9 best restaurants in Saaremaa and Muhu – White Guide recommends in 2023

What is the White Guide?

 

The White Guide is the leading restaurant guide in the Nordic countries. This quality system, launched in Sweden in 2005, has expanded to Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe islands and Estonia.

 

The White Guide team anonymously visits hundreds of restaurants each year and at the end of the year ranks them according to quality of food, level of service, innovation in approach and general atmosphere. According to the total of points gained, the restaurants are divided into categories. Here you can find the best restaurants in Saaremaa and Muhu.

Alexander Restaurant at Pädaste Manor

Alexander Restaurant at Pädaste Manor has been a top restaurant for years. Alexander has snatched the first position from the grand eateries of Tallinn several times. It is definitely a restaurant that no proper fine diner should miss. The traditional cooking of Muhu and ultramodern technology are skilfully combined in the restaurant.

 

www.padaste.ee

"Alexander" restaurant at Pädaste manor, hand holding a lid up
"Alexander" restaurant at Pädaste manor

Arensburg

Housed in a 300-year-old building, the Arensburg Hotel and Spa is surrounded by a variety of food and beverage outlets. When it comes to food, they have two main tricks. Experiments with exotic dishes are so bold that Chinese chicken with mango is rolled up with rice into a Japanese sushi roll. Local dishes are also turned into clever combinations, for example, smoked Pähkla trout is served with cream of Nasva sprat. The drinks are impressive enough for the restaurant to host a local wine club. If you can’t find a suitable wine from the short drinks menu, you will definitely find something from the cellar.

 

www.arensburg.ee

Arensburgi restoran pakub alati meeldejäävaid maitseelamusi
Arensburgi restoran

Castello

Castello is a chameleon restaurant. In winter it is a cosy pizza restaurant that smells of baked goods. While the menu does feature other dishes as well, you will see at least one pizza at every table, which is not surprising considering it is hard to find a match to the Castello pizzas on the whole island. Grilled Pähkla trout, ribs, fish soup and other delicious dishes are harshly overlooked in favour of pizza. However, in summer the tables turn. The smell of barbecue lingers in the restaurant garden and serves as an amuse-bouche.

 

www.castello.ee

Castello is one of the best restaurants in Kuressaare
Castello restaurant

Grand Rose Spa Restaurant

Grand Rose Spa’s restaurant in the labyrinthine, vaulted basement has inspired its catering manager and sommelier to put together an impressive wine list. Chef cooks uncomplicated food which he makes mostly from local produce. The ‘Islander’s Meal’ constitutes a whole smoked bass with pickled cucumber, mini-potatoes fried in butter and tartar sauce.

 

www.grandrose.ee

Grand Rose Spa Restaurant's desert in a bowl and cappuccino is next to that
Grand Rose Spa Restaurant

Hafen

Hafen is a light, colourful harbour restaurant. It is the restaurant in Saaremaa offering dishes that combine local tastes with world cuisine. No client should miss the salad of spiced Baltic sprats with roast potatoes, carrots and pickled vegetables in mustard sauce. This dish might taste too ordinary for local clients but featuring the flavour Estonians can’t live without, makes it compulsory for foreign clients to try.

 

www.hafen.ee

Hafen on üks parimaid restorane Kuressaares
Hafen

Ku-Kuu Restaurant of KuressaarKuursaal

The White Guide team has given a considerable number of points to the fish restaurant Ku-Kuu, located in the park of Kuressaare Castle. Every fish dish lover should go to Kuressaare Kuursaal in summer. The chef Toomas Leedu, a passionate fisherman himself, adds credibility to his restaurant’s high standards. Ku-Kuu serves the freshest fish on the island, i.e. the fish that have been caught the same morning.

 

www.kuressaarekuursaal.ee

Restaurant Ku-Kuu's fish, egg and black bread on the plate
Restaurant Ku-Kuu

Prelude

Vinotheque Prelude is located on the main street of Kuressaare, and is a well-hidden secret that even many islanders have never visited. Prelude is definitely worth a visit. It welcomes you with an excellent wine selection and the menu includes eel soup, wild boar roast and oysters. Prelude is one of the few places in Saaremaa serving oysters.

 

www.prelude.ee

Prelude on Kuressaare üks parimaid restorane
Prelude

Saaremaa Veski (Saaremaa  Mill)

Among the Saaremaa restaurants included on the White Guide list, Saaremaa Veski has the longest history. An old windmill, converted into a restaurant has always served food in many different styles and today it is the only eatery in Kuressaare offering traditional Estonian cuisine. The menu includes the legendary cheese balls from 1974 as well as the wild boar tenderloin in juniper berry sauce. In summer, fish is smoked in the restaurant’s garden, which goes down nicely with some good local beer.

www.saaremaaveski.ee

Saaremaa Windmill Restaurant's dish where is fresh salad and smoked fish
Saaremaa Windmill Restaurant

SAAREMAA EVENTS 7.09-13.09.20

 

Monday 7.09
10:00-16:00
Saaremaa food festival- Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00 Saaremaa food festival- Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-15:00 Saaremaa food festival- Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00
Saaremaa food festival- Special three course dinner (18€)
18:00-19:00 Old ladys summer concert at Pärsama civic centre (FREE)

 


Tuesday 8.09
10:00-18:00
Saaremaa food festival- Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00 Saaremaa food festival - Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-15:00 Saaremaa food festival - Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Special three course dinner (18€)
19:00 Concert Kaunimate aastate vennaskond “Kaunimad lemmiklaulud me elus” at Kuressaare cultural center (20-23€)
19:00 “Story of one bagpipe” - Merike Paberits at Kärla civic centre (FREE)


Wednesday 9.09
10:00-18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00 Saaremaa food festival - Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-15:00 Saaremaa food festival - Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Special three course dinner (18€)
18:00
Pärdi days at Saaremaa 2020: Kanon Pokajanen at Kuressaare St. Lawrence church (15,90-20,90€)

 

Thursday 10.09
10:00-18:00 Saaremaa food festival - Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00 Saaremaa food festival- Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-15:00 Saaremaa food festival - Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Special three course dinner (18€)
18:00 Joel Ostrat’s big dinner with Jaan Tätte at Saaremaa Veski (69€)


Friday 11.09
10:00- 18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00
Saaremaa food festival - Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-15:00
Saaremaa food festival - Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00 Saaremaa food festival- Special three course dinner (18€)
18:00-19:30 Saaremaa food festival - local food tasting with Alar Aksalu at Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre

 

Saturday 12.09
10:00 Ladybug café at Saaremaa Kaubamaja
10:00- 18:00 Saaremaa food festival - Saaremaa organic- and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-20:00 Saaremaa food festival- Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
10:40-16:40
Boat trip to Abruka on historical boat Hoppet (adults 38€, children 28€)
11:00-12:30
Saaremaa food festival - local food tasting with Alar Aksalu at Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00
Karujärve bike marathon at Karujärve healthsport centre
12:00-18:00 Saaremaa food festival - Visit villages on Saaremaa & Muhu island
12:00-15:00 Saaremaa food festival - Children’s snacks cafes at Nasva club
12:00-15:00
Saaremaa food festival- Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00 Saaremaa food festival- Special three course dinner (18€)

 

Sunday 13.09
10:00- 18:00
Saaremaa food festival - Saaremaa organic - and health products at Saarte Sahver
10:00-18:00 Saaremaa food festival - Food festival at your home, Ehtne Saaremaa at Auriga centre
12:00-18:00
Saaremaa food festival – Pop-up home apple cafés in Kuressaare
12:00-15:00
Saaremaa food festival - Special two course lunch (10€)
18:00 Saaremaa food festival - Special three course dinner (18€)

 

Exhibitions
30.06-30.09.20
Enno Alliku ’’In the lap of the sea’’ paintings exhibition at Ajamaja gallery
4.07-31.10.20 Thule koda’s permanent exhibition ’’Myhtical creatures ’’ (5€)
9.07-01.10.20 Toomas Altnurme’s exhibition ’’Aja ja ruumi kangas’’ at Kuressaare Culture Centre

JUNE

6.06 52th Saare County Song Festival “Teel”/ “On the Road” www.facebook.com/saare.laulutantsupidu/  Postponed to 2021

 

JULY

05.07 Open Gardens of the Islands

2.-4.07 Music Festival Juu Jääb Muhu Muusikatalu www.juujaab.ee 

10-12.07 Kihelkonna Festival of Sacred Music

11.07 Eput Päe. Ilu elab / Beauty is Alive

11-18.07 Parasummer 2020parasummer.com/et/ Postponed to 2021

16-19.07 I Land Sound ilandsound.ee/    Postponed to 2021

17-19.07 Enduro GP Estonia endurogp.org/ 

14-25.07 Mustjala Music Festival mustjalafestival.ee

18-19.07 Open Farm Days avatudtalud.ee/

21-26.07 Saaremaa Opera Festival saaremaaopera.com/  Postponed to 2021 A special opera picnic will take place in the Kuressaare castle yard on 25th July

24-26.07 Mototoober www.oselmc.ee
25.07 Opera picnic in the Kuressaare castle yard

26.07 Muhu Cafés Day www.muhu.ee

31.07 Kuressaare Gin Festival gin.ee/

 

AUGUST

01.08 Kuressaare Gin Festival gin.ee/

06.08 Kärla Triip

06-08.08 Kuressaare Maritime Festival merepaevad.ee/   Postponed to 2021 A special concert will take place in the Kuressaare castle yard on 8th August
7.-8.08 Ethno Music Festival (S)Torm www.purjelaevad.ee

08.08 A special Maritime Days concert in Kuressaare castle yard

22.08 Ultima Thule Marathon ultimathulemarathon.com/   Postponed to 2021

19.08 Kaarma Night Song Festival church concert

21-23.08 Ruhnu Rahu Festival ruhnurahu.ee/

21-23.08 International Viking Market at Salme salmeviking.wordpress.com/

29.08 Night of Ancient Lights on Beaches and Harbours of Saaremaa muinastuled.ee/

SEPTEMBER

03-13.09 Saaremaa Food Festival saaremaatoidufestival.ee/

05.09 Kuressaare Street Picnic visitsaaremaa.ee/tanavapiknik/ Individual yard picnics on Saaremaa

12.09 Karujärve Cycling Marathon karutervis.ee/

19.09 Vintage Kuressaare and Anna & Erki Pärnoja concert in Saare KEKis www.vintagetallinn.weebly.com

 

OCTOBER

09-10.10 Saaremaa Rally saaremaarally.eu/

16-18.10 Saaremaa Three-Day Race saaremaajooks.ee/

See all events: syndmused.saaremaavald.ee/et

 

 

Also of Interest:

Folk Dancing in the centre of Kuressaare on Thursdays in summer

Summer concerts “Kuressaare Suvemuusika” / Kuressaare Summer Music on Kuressaare Park open-air stage on Sundays in summer

 

 

Header photo - Saaremaa Operda Days / Gunnar Laak

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