FRANZIA

Narva-Jõesuu’s past is fraught with contrasts, and opposites still coexist here. Franzia, named after what used to be the town’s fanciest night-spot, is located in a nondescript roadside building. There’s absolutely nothing fancy about it. Not a thing. The structure (and everything inside it) has been repurposed over and over again.

The house beer is super-charged with hops and brewed at the Käbliku craft brewery, it’s called the Absurd, because of the absurd amounts of hops used to make it. Surprisingly, it’s smooth and easy to drink, with a rich gooseberry aroma. Franzia’s food, which the establishment has been known to describe as ’brutal’, tastes of the absurd as well. Udders and penises mingle on the menu. Be that as it may, this is no offal restaurant, rather, it’s a place that enjoys straddling (and occasionally crossing) borders. In more ways than one. Estonia’s border with Russia is less than a kilometer away. People who venture here are likely to have an innate appetite for borderline experiences and adventure.