Where to Eat in Riga

Where to find the tastiest local treats! Also check out my guide to Latvia's perfect beer snack, fried garlic rye bread.

The Old Town branch of Mārtiņa beķereja (Martin's Bakery, Vaļņu iela 28) does scrumptious pīrāgi (pastries filled with bacon, mushrooms or cabbage), vēja kūka cream cakes and coffee for bargain prices.

Troubadurs Gourmand (Krišjāņa Barona iela 52) is a veteran French-run cafe offering mouth-watering croissants, baguette sandwiches and macaroons.

For a good value Latvian bistro meal, head to the outpost of the Lido chain in Old Town (Krāmu iela 2). The šašliks (meat skewers) and aukstā zupa (cold beet soup) go down a treat.

Many restaurants do great value business lunches on weekdays. Try Buberts (Dzirnavu iela 15) near the Art Nouveau district for tasty and healthy meals as well as yummy pastries.

Vegetarians and vegans can feast at the uptown Hare Krishna restaurant Rāma (Krišjāņa Barona iela 56).

Zviedru vārti (Torņu iela 4) is a family-owned restaurant serving delicious, good value Latvian classics like grey peas with bacon, potato pancakes and rye bread soup with fruit and whipped cream for dessert. The Old Town terrace is lovely on a warm afternoon.

For a historic atmosphere  and a hearty feed, Lāsīte (Aklā iela 2) is a medieval cellar doing huge portions of game dishes and Latvian specialties.

For top Latvian contemporary cuisine, watch the cooks do their magic in the open kitchen at 3 pavāru restorāns (3 Chefs Restaurant, Torņu iela 4). 

Don't miss Riga's huge Central Market, right next to Old Town. Five former zeppelin hangers are packed with fresh fruit and veg, local cheese, sausages, pickles, pastries, smoked fish and everything else for a picnic. The food court is nice for a budget lunch, too.