Traktieris

On a quiet street in the Art Nouveau District on the outer rim of the Old City centre and main tourist area is Traktieris, a friendly Russian restaurant playing Russian folk music and adorned with extensive wall murals. Outside, the menu is listed only in Russian and Latvian, but inside, the menu has been kindly translated to rough English. The servers were very kind in explaining the dishes to those unfamiliar to Russian cuisine.



Portions are huge and the prices are even better for its value. On the menu, you can choose from a large variety of Russian specialties. The notable item for the vegetarian is the eggplant salad with fried cheese. The dumplings were not too starchy and the meat inside flavorful. The food tastes homemade to match the rustic interior, but the highlight is in the extensive vodka list to sample from. All the shots fell around the 1.00LVL range enabling you to try simple vodkas up to the more unique flavors like cucumber and cowberry.

Popular with locals and Russians alike, Traktieris is definitely worth visiting while in Riga.

Traktieris. 8 Antonijas, Riga, Latvia

Double Coffee

So far, the best place where the food that is served actually matches the food pictured in the menu - even down to the design of the plate!

Double Coffee offers international cuisine suitable for a budget. The menu is presented in the format of a small, glossy newspaper with pages of dishes and coffee drinks with their respective photos and notes on item variety (sandwiches or clubs, for example). The portions are satisfying and tastes as good as it looks. Really. Service is not exactly the speediest as food arrives about 20-30 minutes after you place your order. For lack of decision of a destination, Double Coffee is always a dependable and reliable choice for good food and drinks. The franchise has extended to Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine.