TOP 30 PLACEMENT AFTER 3 YEARS. Demo Restaurant has opened its doors in August 2022 in Vilnius and becomes the sixth newcomer on the list of the thirty best. It debuts at 17th place.
3 WORDS BEST DESCRIBING THE RESTAURANT: simply versatile.
WHY WORTH VISITING? Demo Restaurant is about people, culture, and communication. “Situated in a loft space, we engage with guests directly, without white tablecloths and gloves. We strive to maintain authenticity in both gastronomy and humanity. If guests seek real experiences, I suggest coming to us," says chef Tadas Eidukevičius.
Demo Restaurant is located in a multifunctional space that combines various activities. It operates as a daily cafe, serving late breakfasts, and transforms into a gallery and restaurant with doors open only in the evening.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MENU? Guests can choose from three options – à la carte menu, signature dinners, and so-called small plates. "Our small plates are crafted with craftsmanship, using freshly delivered products from farmers to create constantly changing beautiful and tasty dishes – five appetizers and one main course. Meanwhile, our signature dinner is somewhat different, conceptual, more reminiscent of a visit to the theater. During it, we analyze different social constructs, different issues. For example, our current signature dinner is about changes in different environments, and one of our dishes is about the seas that we harm," explains the chef.
According to him, when planning this dish, the restaurant team read numerous studies, consulted with scientists, and discussed two essential issues through the prism of gastronomy – the constantly increasing acidity in the Baltic Sea, preventing the formation of mollusk and crustacean shells, crucial for the sea's renewal, leading to the disappearance of fauna and flora, and significant pollution of the sea with garbage. The restaurant's dish tells this story using only a few ingredients, including edible plastic and algae soaked in acid.
GUESTS RETURN FOR simple and warm interaction. I believe people no longer want protocol-driven service; here they feel at home," emphasizes Tadas. He states that the restaurant closes its doors when guests' conversations end, even if it happens at 6 in the morning.
WHO WORKS IN THE KITCHEN? Tadas' journey in the kitchen began in his adolescence – initially washing dishes. Later, he worked in Kaunas restaurants "Uoksas" and "Monte Pacis." Then he went to study in Spain, where he worked in various restaurants simultaneously. Tadas returned to Lithuania a week before the pandemic, contributed to the establishment of "Sanatorium Passage," took a year off to find himself, and is now the co-owner and chef of "Demo Loft" and "Demo Restaurant."
The restaurant's kitchen operates with a team of five. "We collaborate very closely and are unassuming," Tadas smiles.
Photos by Robertas Daskevičius
