Street Fries Kitchen is a very solid comfort-food / brunch / fries & burgers place with a Flemish twist, right in central Riga. Concept specialises in classic Flemish fast-casual food: pancakes, waffles and proper fries done to Dutch & Belgian recipes, plus breakfasts, burgers and warm bean-based salads. Interiors are modern and playful – colourful furniture, tiles, casual seating; works for brunch, hangover food, or an easy dinner with friends.

Hanzas Perons is a large, contemporary event and culture venue in Riga, created inside a restored historic railway warehouse. Hosts concerts, festivals, theatre, conferences, corporate evenings and closed events; recent and upcoming listings range from international bands to tech/culture conferences.

Rocket Bean on Raiņa bulvāris is one of the nicest “proper specialty coffee” spots in central Riga – smallish but serious. A Rocket Bean Café right on the park ring, serving all the roastery’s coffees in a compact, design-y space with some counter seats and tables. It’s part of the same group as Rocket Bean Miera (the roastery) but feels more like a city-centre espresso bar. Free Wi-Fi, laptop-friendly, kids- and dog-friendly, with some outdoor seating facing the boulevard when the weather is decent.

Snatch is a high-energy modern Italian restaurant in central Riga – very food- and wine-serious, but with a buzzy, slightly clubby vibe. Calls itself a bold, modern Italian restaurant exploring different Italian regions rather than doing just the usual “greatest hits”. Holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand (good quality, good value) and has kept it for 2024 and 2025. Strongly Italian-focused wine list, with some rare and “geeky” bottles; this is part of why Star Wine List features them. Bar runs a signature cocktail programme for both warm and cold seasons – think spritzes/Bellinis in summer, deeper spirit-forward drinks in winter.

TAILS is a very polished seafood restaurant + raw bar in Riga’s Art Nouveau quarter – one of the city’s more serious “occasion” places if you care about fish, technique, and design. Self-described as a seafood restaurant with a raw bar, built around a tail-to-gill philosophy and a visible dry-aging room for fish. Head chef Matīss Aleksandrovs has worked at serious places like Narisawa (Tokyo), Twins Garden, Agrikultur, Pure C, and others, and that fine-dining background shows in the technique and plating. It’s been listed in the MICHELIN Guide Latvia, and is generally treated as one of Riga’s top modern restaurants for fish.

Kolonāde. Mūsu stāsti… is one of Riga’s classic “central city” restaurants: strong location, seasonal Latvian-leaning food, good wine, and a calm, grown-up atmosphere. Interior is light and contemporary in the daytime, becoming more romantic and soft-lit at night – good for dates, small celebrations and business dinners. The space splits into a glazed terrace with park views and a slightly more private café side by the open kitchen. Kitchen is built around a seasonal gourmet menu using local Latvian products with international touches – think modernised Latvian/European rather than strict “traditional”.

LIDO Vērmanītis is a big, central self-service Latvian canteen/restaurant just by Vērmane Garden – classic “everyday LIDO”, not a fancy place, but very practical. Part of the LIDO chain: a family-style, cafeteria restaurant where you walk along the counter and pick from lots of ready dishes (hot mains, salads, soups, desserts). It’s especially good for trying traditional Latvian food in a casual way.

Bella Napoli is a serious Neapolitan pizzeria in central Riga – very product- and technique-driven, with Italian pizzaioli and proper ingredients, not just “Italian-style” branding. Best for: pizza-focused lunches or dinners, pre-bar food, or a quick, high-quality bite between meetings.