About Zatar

Zatar started as a food project — Middle Eastern flavours in a Baltic capital that didn't always know what to do with them. The name stuck. The site grew into something wider: a working guide to Vilnius, written for people who actually want to use the city, not just photograph it.

Who writes this

I'm Greta Vilčiauskaitė. I grew up here, left for a while, came back, and spent the last decade mapping courtyards, markets, trailheads, and the bars that open after everyone else has gone home. I still find new corners most weeks — usually down a gate on Vokiečių or Stiklių that I walked past a hundred times without noticing.

This isn't a brochure. If a place is overrated, I'll say so. If the better option is two streets over and half the price, that's the one you'll get.

What you'll find here

Guides to food and drink — including the falafel, hummus, and mezze scene that gave Zatar its roots — plus Old Town walks, Užupis, parks and river trails, museums, nightlife, and the practical stuff: how to get around, where to stay, and how not to waste a 48-hour first visit.

I write for first-timers and for people who already live here but still treat the city like a transit zone between work and sleep. Both groups miss half of what's worth knowing.

How to use the site

Start with a category if you know what you're after. Or open the archive and wander. Most pieces are written so you can act on them the same day — street names, timing notes, and enough opinion that you don't need a second tab open.

If something's wrong, outdated, or missing, use the contact page. Vilnius changes fast. So should a good guide.