JOYCE

Estonia’s restaurant culture is reaching impressive heights. But the top of the pyramid is often rather cramped. In spite of his youth, Joyce’s head chef, Mihkel Manglus, has become a legendary trailblazer of Tartu’s restaurant culture. First, he shocked the whole town by cooking cutting-edge food in a cocktail bar. Now, at Joyce, he surprises the guests of Tartu’s only spa with the kind of fare that spa restaurants aren’t generally known for. Restaurant culture is, however, maturing in these parts and accordingly, Mihkel’s experiments are met with ever more acclaim and comprehension. What he’s doing at Joyce is a constant source of fascination. Rather boldly, the restaurant promises Tartu’s best dining experience, a promise that no one, as of yet, has been able to prove wrong. Pretty remarkable considering Estonia’s fondness for grumbling. It’s as if the restaurant has become the megaphone that spreads the latest culinary news to Tartu’s gastronauts. Skipping Joyce means missing out on the news.