The Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — may not yet roll off the tongue like Tuscany or Tokyo when it comes to food pilgrimages but they are quietly becoming one of Europe’s most exciting food regions.
In recent years, our Inspectors have been following a new generation of Baltic chefs emerging, whose cuisine has been shaped by time spent abroad, but that remains deeply rooted in local tradition. At its core: respect for nature, seasonality, and the kind of quiet innovation that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.
You’ll notice common threads across the three countries — malted rye bread at nearly every table, dumplings and blood sausage, pork in its many forms, and that electric-pink beet soup that goes by a different name in each language (šaltibarščiai, aukstā zupa, suvesupp). But look closer, and there’s remarkable nuance too — whether it’s the way a chef in Vilnius ferments tomatoes in birch sap, or a Tallinn kitchen layering sea buckthorn into a sharp dessert.
What’s most striking isn’t just the technique or inventiveness — and a certain bond with the landscape.
Foraging, fermenting, preserving: here, these aren’t borrowed ideas, but deep-rooted practices. It’s not a trend as it might be the case in other destinations. It’s how things have always been done.
The region may still be under the radar for many travelers, but that’s part of the draw. Come now, and you’ll find a food culture that feels as though it’s being written in real time — raw, thoughtful, and very much alive.
Estonia
On-Trend, Contemporary Vibes
The picture-perfect postcard of Tallinn with its cobblestone streets and red-topped roofs draws millions of travelers to the capital each year, but if you expect to find the same medieval representation in the city’s dishes, think again. Sure, when you visit Estonia you shouldn’t pass up visiting Moon and Bib Gourmand Fellin for traditional dishes like blood sausage and smoked fish, which many locals eat on a daily basis, but as one of the cultural capitals of the Baltics, Tallinn is the place to eat pastries that rival the best in France, sip coffee that even the Italians would appreciate and eat Nordic-inspired dishes that Danish food critics would rave about.
The Estonian capital continues to reinvent itself from a culinary perspective with cool eateries and restaurants constantly opening up around the city. Coffee, rice and spices changed the way Estonians ate back in the 20th-century, and now eateries like 38, Pull and One-MICHELIN-Starred NOA Chef’s Hall are fashionable destinations catering to youthful foodies who demand trendy contemporary Asian and European-inspired dishes in a cool, vibey atmosphere.
New to The MICHELIN Guide this year are Bib Gourmand awarded UMA where our Inspectors noted the service was well above standard, both Asian-focused restaurants that spotlight local Estonian producers, along with the intimate omakase restaurant Koyo, which serves locally sourced fish from the local waters. For travelers who want a taste of Italy when in Estonia, meanwhile, you can’t beat newly recommended Morel Bistroo and Osteria il Cru.
Much like their Baltic neighbors, Estonians take a lot of pride in working with the land, which is reflected in their use of seasonal produce and connections with local farmers. Hiis is newly awarded a Green Star for 2025, which along with existing Green Star awardees Fotografiska and Kolm Sõsarat, demonstrates Estonia’s ambition to be at one with nature.
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Lithuania
Traditional Recipes Reimagined
Lithuania is a country of vast landscapes: up north you have the beautiful coast where locals spend their summers eating grilled mackerel by the sea; down south in the woods of Djukila National Park you will find them enjoying their national hobby of foraging for mushrooms, wild berries and herbs.
Mother Nature is no doubt important to Lithuanian cuisine, and the country’s first MICHELIN Green Star restaurant, Red Brick, located on more than 1,730 acres of organic farmed land, has more than 400 Black Angus cattle and 800 free-range hens, and is a great example of how the top chefs across the country work.
Here, Chef Arnór Ingi Bjarkason creates a fully immersive experience that spotlights Lithuanian ingredients through delicate Nordic and Japanese techniques. While the restaurant is off the beaten path, located more than 50 miles from capital city Vilnius, tasting Red Brick’s farm-raised beef and locally grown vegetables doesn’t necessarily demand a trip to the countryside: the farm supplies restaurants in town like Bib Gourmand awarded 14Horses and One-MICHELIN-Starred Nineteen18.
Vilnius is a walkable city with dining options as rich as its history. In the cobbled lanes of the UNESCO-listed Old Town, you’ll find traditional dishes like vivid pink šaltibarščiai and hefty cepelinai dumplings. But Lithuanian cuisine isn’t stuck in the past — thanks to a smattering of new openings across the capital, the city’s food scene feels more and more dynamic.
There’s no shortage of sustainably minded restaurants in Vilnius, and in Naujamiestis, the New Town, you will find One-MICHELIN-Starred Demo, which was recently awarded a Green Star. In this trendy, up-and-coming neighborhood, you will find Chef Tadas Eidukevicius unapologetically serving dishes that work in harmony with the evironment, so don’t be surprised to see a buttery soft turnip served with a fermented rye bread beer sauce in lieu of beef as a main course. Café by day and restaurant by night, there are no shortcuts at Demo, so expect everything house-made, from the malted rye bread to cured mackerel that is reminiscent of the chef’s summer vacations with his dad on the Baltic coast. Don’t forget to check out the tailor-made ceramics and furnishings too.
Closer to the city center is One-MICHELIN-Starred Džiaugsmas, which many describe as the pioneer of Lithuania’s fine-dining culture. Run by Chef Martynas Praškevičius and supported by an energetic team who want diners to learn more about their Lithuanian way of life and cuisine, the recipes here are playful and always come with a backstory. Potato-skin ice cream and beef tartare tartlets, as well as the signature rye bread with a veil of lard, are pure pleasure to eat in this Brutalist-style building located just outside the Old Town.
Elsewhere around Vilnius, a strong nod to the city’s growing population (it recently surpassed Riga as the biggest city in the Baltics) is shown in its contemporary and vibrant food scene. Mexican, Indian and Japanese eateries have opened up of late, including El Gato Negro, Gaspar’s and B’ARN Bistro, all recognized for their good value cooking.
Latvia
Bold Seasonal Cuisine
While Latvians have a soft spot for carb-rich comforts—like pīrāgi (bacon-filled buns), rupjmaize (dark rye with caraway), and rupjmaizes kārtojums, a trifle of rye bread, cream, and tart berries—the country’s cuisine goes well beyond rye and smoked sprats on toast.
According to many influential chefs like Kristaps Sīlis of JOHN Chef’s Hall, true Latvian cuisine is seasonal, produce-driven, aromatic and full of foraged wild ingredients. “If it's from Latvia, it's our product and (therefore) our culture,” says Sīlis, who remains a voice to be reckoned with in promoting Latvia’s “real” cuisine that goes beyond beetroot soup and pelmeni dumplings. While Riga, the capital city, has recently had a surge in contemporary and trendy restaurants, venturing further afield and into the countryside is both rewarding and delicious, allowing curious travelers to to connect deeply with Latvian culture and flavor.
Start in Valmiera, one of the country’s oldest cities, where locals go hiking, kayaking and fishing for pike perch along the Gauja River. Pack a simple picnic of smoked sprats on toast or dine at Akustika, located in the town’s old Post and Telegraph building, where you can enjoy freshly caught fish or locally reared lamb with sweeping views of the Gauja National Park. For nature lovers, venture northeast to Cēsis and visit its well-preserved 13th-century castle or walk the mighty Ērglu cliffs before sitting down for a dinner at Kest, a former fire station serving a creative menu that includes Japanese-inspired dishes and Italian saltimbocca, all made with locally sourced ingredients from nearby farms and waters.
Add Green Star Pavāru Māja in the nearby village of Līgatne, to your Latvia food trip, where Chef Juris Dukaļskis and his team let the wilderness of the Gauja National Park dictate the menu; expect homemade tonics, linden flowers served with venison cutlet and unique, hyperlocal Rehtsprehers cheese.
If you can’t make it out of Riga, the capital city offers an equally delicious discovery of seasonal experiences too. The aptly named Seasons spotlights Latvian smoked trout with a French twist by serving it with a rich and creamy bearnaise sauce, while Ferma, run by Nils Ģēvele, is particularly enjoyable during the autumn with Latvian berries, mushrooms and game all on show. For something different, explore Riga’s dynamic Georgian community and dine in one of two newly recommended restaurants: BABO or LOWINE. Their great tasting Georgian-inspired dishes like khachapuri (cheese bread) and khinkali (filled dumplings) pair very nicely with their biodynamic wines.
Hero Image: Demo in Vilnius © Robertas Daskevičius/Demo
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