Riga - Food & Drink

Garlic alert: anyone who eats here will exude the smell of garlic for at least another day or two. If... that does not bother you, you will enjoy the cozy atmosphere, friendly service and the culinary trip through Europe that it offers. Braver patrons can order the garlic parfait or ice cream with garlic sauce for their dessert. more

Many people consider the restaurant at Hotel Bergs to be the best in all of Riga. The ambience is discreet,... but styled down to the minutest detail. The menu consists of internationally interwoven dishes of the highest calibre. Business lunches are relatively affordable. more

Don't expect too much of the ambience because Riga definitely has far nicer houses. People go to Osiriss... to meet the local Bohemian community. And even the unusually low-priced food is excellent. more

An interesting 13th-century Gothic cellar provides the backdrop for Riga's only genuinely medieval restaurant.... The dishes, prepared to ancient recipes, are served by atmospheric candlelight. A jug of mead rounds off the excellent meal. more

Even the locals like coming to the Alus Seta near Cathedral Square. Inside, the atmosphere is just like... being in a really cosy pub. When the weather's nice, you can sit outside on the small terrace instead. You get your typical Latvian food at the buffet, as well as freshly-tapped beer. more

Offers a huge buffet with many typical Latvian specialities that will satisfy even the hungriest guest.... The interior of Dzirnavas is decorated like an old farmhouse, including a river that flows straight through the restaurant. As the Latvians really love this restaurant, it is nearly always full. more

The rough brick walls and the name (which means "black monks") serve as a reminder that this used to... be a monastery. The one-time chef of the former Estonian president serves excellent menus with dishes from around the world. And he will gladly tell you how he came by them. more

Since he opened his restaurant in 1994, Anglo-Latvian chef Martin Ritins has turned Vincents into a gourmet's... paradise. If you are on a relatively tight budget, but would still like to sample the fare at Vincents, come at midday and enjoy a business lunch (12.30 pm-4 pm). more

The Orangerie, located in the Grand Palace, one of the best hotels in Riga, is well worth a visit. At... lunchtime, you can get an excellent meal at a very fair price. What's more, you sit in a lush, green atrium that is flooded with light even on rainy days. more

This restaurant in the Reval Hotel Ridzene offers gastronomic perfection served underneath a fascinating... glass pyramid. Muted lighting and quiet piano music complete the setting for an excellent meal. Unless you want to splash out on an expensive dinner, come and try the lunchtime buffet. more

At Charlestons, you can get a real Caesar Salad or even Jack Daniel's spare ribs at a reasonable price.... The background music, mostly jazz and blues, is quiet and fitting. more

This restaurant in the heart of Riga's old town could not possibly have a more suitable name than "nostalgia".... The inside is a unique example of 1950s and 1960s "Soviet baroque", with sumptuous stucco ceilings, richly-decorated pillars and lashings of gold. The cuisine is Russian-cum-international. more

People do not come to this self-service restaurant for a gourmet experience. However, you can get decent... quality Latvian dishes here for very little. Locals also like going to the Vermanitis for lunch. more

In this restaurant, everything is dedicated to the legend of the medieval knight Kristaps. All the food... is cooked to recipes he is said to have brought back from his travels around the globe. The "medieval" interiors may be a little tacky, but the portions are large and inexpensive. more

A large dose of kitsch and a pure Wild West atmosphere make this restaurant worth a visit. But if it... gets too much, you can always retreat to the very lovely inner courtyard. You can also get reasonable Tex-Mex food. more

The name of this restaurant means "more sun", which is rather apt because here you will feel as happy... as on a sunny day. The food is good and Mediterranean. Whether you fancy pizza or pasta, a fish dish or vegetarian food, Vairak Saules has something for everyone. more

This is definitely the place to go at the end of a long night out. When all the other restaurants have... long closed, the "Black Cat" still has plenty of hearty food on offer. And the beer won't cost you an arm and a leg. more

The medieval-rustic cellar restaurant is located in the historic Jacob’s Barracks. Traditional Latvian... fare is the specialty of the house: bread, cheese and smoked meat are served as a starter; gray peas with bacon sauce and sour cream represent the main dish. The meals are served with four small mugs of beer from the different Latvian regions. more

The interior fittings seem like a film set: on first sight you consider yourself at a wonderful old-fashioned... Latvian farm; but at a closer look you do not find a single antique. The food however makes up for it: a great mix of good traditional fare and modern compositions. more

The restaurant is part of the noble Hotel Gutenberg. In summer, you sit on the terrace above the roofs... of the old town, in winter, in the cozy cellar restaurant. The multiple-prize-winning cuisine offers mainly international dishes. more

Raw plastered walls, sparse illumination, a lot of wood and the right sense for decoration give the restaurant... near the Swedish Gate a pleasant interior. The cuisine is worth the money and with influences from Europe, Asia and America, international in the true sense. more

The Monte Kristo is an excellent place for a snack, offering delicious cakes and sandwiches which are... just the ticket. The Monte Kristo also has an impressive range of speciality coffees and teas. more

It goes without saying that this Russian restaurant serves typical national dishes such as blinis and... soljanka, but it's the atmosphere that makes this place really interesting. The restaurant is part of the reconstruction of a Russian village, a project that Walt Disney helped plan. Families will appreciate the children's playground. Live music is often played. more

This restaurant lies a ten-minute drive to the southeast of the old town. It is impossible to miss the... large wooden house and the windmill right next to the main road. The inside is like a cross between a Latvian country guesthouse and Disneyland. And of course it has an enormous buffet featuring many Latvian specialities. more