While Vilnius might not be on the radar as a destination for coffee fans yet, it should be. The capital of Lithuania has a burgeoning coffee culture thatโs full of characters and the kind of excitement that comes with new discovery.
Last fall I was invited to the cityย to attend the Dark Times conference.ย The invitation had come from Emanuelis Ryklys, the owner of Crooked Nose and Coffee Stories, a specialty cafe and micro-roaster located near the historic center of the city. Ryklys’s spot is deeply involved in the cafe scene here, not only asย a space to drink a good cup of coffee but as a hub for the young, creative, entrepreneur class to congregate. Perhaps it was the conference, or perhaps it is just the type of people who flock to specialty coffee, but while there I felt that I was surrounded by people who were engaged and excited about making their city a better place, be that through coffee, food, art, or design.
โOur coffee and cafe culture is really young, and itโs still evolving,โ says Ryklys. Vilnius sometimesย seems overshadowed byย the other Baltic capitals, Riga and Tallinn, which is a shame. Itโs a beautiful city well worth exploring, from cobblestone streets and old architecture to the local food and drink culture. When it comes to coffee, you wonโt be overwhelmed by the choice of specialty cafes like you would in coffee capitals like Melbourne or San Francisco, but thereโs enough here to keep you interested, and each cafe has its own distinct feel.
At Crooked Nose and Coffee Stories, I met Polina Lyapustina, who kindly offered to be my guide for the day, taking me around to some of her favorite coffee places. Originally from Russia, Lyapustina was bitten by the coffee bug a little over a year ago, and since then has not only launched a printย zine (KaffeZine) but also regularly organizes cuppings and other events in Vilnius, and recently started Society Coffee Enthusiasts, a group hosting classes and gatherings for coffee enthusiasts in the city. Lyapustina embodies the positive energyย that I found with everyone in the Vilnius coffee scene. Part of that might be the newnessโits attraction liesย largely in the fact that better coffee is a recent discovery, similar to being newly in love: everything is exciting and all you want to do is explore. Ryklys agrees, which is whyย his business, which focuses on an educational component about coffee, is thriving. โCuriosity and being open to new ways of enjoying coffee is something unique we have in Vilnius at the moment.โ
Vilnius is also a place thatโs proud of its culture, and many of the cafes incorporate local culinary traditions into their offerings. At Coffee1, a tiny espresso bar with a cozy feel, youโll find tinginys, which translatesย as โlazy cake,โ because itโs an easy-to-make combination of chocolate, sugar, and biscuits (how could you go wrong?). Crooked Nose &ย Coffee Stories serves ลกakotis, the traditional Lithuanian wedding cake that comes out looking a little like a tree afterย baking and being turned over a spit.
And this might describeย how Vilnius has the potential to grow into a truly unique coffee destination: there is certainly avocado toast to be found on some menus, but since the scene is in its infancy, the players have the opportunity to take local culinary traditions and combine themย with specialty coffee for something entirely different and unique.
โIโd like to see more independent and personal cafes in Vilnius [that]ย are keen on working and playing with coffee,โ says Ryklys. โIn the near future, I see Vilnius and Lithuania, filled with small and original gastronomical spaces. Actually, this is already happening, and Iโm glad I can help to release some of them.โ
Coffee spots to visit in Vilnius, Lithuania
Coffee1ย is located atย Pilies Gatvฤ 42.
Caffeine Roasters is located at Pylimo Gatvฤ 19.
StrangeLoveย is located atย Barboros Radvilaitฤs Gatvฤย 6B.
Taste Map Coffee Roastersย is located at M. K. ฤiurlionio Gatvฤย 8.
Anna Bronesย (@annabrones) is a Sprudge.com staff writer. Read more Anna Brones on Sprudge.