From a rotating restaurant at 165 meters to views spanning 50 kilometers, Vilnius TV Tower reopened its Milky Way dining restaurant in a landmark almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower and ranked 8th among Europe’s TV towers. The gastronomic experience is paired with a distinctive wine list, curated exclusively from vineyards situated at elevations similar to the restaurant’s own altitude above sea level.
At 165 meters (541 feet) in the air, the Milky Way restaurant in Vilnius, Lithuania, is quite breathtaking. Known as Paukščių Takas in Lithuanian, it is part of the TV Tower building and turns a full 360 degrees every 55 minutes, offering continuously shifting views of Lithuania’s capital and a visibility range of up to 50 kilometres in clear weather. At 326.4 metres, the Vilnius TV Tower is the tallest structure in the country, the eighth tallest TV tower in Europe, and just three metres shorter than the Eiffel Tower.
But that’s not the only unusual thing about it, for it features wines sourced from vineyards located at the same elevation as the restaurant.
“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.
Lithuanian wine producers operate under a different logic of “northern elevation,” where cool climate conditions, extended daylight hours, and short growing seasons shape acidity and structure rather than altitude itself.
As for the food menu, Chef Chef Aleksandras Buiko described it this way: “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.”
Originally completed in 1980 as a telecommunications tower, it became internationally known after the events of 13 January 1991, when unarmed civilians defended it during a Soviet military attack and secured Lithuania’s independence. Today, that history is preserved in the “Fight for Freedom” exhibition on display inside the tower.
In recent years, the tower has evolved into a multi-use visitor site, including two apartments at 175 meters with panoramic views as one of the highest hotels in the region, as well as the Edge Walk experience, allowing visitors to traverse the exterior platform at 170 m height. At the restored restaurant, a new fresco by an accomplished contemporary artist Jurgis Tarabilda, depicting the founding story of Vilnius can be admired.
Across Europe, elevated dining has become an integral part of several landmark towers and mountain destinations. Berlin’s TV Tower houses the revolving Sphere restaurant at 207 metres above the city, while Amsterdam’s A’DAM Tower and restaurant on the 19th floor offer stunning 360° views of the historical center. In the Swiss Alps, on the Mittelallalin peak in Saas-Fee stands the tallest revolving restaurant in the world at around 3,500 meters above sea level, overlooking snowy mountaintops.
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