restaurant review: telegrafas in vilnius, lithuania

The facade.

During my recent solo trip to Vilnius, I wanted to try a bit of fine dining. I checked the interwebs and the local publications, and came up with Telegrafas. Below are my thoughts.

The Scene

Located in the Kempinski Hotel across from Cathedral Square, the view was excellent. Although I had no reservations, I was able to easily get a table (with a view facing Cathedral Square - apparently, the best table). In fact, when I arrived around 7 pm on a Sunday night, the place was empty. (Although, to be fair, it was also snowing heavily that evening.) A few groups came later but it never filled up.

The Food

• Amuse of arancini risotto (served very hot; crunchy outside and creamy inside) and tomato purée was bright.

Arancini.

• Foie gras with beluga lentils - the liver was perfectly seared. The lentils complemented the foie well.

Foie gras and lentils.

• Roe deer filet - two big pieces cooked medium served with a blueberry and mushroom sauce, which was tangy and went well with the meat. The homemade potato was crunchy outside and fluffy inside.

Roe deer... with a view.

• Local cheeses - all based on cow's milk. Unfortunately, I found the selection a bit bland and lacking in character. Apparently, it was not the season for goat's milk, and sheep's milk was not popular amongst the locals.

Cheese selection.

• The petit fours were decent (chocolate coconut, chocolate and caramel, and white chocolate with cream)

Petit fours.

The Service

The service was formal - the servers wore gloves. They were also very attentive. Despite the formality, they were friendly - they knew when to be chatty and when to give me space to enjoy my meal. They spoke English and were helpful with menu suggestions.

The Price

At around €75, including a couple glasses of wine, it wasn't cheap. But, it was good value. They also sent me off with a bag of loose leaf black tea.

The parting gift.

The Verdict

I can't say I was wowed but I found the meal enjoyable. 

Have you dined at Telegrafas? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.