Party in Tallinn by Night at These 6 Best Places

Tallinn has a lot going for it. The Estonian capital city is beautiful to look at – especially the cobbled streets and medieval buildings of the UNESCO-listed Old Town (Vanalinn). It’s eminently walkable, has a cosy atmosphere and is reasonably affordable too. A fantastic foodie scene will take you from morning until after dark, when the electric nightlife in Tallinn, Estonia, takes over.

No longer the preserve of rowdy stag weekends, it has morphed into a year-round destination; visit in snowy wintertime to warm up in cellar pubs, or come in summer to bask under the evening sun in rooftop bars and beer gardens.

Traditionally, most Tallinn partying took place in the winding lanes of the gorgeous medieval Old Town, watched over by the soaring spire of Gothic-era St Olaf’s Church (Oleviste kirik), which casts a soft glow over the rooftops after dark, and accompanied by music emanating from cellars and pubs. Recently the scene has spread from the city centre to newly trendy suburbs, so here’s how to find your tribe in Tallinn by night:

• The Old Town: The Old Town is packed with cocktail bars and pubs, some with underground cellars dating from medieval times.
• Kalamaja: One of the city’s hippest districts, with landmark wooden architecture. It’s known for its trendy bars and craft beer pubs.
• Telliskivi Creative City: A hub for jumping nightlife in Kalamaja, with numerous pubs and especially lively on weekends.
• The Rotermann Quarter: A repurposed industrial area with striking new architecture and scores of dining options.

Tallinn by night doesn’t get going until around 11pm, but you’ll find plenty of characterful drinking spots in the Old Town to get you revved up for clubbing. Here are two local favourites.

A long-standing institution in Tallinn by night, heritage-listed Valli is a remnant of the Soviet era with a minimalist interior of wood panels, mirrors and a few stools around a metal bar. Paper money from across the world hangs behind the bar, where both staff and regulars of all ages are happy to get into conversation (don’t take that for granted in Estonia). Visit for the Baltic herring open sandwiches, which make good ballast for later in the evening, and the informal singalongs to nostalgic Baltic tunes. The place is also infamous for serving a fiery Millimallikas (jellyfish) cocktail of sambuca, tequila and tabasco sauce, best avoided – or at least chased down with juice to dilute its potency – unless you’re looking for an early night!

• Müürivahe 14, Old Town, Tallinn 10146
• Open Mon–Thur noon–1am, Fri–Sat noon–2am, Sun noon–midnight

Tucked behind a pastel-yellow façade, this popular Old Town spot has an industrial-chic décor of bare bricks and steel piping. Laying claim to be the first pub in Estonia post-communism – it opened in 1993 – Hell Hunt (which sweetly translates as “Gentle Wolf”) is a handy place at which to kickstart your evening, both for its laidback, affable ambience and its generous menu of Baltic specialties such as borscht soup and fried pork dumplings with sour cream. The main pull is the artisan beer; 10 brews are always available on draught. Try the Maja Hele light and Tume dark beers, or choose from scores of bottled craft ales.

• Pikk 39, Old Town, Tallinn 10133
• Open Mon–Wed, Sun noon–midnight, Thur noon–1:30am, Fri–Sat noon–2am

Tallinn’s highest nightlife icon sits atop the refined Swissôtel Tallinn, with 360-degree panoramas taking in the cruise harbour, Baltic Sea and medieval Old Town. With a sleek 50s-influenced design, Horisont Bar exudes glamour and sophistication, making it a much-loved lounge for celebrating special occasions before moving on to the clubs. Award-winning head barman Martin Jaska whisks up his specialty Smoked Banana Sazerac (Banane du Brasil liqueur, cognac and a squeeze of lemon), and there’s a tempting menu of tapas-style sharing plates, arancini and gyozas.

• Tornimae Street 3, Tallinn 10145
• Open Mon, Sun noon–midnight, Tue–Sat noon–1am

Perched on the sixth floor of Tallinn’s photography museum in funky Telliskivi, this rooftop bar has a garden terrace with views over stylish Kalamaja to the castle, cathedral and churches in the Old Town. Get there late afternoon to catch the temporary exhibitions, then grab a seat outside to watch the sun set with a seasonally inspired Star Dust cocktail (local vodka, sliced peppers and cumin) in hand, while listening to mellow acoustic music. Stay to dine in the über-cool restaurant, where seasonal vegetarian dishes are an art form and fish freshly pulled from the Baltic is served with nettle sauce.

• Telliskivi 60a-8, Tallinn 10412
• Open Tue–Fri 6pm–11pm, Sat noon–11pm

If you started your adventure in Tallinn by night at the Valli Bar, this icon on the city’s after-dark scene is a few minutes’ walk away in the Old Town. Club Hollywood is one of the oldest nightclubs in Estonia. You’ll have to negotiate the waiting crowds and security on the colonnaded entrance, but once inside it’s a razzle-dazzle of light shows and impressive sound systems with crowds dancing to a mixed bag of music – there are often live concerts too. The mixologists win awards for inventive cocktails based on Vana Tallinn (a rum-based liqueur) and served in test tubes, and the club attracts in the hippest of Estonian and international DJs. If you’re celebrating, book a table in the smart VIP area.

• Vana-Posti 8, Old Town, Tallinn 10146
• Open Fri–Sat 11pm–4am

Housed in a building with a fascinating past – constructed in 1873 as a fire station, transformed into a Soviet-era dance hall in the 1950s and reopened in its present incarnation in 2006 – Venus competes with Hollywood for the title of “Tallinn’s best-loved nightclub”. Today it has an Art Deco elegance, with banquette seating overlooking the dance floor; the bar is always rammed with punters throwing back fruity cocktails and local beers. There are podium dancers on weekend nights, and plenty of retro tunes to dance to on Throwback Thursday, mixed in with the hip-hop and R&B nights. Sets by Estonian DJs and celebs like singer-TV presenter Karl-Erik Taukar complete the roster of live events.

• Vana-Viru 14, Tallinn 10148
• Open Thur 11pm–4am, Fri–Sat 11pm–5am

1. If you’re unsure where to start exploring Tallinn by night, take a guided bar crawl through the Old Town, which will also net you free entry to selected clubs.
2. Tallinn nightlife kicks off quite late – bars may be full by 8pm, but clubs don’t get going until around 11pm at the weekend.
3. Although the Old Town is traffic free, it can be tricky to negotiate the cobbled streets and winding alleys. Stick to well-lit areas.
4. Tallinn by night is generally safe, but don't leave your drink unattended as incidents of spiking have been recorded.
5. Always drink responsibly; designate a driver or return to your Tallinn hotel by Bolt or public transport.
6. The city is compact; if you are staying in central hotels like ibis Styles Tallinn, you can walk back with friends.

If we’ve inspired you with our suggestions for experiencing Tallinn by night on your Estonia trip, you might like to read about late-night action in Amsterdam or Bucharest. Wherever you decide to go, everywhere fills up fast, so book your hotel room early!