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Yes, this is Lithuania’s national dish

What could be better. A couple of hot ‘cepelinai’ made of fresh potatoes, stuffed by
minced meat or cottage cheese. Plus a refreshing beer...

As soon as I came here I was told to try the Lithuanian national dish, cepelinai, which are stuffed potato dumplings, and I soon found a restaurant to give it a try. It was a quality recommendation (!) as I found the cepelinai to be a quality taste sensation. Hmmm….cepelinai. When I asked for the bill at the end, the waiter brought me another pint of beer……ah, no more questions, we must be in Lithuania.

Well, when visiting any country, it’s always an interesting treat to sample their traditional dishes and Lithuania is no exception. For some, you may have this opportunity while visiting family and friends. I’m always excited when I get an invite from my cousin Vytautas in Vilnius to come over for dinner. His wife Rūta never ceases to amaze and delight with the wonderful meals she prepares – You would not believe the Cepelinai that comes from her kitchen. It must run in the family because her sister Marytė in Kaišiadorys also has that magic touch so I’m also always in good appetite when we visit her – Some of the roast meat this lady prepares is fit for royalty.

Now if these invitations for a traditional home cooked meal are not available don’t despair or if you just want to go out and do some gastronomical exploring on your own there are many places to find traditional Lithuanian food. As you drive around the country you continually are passing through villages and small towns. In most of these villages you will find at least one kavinė (café). These kavinės almost always offer a number of Lithuanian favorites on their menu. I can tell you that it is not uncommon to see a large hand made sign on a tree that says “CEPOLINAI”. This sign may be in front of a road side kavinė or if your lucky, the sign is in front of some one’s house. In this case you’re eating cepelinai on their patio – Talk about wonderful atmosphere! Let’s face it, for the most part their clientele are the people in the village and Lithuanians like to eat these traditional meals on a daily basis. In a small town you will find quite a few of these local kavinės.

Now some may be concerned that they don’t speak the language very well or even not at all. No Worries! All you need to know are a few words like cepelinai, kugelis and bulvinių blynai (potato pancakes) and you’ll do just fine. In fact for those of you that don’t speak Lithuanian very well, or not at all, you may enjoy not only your meal but your visit even more. In these village and small town kavinės they don’t really get a lot of foreign visitors so when guests from another country come into their cozy little café they are delighted. As long as everything you say is with a smile you will have probably the most friendly service you ever experienced in your life. Now ordering your meal may involve a lot of pointing and gesturing but in the end all will be understood and you will be in for a delicious treat. Oh by the way, one more thing you should remember, kopūstų sriuba (cabbage soup). Some of the finest cabbage soup I’ve ever had in my life has been in some of these country side kavinės.

Now for those of you that will be spending time in some of the larger cities in Lithuania, you will also find quite a few local kavinės that offer a variety of traditional Lithuanian dishes. Also in the larger cities you can easily find any number of restauaunts that specialise in traditional lithuanian food. There are three restaurant chains in Lithuania that offer very good and very high quality traditional meals. Now the word “chain” may sound a little detracting but don’t let it. I’ve eaten in various restaurants of all three of these “chains” and I can tell you that you will be treated to not only authentic but very tasty food. In fact two of these “chains’ have restaurants here in Vilnius and I go to these places quite often.

To go in alphabetical order let’s start with BERNELIŲ UŽEIGA.
Bernelių Užeiga prides itself on recreating the food from an authentic Lithuanian kitchen. It was the first Lithuanian restaurant chain that was certified with Lithuanian Culinary Foundation Certificate which guarantees that dishes are prepared according to original recipes. Their menu is vast and the atmosphere of their eateries is very warm and welcoming. They have four restaurants in Kaunas and one in Šiauliai.

Next on the list is ČILI KAIMAS.
The Čili chain is the largest restaurant chain in Lithuania and a few years ago they opened up their specialty Čili Kaimas restaurants. Their menu also is based on traditional dishes. Depending on which location you are in the atmosphere can range from eating in the dining room of a wealthy land owner to sitting at wooden tables at a big festival. There are five Čili Kaimas restaurants in Vilnius, two in Kaunas and two in Klaipėda.

Last on our list but by no means least is FORTO DVARAS.
Forto Dvaras was the first restaurant in Lithuania to offer certified meals from the Gastronomic Heritage Foundation. These are meals made in the traditional way, using products of local origin.
I would say they this restaurant has the widest variety on their menu. They have one entire page devoted to just potato pancakes. About any variety of grated potato, filling and sauce you could think of and when you look at their list of cepelinai varieties you will be equally amazed and delighted. All of this with Lithuanian music playing in a cozy atmosphere of an old estate, decorated with elements of the old graphics and pictures from authentic books. For you lovers of cabbage soup, I highly recommend you try their cabbage soup with smoked sausage – Labai skani!!!

Now some one may ask which one would I recommend???
Good question. I wish I had a good answer???
I have eaten in the restaurants of many of these chains and I would have to say that it would be difficult and maybe impossible for me to say which is the best. They are all very popular so I would say that it’s a good bet that you will enjoy any and all that you eat in.

Vin Karnila

Text: Liisa Leitzinger

Countryside in the city – what can you find in the beautiful Valakupiu forest park just a few kilometers away from the Vilnius Old Town??

Any Vilnius resident will start having trouble finding things to do during the long winter weekends. During summer, we keep ourselves happy and busy just walking around the beautiful old town, sitting in cafes or driving to Trakai and countryside homes for weekends. Here comes the winter and by February, we are fed up with shopping centers, seen all the movies and just discouraged by the amount of clothing needed for a short stroll around the town. I myself keep dreaming about winter weekends in cozy country inns, but the reality of driving on icy country roads trying to reach the destination before early sunset has made me prefer staying within the save city limits for the winter time. Fortunately, Vilnius is a human size of a city, which means that countryside can be reached 5 km from the Cathedral Square!

The city area called Valakupiu is located between Neris river and Nemencines plentas road, about 5 km from city center after Antakalnis area. Actually two names are used for this area. Valakupiai name is the old and official name, known from 18th century Polish form Walakupie. However, in Lithuanian  language the form Valakampiai is more common and  many residents seem to prefer Valakampiai from the official choice of linguistics, Valakupiu. Location among Neris river and landscape of pine trees has made this area favorite picnic location not only summertime, but also during winter. Only less than ten years ago, I remember cows grazing next to the main road. Cows are gone now, but some of the little wooden homes still keep chicken and one local keeps a little pony, seen eating grass during summer and working to carry wood during winter.  Valakupiu is truly countryside within city!

Bus number 15, although travelling only once an hour from Antakalnis  and circulating slowly around the area, makes Valakupiu area reachable for citizens without cars too. The area has two beaches by Neris river maintained by Vilnius city. The first beach is larger area, with several sandy sports fields, barbeque areas, two children’s play areas and café. The second beach is still kind of a free spirit area, where ladies can sunbathe in their underwear, retirees play games of chess all day and dogs run free mixing with little children and drunken teenagers. The action at the Valakupiu beaches does not stop for the winter, on the contrary. All weekends Vilnius residents set up barbeques and take out thermoses of hot drinks to enjoy a day out in the snow.  On Sunday mornings, sports enthusiasts gather for soccer games, some of the groups being together for games for over 10 years!

Endless little roads and pathways among the pine forest make the area great for walking and skiing. Weekends are filled with groups of friends and families, some walking quietly along the river, enjoying the nature, some taking out Nordic walking sticks for a real exercise or jogging along the roads. The area has plenty of large fields and forests for dogs to run free. Skiing is also very popular in Valakupiu. It is not the organized kind of skiing we have in my home country Finland, where the city will maintain hundreds of kilometers of specially made ski tracks, which are lit up for the evening and only used for skiing. No, skiing in Valakupiu is for the brave, making their own tracks and going where they want to in a beautiful, snow covered forest. Of course, none of the forest tracks and roads have names or signs! That is part of the attraction and adventure of out door sports  in Valakupiu. Actually it is almost impossible to get lost. The area is between Neris river and Nemencines road, so eventually the lost sportsmen will run into one or the other landmark.

The area Valakupiu has of course developed and changed from the countryside and rehabilitation area into desirable residential living area. The old wooden villas have new company from modern, expensive homes hidden in the pine woods. Fortunately, the area did not suffer from excessive building, even during the times of economic housing boom. Building sites are very large and new homes stay hidden in the pine woods. Some walkways in the woods could almost be like Hollywood tours looking for houses of the rich and famous. Many wealthy Vilnius citizens have built magnificent residences in Valakupiu, hiding along the banks of Neris river and pine woods.

The service infrastructure and hotel development in the area also started during the economic rise. As many of the restaurants from the Soviet times had long been closed down and demolished, new entrepreneurs looked into the possibilities to cater residents and visitors to the area. The most visible restaurant – café at the first beach by the road is “Valakampiu Svetaine”, Lizdeikos street 46. Hugely popular and busy during summer, it remains closed during winter season. Newcomer in the area is restaurant  ”Vaidilutes 24”, www.vaidilutes24.lt . Specialized in private parties, this family restaurant has become very popular and remains reserved most weekends for weddings, birthdays and work parties. Originally the owners planned to build a small guest house in the connection with the restaurant, but this development is still waiting for better times.  Very popular and open all season is “Plento baras” at the main road Nemencines pl. 33. Owned by the Cili restaurant chain, the menu is good Lithuanian home cooking in rustic country interior.  Plastic surgery center  ”Vitkus Clinic” www.vitkusclinic.com offers a bit different type of services, concept taken from California directly to Lithuania, cosmetic surgery operations  close to nature, offering quiet healing time and luxury accommodation for patients. The real gem and hidden secret in the Valakupiu service sector is “Valakupiu rehabilitation center” www.reabilitacija.lt, at Vaidilutes street 69. This huge center offers medical services and accommodation for people with severe or moderate physical disabilities and professional training for handicapped.  Doctor’s note will lead you to modern facilities and very reasonably priced services from specialized massages to thermal baths.
The most serious development in Valakupiu hotel scene was Hotel Vila Valakampiai, www.vilavalakampiai.lt  by the first beach, Vaidilutes street 6A. The building itself was started  almost ten years ago, then left empty and unfinished, until opening to public with 29 luxury rooms, conference center, upscale restaurant and outdoor terrace. At this time, the hotel and restaurant are closed. Obviously, the Vilnius market remains very competitive in restaurant and hotel area. Also, the concept of Hotel Vila Valakampiai might have been slightly wrong for the area. The hotel rooms were quite plain business like, whereas I would imagine most people choosing remote location for a hotel stay, would have preferred more romantic and spa like rooms. The restaurant interior was beautiful and elegant, but maybe the expensive dinner menu was not right, as wine bars were just becoming popular and people were looking for a place to go out, have a drink and socialize, not sit down and eat.

Would I stay in a hotel in Valakupiu area? Is there a customer segment for resort hotels in city park areas? Are we going to see the existing hotel open and running again and new ones opening in Valakupiu? I do hope so. I would definitely take my husband or the whole family for a get away weekend in the nature, just to get out of the house during winter. But to do so, many details had to be just right. The right price. The right atmosphere. Activities. Company. Food. Who will be the next entrepreneur trying to get all the details just right for a hotel in the city park?

Text: Aage Myhre

Lithuania offers a modern, international cuisine and service, fully on par with Western Europe.
La Provence in Vilnius Old Town is an excellent example of exactly that.

Did you think that this country mostly offers traditional food? Think again… Today’s situation is that numerous Lithuanian restaurants follow the best world traditions of offering exceptional international cuisine, as well as a number of Lithuanian masterpieces, first-class service in surroundings of refined elegance and impeccable hospitality. Modern Lithuania’s excellent cuisine together with a high class service will leave you a memorable experience.

Let me bring you to some of my favourite international cuisine restaurants, this time unfortunately only in Vilnius!

La Provence

La Provence is good, and remains good year after year. You should try some of their juicy fish choices that include red mullet, monkfish and fresh, hot and smoked halibut. My favourite, however, has always been the lamb knuckles or roebuck filet with cherry sauce. La Provence also houses a most uncompromising wine list ...

Balzac

Balzac restaurant was in 2010 voted the best restaurant in Lithuania.  This is the place to go for authentic French cuisine, French wines and top gastronomy as only the French can it... It’s located in the very heart of Vilnius, close to the Town Hall Square, Warm atmosphere with French music. The owner and main person behind both food and wines is Thomas Teiten, a very sympathetic guy from North Alsace. All genuine... A bientôt !

Neringa

This place gives you a feeling of going back to the ‘good old days in Lithuania’ - the interwar period. And when you are here, at least once you have to try their world famous Kiev Cutlet! The restaurant is unique by its unchangeable interior from the beginning about 40 years ago – and still this is the venue of elderly intellectuals, one-time famous artists, architects and actors. Retro music concerts at weekends. Jazz club in the cellar.

Bistro 18

Restaurant & wine shop

Anne and Saulius, the Irish-Lithuanian couple owning and running this place, might well be there to give you a warm welcome as soon as you enter. The food is of the best in town, and affordable. Do not forget to ask for the wine list, or study the many shelved bottles. If you are lucky, Saulius might be there to share his wine wisdom...

Steakhouse Hazienda

The restaurant is a part of the elegant Mabre Hotel’s monastery compound, offers a truly international and Lithuanian cuisine. A relaxed atmosphere for business lunch or evening dinner. Live music is performed at least three times a week, and during spring and summer the open-air terrace is the venue for very special events! The bar serves a good selection of beers and wines, spirits, and soft drinks. Among the very best steaks in town.  

Markus ir ko

This is certainly a restaurant you should visit if you want a really good, juicy, soft steak. The location in Vilnius'  old Jewish quarter gives the place a unique atmosphere. It’s only regrettable that the serving staff's attitude  is not on the same good level...

Sue’s Indian Raja

Sue's Indian Raja is something of an institution in Vilnius. It's just about the only game in town if you've got a hankering for the savoury delights of the Subcontinent. Owner and restaurateur extraordinaire, Wing Commander (retired) Rajinder K. Chaudhary, the man whose shirts are always crisp, can often be found tucket in a quiet nook, quietly tapping away at his laptop. "Nothing here is pre-cooked, nothing is microwaved," he says proudly.
All the spices used at Sue's, along with the rice, are brought over from India.

Zoe’s

Zoe's is one of the places in Vilnius you become genuinely fond of. The food is good, the service is  impeccable. The atmosphere is always good. The boss himself, Swedish-Austrian Jurgen Weis, always have a steady hand throughout. Always a safe choice, if you ever were in doubt...

Medininkai

Restaurant Medininkai follows their own, old tradition of offering excellent food and courteous, first-class service - in surroundings of refined elegance and impeccable hospitality. The restaurant is located in a former monastery in the heart of Vilnius near one of the oldest streets in town, today has the privilege of 16th century courtyard, where guests can have the added pleasure of lunching or dining outdoors during the summer season in the pleasant atmosphere of ancient Vilnius.

Saint Germain

Restaurant-winery “Saint Germain” is a place to meet, to be in a company with friends, to leave.... and to meet again. Retro style surrounding creates relaxing and informal atmosphere. This is a place for those preferring pleasant and cosy environment, no rush when enjoying gourmet meals and quality wine.

.Lokys 

“Lokys” means ‘bear’. This hunters' restaurant is known for its fine flavour of historical Lithuania. Situated in the old town of Vilnius the restaurant offers many historic delights - among these, of course, delicious food according to traditional recipes. It is one of the oldest restaurants in Vilnius. As you sit in the restaurant's gothic cellars and listen to the lulling melodies of Lithuania played on a flute and accordion, the chef of the restaurant is busy roasting the finest hunting takes for you.

Pegasus

A truly modern restaurant with international cuisine, offering a gourmet trip to various countries of the world. Dishes from almost all regions of the world are included in the menu. Modern and democratic atmosphere with a sense of tasteful luxury helps to create a special atmosphere for any purpose. View to the City Hall square. A unique location and balcony view make any event special.

Stikliai

Regarded by many as the highest-class and most elegant restaurant in the capital, the restaurant is located in the courtyard, under a glass roof and serves French cuisine. The restaurant is part of the Hotel Relais and Chateaux Stikliai.

Domm

Domm is situated in one of the most prestigious buildings of the city - the Town Hall. Its history dates back to the 15th century and the décor resembles a film set featuring ancient ceiling frescos, contemporary design furniture, extravagant chandeliers and artworks adorning the walls. None the less exotic is Domm's cuisine, offering an amazing gastronomic adventure. Experimental cooking is its field and it never ceases to amaze.  

Žemaičių smuklė

This Samogitian tavern serves Lithuanian national dishes from the famous potatoes dumplings “cepelinai“ to simple and delicious curd cheese pancakes as well as European cuisine including game dishes and sea food. One of the oldest restaurants in town.

Stikliai tavern

Brewery ‘Prie katedros’

This cellar restaurant on the main street of Vilnius (Gedimino ave) makes its own beer using honey, and one way or another adds either of the ingredients into the food it serves. Educational classes are organized for beer lovers. During the class the guests are introduced with the beer production session and get the opportunity to taste all sorts of beer that are produced in this little restaurant factory.

San Marco 

San Marco is the place for those who look for pleasure and peace. Italian style restaurant wit a quiet and delighted home atmosphere full of nice elements of refined decor, gourmet food and wines just in the Old town of Vilnius.  Believe it or not, but I found a pearl in my oyster that evening...

Ida Basar

Ida Basar is one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in Lithuania, situated in a XVI century architectural monument of Vilnius. It is also the only restaurant - museum in Lithuania  and one of 4 of the kind in Europe. Guests can not only enjoy meals from international cuisine and delicacies  from Lithuanian Grand Duchy (XIV - XVII century) noblemen meals, but also observe ample collection of antique dishes, cutlery, china, coffee grinders, and other - more than 4000 items in total.

Belmontas

This entertainment and recreation centre is a very good place for any event: both formal and informal, in the open air and inside, from folk to classic style. Water falls, fountains, watermills, beautiful surroundings carefully looked after by the owners create a relaxing atmosphere. There is also an open-air bar and amphitheatre – an ideal place for any kind of performance.