Vilnius TV Tower has reopened its rotating restaurant, Milky Way, at a height of 165 metres above the Lithuanian capital. The relaunch took place on 3 July 2026, restoring one of the city’s best known dining venues. The restaurant draws more than 130,000 visitors a year.
The venue completes a full 360 degree rotation every 55 minutes, giving diners a constantly changing view of the city. On a clear day, visibility from the restaurant extends up to 50 kilometres. At 326.4 metres, Vilnius TV Tower is the tallest structure in Lithuania and the eighth tallest television tower in Europe, just three metres shorter than the Eiffel Tower.
The restaurant’s menu reinterprets Lithuanian cuisine using local produce such as cucumbers, mushrooms, herbs and berries. Dishes include trout with sea buckthorn, black bread crumble and dill, and fish served with traditional švilpikai potato dumplings.
“We are focusing on fresh produce, as Lithuania grows incredibly crispy cucumbers, mushrooms, herbs and berries coming from local farms. Our menu is reinterpreting familiar flavours and ingredients in lighter, modern ways: trout brightened by sea buckthorn and finished with black bread crumble and dill, or another fish dish served with traditional švilpikai potato dumplings. We developed the food and wine side by side, so every pairing feels natural. If a wine is recommended with a dish, chances are you’ll find it reflected in the sauce or discover how it brings new dimensions to the flavours on the plate. Together, the cuisine, the wines and the view are designed to create one seamless experience,” said Aleksandras Buiko, Chef at the Milky Way restaurant.
The wine list follows an unusual concept based on elevation. Bottles are sourced from vineyards located at altitudes similar to the restaurant’s own height above sea level. Lithuanian wines are included under a separate “northern elevation” category, reflecting how cool climate, long daylight hours and short growing seasons shape acidity and structure.
“Our aim isn’t to replicate conventional fine dining formats but to anchor the experience in contrast: height versus flatland, urban skyline versus agricultural horizon, and engineered structure versus natural constraint,” said Sandra Vambutė, Marketing Manager at Vilnius TV Tower.
Vilnius TV Tower was completed in 1980 as a telecommunications tower. It gained international recognition after 13 January 1991, when unarmed civilians defended the site during a Soviet military attack that helped secure Lithuania’s independence. That history is documented in the tower’s “Fight for Freedom” exhibition.
The tower has since developed into a wider visitor attraction. It includes two apartments at 175 metres, among the highest hotel accommodation in the region, and the Edge Walk, an exterior platform experience at 170 metres. The restored restaurant also features a new fresco by artist Jurgis Tarabilda depicting the founding story of Vilnius.
Elevated dining has become a feature of several landmark towers across Europe. Berlin’s TV Tower houses the revolving Sphere restaurant at 207 metres, while Amsterdam’s A’DAM Tower offers a restaurant on its 19th floor with 360 degree views of the historic centre. In the Swiss Alps, the Mittelallalin peak in Saas-Fee is home to the world’s highest revolving restaurant, at around 3,500 metres above sea level.
Top Photo by TV Tower
