Best restaurants on Saaremaa – Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide recommends of 2026
What is Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide? The Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide is a trailblazer in the Nordic dining scene. Established in Sweden in 2005, the guide has since expanded to include Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Estonia.
Each year, the Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide team conducts anonymous visits to hundreds of restaurants and ranks them at the end of the year based on food quality, service, innovation and overall atmosphere. Restaurants are then categorised according to their score.
We are thrilled that nine restaurants from Saaremaa have made it onto this list this year.
Arensburg
Housed in a 300-year-old building, the Arensburg Hotel restaurant, lounge, wine cellar and sun terrace can accommodate more guests than the boutique hotel itself can sleep. The dining experience is twofold. Exotic dishes are experimented with boldly: for example, Chinese chicken with mango is combined with rice to create a Japanese sushi roll. And local dishes are also cleverly prepared, such as Pähkla smoked trout served alongside Nasva sprat cream. The restaurant hosts a local wine club. If you cannot find a suitable wine in the short drinks menu, you are sure to find it in the cellar.
Castello
Perhaps the oldest piece of advice for finding a good restaurant in an unfamiliar place is this: eat where you see plenty of locals already there. If you follow that rule in Kuressaare, the capital of Saaremaa, you should head to Castello. The name of the restaurant says quite clearly what to expect. Italian-style ciabattas and bruschettas, pastas and pizzas sit alongside Saaremaa beef liver, pork ribs, roast potatoes and onion jam. Castello is a stronghold of local taste.
Georg Ots Spa restaurant
Just as Gospa is the best-known of Saaremaa’s spas, its restaurant is among the very best spa restaurants. Since opening, this place has helped shape and advance Estonia’s spa culture. The restaurant is no less ambitious than the spa itself. The menus are created by Estonia’s legendary nomad chef, Tõnis Saar. You don’t really need to know more than that – you simply have to taste it.
Ku-Kuu
Ku-Kuu, a fish restaurant located in Kuressaare Castle Park, has also received a strong score from the judges. Kuressaare Kuursaal is undoubtedly the place every fish lover should visit in summer. The restaurant is led by head chef Toomas Leedu, who is also a passionate fisherman, something that clearly shows on the plate. At Ku-Kuu you’ll find some of the freshest fish on the island: the catch that has come out of fishermen’s nets that very morning.
Pilguse Restaurant
Pilguse Restaurant offers its guests a perfect taste of rural idyll. Main dishes are served in a truly traditional country style – on large platters meant for the whole group to share. The menu is not extensive, but the ingredients come from right here on the island. Examples include Pähkla trout smoked whole or half, a whole smoked free-range chicken, and pork cooked for so long that it needs to be ordered three days in advance.
Prelude
Vinoteek Prelude, tucked just off Kuressaare’s main street, is a well-kept secret, one that even many locals haven’t discovered yet. But it is well worth seeking out. True to its name, Prelude offers an excellent wine selection. And alongside dishes like eel soup and wild boar roast, the menu also features oysters, one of the very few places on Saaremaa, where you can try this luxurious seafood delicacy.
Sörweköök
Near the start of the Sõrve Peninsula, by Sörwe Spa, you’ll find a restaurant called Sörweköök. It serves Saaremaa-inspired food with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients – simple flavours, good produce, and a clear idea. The building itself also stands out: its shape and interior hint at a boat, linking the restaurant to the surrounding nature and heritage. It’s an easy stop if you’re heading towards Sõrve or coming back and want to take time for a relaxed meal.
