If you’re visiting the stunning Latvian capital, you’ll no doubt want to discover all of the best restaurants in Riga.
After living in the Baltics for over two years, I came to appreciate this hearty cuisine. Especially during the long winters when all of those potatoes and sour cream dishes really give you some warmth and comfort.
There are so many delicious Latvian dishes to try while you are visiting Riga. If you are exploring more of the Baltics, check out our guide to the best restaurants in Vilnius or the full Baltics itinerary guide so that you don’t miss out on any of the best sights to explore in this region of Europe.
What to Eat in Riga
- Ķiploku grauzdiņi: This is a dish you’ll find it both Latvia and Lithuania and is essentially fried Rye bread. The bread is sliced into strips and fried in oil until crispy. Then garlic is rubbed on it while its still hot and it is sometimes served with a cheesy dip. It is so indulgent and delicious and a perfect snack to go with a cold beer.
- Pelēkie zirņi ar speķ: The national dish of Latvia, you’ll find this all over the restaurants in Riga. It is a hot stew made with grey peas, onions, and pork.
- Aukstā zupa: Served mostly in the summer, this is a cold soup made with beets, kefir, cucumbers, and boiled eggs. It’s usually served with some boiled potatoes on the side and topped with fresh dill. It is a bright pink color so you definitely can’t miss it if its being served at a local Riga restaurant.
- Pīrādziņi: This little pastry is often found at cafes or bakeries around Latvia. It is a yeasted dough that is filled with onions, minced meat, bacon, cabbage, or cottage cheese.
Take a Riga Food Tour
If you are only visiting Riga for a few days, a food tour is a great way to see more of the city with a knowledgeable guide and to try several different dishes over a short period of time.
- Guided Walking and Food Tour: This food tour option is a 2.5 hour walking around around the Old Town of Riga. It includes three different traditional dishes to sample as well as learning about how immigration has shaped modern cuisine in the city. Book that food tour here.
- Central Market Tour: Riga’s Central Market is one of the best places to eat in Riga and should not be missed when you are visiting the city. This guided tour takes you to the best vendors and also teaches you about the history of these magnificent buildings. Book that food tour here.
- Medieval Guided Tour and Food Tasting: Learn all about the medieval history of Riga in this immersive experience. This is a fun option for both kids and adults who want to dig deeper into what has shaped the food eaten in Riga today. You’ll enjoy a 3-course meal as well as a beverage of choice. Book this experience here.
Best Places to Eat in Riga
Eating is one of the best things to do in Riga. Whether you are planning to indulge in all of the local dishes listed above, or you are more interested in international cuisine while you’re in Riga, you’ll find something for everyone in this city.
While traditionally it is a very meat-heavy country, things are starting to change. Most restaurants have at least one if not several vegetarian options on their menu and there are more vegan options popping up in modern and international restaurants around the city.
1. LIDO
LIDO is a Riga institution. If you are looking for a budget-friendly place to eat in Riga where you can also sample traditional food, there is nowhere better.
Even if you aren’t on a budget, this traditional restaurant is the perfect place to head for hearty, filling plates of delicious food.
There are a few locations around the city, but the one in the center of the Old Town has the best decor and plenty of seating. They serve the same food at all of the locations, so you can’t go wrong with any of them.
LIDO is a cafeteria-style restaurant where you grab a tray and a plate and visit the different stations to get your food. There are meat, vegetable, cold salad, soup, and dessert sections. Once you have all of the food that you want, you take it to the cash register and pay for all that you have chosen.
Grab utensils and napkins and head to a table once you’ve paid. Once you’re done, you bus your own table. This is an ideal place to come for lunch on a chilly day or for a huge bowl of Aukstā zupa in the summer.
LIDO is a must-visit on any trip to Riga. It’s the sort of place that when you tell someone you’ve been to Riga they ask, did you go to LIDO?
2. Agenskalns Market
Located outside of the city center, but easily accessed by bus from the city center, this is one of the absolute best places to eat in Riga. Bolt is also a great app for getting around Riga. Much like Uber, but incredibly affordable.
If you want to head to a place where the locals dine in Riga, this is where you’ll find them. It’s a food hall and covered market where you can do some grocery shopping. But there is so much more to this market than just produce.
You’ll find French pastries, beautiful bouquets of flowers, a bookstore, a coffee shop, a bar selling craft beer, and of course, a few restaurants to grab food.
You can have delicious pizza, Georgian Khachapuri, cured meats and cheese, cured salmon sandwiches, sushi, borcht, and so much more. There’s even a LIDO stall here to grab some more traditional dishes.
3. Senās Tradīcijas Restaurant
Translated as Old Traditions Restaurant, this is a fantastic Riga restaurant for enjoying some authentic Latvian dishes in a beautiful setting.
Located in the Old Town of Riga, Old Traditions is certainly one of the more upscale options for places to eat in Riga, but it’s not too expensive when compared to dining in London or Helsinki, for example.
Main dishes range from €14-20 with starters mostly under €10 per dish. There are sharing options including some decadent caviar or meat feast platters which range from €20-45 depending on which option you choose.
Try dishes like the borscht, the homemade dumplings, herring with potatoes, or potato pancakes, all of which are very traditional dishes in this region of Europe.
Grab a tray and select what food you want when you visit LIDO. You can even pour your own beer.
4. Salve
This family-friendly restaurant has seating both inside and outside in a large patio area. Summer is short in the Baltics, so you want to get outside as much as possible, especially when dining.
Salve has a menu packed with traditional Latvian dishes to try including Pelēkie zirņi ar speķ (the national dish mentioned above), sauerkraut soup served in a Rye bread bowl, homemade sausage served with potato cakes, and fried herring.
They offer a Latvian set menu which includes a starter, main, and dessert that are all traditional Latvian dishes you can sample. This is a great option for an affordable dinner and a great way to try some traditional food in Riga.
5. Province Restaurant
This is a bar and restaurant that makes you feel like you are eating with the locals. Order a few plates to share of the local dumplings, stuffed potatoes, pork knuckle or grey peas alongside a nice glass of cold beer.
The decor here feels a little bit like you’re drinking in an old cellar with low ceilings and dark wood beams above and small tables. It’s a cozy place to escape the cold on a blustery winter day in Riga.
There are so many restaurants in Riga serving up traditional dishes at a reasonable price.
6. Ala Pagrabs
Ala Pagrabs is one of the busiest and best restaurants in Riga.
If you want to combine visiting one of the best bars in Riga with a great meal, be sure to book a table at Ala Pagrabs. Especially if you are visiting during the summer on a weekend when it is busiest.
This bustling bar has live music most nights of the week where traditional folk bands play music throughout this cavernous cellar bar.
This is the best place in town to have the fried rye bread (Ķiploku grauzdiņi) with a few other bar snacks like local cheese and smoked meats.
The thing that makes Ala Pagrabs stand out from the other traditional restaurants in Riga is that it has modernized many of the traditional dishes that you usually see elsewhere in the city.
The Latvian meatballs and stroganoff have been elevated to be lighter and yet equally packed with flavor.
Instead of the more traditional heavy potato pancakes, Ala Pagrabs have added carrot for sweetness and extra crunch.
7. Miit Coffee
Miit Coffee is an exceptionally delicious cafe located in the new town area of Riga, a short walk from the Old Town if that is where you based yourself for your trip.
The main reason to make the walk to this spot in the mornings is for their coffee. They make strong flat whites, smooth capuccino, and sweet Matcha lattes.
However, it is also one of the best breakfast restaurants in Riga. It’s also one of the few vegan-friendly options on this list.
Try dishes like crepes filled with caramelized apple, amaranth porridge, omelettes, avocado toast with a poached egg, or a slice of their homemade bread topped with salmon.
MiiT is such a fantastic place to start your day in Riga.
8. Gauja
If you are looking for where to eat in Riga that is budget-friendly and packed with locals, this is the spot.
This bar-restaurant is popular with locals for lunch and dinner and has a nice selection of home-cooked meals that will keep you full all day.
Simply stop in for a beer and some of their thickly sliced fried rye bread or have a larger plate of pea soup and herring with potatoes.
They have a nice selection of Latvian-style pancakes which are somewhere between an American-style pancake and a crepe. They are filled with savory or sweet fillings and are a cheap and delicious breakfast or lunch option while you’re in Riga.
9. Boar BBQ
As the name suggests, Boar BBQ is a delectable barbecue restaurant in central Riga. Choose from a small but mighty menu of chicken wings, half a chicken, ribs, Georgian chicken, or an incredibly juicy burger.
They do a vegetarian option using the Georgian flavors of the chicken on vegetables instead. There is also a juicy pastrami sandwich filled to the brim with thickly sliced pastrami.
I returned here a second time for the burger. It’s the best I’ve had in the Baltics, so if you find yourself in the mood for a great burger, be sure to stop here.
10. Martinelli
This upscale restaurant offers you a little break from the traditional Latvian cuisine for something a little bit lighter. Half restaurant and half wine shop, the food here is some of the best in town.
The menu is heavily Italian-influenced with dishes like osso buco, ravioli, burrata salad, and lemon sorbet all available.
However, you’ll find a few twists that are much more regional to the Baltics like deer steak with potatoes and Venison broth soup with deer meat and vegetables.
There are also a lot of seafood options including oysters, grilled tiger prawns, and Halibut available.
If you plan to come for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night, be sure to make a reservation in advance.
There are some great coffee shops around Riga, but MiiT is definitely one of the best.
11. Restaurant Rosemarine
This gorgeous spot should without a doubt be added to any food-lovers list of the best restaurants in Riga.
Open all day for brunch, lunch, and dinner, you’ll no doubt be coming back here a few times on your trip to Riga.
The brunch is particularly delicious with options like salmon sandwiches on a croissant, omelettes, potato pancakes, and sweet crepes.
However, the savory dishes served later in the day were some of my favorites that I tried in Riga. The creamy mushroom soup is a nice way to start your meal. Followed by the lamb goulash, which is a nice twist on a classic dish.
The Riga Central Market is a must-visit on your trip to Riga, even if you don’t plan to eat there.
12. Riga Central Market
You do not want to miss exploring the Riga Central Market. This is a great place to shop if you are staying in an apartment where you can self cater. Housed inside old Zeppelin hangars, you can purchase fresh produce, meat, cheese, and fish.
It’s a great option as well if you want to build your own picnic to take with you to the waterfront or enjoy in one of Riga’s many parks. Grab some freshly made bread, smoked meat or fish, some local cheese, and some homemade preserves.
There are also a few food stalls serving up cooked dumplings, soup in an edible bowl, Neapolitan pizza, burgers, sushi, ramen, and so much more.
This is one of the best places if you are traveling with a group and no one can agree on what to eat (or you have some picky eaters in the group!). They are sure to find something at the food court here, including vegetarian and vegan options available.