VILNIUS - In Your Pocket

44 nightliFe
The Lithuanian capital’s disparate nightlife options run the
breadth of all things imaginable for any taste and budget,
from quiet cafés full of serious-looking men huddled over a
game of chess to steamy underground caverns dedicated
to the time-honoured pursuit of getting ordinarily level-headed
businessmen so horribly drunk that they willingly empty
the contents of their bank account inside a stripper’s knickers.
Now that the city’s wine-drinking crowd have been given
their own places to imbibe, Vilnius’ nightlife entrepreneurs
are turning their attention to the subject of beer, namely
with the regular opening of a new place selling warm brown
froth made in small microbreweries around the country. The
best are of course listed here. Clubs remain almost exclusively
mainstream, whilst the city’s gay and lesbian scene
is almost as far underground as a Soviet nuclear test site.
With the exception of perhaps Pyongyang, no capital city in
the world is without its more sinister side, and that includes
Vilnius. Violence and alcohol occasionally combust into
fisticuffs, and with wages to make a sweatshop worker stay
in bed it’s no surprise to learn that wallets, mobile phones
and even the occasional camera disappear from ineptly attended
tables, pockets and bags. Finally, face control is ever
on the rise. If yours doesn’t fit, forget it. Have fun!
Bars
Alaus Studija E-1, S. Žukausko 20, tel. (+370) 685
608 85. Exactly why it took just over a thousand years for
somebody to open a really outstanding bar in Vilnius is anyone’s
guess, but open it they finally did. True, the location could be
more central, but when it’s as good as this there’s no particular
need to complain. Selling only foreign beers alongside a few
stronger options and decorated with leftover technology from
the recently expired Lithuanian Film Studios, the Murphy’s is
refreshingly affordable and goes down a treat. A menu of bar
snacks is also available, plus there’s hot nachos, nuts and
blankets for chilly spring evenings sat outside on the terrace.
A taxi from Old Town shouldn’t cost more than 10Lt. Highly
recommended. QOpen 16:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 02:00,
Sun 17:00 - 24:00. PAB
Amatininkų Užeiga C-4, Didžioji 19/2, tel. (+370) 687
223 66. An Old Town institution popular with locals and tourists
alike, the service here has always been pretty bad even at
the best of times although that’s never stopped the punters
from coming. The nondescript interior fills during the colder
part of the year with a motley collection of inebriated locals
whilst the sprawling outdoor terrace continues to be one of
the most popular drinking spots in the city. If you can handle
the wait, the food is edible and, best of all, famously keeps
arriving on your table until sunrise. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 07:00. PJABW
NEW
Entry C-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 624 943 17. Hovering
mid-way between sports bar and a pool venue, this place
just makes it into this section on account of the 12 plasma
screens that show regular local and international sporting
events. There’s a decent bar too, and even the option to eat.
As for its pool venue credentials, find six excellent pool tables
and a further table for snooker. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat
12:00 - 02:00. PJNSW
Fortas H-4, Algirdo 17, tel. (+370) 652 011 38, www.fortas.eu.
Despite its slightly crappy beer collection, Fortas can
do no wrong. Perched up on top of the hill above Old Town, this
always busy spot plays host to everyone from shady-looking
Russian-speakers without any hair to immaculately turned out
Japanese tourists. Perfect for an outdoor summertime drink
despite the appalling view and equally rewarding indoors, it
would be unfair to not mention the food, which is consistently
marvellous. Top banana. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 -
24:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PABW
Gringo A-3, Vilniaus 31/1, tel. (+370) 654 905 41. The
friendly bar staff certainly make a change from many others in
the area, and the cold beers on offer are both well chosen and
priced (Gringo currently serves one of the best pints of Guinness
in the region). Also find the added incentives of free wireless
internet and table football. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Tue, Wed
11:00 - 03:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. JABW
Summer Bars
Hats off to the merry innkeepers of Vilnius, who’ve
simultaneously realised the potential of the city centre’s
empty spaces and stuffed great big bars in several
of them. This may seem somewhat passé to many a
reader but for the locals it’s literally a breath of fresh air.
Even better, most, if not all by the time this sentence is
finished, come with a clutch of DJs to help swing things
along. The following list is far from complete, but does at
least represent the best of the bunch. All listed venues
will be open until the end of the good weather, some
time around the start of October.
Sensus Terasa B-2, Totorių 13, tel. (+370) 5
261 46 93, www.bonussensus.lt. Occupying the
former Chaplin Terasa space for those who remember
it, the good people at Sensus Bar & Grill have caught
the summer terrace bug and are at the time of going to
press fighting the elements with this cracking outdoor
space mid-way between Old Town and Gedimino. A good
alternative to most of the other summer terraces in town
that tend to attract a younger crowd, this one aims to
keep a broader public whilst keeping the summer bar
tradition of serving cold beer and providing a range of
evening entertainment. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun
14:00 - 24:00. JAB
Vasaros Terasa B-3, Vilniaus 39, tel. (+370) 620
856 89. Inside the large Mokytojų Namai courtyard,
Vasaros Terasa (Summer Terrace) functions as all
things but is most comfortable in its role as a bar. A
great location for a drink any time of day, the people who
come here tend to be young and about as alternative
as it gets in Vilnius. Service is consistently dreadful, but
once you’ve resigned yourself to the fact that there’s
nothing you can do about it, it’s definitely one of the
top summer spots in the city. The courtyard also plays
host to a regular supply of music acts and DJs as well
as the occasional work of art. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Fri
11:00 - 03:30, Sat 12:00 - 03:30, Sun 12:00 - 24:00.
JEBXSW
Vienuolyno Kiemas B-3, Trakų 9/1. Currently the
top venue among the city’s outdoor drinking spaces,
this place is embarrassingly difficult to find for some
people who claim to call Vilnius home. Find friendly
staff, affordable drinks, a family atmosphere, plenty of
wooden platforms for tripping over and the best pick
of the DJs currently playing to outdoor crowds in the
capital. The marvellous setting is somewhat ruined by
a proliferation of massive umbrellas (here’s a tip for you
Vienuolyno Kiemas, why don’t you take them down when
it’s not raining eh?), although after the sixth beer you’ll
hardly notice. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00. JE
Vilnius In Your Pocket vilnius.inyourpocket.com