20 Best Cheap Eats in Tallinn That Locals Love
Elk soup for €5, giant pancakes for €6, and weekday lunch specials at €5.90. Here's where Tallinn eats without thinking about the bill.
Tallinn serves you twice over: once with a meal, once with the bill that lands softly in your pocket. The city runs on a lunch-special system called päevapraad—a complete meal of soup, main, and sometimes a drink for €5–8 on weekdays. But these aren't student-budget compromises. Locals eat at these spots by choice, not by necessity. This list ranks twenty places by value: places where €10 feeds you properly, where a full meal costs less than a coffee in Helsinki, and where your wallet doesn't punish you for eating three times a day. You'll find cellars that have served elk soup since 1962, market stalls that move fast because locals move through them fast, and self-service places packed at noon with people in office clothes, not backpacks. The Old Town has its traps—restaurants facing the square will hollow you out for €25. Walk two blocks in any direction and the same plate costs half. Book ahead on weekdays if you're eating at named restaurants. Skip the squares entirely and eat where Tallinn eats.
Raekoja plats 1, Town Hall cellar, Old Town · Medieval tavern; Estonian · Elk soup €4.50–5, pies €3, weekdays 10:00–23:00
stockInside the town hall cellar, III Draakon serves genuinely medieval-style simple food: elk soup (põdrasuppi), pirukad (baked pastries), quince wine. It is basic, atmospheric, and extraordinarily cheap. The elk soup with rye bread is one of the best cheap lunches in the Old Town. Elk soup in a clay bowl for €5, meat pies for €3. The catch: no utensils—you eat like a medieval peasant. Arrive before 5 p.m. on weekdays to avoid queues.
Kompressor
Rataskaevu 3, Old Town · Pancake pub; Estonian · Pancakes €5–8, daily 11:00–23:00
Kompressor is an Old Town institution that has been filling up students and backpackers for decades. It serves 29 varieties of enormous pancakes—both savory and sweet—for 5–8 euros each. One pancake equals one meal. The ham and cheese pancake is the size of your head, and the Nutella banana dessert version is a crowd favorite. You might arrive at 4:45 p.m. and wait about five minutes to get a table. After that hour, it's pretty crowded with a long line. Price of pancake is just ~7 euros, it's huge, enough for two.
Harju 1, Old Town · Modern European; international · Weekday lunch special €6–7, mains €12–20, daily 12:00–23:00
stockA Tallinn institution since 1962, Pegasus occupies a prime Old Town location and has evolved into a modern European restaurant with excellent vegan options. The real value play here is the weekday lunch special at 6–7 euros—a proper sit-down meal at a historic restaurant for the price of a fast-food combo. Dinner is pricier, but lunch is a steal. Order the roasted bell pepper soup or the two-fish soup, both exceptional at this price.
Lido at Solaris
Estonia pst 9, Solaris Center, city centre · Latvian buffet; international · Weekday lunch €5.90, daily 10:00–21:00 (Sun 11:00–20:00)
The Lido buffet-style restaurant with its novel and distinctive concept is a dining establishment that offers an unusually wide range of food and can serve up to 300 customers at a time. The cosy and spacious self-service restaurant offers approx. 200 different selections each day at very affordable prices. On weekdays, you can get an excellent lunch with 2 courses for just 5.90 €—good news for office workers in the city centre. Load your tray with roasted meats, soups, salads, and pastries; pay by the item.
Vana-Viru 4, Old Town · Russian dumplings; Eastern European · Pelmeni plates €8–12, daily 12:00–21:00
stockFor locals it is a taste of their childhood, and for visitors a chance to try something they likely haven't tasted before. There are six different flavours of dumplings on the menu at Pelmen. The first two of which (Pork and beef, and potato and onion) were the classically available options during soviet times. The remaining four (salmon and shrimp, duck and thyme, chicken and shrimp, and lamb and garlic), are what they describe as having 'the taste and soul of today'. A coffee and a cake can cost you 10 euros in Tallinn today. However, at Pelmen you can have a full meal and a drink for this.
Väike-Karja 1, Old Town · Cellar pub; Eastern European · Set lunch €3.90–6, daily 14:00–23:30
stockThis little cellar restaurant is off the main path in the Old Town. Very very reasonable prices. A meatball soup with smashed meat and french fries, with a business special, was only €3.90. This Old Town cellar bar is decorated in the traditional style that Estonians tend to love. Lots of iron and wood is used in the décor, while wagon wheel chandeliers and other rural artefacts give it a homey feel. The large variety of beer is the big hit here, but Karja Kelder is also a good spot to enjoy a reasonably-priced, hearty meal.
F-Hoone
Telliskivi 60A, Telliskivi Creative City · Modern Estonian; international · Mains €12–18, lunch €8–10, Tue–Sun 11:00–23:00
A large, informal café-restaurant in a converted factory building in the Telliskivi Creative City complex. The menu changes frequently to reflect what is available and seasonal; there is always a solid vegetarian option, usually an excellent fish dish, and a meat option that is more interesting than it sounds. The crowd is Tallinn's creative class—designers, journalists, people who work in the tech companies. F-Hoone does generous burgers and brunch from €10–12.
Baojaam
Balti Jaama Turg, Kopli 1 · Street food; Taiwanese · Bao buns €7–9, daily 10:00–19:00
Two fluffy buns cost about 8 euros, and they are stuffed with fillings like crispy chicken, braised pork belly, or tofu. The crispy chicken bao is the crowd favorite and for good reason. They have locations in both Balti Jaama Turg and the Old Town, so you are never far from a fix. Eat standing at the counter or take away to a nearby bench. Built for speed; flavour doesn't suffer.
Sõõrikukohvik
Kentmanni 21, Tatari district · Café; Estonian · Donuts €1–3, lunch €6–9, daily 7:00–20:00
Sõõrikukohvik is one of the best places for having breakfast in Tallinn. This cozy little cafe specialises in doughnuts, and it's really cheap. Unlike many other places, where pies and cakes are delivered from bakeries in advance (or even come frozen), Doughnuts café always has hot and fresh donuts on offer and pancakes made in front of you just a second ago. Price per person: €1–10. One of the best places for locals to get decent food and wonderful donuts for a very affordable price.
Balti Jaama Turg
Kopli 1, near Balti Jaam train station · Food market; multiple cuisines · Street food €5–10, daily 10:00–19:00 (Sun 17:00)
Balti Jaama Market in Tallinn is Estonia's largest market, with nearly 300 vendors offering fresh food, street food, handicrafts, antiques, and a unique shopping experience. This is a three-storey working market with around 300 traders, heavily used by local residents for weekly groceries, and the prices reflect that. The ground floor handles fresh produce, meat, dairy, and pickled everything. Upper levels mix everyday household goods, vintage clothing, antiques, and a growing section of Estonian design brands and street food vendors. Move fast, eat faster—you'll find bao, pelmeni, kebabs, and sandwiches for lunch-budget prices.
EAT
Vaike-Karja 3, Old Town · Dumplings; Eastern European · Dumplings €1.50–3, daily 11:00–20:00
Dumplings are a very popular and tasty budget food served throughout Estonia. The cheapest in Tallinn can be found at EAT (€1.50–3, Vaike-Karja tn 3, Tallinn 10140). Stand at a high counter, order your dumplings, and eat them on the spot or take away. No pretence, no sitting, just the cheapest, fastest meal in the Old Town. Try meat, potato, or cabbage—all the same price.
Vernalia Cafe
Liivalaia 4, Kesklinn · Homemade café; Estonian · Set lunch €7–9, daily 8:00–17:00
For the last 8 years, Vernalia Cafe has been feeding locals, homemade tasty food in their simple cafeteria at good prices. The vibe is warm and welcoming—think good coffee, fresh newspapers, pleasant music, and staff who actually care. The menu is simple but solid: two soups, three main courses, plus salads and desserts, all homemade and budget-friendly. Everything's available to take away if you're on the move. Arrive by 1 p.m. for full selection.
Behind Balti Jaama Turg, Kopli 1 · Café; international · Lunch €8–10, daily 10:00–20:00
stockThe restaurant has a bohemian flair, with wooden floors, old furniture and is the perfect place to drink many cups of cafe, accompanied to crepes, salads and mouthwatering desserts. Take your time whilst eating at Boheem. Brunch, lunch or a snack can turn into a lengthy affair in these welcoming surroundings. The cafés along the Telliskivi strip offer good-value set lunches (daily menu) for €8–10. It draws both tourists and locals who linger over coffee and cake for hours.
Reval Café
Multiple locations including Telliskivi · Sandwich café; international · Lunch €8–10, daily 10:00–18:00
Reval Café, which has multiple locations throughout Tallinn, including near Telliskivi. They offer a wide range of sandwiches, salads, and hot dishes that are both tasty and budget-friendly. The Reval Café chain is another good option for a quick and tasty meal under €10. You'll find the cafés all around Tallinn, both in the Old Town and in Kalamaja. They also have an excellent selection of cakes and pastries, and good quality coffee.
Caheva Pagariäri
Jaama 12, Nõmme · Bakery café; Estonian · Pastries €1.50–4, daily 7:00–19:00
A neighbourhood bakery where hot bread comes out of the oven before you arrive. Grab a sourdough roll with butter and cheese, add a pastry, and spend €4 for breakfast and half your lunch. No seating, but locals buy by the bag—you can tell they know something. Estonian dark bread is as cheap as it is good, and this is where the locals buy theirs.
Näljäne Põder
Kopli 1, near Balti Jaam · Canteen; Estonian · Lunch €7–9, daily 11:00–16:00
Näljäne Põder close to Balti Jaam market is an affordable and authentic canteen. Order at the counter, sit at shared tables, and listen to Estonian being spoken without inflection. The soup comes in a bowl the size of your head, the main course is honest meat and potatoes, and nobody's here for the view. This is where Tallinn actually eats.
Von Krahli Aed
Teatri väljak 3, off Raekoja plats · Theatre café; international · Mains €12–16, weekday lunch €9–11, Tue–Fri 12:00–23:00
An institution attached to a theatre—creative, slightly chaotic, and much better than its pub-ish appearance suggests. The menu has a genuine point of view, the beer list is one of the better ones in the city. Locals eat here by choice. The room fills at lunch; by dinner, there's a queue. Weekday set lunches are the value play.
Telemaja Canteen
Gonsiori 22, Kesklinn · Broadcasting canteen; Estonian · Set lunch €7–8, weekdays 9:00–17:00
The canteen of the Estonian Broadcasting Corporation Telemaja is a nice, affordable place to eat. It's a local secret most tourists miss because it's inside a Soviet-era building far from Old Town. Locals queue here because the food is better and cheaper than restaurant versions. Order early in the lunch window—soup and a main, bread and butter, coffee, all for under €8. Weekdays only, closes by 5 p.m.
Noblessner, Rannamäe tee 3 · Bistro; international · Fish soup €9–12, mains €12–15, daily 11:00–22:00
stockLore Bistroo for affordable fish soup with a sea view. Sit on the waterfront facing the Seaplane Harbour, order a bowl of smoked fish soup that steams in front of you, and pay €10 for a view and a meal that would cost three times as much in the Old Town. The harbour is full of locals, not tourists. You're eating where Tallinn eats.
Clayhills Gastropub
Raekoja plats area, Old Town · Gastropub; seasonal Estonian · Mains €10–14, daily 12:00–23:00
Clayhills Gastropub located in the heart of Tallinn's Old Town, is a relaxed pub serving up delicious, unpretentious, seasonal food from the organic farmers and markets. Wraps, salads, pasta and most items on the menu come in under 10 euros. It's off the main square, which means the price doesn't reflect pure location markup. Locals eat here; that's the proof.
Share this article
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation. Only registered users can comment.
No comments yet. Be the first.