When Travel Lithuania invited me to explore the gastronomy of Vilnius, I was intrigued. Lithuania was not a destination that I had previously really considered, but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. With little time for research, I relied on the well-organized program put together by Travel Lithuania.
Needless to say, my visit exceeded all expectations - from the delicious food to the charming old town and the warm hospitality of the locals. I am definitely planning a return trip to Lithuania in the future.
If you're curious about Vilnius, Lithuania as a destination as well, keep reading for suggestions on how to spend 3 days here as a foodie!
Hey! I am Julie, a Norwegian, traveling solo, creating communities and tasting + photographing amazing food across the planet. If you want to see more content and tips about food and solo travel, be sure to check out my instagram julie.b.christensen. If you are a nomad or interested in becoming one, check out our food and wine workation event in Lisbon in october! Enough about me, lets recap Vilnius!
DAY 1: Travel and arrival: The first impression
You can take SAS flights from Stavanger to CPH, and then easily connect to Vilnius with Baltic Air.
The journey from the airport to Hotel Vilnia near Old Town took approximately 35 minutes by car.
Hotel Vilnia is a 4 star hotel in an exclusive, yet cozy style, and was originally built in the 19th century. It is within walking distance from Old Town and several tourist attractions and restaurants and has one of the best beds you will ever sleep in.
While exploring Old Town by foot the first evening, I stumbled upon a charming wine bar named Notre Vie and a charming local restaurant called Lokys. Interestingly, they offered beaver on their menu, a traditional Lithuanian dish. However, I decided to pass on that particular dish this time. There are days when you simply don't feel like trying beaver, right? Perhaps you can consider adding it to your list of dishes to try!
I opted for some classic mushroom dumplings, followed by a dessert named apple cheese, and a drink at the bar later on. The staff was incredibly friendly. Moreover, there was a jazz night at the wine bar, which as a jazz enthusiast, led me to stay an hour longer than planned.
The streets were adorned with flowers, butterflies, and other cute decorations. I immediately fell for the charming ambiance of this town, and I believe you will too!
DAY 2: Exploring Europos Parkas and fine dining at Fabrikelis
On day 2 I enjoyed a great hotel breakfast at Hotel Vilnia before finally meeting my trip mates from Bergen: Linn and Osama, very talented photographer and journalist. Then we hit the road!
Did you know that there is a open air museum called Museum of Center of Europe/ Europos Parkas just outside Vilnius? Today, the 55 hectar sculpture park displays more than 90 works of art by artists from 27 different countries.
While enjoying the treasured landscape of the park, you will also discover a world of art. The collection includes large scale works by famous contemporary artists such as Abakanowicz, Oppenheim, LeWitt, and Pepper.
The goal of the museum is to give an artistic significance to the geographic centre (as determined by the French National Geographic Institute in 1989) of the European continent and to present the best of Lithuanian and international modern art achievements. (https://www.europosparkas.org/en/)
My favourite art piece was the one awarded with a Guinnes World record of being the worlds largest art piece made of old TV sets. More videos from the park to be found in my story highlight on Instagram.
Walking three hours in this park really works up an appetite! Luckily for us, we had a reservation at newly Michelin recognized, and stunning restaurant, Fabrikelis. A restaurant worth a visit.
The weather was really on our side this weekend, so the staff at Fabrikelis placed all the tables and chairs outside in their garden under the pine trees. It smelled of summer and sunshine, families were dining and kids running around, a very wholesome evening. If you're traveling as a group, try sampling and sharing the entire menu.
The menu at Fabrikelis is based on local produce in season, lots of vegetables and seafood. It's prepared and presented in a modern style, each dish surprising you with powerful flavors. One of my absolute favorite dishes here was the herring with crispy bread and beetroot.
"It’s worth making the journey a few kilometres outside the city to eat at this friendly restaurant; ask for a table on the enclosed veranda or in the garden to get a feeling of dining among the pine trees. The seven or so dishes are designed with sharing in mind and are overtly seasonal – you might find a superb malted sourdough to begin with, followed by oysters with pine, scallops with buttermilk or roasted quail. There’s usually just one dessert on offer, but if it’s the coffee mille-feuille then you’re are in for a treat. Natural wines accompany the modern cooking."
We didn't have the dessert mentioned by Michelin, but we had a strawberry and cream dessert that looked like a piece of art and I would never be without it. I think you will be safe here no matter what dessert they put up for you.
DAY 3: Boat ride, castles, Karaim food, indian fusion fine dining, pastry and fancy cocktail bars
The title says it all, this day was really packed with food and experiences.
I can highly recommend taking the drive up to Trakai, Lithuanias old capital city, and home of the only Eastern European castle ever built on an island. Here you can go on an electric boat in the lake, and even have a little swim, so bring your towels! With views of the old castle and perfect weather, this was a really lovely experience.
The Karaims are a small nation of Turkic decent that are presently in Lithuania. They have been based in Trakai since the 14th century, and luckily for you and me they brought their rich culture and food here.
If you visit Trakai, make sure to try the authentic Karaim dishes at Kybynlar restaurant. We had the pleasure of doing so, and it was a delightful culinary experience! Rich in nutrients and vibrant in color, this cuisine comes highly recommended by me, and I hope I get a chance to eat Karaim food again in the future.
The wooden houses in Trakai are colorful and decorated with flowers, and sometimes they actually reminded me of streets in Norway.
After spending half the day in Trakai, head back to Vilnius old town to explore the Saturday market. This street market is enormous, and goes on forever. In the heat we experienced this day, we didn't even make it through half of it before we had to escape for ice cream. But if the market is there when you get there, I recommend checking it out. It has eveything you can think of and more, from food, to clothes, vintage jewelry, shoes, candles, perfume - everything really.
If you need a pick me up pastry and ice cream like we did, I suggest stopping at Ali Sokoladine. They have this divine pistachio soft serve served up in a soft croissant cone. Their selection is huge and I wish I had space for more!
Time for dinner, and this evening we were invited to dine at Gaspars, a modern Goan restaurant, also recently acknowledged by the Michelin Guide. Chef Gaspar uses modern techniques to create innovative artsy indian dishes using local ingredients and greens from his own garden.
After a great meal it is always a good idea to go out for a few cocktails, Vilnius has great bars and nightlife for every kind of party goer! There's lots of options, we checked out Alchemikas and Compliments before we hit the hay and were very happy with both the creative menus and the attentive service.
Will Vilnius get on your list?
Thanks for having us Travel Lithuania, and thanks for this lovely time together Osama and Linn. This sure was a weekend to remember, and it will not be my last weekend in Vilnius.
xx Julie
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