Restaurants LATVIAN With nearly 800 years of domination by a variety of foreign powers you’d think that Latvia would have an interesting and diverse culinary tradition. However, when one bears in mind that Poles, Swedes, Germans and Russians once ruled the roost, it’s no surprise that most local cuisine consists of pork, potatoes and sauerkraut served with a generous sprinkling of dill. ALUS ARSENĀLS This classic brick cellar just off of Castle Square offers a unique interior of low vaulted ceilings adorned with painted fall foliage, stained glass lamps and wooden tables, benches and chairs. The Beer Arsenal specialises in huge servings of Latvian fare like metre-long sausages, beef tongue salad, pig’s ears stuffed with caraway cheese and its signature oven baked pork knuckle for two served on a wooden platter with a flaming torch. Naturally, a good selection of beer is also on offer including its own light and dark microbrews. Cheap daily specials under €5 are a bargain.QH‑1, Pils laukums 4 (entrance from Arsenāla), tel. (+371) 67 32 26 75, www.alus-arsenals. lv. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (€6 - 12). AX FOLKKLUBS ALA PAGRABS One of Riga’s largest Latvian beer bars and restaurants, Folk Club Ala is more of a cavern than a cellar. Descend into the depths of this huge space to find a great selection of affordable local brews and spirits as well as traditional cuisine from kotletes (a type of meatball) and grey peas with bacon to hard-to-find country dishes like pork and pearl barley stew. Although it’s a favourite among frugal students, it’s also popular with anyone who appreciates good food, drink and music under medieval brick vaulted ceilings. Reservations are essential if you’d like a table on a Friday or Saturday evening.QI‑2, Peldu 19, tel. (+371) 27 79 69 14, www.folkklubs.lv. Open 12:00 - 01:00, Wed 12:00 - 03:00, Thu 12:00 - 04:00, Fri 12:00 - 06:00, Sat 14:00 - 05:00, Sun 14:00 - 01:00. (€3 - 7). AE KEY TO RIGA Located on Cathedral Square, this large restaurant has a huge menu of Latvian classics with cheeky names that are often references to the legendary comedic Latvian film Vella kalpi (The Devil’s Servants) about the fictional guardians of Riga who are part Three Musketeers and part Three Stooges. You’ll find everything here from grey peas, potato pancakes and schnitzels to more exotic dishes like blood sausage and even bulls’ testicles! You can also take part in a pork knuckle eating contest and win a free beer and a souvenir to remind you of your achievement. The interior is a mix of the rustic and the medieval, but we liked the wooden chandeliers with blown glass and the cowhide benches, not to mention the expansive summer terrace.QH‑1, Doma laukums 8A, tel. (+371) 28 37 07 47, www.keytoriga.lv. Open 10:00 - 23:00. (€7 - 14). JA E 38 Riga In Your Pocket
LIDO DZIRNAVAS (THE MILL) Alus sēta’s sister restaurant is similar, but bigger, better and even fuller of happy Latvians satisfying their hunger pangs. The huge buffet spans a number of rooms and even makes those who just had lunch drool. The saying over the door states that he who belches while eating will eat there next year. See you then!QC‑4, Dzirnavu 76, tel. (+371) 67 28 62 04, www.lido.lv. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. (€4 - 7). AS LIDO LEISURE CENTER (LIDO ATPŪTAS CENTRS) If Paul Bunyon built a log cabin in Latvia it would look like this! Mr. Ķirsons of the LIDO Empire has outdone himself with the biggest buffet of home cookin’ this country has ever seen. Enter the tremendous cellar and discover another restaurant with two bars which serve beer brewed on the premises. Weekends are family days with various activities for the kids including in-line skating and there’s live singing and dancing every night from 19:00. Take bus N°12 from the train station directly or tram N°3, 7 or 9 to the ‘Atpūtas centrs LIDO’ stop and walk about 5 - 10 minutes in the direction of the huge windmill.QKrasta 76, tel. (+371) 67 50 44 20, www.lido.lv. Open 11:00 - 24:00. (€4 - 7). TAILES LIDO VĒRMANĪTIS A great place to eat a huge meal for cheap, this restaurant looks like medieval Europe and interwar Latvia collided and produced a unique space decorated with ethnic symbols, stone and stained glass. Bop about to local ‘umm-paa-paa’ music and help yourself to Baltic cuisine as well as salad and fruit bars. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat near a window on the ground floor you’ll be rewarded with a great view of the park. QC‑4, Elizabetes 65, tel. (+371) 67 28 62 89, www. lido.lv. Open 09:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. (€4 - 7). AS VALMIERMUIŽAS ALUS Although one of Latvia’s best brews is produced just outside the northern town of Valmiera, the brewery also has its own so-called embassy in Riga’s trendy Briāna iela neighbourhood. Taste a variety of quality brews on draught or in bottles and order tasty nouvelle Latvian cuisine from slowly-cooked pork belly with seasonal greens to oven baked organic lamb. Locally made fruit and berry wines are also on the menu, but bear in mind that it might be hard to get a table on weekend evenings. The Latvian meat platter goes perfectly with the beers and affordable daily lunch specials are also on offer.QA‑5, A. Briāna 9a, tel. (+371) 25 47 34 73, www.valmiermuiza.lv. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Wed, Thu, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sun 11:00 22:00. (€6 - 10). A
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