Catering

Saloons, cafes and other places in small towns and the countryside which offer tasty dishes made of local products and on the basis of traditional Latvian recipes – ones which differ from region to region.

  • Special programmes are offered to visitors, with meals, stories about holiday and everyday traditions, and songs. Sometimes visitors are involved in preparing the food.
  • Menus use local names for dishes along with explanations and a discussion of the local dialect.
  • Providers of Latvian foods also use ethnographic styles for interior design, as well as dishes, furniture, textiles, etc., from local craftspeople.
Overview Details

Latvia

House of traditions "Zvanitaji" in Rucava

The wooden building was erected in the late 19th century and features a museum which demonstrates the way in which people lived more than 100 years ago.  Exhibits include household objects, the Rucava folk costume, socks and decorated mittens.  Various events involving discussions, singing, games, dancing and weaving are organised, as are cultural and educational programmes such as “Evening Activities” and “A Rucava Banquet” with local foods from lower Kurzeme.

Latvian cuisine: Buns, sourdough porridge, homemade bread, honey, herbal teas.

Distance from countries capital city259 Active season months1-12 Must register in advance Accepts individual travellers Pre-order required Accepts tourist groups

Latvia

The “Lantus” farm

A Latvian farm merging the historical and the modern. Local dishes are prepared, and weddings in the spirit of old traditions are organised. The farm works with local farmers and manufacturers.

Latvian cuisine: Cream of vegetable soup with greens and croutons, oven-roasted pike with cheese and seasonal vegetables, cottage cheese crème with berry sauce.

Distance from countries capital city115 Active season months1-12 Accepts individual travellers Pre-order required Accommodation available Accepts tourist groups
Facilities  appropriate for children

Latvia

The „Valguma pasaule” restaurant

The restaurant is on the banks of Lake Valgums and at an historical location where the Soviet Union had a base for government leaders. Today this is a lovely place for active or calm recreation. Elegant dishes are offered in the glass room, and soup is cooked on a campfire.

Distance from countries capital city60 Active season months1-12 Accepts individual travellers Accommodation available Accepts tourist groups This destination has specific opening hours which you must determine in advance
Facilities  appropriate for children
224
Latvia

Ludza Craftsmen Centre

Here you can examine and purchase crafts by more than 40 Lettigalian craftspeople. A guide dressed in an Ancient Lettigalian folk costume will tell you about the lives of ancient Baltic tribes, the emergence of craftsmanship in the region, ancient laws related to ethics and work, and traditions. There are demonstrations of the crafts and lessons about the ancient skills. Groups can enjoy a luncheon of Lettigalian dishes, and learn how to bake bread and prepare beverages in an old-fashioned Lettigalian kitchen.

The local craftsmen's salon and home producer's store Cymuss and Latgaļu kukņa, a member of the Latgale culinary heritage network. For groups, Latgaļu kukņa offers lunches and a special skills school for learning to prepare Latgalian food, bread and drinks.

Latvian cuisine: Grey peas, dumplings in cream sauce, Lettigalian pastries and moonshine alcohol.
Special foods: Lamb testicles and cabbage soup with mutton.

For children and teenagers Seminars Agri Heritage For parties Distance from countries capital city270 Active season months1-12 Accepts tourist groups Optional meals Must register in advance Accepts individual travellers
BBQRooms for  festivitiesRooms for seminarsNo smoking Tour guide servicesBoat tourPicnick areaSouvenire shop Nearest train station2kmNearest bus stop100mNearest restaurantNearest town Hosts speak EnglishHosts speak RussianOther languages
kafe
Latvia

The Usma SPA restaurant

This restaurant is located in a lovely place on the north bank of Lake Usma, which is the fifth largest lake in Latvia.

Latvian cuisine: Cod or pike-perch filet, potted vegetables and mushrooms, potato pancakes with smoked ham, crepes with jam or honey.

Special foods: Mutton soup with vegetables.

Distance from countries capital city142 Active season months1-12 This destination has specific opening hours which you must determine in advance Accepts individual travellers Accepts tourist groups Accommodation available
Facilities  appropriate for children
FGC 0110
Latvia

The “Kucuru dzirnavas” guesthouse

The windmill building (1875) is now a museum and offers well known wedding traditions. Guests can catch fish in the local pond and then cook them.
Latvian cuisine: Sautéed cabbage, pork ribs, homemade steak haché, onion rings, Kučuri tortes, natural juices, berry beverages.
Special foods: “Kučuri rescue soup” – solyanka for hangovers.

Distance from countries capital city150 Active season months1-12 Pre-order required Accommodation available Accepts tourist groups
Facilities  appropriate for children

Latvia

Medieval pub in JAUNPILS CASTLE

Meals are served in the ancient dining room of the knights under the vaulted ceiling, with candlelight and medieval music. Use wooden spoons or your hands to enjoy the same kind of feast that was enjoyed in the past by barons, monks and servants.

Latvian cuisine: Lentil soup with meatballs, beer soup, apple soup with raisins, peas with hemp, potted sautéed meat with caraway seeds, chanterelles in cream sauce, hunter’s sausage with cabbage, roast loin of pork, blood sausage, roast leg of duck with lingonberry sauce, stream trout, homemade cottage cheese with strawberries, plum dessert with whipped cream.

Special foods: “Castle Walls with Guards”: Beer-roasted pork ribs with sauerkraut.

Distance from countries capital city70 Active season months1-12 Accepts individual travellers Accommodation available This destination has specific opening hours which you must determine in advance Accepts tourist groups
Facilities  appropriate for children
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Latvia

KALNMUIZAS restaurant

Located in Kalnmuižas Castle. The pride of the restaurant's menu are the greens, fruits and vegetables from the ancient valley of the River Abava, wild game and mushrooms from Kurzeme forests, meat, crayfish, trout, goat’s cheese and home-made bread from the district’s farms. The menu depends on the season. Offer includes seasonal specialities.

Castles and manors Distance from countries capital city105 Active season months1-12 Accepts individual travellers Accepts tourist groups This destination has specific opening hours which you must determine in advance Accommodation available

Latvia

Pub MEKE

Opened on June 21, 2011, at the 51st kilometre of the Tallinn-Riga highway, the MEKE KROGS pub is a typical example of the roadside pubs which used to be built along the sides of roads and near homesteads, castles, mills and windmills. This particular one is located into renovated cattle shed that is more than 100 years old – a lovely log building that is named after the former baron of the local estate, von Mecke. Alongside it is the handsome parish building which was erected in 1907 with red bricks from Tūja.

Latvian cuisine: Sorrel stew with grits, cold soup, pounded beef, mutton and vegetable stew, grits with smoked meat and mushrooms, herring with cottage cheese, bread soup.

Special foods: Porridge with bacon bits and Meke spicy sausages.

Distance from countries capital city51 Active season months1-12 Internet access Accepts tourist groups Accepts individual travellers This destination has specific opening hours which you must determine in advance
Place for tents Facilities  appropriate for children
Dieninas
Latvia

Fisherman's farm DIENINAS

The owners are third-generation fishers, and they will be happy to sell you some smoked local fish. Tour groups can take part in active leisure related to cultural aspects of smoking tasty fish (tossing a boot into the sea, stories from fishermen’s wives, a theatrical performance, and the smoking and tasting of fish).

Latvian cuisine: Smoked and dried plaice, hot-smoked eelpout and other fish prepared on the basis of ancient local recipes.

For children and teenagers Distance from countries capital city82 Active season months6-12 Accommodation available Accepts individual travellers Accepts tourist groups Must register in advance
Facilities  appropriate for children