Eat & Drink
Latvian cuisine is built on rye, pork, smoked fish, dairy, and whatever the forest provides. Riga's food scene has evolved rapidly — you'll find everything from medieval-cellar beer halls to Michelin-quality tasting menus, all at a fraction of Western European prices.
Latvia's national dish — dried grey peas slow-cooked with smoked bacon and onions. Hearty, simple, and deeply satisfying. Traditionally eaten at Christmas but available year-round.
Where: Lido, Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs
Baltic smoked sprats on dark rye bread with butter is the quintessential Latvian snack. The fish pavilion at Central Market has the best selection — try the hot-smoked salmon too.
Where: Central Market fish pavilion
A legendary herbal liqueur made since 1752 from 24 herbs, roots, and berries. Drink it neat, in coffee, or mixed with blackcurrant juice (the local favourite). 45% ABV — sip slowly.
Where: Black Magic Bar (Old Town)
A traditional Latvian tart with a rye crust filled with carrot and potato purée, sweetened with caraway. It has EU Protected Designation of Origin status.
Where: Central Market, Rigensis bakery
Riga has a thriving craft beer scene. Look for local breweries like Valmiermuiža, Labietis (wild ales), and Malduguns. The Gastro Quarter at Central Market is the best starting point.
Where: Labietis taproom, Riga Central Market Gastro Quarter
Latvians are passionate foragers. In season (Aug-Oct), markets overflow with wild chanterelles, boletus, blueberries, and cranberries. Even supermarkets sell foraged goods.
Where: Central Market, any forest outside Riga
Central Market's five pavilions can be overwhelming on a first visit — a guided food tour covers 8-10 tastings in 3 hours, or read our full food guide for a self-guided route.
Three rotating chefs, one kitchen. Modern Latvian cuisine with seasonal tasting menus. Riga's most exciting restaurant.
Cavernous beer hall in a medieval cellar. Live folk music, grey peas, and 20+ Latvian beers on tap. Touristy but genuinely fun.
Seasonal Latvian ingredients in a rustic-chic setting. Excellent value lunch menus. The mushroom soup is legendary.
Translates to 'Herrings and Dill.' Tiny, charming, and focused on Baltic fish. Book ahead — only 20 seats.
A Latvian institution — self-service buffet with dozens of traditional dishes. Not gourmet, but authentic, cheap (€5-8 for a full meal), and beloved by locals.
Riga's hipster street. MIIT Coffee, Rocket Bean Roastery, and a dozen independent cafés within 500 metres.
Eating on a tighter budget? See our Riga on a budget guide for a full daily cost breakdown, including where to eat for under €10.
Grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi) is generally considered Latvia's national dish — dried grey peas slow-cooked with smoked bacon and onions, traditionally eaten at Christmas but available year-round at restaurants like Lido and Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs.
Rīgas Melnais Balzams is a herbal liqueur made since 1752 from 24 herbs, roots, and berries, at 45% ABV. Drink it neat, in coffee, or mixed with blackcurrant juice, the local favourite.
Yes — it's Europe's largest market, housed in former Zeppelin hangars, with dedicated meat, fish, dairy, and vegetable pavilions plus a newer Gastro Quarter for craft beer and street food. A guided food tour is the easiest way to navigate it.
Very. Lido, a self-service Latvian buffet chain, serves a full traditional meal for €5-8, and Central Market's pavilions are cheaper than any tourist-area restaurant for the same ingredients.
Latvian food makes more sense in the cold than it does in July. Grey peas with bacon is a Christmas dish that happens to be served year-round, not the other way about — and a bowl of it in a cellar in December is the version the recipe was built for. The same goes for the smoked fish, the black bread, and the sour cream on everything.
December adds things you cannot eat here in summer at all: piparkūkas (thin, dark gingerbread, sold everywhere from late November), hot karstvīns mulled wine, and the grilled-meat and pea stalls that set up in Dome Square for the Christmas market. The market food is not cheap by Riga standards, but it is the one time of year the Old Town's main square is somewhere locals actually eat.
Central Market runs through winter and is the warmest cheap lunch in the city — the pavilions are indoors, which matters more in January than the guidebooks let on. More on the season in Riga in December and what's worth doing in winter.
The best way to discover Latvian food is on a guided market tour — 3 hours, 8-10 tastings, and stories you won't find in any guidebook.
Book a Food Tour