The cafes and small restaurants around the central square are the main eating area in the city centre and the obvious first stop for visitors. The menus run to Lithuanian staples: cepelinai, šaltibarščiai (cold beetroot soup, bright pink and served with a hard-boiled egg), šakotis (the layered tree cake found at every Lithuanian celebration). Prices are reasonable and the outdoor seating in summer makes this a pleasant place to linger over lunch before continuing up or down the Via Baltica.