It seems that "Uptown Bazaar", which opened its doors at the beginning of October, is gaining more and more popularity among Vilnius residents and city guests every day. Probably not for nothing - the place unites many market competitors under one roof, and organized themed evenings, weekends or weeks (Beaujolais evening, family Tuesdays) become an interesting challenge for the food suppliers gathered in the neighborhood and an unconventional entertainment for the visitors of the urban market.
This trendy gastronomic collaboration tempted visitors with oyster delicacies last weekend. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the initiative was that among oyster connoisseurs, who invited to get acquainted with the real, classic tradition of eating oysters, improvisations were not given up in the slightest by the suppliers of hamburgers, Mexican food or even ice cream, who boldly included this whimsical delicacy in their menu.
Enjoying the combination of Italian music and the hustle and bustle of the real market, this time I decided not to experiment too much, so two eggs Benedict, which we ordered from the "Kavos era" cafe, were placed on my late breakfast plate. It was a pleasant surprise that the atmosphere of a popular gastronomic market in Spain was not created, but felt: the representatives of each "stall" kindly invited you to taste the wonders they created before choosing the only one, they paid a lot of attention - they shared stories about themselves and the food prepared with love. "Kavos era", in this case, also attracted us with exceptional attention and countless time devoted to each customer. We were pleased with the flexibility of the breakfast cafe, asking for the two eggs Benedict included in the serving to be prepared differently. So, the intelligent sounds and only good emotions created by the food equal open immediate communication really reminded me of the restaurant markets visited in other European countries. However, it differs from the real market in that it is unusual to bargain here. Smiling sellers keep the usual prices of cafes and restaurants: for a portion of eggs Benedict and two cheese-fried oysters, we paid about 12 EUR, a hearty vegetarian sandwich for the morning (which was also served with a salad) cost about 4 EUR, and coffee prices ranged from 1,90 to 2,60 EUR XNUMX is a bite-sized price, when it comes to a breakfast cafe specializing in the market of morning drinks and meals.
After ordering, we were given palm-sized numbered devices that would make a sound when the order was ready (how clever!!!), so we had the opportunity to wander around in the pleasant chaos for a while longer, although not too long, because the food was ready very quickly - well under 10 minutes . Although around 14.30:XNUMX p.m. the market was full of people looking at the table we occupied, it seems that most of them found a more or less comfortable place to snuggle up (which is often a problem in markets of a similar type in other European cities), and thoughtfully designed chairs or candles on wooden tables - what we have here - there with you can't find a light), and the toilet, even at this peak time, turned out to be incredibly tidy, making you feel like you were visiting friends.
Since we discovered that we were being served by Laimon, one of the cafe's owners, we chatted with him a bit about the joys and challenges of being a part of Uptown Bazaar. The unexpected conversation started when we drew attention to the price of the Mimosa cocktail - 5 Eur. Sensing the abundant quantity, it turned out to be quite expensive. This is how we learned that Kavos era, specializing in breakfast, started supplying alcohol only after establishing itself in this market place, because it felt the need of customers not only for morning drinks. Speaking about this change, Laimonas himself mentioned other aspects to which he had to adapt, such as disposable dishes. The entire urban marketplace is moving towards the image of fast food kiosks, so disposable dishes are a common attribute here. However, both "Kavos era" and their neighbors are starting to think about an even more "homely", more permanent atmosphere, created by ceramic dishes, designed not only to support emotions, but also to promote the idea of ecology and provide convenience for customers when ordering dishes that are more difficult to cut.
When it comes to convenience, the weekend at Uptown Bazaar is a real peak time, but the weekday market, intended for city dwellers, invites you to browse ~5 EUR worth of daily offers and linger longer near a table with a rosette and free wireless internet connection.
However, we, who came for a late breakfast, did not sit down for too long - until the food and meaningful conversation ended. We continued our journey for dessert. Also made by the masters of Uptown Bazaar, of course. Seeing the wavy hooves (Churros) we were immediately tempted by the Spanish flavor of "Ciureria". In contrast to the previously visited "Kava Era", it is the only one in the whole of Vilnius, so we had to take advantage of the fact that we were visiting the market.
We didn't worry about not having the previously used device that counts the cooking time, because we got the churros very quickly. A cup of fried delicacies cost us EUR 2,90. For that price, you wanted to ask for at least more sauce (you could choose one of three: dark chocolate, hot chocolate or condensed milk), of which we got just a drop. Anyway, three of us shared the churros, and after much thought that there could have been more, I began to think that maybe we wanted more because of the really great taste, which beats some of the Spanish high street dessert places that serve big churros with a sweet glaze, because these - Vilnius "Čiurerijas" - the products were small, pleasantly moist and served without sauce, so that everyone could choose how much to add.
After eating the churros, we hung around for a while in the pleasant bustle and hurried to the car parked across the street - in the parking lot of the IKI store, which only allows guests during daytime hours (keep this in mind when visiting Uptown Bazaar).
We left the bustling space with great inspiration and a desire to come back next time, probably at another time, so that we would have the opportunity to see another face of her. Maybe when we will pass - after all, it is good to be in a place where you feel that the customer's opinion is important and changes and conversations are accompanied by an open attitude.
Author: Gabrielė Snieganaitė
