Welcome to Sangaste Rye House restaurant!

Estonian food and drink are not considered classics of world cuisine. Some of them may evoke aversion in foreigners. To understand Estonian cuisine and the eating habits of Estonians, one needs to be familiar with Estonia’s climate and history. Estonia is a northern country where olives and grapes do not grow. Oysters cannot be caught in the coastal waters of Estonia. For centuries, Estonians have been farmers who have eaten not what tastes good, but what is available. The food and drink consumed in Estonian farms until the mid-19th century differ from what we now recognize as “authentic Estonian food.” The most important foods were made from grains: rye bread, baked from sourdough, barley porridge or soup, barley flatbreads, and kama (a traditional Estonian food made from a mixture of roasted barley, oat, rye, and pea flour). They drank taari (a traditional low-alcohol drink), kvass, sour milk, birch sap in spring, and beer and vodka on special occasions.

The winter rye variety “Sangaste,” bred in 1875 by Friedrich Georg Magnus von Berg, who was dubbed “The Rye Count,” is the oldest cultivated rye variety still in production today.

The rye restaurant of Sangaste Rye House offers dishes made from “Sangaste” rye, as well as local and South Estonian ingredients. Our mission is to show guests how versatile the Estonian national grain, rye, can be. The menu features both traditional and completely innovative rye flavors – rye bread, kama drink with kefir, onion pie, schnitzel with rye bread coating, handmade burger with rye bun, and many other delicious options.

The rye restaurant is a valued place for celebrating birthdays and other family and festive events for both locals and people from afar. You can read about the restaurant’s party tables here. We also offer funeral tables, which you can explore here.

Tourist groups are also welcome to the rye restaurant, where we offer rye breaks and various group menus.