Eat green at Estonia's most sustainable restaurants
These restaurants have been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, Green Key, and the 360°Eat Guide for their environmentally friendly practices.
Restaurants in our little country have made great strides towards sustainability.
The MICHELIN Green Star, Green Key, and the 360°Eat Guide have recognized restaurants in Estonia committed to sustainable practices and amazing food.
Read on for where you can go to expect excellent quality and an environmentally friendly mindset. These locales feature fresh, seasonal products, strive to reduce food waste, and promote the use of renewable energy.
MICHELIN Green Star
The highest award for sustainable gastronomy
The MICHELIN Green Star label complements the traditional MICHELIN Guide rating system, highlighting restaurants that combine excellent food with responsible preparation.
The Green Star indicates that a restaurant:
- prefers local and seasonal ingredients
- works closely with small farmers and sustainable suppliers
- reduces food waste and uses resources sparingly
- promotes the use of renewable energy and environmentally friendly practices
- raises awareness of environmental issues
Estonia has three MICHELIN Green Star restaurants: Fotografiska, SOO, and Kolm Sõsarat.
Fotografiska
Even beetroot can be punk
Fotografiska's new tagline is "Let's make MICHELIN punk!" They're shaking things up with seasonal menus that feature local fish and meat but with vegetables as the true rock stars, aiming to reduce unnecessary meat and fish consumption.
Peeter Pihel, former Fotografiska executive chef, told the MICHELIN Guide, "Sustainability is the philosophy and nature of our entire operation: we aim to inspire a more conscious world. Everything from blossom to root and snout to tail is used in the kitchen or bar, and we grow herbs and keep bees in our rooftop garden. We also have our own in-house composter."
Source: Karl Markus Antson
SOO
Curiosity and respect for nature
The carefully curated menu uses the best ingredients based on the seasonality of the food – it’s a chance to taste all four seasons of Estonia. Foraging, pickling, and preserving play a big role in the foods put on the plate, which, of course, are inspired by what's available at the moment.
"Our core value is to preserve and protect the environment around us, merging nature and history. Sustainable thinking is in everything we do, whether it’s the way we build our nature villas or how we handpick ingredients through sustainable foraging, which leaves the plants unharmed and healthy," SOO's head chef, Karoliina Jaakkola, told the MICHELIN Guide.
Source: Karl Kirt, SOO
Kolm Sõsarat
Sustainability that goes back generations
A green mindset was passed down from their parents to the three sisters who own Kolm Sõsarat. Much of what is served comes from nearby or is what they have grown or raised themselves, like the Kihnu sheep, a local, hardy breed one of the sisters keeps.
The hundred-year-old wooden house where the restaurant operates was renovated using traditional techniques and natural building materials.
"We grow 70-80% of our ingredients in our garden behind the restaurant and forage in our father’s forest. Biowaste is either composted or fed to the chickens, who, in return, lay eggs for us. Honey comes from our apiary," one of the three sisters, Chef Kerti Vissel, told the MICHELIN Guide.
Source: Kerti Vissel, Kolm Sõsarat
360°Eat Guide
A comprehensive approach to sustainable dining
360°Eat Guide is a Nordic and Baltic restaurant guide that evaluates a restaurant’s operations holistically, paying attention to both the quality of the food and the impact of the restaurant’s operations on the environment and society.
The 360° Eat Guide label indicates that a restaurant:
- prefers local, seasonal and sustainably grown ingredients
- partners with small farmers and suppliers who value ethics
- reduces food waste and optimizes resource use
- promotes community development and increases awareness of environmental issues
- strives for environmentally friendly and responsible operating principles
Unlike the MICHELIN Green Star, restaurants can apply for the 360°Eat Guide. However, experts make the final selection, awarding one, two, or three rings — the more rings, the more responsible the restaurant.
Hiis
Inspired by nature
The restaurant’s seasonal menu is rich in fresh forest products. Chef Daanius Aas, who received the MICHELIN Young Chef award in 2023, knows how to combine flavors into an unforgettable experience: a four-hour tasting journey.
Hiis adheres to these basic sustainability principles:
- at least one ingredient for nearly every dish is foraged from the surrounding areas
- local Estonian produce is used whenever possible
- all waste goes back to nature and plastic is avoided
- water and power consumption is monitored
Source: Hiis Restaurant
Tammuri Farm Restaurant
Simple, honest, and down-to-earth
Tammuri Farm Restaurant offers a unique journey through the surrounding landscape – each dinner is different, inspired by fresh, preferably local ingredients. Chef Erki Saar even hunts the wild game that he serves and hand-picks the wines to accompany each course.
These sustainability principles guide the dining experience at Tammuri Farm Restaurant:
- use fish that are not typically used for food to avoid contributing to overfishing
- purchase coffee from an Estonian roaster
- supply the restaurant with electricity produced by solar panels
- use reclaimed and recycled materials in construction and decor
- store food in an underground cellar to reduce energy consumption
Source: Erki Saar, Tammuri Farm Restaurant
360°Eat Guide restaurants with three rings
Barbarea
Laid-back yet ambitious
Barbarea aims to use as many organic ingredients as possible, collaborating with local organic farms and producers. About 50-75% of the restaurant's ingredients are organic (depending on the month), but they don't plan to stop there — their goal is to use at least 90% organic products.
Barbarea lives a double life, as it becomes the popular bakery Karjase Sai in the morning.
Source: Eva Kõrvas, Barbarea
LEE
Love for local
Lee is the Estonian word for an ancient communal fireplace, where meals are cooked and eaten together. Canadian-born Japanese executive chef Hiro Takeda combines a love for local Estonian ingredients with an international sensibility. From participating in national green initiatives to showcasing Estonian producers, LEE focuses on building relationships as they work towards developing a more sustainable industry.
Source: Lee Restaurant
Wicca
Emphasis on the big picture
Chef Angelica Udeküll focuses on seasonal, home-grown products from the forest, sea, meadows, and fields. Wicca works closely with local, small producers to source raw ingredients as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Zero-waste, health, and sustainability are central to their overall philosophy.
Source: Ken Oja
360°Eat Guide restaurants with two rings
Green Key
Recognition for responsibility
Green Key is an international eco-label awarded to hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions that meet high environmental standards.
A Green Key label indicates that the company:
- optimizes water and energy consumption
- separates and recycles waste
- gives preference to local and seasonal raw materials
- raises environmental awareness among its employees and customers
Restaurants must apply for the label by submitting comprehensive documentation of their operations, confirming compliance with the Green Key criteria.
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Last updated
10.01.2025