VILNIUS - How did we come up with this strange idea of founding our capital city in an area so remote from the sea? This rhetorical question seems to be on peoples' minds when they slow down at the beginning of Pilies Street to study the sand and seashells in the window of S.Metaxa, a popular new Greek restaurant in Vilnius' Old Town.
Ever since it opened some two months ago, it's difficult to spot a free table there on weekends. Perhaps it's due to the lack of any Greek restaurant in town. Or perhaps it's because the atmosphere there has a tidal like pull on people.
As soon as you enter the place, you are overwhelmed with a feverish atmosphere of strong alcohol, Greek music and dances. The joyful atmosphere in S.Metaxa is perhaps reminiscent of the ancient celebrations that used to be held in honor of Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Well, not really, but it's nice to think so anyway.
The restaurant owners being Greek, it's their stated mission to introduce Lithuanians to the pleasures of their culture. Every weekend three dancers squeeze in between the tables to perform their special program of national Greek dances. This is doing wonders for cross-cultural relations between the two countries.
If you believe that Lithuanians are shy and emotionless people, just come and watch them hop about alongside the Greek dancers and you'll quickly forget that idea. However, it must be said that alcohol plays no small part in all this.
You'll not have missed the fact that the restaurant is named after one of Greece's most famous alcoholic exports, and sure enough, the restaurant provides a wide selection of Metaxa products on the menu, as well as the opportunity to study the impressive collection of Metaxa bottles exhibited all around the restaurant. Oh, and don't forget to pay your respects to the so-called "Metaxa soul," an original hand-made wooden sculpture that is crowned with a Metaxa bottle on top.
Drinking and dancing aside, the food is as good a reason as any for people to keep coming back. The two Greek chefs provide quality Greek cuisine, which is a joy at any time of the year. Besides authentic Greek dishes such as tzatziki (a mixture of yogurt, cheese and spices), gyros (pita bread with meat) and succulently chewy octopus, the restaurant also offers another rarity in Vilnius - home made Greek bread.
In an interesting reversal of fast food culture, Metaxa's general manager Lola Sakanis says that customers should bring it to her attention if their food is served within 20 minutes of ordering. This, she says, is because the preparation of authentic Greek dishes requires the cooks' maximum attention and one should be ready to wait some time for quality food. But even with the long wait, a meal at Metaxa's adds up to quality time. o
S. Metaxa, 5 Pilies St., Vilnius
Tel: (370) 865200330
Open: 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. everyday