Fotografiska Restaurant

The arrival of the Fotografiska centre for photography at Tallinn took the city’s photography culture to a whole new level. And the Fotografiska restaurant introduces brand new perspectives into Estonia’s food culture. Before the Fotografiska, reducing waste and sustainability were mere matters of lip service. The Fotografiska is a game-changer. This level of re-use, from interior design to the plating, is unprecedented in the country. The sourdough bread served in lieu of traditional Estonian black bread is served on “plates” of old repurposed bread factory utensils. The cabbage spread (grilled and blended smooth with soy mayonnaise) replacing butter is ladled into convex wine bottle bottoms. The dishes are mainly vegetarian and often make use of the vegetable parts more commonly composted. Visitors with carnivore tendencies are welcome to add the meat or fish option of the day to each dish as a side. Any unusable leftovers are composted in a mechanic composter. The drink selection is governed by a desire to mix interesting drinks and to complement them with big producers’ rarer drinks and outstanding offerings by smaller makers. Such as the Jean Francoise Merieau 2005 sparkling Jean Boa, or Duncan Savage’s South African Follow the Line. Everybody wants to get on the picture at the Fotografiska. Walk-in dinners are mission impossible. And the service cannot always keep up with the guests’ many requests at the pace expected of them.