The premises of Tallinn’s oldest continuously operating café was given its luxurious appearance in 1913. Even more eye-catching than the reddish wooden showcases and countertops with bronze decorations is the unique glass ceiling, which is assembled using tiles painted on the rear side. The muted colours and gold shimmering between the patterns give a unique sparkle to the café ceiling.
The carefully designed display windows have always been one of the symbols of this building. In the first half of the 20th century, Georg Stude’s richly decorated display windows made the shop famous all over the city. Admirers came from near and far, and newspapers wrote about them.
The Waba Maa newspaper from 24 December 1925 printed the following:
“Georg Stude’s marzipan business: there is hardly anyone in Tallinn who does not know of it. Nor is it unknown outside of Estonia… It is one of the first companies to put an emphasis on advertising, and its shop windows have always attracted plenty of curious onlookers. What G. Stude can make from marzipan indeed: we have certainly seen plenty of it over the years. Sometimes, his display window is like that of a fruit shop, laden with apples and grapes; at other times, we can see appetising hams, sausages, sprats and vegetables: but it has all been made from sweet marzipan so skilfully that biting into it can often prompt a surprise, as it tastes sweet rather than savoury.”
Nowadays, one of Café Maiasmokk’s display windows is adorned with a steampunk Ferris wheel made from coffee cups and spoons, which has won several design awards. In another window, you can admire a toy train and the appetising decorations that change with the seasons and holidays.
