In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Riga’s food runs from Latvian peasant and Hanseatic dishes to contemporary New Nordic cooking. The dishes to look for are grey peas with diced smoked speck at Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs, self-service plates at Lido, potato dumplings at Milda, smoked sprats and herring sandwiches at Central Market, and the tasting menu at 3 Pavāru restorāns. Tipping is discretionary, around 10%. Or book a tour: a Central Market Latvian food tasting tourad is sold on GetYourGuide.
⚠️ Do not skip the dark sourdough rye bread. Latvian rye bread (rupjmaize) is baked from wholemeal rye flour with sourdough, scalded malt and caraway seeds. It is dense and slightly sour, and is served warm with cultured butter and herb salt at most traditional meals.
Traditional Latvian cuisine: grey peas, rye and smoked fish
Latvian cooking draws on forest and coast: foraged ingredients, fermented vegetables, dairy, and smoking and curing methods developed for Baltic winters.
Traditional dishes to order
- Grey peas with speck (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi): Grey field peas are soaked overnight, simmered until tender and fried with diced smoked pork belly (speķis) and onions. They come in an earthenware crock with cold kefīrs (cultured buttermilk) to cut the fat.
- Cold beetroot soup (Aukstā zupa): A summer dish, bright magenta, made with marinated shredded beetroot, cucumber, kefir, radishes, dill and spring onions, topped with half a hard-boiled egg.
- Garlic rye croutons (Ķiploku grauzdiņi): Fingers of rye bread deep-fried, rubbed with raw garlic and served warm with a dill and sour cream dip. A standard beer snack.
- Rye bread dessert soup (Maizes zupa): Toasted rye breadcrumbs steeped in hot water with sugar, cinnamon, dried apples, prunes and raisins, pureed into a compote and topped with whipped cream.
- Smoked Baltic sprats (Kūpinātas brētliņas): Hot-smoked sprats from the Gulf of Riga, served on buttered rye bread with dill and sliced hard-boiled egg.
Top traditional taverns and casual dining
For Latvian home-style cooking in a tavern setting:
1. Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs (Peldu iela 19)
In a vaulted 13th-century cellar in Old Riga:
- Why go: Twenty-eight regional craft beers on tap, live folk music and large portions of Latvian food.
- What to order: The sharing platter of roasted pork ribs, the grey peas with speck, garlic bread strips with cheese sauce, and braised pork knuckle with stewed sauerkraut.
- Atmosphere: Communal timber tables and brick arches, with traditional Latvian dancing nights on Wednesdays.
2. Milda (Kungu iela 8)
On the quiet southern edge of Old Riga near Town Hall Square:
- Why go: Named after the figure of Liberty on the Freedom Monument, Milda serves heritage Latvian and Lithuanian recipes.
- What to order: Lithuanian potato cepelinai (zeppelins) stuffed with seasoned pork, with sour cream and bacon cracklings; Latvian venison stew with lingonberry preserve; and wild-boar cutlets with roasted root vegetables.
- Booking: A small dining room with limited seating. Reserve at least 24 to 48 hours ahead.
3. Lido (several locations)
Lido is a Latvian self-service restaurant chain:
- The concept: Take a wooden tray and choose hot dishes from open counters.
- Branches:
- Lido Alus sēta (Tirgoņu iela 6): In Old Riga, with indoor timber seating and tables outside on the cobbles.
- Lido Atpūtas centrs (Krasta iela 60): A large log-cabin complex on the Daugava with a microbrewery, a children’s amusement park and an open-air ice rink in winter.
- What to order: A plate of roast chicken, fried potato wedges and salads from the counters, with a draught beer and dessert.
Contemporary Baltic dining and chef-led bistros
Latvian chefs here apply New Nordic foraging principles to Baltic ingredients:
1. 3 Pavāru restorāns / “The Three Chefs” (Torņa iela 4)
In the 18th-century Jacob’s Barracks on Torņa iela, opposite the Swedish Gate:
- The room: Founded by the chefs Mārtiņš Sirmais and Ēriks Dreibants, it has an open kitchen where the chefs talk to guests.
- First course: The meal starts with the chefs drizzling hemp oil, lingonberry puree, sea buckthorn sauce and birch syrup onto parchment paper covering the table, with warm sourdough bread for dipping.
- Tasting menu: Seasonal multi-course menus built on wild local ingredients, such as wood-sorrel sorbet, smoked Baltic cod and roast venison.
2. Barents (Mazā Smilšu iela 2/4)
In northern Old Riga, a seafood restaurant:
- The menu is built on wild catches from the Baltic Sea, Norwegian fjords and Barents Sea, with organic vegetables from small Latvian biodynamic growers.
- Wine pairings are offered with the menu.
3. Entresol (Elizabetes iela 22)
In the Quiet Centre near the Art Nouveau Quarter on Alberta iela:
- Led by the Latvian chef Raimonds Zommers, Entresol serves knapas, Baltic small plates for sharing, such as smoked quail egg with truffle cream, sea-buckthorn cured salmon and slow-cooked duck breast.
Bakeries, cafes and quick bites
Central Market seafood and pies
For cheap street food, go to Riga Central Market:
- Siļķītes un Dillītes (Fish Pavilion): Take a counter seat for open Baltic herring sandwiches on rye with sour cream and dill (€3.00), smoked salmon chowder or oysters.
- Warm pīrāgi: Bakery counters in the Gastronomy Pavilion sell speķa pīrādziņi, warm yeast buns filled with diced bacon and black pepper.
Bakeries and cafes
- Rigensis (Tirgoņu iela 8): A German-style bakery in Old Riga selling cinnamon twists, poppy-seed rolls and honey cakes.
- Mārtiņa beķereja: A local bakery chain with several central branches, selling savoury pastries, meat pies and coffee.
- Sklandrausis: Look for sklandrausis in bakeries and at market stands. It is a sweet pastry from western Courland with EU protected status: a rye pastry shell filled with mashed potato and spiced grated carrot, dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
Practical dining tips: timing, reservations and tipping
- Hours: Lunch runs from 12:00 to 14:30, and many central bistros offer a set business lunch (dienas piedāvājums). Dinner service runs from 18:00 to 22:00.
- Reservations: For weekend dinners at Milda and ALA Pagrabs and at 3 Pavāru and Barents, reserve 2 to 5 days ahead by phone or online.
- Payment: Sit-down restaurants, cafes and bars take contactless cards and mobile payment.
- Tipping: Tipping is discretionary. In full-service restaurants, around 10% in cash or on the card terminal is usual.
What to explore next
- Riga Central Market Guide: The five Zeppelin hangars and their food stalls.
- Riga Black Balsam and Bars: The history of Latvia’s herbal liqueur, first made in 1752, and where to drink it.
- Where to stay in Riga: Hotels and neighbourhoods.
- Free things to do in Riga: Medieval streets and canal parks to walk between meals.
- 3 Days in Riga Itinerary: Where these meals fit in a longer stay.
Common questions
What is the national dish of Latvia?
Grey peas with speck (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi). Grey peas are simmered until tender, then fried with diced smoked pork belly and browned onions, and served in an earthenware bowl with a glass of cold kefir.
Do you need to reserve restaurant tables in Riga?
For 3 Pavāru restorāns, Barents, Milda and weekend dinner at Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs, book 2 to 5 days ahead. Casual taverns, bakeries and Lido cafeterias do not take reservations.
How expensive is dining out in Riga?
Lido cafeterias and Central Market bistros are the budget end, traditional taverns sit in the middle, and fine-dining restaurants serve tasting menus. Each venue's own menu has its prices.
What is a Lido cafeteria in Latvia?
Lido is a Latvian self-service restaurant chain with branches across Riga. You take a wooden tray and pick hot dishes from open counters, such as grilled pork cutlets, shashlik skewers, potato pancakes, cold beetroot soup and baked desserts, and pay at the till.
What is the tipping custom in Riga restaurants?
Around 10% for good table service in sit-down restaurants. Add it on the card machine before tapping, or leave cash on the table. In self-service cafeterias tipping is not expected.
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