Tallinn Coffee Shops Reviewed: for remote workers and digital nomads

Reviews of various coffee shops around Tallinn, with no particular selection criteria apart from proximity to wherever I’m going on a given day. No affiliations or paid promotions here, although Dan paid for a few coffees in exchange for the guest blogging. This post is cross-posted on Dan Round the World.

Kohvik Lummus, a tasteful and cozy hidden gem in Old Town

Kohvik Lummus

Müürivahe 20, Old Town neighborhood

Hidden off a small side street in the Old Town, this coffee shop is owned by a Tallinn artist and fashion designer, whose art and design studio is adjacent to the shop. The brick wall behind the coffee bar isn’t just stylish; it’s also one of the original Medieval town walls.

Good taste is abundant, with chairs and tables are just the right height for working on a laptop. The back room, with ample seating, is dimly lit – prized by those whose work demands clear screen visibility. I’ve worked here multiple times, for several hour stints, without disruption. I can also envision a casual coffee or wine meetup here, with a date or small group. Small selection of pastries; limited wine and drinks menu; espresso €2.5, latte €4.2. Wifi: Download 148Mbps; Upload 12.9Mbps

Rahva Raamat Vanalinna (book store)

Pärnu mnt. 10, Vanalinn (Old Town) neighborhood

For those who love working in book stores, this is your spot. There are normally plenty of other solo folks here – working, perusing books or scrolling – and despite the small space and close-together tables, it somehow “works” as a work spot for an hour or two, if you don’t mind feeling a little crowded at times when it gets busy. Large windows (not shown in photo) provide people-watching opportunities. Note that the customer noises and milk frother behind the counter aren’t really escapable here, but it’s part of the ambiance.

Gustav Café – Solaris keskus

Basement level, Solaris shopping center, Estonia pst 9, Südalinn neighborhood

Note: searching “Gustav Café” in Google maps takes you to the Viru location; this review is for the Solaris shopping centre location.

In the basement of the Solaris shopping centre just across from Old Town, Gustav Café is a bit of a hidden gem for solo workers looking for someplace cozy and intimate. There are always at least a couple of people with laptops, yet the comfy seating area is never overcrowded, and the small round tables are just the right size for one person with a laptop and coffee. When I’ve visited, the café has been slow-to-medium-busy, with a nice coffee shop hum that isn’t overly distracting. A variety of cakes, quiches and other highly-rated sweet and savory treats are available. NB! I didn’t try the breakfast/lunch menu, which gets mixed reviews on Google. Other possible cons: unreliable/slow shopping centre wifi (mobile data works great, so I tethered); no outside windows, but comfy seats to sit and watch the shopping mall world go by instead. Coffee €3-6, Cakes €2.5-5.

Lido, Solaris keskus

Upper level, Solaris shopping center, Estonia pst 9, Südalinn neighborhood

Lido is a chain of cafeterias serving hit-and-miss food and machine coffee, but this Lido location deserves a mention for anyone loving all the natural light. Unfortunately this photo was taken at dusk, but it’s still a vibe. Daytime overlooks the picturesque, historical Estonia concert hall building, across a busy boulevard proximate to Old Town. I absolutely love working here and grabbing a snack along with my machine coffee; while the food is a bit unpredictable, you can’t really go wrong with dumplings or a sweet pancake. Poor mall WiFi makes tethering useful here – or, use Lido Solaris as a space to (gasp) hand write your thoughts, as you gaze out the windows and feel very much in Tallinn with its juxtaposition of old and modern.

Gallery Café Rotermanni

Rotermanni 6, Rotermanni neighborhood

Situated in Tallinn’s trendy and upscale Rotermann Quarter, the trendy and upscale Gallery Café features abundant trendy seating and massive trendy tables, with laptops welcome and a chillhop soundtrack that lets you skip the earbuds and Spotify. True to its name, the Gallery Café also features local art and photography for sale on the walls, along with a mix of Estonian and English books that would make for quirky bookshelf or coffee table additions. There isn’t technically a dress code, but your best hipster-corporate-casual wear will fit right in. Gallery Café’s extensive menu spans breakfast to lunch and coffee to cocktails, all on the pricier side for a café (mains €9-18, latte €4.5, wine €8+, cocktails €10+). Note that weekend brunch may not be a great time to work here, but weekday afternoons are perfect. Download 65.5 Mbps; upload 13.3 Mbps.

Reval Cafe – Postimaja shopping centre

Narva mnt 1, Postimaja shopping centre next to H&M, Rotermann Quarter neighborhood

Probably the best Reval Cafe I’ve found for working. Featuring a long row of tables for one, with comfy bench seating and tables at a good laptop height, with enough distance between them not to feel claustrophobic. I went at 12:30pm on a Wednesday and it was about half full, so I felt as though I’d found a hidden gem during peak lunch hour. There’s plenty of natural light thanks to enormous windows, and fun overhead bauble lights for when it gets dark. People look as though they’re here to either work, grab a coffee or snack, or meet with a friend in a convenient location; there’s no one standout feature to this place, it’s just a standard coffee shop that does everything well. A negative is the fact that it overlooks the massive Rotermann construction project (as of April 2024) but in this area, that’s hard to escape. Sandwiches, pastries and decent coffee; Reval Cafe is a chain comparable to Starbucks. Download 17.09 Mbps; upload 13.68 Mbps at a not-very-busy time.

Kohvipaus (Hobujaama shopping centre location)

Narva mnt 7, Rotermann Quarter neighborhood

Open 7am-6pm weekdays only.

Located between busy shopping centers and corporate buildings, this place offers a surprisingly cozy atmosphere, with lots of comfy seating and table space – good for working or reading in the afternoons (just avoid the lunch rush period). Much pleasanter than expected; I originally came in for a coffee to go, and ended up returning several times since to linger.

Dot Café

Pärnu mnt. 29-2, Tõnismägi neighborhood

A great place to Instagram your work session. Dot Café has a friendly Nordic vibe with lots of white, pine wood, plants and counter space or small tables for solo laptop workers. They also feature a breakfast and brunch menu, along with a small beer and wine selection to complement your 4pm Friday work session. Bonus for Americans: high quality filter coffee available for €2.90.

I struggled to capture Dot Café’s vibe on camera, so photo credit goes to Margarita T. on Google Reviews… fingers crossed she’s cool with it.

Ragu Café

Liivalaia 27, Sibulaküla neighborhood

A neighborhood café on the south side of Tallinn that was completely empty when I visited on a weekday mid-afternoon. Nicely decorated, big windows, well spaced-out seating. In a quiet corner, I was able to work for several hours without disturbance apart from the occasional delivery pick-up (there is background music as well, so it’s not quite a graveyard, but close. Good Wi-Fi, a basic coffee and drinks menu (with high-quality Italian coffee, of course), and an extensive menu of well-reviewed Italian food at midrange prices. If you’re looking for more ambient coffee shop noise, clearly this isn’t your place; if you’re looking to escape noisy travel companions, roommates etc. but don’t want a library, Ragu Cafe should do the trick.