Food · Riga · Latvia
What to eat in Riga
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Riga, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Dark rye bread, Grey peas with bacon and Riga Black Balsam. Walk through the fish, dairy and gastronomy pavilions tasting smoked eel and sprats, sauerkraut, honey and rye bread, then take a seat at one of the street-food stalls in the market area. Weekday business lunches (dienas pusdienas) offer a soup and main course at a fraction of dinner prices.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Dark rye bread
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tipping around 10% for good table service in restaurants is customary but not…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Bakery · Vegetarian
1.Dark rye bread (Rupjmaize)
Dense, sweet-sour rye bread, often baked with caraway, is eaten with every meal and is the base for snacks and desserts.
Where: Bakeries, the gastronomy pavilion at the Central Market and every restaurant bread basket.
Dish
2.Grey peas with bacon (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi)
Large grey field peas cooked with fried bacon and onion, often served with a glass of kefir. It is a traditional Christmas dish and an everyday favourite.
Where: Traditional Latvian restaurants and self-service Lido buffets.
Drink · Vegetarian
3.Riga Black Balsam (Rīgas Melnais balzams)
A dark, bitter herbal liqueur first produced in Riga in the 18th century from a recipe of herbs, roots and berries. It is drunk neat, in coffee, mixed with blackcurrant juice or in cocktails.
Where: Every bar and supermarket; Old Riga bars serve it in cocktails and hot drinks.
Dessert · Vegetarian
4.Sklandrausis
A traditional open pie of rye dough filled with mashed potato and sweet carrot, spiced with cinnamon. It has EU protected traditional-speciality status.
Where: Bakeries, the Central Market and the Kalnciema Quarter Saturday market.
Snack
5.Bacon buns (Speķa pīrāgi)
Soft, crescent-shaped yeast buns filled with chopped bacon and onion, eaten as a snack, with soup or at celebrations.
Where: Bakeries and bakery counters across the city; best fresh and warm.
Snack
6.Riga sprats (Rīgas šprotes)
Small Baltic fish smoked over wood and packed in oil, eaten on rye bread with egg or onion. Riga's sprats have been exported for generations in their distinctive flat tins.
Where: Supermarkets, the fish pavilion of the Central Market and as open sandwiches in cafés.
Dish · Vegetarian
7.Cold beet soup (Aukstā zupa)
A bright pink summer soup of kefir, beetroot, cucumber, dill and boiled egg, often served with hot boiled potatoes on the side.
Where: Cafés and Latvian restaurants from late spring to the end of summer.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Rye bread dessert (Rupjmaizes kārtojums)
Layers of sweetened rye breadcrumbs, whipped cream and cranberry or lingonberry jam, served chilled in a glass.
Where: Traditional Latvian restaurants and Lido buffets.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Glazed curd snack (Biezpiena sieriņš)
A small bar of sweet curd cheese coated in chocolate glaze, sold chilled in many flavours and eaten by Latvians of all ages.
Where: The dairy fridge of any supermarket or convenience store.
Snack · Vegetarian
10.Midsummer caraway cheese (Jāņu siers)
A fresh, round cheese flavoured with caraway seeds, made for the Jāņi midsummer festival and eaten with beer.
Where: The Central Market and supermarkets, especially in the weeks before 23–24 June.
Food experiences
Central Market grazing
Walk through the fish, dairy and gastronomy pavilions tasting smoked eel and sprats, sauerkraut, honey and rye bread, then take a seat at one of the street-food stalls in the market area.
Lido buffet lunch
Lido's self-service restaurants serve Latvian classics such as grey peas, potato pancakes and pork dishes at low prices, making them an easy way to try local food.
New Latvian cuisine
A group of Riga restaurants focus on seasonal Latvian ingredients such as forest mushrooms, berries, rye and Baltic fish, often as good-value tasting menus compared with Western Europe.
Kalnciema Saturday market
Farmers, bakers and craftspeople sell from stalls among the wooden houses of the Kalnciema Quarter, with live music in the warmer months.
Quick bites and street food
- Dark rye bread — Bakeries, the gastronomy pavilion at the Central Market and every restaurant bread basket.
- Bacon buns — Bakeries and bakery counters across the city; best fresh and warm.
- Riga sprats — Supermarkets, the fish pavilion of the Central Market and as open sandwiches in cafés.
- Glazed curd snack — The dairy fridge of any supermarket or convenience store.
- Midsummer caraway cheese — The Central Market and supermarkets, especially in the weeks before 23–24 June.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Dark rye bread, Riga Black Balsam, Sklandrausis, Cold beet soup, Rye bread dessert, Glazed curd snack and Midsummer caraway cheese. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Weekday business lunches (dienas pusdienas) offer a soup and main course at a fraction of dinner prices.
- Restaurants on Old Riga's main squares charge more; side streets and the Quiet Centre offer better value.
- Check menus for prices before ordering in bars you are invited into from the street.
- Tap water is generally safe, but many locals drink bottled or filtered water; restaurants usually serve bottled.
- Book ahead for popular restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights.
Tipping
Tipping around 10% for good table service in restaurants is customary but not compulsory; check whether a service charge has been added. In cafés and bars, rounding up is enough.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Labdien | Good day / hello |
| Paldies | Thank you |
| Lūdzu | Please / you're welcome |
| Atvainojiet | Excuse me / sorry |
| Priekā | Cheers |
| Uz redzēšanos | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Riga famous for?
Dark rye bread, Grey peas with bacon, Riga Black Balsam and Sklandrausis. Dense, sweet-sour rye bread, often baked with caraway, is eaten with every meal and is the base for snacks and desserts.
+Is Riga good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Dark rye bread, Riga Black Balsam and Sklandrausis.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Riga?
Tipping around 10% for good table service in restaurants is customary but not compulsory; check whether a service charge has been added. In cafés and bars, rounding up is enough.