Riga Restaurant Tips by tini58de

Čau, Rasma!

On my husband's birthday we went to this restaurant. We always like to go to places that serve local food, and all the reviews that we had read about were full of praise for this place. It is in a cellar very near the Freedom Column. The food was delicious, life music was played and the value for money was excellent! While waiting for our food, we were served some of the famous Latvian dark bread with lard - boy, that was a perfect start to what was to come!!!

Favorite Dish: My husband had zander fillet and I had pork fillet with sauerkraut and the best mashed potatos ever!!! As an appetizer we had a delicious soup and a sort of diced meat salad, which was a surprise, since I did not remember ordering it, but it tasted good!

Address: Aspazijas bulvāris 20

Phone: (+371) 7 223252

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Skyline Bar: The view from the top

This place is awesome: you have the most spectacular view over Riga, because the Skyline Bar is on the 26th floor of the Hotel Latvija. The Skyline Bar has different faces: if you go there in the afternoon, it is more like a panorama café, but in the evening it is a nightclub sort of place (please see my nightlife tip). The seats next to the windows are of course the most wanted ones and we were lucky to get the last available table, when we got there at 3.15 p.m. (The place opens at 3 p.m.!!!). Service is very friendly and the cocktails are delicious!

Address: 55 Elizabetes iela, Riga

Comparison: about average

Directions: the skyline bar is in the Hotel Latvija

Phone: +371 7772222

Rating: 5

Theme: Other

Birch juice and other Latvian Specialities

When visiting a country, we always try to taste the local specialities - and boy, did we enjoy that in Latvia as well:

the most unusual speciality was birch juice! We had heard about it in German TV and had asked our wonderful tour guide, if she could help us find some. Since the freshly made birch juice is only available in spring, we had to get it in a bottled version! Interesting taste!

Other specialities in Latvia are cabbage soup, sorrel soup, peas with bacon, definitely the dark rye bread, good beer and many more. Do have a look at the very interesting link below!

Oh, and you better like caraway seeds - it seemed to me that about every bread we tasted had some in it!!! (Luckily I love it!!!)

Directions: all over Latvia

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.am.gov.lv/en/latvia/about/Cuisine/food/

Emihls Gustavs: Best hot chocolate ever

These small chocolate "boutiques" are out of this world!

There are three of them in Riga (and a couple more throughout Latvia):

right next to the Hotel Latvija (Elizabetes 55)
in the old city center (Tirgoņu iela 8)
at Bergs Bazaars (K. Barona iela 7/9-16)

Although this is a chain, you feel so very comfortable there. The interior is so cozy with dark wood panelling, dried cocoa fruits as decoration and the most wonderful pralinés you could possibly dream of.

And then their hot chocolate - nothing that you have ever tasted before! It is not the type of hot chocolate that you mix with two spoons full of cocoa powder and milk - no, it is pure dark chocolate melted and served in a small cup.

While I am writing this, my mouth starts watering again..... We went to two of their cafés and both were absolutely wonderful.

Be sure not to miss this when you are in Riga!

Rating: 5

Theme: Coffeehouse

Website: http://www.emihlsgustavs.com/