The name 'Hiirelõks' literally means 'the mousetrap' - and once you've crossed its unassuming threshold you may never escape. A cult fixture on the Tallinn nightclub circuit, this tiny Russian karaoke bar has been open for nearly seven years and has a loyal, if low-profile following.
Hidden away down a small road just outside the Old Town in a grey suburban house, from the outside Hiirelõks looks a bit like a down-market brothel. Once inside, however, you find yourself immediately enveloped in the welcoming, slightly loopy atmosphere of Russian karaoke - centred on a wall-mounted monitor in the corner (there is no stage as such). Most of the songs are incomprehensible, but there is also a long list of English-language favourites to choose from.
Don't expect many of your fellow customers to speak English, but this will not stop them trying to communicate. All ages are represented, from young girls with peroxide hair to 30-something divorcees (with peroxide hair). Since Hiirelõks opens for business at midnight customers generally arrive fairly intoxicated from other previous night-time activities.