ESTONIA’S EAST AND WEST

Throughout time, the East and the West have been symbols of different lifestyles and contradictions, even here, in our small Estonia. Robust craft beer from Ida-Viru County, brewed amid a stark industrial landscape, has made its nest in the delicately lacy and coffee-flavoured city of Haapsalu in western Estonia. Even the two words in the name of the pub, Purtse and Gastro, at first seemed as far from each other as East and West. But they were brought together into a proper gastropub, in more than just the name. Their beef liver pate with onion jam easily competes with Estonia’s best restaurants while plenty of ginger turns the Tom Yom soup into a flavour bomb, which doubles as a cure for cold in the winter. Whatever you choose to order, you can expect a gigantic portion. The contradictory co-existence of the East and the West here also means that you can easily forego the beer for a glass of champagne and while the food draws more inspiration from the West, the portion sizes are definitely Eastern. Purtse Gastro is always an interesting experience.