The history of Toomemäe farm began a long time ago when our family was looking for a suitable farm. Naturally, it had to be located in Setomaa because this is the place where we were born and raised, and had been living up to that moment. Saabolda village had a perfect place for us, and this is where we live now.

One day in the summer of 2012, we opened a café for the first time, right in front of our house, as a part of the Seto Külavüü Popup Café Day. There were more visitors than we had expected, and people went home happy. I was restless ever since, though, because the dream and yearning about a proper family restaurant was growing. In 2016, our own farm restaurant finally opened.

My whole life has been connected to food and cooking in some way. I have started to become increasingly interested in old recipes; testing these is fascinating. Fortunately, we live in the area where old traditions are still cherished.

By now, the annual Seto Kingdom Day is a well-known festival, and it is an opportunity for the public to vote for the best masters and craftspeople. On three occasions, I have been chosen as the best pie-maker in the region, with nothing other than the same chanterelle mushroom pie that we used to make at home when I was a child becoming the winning entry. Naturally, you will have a chance to taste it, too.

Simple food with pure flavours that our grandparents used to see on their table daily is now considered gourmet. We want to provide meals that are common for this area and were a part of our childhood, such as pike main course dishes.
Naturally, our ingredients are local and organic.

When we were digging for the foundation of the restaurant, we found poppy seeds that had been waiting for their turn for several decades in the ground; they are now flourishing in our garden. The word “Maagõkõnõ” came to my mind at once! These flowers would be grown in gardens, seeds would be used to flavour food, and the plant must have played some other important role. These were the flowers that the interior designer painted on the walls of the restaurant without having even heard this story.
What else are we to do than try to incorporate poppy seeds in our menu!

Our farm restaurant Maagõkõnõ is open for you to set out on a journey of delicious experiences!