Vilnius Budget Restaurants

Vilnius doesn’t always get as much respect as the other two capital cities in the Baltics. I loved my time in Tallinn and Riga but Vilnius also had a lot to offer in terms of architecture of the old town, friendly locals and an entertaining nightlife. There are also plenty of options for day trips to places like Hill of Crosses and Kaunas. I also found an abundance of Vilnius budget restaurants during my one week stay.

Regardless of a preference for local dishes or western food, I’ve put together some options to get every travelers to Vilnius started with some great meals. At the bottom I’ve included a map with all of the locations for each restaurant. I hope you enjoy!

Meat Lovers Pub

Sv. Ignoto 14, Vilnius 04310

Open 10am-11pm daily, $6-12 per person

One restaurant I found myself returning to again and again was Meat Lovers Pub. The only think I didn’t like about this place was how difficult it was to get a table. Any restaurant that’s as busy with locals as this place has to be good. They don’t take reservations unless it’s for large parties, so I learned to try and get their early on off nights, during the middle of the week. Of the four or five times I attempted to get in, I only managed to eat there twice.

I tried a few dishes with friends, and while all were really good, the roasted pork was my favorite. It was perfectly slow roasted with a natural reduction and drizzle of pesto. served with grilled veggies and home style potatoes. Every bite had the perfect mix of savory, slightly salty and slightly sweet. A pop from the herbs along with grilled veggies and roasted potatoes and you’ll definitely want to come back for more.

Huge burgers, pork ribs and steaks are also quite popular here. I managed to steal a few bites from the plates of friends and found everything to be quite good. Meat Lovers also offers a good selection of beer and wine at fair prices. The service is also great. Head here early with some friends and enjoy the great food and service before it fills up for the night.

Snekutis

Three locations throughout Vilnius (See map below)

All locations open at least 11:00am-11:00pm, $4-8 per person

Another local favorite in Vilnius is Snekutis. They offer a number of locations and each has plenty of space. This doesn’t mean diners will always be able to find an open table during the dinner rush, but you usually won’t have to wait too long. Make sure to enjoy a local pint or two from their long list of local beers.

The potato pancakes with meat or cheese was my personal favorite. I enjoyed them with each filling and found the crispy outside and warm soft inside to be incredible good alongside the sour cream and herbs. I must have eaten these three or four times during my week here. The traditional dumplings, similar to pierogi, but three or four times the size, were also very good. If you’re not into fried foods, these are boiled and are a good alternative.

Another thing I liked about Snekutis was that they allow half orders on most menu items at half the price. This allows diners to fill the table with many different dishes. In the event one dish isn’t a new favorite, it’s also good because you didn’t waste very much money. I would usually come here with a group from my hostel and we would all order two or three things and share. We had a lot of fun.

Though quite rich, the savory pie dishes are also very nice. Each has potatoes and cheese with additional meat options available as well. Note that the meats are usually served bone-in so be careful when eating. The pork stew was rich and well balanced so it wasn’t too heavy.

I also enjoyed the roast chicken, roast pork and sausages. I thought that the cold and creamy beet root soup was good and much better than the warm version served without cream.

There were, however, a few dishes I didn’t particularly care for. The most notable were the zeppelins. This dish is made of hollowed out potatoes stuffed with meat. They’re baked and served with a creamy gravy is a local favorite. Snekutis is nearly always out of them late in the day, they’re so popular. When we finally were able to order them one day we were all unimpressed. Too much potato, very little meat and an overly rich gravy left us all disappointed.

Another popular meat served here is pig ear. Many of us tried them in one dish or another and all thought the pig ear to be prepared in a way that made it seem overly chewy and lacking in flavor. Again, we were disappointed.

The service at the bar and the tables was hit or miss. Some days everything went perfectly. Other times we’d have to flag people down repeatedly if we were waiting on a dish for more than 15 minutes. One time they simply told us they didn’t know what happened to the dish after 30 minutes and my friend was so frustrated she went to the cashier, asked for her money back and left.

I recommend Snekutis but it isn’t without its faults. Every place has its off day. Perhaps the zeppelins, pig ear and occasional bad service we experienced were just that. In either case, the potato pancakes, roasted meats and dumplings were very good. The beer selection is also some of the best in Vilnius. Everything is priced well. I will return here on my next trip to Vilnius.

Klaipedos Senamiestis

Totoriu G. 5, Vilnius 01121

Open 10:00am-11:00pm daily, $6-12 per person

A somewhat classier option serving local dishes is Klaipedos Senamiestis. The excellent service and pleasant atmosphere do not mean high prices, however. A friend and I were directed here for lunch by our free walking tour travel guide. We spent around $7-8 each.

Serving many local options such as dumplings, slow cooked pork and a number of grilled meat and fish options, we didn’t know where to start. At the recommendation of our server, I chose the recommendation of the server. He suggested an open faced sandwich of ham, bacon, cheese and sardines. The combination may sound a bit different buy it was very good. The dish was served with pickled peppers and olives, as well as roasted potatoes. I enjoyed the savory and salty flavors of each component. It was unlike any other local dish I enjoyed in Lithuania.

My friend ordered the fried cheese, served with a spicy aioli which was very nice but heavy. She also enjoyed the beef dumplings which were fried. Similar to ravioli or a smaller pierogi, both of us enjoyed them.

Our selected dishes were interesting and the interior of the restaurant was very nice. The service was top notch. Klaipedos Senamiestis is well worth checking out for lunch or dinner. It’s a popular spot for locals and travelers alike.

Additional Recommendations

I didn’t have a chance to tryout every restaurant I wanted to during my time in Vilnius. For some additional Western food options, I’ve added these to my list for next time. They come highly recommended from locals:

Jurgis ir Drakonis: Craving pizza? This is a local pizza shop with multiple locations across Vilnius. Pizzas range from $6-11 and Italian favorites such as lasagna are available. Well reviewed and widely popular, this is a great place to get your pizza fix on.
Boom Burgers: Gourmet burgers ranging from the traditional cheeseburger to the addition options of pulled pork, sloppy joe and more. They also offer fried chicken and vegetarian versions. Burgers range from $6-8. Check out the lunch special that comes with a burger, drink and fries for $7.50. They can be found over at Gedimino 1, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Cat Cafe Kaciu Kavine: Like coffee? How about cats? Head to one this local favorite cat cafe at J. Jasinskio G. 1, Vilnius 01112.