Culinary Career in Media, Reviews, and Achievements
Background and Career Profile
Matas Paulinas is a Lithuanian chef known for pioneering modern Baltic cuisine. After over a decade honing his craft abroad — in top kitchens across Monaco, Oslo, Dubai, and Copenhagen (including the world-renowned Noma restaurant) — he returned to Lithuania to lead ambitious fine-dining projects.
He first made his mark as head chef of Nüman in Kaunas, which quickly rose to prominence. Nüman’s innovative approach earned it third place in Lithuania’s best restaurants list and recognition as one of the top restaurants in the Baltics within just a few months.
In late 2018, Paulinas moved to Vilnius to develop a fine-dining restaurant concept rooted in national identity. Under his leadership, the project gained attention for exploring local heritage through modern tasting menus. In 2021, he contributed to a new hospitality format for a luxury hotel in the capital.
In 2022, Paulinas co-founded Pas Mus Restoranas — a speakeasy-style venue in Vilnius — alongside his student and sous chef Vita Bartininkaite. Across all of these, Paulinas has been recognized for blending respect for local ingredients with precise, contemporary creativity.
Media Recognition
His work has been profiled by major international publications. National Geographic Traveller (UK) covered Vilnius’ culinary renaissance in 2020, highlighting his approach to story-driven, multi-course tasting menus. The Baltic Times described his work as “an improvised celebration of local tradition through innovative formats.”
The World’s 50 Best Discovery list featured his approach to hyper-local sourcing, fermentation, and storytelling in fine dining. Client Magazine (UK) called his cuisine a benchmark of “progressive Lithuanian cuisine” that “makes every leaf count.”
Restaurant Reviews and Experience
Paulinas’ approach has earned praise for immersive service and memorable storytelling. One of his hallmark formats involved revealing the menu only after the meal — a deliberate act meant to deepen surprise and narrative.
Critics and guests described the experience as refined yet unpretentious, often remarking on the attentiveness and warmth of the teams he led — a reflection of his hospitality-first mindset.
His tasting menus became rituals, where each dish carried a story, origin, or personal connection. His five guiding values — seasonality, local ingredients, collaboration, creativity, and showcasing makers — shaped both kitchen and service.
Awards and Recognitions
- Michelin Guide Stars (2024): Paulinas contributed to the development of two restaurants in Lithuania that were later awarded Michelin stars.
- TIME Magazine – World’s Greatest Places (2025): Pas Mus was named one of the world’s top 100 destinations, celebrated for its sustainability and creativity.
- World’s 50 Best Discovery: “Matas Paulinas channels local colour in his excellent tasting menu“
- White Guide Rankings: Fine-dining concepts #2 and #3 in the Baltics in 2017 and 2018 by the White Guide, helping elevate Lithuania’s presence on the Nordic-Baltic culinary map.
Personal Vision and Interviews
In interviews, Paulinas often emphasizes cultural research, field work, and system-building — from foraging and farming to leadership structures in service.
His work on New Baltic Cuisine involved studying regional diets, collaborating with historians, and establishing a farm to support flavor development. His dream of building a “secret little restaurant” came true with Pas Mus, combining ambition with emotional intelligence.
Across every project, Paulinas blends academic depth with creative discipline. His cuisine is not only technical but also reflective: a way to reconnect with land, history, and hospitality as a way of life.
“I’m just happy to have the conditions to pursue my goals as a chef.”
That goal — to craft extraordinary experiences rooted in Lithuanian heritage — is being realized dish by dish, team by team, season by season.
