Vilnius Restaurants

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On our first day in Vilnius in summer 2011 we arrived at around 19:30 h at our hotel. We then just wanted quite quickly something for dinner. Only 5 Minutes on foot from our hotel we found a large Maxima supermarket with two Pizza restaurants.

We decided to check out the Pizza CanCan, as we have never given it a try on our previous trip to Lithuania.

Pizza CanCan is another Pizza chain with several branches in Vilnius. They offer a large range of Pizzas, which come in three sizes. Apart from that the menu lists a selection of local and international dishes.

I opted for a small Classic Pizza (11,99 Litas) and a Svyturys beer (5,99 Euro). The pizza was a bit tasteless, but still okay. Our waitress was quite friendly and spoke good English.

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Cili Pica is a popular Lithuanian chain of pizza places. The first one was opened in Vilnius in 1997 and nowadays you find them in about 10 cities in Lithuania.

They offer meals for all times of the day and are specialised in - you won't believe it - pizzas, which come in various sizes and uncountable variations. The pizzas are not outstanding but always yummy enough to pop in one of their restaurants.

We visited a Vilnius' branch of Cili Pica in August 2011. I ordered a medium sized Pizza Turismo (16,99 Litas) and a Svyturys beer (5,99 Litas). Although all Lituanian Pizza chains are pretty much the same, for some reason Cili Pica is probably my favorite one.

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On our very last evening in Vilnius in summer 2011 we chose Coffee Inn for a drink as they have free
WiFi. Coffee Inn is a cafe chain with several branches in Vilnius. They seems to be very popular with the younger crowd.

All sorts of hot and cold drinks are on offer and have to be ordered at the counter. The drinks come in paper or plastic cups. In addition a variety of snacks is available as well.

I had a yummy hot cacao for 4,50 Litas. The WiFi internet connection was fast and smooth.

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On our first evening in Vilnius in August 2006 we were quite hungry as we had had a busy day involving a long bus ride and had been settling into our B&B accomodation.

One of the first Lithuanian restaurants that drew our attention was Restaurant Zemaiciai, which due to its central location probably is a bit touristy. They have a little outdoor terrace on the pavement and the interior is an underground network of ancient catacombs.

The menu offers many traditional Lithuanian dishes as well as international cuisine. I ordered roast pork on a spit with boiled rice and my friend opted for the borscht with meat off the bone and a hot boiled potato. Borscht is a traditional East European beetroot soup.

The meals were delicious, but service was a bit slow. The bill was 46,50 Litas (about 14 Euro, 2006) and included two drinks. This is still cheap for west European standards but already a bit on the pricey side in Vilnius.

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The Trattoria Da Antonio is a sister restaurant of the Restaurant Da Antonio, which opened in 1999 in the street Vilniaus gatve.

One evening we went to the Trattoria for dinner and sat down at one of the tables on the wooden outdoor terrace. These tables are just perfect for people watching in the pedestrianised street Pillies gatve.

The interior of the Trattoria is kept simple, but homely. Red white checkered table cloth seem to be a typical detail of the place.

The menu offers a wide range of pizzas as well as delicious pasta and meat meals. I opted for the Pizza Salami and a big Svyturys beer. I was more than happy with my dinner, which came to 22,90 Litas (about 6,90 Euro; 2006). I especially enjoyed people watching.

UPDATE 2011:
During our second visit to Vilnius in August 2011 we realised that the Trattoria Da Antonio has closed down, but two restaurants of the Da Antonio chain still exist in Vilnius. One at Vilniaus gatve 23 and one at L.Stuokos-Guceviciaus gatve 1.

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The Balti Drambliai (White elephant) is said to be one of the few completely vegetarian restaurants in Vilnius. It seems to be popular among the younger crowds; even members of various internet communities like www.hospitalityclub.org have their get-togethers here.

One evening we went to this place for dinner with Vilnius' well known VT member Raimix. He recommended the Balti Drambliai and we really enjoyed our time there.

It is located in brick cellars which date back to the 17th century. The indoor decoration is kept simple and consists of many indian style ornaments. They also have a nice outdoor terrace in a backyard.

You can select among vegetarian dishes ranging from Indian cuisine to traditional Lithuanian meals. They also have a vast selection of teas. I opted for a Svyturys beer and one of the daily Indian specials called "Dienos Sabdzis". It was a mix of vegetables served with rice. The food was delicious and prices were average.

This was our first choice restaurant looking on the Lonely Planet guide... ad it will be the only exact suggestion of this guide, since this restaurant is really great!
We went there for lunch, and had a great Lithuanian meal, drank good beer and payed the usual cheap bill, even if this is one of the nicest restaurante in Vilnius.
They have a big menu to choose from, and of course game dishes are their specialities.

One warm late evening we were in need of a sweet treat. By chance we came along the Spyros Metaxa which still had one free table in the outdoor sitting area.

It is a Greek restaurant which opened in 2004 as a sister restaurant of Liutu Vartai (Lion Gate).

I can't really comment on the food as I only had an ice cream dessert called "Hidros". It consisted of various scoops of ice cream decorated with frozen strawberries.

The ice cream was delicious and the table perfect for people watching. So what more to expect from a warm summer holiday evening ....