Telliskivi Creative City

Telliskivi occupies a set of former industrial buildings beside the railway, and since around 2009 it has become where Tallinn eats when it is not eating in the old town. The buildings have been kept rough - brick, steel, exposed pipework, murals on every blank wall - and filled with food halls, studios, small shops and offices.

What you actually see

Several converted halls of small food counters, so a group can eat quite different things in one place, plus a spread of restaurants around the yards. Fotografiska, the photography museum, occupies one of the larger buildings and stays open late.

The yards between are used for street art, seating, and a flea and design market on Saturdays. There is a permanent shop cluster selling Estonian design, and a small theatre.

When to go

• Saturday morning - the flea market, and the busiest and best version of the area.
• Weekday lunch - the food halls are aimed at local office workers and are far quieter.
• Evening - the area is the centre of Tallinn's going-out scene, all seasons.

Honest expectations

It is no longer a hidden alternative district. It is well-established, priced accordingly, and busy - anyone arriving expecting a rough-edged secret will find a polished version of one.

Seating in the food halls is shared and fills up quickly in the evening.

Nearby

Balti Jaam market is directly across the tracks. Kalamaja's wooden houses and Patarei are a ten-minute walk north.