Hotels and Restaurants in Vilnius

[Burzhuin]

My colleague is going to Vilnius in the end of April. He asked what Hotels and Restaurants I would recommend. He wants four stars Hotel and restaurants with good Lithuanian cuisine. I recommended him “Atrium” for staying and Restaurant “Lokys” for dinners. I remember it was long time ago restaurant “Senasis Rusys” (sorry for probably wrong spelling) with very good Lithuanian cuisine. Can anybody tell me what has happened to it? What other Hotels and Restaurants you would recommend? My trip is planning in late summer so I cannot advise him anything based on my own experience.

[Nedas]

Can anybody recommend something about Hotels and Restaurants? I'm not from Vilnius, so i can't do that !

[Edd]

I have never stayed in any hotels of Vilnius myself, so it's hard to give any advices in this sphere.
As for Lithuanian cuisine - for example food is not bad in "Žemaičių Smuklė" (interior looks quite soviet-lithuanian to me). There are "Čili kaimas" with Lithuanian cuisine in every corner too but I think that the food is not so good.

[Whose Homepage]

When I visited Vilnius in the summer or 2004, Burzhuin, I stayed at the Scandic Hotel on Gediminas Prospectas. It's a bit on the far end of Cathedral Square and the Old Town but quite well located, I thought. The hotel itself was very pleasant, modern decor.

As to eats, the locals will be able to help you out better than I can. For instance, John and I had a delicious lunch in the courtyard of a restaurant in the Old Town, but I don't remember the name. A can't miss place is a restaurant in Uzupis with a spectacular view -- again I don't know the name. Also, for a pleasant coffee or so go to a restaurant right on the river next to the bridge that leads to Uzupis with an Orthodox church on the other side ... there is the statue of a sea maiden, sort of sweet and romantic. A few years ago, she had been swept into the waters by an ice storm but was eventually recovered and placed back into her niche.


EDIT
I just notice your friend wants a 4-star hotel. Well, in that case there is only one way to go, and that is the Radisson in the Old Town (unless for some weird reason he is into highrises of course ).

[Svajoklis]

My favourite restaurants are:
Lithuanian: Cili Kaimas, on Vokieciu
Italian: San Valentino, on the corner of Vilniaus and Traku
Swedish: Literatu, Katedros Aikste [service quite slow though]
French: St Germain, near Sv Mykolo church

[taimis]

A can't miss place is a restaurant in Uzupis with a spectacular view -- again I don't know the name. Also, for a pleasant coffee or so go to a restaurant right on the river next to the bridge that leads to Uzupis with an Orthodox church on the other side ... there is the statue of a sea maiden, sort of sweet and romantic.

The first one with the view is called 'Torres' and the second one is just 'Uzupio kavine' , I think .

[Svajoklis]

I concur, but I have always found the service in Torres frustratingly slow - the amazing view only just makes up for it [and the food isn't bad]

[Dramblys]

Ok,
Here are my food pics:
Lithuanian- Marcilukes Kletis
Žemaičių Smuklė
Medininkiai
Belmontas (This place was just a blast and impressive)
In Kaunas, Berneliu Uzeiga. IMHO, this is the BEST place to get authentic Lithuanian food.

As far as for hotels, I've stayed at a bunch and in Vilnius, Old Town area, my favorite is the Europa Royale. It's small, but the location near Ausros Vartai is perfect and its a 4 star. The people who work here are very nice. Outside the city center, I like to stay at Le Meridien Villon. The spa and rooms are very nice, plus they throw in a free micro bus shuttle to Lukiskiu square. Its is about 30 mintues from town though and in the middle of nowhere. You can quickly get to shopping on Ukmerge by taxi, but rides to and from Old Town start to add up.

All this talk about Lithuanian food is making me hungry.

[Dramblys]

[QUOTE=Edd As for Lithuanian cuisine - for example food is not bad in "Žemaičių Smuklė" (interior looks quite soviet-lithuanian to me). There are "Čili kaimas" with Lithuanian cuisine in every corner too but I think that the food is not so good.[/QUOTE]

Eddai, I agree with your opinion of Cili Kaimas. The interior is excellent, the one on Vokieciu looks amazing with the giant indoor tree, but the food was just ok.

Now when in comes to pizza, I'm addicted to Cili Pica!

[Edd]

Yes, "Čili pica" is the best choice I think if we talk about pizza. Btw, I'm not saying that food in "Čili kaimas" is bad, it's ok but there are better food in some other places.

[Whose Homepage]

The first one with the view is called 'Torres' and the second one is just 'Uzupio kavine' , I think .

Thanks for straightening that out for me, Taimis!

Of course you can't know where John and I had lunch -- maybe he remembers, but perhaps not.

[John]

Thanks for straightening that out for me, Taimis!

Of course you can't know where John and I had lunch -- maybe he remembers, but perhaps not.

I can't remember now even though I know where that place is. Unfortunately it's not in my ability to check it now.

[Dramblys]

Yes, "Čili pica" is the best choice I think if we talk about pizza. Btw, I'm not saying that food in "Čili kaimas" is bad, it's ok but there are better food in some other places.

Exactly, its not bad...its just not exceptional.

Actually, the best Lithuanian food can only be made by my Močiutė!

[sanomiz]

Now when in comes to pizza, I'm addicted to Cili Pica!

I see, you haven't tried "Pizza Jazz" yet, which is the best chain of pizzerias in Lithuania IMHO

But all in all, I don't think that the freaky fashion of Lithuanians to serve pizzas with ketchup is something that the one should admire.

[Dramblys]

I see, you haven't tried "Pizza Jazz" yet, which is the best chain of pizzerias in Lithuania IMHO

But all in all, I don't think that the freaky fashion of Lithuanians to serve pizzas with ketchup is something that the one should admire.

Ah, I have been to Pizza Jazz, both the Airplane themed location in Vilnius and the Train themed outlet in Kaunas.

Their "pica" is good, but I prefer their spare ribs.
I will never understand why Lithuanians put ketcupas on their pizza.

[Karletas]

Wow, ketchup on pizza, it should be something terrible for an Italian, fortunately I never even think about eating a "pica" in Lithuania!

I ate at Lokys in the old town, and had a very good lunch (it's in a courtyard, close to the city-hall, maybe it's the one where WH and John went).
I had a dinner at Žemaičių Smuklė as well, but they were incredibly slow (more than 1,5 hours to wait for my food, I was really angry and I just stood up for leaving when the waitress arrived with my dish) and food was not good as at Lokys'. I ate outside since it was summer and very hot.
I ate also at Gaby, always in the old town, again in a courtyard, where I had another excellent dinner.
I went ot Užupio Kavine as well for a couple of beers, it's a very nice location, a bit touristic maybe (I met other people from my hometown chasing some Lithuanian blonds... I mean the girls, not the beers! )

No idea for the hotels, I slept in hostels and next time surely I'll stay at some friend's with hospitalityclub!

[Dramblys]

[QUOTE=Karletas]Wow, ketchup on pizza, it should be something terrible for an Italian, fortunately I never even think about eating a "pica" in Lithuania!

Karletas, it must be hard for you to eat outside your home country. Italian cuisine is sublime! There are a couple of good Italian places in Vilnius, the Di Atonio locations are spot on.

BTW, Lithuanians don't cook the pizzas with ketchup, they just have the odd habit of using it as a condiment for pizza.

[Edd]

I see, you haven't tried "Pizza Jazz" yet, which is the best chain of pizzerias in Lithuania IMHO

My opinion is completely different - I don't like "pica" of "Pizza Jazz", "Čili pica" is much better. "Pizza Jazz" is being ousted by "Čili pica" if we talk about business too.

Anyway, we have to talk about Lithuanian cuisine here.

[Karletas]

When you want a real pizza come to visit me! Or even better, go to Naples, the city of pizza!

But if I want cepelinai I have to go to Lithuania, of course!

We say: "The Country you go, the food you find" (or something like that, in Italian of course!). I like any food I tried in Europe, except English of course! But of course Italian food is fantastic, I'm really lucky to live here, from this point of view.

[Burzhuin]

Thank you all, I got so much information. Now I have to create a list of restaurants with a good cuisine. I was in France and sertvice in French restaurants was even slower than in Lithuanian. There is a certain charm in slow but very good Lithuanian service. Unfortunately French service was anything but good.