Estonia's Rising Star: Gerli Travkin Wins Michelin's Young Chef Award

Gerli Travkin, head chef at Tallinn’s Fotografiska restaurant, has won this year’s Young Chef Award in the Michelin Guide Estonia. The recognition highlights her creative approach to cooking, blending global flavours with local ingredients. Despite her rising profile, she still sees herself as a beginner in the culinary world. Travkin began her professional cooking career in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her dishes reflect a mix of international influences, with a particular focus on North African tastes, especially Moroccan cuisine. One of her signature ingredients is buckwheat, which she toasts before boiling to deepen its flavour.

At Fotografiska, she pairs the buckwheat with spicy nduja pork sausage, a fried egg, and chives. Another standout dish is her tartare, a favourite among diners. The Michelin inspectors, who visit restaurants anonymously using various methods to stay undetected, clearly took notice of her work.

The full list of this year’s Michelin Guide Estonia winners is now available online. The award places Travkin among Estonia’s most promising young chefs. Her innovative use of Estonian ingredients alongside global techniques has already made an impact. The recognition also brings wider attention to Fotografiska’s evolving menu.