Estonian food can seem very fatty and starchy to some. There is a wide range of international dishes available, especially in larger towns.

National specialities:
• Sült (jellied veal).
• Täidetud vasikarind (roast stuffed shoulder of veal).
• Rosolje (vinaigrette with herring and beets).
• Braised goose stuffed with apples and plums.
• Verivorst (blood sausage).

National drinks:
• Saku beer.
• Eesti Kali (local form of kvas, a Slavic fermented drink made from bread)
• Vana Tallinn (a local liqueur that's probably best left to the locals to sip).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: 10% is standard for restaurants in larger towns, although sometimes it will be added automatically, so check your receipt before adding anything extra. In rural areas tipping will not usually be expected.

Tallinn is a favoured city break getaway for people all over Europe, especially Finns who come for the cheap alcohol and Brits who have been coming in ever growing numbers on stag and hen nights. There is a wide range of restaurants, cafes and cosy bars, as well as livelier nightclubs that sometimes feature live bands. Socialising is at its most active Thursday-Saturday nights, between 2300-0300. For culture vultures in Tallinn, there is the Estonia National Opera, the Estonia Concert Hall (tel: (6) 147 760; www.concert.ee), the Vanemuine Theatre (tel: (7) 440 100; www.vanemuine.ee), and for children, the Estonian Puppet Theatre. For further details on cultural events, contact the Estonian Institute (www.culture.ee).

Amber, ceramics, glassware, leather-bound books and local folk art are good buys, as are traditional hand-knitted thick wool jumpers. There is a good knit market by the Old Town walls on Müürivahe in Tallinn.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1800; some on Sat 1000-1700; department stores: daily 1000-2000.