The story
Nineteen18, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Vilnius’s Old Town, impresses with its open kitchen and meticulous organization, though the strong smell of fried food wafting from the market below is a notable drawback. Creator Piattoriccomicificco describes the cuisine as “brilliant with fermentations” yet “can be overwhelming,” highlighting a bold, inventive approach that divides opinion.
The full tasting menu, priced at €195 per person with wine pairing, is considered good value by the reviewer, who calls the wine pairing “excellent.” While the restaurant delivers a polished, elegant experience, the sensory clash of refined dining and street-level aromas keeps it from being an unqualified triumph. For adventurous diners seeking modern Lithuanian flavors, Nineteen18 offers a memorable—if polarizing—meal.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2026.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 10 dish mentions say about the food
The dessert al topinambur earns singular, glowing praise, a clever and memorable standout. Overall, reviewers describe the food as playful and refined, with a confident, artful vibe.
“The last dessert of the night: Jerusalem artichoke drum. Inside there's a dark cream made from black Jerusalem artichoke, on top apple and quince foam, Jerusalem artichoke caramel, and edible flowers. It's nice, but it smells of Jerusalem artichoke. Dear chef Lippi, you know that Jerusalem artichoke dessert is in the Olympus of our desserts, so tonight we try. The presentation is risky but very beautiful. If it had been cold it would have been better — I expected a gelato quenelle. Instead it's a custard, like a zabaglione. But this temperature enhances the flavor of the Jerusalem artichoke even more.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Nineteen18. Most active: Piattoriccomicificco
- PiattoriccomicificcoLoved
☠️ VELENO IN UN RISTORANTE STELLATO ⭐️ Nineteen18 a Vilnius in Lituania 🇱🇹 · @ 2:42
A beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen and incredible organization, but the strong smell of fried food from the market below is a drawback; the cuisine is brilliant with fermentations but can be overwhelming, the wine pairing is excellent, and the value is good at €195 per person for the full tasting menu and wine pairing.
Dishes mentioned
Amuse Bouche Selection
We start with the most complex amuse bouche of our history. There's white asparagus fermented and put in salt brine, vacuum-marinated cucumber with elderflower marinade and fermented elderflower blossoms, unripe strawberry marinated when it was still white, pine cones that taste like sauna, rhubarb dipped in sugar like Lithuanian kids eat it with fermented rose petal, unripe tomato burned on the grill and fermented with olive oil, and beetroot with koji grown on it giving it a meaty nuttiness. In the center, Caucasian plum picked early so the stone hasn't formed yet, served with Lithuanian cold oysters from France. It's a very original and interesting start, maybe a bit too much to eat seven or eight all together, but each one is good. The asparagus doesn't even taste like asparagus anymore, it's become sweet and sour like melon. The pine cone is half-caramelized, the little tomato is burnt and fermented — amazing what it does.
Caviale con Peperone Verde
The chef Justinas Misus brings this dish: green bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomato water gel, and bell pepper. Underneath there's reef caviar. Caviar with bell pepper is the first time we've tried it, and I hope it's not the last. The bell pepper isn't there, it's the aroma of bell pepper with the marine caviar, then the salt crystals, and there's a cream underneath and a foam on top. A very particular tasting course.
Pane di Segale con Burro Liquido
This is the first liquid butter of the show. The bread is a rye bread project started seven years ago by the head chef, baked in a cupcake mold for the perfect crust. It's a muffin-like consistency, totally unprecedented. The butter is liquid, served at a specific temperature. It's aggressive — you're eating a whole loaf of bread like a bomb. This cupcake of bread is fantastic, it enters the top 10, even top 5 for originality. But it's demanding, very heavy. Delicious though, Madonna.
Topinambur con Funghi e Formaggio Lituano
Probably the smallest bite of the night but also the most complicated. Outside a basket made from Jerusalem artichoke, inside caramelized mushrooms, burned potato foam, some smoked Lithuanian cheese, and cured egg. You have to eat it as soon as possible because it falls apart. It looks like it weighs a brick but it's very light. The mushroom is caramelized and crunchy, the Jerusalem artichoke is made into a wafer. It's the best Jerusalem artichoke I've ever had — no wait, the best is still Arcolino's ice cream. But this is amazing.
Scallop Pizza con Cianuro
This is probably the most controversial dish of the night, based on poison. It's called scallop pizza. At the bottom a potato crisp, on top a boletus mushroom emulsion, then slices of scallop from Hokkaido, Japan, and a tamari and bird cherry tree sauce. The bird cherry tree sauce contains a small amount of cyanide — they're intentionally poisoning us! The chef said there's cyanide. The scallop is mushroomy, the wafer is potato. I have to admit the work behind it is impressive, but it doesn't excite me as much as the rest.
