June became a month that will go down in the history of Lithuania for international gastronomic recognition. Undoubtedly, the most significant achievement was the debut of the Michelin Guide, which featured 34 restaurants in Vilnius, Kaunas, the coastal towns, Trakai, and Radiškis. However, this is not the only milestone. The Lithuanian gastronomic scene was also recognized by Austria's Falstaff guide, which is expanding to the Nordic countries and presented its first Lithuanian Restaurant Guide 2024. It features 75 restaurants acclaimed by experts, worthy of every gourmand's attention.
Falstaff Guide is a well-known restaurant and hotel rating guide in German-speaking Europe, similar in concept to the prestigious Michelin Guide. How do restaurants make it among the best?
Members of the Falstaff club and a team of professional reviewers evaluate restaurants on a 100-point scale: 50 points for food, 20 for service, 20 for beverages, and 10 for ambience. The final verdict is determined by the average of all evaluators' scores.
So, which Lithuanian restaurants did this Austrian-standard Falstaff guide rate the highest?
Falstaff guide in Lithuania: restaurant 'Nineteen 18'
1st place in the Falstaff Restaurant Guide
Nineteen 18 (Dominikonų g. 11, Vilnius)
Falstaff guide rating – 95/100 (food – 48/50, service – 18/20, drinks list – 19/20, style – 10/10)
2nd place in the Falstaff Restaurant Guide
Gaspar's (Pylimo g. 23-3, Vilnius)
Falstaff guide rating – 94/100 (food – 47/50, service – 19/20, drinks list – 19/20, style – 9/10)
3rd place in the Falstaff Restaurant Guide
Arūnas Oželis' The O (Secret restaurant restaurant at undisclosed location)
Falstaff guide rating – 93/100 (food – 47/50, service – 18/20, drinks list – 18/20, style – 10/10)
4th place in the Falstaff Restaurant Guide
HeJi (Lukiškių g. 3, Vilnius)
Falstaff guide rating – 92/100 (food – 46/50, service – 17/20, drinks list – 19/20, style – 10/10)
5th place in the Falstaff Restaurant Guide
Vila Komoda (Meilės al. 5, Palanga)
Falstaff guide rating – 92/100 (food – 46/50, service – 19/20, drinks list – 18/20, style – 9/10)
Falstaff guide in Lithuania: restaurant 'Gastronomika'
The Falstaff Lithuanian Restaurant Guide 2024 highlights restaurants across different cities. In Vilnius, places such as Demo, Džiaugsmas, Gastronomika, Dine, Pas mus, Amandus, Fabrikėlis, Da Antonio, and PACAI are featured. In Kaunas, recognition was received by Arrivée and Nüman. Along the Baltic seaside, Falstaff recommends Klaipėda's Alba bistro and ToLi nuo Klasikos, as well as Palanga's TODÁ. For the complete list of 75 internationally acclaimed restaurants, click here.
Falstaff guide in Lithuania: restaurant 'Arrivée'
According to the Falstaff guide, global food enthusiasts are increasingly drawn to the cuisine of the Nordic countries, known for their thriving gastronomic scenes. Lithuania today is no exception. However, it took time for the Falstaff experts to take notice of this country.
Falstaff guide in Lithuania: restaurant 'TODÁ'
“At the end of the last decade, Lithuania's restaurants were the least known of the three Baltic states, if not the dullest. However, the country’s once very uniform and predictable restaurant scene has developed in recent years, becoming vibrant, diverse, and surprising,” shared Falstaff. It was precisely this breakthrough in the country's gastronomic landscape that prompted the Austrian guide's team to introduce their first Lithuanian Restaurant Guide 2024.