Senoji Kibininė – Trakai (Lithuania) en

Kibinai is a culinary specialty of the Karaimai (Karaïtes in French), the smallest ethnic group in Lithuania: “ce mouvement dissident du judaïsme qui s’oppose à la validité du Talmud et à l’école rabbinique serait apparu au 8 siècle” there’s only a couple hundred left today, a large community of them can be found in Trakai. Lithuanians are proud of this group and its traditions, they love kibinai, going to Traikai to try them is a classic in Lithuanian culture.

The restaurant 
Located in Trakai, a city that became popular because of its castle on an island and because of the lake where you can “faire de la barque”. Trakai is “fréquenté” by foreign tourists and Lithuanians alike, particularly from Vilnius, that come for the weekend ( it’s 40km away from Vilnius)
The city is surrounded by lakes on which “voile” is practised, the Sunday I was there, a part of the city was sealed off for a “aviron” world championship.
There are always lots of people on the lake waterfront , there are lots of coffee shops and restaurants.
Senoji is one of the most famous restaurant there, known for its kibinai, there’s also one in Vilnius.

Honestly, it wasn’t great, there were/was lots of people, some tables were dirty, the atmosphere was typically touristy.
If I’m recommending this place it’s because  it’s always nice to try a local specialty done the way it’s supposed to be done, for the rest, no need to go out of your way.

The kibinai 
One cheese and spinach one, and the other one with meat.

Off we go to Trakai for a weekend ! Honestly, the big crowd amused me, but I preferred the spots that were farther off, and less touristy.  That being said, if you have the chance to come for a walk here on a nice sunny afternoon, don’t hesitate.