Hors d’oeuvres are very good and often the best part of the meal. Overall, cuisine can be heavy but almost always tasty and nourishing.
National specialties: •
Kotletes (meat patties).
• Skabu kapostu zupa (cabbage soup).
•
Alexander Torte (raspberry- or cranberry-filled pastry strips).
• Sweetbread soup with dried fruit.
• Piragi (pastry filled with bacon and onions).
National drinks:
• Riga’s
Black Balsam is a thick, black alcoholic liquid which has been produced since
1700. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but some of the ingredients include ginger, oak bark, bitter orange peel and cognac. It is drunk either with coffee or mixed with vodka.
• There are several good local beers, including the dark beer
Bauskas Tumsais and the pale
Gaisais.
•
Kvass is a refreshing summer drink.
• Sparkling wine is popular.
Legal drinking age: 18.
Tipping: Restaurant bills usually include a tip. It is customary to give a little extra for good service.
NightlifeRiga has a good range of excellent
restaurants, bars and cafes. In summer months, cafes spill out onto the streets.
Nightclubs offer a varied scene, from dancing all night to blues
concerts.
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