Eating Out and In Between: Observations from the Pop-Up Restaurant Scene in Estonia

The article focuses on a particular form of consumption in contemporary culture – pop-up restaurants – from the ethnological viewpoint, drawing on our on-going research in Estonia. We trace the emergence of a new phenomenon over the past couple of years, examining a variety of temporary food establishments in urban as well as rural settings. As Estonian food culture is becoming more and more hybrid, pop-ups reflect global trends in the gourmet foodscape – an increased attention to environmental consciousness, local specialities and authentic experiences as opposed to industrial or mainstream restaurant food. The analysis aims to examine how pop-up restaurants challenge borders between private and public, business and entertainment. Creative and experimental practices of lifestyle entrepreneurs and reflective consumers in such temporary restaurants create new liminal spaces where innovative ideas about food, the home, and community are negotiated. By extending the borders of the conventional restaurant or the home into public space, the pop-up restaurants create spaces of negotiation between the private and the public and new forms of commensality.