comedy Estonia is a group of people introducing stand up comedy to the Estonian culture. They have events every month, mainly in Tartu and Tallinn, but also other Estonian villages. 

The shows in Tartu take place at restaurant Vilde and they have been very popular, so if you want a good seat, remember to come early. The show has Estonian and foreign stand up comedians with the usual group of Louis Zezeran, Sander Õigus and Stewart Johnson and imported comedians from various countries. Part of the show is usually in Estonian, but most of it is in English. 

The show is always lively and the comedians are well picked, but one of the best parts of the show is the Estonians' reactions to the comedians and the comedians' reactions to the Estonian silent stares and the "I dare you to make me laugh"-attitude. This is very entertaining from Bokkila's perspective. It is hilarious, when the comedian tries to establish a connection with the Estonian audience, when most of the time the response to any questions asked is an awkward silence. The Estonians add to the show a charm of their own. Definitely a must go, if you are in Tartu. 

The show on the 3rd of February 2016. From left to right: Nigel Williams, Louis Zezeran, Sander Õigus and Joe Eagan.

More About the Events at:

http://www.comedyestonia.com/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Cafe Shakespeare

First Impressions

This restaurant is situated in the same building as the city theatre, and is usually packed with theatre goers a.k.a. old Estonian people. The decor is old fashioned and theaterisque with the red curtains, chandeliers and dim lighting. The walls are decorated with what would seem to be theatre props. 

The Food

The menu is all over the place with Estonia-inspired dishes containing lots of potatoes, fish and heavy meats, but also random rabbit with polenta. Nothing is especially delicious, everything is quite bland. 

Bokkila ordered:

Grilled Meat for Four - Apparently, boiled potatoes are meat, because half of the dish consisted of them and besides, they were slimy and tasteless. There wasn't enough meat and it was mediocre at best. The "salad" that accompanied the dish was a code word for cabbage. The sauces were random, one was creamy and the other one was sweet and sour with a surprise stack of dill. Bokkila would never order this dish again. 1/5

Chocolate Fondue for Four - The chocolate in the fondue is smooth and quite dark. It is accompanied with an assortment of fruit, ladyfinger biscuits and marshmallows. A nice dessert to share. 4/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://www.shakespeare.ee/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Cafe Truffe

First Impressions

This establishment resides in the town square and is one of the local favourites. The interior is neutrally modern and is more like a lounge than a proper restaurant. The staff is always friendly, cheery and makes you feel welcome. During the summer months the restaurant has a terrace with an excellent location in the heart of the city centre. 

The Food

The menu is upscale and is updated according to the season. The prices are higher than average, but are explained by the centre location and the high quality of the ingredients. There is a wide selection of drinks with pitcher options for tequila sunrise and strawberry margaritas, which are perfect to share on warm summer evening.

Bokkila ordered:

Maitsev Tartu Menu - Every spring in Tartu, a number of restaurants take part in the "Tasty Tartu" -month. Every restaurant designs a menu of a starter, main course and a dessert. The menu of Truffe had a starter of salted trout with dill mayo on a bread, a main dish of lamb with mushroom cream and garlic potatoes and a dessert of chocolate mousse with buckthorn sorbet. 

The starter - The trout was delicious, and all the ingredients complimented each other resulting in a harmonious combination. 5/5

The main course - This was a confusing dish. The colour of the mushroom cream was suspicious and the layout of it on the plate was really off putting. Moreover, the potatoes were cold. On the other hand, the lamb was very well cooked and the taste of the mushroom cream was good. All in all, the dish was very difficult to eat, since the layout was so unpleasant. 2/5

The dessert - The chocolate mousse was thick and the fresh tasting buckthorn sorbet went well together with it. In contrast to the previous dish, the layout was beatiful. 3/5

Creamy Veil Pasta with Mushrooms - The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was creamy and rich with flavour. The veil was tender and the mushrooms were fresh. One of the best pasta dishes in Tartu. 5/5

Chocolate Cheese Marble Cake - The best cake in Tartu, and probably the world. Words cannot do this cake justice. A gateway to heaven. The only downside is that the price is 6 euros for a piece of cake, which is outrageous. No restaurant in Tartu has such high prices for desserts. 5/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://www.truffe.ee/

The Official Bokkila Score: