5 must-try Lithuanian dishes and where to find them in Vilnius

We always saw food as one of the highlights of any trip. Yet, it was never a decisive factor to want to spend the weekend in Vilnius. God knows how wrong we were as the local food scene came to be our biggest, most pleasant surprise.

Lituhanian cuisine relies heavily on potato, beet and meat, complimented by heavy cream sauce and herbs, often dill. It is a nourishing cuisine by essence but one that doesn’t forget to be inventive too, combining staple ingredients into imaginative recipes meant to appease the stomach as well as comfort the soul.

By the time we left, Lithuanian food had left such an impression on us that we could only wonder how we could live on without a pint of fresh Svyturys beer and a plate full of fluffy cepelinai dumplings. Here comes our top five picks to enter the Lithuanian world of hearty soups, tasty dumplings and bubbly beers.

1. Zeppelin

if you thought zeppelin only referred to an old-fashioned airship, you will reconsider after tasting these one of a kind dumplings. One of the country’s national dishes, zeppelin are best described as boiled dumplings made of potato dough. They are stuffed with ground meat and often served with toppings of crispy bacon and sour cream.

As delicious as that description sounds, it doesn’t come close to the smoothness of these dumplings which feel a bit like mashed potatoes, if mashed potatoes were solid. Zeppelin is the quintessential Lithuanian dish made of simple ingredients but putting them to their best possible use. A great comfort dish on colder days, it is a locals’ favourite all year round nonetheless.

We had the best zeppelin at the historic pub called Amatininku uzeiga, conveniently located on the City Hall Square and serving costumers until dawn. You can tell this restaurant has been around for decades and it is the perfect place for a late dinner in a lively ambiance.

2. Potato pancakes

Potatoes strike again. Known as blynai, potato pancakes are another staple Lithuanian dish. The original version comes with a spoonful of sour cream sauce but the recipe evolved over the years to integrate a variety of other components.

We tasted one served with grated onion, slices of bacon and paprika that took the initial recipe a step further. You might want to share it though due to its fat factor. Don’t forget to order a fresh pint of local beer to elevate this dish’s taste and forget your misconception about this beverage since Lithuanians beers taste very light and bubbly, contrary to their German or Belgium counterparts.

Located on a tiny alley, it is easy to miss out on Gabi but it would be a pity since this restaurant serves top-notch food in a quirky yet cozy atmosphere. Imagine indulging in a hearty potato pancake at the sound of fire crackling in a massive fireplace, seated on a comfy cushion, the light of a candle flickering on your table, and you’ll understand why we kept coming back for more.

3. Chilled borscht

Lithuanians love their soup and you’ll find a soup of the day on almost every menu. Most are light broths, served with some sour cream and dill. One specific soup is much more consistent though and it is the chilled borscht soup known as saltibarsciai. Made of beetroots, this cold soup is instantly recognizable due to its bright pink colour.

Served with sour cream and dill, obviously, it is made using a fermented kind of milk called kefir . As a result, the soup tastes really smooth with a texture reminiscent of yoghurt. It can be served with an extra dish of potatoes - we did tell you that potato showed up everywhere – although the soup is already consistent enough as it is.

Amatininku uzeiga kinda became our go-to spot throughout our stay in Vilnius and that’s where we had chilled borscht for the first time. On sunny days, the restaurant sets out a nice terrace in front of its entrance. At dinner though, the inside of the restaurant had our preference and especially the cushy-looking sofas in its first room. Too bad we never got to seat on one.

4. Kibinai

These diamond-shaped traditional pastries are filled with a variety of ingredients, ranging from sauerkraut to mutton meat and onion or chicken and spinach. Most restaurants serve them one by one so you can choose to taste all the different varieties and just share them with a light soup as a side dish.

This recipe is mostly associated to the city of Trakai, located about an hour away from Vilnius. Trakai is indeed home to the Karaite community, an ethnic minority derived from Turkic-speaking followers of Karaite Judaism. Their presence in Lithuania can be traced back to the 14th century, at the time of the rule of Prince Vytautas the Great, but their settlement might date back even further in time.

For obvious reasons, Trakai is the best place to enjoy some kibinai. All restaurants in the village offer them on the menu but we settled for the one restaurant named Trakai. It seemed this was the most popular option for many groups of tourists yet we cannot complain about the food, whether kibinai or other dishes such as herring salad, although the service could have been warmer.

5. Curd cakes

who said that Lithuanian food needed to be healthy? Evidently, no one. On top of sour cream, fresh cheese curd is another staple ingredient. It can be used to complement other dishes but is also beloved on its own, fried, boiled or even in the shape of doughnuts. Fried cheese curd known as Varškėčiai is often served with sugar and berry jam, which makes it a nice breakfast dish.

We had some fried cheese curd at the aforementioned Gabi restaurant. Yes, we are true repeaters and could have expanded our horizon a tad further… It is good to know that many bakeries sell different variants of this recipe throughout the city, which can be a good choice for breakfast.

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