Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. Mouths and stomachs all over the nation are preparing to feast on turkey and gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry jelly, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie. We will feast until we hurt. It will actually be my second painfully-delicious feast this month.
Walled medieval town of Tallinn
Old Town Tallinn
Olde Hansa
In Old Town Tallinn, we enjoyed a medieval feast in a truly medieval setting: the historic building that houses Olde Hansa.
Candlelit meals in Olde Hansa
The interior is dimly lit with candles and the heavy wooden chairs and tables took us back in time: 1475 A.D., to be exact. The house dates back to 1370 and is a UNESCO World Heritage-protected site. The servers and staff dress in period clothing authentically made by their own tailor and seamstress. They check the authenticity of patterns and fabrics right down to the curly-toed shoes that I wish I’d gotten a picture of.
The restaurant opened its doors in 1998 and has served over 6 million guests since. They burn more than 18,000 candles each year! It definitely adds to the ambiance. In fact, they restaurant hopes that the dark interior (though it’s not as dark as it would have been in the 15th century) lends itself to heightened senses of taste and smell.
Medieval ambiance at Olde Hansa
The Medieval Feast
The Master Chef has recreated over 100 medieval recipes over the years and I am here to attest — they were the most delicious foods we ate during our time in Estonia!
We each ordered the Master Cook’s Feast for 42€. As we looked at the menu, we thought we’d each mix and match so that we could try everything. No need! Ordering the Master Cook’s Feast means that they bring EVERYTHING listed, and will keep bringing more if you so desire.
The Master Cook’s Feast menu
We desired, all right. The bread was delicious. The cheese, mouthwatering. The elk was seasoned and cooked to perfection and we asked for more of that and the wild boar. I especially loved the sauerkraut. I’m not even sure why, but I asked for a second crock of that for our table, too.
Dinner was topped with a Rose Pudding. This simple dish was heavily infused with the taste of rose petals. We each enjoyed a few bites, but had filled up on the feast before that. We washed everything down with a delicious dark Honey Beer. So unique, and perfect with our meal.
Enjoying my Honey Beer
You can, of course, order lighter fare. Olde Hansa offers salads and fish and plenty of other choices. But on our last night in Tallinn, we feasted like kings! And loved every single bite.
Just for fun, I thought I’d share a peek into the restrooms, too. Another fun aspect of a wonderful evening out.
Not exactly medieval, but a nice touch
On what occasions do you eat until you hurt?
Browsing The Atlas 
Wow… this cheese dish and rose pudding medieval meal sounds divine… happy thanksgiving!!
The cheese dish was to die for. I think we asked for thirds on that dish.
I always want to try flower-flavored things, but they never quite live up to my hopes… Anyway, this seems like a really fun experience!
We were split on the rose pudding. It was nice, but a dollop was plenty for each of us. Flowery flavors can be overpowering sometimes.
That mystique would certainly encourage anyone to eat until they dropped! It would be hard to know when to quit.
It was delicious. And our last meal of the trip. We didn’t want the meal or the trip to end!
Love the photographs. You remind me that I really must put Tallinn on my wish list. Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you do!
Love the photos! You reminded me the put Tallinn back on my wish list. Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks like a very fun event. I’ve not yet been to Estonia, but it’s on my list. I have attended Medieval Fairs and have found them to be loads of fun. Thx for sharing.
I love medieval fairs, too. If you do, you’ll love Tallinn and Olde Hansa.
Wow, that was quite an authentic experience! Makes me regret that we didn’t make the connection to Talinn after St. Petersburg!
Hope you get the chance to visit Tallinn in the future!
Sounds like so much fun! I’m always a sucker for tasting menus (though this seems like much more than a “tasting” menu haha). Because like you said, then you get to try a little of everything! What a great way to experience the culture. 🙂
We loved it. It was our favorite meal during our trip.
Love this. I give regular tours at our medieval castle Mont Orgueil, including visiting the Great Hall where all the feasting would have taken place. It would be nice to have authentic feasts there, though I think logistically difficult.
That sounds like a wonderful experience, too, with or without a feast!