As one would expect of a European Capital City, Vilnius has a wide range of bars, cafes and restaurants to choose from. I always try and eat the local cuisine on my travels but Lithuanian Cuisine may not be for everyone. I was generally disappointed by the poor choice of affordable wines in the restaurants that we visited but the choice of beer was extensive.
There are two Etno Dvaras’ in Vilnius. One is in Pilies street near the Cathedral and the other is past the Town Hall on the square near the Gates of Dawn. We went to the second one a couple of times for lunch, beer and wine and enjoyed it very much. They serve traditional Lithuanian food to a good standard.
This restaurant described as a ‘popular chain’ by the Vilnius In Your Pocket Guide was pretty empty when we visited. It was our first evening meal in Vilnius and I am afraid to say it went a bit wrong for me; my food was stone cold so I had to send it back, they forgot to give us any cutlery [twice] and the choice of wine was terrible but at least the staff were friendly.
There used to be three Sekutises [sic] but now there is only one. It’s a pub that’s not very attractive on the outside but eccentric and friendly inside. They have a good choice of wine and a large selection of beers. The food is pretty good so we went there a few times to eat and drink. We struggled with the smoked pigs ears [bit waxy!] but the steak was great!
We went here for a wee drinky or two so did not get acquainted with the full meaty experience although what was served to the other punters looked pretty yummy. We had some spicy and tasty snacks [I can’t remember what they were made of now!] and chatted to the friendly staff.
The Ukrainian restaurant Leleko is just off Gedimino Avenue not far from Žvėryno Bridge – so it’s not in the Old Town but still pretty central and easy to get to. It was attractively decorated on the inside and we had a pleasant [but not exceptional] meal there.
We felt that we needed a change from Lithuanian cuisine and fancied going Italian. Instead of plumping for one of the Italian restaurants in the city centre we opted for Casa Della Pasta which had good reviews. It’s a small chain with two restaurants in Vilnius. We duly headed over the river by bus and walked the ten minutes to the restaurant. As we neared we realised that we were approaching a huge shopping mall called Akropolis. We were hungry so kept going and entered the mall which was very large indeed and very bright and shiny. The restaurant itself was next to an ice skating rink which was a surprise – the quality of the skating was excellent – and so were our pizzas. The table was candlelit, the wine was well priced and tasty and the staff were great, they even asked if everything was OK with our meal which was a first in Vilnius for us!
Caffeine
You will see lots of Caffeine cafes and booths dotted around the city and it is the perfect place to have a coffee and cakey and rest your tired feet.
Leashia and I really enjoyed this informal foodhall. We had a lunch here as well as a dinner. You can choose from a variety of cuisines such as Greek and Chinese, good quality burgers, ribs, falafels, sausages, cakeys and more and of course there is a bar. Choose your food, grab a table and you get pinged when your food is ready. You will find it on Smetonos Gatve which runs paralell(ish) to Gedimino Avenue. Unusually, there is a small cinema tucked away at the back of the hall.
I love going to local markets. This old market hall is not really a place to go for fine dining and is not aimed at tourists but it’s the perfect place to grab a quick lunch and look at the local delicacies that are on offer. If you like meat and pickles, this is the place for you! There is a large non-food market next door. You will find the market to the south of the city centre, not too far from the Gates of Dawn.
QUICK LINKS:
Gruntie's Travels 