Vegan
Buffet
European
Lithuanian

Established in the city centre since the 2000s first as a vegetarian cafe, then switched its menu to be all-vegan in 2012. Open Mon-Fri 09:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-16:00.


134 Reviews

First Review by Aya

BrendanSheehy

Points +22

Vegan
01 May 2018

Great place!

Wish I lived in Kaunas so I could eat here all the time.

jlideik@gmail.com

Points +52

Vegetarian
09 Apr 2018

Cutest vegan place in Kaunas

I love this place for multiple reasons. First - it is entirely vegan. It is really delicious. But one of the most important things, that makes this place unique - they are not hip or cool. It is not a fashionable place with fancy salads and raw burgers. "Arbatine" actually gives you a chance to immerse in to traditional Lithuanian cuisine, or rather vegan version of it. The prices are great, so is the service.

Pros: Beetroot cutlets are to die for, They have vegan pastries , Atmospheric setting (inside a very old pharmacy)

Cons: The place is small, No wifi

Harmonia Monday

Points +114

Vegan
27 Feb 2018

Quality

Traditional Lithuanian cuisine, charming space. Feels very real. I love it.

LucyKing

Points +38

Vegan
16 Jan 2018

Good falafel and national dishes

This place is super cozy but english is a problem, menu is not in english or at least I could not get one, at least the name of the dishes is in english, ingridients are not, if you are not there with native speaker, good luck with ordering drinks :D and I was told not even the stuff speaks english. But to the actual food, I liked that they have veganized national dishes, so you can try what people eat here, I got falafel only but it was nice, not great, but the muschroom sauce along with it was delicious, it evened the savours of the falafel....Location is great, though. I would go again but only with native speaker or at least google translator :D

Pros: Location, Veganized local dishes

Cons: English is problem

Crystalius

Points +38

Vegan
20 Oct 2017

Traditional Lithuanian food vegan style

Weird but cool place 😀 My favorite meal is Žemaičių pancakes, potato pancakes with mushrooms inside 🌞

vegan_travel

Points +70

Vegan
01 Sep 2017

Mixed

Ordered 4 meals, one was really bad, two were alright and one was really good. Also had a mediocre soy cappuccino.
The woman at the counter was sort of rude at first, then really nice in the end.
The price was alright, but the portion sizes were pretty small.
Also the restaurant was kind of dark.

zqq

Points +103

Vegan
14 Aug 2017

suprising place

If you would just randomly step inside this place you would expect... well nothing. But instead you get quite awesome vegan food with quite interesting menu and with lot of options. Both the place and food reminded me a bit some communism-era diners, but in a good way.

Pros: tasty and filling food, all vegan, cheap

Cons: some things were not available :(

GreenMelodyHere

Points +32

Vegan
10 Aug 2017

Best in Kaunas!

Best place in town, always tasty meals, feels like at home

Coki79

Points +213

Vegan
08 Aug 2017

loved it

Authentic Lithuanian Vegan food. Definitely something different and highly to recommend. Servers were friendly and even let us try food, great conversations. :)
They did have meals with honey options which technically doesn't make them 100% vegan, I don't understand why they have the need to offer it, but I am assuming the owners and servers are not vegan themselves and don't follow the vegan philosophies.

Pros: great food, authentic, affordable, bakery items excellent

Cons: meals with honey offered

drownedincoffee

Points +35

Vegetarian
31 Jul 2017

Traditional Lithuanian dishes

This is a real gem located on the main pedestrian boulevard in Kaunas, among chain shops and cafes.

It's a cosy place and the owners are not pretending to be hip. This seems to be a normal Lithuanian restaurant that just happens to be a vegan/vegetarian place (although it is labelled vegan here on HappyCow, I'm sure some of the meals on the menu are vegetarian) and locals of all ages were enjoying their lunches while I was there.

I had the spicy bean soup to warm me up on this rainy day and the beetroot burgers which were fantastic!

I certainly recommend this place.

Pros: Traditional food, Friendly staff, Very affordable

Cons: The vegan labelling in the menu could be better

Seagullonbicycle

Points +133

Vegan
30 Jul 2017

Vegan meal at your grandma’s place

Arbatine has a certain fell like you’re at your grandparents Sunday lunch and most amazing thing is that everything in vegan. They veganized traditional Lithuanian food and made them very affordable. Staff is very polite, menu is in Lithuanian and English, it’s located on the main street and the interior is very cozy. Like someone mentioned in previous review, at Arbatine you can find from older locals to trendy hipsters.

We had cold beetroot soup, dumplings with mushrooms, potato pancakes with mushroom souse, homemade iced tea and sweet and sour pastries to go.

Pros: traditional Lithuanian food , amazing location, it's very affordable

Cons: none

empsista

Points +137

Vegan
13 Jul 2017

So mainstream it's radical

I have visited dozens of 100% vegan places and I've come to expect the alternative vibe with the antifa stickers etc. This place was completely different: warm village-like atmosphere with food that was something your mom would make if she was an amazing vegan cook. It was so mainstream it was radical. There were lots of older locals eating with tourists and pink-haired vegans. This is what veganism is at its best: inclusion and not elitism. The food was amazing and very inexpensive - definitely try their desserts!!

lmcsalsa

27 Jan 2021

RhiannonIngram

Points +92

Vegan
08 Jul 2017

great, cheap local food!

Was nice to try Lithuanian dishes as a vegan, really tasty and very low prices. Serving ladies were very cute! The pastries are delicious.

SamShip

Points +48

Vegan
03 Jul 2017

Great!

Only chance to try the traditional cuisine in a meat heavy region! Excellent food and really cheap. Nice ladies serving!

Julijaishere

Points +120

Vegan
13 Nov 2016

All-vegan

It's a great, inexpensive place to dine! Feels like meals were prepared by your mom!

Pros: all vegan

GiedriusDagys

Points +114

Vegetarian
25 Aug 2016

cute nostalgia

Arbatine is one of those places which still has unique nostalgic feel versus those new cafes geared towards foreign tourists. Most likely table next to you will be occupied with a locals. Together with a next door pharmacy this cafe is a family owned for more than 25 years. It was opened with the idea to support the not so well doing pharmacy. From regular cafe it shifted to vegetarian and then vegan. The friendly staff who is not so fluent in english adds more to an adventurous feeling, that you are still in eastern Europe. In summer time there are few tables outside and the food gets nicely decorated with pretty flowers and berries from the gardens of staff who works there. Cute small place with a surprisingly broad menu which deserves a visit if you are in Kaunas.

Alynda

Points +567

Vegan
07 Aug 2016

A bit confusing

Staff spoke some English and told me the entire cafe is vegan, but I'm not sure about the feta cheese for example - although she said that it was soy based, this was not mentioned on the menu. I had potato pancakes which was nice. Good place if you want to try some traditional Lithuanian food I guess!

Pros: english menu, supposedly all vegan

Mo5nika

Points +92

Vegan
13 Jul 2016

Amazing place

I really loved the food, the atmosphere and the friendly staff. And the prices are really cheap. Thank you for being vegan:)

Pros: amazing food, Friendly staff, Cheap prices

PatricijaMac

Points +34

Vegan
13 Jul 2016

Nice place

I recommend this place to everyone which loves plant based foods, even those which are not vegan will find something to like about this place.

Pros: 100% vegan, affordable, good service

MoniqueGordon

Points +387

Vegan
28 Jun 2016

Not great

We were the only people in there and the only lady on the floor was not very polite. Vegan items not clearly marked. Vegetable soup not vegan. I ended up getting a bean soup which was quite nice. I just expect more, ie. Staff simply saying hello when you walk in rather than a blank look. Wouldn't return because of this

Pros: Cheap options

Cons: Vegan items not marked

MichelleHibbitts

Points +51

Vegan
29 Nov 2015

Cosy and cheap!

Nice little place with quite a few vegan options. English speaking staff and good value for money.

medus

Points +1052

Vegan
17 Jan 2015

Nice place

The restaurant is very conveniently located at the very center of Kaunas. The menu is also rather unique, with many "old school" dishes. Prices range from 3 to 5€ which is a good value because portions are not small.

The only negative thing is also mentioned in other comments: it's a health food restaurant rather than a place motivated by ethical vegetarianism or veganism. Some dishes look suspicious because it is not clear what ingredients exactly they use. When you ask, they say there are no butter, eggs, milk, etc., but they may be using margarine that has casein or vitamin D3 in it (there were several cases when such thing was found out). Nevertheless, some dishes are clearly vegan and there are quite many of them.

Pros: location, value, interesting menu

Cons: unclear ingredients

aisteve_

Points +133

Vegan
03 Jan 2015

A nice place to visit

If you are visiting Kaunas, Arbatine is a place you must visit not just for vegetarian/vegan food but also for the experience of eating in soviet like environment. They have improved a lot in the past few years and now there is only one vegetarian desert(quinoa cookies) on the menu. Or at least they claim so. I personally choose to avoid most of the rolls there because of the uncertainty but that is just what works for me. The menu has a lot to choose from and is also in english. They also sell organic and healthy stuff. The staff is quite friendly but not all of the seats are comfortable. All in all, the food is tasty and the place is really worth visiting.

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Friendly staff, Unique experience

Cons: Uncertainty about some of the foods

Vegjules

Points +164

Vegan
20 Aug 2013

Nice cosy place

It is a really nice cosy place! There were a lot of vegan options and the lady serving could speak English! The food is comforting, not pretentious at all but delicious! I really enjoyed eating there! Not expensive! Not greasy! Heathy food to comfort a traveling belly!!

Pros: Part of the menu wasn't in English

Cons: Centric, Terrace, Healthy food

policka

Points +72

Vegan
04 Sep 2012

amazing

This is a perfect place. It is very cheap, has many options, and the service was sooo nice and helpful. They immediately told me everything was VEGAN and indeed it was, even if I double-checked for ingredients. It is quick and really delicious. I visited for one day, but after eating lunch there, i came back for dinner. I can really recommend this place! Plus it is easily found, on the main street!!

Pros: delicious, all vegan, cheap

Aya

Points +631

Vegan
25 Mar 2012

Nice place for tea

'Arbatine' is in the very center of Kaunas, very easy to find. The interior is nice and cozy. The place is very popular with elderly ladies and health-conscious individuals.
Most of the dishes are vegetarian, but if they run out of agar agar (for example), they can use animal-derived gelatin in some meals. They never properly disclose non-vegan ingredients of their meals, even if you ask they might not tell the truth (seriously). Most of their rolls are not vegan (you have to ask about ingredients). Their white soy sauce is made of soy powder that contains casein (again, maybe things are different now, so you have to ask). Also, they sell fish oil and some other non-vegan supplements.
The menu is in Lithuanian only and the staff do not speak much English.
Still, if you are lucky, you can get a nice meal. They usually have vegan salad. All the portions are quite small, but the food is tasty.

Pros: Nice place, Yummy teas

Cons: Very few vegan options, No clear information about ingredients




This page has been viewed 0 times.