SITUATION IN THE TOP 30
Last year, the restaurant “Fabrikėlis” made its debut in the TOP 30 rankings. This year, it enters the TOP 5, marking the most impressive rise of the year—climbing 16 positions in the list.
3 WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE THE RESTAURANT: Seasonal, intimate, sustainable.
WHY IS IT WORTH VISITING? “Fabrikėlis” describes itself as a creative food workshop, committed to deepening its concept and continuing on the path of local, New Baltic cuisine while increasingly discovering its unique style.
The restaurant “Fabrikėlis” evolved from a simple sandwich and cold beet soup kiosk initially opened by chef Ovidijus Orenta with his business partner. After gaining popularity, the kiosk transformed into a restaurant with a large courtyard, where most of the items have been repurposed. The only structure built with new materials is the warm terrace, which has allowed the restaurant to expand and accommodate more guests during the colder months.
According to Ovidijus, “Fabrikėlis” is worth visiting to rediscover familiar ingredients in a new light. “By tasting the dishes, you will experience my personal life journey, my memories, or see familiar ingredients from a completely different perspective,” says the chef.
WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MENU? The restaurant represents Baltic cuisine, meaning you won’t find exotic products or spices on the menu—most ingredients will be familiar but presented in a new way. Guests can expect the highest quality ingredients, with about 80% sourced from Lithuanian farmers, over half of which are organic vegetables or meat.
“We put our hearts into the dishes—just as the farmers lovingly grow the ingredients for us, we prepare them with the same love,” emphasizes Ovidijus.
The restaurant follows micro-seasonal principles, so the menu at “Fabrikėlis” changes roughly every quarter, with smaller updates happening even more frequently.
“In the summer, we change the menu twice because there is so much available, and the seasons are very short, like berries and peas, which last only about three weeks, so we want guests to experience as much of the summer as possible,” explains the chef.
The restaurant’s signature dish and calling card is its relatively small, eight-dish à la carte menu. A tasting menu consisting of five dishes is also available, created from the à la carte offerings.
Recently, the restaurant has been paying more attention to wine, adding various types alongside its natural wine selection, and offering a food and wine pairing menu.
GUESTS RETURN BECAUSE they can expect a genuinely honest approach to hospitality, with a team that is deeply dedicated and doesn’t count the hours spent perfecting the experience.
WHO WORKS IN THE KITCHEN? Ovidijus has worked in various restaurants across the country, with “Džiaugsmas” and “Todá” chef Martynas Praškevičius having the most significant influence on him. The kitchen team has recently expanded and now includes Eglė, Emilis, Steponas, Karolis, Lilija, and Andžela.
Photos by Robertas Daskevičius
