This guide brings together the 10 best specialty coffee spots in Vilnius, based on places I’ve visited myself plus a few that came highly recommended by baristas and local coffee people.
Of the three Baltic capitals, Vilnius easily has the strongest third-wave coffee scene. They have more independent roasters, more thoughtful brewers, and more cafés where coffee is treated as something to experience, not just drink.
Whether you’re into pour-overs, brunch cafés, Italian-style espresso, or quiet Nordic minimalism, these are the cafés worth seeking out.
Also read: Complete Vilnius City Guide With Things To Do & Itinerary Ideas
The Vilnius Coffee Scene
As you’ll discover in this Vilnius coffee guide is that the city might surprise you with how seriously it takes coffee. For a city of its size, the range of independent cafés and small roasters is remarkable. Not in a flashy, trend-chasing way, but in that quiet, confident way that defines much of modern Lithuania.
You’ll find cafés that roast their own beans, like Backstage or Taste Map, alongside minimalist spots that treat brewing as a slow ritual. Others, such as Italala, look to Italy for inspiration, while Elska and Kavos Reikalai channel a more Northern European style with lighter roasts and softer aesthetics.
Yet somehow, these different influences coexist without competition, since everyone seems to have carved out their own corner of the scene.
Baristas here are often trained to a high standard, but the atmosphere rarely feels pretentious. Conversations about origins and roast profiles happen naturally, not as lectures. You get the sense that people here don’t just drink coffee; they care about it.
And maybe that’s what makes Vilnius’ coffee scene special. It reflects the city itself: creative, independent, quietly ambitious. You come for the history, the architecture and the sense of calm. But you stay for a place that takes pride in doing things well, one cup at a time.
10 Best Specialty Coffee Spots in Vilnius
So, let’s kick it off in this Vilnius coffee guide with the best coffee in the city. After these 10 coffee hotspot you’ll find a map with all their locations.
1. Kavos Reikalai
Kavos Reikalai has a calm, minimal interior with a slow-coffee focus, so no blaring music, no heavy branding, just people who care about what’s in the cup.
It’s the sort of place where the barista will happily recommend a specific brewing method rather than just asking “espresso or filter?”. It’s also a good café for laptops, as long as you don’t plan to turn it into your office for three hours.
A few pastries round out the menu, but this is very much a coffee-first spot. If you want a quiet start to the day with an excellent cup, begin here.
Insider tip: Kavos Reikalai is the best place in the city to drink coffee brewed with beans from Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories, Lithuania’s most respected roaster.
2. Coffee Spells
Coffee Spells feels like a neighbourhood café that became a favourite because it does the essentials right: juicy filter brews, smooth espresso, friendly staff, and food that’s genuinely worth ordering.
Their salmon and cream-cheese sandwich on homemade brown bread is a small work of art. Easily one of the best café bites in Vilnius!
The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, making it a good stop between sightseeing or a gentle place to start your morning. You’ll find a mix of locals, freelancers, and travellers, but it never turns chaotic or loud.
3. BREW. Specialty Coffee
BREW is one of the quieter specialty cafés in Vilnius. Not as hyped as some others, which is exactly why it’s worth visiting. On top of that it’s right next to MO Museum, making it the perfect stop before or after your museum visit.
The focus at BREW is on well-balanced filter coffee and clean, uncluttered design. It’s a good spot if you want to slow down, read, or just enjoy a cup without distraction.
They roast their own beans sourced from a range of different countries, so it’s a nice place to discover something new. The crowd here is a mix of students, creatives, and occasional laptop users, but it never feels like a co-working hub.
Oh yeah if you’re a real coffee geek, then you’d like to know that they quite recently upgraded their espresso machine to a Victoria Arduino!
4. Elska Coffee
Elska Coffee is a cosy, slightly bohemian spot known for serving beans from Andrito Coffee Roastery, a respected specialty roaster from Riga, Latvia. They also rotate guest beans from other European micro-roasters, so there’s always something new to try.
The interior is warm and inviting, but in a deliberately mismatched way. Old wooden tables in different shapes and sizes, vintage chairs, bar stools, benches, and the kind of details that make it feel lived-in rather than styled.
It’s a great place for a relaxed coffee break or brunch, but the seating isn’t particularly comfortable for long laptop sessions, so it’s not the best pick if you want to work for hours.
Elska is the sort of café that rewards people who come for the coffee first. Thoughtful brews, a relaxed pace, and friendly staff who know what they’re serving.
5. Taste Map Coffee Roasters
Taste Map is one of the key names in Lithuanian specialty coffee. And no Vilnius coffee guide would be complete without it. The café is bright, modern, and usually filled with a mix of locals, digital workers, and people picking up beans to take home.
They roast their own beans in-house and offer several single origins at any given time. Their roasts usually lean toward clean, light-roast profiles. If you’re into filter coffee, this is one of the best places in the city to order a V60 or Chemex.
Staff know their coffee and are happy to walk you through flavour notes if you’re choosing retail bags. If you want to leave Lithuania with excellent beans in your suitcase, this is a great place to go to.
6. StrangeLove Coffee Roasters
StrangeLove is a long-standing favourite in Vilnius and one of the easiest cafés to fit into a sightseeing day. It’s just a short walk from Cathedral Square.
The café has indoor seating plus a garden for warmer days, and the atmosphere is lively but never rushed. Their own beans are usually on the grinder, with occasional guest roasters making an appearance.
It’s also a good place to sit without feeling like you’re in the way. Think “coffee-first social space” rather than silent study room. A reliable stop if you want good espresso or a well-brewed filter, with bonus points for its central location.
Insider tip: StrangeLove also serves delicious (non-)alcoholic summery cocktails. A perfect companion to enjoy in their garden during the warmer months.
7. Italala
As the name hints, Italala Caffè brings an Italian touch to the Vilnius coffee scene. Instead of sourcing beans from Nordic-style micro-roasters, they use coffee from two excellent roasteries in Florence: Ditta Artigianale and D612 Coffee Roasters.
The result is something you don’t often find in the Baltics, a more classic Italian flavour profile, but brewed with modern specialty standards.
The café itself is calm and beautifully designed, with pastel colours, soft lighting, and even a pair of indoor swings that add to the relaxed atmosphere.
Alongside espresso and filter options, they serve Italian-inspired desserts, which pair perfectly with their darker, smoother roasts. It’s not a place for laptops or speed-drinking, but more a spot to sit, pause and enjoy a thoughtful cup.
8. Backstage Roasters
Backstage runs two locations in Vilnius. The original Backstage Café, a smaller, brunch-friendly spot with a lively atmosphere. And the newer Backstage Roastery Café, a bigger industrial-style space where you can sometimes see their roasting equipment in action.
Both locations serve the same beans (roasted by them), but the vibe differs. The café is better if you want food and a social atmosphere, while the roastery is ideal if you’re more focused on the coffee itself or prefer more space.
Insider tip: Backstage Roastery’s headquarters in the south of the city also offers coffee tasting sessions. Check out their website to learn more.
9. Kiras (formerly Chaika)
Chaika, one of Vilnius’ most recognisable cafés, has rebranded to Kiras, but it still carries the same soul. Colourful, vegan-friendly, and full of character.
The focus here is split between good coffee, homemade plant-based cakes, and an extended chai and tea menu. So not a purist coffee bar, but still very much worth a stop if you enjoy cafés with personality.
Despite its rebranding the interior remains as eclectic as ever, with retro décor, bright colours, and a friendly, relaxed vibe. Coffee is well prepared (though not roasted in-house), and the vegan desserts are some of the best in the city.
If you’re looking for somewhere laid-back, creative, and different from the minimalist third-wave style, Kiras is an easy favourite.
10. Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories (Special Note)
Crooked Nose is the most respected roaster in Lithuania, but they don’t run a traditional café. They roast beans, host tastings, create custom brewing tools, and occasionally organise events.
The website is in Lithuanian only, but don’t let that stop you: the owners speak perfect English. Reach out before you go and you might get lucky and join a cupping or private session. Check out their events calendar to see what’s going on.
Needless to say their space is definitely worth visiting if you’re a coffee geek. And to be honest Crooked Nose is my favourite place to go to in this Vilnius coffee guide for buying beans to take home.
Vilnius Coffee Guide Quick Picks: Best for…
Need a quick pick overview, then I’ve got you covered right here:
| Best for… | Place |
|---|---|
| Filter coffee | Kavos Reikalai or Taste Map |
| Brunch + coffee | Backstage (Roastery) Café or Coffee Spells |
| Remote work | BREW or StrangeLove |
| Vegan cakes + coffee and chai | Kiras |
| Buying coffee beans | Crooked Nose or Taste Map |
| Italian style coffee | Italala or BREW (Victoria Arduino machine) |
| Nordic style coffee | Kavos Reikalei or Elska |
Lithuanian Roasters You Should Know
Even if you don’t make it to all the cafés above, keep an eye out for these names on coffee bags in shops or hotels:
- Crooked Nose & Coffee Stories | Experimental, beautiful branding, slow-coffee style
- Taste Map Coffee Roasters | Accessible, bright, well-balanced roasts
- Backstage Roastery | Small-batch, often found across Vilnius brunch cafés
Lithuania takes its roasting seriously and that’s one of the reasons the country has a stronger coffee scene than you might expect.
Map of the Best Coffee in Vilnius
I’ve pinned all cafés mentioned in this Vilnius coffee guide on the map below, so you can easily plan your own route through the city.
Tip: Save the map to your phone, and you’re sorted for caffeine in Vilnius. The best coffee in Vilnius that is.
Tips for Coffee Lovers in Vilnius
- Many cafés are open till late | Most of them close between 18:00 and 21:00, so if you’re looking for an after dinner coffee you might be lucky. Do check opening times before you head to your favourite though.
- Filter / pour-over | More common than you’d expect, and you should really go with it if available.
- WiFi & work-friendly spots | Most cafés offer free WiFi and remote work is usually fine, but be respectful of space especially during lunch rush hour.
- Staying connected | Use a reliable eSIM like Saily to stay online across Lithuania, which is also perfect for finding cafés on the go.
- Travel insurance | Even when your trip is mostly about relaxed city life, it’s smart to have coverage. Readers of Next Journey Ahead get 5% off on Heymondo travel insurance, so check it out for peace of mind while exploring Vilnius’ café scene.
Final Thoughts on the Best Coffee in Vilnius
Vilnius may not be the biggest capital, but in terms of specialty coffee, it punches way above its weight. Whether you love slow brews, brunch cafés, or buying beans to take home, this city has you covered.
Have questions or did I miss your favourite coffee spot? Then leave a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you! You can also sign up for my newsletter to get the latest itineraries and travel tips straight to your inbox.
If you’re looking for more coffee guides apart from Vilnius, then you can find them all right here.
Planning a trip to Lithuania or the Baltics? Then check out my Lithuania Travel Guide, or continue reading with these articles:
