Chakra (Indian Restaurant), Tallinn Oldtown

We have only visited Chakra twice so our experience is quite limited, however, it is another good addition to the list of dog-friendly restaurants in Tallinn, albeit only in summer. This Indian restaurant serves very good food, good drinks, is in a great location, and is somewhat dog-friendly.

Chakra is located in a quiet side street in the old town, so it is close to the main square. Also, if you want a pre-dinner drink, it is a short walk from Hell Hunt and plenty of other bars.

Dog-policy and Atmosphere. On our two visits as the weather was lovely, we chose to eat in the wonderful terrace at the back of the restaurant, but as dogs are not welcome inside, there was no other choice anyway. The terrace is in a kind of courtyard surrounded by old buildings, so it is a very lovely spot to enjoy some tasty Indian cuisine. It offered ample space for our dog, and would easily accommodate larger furry friends too. In the summer, it is recommended to book your space on the terrace as it gets very busy.

As noted, we have only been to Chakra twice and had some of the same dishes each time, so our knowledge is clearly very limited, but based on our experience as well as reports from friends who have been going for many years, the restaurant serves very good Indian cuisine. In fact the food at Chakra is the best we have found in Europe, just pipping Nanda Devi in Tampere.

Now to some specifics about the fantastic food we tried! We started our meal both times by sharing a portion “Crispy Lamb Samosas” and Chicken (Murg) Tikka Kebab. First, the samosas (2 to a portion) were very good with crispy pastry and plentiful spiced lamb mince pea filling, and the sauces/chutneys that accompanied them were fresh and very tasty.

Next, the chicken tikka, which came form the mains section as opposed to the appetizers, was excellent. The meat was nicely charred on the outside but tender and moist inside, very well-seasoned with just a bit of kick, and again accompanied by delicious dipping sauces. Given the lack of a good local version where we live, my wife has perfected (in my humble opinion) her own Chicken Tikka recipe, which is as good as the version we enjoyed at Chakra and much better than we get in most places.

After thoroughly enjoying the starters, we had high expectations for the main course and were not disappointed. As an example, some very good dishes were the Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken (Murg) Tikka Hara Masala, and the Naan Breads. We have had two dhals so far and were not overly impressed by them, but they were fine.

The lamb curry was great with tender and lean lamb that had clearly been marinated in a unique blend of spices, with a delicious rich and flavoursome sauce that was obviously not based on a generic gravy used in so many places we have been to.

Likewise, the chicken curry was also excellent, again with each component being made specifically for this dish, thus the flavours were totally different as they should be. There was a stronger mint flavour than we expected as it states coriander as the main herb, thus it was not so similar to the Hariyali Chicken we make ourselves, but was excellent all the same.

Next, while the Dahl Makhani was not like the ones we have had in India, nor the one we make ourselves, it was a very flavoursome dish that accompanied the others very well.  Finally, the naan breads were perfect for us; crispy on the outside, not too thick or doughy, but still offering the chewy almost elastic texture you want from a naan. These were very similar to the Nan breads my wife makes.

In terms of drinks, we just stuck to draught beers and water, so cannot say very much about the beverages on offer. The beers were cold and well kept and the water was not too expensive if memory serves. We enjoyed the drinks and had zero complaints either way.

To summarize, if you (and your furry friends) find yourself hankering for very good Indian food on a nice terrace in the heart of Tallinn old town, then Chakra is highly recommended. There are so many great restaurants to try on our short visits to Tallinn, but given our love for Indian food combined with the great quality on offer at Chakra, it is currently hard to imagine not going back on our next trip!