FOOD THAT TICKLES YOUR FANCY

 
Pretty much no matter where you go in this country, you’re guaranteed a good meal.
Riga’s restaurant scene has grown in quantity as well as quality over the past years, especially when one considers that, during the Soviet period, there really were no restaurants to speak of. Whether it’s local Latvian food or Indian, international fare or Japanese that you crave, Riga’s restaurants cater for every taste.
 
This month, The Baltic Guide takes you through some favourites, near and far, old and new.
 
FINE DINING
 
Columbine One of Riga’s oldest institutions, and certainly one of its finest dining venues. The menu is constantly updated to reflect the changing seasons, offering the freshest food that is always in season. Hotel Metropole, 36/38 Aspazijas bulv.
 
Restaurant "Ambience" Ambience is what they promise, and is certainly what you’ll get at Latvia’s first boutique hotel. Enjoy a wide variety of international cuisine, with a select assortment of wines and champagnes. They also offer cigar, tea ritual and winetasting evenings. Ainivas Hotel, 23 Peldu
 
FOR MEAT LOVERS
 
Red Fred It only looks like a firehouse, but the flames inside indeed are real. Health lovers will revel in this grillfest, where meats, fish, and even shrimp are cooked up on the barbie. After the meal is done they offer a wide variety of beers to put the fire out. 62 Dzirnavu, 14 Audeju
 
Steiku Haoss The name means "steak chaos," but there’s nothing chaotic about the massive portions of steak they serve up here. The atmosphere will make you feel like you’re back in the Wild West. 25 Meistaru, 2 Audeju, 41/43 Terbatas
 
Mivatna veji The name means Mivatna’s winds, which you might just feel out here on Riga’s highest terrace, where they serve a variety of grilled foods (even grilled soup!) and drinks with the best view of Riga’s skyline. Islande Hotel, 20 Kipsalas
INTERNATIONAL FARE
 
Kabuki, 46 Possibly Riga’s best Japanese, with various locations throughout the city. The food is always tasty and fresh, and it is the closest you’ll come to real Japanese this far from the Far East! Tērbatas, 14 Audeju
 
Indian Raja Amazingly enough, Riga can boast a truly authentic Indian restaurant, where the 3-star rating for spiciness is a real 3-stars, not a "Latvian" 3-stars, meant for Latvian palettes, which are not as used to the spices. 3 Vecpilsetas
 
Del Popolo Low prices and high quality don’t often go hand in hand, but this place is one exception. Great and authentic Italian food in an elegant atmosphere. And the freshly baked bread and table water for free make this place unique. 8 Jana
 
Macaroni Noodle Bar It’s not macaroni and cheese as you might think! They offer a bunch of homemade pastas, Thai noodles, and even sushi. Stick around after your meal is done, as the extensive cocktail list will make you want to linger. 17 Barona, 14 Audeju
PUB GRUB
 
Kapteina Enriko Pulkstenis Captain Enrico’s Watch takes its name from a classic Latvian film from the 1960s. Inside it’s an eclectic mix of motorcycles and nostalgia, and a vast menu of salads, pastas and soups, and a great selection of breakfast choices. 13 Antonijas
 
Paddy Whelan’s A Latvian classic; the city’s first real Irish Bar, and pretty much the last one still standing. Ample space to rest your weary bones or take in the footie, a generous menu of food and snacks, and a wide variety of beers on tap and in the bottle to whet your whistle.
 
4 Grecinieku
 
ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING COMBINED
 
City Jazz club Guaranteed good eats and good tunes, what with master chef Steve Celico managing the kitchen, which serves up food that is only local, only fresh, and Latvia’s premier jazz musician Arnis Mednis making sure you’re properly entertained with great live jazz music. 34 Gertrudes
 
Misisipi (Peldosais restorans) Kill two birds with one stone, and do your sightseeing while you dine. The boat known as Misisipi (Mississippi) offers twohour evening boat cruises with dinner included. Leaves daily from the dock near the Akmens Bridge, across from the Occupation Museum.
 
DaDa The modern art movement that is the restaurant’s namesake was all about chance and putting random things together. That is both the culinary and decorative theme of this eatery, where you choose which meats and veggies you’d like, and the chefs fry them up for you! 16 Audeju
 
LATVIAN
 
LIDO No trip to Latvia is complete without a trip to Lido, which has several branches throughout the capital and the country. The vast buffet has a variety of options, for veggie and carnivore alike, from shishkebabs (shashlik) and cutlets, to pancakes and a massive salad bar. 76 Krasta, other locations
 
Rigamunde One of the latest additions to the Riga dining scene invites you to their homely locale to sample homecooked freshly prepared Latvian fare. The modest interior and modest prices make the place worth stopping by. 12 Marstalu
 
OUT OF TOWN
 
Sunset Hotel Restaurant After a day at this beach, this is the place where you’ll want to be for fresh seafood and a variety of other choice dishes. In summer relax out on the terrace and watch the sunset, which is the venue’s namesake; in winter opt for dining by the fireplace in their cosy atmosphere. 7/9 Pilsonu iela, Majori (Jurmala)
 
My Life (Jurmala) An exciting new restaurant venture in Bulduri, offering a warm, homely interior and traditional food to match. Dishes from all over the world in a crosscultural menu fusion. The perfect break from the standard beachfront fare! Meza prospekts 49 (Bulduri)
 
Metropole Hotel Restaurant Enjoy fresh fish caught the same day in a local lake or fresh game from a nearby farm. If country living is your thing, then the Metropole Restaurant will serve you up a taste of that and more, in an elegant dining atmosphere. 11 Baznicas iela, Kuldiga