About
the restaurant
Excellence Recognized, Experience Remembered
Restaurant Hõlm is a place where Nordic elegance meets high standard hospitality. The restaurant is recommended by the MICHELIN Guide 2026 and named the best in Tartu by the Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide in 2024, 2025 and 2026. What makes the restaurant special is the fact that its kitchen is completely open, creating a direct link with diners and allowing them to enjoy the art of cooking first-hand. The restaurant uses exciting techniques in preparing its dishes in which quality, simplicity and the purity of the ingredients all play an important role. It also surprises for its recipes, which are inspired by a cookbook written by Lydia Grünmann Holm in 1925-26. This is where the restaurant gets its name – Hõlm.
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1925–1926
Inspiration from the Past
Recipes from Lydia Grünmann Holm’s original cookbook, written in 1925–26, inspire the restaurant’s name and culinary vision.
2016
Grand opening
In 2016, Lydia Hotel opened its doors in the heart of Tartu. At the same time, Hõlm Restaurant debuted, setting a new standard for dining in the city.
A few months after opening, we launched our special dinner tradition. Over the years, restaurant Hõlm has hosted renowned chefs from around the world, among the others Inaki Bolumburu (Spain), Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania), and Frédéric Jaunault (France).
2017
First White Guide Nordic Recognition
Just one year after opening, Hõlm Restaurant received its first recognition in the White Guide Nordic – one of the most respected restaurant guides in Northern Europe.
2022
Michelin Guide recognition
In 2022, Hõlm Restaurant achieved a historic milestone by being included in the Michelin Guide – the first international recognition of its kind in Estonia.
2023
From White Guide to Michelin Guide & Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide
In 2023, Hõlm Restaurant once again secured its place in the prestigious Michelin Guide, reaffirming its position among Estonia’s finest dining destinations.
The year also marked a new chapter in restaurant recognition: after the White Guide ended its coverage in Estonia, Hõlm proudly entered the Falstaff Guide.
Present
Excellence in Progress
Today, Hõlm stands proudly with five consecutive years in the MICHELIN Guide and two years of recognition in the Falstaff Nordic Restaurant Guide,
including the title of best restaurant in Tartu in 2024-2026.