Shang Shi

550 bottles, a Michelin Plate, Cantonese cooking in the heart of Tallinn's Old Town: Shang Shi is not the restaurant you expect to find here

Shang Shi sits on Rataskaevu tn 5, one of Tallinn's most photographed medieval lanes, delivers something that has no real equivalent in Estonia: serious Cantonese cooking, a wine list built for it, a room that takes both seriously. If you have already eaten here once, this page will help you decide whether to go deeper; and how.

The Wine Program: The Real Reason to Return

Star Wine List ranked Shang Shi four consecutive times in 2025 (#1, #2, #3, #4), plus a #1 ranking in 2024. That is not a coincidence; it is a signal that Wine Director Karoline Reinhold has built something that Tallinn has not seen before in a Chinese restaurant context. The list runs to 550 selections with an inventory of 800 bottles, anchored in France (Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux), Austria, Italy, Spain, California. Many bottles clear €100; the corkage fee is €87 if you bring your own. For a Cantonese restaurant at the €€ cuisine price tier, this is a serious mismatch in the leading possible way: the food is accessible, the wine list is not.

The practical implication for a returning guest is clear. If your first visit was food-first with a glass of house wine, the wine list deserves its own visit. Burgundy and Cantonese cuisine is not an obvious pairing, but it is a rewarding one, the list here is deep enough to explore it properly. Ask Reinhold's team for guidance; they are evidently running a program built for conversation, not just bottle counts.

The Room and the Experience

The address, Rataskaevu tn 5, in the medieval core of Tallinn's Old Town, frames everything. The physical space sits inside a historic building, which in this part of Tallinn means low ceilings, thick walls, rooms that feel contained rather than expansive. For Cantonese cuisine, which at its finest is precise, composed, detail-oriented, that spatial register is appropriate. This is not a venue that rewards a large, loud group looking for a banquet hall. It rewards a table of two or four who want to pay attention.

Chef Chee Hwee Tong leads the kitchen, the Michelin Plate recognition in 2025 confirms that the cooking meets a documented standard. A Michelin Plate means the inspectors noted quality cooking worth knowing about, even without a star. In a city where Michelin coverage is limited, that recognition carries real weight. General Manager Vladimir Severin rounds out a leadership team that is unusually well-credentialed for this market.

What Shang Shi Does Well, Who It Is For

Shang Shi operates at €€ on food pricing (a typical two-course meal at €40–€65, not including drinks), which places it in the same accessible tier as Bocca and 38 on the food cost alone. But once you factor in the wine program, an evening here can move decisively upmarket. That is a feature, not a problem, it means you can calibrate the spend to the occasion.

For a returning guest, the recommendation is to engage with the wine list properly on your second visit. Order a bottle rather than by the glass, ask what Reinhold's team is excited about from France or Austria right now, treat the pairing as the point of the evening. The Cantonese cooking is the anchor; the wine is where this restaurant separates itself from everything else in Estonia. If you want context on how Cantonese cuisine at this level compares globally, 102 House in Shanghai and Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau are the reference points.

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Hours are not confirmed in available data, so contact the venue directly to verify lunch and dinner service before planning your visit. Shang Shi serves both lunch and dinner. No dress code is listed, but given the Michelin Plate recognition and the calibre of the wine program, smart-casual is a reasonable baseline. The corkage fee of €87 is high enough that bringing your own bottle only makes sense if you are travelling with something special that the list does not carry.

For group visits: the intimate Old Town setting suggests this is better suited to small groups (two to four). Larger parties should enquire directly about capacity before booking.

Quick Comparison: Tallinn's Wine-Forward Restaurants

Further Reading

If you are planning a broader trip, Pearl's guides to Tallinn restaurants, Tallinn bars, Tallinn hotels, Tallinn wineries, and Tallinn experiences cover the full picture. For restaurants beyond the capital, Alexander in Pädaste, Hõlm in Tartu, Fellin in Viljandi, Hiis in Manniva, Kolm Sõsarat in Lüllemäe, and Lahepere Villa in Kloogaranna are worth knowing. And for another angle on the Tallinn fine-dining scene, 180 Degrees Restaurant is a useful comparison point.