The debut of the Michelin Guide in Lithuania has stirred up a genuine emotional storm: restaurants that received the prestigious awards openly express their joy, while food enthusiasts are flocking to book tables at these acclaimed spots.
"We truly didn't expect such a rush and want to thank our customers for their patience. Right after the Michelin ceremony, Tablein.lt saw a threefold increase in traffic compared to our busiest hours. Due to this influx of guests, the platform faced temporary disruptions. However, we have increased our resources and are fully prepared to handle all reservations smoothly," shared Tablein, the reservation system used by the majority of Michelin restaurants in Lithuania.
But what do the teams at Michelin restaurants in Vilnius and Kaunas really feel after this life-changing verdict by the gastronomy inspectors? What are their daily lives like now, and what future plans are they making? All of this is openly discussed by representatives of the Michelin restaurants in exclusive interviews given to the Tablein guide.
Nineteen 18, Michelin restaurant in Vilnius
Nüman, Michelin restaurant in Kaunas
DIA, Michelin restaurant in Kaunas
Momo Grill, Michelin restaurant in Vilnius
"We all must be happy that Lithuania has finally found itself where it should have been a long ago," firmly stated Andrius Kubilius, chef of Nineteen 18, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Vilnius. The gastronomy expert didn't hide his lifted emotions after receiving the award and assured that the debut of the prestigious guide in the country should impact not only restaurants but also extend beyond.
Michelin in Vilnius: Nineteen 18 chef Andrius Kubilius. Photo – „Nineteen 18“
"While we had initially planned to celebrate Michelin's arrival in Lithuania, our restaurant ended up being awarded as well. I believe this recognition is a result of consistent, stable work that we are eager to share with our guests. The team's excitement has been incredible. We allowed ourselves to celebrate with friends and family the evening after the ceremony, and the next day, of course, dived back into work," Kubilius shared about the emotions following the prestigious recognition.
Michelin in Vilnius: Nineteen 18 team. Photo – „Nineteen 18“
When asked if he had expected this international award, the chef of Nineteen 18 responded that it was a hope but not a specific aim. "We simply love what we do. We enjoy welcoming guests to the restaurant and sharing meals with them. We want them to feel like they're visiting the home of old friends. Our team greets every visitor with open hearts and open arms. At the same time, we also hope diners come with open hearts and trust our experiments, our ideas. So, in short, the award we received reflected the love for our guests."
Despite receiving such high praise, Nineteen 18, the Michelin restaurant in Vilnius, does not intend to make changes: "Our plan for the future is to continue enjoying what we do. We want to remain the same as we have been so far."
Michelin in Vilnius: Nineteen 18 received a one-star award. Photo – „Nineteen 18“
Dedicated to high-level gastronomy using only local produce, Nineteen 18 chef believes that Michelin's debut in Lithuania will have a broader impact: the benefits of this award should touch not only restaurants but also farmers, winemakers as well as craft beverage producers. "I believe that more and more restaurants will turn to local farmers, to local products. We will begin to take even more pride in what we have here in Lithuania," said Kubilius.
"We really didn't expect this award. Until the last minute, I was saying that inspectors would probably review about ten restaurants in Lithuania, all of them in Vilnius. I also thought we might receive mostly two one-star recognitions. By guessing who would get them, I hit the mark only with Džiaugsmas, because Martynas Praškevičius, one of Lithuania's best chefs, truly deserved it. So, we sincerely didn't expect to be noticed," said Paulius Žekonis, the manager of Nüman restaurant in Kaunas, which received the 'Bib Gourmand' title from Michelin. Its chef, Adomas Jegnoras, and the whole team couldn't hide their emotions after the inspectors' verdict too.
Michelin in Kaunas: Nüman manager Paulius Žekonis. Photo – „Nüman“
"We never aimed to be a fancy place or to showcase what espuma we can make. Our vision was simply to do our job and have guests come, enjoy a tasty meal, and leave with the best emotions. So, my style from the service side and Adomas' style as a chef really reflect this 'Bib' award," shared Žekonis.
The Nüman manager suspects that Michelin inspectors visited their restaurant very early. "I spoke with a few people, and as far as I knew, inspections for some were in late April, for others in May. Based on the menu described by Michelin, it seems they dined with us very late in winter or early in spring. So, we knew nothing and had no suspicions," he reflected.
Michelin in Kaunas: Nüman chef Adomas Jegnoras. Photo – „Nüman“
"I think Michelin could increase the number of people visiting restaurants. We anticipate an immediate change because people want to try the awarded places. However, in Kaunas, it's not like restaurants are overly busy. But now, at least for us, there's really a big buzz as the number of reservations has significantly increased. I'm glad because we went through tough times in April and May; for the first time, there were such decreases in Nüman as well as in other restaurants. But now, it seems everything has recovered. So, I hope Michelin will contribute to a rise in gastronomy," expressed Žekonis.
Michelin in Kaunas: Nüman restaurant. Photo – „Nüman“
After a prestigious recognition, the team of this Michelin restaurant in Kaunas will continue to prioritize maintaining the same quality for which they received the 'Bib Gourmand' award. Future changes might only be dictated by reservation flows. "If everything continues like this, we'll need to look for more employees. A happy and satisfied team is what’s most important. We don’t want them to get too tired," emphasized Žekonis.
"The team's emotions are indescribable! There are simply no words to convey how happy and proud we all are to be featured in the Michelin Guide. I won't hide it; there were tears of joy as well. At the same time, we are happy for all the other restaurants that made it into the guide and earned awards. During the ceremony, it was incredibly gratifying to see so many genuine emotions and happy faces," opened Vaiva Gumbienė, the manager of a Michelin restaurant in Kaunas DIA. She didn't hide that the whole team hoped to enter the guide, and they received exactly the kind of recognition they were thinking of – becoming recommended.
Michelin in Kaunas: DIA team. Photo – „DIA“
This Michelin restaurant in Kaunas is not yet thinking about future changes. "We are delighted to be among the chosen ones, and for now, we will certainly continue to maintain high-quality gastronomy and service," shared Gumbienė, adding that the Michelin rating is significant not only for the restaurant itself but for all of Lithuania. According to her, it should attract more foreign tourists to the country. Furthermore, Michelin offers the chance to demonstrate internationally that restaurants in Lithuania can compete with world-class dining establishments.
"The team's emotions are very positive: all its members feel appreciated and proud of achieving such a result. We are in a light euphoria," joyfully admitted Kristina Kasputytė, the manager of Momo Grill restaurant in Vilnius, upon receiving a recommendation in the Michelin guide.
She openly acknowledged that it took real effort to achieve this: "To be honest, we wanted this award, dreamed about it, and did everything to deserve this recognition. However, until the last moment, we weren't certain about the outcome. Just like everyone else, probably."
Michelin in Vilnius: Momo Grill team. Photo – „Momo Grill“
According to Kasputytė, the team's collective effort in ensuring high-level service, food quality, cleanliness, and overall organization led to this international recognition. Their aim to continue striving will not diminish in the future. "Our plan is clear - to grow and not lose this award in the coming years," the manager of this Michelin restaurant in Vilnius confidently shared plans.
Additionally, Momo Grill hopes that such a recognition will better acquaint locals with Lithuanian restaurants, especially those who seldom visit them. There is also hope the country itself will become more attractive to foreigners."