Riga is a melting pot of local and international ingredients.  

Finding the right place to dine in Riga is not easy… The choice is wide, exotic and very delicious.

 

Latvian kitchen  

After a long walk in the lovely Latvian nature or in the old town of Riga, you must try out Latvian beer and a portion of ķiploku grauzdiņi, garlic toast.

 

Visiting Latvia you cannot miss out on the local Latvian kitchen. Kafejnicas, café, and krogs, pubs, are some of the places to go for an authentic culinary experience.

Meat and vegetables are important ingredients in traditional Latvian cooking and dairy products in all variants follow every meal.

Some countries have not managed to carry on their old cooking traditions, but the Latvian kitchen has. You will find a wide range of soups prepared according to old recipes, potatoes served in different ways, especially together with pork or chicken.

 

Sausages, dark bread with caraway seeds, cheese, honey and berries are other delicacies to try out in Latvia.

 

Even far away from the city in the countryside, you will always manage to find a small kafejnīca no matter the size of the village.

  

International cuisine  

Deciding whether to go for Italian, French, Japanese, Scandinavian, Russian, Turkish, Lebanese, Chinese, Indian or any other global kitchen is a hard decision.

The international kitchen of Riga offers gastronomic experiences for every taste and every budget.

 

Famous chefs in Riga gourmet restaurants are committed to giving their guests quality experiences created of organic ingredients, tasty creativity and unique settings!

  

Drinks  

Healthy or ill – it makes no difference! You must try the famous Riga’s Black Balsam, which was originally herbal medicine made from an ancient recipe by pharmacists in the 18th century.

The liquid is with alcohol and is sold in a characteristic brown clay bottle. You can drink it on the rocks or have the bartender make you special drinks or cocktails using the balsam as ingredient.

 

Latvian beers are definitely able to compete with any other famous beer brands. The beverage tradition dates back to ancient times, and the expertise of brewing is tasted in the different beer sorts.

 

Non-alcoholic favourites among the Latvians are kefīrs and kvass. Kefīrs is cultured milk and enjoyed at any meal.

Kvass is made from yeast and tastes like a mixture of beer and bread.

 

Labu apetīti – enjoy your meal!