The rooms worth a reservation in Vilnius, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Vilnius. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Nineteen18 in Senatorių Passage holds a Michelin star, with Vita Bartininkaitė now leading after Andrius Kubilius's 2026 departure for Deep Roots.
Signature: Tasting menu of foraged Lithuanian produce, Smoked beetroot course
Order: The full Lithuanian tasting menu; ask for the wine pairing.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book three weeks ahead for weekend tables; midweek is easier to reserve.
Sweet Root in Užupis is a tiny tasting-menu room where Justinas Misius cooks seasons and forgotten Lithuanian ingredients across a constantly changing menu.
Signature: Seasonal Lithuanian tasting menu, Foraged-produce courses
Order: Whatever the seasonal menu offers; the pairing is short and local.
Tip: Tiny dining room, a dozen seats. Book two to three weeks ahead, especially in summer.
Demo at Demoloftas on T. Ševčenkos won a Michelin star with Tadas Eidukevičius's two short tasting menus, served in a monochrome dining room only Wed to Sat.
Signature: Chef's set tasting menu, Wine pairing of small Lithuanian producers
Order: The full set tasting menu; the wine pairing is the way to taste it.
Tip: Open Wed-Sat dinner only; the cafe operates separately weekday daytimes. Book two weeks out.
Džiaugsmas, on three floors of Vilniaus 28, holds a Michelin star under Martynas Praškevičius for clear flavours and unfussy modern Lithuanian cooking.
Signature: Modern Lithuanian tasting menu, Open-kitchen seasonal courses
Order: The chef-led tasting menu; you can also order a la carte from the bar floor.
Tip: The ground-floor bar serves smaller plates without a reservation; book upstairs for the full menu.
14Horses in Senatorių Passage holds a Bib Gourmand for Justinas Misius's regenerative-farm cooking, with bold ingredients sourced from Radiškis.
Signature: Regenerative-farm tasting plate, Seasonal vegetable courses
Order: The set menu with a glass of skin-contact white from the regenerative cellar.
Tip: A more relaxed, livelier alternative to Nineteen18 next door. Walk-ins possible early in the week.
Gaspar's on Pylimo holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for chef-owner Gaspar Fernandes's Goan-Portuguese-British training translated into Vilnius fine dining.
Signature: Goan-spiced fish curry, Tasting menu with wine pairing
Order: The tasting menu; the wine pairing leans Iberian and is well chosen.
Tip: Vegetarian and vegan menus run alongside the main carte; mention dietary requests when booking.
Augustin on Aušros Vartų holds a Bib Gourmand for Darek Medvedevas's plant-led Mediterranean small plates served under faux-candle chandeliers.
Signature: Plant-led small plates, Middle Eastern shared dishes
Order: A spread of the small plates; the chef changes them with the seasons.
Tip: Medvedevas took home a Michelin Young Chef Award; the room fills quickly on weekends.
Telegrafas in the Grand Hotel Kempinski overlooks Cathedral Square. Donatas Šatkauskas cooks Michelin-listed modern European in the 1900 telegraph building.
Signature: Modern European tasting menu, Sunday brunch
Order: The chef-led dinner menu; the Saturday-Sunday brunch is also strong.
Tip: In the Michelin Guide; ask for a window table looking at the Cathedral.
Stebuklai sits beside Cathedral Square in a chic hotel dining room, Michelin-listed for cosmopolitan plates like hamachi ceviche with shiso and strawberry.
Signature: Hamachi ceviche with strawberry, Pistachio cheesecake
Order: The hamachi ceviche, then the pistachio cheesecake with raspberry sorbet.
Tip: Twinkling water-fountain terrace in summer; the dining room is more polished than the menu price suggests.
Elven, behind a heritage cream facade near the Cathedral, is Michelin-listed for design-led modern plates and sharing dishes; sister to Nüman of Kaunas.
Signature: Sharing plates for two, Pared-back fish course
Order: A sharing menu for two; the kitchen leans seafood with bold flavour pairings.
Tip: Rear terrace opens for summer service. The interior contrasts sharply with the historical facade.
Amandus on Užupio is chef Deivydas Praspaliauskas's modern Lithuanian degustation room, Michelin-listed and a regular in Lithuania's 30 Best ranking.
Signature: Tasting menu degustation, Smoked-fish course
Order: The tasting menu; Praspaliauskas runs a tight, ingredient-led kitchen.
Tip: Across the Vilnelė from Sweet Root; the two are the Užupis tasting-menu axis.
Somm on Pylimo opposite the MO Museum is owner Narimantas Miežys's Michelin-Selected wine bar, with 500-plus bottles and a small share-plates kitchen.
Signature: Charcuterie board, Pairing tasting
Order: A flight chosen by Miežys; the wine list is the genuine draw.
Tip: Order from the wine list rather than the food carte; a sommelier-owned room shows in the pours.
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.
Signature: Wild boar with lingonberry, Venison medallions, Beaver stew
Order: Wild boar with lingonberry; share a beaver stew to taste what makes this cellar an institution.
Tip: The oldest restaurant in Vilnius Old Town. Reserve the medieval cellar room for the full effect.
Etno Dvaras on Aušros Vartų cooks dishes certified by the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Fund in a warm cavernous cellar with street-level windows.
Signature: Cepelinai with bacon and mushroom sauce, Bulvių blynai potato pancakes, Šaltibarščiai cold beet soup
Order: Cepelinai with bacon-mushroom sauce; pair with a šaltibarščiai cold beet soup.
Tip: Touristy but real: every dish must be at least 100 years old by Heritage Fund rules. Pilies branch is upstairs of Lokys.
Senoji Trobelė on Naugarduko is a family-run Lithuanian room with painted ceilings and a 75-percent Žalgiris mead balsam fermented for two years.
Signature: Cepelinai, Vegetarian potato dumplings with spinach, Žalgiris mead balsam
Order: Cepelinai with curd-cheese filling; finish with a glass of Žalgiris balsam.
Tip: Twelve minutes walk uphill from Vokiečių. Order the daily-baked linseed leaven bread to start.
Stikliai sits inside the Relais & Châteaux hotel in a Baroque-Gothic building, Michelin-listed for French-influenced cooking by an old-Vilnius institution.
Signature: French-Lithuanian tasting menu, Game course
Order: The chef-led tasting menu; the wine list reaches into classic Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Tip: The room is formal; jackets are not required but smart casual fits the dining room.
Bistro 18 on Stiklių is a family-owned classic European bistro near Lokys, serving French onion soup, risotto and seasonal rabbit in a small low-key room.
Signature: French onion soup, Rabbit ragout, Risotto
Order: The rabbit ragout; pair with the house red, which is poured generously.
Tip: A reliable mid-range alternative to the Michelin rooms a block away on Stiklių.
Užupio Kavinė sits on the Vilnelė riverbank at the edge of the Užupis Republic, the bohemian district's longest-running Lithuanian dining room.
Signature: Cepelinai, Šaltibarščiai, Gira
Order: Cepelinai with curd cheese; cold beet šaltibarščiai in summer.
Tip: The terrace over the Vilnelė is the seat to ask for. The Užupis Constitution wall is across the bridge.
Šnekutis on Šv. Mikalojaus pours 30-plus Lithuanian beers from small breweries, with cepelinai and smoked-pig snacks to match the unfiltered pours.
Signature: Cepelinai, Smoked pig ear, Lithuanian beer flight
Order: Cepelinai with spirgučiai cracklings; pick the unfiltered farmhouse beer.
Tip: Užupis branch has closed; this Mikalojaus room is the original Šnekutis. Book a table for evening.
Pinavija on Vilniaus is a family-owned bakery cafe known for hot kibinai pastries, šakotis tree cake and a brunch menu in a softly-French Old Town corner.
Signature: Kibinai, Šakotis tree cake, Brunch plate
Order: A mutton kibinai with mustard, then a slice of šakotis.
Tip: Indoor seating fills early on weekends. The exterior bench seating runs along Vilniaus in summer.
Casa La Familia on Vokiečių is a family-run wood-oven pizzeria with one of the largest vegan-pizza selections in Vilnius, plus a leafy terrace strip.
Signature: Wood-fired margherita, Vegan pizza
Order: A wood-fired margherita; the vegan pizzas are notably strong by Vilnius standards.
Tip: Loud and family-friendly. Terrace seats overlook the Vokiečių linden trees in summer.
Sakwa in Antakalnis is a small Polish-Lithuanian dining room run by a single family, plating pierogi and cepelinai side by side for a loyal local crowd.
Signature: Polish pierogi, Lithuanian cepelinai, House compote
Order: Mixed pierogi plate; finish with a glass of house compote.
Tip: Out of the tourist circuit. Book ahead for weekend lunch; the room only holds about 25 covers.
RoseHip on Vilniaus is the pink-neon Vilnius vegan bistro: tofu burgers, quinoa bowls and Asian-leaning salads in a bright Old Town corner room.
Signature: Tofu burger, Tofu quinoa Buddha bowl, Asian salad
Order: The tofu burger; the Asian salad is a strong second.
Tip: Vilnius has thin vegan supply; RoseHip is the most reliable sit-down vegan room in the Old Town.
Vieta is a small vegan kitchen with a daily-changing menu, run as a near-perfect template of a Baltic plant-based cafe by a tight team of cooks.
Signature: Daily-changing vegan plate, Bowl of the day
Order: Whatever the daily bowl is; the menu turns over every shift.
Tip: Limited daytime hours; arrive by 13:30 to be sure of the full menu.
Drama Burger on Gedimino is the smash-burger flagship of a small Vilnius chain, with brioche buns, double patties and Lithuanian-craft draft beer on tap.
Signature: Drama smashburger, Beef-bacon double, Vegan patty
Order: The Drama double smashburger; the loaded fries are large enough to share.
Tip: Two more locations at Panorama mall and Vokiečių 8. Late-night service Friday-Saturday only.
One for All on Užupio is a Lithuanian-modern small-plates restaurant that opened in Užupis with a shared-menu format and local seasonal ingredients.
Signature: Seasonal plates, Sharing menu
Order: The sharing format set menu; pair with the natural-wine list.
Tip: Across the bridge from the Užupis Angel. The kitchen turns over the menu by season.