A gastronomic renaissance coincided with Lithuania gaining its independence in 1990. First, we wanted to try everything that people in the Soviet era couldn’t even dream of, like Italian classics, French delicacies, fancy seafood, sushi, American burgers and more. Once we tried everything, we came to a collective realisation that some of the best flavour combinations can be found right here in our own country. As a result, more and more restaurants are focusing on incorporating local produce into their menus and revisiting techniques and ingredients popular among our ancestors.

Džiaugsmas

Although they’ve been voted the best restaurant in Lithuania for the past two years, Džiaugsmas does not claim to be a fine dining establishment. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – Džiaugsmas’ chef and owner, Martynas Praškevičius, invites people to relax while really tasting and sharing their meals, some of which are even meant to be eaten with your hands. Quality is the recipe for success at this place – all of the main ingredients on the menu are Lithuanian and of the highest class, purchased directly from local farmers.

Location: Vilniaus 28

Ertlio Namas

Would you like to travel back in time? A restaurant Ertlio namas can offer a gastronomic journey where you will discover what Lithuanian nobility ate from 13th to 19th centuries. Tasting menus which combine modern culinary techniques and authentic recipes are created together with historians, so the meals and the stories around it should be taken seriously.

Location: Šv. Jono 7

Senoji Trobelė

This quaint little house in the middle of the city looks like it’s straight out of the olden days, but it hides a delicious secret. Senoji Trobelė is a restaurant that stays true to Lithuania’s culinary roots. The authentic eatery invites guests to savour Lithuania’s oldest heritage recipes and the dishes that were most popular among its nobility. Served on clay plates at wooden tables, the meat, game, and potatoes dishes are prepared according to old Lithuanian traditions. Plus, there are many vegetarian options and the bread is baked daily according to ancient Lithuanian customs, which call for natural leaven, flaxseeds, bran, and sunflower seeds. To balance the selection of comfort food, get a glass of kvass, traditional Lithuanian beer or mead.

Location: Naugarduko 36

Lokys

One of the oldest restaurants in Vilnius Old Town, Lokys is famous for game dishes that even Grand Duke Gediminas would have loved. The dishes are prepared according to medieval traditions and the menu notes the century each dish is based on. Once you dine in the Gothic or Baroque halls of this 15^th-century merchant house you will feel like a medieval noble enjoying your catch.

Location: Stiklių g. 8

Neringa Restaurant

Neringa Restaurant is a historic landmark in Vilnius, located on Gediminas Avenue. The restaurant was built in 1959 and is best known for its social history, design, architectural value, and top-class service. In addition to its seasonal menu, the restaurant prides itself on the iconic dishes that were served 50 years ago and have remained popular to this day. 

Location: Gedimino pr. 23

Halės Smokehouse

Have you ever wondered what could be the most iconic dish of New York? Chances are, many would immediately think of the famous pastrami sandwich. This combination of flavors – rye bread, beef pastrami, mustard, and pickles – has become a true legend of this megapole. But did you know that this recipe was gifted to New York by an immigrant of Lithuanian descent? More specifically, a Litvak, a Jewish Lithuanian, Sussman Volk.

In the late 19th century, Volk emigrated from Lithuania and settled in New York’s Lower East Side, where he opened a small butcher shop. Initially, Volk made the delicious pastrami just for his customers, but the dish became so popular that in 1888, he opened a delicatessen shop on Delancey Street. It was in this shop that he first served pastrami on rye bread, as we know it today. This unique dish soon became an inseparable part of New York's gastronomy and is still one of the city's culinary icons. The secret lies not only in the carefully selected spices or the long process of marinating and smoking the meat, but also in the small details – from oak wood logs to the perfect thickness of the meat slice.

Location: Pylimo 58