In Vilnius’ bars and cafes, no one cares about quarantine: rivers of alcohol are poured, generous tips are distributed, and customers no longer enter.

I certainly am not mistaken in writing that there have never been so many people eating and drinking on the streets of Vilnius, even in the best of times. This is because the municipality of the city allowed the catering establishments to expand as much as possible, to make larger terraces, to carry tables where it was not possible before. On some streets right now, it’s even difficult to get past because there are tables on the sidewalks and dining rooms sitting next to it. By the way, this is a very pretty and cute heart image. Vilnius now looks like Barcelona, ​​Paris, or Rome.

You can also praise the entrepreneurs, who instantly reacted to the permission granted by the authorities and created the most original walks, built partitions and assembled terraces on the road, for example, near the cafes on Trakai and Pylimo streets. There is a considerable flow of cars, and just half a meter away, there are lovely panels chewing crispy salads and drinking wine.

Dining and drinking tables appeared in city parks, squares and some streets were even specially closed to allow cafes to expand there. This is the case on Stiklių and Savičiaus streets, where instead of passing cars, friends who have reunited again after a long break, hanging out with couples and students who are tired of distance education in online programs now they are always chatting. What’s most interesting is that even those who didn’t do it before or started going to the city only once a year, started going to cafes. The two ladies, gathered in one of the cafes on Vilnius Street, were not happy to see such a crowded city. “It just came to our attention then. Everyone is so fun, so happy, that we are going downtown for the second time in a week, it will be a new tradition for us,” they were happy.

On social media, photos with sarcastic inscriptions about what is happening on the streets of Vilnius are broadcast on social media every night. “Koronos Street”, “Virus Sharing Evening”, “Koroninamės” and similarly, many people jokingly write below photos of the world’s largest outdoor café. There are so many people that there never seems to be a quarantine. And no one has really heard of the great crisis in bars and cafes that is constantly mentioned in the media.

“What other crisis? We celebrate life,” laughs Eglė, who studies law, when asked if money is missing. During the day he works in the cafeteria and at night, after work, he comes to relax in the cellar of the old town. When asked if we should save money during this period, prepare for more difficult times, which politicians and economists are already talking about. Egle laughs: “I don’t know what they are talking about there, but in our cafe the tip only increased after quarantine,.

My other interlocutor in the restaurant business also doesn’t come out of cafes. I met Bartender Mantas in one of the cafes on Savičiaus street, he drank beer with his friend and talked about life. “The bars are recovering a lot, people are leaving from the first day that the government allowed it. But it can be easily explained, we were all closed, we just miss the friends, the conversations, the jokes that are born in the glass. It is great fun, “says Mantas. He says that after working at the bar, going to other cafes, he doesn’t save, he allows himself everything as before. “I don’t buy much, I just have a snack, a drink and that’s it. I can definitely afford it because I make money,” he explains. The man had not yet heard anything about the crisis that had started.

“People miss us very much. Even the additional tables are not enough”, – the bartender Agnietė of the bar “Paviljonas” speaks happily about the work after the facilitation of the quarantine conditions. Their customers don’t save as much, they order as much as they did before quarantine, and they haven’t cut their tips. “Somehow we have good people, they always left and now they leave, there is no way to start saving,” he smiles.

Counting foreign money can be rude, but it is very interesting. Therefore, especially while walking through Vilnius’ bars and cafes, I tried to capture as much as what a tip leaves. And you know, I can say that Lithuanians are really generous customers. I saw who left and ten and even twenty euros.

“It just came to our attention then. During the quarantine, our turnover has decreased by as much as 85-90 percent, so we are now trying to do everything we can to accommodate as many people as possible.” says Renata, a long-time employee of the Cozy restaurant. Later, when catering establishments were unable to accept clients, she worked daily with food for home delivery for a lower salary and without receiving any tips. They packed the dishes, delivered them to the post office, or took them to a house near the restaurant. “We did everything and still do everything. We understand that the situation is extraordinary, we have to work because it is really difficult. They ask me how long a shift takes and I can’t answer it myself, because I usually stay longer to work, to help my colleagues, “she says.

The restaurant “Cozy” is a true example for all restaurants, as it constantly offers original solutions to get out of the situation and, of course, not violate existing restrictions. For example, among the tables set up outdoors, the staff came up with the idea of ​​installing special partitions: glass walls. “In this way, it is possible to ignore that two meters between the tables, we build more of them, but with walls. By the way, they have another great advantage: they protect from the wind, which heats customers. Everyone is happy and satisfied”, says Renata, a waitress and waitress.

It was in this restaurant that another idea was born, which was heard in the media around the world. The welcoming owner, the Dutchman Bern Ter Ter Brak, came up with the idea of ​​placing elegant mannequins with the latest designer collections next to empty tables inside the restaurant. “We planted those mannequins so that the restaurant would not look so empty that it would be more fun and welcoming to the people inside. Because we can only plant clients indoors keeping long distances from other companies. The spaces are now occupied by mannequins, ”said Renata, an employee of the restaurant. Later, many other cafes in Vilnius followed Coy’s lead. This project has also moved the currently dead Lithuanian fashion business, and new collections are advertised for free in restaurants. Maybe someone at dinner is planning to buy a new designer-created blouse or pants.

Two friends working in the film industry: Emilija and Rūta, whom I met on the terrace of the “Wingis” bar in the “Hall” market, cannot rejoice in the adaptation of Vilnius bars to the strict conditions of quarantine.

“It just came to our attention then. He wants to stay longer in the city, see everything. Today we have already visited three terraces and it is probably not the end,” the girls explained. They slowly pumped up the cocktails they ordered and told me that this period was quite difficult. “We both lost our jobs, everything in the world of cinema stopped, nothing was filmed, so it’s difficult for us.” But I don’t want to close at home and do nothing, we still fly to people, we communicate After all, such a life, we have to allow savings and hope that we can work and earn money again soon, “Emilija and Rūta said. They paid seven euros each for alcoholic cocktails, quite a lot, so they decided not to order food.” You can eat at home, “they laughed.

That alcohol is much more popular than food. You can also see it in the bars “Distillery”, “Piano Man” near the Ministry of Health, and even in the same building where the Minister of Health Aurelijus Veryga works in the bar “Mililitrai” . I spoke to Danguole drinking cocktails why he chose to drink instead of eating in the cafeteria. “Because the quarantine was black, we ate at home after work, and now my friend and I go out to cool off,” the woman explained. At least a few nights a week, she tries to be in town, sitting for at least an hour. “Basically, the wine and cocktails eaten at the restaurant are still lost these days,” Danguolė explained of the new habits.

No bar employee confirmed to me that after the quarantine, many people started drinking much more. In addition, there are more drinkers before grabbing the ground, individuals who can barely stand up. You don’t need a late night at all. Here’s a picture at 7pm, on the terrace of the popular “Bukowski” bar on All Saints Street, as people drink and quietly communicate at the table, just ten meters away, shouting a drunken gentleman who falls from the bank. An ambulance came urgently to help him. Three doctors try to get the drunk man to his feet, ask him to get into the car, offer to go to the hospital and help. The man keeps screaming, he really doesn’t want to get sober.

“People are overwhelmed and forget how polite he is. He comes to the bar and instead of having a beer, he immediately drinks four glasses,” says Dovilė, the bartender at the Amadeus bar. He noticed that many people missed the alcohol, so for the lost time when they couldn’t visit the bars, now they tried to retire twice.

“It just came to our attention then. Some seemed to be drinking for sports interests only to get intoxicated faster and more. Maybe people were so affected by the shutdown at home, I don’t know, it’s hard to say”, – the waiter shares your impressions.

He was pleased that the bar where he works is constantly crowded. It doesn’t matter at all, weekdays or weekends, customers come every day. “When the municipality allowed us to expand and build tables in a much larger area than before, we were able to accept four times as many clients at a time and it was worth it. Usually, in good weather, there are so many that sit at all our tables. There’s a lot of work, I don’t have a minute to rest, “says Dovilė, a bar employee who is well liked by customers.

The words of the famous bartender were confirmed by customers of Vaidas and Gediminas, the “Bardakas” bar at the other end of the capital’s old town. On the occasion of his birthday, they asked for a table outside on Vilniaus Street for a group of friends.

“We don’t count or save, we buy as much as we can,” they say, showing the most expensive spirits at their table. Even a few bottles of alcohol, one already empty, the other still a little. I asked the men how much that party cost, because it is very expensive to drink bottles at the bar.

“It will cost a lot, we have not yet paid. Any difference at that cost, after all, we celebrate, there is no need to save, everything is fine in our country, I like living here,” said the enraged men.

What was happening on Vilniaus Street was a little scary for the two twelve, who even took off face masks when they passed the bars here. “No one keeps any distance there, so many people that it is not even possible to pass,” say Diana and Anastasia, eighteen. The girls are preparing for high school exams, but find time to wander around town.

“We were in a donut café, we sat very well, we were already looking forward to it,” say the girls. However, they did not want to stay in the city any longer, they still tended to protect themselves from the threatening coronavirus for some time. “It’s scary, of course, so we try to keep our distance, watch out for passers-by,” he explained.

It is good that these students did not see what was happening on the Vilna street that they mentioned at dusk. People don’t even fit in the bars there, there are queues. Some don’t wait for the table to clear, order drinks, and sit on the floor.

“A lot of people seem to be having a celebration in the city now. It’s a lot of fun and eventually a normal life,” say Goda, Mantvilė and Karina, who first arrived in the city after the quarantine conditions eased. The trio drank wine in one of the bars, I asked them if they chose a bottle according to the price, because now they save a lot.

“No, we choose according to taste and other things, but we got so much that we chose the cheapest, maybe it is not so bad,” they say.

The Aušrinė and Mantas couple, sitting next to each other at the next table, spent Friday night with cocktails. “We drank four and we will have two more. Now that there are no events, there are only bars left, so we sat here, “said the guy. He revealed that he would pay around seventy euros for the drinks. For this, the waiters who attended him will leave at least ten euros in tips.

“I work with information technology, nobody has reduced wages in our field, everything is fine, I can pay it, really, don’t worry,” said the guy about his generosity.