Tallinn is famous for its incredible culinary scene, mixing traditional Baltic flavors with modern European dining.

Knowing a few basic Estonian words will make your dining experience much more enjoyable.

Locals always appreciate it when visitors make an effort to speak their language.

This guide covers the most important vocabulary and phrases you need to order food in an Estonian restaurant.

Greetings and getting a table

When you walk into a restaurant in Tallinn, you’ll usually be greeted by a host.

A simple polite greeting goes a long way.

You can use the universal greeting tere (hello).

If you need a table for two, you can say laud kahele, palun.

Palun means “please” and is a word you’ll use constantly.

Here’s a typical interaction at the restaurant entrance.

Essential Estonian food and drink vocabulary

Menus in central Tallinn almost always have English translations available.

However, knowing the basic Estonian food terms helps you identify local specialties.

You’ll easily spot words for meat, fish, and popular drinks.

Here’s a helpful list of the most common food and drink vocabulary.

Ordering your meal

The easiest way to order something in Estonian is to use the phrase ma soovin (I wish/I’d like).

You can also use the phrase ma võtaksin (I’d take).

Just point to the menu item or say the name of the food after these phrases.

Don’t forget to add palun at the end of your request.

The waiter will usually ask if you’re ready to order.

Notice that words sometimes change their endings in Estonian depending on how they’re used.

In the beer example, õlu becomes õlle because of Estonian grammar rules.

As a beginner, you don’t need to worry about perfectly conjugating every single noun.

Estonian waitstaff will completely understand you even if you use the base dictionary form of the word.

Asking for the bill

Tipping isn’t strictly mandatory in Estonia, but leaving 10% for good service is customary.

When you’re ready to leave, you need to catch the waiter’s attention.

The word for “bill” or “check” is arve.

To ask for the check, you simply say arve, palun.

If you want to pay by card, you can easily specify that to the server.

In Estonia, card payments are accepted absolutely everywhere.

Even small food stalls at the Tallinn Christmas Market will gladly take your card.

You can use these exact phrases anywhere in the country to order a meal.