Nerija has been included among the best restaurants of Lithuania for a second consecutive year. This Nida’s leader of “fine dining” is located a little away from the main street of Nida. During more than 13 years, it has not only earned the attention of visitors, but also received high appreciation from the industry’s professionals. Thus, it is official – the most remote resort town of Lithuania has a high-level cuisine.
TEAM.
Every year, the restaurant’s team come here for a half-a-year’s culinary adventure. The restaurant is open from March till October. During all that time, the restaurant’s owners Jovita and Gintaras, kitchen chefs Jonas and Klaudijus as well as administrator Augis never leave the restaurant. These people are the nucleus, around which the quality of Nerija rotates.
TRAVELLING.
During the other half of the year, when Nida’s Nerija is closed, the team lead a quieter life in Kaunas or Vilnius. However, they mostly use that time for self-improvement, not for rest. Besides, each year, the restaurant’s team go on a gastronomic trip abroad. This year, they visited Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo together. Before, they travelled to Catalonia, the Basque region, the Champagne province, etc. During their travels, they always try to taste the “hits” of the local cuisine and visit Michelin-star-rated restaurants. This provides impetus for each new season in Nerija.
DINNER.
In this restaurant, a la carte menu is flexible. A lot depends on the fishermen’s luck. Sometimes, a 10-kilogram sea salmon comes to the restaurant from the sea, while a wild catfish arrives from the Curonian Lagoon. On other days, other fish come. Actually, the kitchen does not use frozen products at all, thus fish here is prepared only if it has just been caught and cooled.
Certainly, the menu of the restaurant Nerija also includes time-tested classical dishes, which customers hope to taste each year, and they return here or recall this place because of them. For instance, a geese liver carpaccio or dumplings with shrimps and scallop.
While this season, the most striking new dishes on the menu include ravioli with green pea cream, briefly-fried shrimps and a beef tartare with oil of pine-tree buds and almond cream.
A part of meat coming to the restaurant is collected by the owners from the entire Lithuania, while the other part, cooled, travels even from New Zealand. They buy vegetables and other seasonal products in the market of Klaipėda, where they know almost all grandmothers trading there.
From their travels abroad, for the next season, the owners bring imperishable products: from Italian oil and Parmesan cheese to gourmet spices and, certainly, wine. To sum up, the menu of one of the most luxurious (and expensive) restaurants of Nida is not extensive, however, it is intended for a picky taste.
SPACE.
Prior to the year 2000, when the hotel Nerija was opened, this place had been derelict. Jovita and Gintaras purchased it at an auction. After the hotel had been in operation for four years, the owners understood that guests should be nourished accordingly. At that time, there was not anything impressive in Nida. Thus, in addition to the breakfast menu, soon a more extensive a la carte appeared.
WINE LIST.
The kitchen is managed by Jonas and Klaudijus, while a dining room – by Augis (Eugenijus Galinis). He has an excellent taste and can help customers choose the most appropriate wine to go alongside the dishes they ordered. Nerija has over 300 different sorts of wine – for a restaurant located in the most remote corner of Lithuania, this is an impressive number. Besides, the selection of wines in the restaurant is very wide in terms of taste, regions and price. By the way, champagne here is sold by glass from morning till late evening.
INTERESTING.
Owner Jovita “holds” all the corners of the restaurant and can always be found in Nerija. Thanks to her commitment to this place, the magical Nida has a restaurant wherein customers can enjoy the gourmet cuisine during their holidays. Indeed, there are not many places in this divine location serving good wine and high-level food as well as ensuring top-level service. While this is so important – good food and an emotion which remains afterwards are an integral part of a good vacation!
