Tallinn Nightlife

Right in the Old Town, this elegant bar has live music five nights a week and its cocktails are exceptional.

Depeche Mode might be eccentric but that doesn't mean it isn't great fun. As the name suggests, there's only one band you'll hear blaring from its sound system. If you're a fan of 80s electro, you'll feel right at home.

The place to be if you want to get away from noisy stag dos and enjoy a romantic evening with great views over the city and the harbour. At the top of Swissotel Tallinn, this place offers spectacular views and serves excellent cocktails. It also has a separate Cigar Lounge for aficionados.

Labor means 'lab' in English, so this bar is inspired by all things scientific and looks like a fantasy laboratory. The drinks are served in test tubes with some come emitting puffs of liquid nitrogen smoke. The lower level is also a nightclub from Wednesday through Saturday.

No town is complete without a decent Irish bar and the huge and comfortable Mad Murphy’s is one of the best. Like fellow Dublin-style pubs elsewhere in the world, it boasts classic Irish décor and a wood-panelled bar, as well as the inevitable Guinness on tap. More pleasingly, it also does an excellent line in Irish whiskey (not just Jameson’s) and hosts big football crowds on match days when it switches on its numerous televisions and pipes in games from all over Europe.

Nimeta, or as the Estonians say, 'the bar with no name', has a strong passion for football with the big screen drawing huge, enthusiastic crowds on match days. The rest of the time it's a nice cheerful pub with good beer and live DJ sets on Saturday nights that’s popular with locals and expats alike.

Opposite the Puppet Theatre, this drinking spot has an extensive selection of wine and guests can sample before buying. It also serves great tapas.

Perched incongruously in the Old Town, Club Hollywood is one of the most popular spots in Tallinn and is the place where the glitterati come to party. Thanks to a steady diet of techno and a rotating roster of Estonian and international DJs, it nearly always attracts big crowds come Friday and Saturday night. World-famous names have performed here, including Bob Sinclair and Basement Jaxx, and the management is justifiably proud of it – as you'll notice should you venture in.

Arguably the coolest club in Tallinn, Club Privé is hugely popular with the city’s smart set and it has the upscale décor to match. Bathed in ambient lighting, it feels like a high-tech New York speakeasy and has a pleasingly large range of spirits as well as an extensive cocktail menu. On weekends, Privé gets packed and serves club-goers a diet of progressive pop and seriously cool house tunes.

Housed within a historic two-storey firehouse, the Venus Club has long been a stalwart of Tallinn's social scene thanks to its convivial clientele and cheap drinks. But it's not all booze and babes: the club has a well-deserved reputation for top-quality live music and excellent DJs too.

As the name suggests, Chicago 1933 is an American-inspired bar, with the years of the Great Depression and the slick speakeasies of Prohibition proving particularly fertile ground. Inside, it boasts modern industrial chic décor enlivened by a huge bar and decadent crystal chandeliers. But of all its many Americanisms, it is its embrace of live music that is the best sell with regular jazz performances interspersed with the odd dash of blues and country.

The Estonian Drama Theatre is an important cultural venue in Tallinn, housed in a fabulous art nouveau building that was erected in 1910. Today, the theatre is the nearest equivalent to an academic (or national) theatre in Estonia, and stages both Estonian and world drama classics and contemporary plays.

NUKU, the Estonian Puppet Theatre, is one of Tallinn’s quirkiest venues. It specialises in a colourful roster of plays, short stories and performances that are aimed at delighting adults and children alike. Most of what’s on offer is based on Estonian fairytales and folklore (not all of it as cosy as it sounds), while more grown-up pieces by national authors are also popular. The theatre also has a quaint museum dedicated to puppets that is well worth a look.

The first private theatre to open in Estonia, the Von Krahl is popular with up-and-coming playwrights, composers and choreographers, and has built a reputation for championing young talent. Tiny inside, it offers an intimate theatre experience that's a must-do for anyone with an eye for contemporary performing arts. Tickets are on sale at the theatre from 10 every day and also at Piletimaailm outlets in Tallinn.