VILNIUS - In Your Pocket

26 restaurants
Lokys C-4, Stiklių 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 90 46, www.lokys.
lt. One of Vilnius’ best known restaurants, Lokys (The Bear)
opened its doors to rouble-paying customers way back in 1972
in the Gothic cellars of an Old Town building dating back to the late
15th century and has been serving so-called traditional hunters’
dishes amidst a slightly tongue-in-cheek backdrop ever since. The
limited menu focuses on unusual dishes including quail, venison
and even beaver, with a couple of vegetarian options to keep
everybody happy. Live music happens from time to time, plus you
can rent the entire place for the full blown medieval experience.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. 40Lt. JABS
Marceliukės Klėtis I-2, Tuskulėnų 35, tel. (+370) 5 272
50 87. Fairytale waitresses deliver meals the size of your head
from a menu of traditional Lithuanian dishes featuring more
calories than there are stars in the universe. Located somewhat
strangely in the middle of a large concrete housing estate, this
barnlike restaurant is strewn with such archaic eye candy as
wooden bicycles hung from the ceiling and a pink and green
threshing machine by the front door. Large tables make this a
firm favourite for families and groups. Gentlemen confronted
with the strange machine in the toilet should know that it really
is for weeing in. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00,
Sun 12:00 - 23:00. 17Lt. TAEBS
Lithuanian cuisine
Classic Lithuanian cuisine belongs to a long tradition of
shared peasant gastronomy in the region, with the most
renowned dishes being found in one form or another on
the tables of neighbouring countries as well as among
the descendants of the Ashkenazi Jews. Among the most
popular ingredients are berries, mushrooms, pork, dairy
products, dark rye bread, pickles, herring, and potatoes.
The unofficial national dish is cepelinai (zeppelins), boiled
potato dumplings filled with minced pork or cottage cheese
(varškė) and similar to the Swedish kroppkaka and the
French-Canadian râpée. Originally aimed at manual labourers
working 16 hours or more a day, visiting systems
analysts may find eating more than one a problem, although
the experience is certainly recommended. Koldūnai are
the local version of ravioli, pelmeni, pierogi etc. Like many
other classic local dishes, authentic koldūnai are exceptionally
good and equally hard to find. Next up, kibinai are
meat-filled pies similar in appearance to Cornish pasties
that feature (as kybyn) as the traditional dish of the Lithuanian
Karaite, a bizarre Turko-Judaic ethnic group living in
the region since the 14th century. The best kibinai can be
found in Trakai (see p.64). Balandėliai (Polish, gołąbki),
meaning ‘little pigeons’, are minced pork-filled cabbage
rolls in a creamy sauce. The best ones take half a day to
make and are worth the wait. The classic summer dish is
šaltibarščiai (pictured), which translates as ‘cold borsch’
and is a cold soup made from beetroot and kefyras (kefir)
served with a side dish of hot potatoes. Šaltibarščiai can
be found just about everywhere during the warmer part of
the year and offers an excellent way of getting a quick and
nutritious lunch when sightseeing. Along with kepta duona,
fried black breadsticks served with garlic and/or cheese
that have been known to make people move to Lithuania,
šaltibarščiai is pretty much the only traditional local food
available to vegetarians. Also recommended and found in
restaurants and shops around the city are the baked potato
pudding known as kugelis (Yiddish, kugel), bulviniai blynai
(potato pancakes) and for dessert, lietiniai, better known
in the English-speaking world as pancakes. The Lithuanian
equivalent of bon appétit is skanaus.
Bakeries
Itališka Kepykla C-3, Dominikonų 16, tel.
(+370) 686 310 23. The main supermarket chains
in Lithuania have come a long way over the last few
years when it comes to bread, but it’s still fairly impossible
to find the perfect loaf. Hats off then to this
oasis in the dessert, the brainchild of a local lady so
enamoured by the kind of bread and pastries made
by the Italians she introduced them here. Whereas
the supermarkets get the recipes right but skimp on
the basic materials (the wrong flour, cheap fat etc.),
Itališka Kepykla uses only the best ingredients to
make bread to knock your socks off. Magnificent and
most highly recommended. QOpen 08:00 - 19:30,
Sat, Sun 09:00 - 17:00. JAS
Thierry Kepykla D-3, Užupio 19, tel. (+370) 676
608 89. Currently making waves as the best place in
town for croissants and coffee for breakfast at one of
just three tables, any half-way decent addition to the
generally grim selection of bakeries in Vilnius is more
than welcome. A bit out of the way at the top of a steep
Užupis hill, by all accounts the walk is worth the effort.
The ones in the city centre are yet to be tested. Also
at Švitrigailos 29. QOpen 07:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 -
18:00, Sun 09:00 - 17:00. JASW
Senoji Pasaga C-1, Vrublevskio 2/1, tel. (+370)
687 880 40. A mildly disturbing interior that gives the
impression of a recent burglary should in no way put diners
off. The menu of local and international dishes is perfectly
fine and quite affordable, whilst the tiny secluded garden
at the back is a marvellous place for a quiet lunch during
the summer. Its location close to the Cathedral is also a
boon. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. 25Lt.
PTJAUIBSW
Senoji Trobelė G-5, Naugarduko 36, tel. (+370) 609
990 02, www.senojitrobele.lt. Perfect if you’re staying
in one of the hotels nearby and worth the walk up the
hill from Old Town to eat here, this intimate folk-themed
restaurant is one of the best examples of its kind in the
country. We like the place, especially on a sunny day when
it’s possible to eat and drink on their fine small terrace.
The food is classic unpretentious local cuisine, tastes
good and is equally superb value for money. If you’d like to
take a little piece of the place home, their unique crockery
is available for sale.QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 -
23:00. Closed Sun. 20Lt.TAULVBSW
Žemaičiai B-4, Vokiečių 24, tel. (+370) 5 261 65
73, www.zemaiciai.lt. A brilliant collection of medieval
cellars designed for a slightly upmarket folk-themed
dining experience, ignore the international dishes and
plunge into the traditional food. Those eating in groups
should consider one of the big mixed platters, which are
good value and fun to share. Also worth trying is the fresh
in-house beer, made in the old-fashioned unpasteurised
fashion and a rare treat indeed. Also check out their fast
weekday lunch if you’re in a hurry. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00.
30Lt. JABS
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