2019.07.18
Going to Druskininkai for the first time and looking for recommendations for a quality dinner? Here’s what has been checked out and approved by our guests. The features that distinguish Druskininkai’s restaurants from all others.
1. Mineral water soup
When visiting the Town of Salt (“druska” means “salt” in Lithuania), taste the spinach and mineral water soup. Its mild but expressive taste will appeal both to vegetarians and lovers of exceptional food. By the way, pay attention to other dishes that are offered by this restaurant: its visitors usually compliment the squid with vegetables and the duck with apples.
♥ We recommend eating on the restaurant’s terrace, right on the banks of the River Nemunas.
Restaurant: Violeta, Kurorto g. 4, Druskininkai
2. Egyptian Falafel…
…moussaka, hummus, tikka masala, shakshouka, baba ghanoush, curry, matcha, saffron ice cream. It’s hard to stop and it’s hard to pick the best dish being offered by this restaurant. The visitors recommend everything on the menu 😉
♥ A wide selection of vegan and vegetarian food in Druskininkai.
Restaurant: Toli Toli, Vilnius Alėja 8, Druskininkai
3. Fresh home-made bread
Imagine a little medieval Italian bakery with a stove and firewood, locally matured lamb and beef, hand-made cheeses… This is Velvetti, one of the best restaurants in Lithuania. It comprises Italian classics which are flavoured with organic products from local farms, ie. buckwheat flour, mushrooms, vegetables, milk, herbs…
Every day here you can find fresh bread with various additives, ie. goats cheese, chanterelle chop, and caramelised apples or beetroot. It is also possible to buy Lithuanian cheeses because on Saturdays, in the run-up to Assumption, a small cheese market is located next to the restaurant.
♥ In here you will also be able to find Druskininkai’s delicacy which offers nettle ice cream that is famous throughout Lithuania.
Restaurant: Velvetti, Vilnius Alėja 16, Druskininkai
4. Pizza with Lithuanian curd cheese
If you are tired of the standard run of pizza toppings, why not try Smaližiai (‘Sweets’) or Gourmet pizzas that are served in Druskininkai. The first pizza is vegetarian, consisting of sun-dried tomatoes and white curd cheese, and the second one combines dried ham, olives, and famous Lithuanian Džiugas cheese. Both have thin, crispy bases (there is also the option to select a thick base).
♥ It is also worth ordering sea buckthorn tea or lemonade. If you haven’t yet tasted sea buckthorn, you will discover a brand new local taste.
Restaurant: Sicilia, M K Čiurlionis Street 56, Druskininkai
5. Burbot in a sauce of cucumbers and spinach
Burbot is one of the juiciest freshwater fish in our region. It is delicious even when simply fried in oil. However, when served on a hot barbecue grill and seasoned with a sauce of cucumbers and spinach it reminds one of a dish that would normally be eaten during a fish.
♥ Here you can also find some of the best tree cakes šakotis in Lithuania.
♥ The restaurant’s chef is also proud to offer dishes with crocodile, kangaroo, and ostrich meat.
Restaurant: Romnesa, Vienkiemių Street 3, Jaskonių k., LT-66443 Druskininkai Municipality
6. Grilled octopus with black risotto
This is the speciality dish of this restaurant and a definite favourite of visitors. It is one of the best choices for a summer evening when the sun is setting over the beach around the Vijūnėlė pond area. The restaurant is also famous for its syrniki pancakes, home-made Italian ice cream, mussels, and shrimps. As you may guess, the restaurant is always full…
♥ Ice cream is prepared by the restaurant’s owner himself, Artūras Žilinskas.
Restaurant: Elingas Restoranas&Baras Druskininkai, Turistų Street 13, Druskininkai
7. Coconut chips
All of the best you can get in terms of coffee in Italy or France can be found in Druskininkai’s Boulangerie (bakery). Fresh croissants, melt-in-the-mouth canelés, crunchy Florentine biscuits, caramel and chocolate cupcakes, lightly-scalded cookies… However, it is said that the most favourite dessert worth trying is coconut chips. Yummy…
♥ The special cake is Red Velvet.
Bakery and café: Boulangerie, M K Čiurlionio Street 63, Druskininkai
Photos: Inna Maksimčik, Toli Toli, Velvetti, Sicilia, Romnesa, Elingas, Boulangerie