GMP Clubhotel Pühajärve Restaurant – A Hidden Gem in the Heart of Estonia
GMP Clubhotel Pühajärve Restaurant is a cozy hotel and restaurant in Otepää, located on the beautiful shores of Lake Pühajärv. The hotel offers stylish and comfortable apartments suitable for both families and couples. In addition, the highly praised GMP Pühajärve Restaurant operates there and has been ranked among Estonia’s best dining places for years.
Staying in the rooms with scenic views or dining in the restaurant creates a true sense of idyll and relaxation – at least that was my experience 🙂
The restaurant has a wonderfully cozy atmosphere – candlelight and a scenic view of Lake Pühajärv create a truly special setting. Soft, pleasant background music adds to the experience.
Despite the calm and peaceful environment, families with children are very welcome here. A unique feature is Estonia’s first smart playroom, recently built on-site. This means that while parents enjoy their dinner, they can monitor their child in the playroom directly from their phone.
The service is excellent – we never had to wait or call for attention. The staff checked on us regularly, and most of the time we were served by Kristiina. Special thanks to her for the dedication and thorough explanations of the dishes!
Let the indulgence begin
The menu is full of tempting choices, and what I tried as a starter may not even be on the menu in a few months – the selection is constantly evolving, inspired by the seasons and the chef’s creativity.
As a welcome from the chef, we were served a savory cheese truffle – filled with smoky cream cheese, coated with seeds and breadcrumbs, and finished with a lingonberry-spice touch. Absolutely delicious – compliments to the chef!
The starters currently included homemade pâté, herring with beetroot, salmon with apple, goat cheese with pumpkin, beef with rhubarb, and elk with rowan berry.
For my starter, I chose elk with rowan berry (cold-smoked fillet, spiced rowan berry jam, spruce shoot cream, Forte cheese) – €14.50. The meat was delicate and naturally flavored, complemented by a slightly stronger honey mustard and spruce shoot aioli. Served in ultra-thin slices, the dish looked beautiful and tasted excellent.
The wine list is diverse, with a wide selection of drinks. I wanted to try house wines by the glass, and since red wine was recommended with the elk, I chose Primitivo 2015, Castello Monaci Piluna, Salento, Italy (€5.50 per glass). It paired perfectly with the tender meat. The taste was quite bold yet velvety, with a long finish featuring notes of berry jam and a hint of licorice. The aroma was also rich in berry and vanilla tones.
All breads served with the dishes are baked on-site. The wonderfully airy, slightly salty bread roll and the loaf with its crispy crust had a texture somewhat reminiscent of cake.
They were perfectly complemented by soft, creamy, and lightly salted butter. The artisanal bread is also available to take away as a souvenir.
A colorful selection of main courses
Moving on from the exciting world of starters to more substantial dishes. The current selection included roasted cauliflower, pork tenderloin, lamb, fish, duck breast, and beef tenderloin. It’s also worth mentioning last year’s most popular main course – duck breast (with goat cheese as a starter).
Our first main course choice was pork and mustard (sous-vide pork fillet, mustard potato cream, apple-pumpkin salad, beer sauce) – €14. The low-temperature cooked meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender, with a rich sauce and crispy onion pieces adding a subtle smoky note.
The dish was enhanced by the beer sauce, creamy mustard-seed potato purée, and silky spinach cream (excellent!). The apple-pumpkin salad added a touch of heat with chili, bringing balance to the flavors. The carrot balls were pleasantly sweet and nicely crunchy.
For our second main course, we chose lamb with buckwheat (smoked saddle, buckwheat, pea and wild garlic cream, goat cheese foam, mint sauce) – €16.
The lamb saddle, cooked at low temperature, was incredibly tender and juicy. It was paired with stewed buckwheat – flavorful, slightly puréed, and gently spiced. Buckwheat popcorn and crispy carrot balls added texture and character to the dish.
The creamy and flavorful goat cheese foam brought the whole dish together beautifully, adding both richness and depth.
To accompany the meal, the server recommended a red wine – Merlot 2014, Georges Duboeuf, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France (€4.50 per glass).
Compared to the previous red wine, this one was younger, lighter, and fruitier. The aroma featured wild berries, while the taste was dry, berry-forward, and slightly spicy.
Finishing on a sweet note
Leaving the restaurant without trying a dessert would almost be a sin – especially when the menu includes such tempting options: the GMP signature cake (chocolate fondant), sea buckthorn tart, warm berry cake, and artisanal cheeses.
Liis chose the customer favorite – the GMP signature cake (a favorite for 8 years) – €6.50. The fondant was wonderfully creamy, with its sweetness perfectly balanced by mild apple purée and berry jam.
The warm chocolate paired beautifully with the cold and silky vanilla ice cream.
For my second dessert, I chose the warm berry cake (forest berries, butter pastry, herbs, mint ice cream) – €6.50.
A truly delicious and comforting dessert, with the ice cream adding freshness and lightness. The combination was excellent – cookie crumble, tangy berries, warm cake, silky ice cream, and a sweet mint balm.
I could easily have gone for a second portion 🙂
The child’s favorite turned out to be the meringue and cookie crumble hidden under the vanilla ice cream.
The restaurant offered not only a great taste experience but also visual delight thanks to its beautiful presentation and thoughtful design – highly recommended!
Entertainment at its best
If anyone has forgotten what a gem Otepää is, it’s worth highlighting the activities available both in winter and summer.
In winter, you can enjoy a variety of attractions: Kuutsemäe and Väike-Munamäe ski resorts, Winterplace winter park, Tehvandi and Tartu Marathon ski trails, the Pühajärv ice skating track, sleigh safaris, and more.
In summer, you can look forward to golf holidays, various major events, and of course Lake Pühajärv.
The GMP Clubhotel family apartment (one-bedroom apartment) has everything you need for a comfortable stay. In addition to the essentials, it also includes a kitchenette with an espresso machine for great coffee, a drying cabinet for clothes, and much more.
Breakfast is an experience of its own! I can’t even remember the last time we enjoyed such freshness and rich flavors. You can even start your morning with a glass of Prosecco – sunlight streaming through the window, the frozen Lake Pühajärv shimmering in the distance, and complete silence all around.
Otepää truly stays with you – through its wonderful flavors, the beauty of Lake Pühajärv, and the warm hospitality. I will definitely come back here!
Find more information about the restaurant and reserve your experience HERE!
