If you happen to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania and cocktails are your thing, look no further! Here’s a list of Vilnius cocktail bars, pubs and restaurants where you can head for some of the best drinks in town.
Alchemikas (meaning alchemist) is probably the smallest bar in Vilnius in one of the busiest streets in terms of night life. If you come early enough (that is before 10pm), you might get lucky to land a seat, otherwise just grab a drink and mingle with the crowd. The bar deserves a credit for quirky atmosphere with dim green lights and interesting decor. Their drink menu might give you a bit of a head spin: a few pages with classic cocktails, long drinks, Martinis, variations of Cosmopolitans and shots. If you are feeling adventurous, try Spiced Melon Martini with chilly in it or ask bartenders to knock up a surprise drink for you. It can happen that they won’t have ingredients (such as passionfruit pulp) for certain cocktails on their menu, but if you come past during summer, you might be rewarded by seasonal fruit and berry cocktails. I hear blueberry Mojitos are to die for.
Alchemikas, Islandijos 1, Vilnius
Come here for: kicking the night off with a cocktail before you go clubbing.
Located on the 22nd floor of Radisson Blu Hotel, Sky Bar is known for the great city views. Never too busy, with a mixed crowd of foreign visitors and some random locals. The list of cocktails is endless, which can get frustrating when you try to go through it and choose something. Ordering a drink is a bit of a lottery – on average every second drink which comes out is good. French Martini with blackberries is definitely one of the winners. If you like smoothies, Tropic Storm cocktail is something to try. Shots can be ordered in batches of four and Apple pie shots made of vodka, apple juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon are truly delicious. There are some non-alcoholic cocktails too, just don’t order Virgin Strawberry Mojito – you’ll get a lump of strawberry jam floating in your glass amongst crushed ice.
Sky Bar, Radisson Blu Hotel, Konstitucijos ave. 20, Vilnius
Come here for: watching the sun setting over the city with a drink of your choice.
If you are a fan of good ol’ G&T’s, this is the place to go: you can get it knocked up with Hendricks, Larios, Broker’s, Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire gin. The cocktail list is relatively short, but Mojito here is a true winner and one is on me if you find a place where they can make it better in town. Lynchburg Lemonade comes in a glass jar with a lid and it is nice to drink while chatting away at the bar. In case you get peckish, the snacks here, namely prawns with aioli and goat cheese croquettes are finger licking good.
The atmosphere is of an upscale pub and the public is somewhat mixed: after office crowd, tourists, business travelers and some laid back folks. Music tends to be too loud to talk on the weekends when a DJ is in, but the quality of food and drinks, the premium views of Vilnius town hall and the overall atmosphere more than compensates for that. And one more thing: this place stays open till 6am on the weekends, so what’s here not to like?
Dirty Duck, Didžioji 28, Vilnius
Come here for: the last quality drink at 5am to finish your big night out.
A couple of other spots I feel an obligation to mention are restaurants rather than bars, but they serve cocktails worth stopping by. One of those is Stebuklai – modern cuisine restaurant with a few interesting drinks on their menu. You can get some classics such as Smokey Manhattan or go for Bacon Infused Bourbon – a cocktail with a slab of fried bacon on a swizzle stick, which will be a drink and a snack all in one. The atmosphere here may get a bit pretentious in the evening with posh suited up crowd gathering for dinner. You wouldn’t go here by yourself only for a drink as there is no proper bar seating, but if you are with a company, do not hesitate to stop by.
Come here for: fancy after work drinks & dinner after a pay day.If you are a fan of Margaritas, Sofa de Pancho make them arguably the best in town. Try avocado Guacarita if you feel experimental or mango Mangarita if you want to indulge. They also make seasonal cocktails in summer and Wild Berry Margarita is amazing. This place has homey feel atmosphere, which makes you want to hang around and have a chat with their friendly staff. However, the chances of getting a table nor a seat without a reservation are close to zero, so make a booking at least a few hours in advance and when you are there, have some food too, you won’t regret it.
Sofa de Pancho, Visų Šventųjų 5, Vilnius
Come here for: margaritas & dinner in the laid back environment.
You might like to read this article if you are looking for more options in terms of best Vilnius bars.
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Featured photo credits: Sweet & Sour
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