Wine & Dine Guide

Controvento, Tallinn

Controvento, or against the wind, is surely Tallinn’s most prominent Italian restaurant. Tucked away in the charming Katariina passage in the Old Town, it has been delighting locals, expats and tourists for years with its traditional Mediterranean cuisine, done as only the Italians know how. The place seems to blend seamlessly into the Old Town of Tallinn, and is truly Italian-like in its simplicity. Again, one cannot but take a deep bow for the restaurant that has been a haven of joy for Estonian lovers of Italian food.

While usually one is ready to go out of one’s way to appeal to the clients, Controvento goes the opposite way. There is only one way for Controvento, and the attitude is as simple as it gets. It is all about preparing Italian food that is downright divine.

Your favorite pizza and pasta dishes go down like a treat with a bottle from the restaurant’s extensive wine list, and the setting – wooden ceilings and floors, in a medieval house adorned with stained glass windows – is hard to beat. Make sure you reserve ahead then, if you fancy a taste of the Dolce Vita!

Reservations for current day and from Saturday afternoon until Sunday should be made by phone: (+372) 644 0470. The restaurant’s address is 12 Vene, Tallinn, web: www.controvento.ee