Café Maiasmokk is the oldest continuously operating café in Tallinn, with a history dating back to 1864. Back then, the Baltic-German confectioner Georg Johann Stude bought the small pastry shop that had been operating in the same building since 1806 and turned it into a successful café and confectionery business. A few years later, Stude also acquired the neighbouring building and joined them together into the grand Neo-Renaissance building it is today.
Stude’s shop handcrafted wonderful marzipan figurines and luxurious chocolate treats, as well as a wide range of cakes and pastries. In the late 19th century, the Russian Imperial court also ordered marzipan figurines from here. Nearly 200 various marzipan moulds from Stude’s shop have survived, which are still used for making marzipan figurines today.
The luxurious appearance of the ground floor of the café was completed by 1913. Even more eye-catching than the reddish wooden showcases and countertops with bronze decorations is the unique glass ceiling, which was assembled using tiles painted on the rear side.
Initially located on the ground floor, in the 1980s the café expanded to the first floor of the building, which used to house Georg Stude’s prestigious apartment. In 2015, the first floor of the café was given a stylish makeover. The café has been called Maiasmokk since 1984. It still serves delicious cakes and pastries, heavenly chocolate treats, unique marzipan figurines and more. The taste experience is further enhanced by the unique ambience of the café.
