- Dates: November 3–9, 2025
- Theme: “Gastronomy Without Borders”
- Where: Vilnius, Lithuania
- Stars of the week: Michelin-recognized chefs from top restaurants like Nineteen18, 14Horses, Pacai, and Ertlio Namas
- Signature creations: Pear charlotte with pinecone ice cream, beer soup with millet, and halibut ceviche with sea buckthorn
Each November, Vilnius sheds its golden leaves and gathers around the table. The air smells faintly of woodsmoke and rye bread, while the city’s chefs—bold, curious, and fiercely local—prepare to surprise even the most seasoned travelers.
For Lithuanian Gastronomy Week (November 3–9), Vilnius invites guests to taste what happens when deep Baltic roots meet global curiosity. The theme, “Gastronomy Without Borders,” celebrates creative freedom — a fusion of wild mushrooms and modern technique, forest berries and faraway spices, simplicity and imagination.
The event’s timing is no coincidence. As autumn folds into winter, the Lithuanian pantry shines with ingredients that define the north: earthy, patient, and quietly luxurious.
“Vilnius has become one of Europe’s most exciting culinary capitals,” says Eglė Ližaitytė, Managing Director of the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association. “Our chefs collaborate closely with local farmers, turning humble ingredients into art. It’s a cuisine that looks inward for inspiration but speaks to the world.”
The New Baltic Table
This year’s menus span a landscape as diverse as Lithuania itself — from the quiet forests of Aukštaitija to the Baltic coastline. Michelin has already noticed: four Vilnius restaurants now hold stars, and one, Demo, earned a coveted Green Star for sustainability.
Five dishes that define Vilnius’s evolving taste:
- Tscheburek, Mushrooms & Broth – Nineteen18
- Chef Andrius Kubilius elevates a rustic favorite into an edible poem. His reinterpretation of tscheburek meets a forager’s bounty — earthy mushrooms floating in delicate, fragrant broth.
- Halibut Ceviche with Sea Buckthorn – Stikliai
- The north’s answer to the tropics: halibut cured in citrusy sea buckthorn, layered with orange gel and smoky caviar. It tastes like the Baltic Sea after a storm — bright, wild, and unforgettable.
- Beer Soup with Millet – Ertlio Namas
- Chef Tomas Rimydis, Lithuania’s culinary historian, revives a forgotten tavern classic. His beer soup is golden, nutty, and soothing, a nostalgic sip of warmth in November’s chill.
- Pear Charlotte with Pinecone Ice Cream – 14Horses
- This dessert whispers of the forest. A tender pear charlotte crowned with ice cream made from real pinecones — caramelized resin and woodsy sweetness in a single bite.
- Waffle Pancake with Venison – Pacai
- Chef Goda Juknaitė-Lamsargė serves wild game with restraint and grace: a crisp waffle pancake, tender venison, mint chimichurri, and pickled quince. Sweet meets savory in elegant balance.
Across Vilnius, restaurants are pushing boundaries. Some turn pizza into haute cuisine; others reimagine street food with Michelin precision. From fermented vegetables to wild herbs, from Arktis to Madeira, inspiration travels fast — yet every plate carries a distinctly Lithuanian heartbeat.
“This year’s theme captures our spirit perfectly,” adds Ližaitytė. “We are rooted in our forests, but our imagination travels the world.”
A Compact Capital with Global Taste
Vilnius may be small, but its ambitions are not. With just 600,000 residents, the city already counts four Michelin stars and one Green Star—proof that size has little to do with excellence.
During Gastronomy Week, the entire city joins the feast. Expect beer pairings at Etno Dvaras, tasting menus in historic courtyards, and even sky-high dinners inside the Vilnius TV Tower.
German travelers are already taking notice. In 2024 alone, over 82,000 Germans visited Vilnius, a 14% increase from the year before. With direct flights from Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf, the city is closer than it seems — and its culinary adventure is worth every kilometer.
- Vilnius proves what the Baltics have quietly known all along: sustainability can be delicious, and fine dining can grow from the forest floor. Dates: November 3–9, 2025
- Theme: “Gastronomy Without Borders”
- Where: Vilnius, Lithuania
- Stars of the week: Michelin-recognized chefs from top restaurants like Nineteen18, 14Horses, Pacai, and Ertlio Namas
- Signature creations: Pear charlotte with pinecone ice cream, beer soup with millet, and halibut ceviche with sea buckthorn
A Feast of Forests, Fields, and Imagination
Each November, Vilnius sheds its golden leaves and gathers around the table. The air smells faintly of woodsmoke and rye bread, while the city’s chefs—bold, curious, and fiercely local—prepare to surprise even the most seasoned travelers.
For Lithuanian Gastronomy Week (November 3–9), Vilnius invites guests to taste what happens when deep Baltic roots meet global curiosity. The theme, “Gastronomy Without Borders,” celebrates creative freedom — a fusion of wild mushrooms and modern technique, forest berries and faraway spices, simplicity and imagination.
The event’s timing is no coincidence. As autumn folds into winter, the Lithuanian pantry shines with ingredients that define the north: earthy, patient, and quietly luxurious.
“Vilnius has become one of Europe’s most exciting culinary capitals,” says Eglė Ližaitytė, Managing Director of the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association. “Our chefs collaborate closely with local farmers, turning humble ingredients into art. It’s a cuisine that looks inward for inspiration but speaks to the world.”
The New Baltic Table
This year’s menus span a landscape as diverse as Lithuania itself — from the quiet forests of Aukštaitija to the Baltic coastline. Michelin has already noticed: four Vilnius restaurants now hold stars, and one, Demo, earned a coveted Green Star for sustainability.
Five dishes that define Vilnius’s evolving taste:
- Tscheburek, Mushrooms & Broth – Nineteen18
- Chef Andrius Kubilius elevates a rustic favorite into an edible poem. His reinterpretation of tscheburek meets a forager’s bounty — earthy mushrooms floating in delicate, fragrant broth.
- Halibut Ceviche with Sea Buckthorn – Stikliai
- The north’s answer to the tropics: halibut cured in citrusy sea buckthorn, layered with orange gel and smoky caviar. It tastes like the Baltic Sea after a storm — bright, wild, and unforgettable.
- Beer Soup with Millet – Ertlio Namas
- Chef Tomas Rimydis, Lithuania’s culinary historian, revives a forgotten tavern classic. His beer soup is golden, nutty, and soothing, a nostalgic sip of warmth in November’s chill.
- Pear Charlotte with Pinecone Ice Cream – 14Horses
- This dessert whispers of the forest. A tender pear charlotte crowned with ice cream made from real pinecones — caramelized resin and woodsy sweetness in a single bite.
- Waffle Pancake with Venison – Pacai
- Chef Goda Juknaitė-Lamsargė serves wild game with restraint and grace: a crisp waffle pancake, tender venison, mint chimichurri, and pickled quince. Sweet meets savory in elegant balance.
Across Vilnius, restaurants are pushing boundaries. Some turn pizza into haute cuisine; others reimagine street food with Michelin precision. From fermented vegetables to wild herbs, from Arktis to Madeira, inspiration travels fast — yet every plate carries a distinctly Lithuanian heartbeat.
“This year’s theme captures our spirit perfectly,” adds Ližaitytė. “We are rooted in our forests, but our imagination travels the world.”
A Compact Capital with Global Taste
Vilnius may be small, but its ambitions are not. With just 600,000 residents, the city already counts four Michelin stars and one Green Star—proof that size has little to do with excellence.
During Gastronomy Week, the entire city joins the feast. Expect beer pairings at Etno Dvaras, tasting menus in historic courtyards, and even sky-high dinners inside the Vilnius TV Tower.
German travelers are already taking notice. In 2024 alone, over 82,000 Germans visited Vilnius, a 14% increase from the year before. With direct flights from Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf, the city is closer than it seems — and its culinary adventure is worth every kilometer.
Vilnius proves what the Baltics have quietly known all along: sustainability can be delicious, and fine dining can grow from the forest floor.
