New Baltic cuisine is an increasingly prominent trend, transforming Lithuania's gastronomy scene with the aim of creating a modern, contemporary identity for both Lithuanian and Baltic cuisines. This wave emphasizes respect for locally grown products, a desire to reveal their true value, and the courage to experiment, thereby opening up vast creative possibilities for Chefs.
Some restaurants focus on the New Lithuanian cuisine, while others take a broader perspective, aiming towards creating New Baltic gastronomy. Regardless of the direction, the mission to shape a new culinary identity remains highly responsible, but most importantly, it succeeds flawlessly in the hands of dedicated professional chefs.
New Baltic restaurant in Vilnius? New Lithuanian cuisine in Kaunas? Authenticity modernly revealed in Trakai? A New Baltic dining in Ukmergė? Certainly!
Follow Tablein guide's recommendations for the most exceptional New Baltic restaurants in Lithuania.
Nineteen18
Dominikonų g. 11, Vilnius
Nestled within the multi-purpose culinary mansion of "Senatorių Pasažas", Nineteen18 is a dinner restaurant that invites guests to explore intriguing flavours inspired by local ingredients and the Lithuanian people. What's the menu character? It embodies the essence of the New Baltic wave, crafted using only products sourced from small Lithuanian farms or gathered in nature and mastered by talented chef Andrius Kubilius.
Restaurant guests have the choice to enjoy appetizers or embark on a seasonal gastronomic journey with a tasting dinner featuring ten dishes. Opting for the latter promises a memorable introduction to the most expressive flavours of Lithuania.
With its blend of Old Town architecture, stylish interior, and culinary excellence, it's no surprise that Nineteen18 earned a place in the prestigious 2023 edition of "LaListe" among the world's best restaurants.
Fabrikėlis
Pasakų g. 9, Vilnius
Fabrikėlis is a creative restaurant in Vilnius that welcomes guests with a unique expression of contemporary Baltic cuisine. Gastronomic magic arises here from the desire to reveal the true essence of Lithuanian products, emphasize their value, and stay courageous to experiment.
The menu at Fabrikėlis is crafted by honouring the seasons and emphasizing origin, with priority always given to the freshest produce from Lithuanian farms. "We are inspired by our love for the land and the belief that products grown in clean soil are closer to us," say the owners.
This restaurant offers the unexpected harmony of flavours created by Chef Ovidijus Orentas. Dishes like oysters with pine buds and fir oil, venison-eel cups, lamb accompanied by oats, and mushroom mille-feuille represent just a part of the culinary artistry distinguished by creative and constantly refined ingredient combinations.
Demoloftas
T. Ševčenkos g. 16A-120, Vilnius
Nestled in the New Town of Vilnius, Demoloftas is a modern Lithuanian cuisine restaurant inspired by local farmers' produce. Head chef, creator, and food philosopher Tadas Eidukevičius aims here to blend gastronomy with art, educate and inspire, making every visit a thoroughly enriching experience.
The restaurant offers two distinct evening formats – the Author's Dinner and the Farmer’s Table Dinner, each providing unique experiences worth exploring.
During Farmer's Table Dinners, guests are invited to savour dishes inspired by fresh products arriving daily from local farmers or fishermen. The menu evolves with the seasons and the creative impulses of the kitchen team, offering five sharing appetizers and a choice of main course.
For those craving even more profound culinary experiences, Demoloftas offers to indulge in Author's Dinners, which create a synthesis between art and gastronomy. Expect three hours of flavours, ideas, and ten dishes exploring social, cultural, or historical constructs. With Chef Tadas Eidukevičius's background in Michelin-starred restaurants as well as his approach of treating food as art, guests can never anticipate the ordinary!
14Horses
Dominikonų g. 11, Vilnius
14Horses is a cosy restaurant within the multi-purpose mansion of Senatorių Pasažas, indulging guests with modern cuisine inspired by Baltic culinary traditions. Led by respect for local ingredients, a commitment to rhythms of nature, and a dedication to culinary mastery, Chef Justinas Misius creates magic on the plates.
The restaurant concept centres around sustainable, exclusively Lithuania-grown products sourced from the ecological Farmer’s Circle, located just 40 km from Vilnius, and other farms with which the owners have cultivated long-standing partnerships.
For dedicated foodies, 14Horses offers a tasting experience that promises new culinary adventures, seasonally evolving and each time surprising. Rooted in local cuisine principles, the philosophy unveils through a menu offering three free choices from the list of appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
Elven
L. Stuokos - Gucevičiaus g. 7, Vilnius
Stylishly situated in the heart of Vilnius Old Town, Elven is a restaurant where the famous chef Adomas Jegnoras works his gastronomic magic. Here, the concept draws inspiration from Nordic cuisine and New Baltic ideas, flowing into unique combinations of familiar ingredients.
The restaurant emphasises the freshest local products that create a solid foundation for culinary masterpieces. Whether it's potato sticks with smoked eel cream, herring accompanied by hemp & pickled leeks, beef paired with kefir, fish head, baked cottage cheese in honey, or buckwheat & bread dessert, the repertoire effortlessly surprises even the most seasoned gourmands.
Visitors at Elven can choose from the à la carte menu or indulge in the tasting journey. Whichever dining experience you decide on, each option can be enhanced by pairing it with carefully selected quality beverages.
Stiklių taverna
Gaono g. 7, Vilnius
Stiklių Taverna is an elegant Lithuanian cuisine restaurant where guests can indulge in refined traditional and interwar period gastronomy.
However, the aim to preserve the heritage of flavours reveals only one side of this legendary place. "When old tradition begins to speak the same language as elegance, and respect for the ingredient merges with a passion to cook, then a new Lithuanian culinary identity is born," say the hosts. Thus, in this restaurant, visitors can also acquaint themselves with novel Lithuanian culinary wave based on respect for traditions from the past.
Mastery intertwined with the courage to create is the strong suit of the chefs here. Therefore, it's no wonder that the menu choices are appreciated not only by the guests themselves but also by foreign culinary masters awarded with Michelin stars.
Uoksas
Maironio g. 28, Kaunas
Uoksas isn't merely a popular fine dining restaurant in Kaunas. It's the pioneer of New Lithuanian cuisine, not only nurturing this concept responsibly but also being the first in Lithuania to shape its identity.
Chef Artūras Naidenko aims to refine the values of Lithuanian food culture, so each visit welcomes guests with a dynamic micro-seasonal menu, generous culinary interpretations, and bold experiments, all inspired by the freshest products from the Baltic region. What's more is the food preparation that merges long-established professional skills, modern techniques, and refined Nordic aesthetics to offer traditional flavours unfolding here anew.
Guests can choose from the micro-seasonal Uoksas à la carte menu. Prefer a comprehensive introduction to the idea of New Lithuanian cuisine instead? Then, embark on a gastronomic tasting journey, including food pairing with wine.
Red brick
Žirgyno g. 1, Radiškis, Ukmergės r.
Red Brick is a farm-to-table restaurant, not just nestled in the old manor house but also situated right in Farmers Circle. Here, guests can explore the refined gastronomy of the New Baltic wave, crafted by Icelandic chef Arnór Ingi Bjarkason.
Authentic red brick elements, Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetics, and Nordic minimalism capture everyone's attention. Nevertheless, culinary experiences leave the greatest impressions, offering a chance for guests to discover products from the nearby regenerative farming fields or local forests, along with seafood from the Baltic and Nordic regions.
The restaurant's menu is seasonal, thus dynamically changing, and each time reveals the bounty of nature, the chef's creativity, and various cooking techniques, reaching even the most archaic times.
Guests of Red Brick are invited to farm breakfasts, tasting dinners, and Sunday lunches served at a communal table. Also, each gastronomic experience can be paired with natural, biodynamic wines made in small European wineries.
Apvalaus stalo klubas
Karaimų g. 53A, Trakai
Apvalaus stalo klubas is a legendary restaurant in Trakai, treating guests to refined gastronomy and unparalleled views of Trakai Castle for a quarter of a century. While the picturesque surroundings set a romantic tone, it is the Lithuanian contemporary cuisine that stands out here.
At the heart of the restaurant's à la carte menu lies a modern take on authenticity, shaping a new identity of Lithuanian cuisine. Inspired by history and local produce, experienced kitchen professionals employ traditional as well as highly modern cooking techniques to create the magic on the plates.
The restaurant's menu changes seasonally, with choices dictated by the freshest local farmers' produce and the harvest from the owners' garden. For this reason, each visit promises new flavour discoveries.
Guests at Apvalaus stalo klubas can always choose from the à la carte menu, enjoy classical degustation, or even try a blind tasting.