We decided to kick off our Baltic adventure in the capital city of Lithuania – Vilnius. Taking the number 3G bus from the airport to the centre (Fabijoniskes means bus station), first impressions said that this city was unlikely to be overrun with tourists. As we wound our way down the grey streets under the grey sky it would seem that first impressions proved to be correct; there was a very ‘local’ atmosphere, enhanced by the mountainous ticket inspectors. We got off the bus at the river and made our way in the direction of our hotel, navigating with our guide book map. Evidently looking like lost tourists, we were stopped by a couple who kindly asked us if we would like any help with directions. Their kindness made us feel a bit bad about being so down on Lithuania and we decided to enjoy this interesting city for what it was. It was October after all, and what city does look good under grey skies and drizzle? I know Swansea doesn’t!
The welcome from the locals was first rate and the service was exemplary in just about everywhere we visited. You really got the impression that this is a country on the up after the break from the Soviet Union; from trendy craft beer bars to vegetarian friendly restaurants, this is a place that seems keen to welcome new trends, ideas and tourists.
We strolled past City Hall (which now houses a tourist information), through the square, past the small market (selling all of the usual tourist tat at a pleasantly decreased price from the shops) and down the main street of the old town to a modern looking café called La Crepe. Not a very Lithuanian name but I still opted for a traditional potato pancake with bacon which
was deep fried to within any inch of its life, whilst Rhian decided to request a pizza with no cheese and a portion of potato wedges. When Rhian’s pizza turned up with several dollops of mozzarella adorning its surface she sent it back, apologising but emphasising that she had requested “no cheese”. Seemingly understanding, the helpful waitress went back to the kitchen only to return 10 minutes later with a pizza covered in more cheese than the first one. At this point Rhian decided to cut her losses and stick with the wedges. On the plus side the beer was cheap and that, coupled with the friendly service and warm welcome, meant we decided to give the place another go the next day. This time Rhian opted for a salad which was beautifully presented and extremely fresh. I opted for the traditional Lithuanian dumplings which were not at all to my taste with pale meat and swimming in grease. One to avoid for all you meat eaters out there!
Our plan on day 1 was to chill out and avoid the whole sight
seeing business which we would save for day 2. Unfortunately the centre of Vilnius is pretty small and you can see the majority of the top tourist attractions from one spot in the main square. So with that idea down the drain we decided to walk up to Gedimas Castle. It was well worth the climb for the panoramic views from the top of the tower. Inside was a small museum detailing some of Vilnius’ history, including the city’s inclusion in the human chain which was formed between Gedimas Tower to Toompea in Tallinn as a symbol of the Baltic states’ fight for independence from the Soviet Union.
Afterwards we decided to take a walk through the wannabe independent region of Uzupis. Reading about this area I pictured a bohemian paradise of arty shops and trendy cafes. However, it seemed to be mainly a rundown looking part of town which we decided was not worth venturing too far into. We did find the constitution of Uzupis however (written on a wall on Paupio street), which contains such “laws” as “everyone has the right to live by the river”, “a dog has the right to be a dog” and “a cat does not have to love its owner, but it must assist in times of peril”. Worth a visit for this novelty factor alone.
We didn’t go out for food until fairly late that evening. We popped in for a quick beer in the bar run by the Roudonu Plytu microbrewery at 1 Rudninkq, I had the pale ale which was as good a beer as you’ll find anywhere. The bar was conveniently located on the corner opposite city hall and sold a number of fantastically hoppy and modern beers. It was a small pub with a modest wooden clad bar and a small outside seating area.
We headed a couple of doors down in Lietuvos Dailininku Sajuunga pub which looked warm and welcoming. There was a fairly extensive menu but everything came with cheese and they informed us that nothing could be done without. When asked what was available for vegans, the waitress suggested breadsticks with cheese. When Rhian said she didn’t eat cheese, the response was “well, breadsticks then”. A less than successful meal, they did a damn good breadstick though.
Day 2 was mainly spent in the Baltics coffee chain, Coffee Inn, 
drinking pumpkin spiced decaf soya lattes and having a wander through the city. On our last evening, having tried and failed to find a sports bar that would show the Wales vs South Africa rugby game (the Lithuanians were more focussed on the basketball), we grabbed some beers in the Billa supermarket just opposite city hall and drank them in the room whilst watching a heroic and narrow defeat for our injury stricken team.
A little concerned about food after the previous night’s experience, we headed out early to find a restaurant that we had researched on HappyCow.net. It was a Sunday and everything seemed to be closed down; the city was very dark. Before getting to our intended destination, we stumbled across a restaurant which beat everything else we’d had hands down. This was The Smoke House at 18a Vokiechiu. It was a small place with only about a dozen or so tables. We were greeted by a young man who spoke fairly good English. When we asked if they catered for vegans he went to check with the chef and assured us that the “tofu cheese” on the menu was vegan. As it turns out, that is what the Lithuanians call tofu and bears no relation to cheese. It arrived with sweet potato fries and salad. The tofu was marinated in a barbecue sauce and was fantastic. I had a steak which was unbelievably good, especially for the price (which was not as cheap as other places in Vilnius, expensive in comparison, but still fantastic value for money). I would put this down as a must visit for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Until that last meal, I may have said you could struggle as a vegan in Vilnius, but we were completely blown away by the quality you can find if you look hard enough and do some prior research (or just get lucky like us!). Our suggestion – go there for a cheap city break with a bit of sightseeing and some decent beer, but don’t stay more than 2 nights as you will almost certainly run out of things to do. It has potential to grow in popularity with the new flight paths opening up there all the time but I would suggest it won’t reach the same level as the other two Baltic states.