The counters in Vilnius worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Vilnius worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Pinavija on Vilniaus is a family-run Lithuanian bakery cafe known for hot kibinai pastries, šakotis tree cake and brunch in a softly-French Old Town corner.
Tip: Indoor seating fills early on weekends. A šakotis to-go travels home well in checked luggage.
Worth the queue: Mutton kibinai
Beigelių Krautuvėlė on Pylimo bakes Litvak Jewish bagels, bialys, challah for Sabbath and teyglakh on-site since 2016, run by the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Tip: Sells out by late afternoon. The most historically grounded bagel in the Baltic, simply.
Worth the queue: Bagel Lox
Holy Donut on Vokiečių bakes handmade donuts and large bagels, with one of the bigger vegan-donut selections in Vilnius for the Old Town brunch crowd.
Tip: Vegan glaze sells out fastest on Sundays. Bagel sandwiches at lunch are the better lunch order.
Worth the queue: Vegan glaze donut
Holy Donut's Vilniaus branch sits a block from Pinavija on the same shopping street, with the same handmade donuts and bigger bagels at a quieter counter.
Tip: Less queue than the Vokiečių original. The chocolate-glaze donut is the consistent best-seller here.
Worth the queue: Bagel sandwich
Halės Bistro inside the main hall of the 1906 market makes fresh bagels, vegan plates and quick lunch trays alongside the produce stalls and butcher counters.
Tip: Cheap, fast and good. Quiet on weekday mornings before the lunch rush from Naujamiestis offices.
Worth the queue: Fresh bagel
Beigeliai on Vilniaus toasts bagels and bialys over a wood-fired oven, with cream-cheese spreads and a small soup menu for the daily Naujamiestis lunch.
Tip: Smaller and less historic than Beigelių Krautuvėlė; useful when the Pylimo shop is closed.
Worth the queue: Cream cheese bialy
Gusto Blynine on Aušros Vartų cooks Lithuanian pancakes including bulvių blynai, sweet curd-cheese varškės blynai and savoury versions from a small counter.
Tip: Eat in or take away; cooking is to order so allow ten minutes for the bulvių blynai.
Worth the queue: Bulvių blynai potato pancakes
Mano Guru on Vilniaus is a cafe-bakery from a Lithuanian charity training former addicts as bakers, with sourdough loaves and brunch beside its kitchen.
Tip: Social-mission cafe; food is good and the rye loaf to take away is excellent.
Worth the queue: Rye sourdough loaf
Mama Pica on A. Stulginskio bakes daily cinnamon rolls, sourdough loaves and small Lithuanian pastries in a small neighbourhood cafe-counter on the strip.
Tip: Cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven at 10:00. Sells out by mid-afternoon on weekends.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon roll
AJ Šokoladinė on Pilies makes handmade Belgian-tradition truffles and hot chocolate at its Old Town brand store. Sit by the window for a slow Vilnius.
Tip: The hot chocolate is thick enough to stand a spoon in. A box of truffles travels home in winter.
Worth the queue: Hand-rolled truffle
Augustas ir Barbora is a Stiklių cafe and bakery known for pavlovas, soft sponge cakes and brunch plates served under a flower-decorated ceiling.
Tip: Reserve a window seat on weekends; the flower wall is a magnet for groups and photographers.
Worth the queue: Pavlova
Keulė Rūkė on Stiklių is a stop for Lithuanian smoked-pork buns built around the city's anti-Soviet political-art tradition, in a small open-counter cafe.
Tip: A snack stop, not a meal. The mural reading is half the visit.
Worth the queue: Smoked-pork bun
Cake Shop on Trakų is a small patisserie producing seasonal tarts, mousse cakes and patisserie classics to order in a Senamiestis side-street counter.
Tip: Order whole cakes 48 hours in advance; the seasonal slice case turns over weekly.
Worth the queue: Tartlet
Grudas inside Senatorių Pasažas bakes Lithuanian sourdough and pastries from Lithuanian-grown flour, with a daily-changing pastry menu in the courtyard.
Tip: Inside the Senatorių Pasažas complex along with 14Horses and Nineteen18. The sourdough loaf is the standing order.
Worth the queue: Lithuanian-grown flour sourdough