Brutalist from start to finish

There are very few chefs in the world who draw inspiration from brutalism, enjoy every minute of it and share the joy with those who understand. Indrek Kõverik is the only one in Estonia and to find his restaurant Franzia you will have to travel all the way to Narva-Jõesuu by the Russian border.

Stepping through the door you are greeted by an inexplicable aroma and a brutalist pile of tables and chairs. Once you have managed to find a seat in the pile it is time for brutal flavours. Here a stein of house beer Absurd (named after the absurd number of different hops used for brewing it) is a suitable aperitif and a glass of nettle wine is the perfect sweet finish to the meal.

The backwards shashlik is a good example of the essence of brutalist cuisine. The meat is first cooked on a skewer, then marinated and finally haphazardly chopped, topped with roasted onion and served as a cold starter. Same goes for the airy orange milkcap pureed soup, served with a whole roasted river lamprey slapped in the middle. Franzia is brutalist from start to finish, with one exception – the flavours are gourmet.