Elven is a modern european restaurant in Senamiestis, Vilnius.
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 dishes: Sharing plates for two, Pared-back fish course
Must 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.
Address: L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus g. 7, 01122 Vilnius
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.
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.
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.
