Kofeman is one of the cafes our EstoniaCoffee team visits a few times a week. This little place near the Town Hall square is usually swarming with people, and there is a good reason for that. But we will get to that. This is the story of Kofeman cafe. This little cafe opened its door in Tallinn in 2022 and quickly became one of our favourite places to drink coffee. Why is that? Dedicate 5 minutes of your time to this article and find out.
How to find Kofeman online
Kofeman is still a young cafe, but you will have no problems finding it online. They are not that active on Facebook, and the TripAdvisor profile is still fresh. However, Kofeman is killing it on Instagram. Just look at the Kofeman Instagram page. You can find the full menu there, accompanied by the reels, stories, and as a bonus, updates about Jorik, a friendly seagull that likes to hang out near the cafe. Kofeman has taken online marketing seriously, and their Insta page is rather popular, with almost 2k followers. Not bad for a petit cafe.
Kofeman cafe: An honest review
Location
Being near the Town Hall square, you know you have a fascinating location. Kofeman is close to III Draakon and all the other famous cafes in the square. It is a popular little place to have your coffee and a cake, hidden from the crowd, while still being there. To write about the famous and lovely Tallinn Old Town here is just wrong when you have better pages where you can find out more about this gem. For instance, VisitTallinn is a great webpage to find out more.
If you are in the Old Town now, stand in the middle of the square, so you have III Draakon on your left, and go forward until you see the Dachshund statue and sense the smell of good homemade Estonian pancakes with a lot of butter. Take a left turn, and on the right side you will see Kofeman, a small cafe with large windows and a famous small black Segafredo portable sign informing guests about popular prices and eventual daily offers. If you are lucky, you will also see Jorik, a friendly seagull marching around the cafe and claiming its territory.
Interior
As for the interior, it is something you should see with your own eyes. But we have a picture or two. We always do.
Kofeman is not just a cafe, but also a place where you can buy actual art. We are talking about pictures, photos, small statues and Tallinn gingerbreads, which are a hit, and a souvenir that was missing in the tourist offer in Tallinn. The gingerbread-making process is patented, so you know you will have original Estonian souvenirs in your hands.
The EstoniaCoffee team has been a regular guest from the day Kofeman was open. The interior has been through some changes and still is. The tables inside are small, cute, and not too crowded. The cafe is not suitable for 5+ groups sitting together. No, this is a place to share a dessert and enjoy observing people passing by. Also, laptop-campers are rare here, which is something the EstoniaCoffee team appreciates.
The toilet is always clean and smells good, which is not easy to achieve, especially given the number of guests Kofeman has daily. Kudos for that. A lot of cafes fail on or test just because of the toilet.
Menu
As for the menu, the choice of wine in Kofeman is exquisite. However, this is a coffee blog, and we will focus on coffee. Kofeman serves fine Segafredo coffee, one of my favourites for good, Italian-style espresso. Yep, you won’t find French press, V60 or Chemex here. Nope, just good old Segafredo coffee. Of course, you can get it iced, Americanized, and with the addition of Monin syrups, but Segafredo is the base. A welcomed difference, especially when you consider that many Tallinn cafes don’t have some coffee drinks written on their fancy, third-wave menus. But more on that on some other occasion.
As for the prices, the espresso costs 1€. Yep, you heard us. In the lovely city of Tallinn, where espresso is at least 2€, and it can be of debatable quality, you can get a perfect Segafredo espresso for just one euro. The other prices are similar, and you can get a caffe latte for 2 €, hot cocoa with marshmallows for 2 € and such. The Tallinn gingerbread cookie/souvenir costs 3 €. As for the food and pastry, Kofeman offers breakfast, brunch and wine snacks, while the offer of homemade cakes can be different from day to day. We tried a decent number of them, and all cakes were tasty and perfect for sharing. We haven’t yet tasted the breakfast/brunch options.
Service
Coming from a different coffee culture, I find myself often annoyed by the no-table-service rule that is so popular in Tallinn cafes. Well, Kofeman has something like a hybrid service. You still have to go to the counter and order your coffee/food, but hey, at least you don’t have to bring your coffee (or cakes) to your table. The friendly staff will bring it to your table. If you are like me and love a glass of water with your espresso, that part is still purely self-service.
After just a few days in a row, the baristas remembered our usual order (espresso and a caffe latte), and we were greeted with a smile every time. We are not that big spenders, and our webpage is not bringing us fame, money and clout, so we appreciate the smiles even more. Smiling baristas and waiters can be a rare sight in Tallinn.
Kofeman Pros and Cons
Conclusion
Kofeman is the perfect place to take a rest while walking through the Old Town. When you see the black Segafredo portable sign and a small cafe full of people, you will know you are at the right place. Come inside, have a fine Italian espresso and share a brunch, or a cake, with your partner, friend, or Jorik.
