POSITION IN THE TOP 30. When we have such a team and a wine bar offers such a menu, in the opinion of the members of the Good Food Academy, this place is worthy to be included among the best restaurants in Lithuania this year as well, and from the 14th place last year makes it to the top 10 of the list.
BRIEF RESTAURANT’S STORY. Somm, a wine bar which could already be called a wine restaurant, was opened in 2016 by three colleagues and friends – one of the most appreciated chefs in Lithuania, Egidijus Lapinskas, and two of the best and well-known sommeliers in Lithuania, Arminas Darasevičius and Narimantas Miežys.
RESTAURANT’S UNIQUENESS. In this place, you can understand best what it means to say “let’s go and have tapas and wine”. And food is not a bigger king here than a wine list, which comprises even 400 kinds of wine. Therefore, it is not surprising that even six sommeliers work here - all of them participate in the championships in Lithuania and abroad, some of them are even the prize-winners. So, when it comes to service, Somm does not compromise, and it is done in accordance with the highest world standards.
BRIEF MENU. Somm's more frequent visitors find something new here every time. However, a certain a la carte was created and about 60 percent of it is stable and rarely changes. Most of the dynamics and surprises are found in the cold appetizer section. This is exactly why the menu of Somm is reprinted every day at 4 pm, and some nights Narimantas reprints it even twice! So, the kitchen prepares for the evening everyday as for the first time - there are no ready-made or polished recipes.
By the way, this place still has a stove using wood, and the chef uses it as much as his imagination makes it possible. Therefore, it is not surprising that small frying-pans travelling from the stove directly to the guests’ table are among the most popular choices at Somm. Another popular tapas choice – a raw bar. At Somm, you will find a wide selection of quality raw fish, seafood and meat appetizers.
CULINARY HITS. Snail, shrimp, duck and beef meatball, octopus and Portobello mushroom pans – 8-14 Eur.
SOMMELIER. Just judging by its name, at Somm, you could expect at least one sommelier always present in a dining room, however, the place employs as many as 6 sommeliers. Narimantas Miežys, who is a winner of a number of competitions of sommeliers, even left a prestigious job at the restaurant Telegrafas of Kempinski because of this project. Now him and his team manage the list of over 400 sorts of wine.
SPACE. The owners wanted the interior of the Somm to be dominated by wood. This is how the idea of the huge hardwood bar, which is complemented by other stone and concrete details, was born. Besides wood, the most noticeable are the dominant colors: white, red and black. The interior is bothersome and reminds of the southern European tapas bar environment.
