Eating out in Lithuania is undoubtedly a worthwhile experience. Guests from abroad can choose among places to eat for every taste and occasion, from bargain eateries to formal restaurants, from the traditional Lithuanian cuisine to exotic ethnic restaurants like Chinese, Japanese, Armenian, or Turkish. Not to mention Russian, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish and other restaurants serving European food.
When in Lithuania, one should first try local food. Some traditional Lithuanian dishes include kugelis (a potato pudding), cepelinai (a meat or cheese-fill potato dumpling), mushroom salad with sour cream, kastinis (a dish made from butter and sour cream), potato pie, and vėdarai (sausage filled with potatoes). Cranberry pudding and poppy ‘milk’ are the favourite among traditional drinks. Well-worth mentioning is the Lithuanian beer, which is famous for its distinctive rich flavour. There are also many sweets including sweet cherry soup, blueberry dumplings, and poppy-seed coffee cake.
The widest choice of restaurants and cuisines is found in Vilnius. Among Lithuanian cuisine specialists is Lokys Restaurant, a 15th century merchant house, one of the oldest Vilnius’ restaurants now. It is a medieval restaurant and has a menu featuring dishes like beaver, boar and venison and the more common beef, fish and potato-based dishes. The authentic interior and the medieval magic atmosphere often warmed up by live music make it an ideal place for the ancient Lithuanian experience.
Another Lithuanian cuisine restaurant is ‘Forto dvaras’, which was the first to offer dishes certified by the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Fund. Visitors can select from an abundant variety of traditional Lithuanian food and drinks made following authentic recipes, which include 12 varieties of zeppelins, Curonian potato salad (Curonians: ancient Baltic tribes), sausages with stewed sour cabbages, potato pancakes with herring, onion and sour cream, and many other dishes well worth taking risks.
For those who want to taste something of the more ingenuous dishes, the restaurant Avilys serves beer-based soups and desserts made using unfiltered beer. The traditional brewing process gives it superb taste, so beer-connoisseurs and beer-lovers are welcome.
A popular authentic Lithuanian restaurant is ‘Marceliukės Klėtis’, where guests are attended by waitresses wearing traditional garments and entertained with original folk music. Meanwhile the ‘Ritos Smuklė’ Restaurant is praised for excellent food and interior which makes you feel like in an old country cottage.
An outstanding place to try Lithuanian food is the leisure centre Belmontas. A choice of banquet halls, live music, friendly staff, spectacular views surrounding the centre, an exhibition of ancient Lithuanian arts and crafts and many more things for leisure and relaxation – plenty enough to add excitement to any dinner.
Eating out in Lithuania has become more expensive over the last several years as the tourism industry in Eastern Europe has boomed. However, the prices are still reasonable, so when the bill arrives, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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