Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Cepelinai are the Lithuanian national dish: large potato dumplings stuffed with pork (or curd, or mushrooms) and served with bacon-mushroom sauce and sour cream.
Cepelinai (zeppelins) take their name from the German zeppelin airship that flew over Lithuania in 1908. The dish itself predates the airship by centuries as didžkukuliai. The modern cepelinai recipe of grated and shredded potato dough stuffed with pork-and-onion mixture solidified in interwar Lithuania (1918-1940) and became the national dish through Soviet kitchens. Today every Lithuanian restaurant runs a version, from Etno Dvaras's Heritage Fund recipe to Lokys's medieval-cellar plate.
6 editor picks for Cepelinai in Vilnius, ranked by editorial score. All Vilnius signature dishes · Cepelinai across every city.
Lokys has run since 1972 in a 15th-century merchant's cellar on Stiklių, serving wild boar, venison and beaver under the second generation of the same family.
OrderWild boar with lingonberry; share a beaver stew to taste what makes this cellar an institution.
TipThe oldest restaurant in Vilnius Old Town. Reserve the medieval cellar room for the full effect.
Šnekutis on Šv. Mikalojaus pours 30-plus Lithuanian beers from small breweries, with cepelinai and smoked-pig snacks to match the unfiltered pours.
OrderCepelinai with spirgučiai cracklings; pick the unfiltered farmhouse beer.
TipUžupis branch has closed; this Mikalojaus room is the original Šnekutis. Book a table for evening.
Senoji Trobelė on Naugarduko is a family-run Lithuanian room with painted ceilings and a 75-percent Žalgiris mead balsam fermented for two years.
OrderCepelinai with curd-cheese filling; finish with a glass of Žalgiris balsam.
TipTwelve minutes walk uphill from Vokiečių. Order the daily-baked linseed leaven bread to start.
Etno Dvaras on Aušros Vartų cooks dishes certified by the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Fund in a warm cavernous cellar with street-level windows.
OrderCepelinai with bacon-mushroom sauce; pair with a šaltibarščiai cold beet soup.
TipTouristy but real: every dish must be at least 100 years old by Heritage Fund rules. Pilies branch is upstairs of Lokys.
Užupio Kavinė sits on the Vilnelė riverbank at the edge of the Užupis Republic, the bohemian district's longest-running Lithuanian dining room.
OrderCepelinai with curd cheese; cold beet šaltibarščiai in summer.
TipThe terrace over the Vilnelė is the seat to ask for. The Užupis Constitution wall is across the bridge.
Forto Dvaras on Pilies is the same Heritage Fund-certified Lithuanian chain as Etno Dvaras, named after the medieval forts theme of the Old Town strip.
OrderCepelinai for two with bacon-mushroom sauce.
TipSame operator as Etno Dvaras; menu and quality are identical between branches.
Cepelinai makes more sense with someone from Vilnius explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
A food tasting tour shows you that Lithuanian food extends much further than potato or meat dishes. You will indulge in Lithuanian snacks and beverages, which, for the...
Private tour · 2h 30m
Discover the world of wine with a professional sommelier. Taste at least 4 wines, learn about grape varieties, and enjoy a light snack to complement the tasting.
1 hour
Relax in a private spa room in Vilnius and soak in handcrafted oak tubs filled with warm beer extracts. Enjoy unlimited fresh local beer or traditional kvass throughou...
