Although life in Estonia thought me a lot in terms of food and quality I am allowed to expect from my lunch breaks, there still a good bunch of spots ready to disappoint me for something already quite famous in Estonia: (im) politeness of the service.
While looking for a place where to go for a mid-casual lunch with guests, I once decided to give Platz a try: the place looked quite cool, prices seemed decent and people inside looked like what would match with a relaxed business lunch.
Once inside, the initial impressions were also good: the menu seemed full of tasty names to try and the place did not have any kind of annoying too loud music in the background nor any loud customer shouting on the phone as sometimes (sigh!) can happen also in Tallinn.
Being fond of duck and Italian cheeses, I had no intention to miss the chance to try some of my favorite food and therefore I called the waitress to give her my order.
A quite cute brunette came to my table with a damn bored expression in her face, took the order and repeated it right in the microphone of her Matrix-style headset. Which I find strange since Platz (at least for lunch) is a one-room-restaurant with a kitchen not more far than some twenty steps from the first tables.
But “Ok.” I think, “They probably like to make it fancy so – why should I judge them for this?”
Then I started to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
*Half an hour*
And wait.
*40 minutes*
I keep waiting.
So, why not!, I decide that it might be time to call the bored-yet-cute brunette and ask something about my food – especially as I start thinking that, maybe for some connections problem, my order never traveled from her mic to the ear of the chef.
“A-ha” she says. As she leaves
*One hour *
Still nothing on my table and the bored-yet-cute brunette clearly avoids crossing my eyes. She has no intention to give me any explanation although she is not really doing anything other than playing with the cord of her headset with her bored-yet-nice fingers.
But I am hungry and running out of time – plus this is not Double Coffee and I might even be entitled for some courtesy as a restaurant customer.
I stand up. I go to her. Try to investigate a bit. “I am sorry but this is taking a bit too much time. Can you ask about my duck leg?”
“A-ha” , she answers before leaving to take the order of some newcomers while the old customers, more or less all in the same situation as me, started to get loud.
*1 hour 15 minutes*
Enough. I am hungry and I did not come with any paper from work – so I have nothing to read to kill the waiting. Plus, I just cannot wait for too much anymore: I am hungry but I have some job I need to do. I need to tell her.
“I am sorry but I just can’t make it. Can I have the bill for the drinks at least?”
“A-ha” she says before leaving as usual and coming back with my duck leg.
A once upon a time juicy and now dead cold duck leg.
With no explanation, a 210 EEK bill and the inquisitive look of the bored-yet-cute one for my not leaving her any tip next to the dead cold leg.
[If this story is not enough for you to avoid the place, Platz Restaurant is in Roseni 7, Tallinn. If instead you want to tell them about this miserable review, you can reach the trendy restaurant Platz (Cit. InYourPocket) at info@platz.ee. To discuss with the author a comment to the post will do.]


10 Comments
You’ll probably get a response from the restaurant sounding like this: “Igasugune tagasiside, nii positiivne , kui negatiivne huvitab meid väga,
sest nii saame lihvida oma puudujääke.”
This is how they responded to my remarks about their over-age salted white-fish (soolasiig).
I wonder if you then tried the same fish again – just to make sure they followed the feedback…
Hah, classics…
My friends went to one well-known restaurant in Old Town, and one of them got food poisoning there. After writing this as her facebook status, manager of the place (they have facebook page too) contacted her with demand to delete the post. Furthermore, manager told her that she has no write to accuse them unless she has a paper from doctor and some evidence it was their food. Quite rude. I hoped crisis would force people to change their attitudes here, but looks like something else is needed…
Hey Roman!
Do you mind me trying to guess the place you are talking about?
Is that Cl*yh***s?
Strange, very strange!
I have visited and eated in Platz for clearly more than 20 times during the last 12 months. Always -without any single exception- the service has been extremely personal and friendly, the food has been excellent and the whole experience very positive.
Have made bets with my colleagues about the best restaurant in Tallinn concerning price/quality -ratio, and every time the winner has been Platz, once anybody have visited there. My colleague from Stockholm last week stated he believes Platz is having the best price/quality ratio in the whole world.
This is a real client comment and not sponsored by the restaurant.
Hi Tyrvää
I appreciate your comment, and at no point i’m suspecting anybody to bo part of a conspiracy from restaurants to come on my modest blog to defend their baby.
This said, I have been to Platz, and although I didn’t have a bad experience like Giovanni had, i can clearly say that this CANNOT be the best price/quality ratio in the whole world
Don’t take it badly, but i can only conclude two things if you say so :
1) You obviously have not been everywhere in Tallinn, or it is just that waiters are making only foreigners wait like hell – also possible as there is for sure a conspiracy of Estonian waiters only hired to make people’s life more painful. I’m joking of course, we have worse in France.
2) Your Swedish friends should really travel a bit more i’m afraid. I can understand that for them the ratio “price/quality” in tallinn is a lot better compared to Sweden, but i’ve been living in Sweden for one year before, and i found a lot better than Platz there i’m afraid.
But in any case, I will admit that they might have changed the quality and i will go one more time there….one day
Cafe Platz at Roseny 7 is unrecommended place. We asked coffee with cakes. Coffee arrived after 5 minutes and cake didn’t arrive after 20 minutes and we had to left. Very poor service!
Кафе Плац на Рожени 7 крайне нерекомендуемое место! Мы звказали кофе с тортом. Кофе принесли сразу, а торт и через двадцать минут, когда кофе остыл и пришлось его выпить, так и не появился. пришлось просто уйти.
Thank you for the comment Evgeny ! I’m sad that obviously they still didn’t improve at all despite of all the comments made. I wonder what’s wrong with these restaurants who could improve so much (Service & food) for not so much investment.
Positive person as I am still have to say that Platz is the worst restaurant I have visited in Tallinn aswell. Very overrated place for sure!
I was the last months a couple of times in Platz, my food was always perfect and the service was friendly and nice to me. I got water for free and mostly the main dish within a good time, only for sweets I had to wait longer.
But this changed since they have a chef of patisserie. The price level is for what u get really OK. I don’t know in which Platz u have been…
And if it is too expensive for u than go to F-Hoone