La Bocca
About the restaurant
Cuisine: Italian
LaBocca feels like the living room of one big Italian famiglia. In a cosy buzz you’ll hear chatter, chefs’ laughter and the clatter of plates. Flour flies in the open *cucina* as pizza and fresh pasta take shape before your eyes. Aromas rise from the best Italian Moretti Forni pizzaoven – and waiting isn’t an Italian virtue. Dishes really do land in 5 minutes. When Tallinn’s best pizza arrives, it can’t fit on the plate – it’s made for sharing with family and friends. After all, a proper Italian mamma would never let you leave hungry. Our menu blends fresh ingredients with deep love for food. We add nothing but water to the flour that arrives straight from Italy. Spaghetti – and everything else – is made on-site. In summer, desserts pop with Estonian raspberries; in autumn, pasta welcomes chanterelles from Estonian woods. *Delizioso!* *Famiglie*, suit-and-tie business *signori*, secret crushes and slow Sunday lovers are all welcome. New friendships spark on Fridays in the lounge over Italian wine and Aperol. The whole scene is backed by well known interior designer Marit Ilison’s Instagram-ready interior – playful and wild, yet stylishly Italian. Drinks are poured only into beautiful glass; à la carte service happens tableside. And we’re far from pricey. Instead of a pretentious menu we serve traditional, lovingly crafted Italian hits. A large pizza costs you less than €10. Come for a mini-holiday to Italy.
Head chef
Renate Meri
Renate's journey began at the tender age of 12 in the small Ruhe restaurant. There, she developed an understanding that has stayed with her to this day: "Food is not just food - it's a way to make people happy and create moments to remember." From there, she went from waitress to chef, with sincere dedication and the courage to listen to her heart. This led her to the EuroSkills and WorldSkills competitions, where she brought Estonia a historic result and proof that the greatest achievements are born from passion and perseverance. Today, she is our head chef! In her own words: "Every day we create something that can mean more to someone than we can imagine."
