Eating in Tartu: Tervisekohvik

First Impressions

The name of this restaurant is Estonian for "health cafeteria", and the place aims to offer healthier options to customers. The interior is quite bohemian and the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. The furniture is aged and the china is collected from different sets. 

The restaurant attracts customers from all age groups: there are families with small children, old ladies with small hats and everything in between. There is even a play area for children. The opening hours are 10-17 during the weekdays and 11-16 on Saturdays. On Sundays the place is closed. 

The Food

During 11.30-14.30 there is a lunch buffet, which varies every day. It costs 4.90 euros and usually consists of soups, salads and warm dishes. There is also an ala carte menu and a smoothie menu. Every dish on the menu has the amount of calories and macronutrients listed.

Bokkila ordered:

The Lunch Buffet - The bread is included in the lunch and it is fresh and offered with dill flavoured butter. The zucchini soup was hearty. The veil meat balls were home made and had a pinch of garlic. There were several salads, such as the Mexican chicken salad that nothing to do with Mexico, a beetroot and apple salad and an avocado salad. The salads were boring, just ingredients put together with mayo. 3/5

Spinach and Apple Smoothie - The consistency of this smoothie is thick and the soy milk gives the taste a nice touch. Though the combination sounds a bit weird, the smoothie is actually really delicious. 4.5/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://www.tervisekohvik.ee/eng/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Gruusia Köök

First Impressions

This restaurant is located on the second floor of an old stone building on the pedestrian street of Rüütli. The interior of the restaurant could reflect the Georgian vibe more intensely, now it feels up in the air. The Georgian influence is scattered around with bits of paintings and decorations here and there. Fortunately the background music fits the place. The waiters are extremely nice and knowledgeable. 

The Food

Everything on the menu is authentic Georgian and freshly made on the spot. The dishes are served with oven-baked warm bread. There are also Georgian wines and lemonades. The prices are average. There is a lunch offer on weekdays.

Bokkila ordered:

Georgian Veil Soup - This soup is what every soup should be like. Lots of strong flavours with fresh ingredients. The meat is tender and tasty. A perfect soup for a colder day. 5/5

Grilled Lamb Chops - The lamb was delicious and well seasoned, yet the meat was very fatty. The sauce and potatoes did not lack in flavour. All in all, a tasty and filling dish. 3.5/5

Tsakapuli - This lamb stew contained only lamb. There could have been vegetables and potatoes to make it more stew-like and it could have been served in a bowl or a pot. Now the presentation did not do justice to the dish. The lamb was appetizing, but yet again too fatty. 2.5/5

Honey Cake - A mildly sweet multilayered cake, which, like everything else in the restaurant, is also home made. The filling in between the layers moistened the batter and had a subtle taste of honey. 3/5

More About the Establishment:

Gruusia Köök on Facebook

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Pappa Pizza

First Impressions

Pappa Pizza is that typical pizza place, which serves - wait for it - PIZZA and only pizza! Lower your expectations for anything else, as it does not exist. The interior is humble, but one would not even expect more from this type of an establishment. 

The Food

The prices of the pizzas are cheap, the most expensive pizza on the menu costs 6.70 euros. All the pizzas can be ordered in two sizes, and one can choose between a regular and a pan pizza. The coffee is good and cheap, as it should be. This is one of the only places in Tartu that offers the customer "Choose your own toppings"-option. 

Bokkila ordered:

Salmon Pizza with Pineapple and Feta Cheese with Regular Crust - This pizza delivers what it promises. The proportions of toppings were in balance and there was enough of salmon. 4/5

Mexicana with Pan Crust - This pizza contains tex mex sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives, jalopeno and garlic. In terms of fillings this pizza was tasty and spicy as promised. The crust however was not as thick and fluffy as it should have been. 3/5

More About the Establishment at:

Pappa Pizza on Facebook

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Aparaat

First Impressions

This restaurant is hidden in the inner courtyard of an old factory complex. Aparaat works both as a restaurant and a bar, it is possible either to eat or just spend time and have a drink or five. As a restaurant, the food is disappointing, but as a cafe/bar this place is superb. 

The interior is renovated with respect to the history of the buildings. The rooms are spacious with high ceilings, red brick walls and metal structures. 

The atmosphere is very modern with high chairs and tables and random details around the restaurant. There is also an exhibition of old factory machinery in the back. Moreover, there is a cat in the restaurant bringing smiles to the customers. 

The place is often packed with locals, and to ensure a table one better reserve it in advance. The staff are really friendly and truly know the menu and drink lists by heart. 

The Food

Until 3 p.m. the restaurant only offers the lunch menu, which consists of either a meat or a vegetarian option for 3.5 euros. The daily soup costs 2 euros and the daily cake is 2.5 euros. From afternoon onwards it is possible to order dishes from the ala carte menu. The prices on the menu are surprisingly cheap for such a hip restaurant.

Bokkila ordered: 

Pikkpoiss/Eggplant with spaghetti - Pikkpoiss is a traditional Estonian course, which is basically a sliced meatloaf. The amount of meat in the dish was minimal and the vegetarian plate consisted of two thin slices of eggplant. The sauce was ketchup-based and the salad did not have any dressing. Both meals as a whole were totally tasteless. This dish was impossible for Bokkila to finish. 0/5

Coconut cake with lime - A simple sponge cake base, which was very moist and tasty. There was a hint of lime that smoothened the strong taste of the coconut. A very fresh cake, no trace of heaviness. 4/5

Baileys Coffee Cheese Cake - The flavour of Baileys worked well in the cake and the taste of coffee was not too overwhelming. Quite surprisinly, even though a coffee and cream liqueur cake, the dessert was quite light yet delicious. A nice surprise after the disappointing main course. 4/5

  

Chickpea Burger - This vegan meal was a deal costing only 4.5 euros. The patty was very dry and there was not enough sauce to counter the dryness and the bun just added to the Sahara effect. The bun is pre packed and does not bring anything to the dish. As a chickpea patty, Bokkila expected more spices and maybe a mediterranean taste palette. 1/5

Spicy Coconut Soup with a Choice of Chicken - This soup smelled wonderful and had a delicious taste. However, the chicken in the soup was out of place tasting like regular grill chicken accidentally dropped into a coconut soup. Despite the delicious taste, the soup lacked spiciness. 2/5

The Drinks - The drink menu was a nice surprise with a selection imported French ciders and German lemonades. The Fritz-Spritz drinks were a welcome change to the regular Coca Cola and Fanta. 5/5

Rhubarb lemonade.

Panna Cotta - The size of this dessert was a disappointment. The pudding was less than a centimetre in thickness, and was consumed in three spoonfuls. The cookie crumble went well with the pudding, but otherwise a mediocre dessert. 2/5

Ice Cold Blue Cheese Cheese Cake - This dessert is a lovely reason to visit the restaurant again. The blue cheese in a sweet cheese cake is a very fresh and tasty idea, and definitely works heavenly. This is among the best cakes in Tartu. 5/5

More About the Establishment at:

Aparaat on Facebook

The Official Bokkila Score:

As a cafe/bar:

As a Restaurant:

Eating in Tartu: Ülikooli Kohvik

First Impressions

Ülikool kohvik is located in a beautiful old stone house next to the Tartu university main building. The restaurant is very cozy with warm coloured seasoned sofas and red brick walls. The background music is usually jazz, which fits the atmosphere perfectly.

During the evenings the restaurant turns into a jazz club. Almost every night there is some kind of an event going on.

The Food

In general the menu is quite ordinary with your everyday pastas and salads. The prices are a bit above average, for example a chicken fillet is 14 euros while the pastas and salads are around 8 euros. The daily lunch offer is 4.50 euros and it is served with bread and the daily dessert. 

Bokkila ordered:

Goat cheese salad - This dish has a pleasant combination of flavours. The buckthorn jam works well with the cheese. The only downside to the dish is the small size: the salad would work well as an appetizer, but as a main dish it leaves you a bit hungry. You can hardly call the dish a salad, since there isn't much of the main ingredient. 3.5/5

The Daily Lunch - This time the daily lunch was azuu beef and a fresh salad. The dessert was a rhubarb pie. The size of the meal was adequate. The beef was tender and nicely spiced. The side "salad" was cabbage with dill and some vegetables. Not what Bokkila would call a fresh salad. The dessert pie tasted very strongly of rhubarb and it was moist, which was a delight. All in all a good lunch deal. 4/5

Chocolate Fondant - As chocolate fondants in general, also this particular fondant was a delight. The fondant was served with cherry jam, which went perfectly together with the chocolatey taste of the cake and the interior of the fondant was splendid molten chocolate lava. 4.5/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://kohvik.ut.ee/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Kungfu

First Impressions

As you enter the inner ward, you would not expect to find a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant shares the inner ward with a sports bar, which makes entering the restaurant a bit off putting. But once you enter, you will find a very colourful Chinese decorated eatery. The wooden floors and the brick walls give the place an Estonian touch. 

Despite of the Chinese ambiance, the staff is typical Estonian: not directly unpleasant, but very restricted and leave you on your own. 

The Food

The restaurant advertises itself as a 100% Chinese place. The prices are low and the restaurant is among the cheapest Asian places in Tartu. The quality of the dishes varies and the same ingredients are used repetitively.  

Bokkila ordered:

Shicuan - This dish is described as "spicy lamb with Chinese cabbage", and oh God, is there a field of cabbage hidden under the layer of lamb. The lamb was tasty but had a slimy texture and cabbage diluted the flavours. The portion was big, but the taste was boring, since the cabbage was never ending. A bit of a disppointment. 1.5/5

Fried Rice with Vegetables - As a side dish, the rice was normal, nothing special about it. There was the surprise element of egg in a vegetable dish that was not mentioned on the menu. 3/5

Toffee Bananas with Ice cream - The dish is fried bananas with ice cream. Nothing incredibly special about the dish, just good old fried bananas. 3/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://kungfu24.ee/en/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Spending Time in Tartu: Habibi

Located a bit outside of the city centre, just a ten minute walk away this small water pipe bar transports you right to the streets of Istanbul. The atmosphere is very laid back and cozy. You can just melt into the soft sofas and enjoy the aromatic smell that is all around you. 

The bar offers a wide selection of tobacco flavours that you can mix however you like. The bar also has a lot of different alcoholic beverages and a selection of teas. Some snacks are also available, but nothing Middle Eastern. There are a lot of different offers depending on the day, such as water pipe and drink discounts. With an ISIC card, all drinks are -20%. 

Unfortunately, the music does not match the general atmosphere. It is mostly MTV's latest hits, which sometimes clashes with the laid back ambiance. This is a very unique establishment is Tartu, and definitely worth the ten minute walk. 

More About the Establishment at:

http://www.habibi.ee/

The Official Bokkila Score:

Eating in Tartu: Vaga Mama

First Impressions

Vaga Mama is an Asian restaurant in the vicinity of the university library. During lunch hours the restaurant is packed with hungry university students escaping from the dreadful library cafeteria food. The interior of the restaurant is quite simplistic with a hint of Asian touch. The background music is generic Asian tunes. The waiting staff are helpful and always have a smile on their face. 

The Food

The dishes on the menu are Thai, Chinese, Nepalese and Indian. The two latter ones definitely have the most authentic flavour. The prices are higher than usual, but the quality is very good for an Asian restaurant in Estonia and the portions are big enough for two people. The daily lunch offer is cheap, but a bit of a disappointment as the quality is not as high as with the dishes on the menu. 

Bokkila ordered:

Green Thai Curry with Beef - The beef was nice and tender with lots of flavour. The dish was not traditional Thai curry, it had a Nepalese dimension to it. The portion was huge, it would definitely feed two people, especially if one orders a side rice dish. 3,5/5

Fried Egg Rice - The dish had rice and egg and it was fried, it delivers everything it promises. A good side dish. 4/5

Lam Galam - This is a Nepalese lamb-spinach dish. The Nepalese dishes in general are served on a metal  platter that has sections for every side dish, which are fresh raita, rice, cabbage salad and "naan" bread. The stew is quite mild, but it does not matter, because it is still spicy and the lamb is tender. The only negative side to the food is the naan bread that is not the fluffy, soft, tandoori oven baked naan, but two small pieces of thin flatbread. 3.5/5

Date Pancakes - The dough is very crispy and the filling has plenty of date mass in it, which really elevates the dish. You can truly taste the sweet date. A very unusual dish that is worth trying out. 4/5

Fried Bananas - This dessert that you often find on Asian menus is a classic that does not disappoint you in Vaga Mama either. How could deep fried anything with caramel sauce and ice cream ever disappoint you? The only downside is the canned cherry on top of the ice cream. And this is just nit picking. 4/5

More About the Establishment at:

http://vagamama.weebly.com/

The Official Bokkila Score: