Finally in Vilnius for two nights but only one day. The huge Panorama Hotel is located across the street from the railway station and McDonald’s. The Panorama Hotel caters to huge tour groups traveling with anywhere from 40-60 tourists and staggers breakfast times accordingly. Otherwise, you’d have hundreds of people fighting at the buffet. The nice room had a fabulous view of old Vilnius spread out before us.

Vilnius is the only European capital situated on the boundaries of two ancient civilizations. Latin and Byzantine and was first mentioned in writing in 1323. Gothic and Baroque architecture predominate throughout the Old Town, around a four-block walk from the Panorama Hotel. Armed with maps, two different dinner recommendations from Signe, and the third currency of this trip (EEK’s, Lats and now Lits), we set out to find Restaurant Medininkai.

Vilnius Old Town from our room at the Panorama Hotel, Vilnius, Lithuania
FYI: An outstanding Baltic feature is the fact that most restaurants serve continuously from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight, 7 days a week. There was never a worry about what time dinner is served, a major plus for us.

Restaurant Medininkai was no exception…View image. Open for dinner, located in a 16th century Gothic building (how unique is that) and the oldest restaurant in Vilnius’ old town. We walked in and were charmed by both the atmosphere with vaulted ceilings… View image, and staff. The two of us had eaten take-out chicken and sandwiches for the last two nights and couldn’t wait to eat a proper meal. Salivary buds went into overtime while reading the wonderful degustation menu…View image…(they do serve a la carte also) and that was it. Expense be damned. Sat down and ordered.

ex-Marine living it up at Restaurant Medininkai, Vilnius
The many-course degustation was 87 Lits, including tax and service while wine was 10 Lits by the glass. The first course was a tomato basil soup…View image…followed by scallops with vegetables in a garlic sauce. Mini-bites of foie gras with raspberry red pepper sauce, tiger shrimp with tomato panna cotta and octopus, snail cooked in port wine, and green salad attractively presented on a platter. Not done yet… The meat course was a lamb filet spiced with jam, potato pudding and blue cheese doughnut, followed by the fish course. Baked cod flavored with garlic anchovy sauce and vegetables.

mini-bite course at Restaurant Medininki, Vilnius 

yummy meat course at Restaurant Medininki, Vilnius
This most excellent spurge came to $46 U.S. a person, worth every Lit and bite. The Vilnius National Philharmonic Hall (the great violinist, Jascha Heifetz was born in Lithuania in 1901) was directly across from the restaurant and magnificently lit along with the other monuments to admire on the walk back to the hotel.

Lithuanian National Philharmonic, Vilnius
The nighttime walk was the only time we seriously felt unsafe during the entire trip. There were quite a few younger men begging. One followed us for quite a distance and really appeared threatening. Dark alcoves in the Gate of Dawn and small side streets with derelicts. Signe had advised us not to walk through the park and we didn’t. This section of the Old Town was quite deserted. Perhaps it was the time of year but I’d still be careful where you walk and definitely wouldn’t walk alone.

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