Selected Travel Guide:		More Riga Travel Guides:			Adjust Font Size:

The restaurants below have been classed into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over Ls40)
$$$ (Ls25 to Ls40)
$$ (Ls12 to Ls25)
$ (up to Ls12)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one and include drinks, tax and service.

Gourmet

Bergs
As good as it gets in Latvia; a fine dining oasis that would not be out of place in New York or London. While the staff look immaculate and the décor is spot on thankfully it is not all just for show as they manage to produce on the plate too. An ’in’ spot amongst the local cognoscenti.

Elizabetes 83/85, Hotel Bergs
Tel: 6777 0900.
Website: www.hotelbergs.lv
Price: $$$$
Vincents
With one of Latvia’s most famous chefs, Martins Ritins, at the helm, this is still one of the best places to enjoy creative fine dining in Riga. Local business people and political movers and shakers have been joined over the years by visiting celebrities such as Elton John. Service as satisfying as the food, though some recent reports suggest tourists are not always treated as well as locals.

Elizabetes 19
Tel: 6733 2634.
Website: www.vincents.lv
Price: $$$$
Zivju Restorans
Perhaps the city’s best seafood restaurant, Zivju offers trout, eel and lobster straight from the pond (literally, as it is in the restaurant). This freshness is backed up by creative cooking and knowledgeable service, making this a great venue for a culinary splurge. Off the main room are a trio of more private spaces, ideal for those entertaining or looking to tie up business deals. Not cheap but well worth it.

Vagnera 4
Tel: 6721 6713.
Website: www.zivjurestorans.lv
Price: $$$$

Trendy

Fabrikas
This chic red brick restaurant is a current favorite of the local trendy set. Arrive in as flash a car as you can manage or even pitch up in a boat to really steal the scene. Waterfront and old town views back up the international food.

Balasta Dambis 70
Tel: 6787 3804.
Website: www.fabrikasrestorans.lv
Price: $$$
Fellini
Arguably the best Italian in Riga, this is a fashionable place to dine and be dined. The Fellini cinematic theme is pleasantly understated while the chef is actually from Naples, giving Fellini the edge over its rivals who often only guess at what real Italian cooking involves. A highlight is the first-rate homemade pasta. One of the few places in town that serves the hallowed truffle.

Berga Bazars, Marijas 13
Tel: 6728 4801.
Website: www.fellini.lv  
Price: $$$
Kabuki
Perhaps the best of the string of venues that have helped make sushi all the rage in Riga. The choice is between ordering off the menu or just grabbing anything that tempts from the constantly moving conveyor belt. The light and crisp Japanese beers also make a pleasant change from the strong and heavy local brews.

Barona 14
Tel: 6728 2052.
Website: www.sushi.lv  
Price: $$$

Budget

Mazie Balti Krekli
The musical theme with guitars drooping from the walls and musical scores on the tables can be a bit much for some, but the portions of hearty Latvian food are exceedingly generous and also good value. Unpretentious and fun without any real sense of style or class.

Kaleku 54
Tel: 6722 5071.
Price: $
Palmeni
Palmeni is a doughy Russian dumpling that works very well with the variety of delicious fillings on offer at this unassuming old town eatery. Open until 0400, making it particularly popular with the local clubbing set. Handy for anyone in a hurry or on a rock bottom budget.

Kalku 7
Tel: 6722 2728.
Price: $
Staburags
Excellent Latvian beer accompanies the heart-busting Latvian food at this popular eatery. Portions are big but prices modest at a venue that is popular both with locals and tourists. Be warned - don’t try to drink from the jugs at the table as they are actually meant for your leftover bones.

Caka 55
Tel: 6729 9787.
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Nostalgija
Drift back to the Soviet era and pretend you are a communist apparatchik. Old world chandeliers, suitably grumpy service and a Russian themed menu have the local Russian population flocking in. A world away from the city’s trendy new eateries.

Kalku 22
Tel: 6722 2338.
Price: $$
Rozengrals
A popular theme restaurant in the old town that carries off a medieval ambience better than most. Dine on old Baltic favorites served by costumed staff in an experience that is much more enjoyable than it sounds. Cheesy sometimes but always enjoyable and great for first-time visitors.

Rozena 1
Tel: 6722 4748.
Website: www.rozengrals.lv
Price: $$
Steak House Dome
The Dome has long held a reputation for serving up the city’s finest steaks and it seldom disappoints. A bonus for English speakers is that there is an expat dinner every month on the second Wednesday. The steaks are almost as big as the bay windows that allow you to peer out on to an old town street.

Smilsi 2
Tel: 6732 0037.
Website: www.steakhousedome.lv
Price: $$$



Nightlife:

Teetotallers should think seriously before planning a trip to Riga, as this is a city that likes to drink and it often seems the locals never stop partying. The Old Town is awash with bars - everything from lounge style hangouts with DJs, comfy couches and funky visuals, right through to spit and sawdust drinking dens. One thing to look out for is that some bars are unofficially the sole preserve of Riga’s Russian community and your presence will be, at best, tolerated. Also, some expats report an increase in foreigners being followed and robbed, particularly after leaving bars that are known to be popular with the expat community. Most bars and clubs in Riga are late opening, with many staying open until 0300, seven days a week. The minimum legal drinking age is 18.

Riga in Your Pocket, widely available in Riga, is an invaluable guide to what’s on in the city, boasting extensive bar, restaurant and club reviews.

Bars: Dickens, Grecinieku 9, is filled with expats and locals wanting to meet English speakers. De Lacy’s, Skunu 4, is a more recent arrival catering for the same market. Nobody Writes to the Colonel, Peldu 26/28, is an industrial MTV-style bar with frequent live music and club nights, which is a favorite with the local grunge set. A world away is Rigas Balzams, Torna 4, a raucous, unpretentious place that specializes in the lethal local Black Balsam concoction, a strange brew of herbs and alcohol and a real Riga institution. The same owners have also opened a funkier place, Jaunais Rigas Balzams, 2 Doma Laukams. The Skyline Bar, Elizabetes 55, in the Reval Hotel Latvija, may be a touch lacking in real atmosphere but the views from the 26th floor are superb.

Clubs: Riga’s club scene is booming and there are over a dozen regular clubs in the city. Nautilus, King 8 (website: www.nautilus.lv), is the most bizarre club in Riga, with a décor that is based on a submarine and bar staff dressed in sailor suits, which make it well worth the visit for the novelty value alone. La Rocca, Brivibas 96 (website: www.larocca.lv) claims to be the biggest club in the Baltics and it certainly is huge both in terms of size and popularity. A smaller alternative is Depo, Valnu 32 (website: www.klubsdepo.lv), an underground hangout with muted lighting, a fashionably grungy clientele and regular guest DJs. Come during the day and you may just be served lunch by one of the city’s most renowned DJs. Purvs, Matisa 60/62, is a popular gay club with some dubious live shows.

Live Music: Bites Blues Club, Dzirnavu 34a (website: www.bluesclub.lv), is a fair stab at a genuine blues club. It may not quite be New Orleans but there is regular live music and when no one is on, they beam classic jazz artists on to a big screen. Hamlet Club, Jana Seta 5, has suitably arty pretensions with improvised performances, modern jazz and cultural events. Kalku Varti, Kalku 11a (website: www.kalkuvarti.lv), boasts professional artists and an appreciative crowd who don’t tend to spoil performances by singing along - a danger in many other music venues in Riga.

Related Riga Content

Related Latvia Content

	Latvia City Guides: Riga City Guide
Latvia Attraction Guides:
Riga's Historic Town Center	Rundale Palace