Tvirtove prie Didziulio

The sunset over the lake is a lovely reason to stop here in the evening, and we’d happily return. We found Twirtove pri Didziulio by chance on a family drive through Lithuania in August 2018. It’s right by the A1 from Kaunas to Lithuania, and the big brick building is hard to miss. From the outside it looks almost like a castle, more like something I’d expect in Spain’s Sierra Nevada than in the Baltic States. Inside, the rooms are spacious, some spread across several floors, with galleries, big windows and covered wooden decking all around, complete with seating and a great view of the lake. The decor continues the castle feel, with a huge spiderweb on the facade, old knight’s armor, witch figures and pewter plates inside. There’s plenty for kids too, including a plastic play castle by the entrance, room to run around and a guest room with a pool table twice the usual size. The restaurant manager had time to chat and introduced me to the friendly cook. I got to peek into the kitchen, which was clean and tidy. The bathrooms were clean and had good quality soap and towels, as is usual in the Baltic States. For about 7 EUR per person, including a main course and drink, we had freshly prepared food with an emphasis on regional specialties, plus a few dishes from neighboring countries. I chose Chicken Kiev, served with dill and herbs inside and a generous side of crisp fresh salad. With decent fruit juice and still water, it made a perfect early dinner before we got back on the road.

The food at our private event was really fresh and well prepared. The catering was outstanding, and the service felt both pleasant and professional.

The food was pretty poor, about Maxima level. At least there’s a nice view.

The area is industrial, and the kitchen at " tvirtove" was very bad. Service, though, was good.