Padaste Manor

Just simple out of this world! We stayed for two nights on our trip from Riga to Tallinn and loved every minute of it. From the location in a large estate with beautiful gardens right at the shore to the incredible attentive and friendly service. It is a place to fully relax and enjoy. We ate at the restaurant Alexander and enjoyed a very nice (although not really cheap) dinner. The sauna in a side building and the yoga class in the morning are worth visiting as well. If you want to relax in style, this is the place for you!

Our family of 4 stayed at the Manor for 4 nights, as we were in town for a wedding and the other option was “glamping” - not really our style. We were greeted by the friendly staff and shown to our very comfortable and bright rooms. They were spacious, with nice sized bathrooms that included a tub and a shower. We made a reservation at Alexander’s for dinner that night. The highlight of that experience was having the lovely owner, Imrah, serenade us with his impressive piano playing. Between the music and the setting, we felt we were blessed with a unique, magical experience! My husband and our twin daughters and I will remember this night for years to come. Interestingly, the food was just ok…we are not fans of Michelin star fancy food, so I can’t say we loved it. But the staff was attentive and the wine and dessert were wonderful. The following day we got up to do the yoga class (more of a stretch class really), and Pila, our instructor, was lovely. We then enjoyed a spa day and had wonderful treatments! We also enjoyed the 3 different saunas and the cold plunge. Particularly enjoyed the fresh-herbs & honey scrub before entering the wood-burning sauna. It ended with a yummy pot of tea that we enjoyed in the garden. We had lunch several times at the smaller restaurant (the Yacht Club) and what we had was delicious. The gazpacho and the salad and the charcuterie. The Sav Blanc was a nice accompaniment. Our only suggestion here would be to expand the menu a bit. As for any other comments: the grounds are amazingly beautiful, and the place is perfect for quiet and relaxation. We had some issues with the AC in our rooms and we did detect a strange odor at times from the water in the sink and the shower. Not sure what that was about. Also, it seemed like a bit more servicing of the room beyond making the bed and changing the towels was in order…our sink was pretty dirty at the end of our stay, and our trash cans were full. But overall, we enjoyed our stay very much. Besides the kind hospitality of the owner, Gilbert and Laura could not have been nicer or more attentive!

Unfortunately, a disappointing experience at Pädaste Manor. We’ve never encountered a place where you have to pay an entrance fee just to visit the grounds and dine at the restaurant. If it were at least a museum or featured a remarkable garden, it might make sense — but in this case, it’s simply an old manor with no notable flower gardens or attractions. The café/restaurant in the garden does not live up to the high-end image the place tries to project. Our group of four received incorrect orders, and the service was noticeably poor. It’s really a pity, because the location has potential and could do so much better. But asking for an entry fee at the gate — even if refundable when dining — is a quick way to discourage visitors. There is honestly not much to see that would justify paying just to walk in.