Authentic Latvian Food in Riga Old Town!

Another day of fun in rainy and cold Riga! Today it was quite cool at around 60f and cloudy. It definitely looked like rain so I was finally smart enough to bring my umbrella. I also switched from shorts to long pants and put my jacket on. Good thing because even with all that I still got pretty wet! It was very raining and windy at several times throughout the day. I wouldn't say it has ever "poured" yet here like back in the states, but the rain is enough to really get you wet after a few minutes.

Today I managed to wake up at 9am to go enjoy the buffet at my hotel. It was excellent for a free hotel breakfast. The staff at the hotel are extremely professional, but not particularly friendly. The breakfast had some interesting items including tomatoes, cheese, salami, and the sweetest orange juice I've ever tasted. One interesting thing I've noticed in Riga is that most people do not clear their trays, and in many cases there is no trash can for customers to use either. The restaurants have a person who's exclusive job seems to be clearing customer trays. I feel sorry for the person who has to do that for 8+ hours straight!

After the breakfast buffet I headed off to Riga Old Town via tram as usual. Today I decided I was going to try authentic Latvian food! First I worked up an appetite by walking completely around Old Town twice. With the breeze and cloudy weather the various parks around the area were very serene and peaceful. Since I arrived so early in Old Town, businesses were just starting up and tourists just arriving for the day. There were only a few street performers around. I learned from one local that it's no longer legal for street performers to make a living! She told me that nobody particularly fears the police however. Perhaps they don't enforce this new law, because I've seen plenty of obvious and loud street performers earning money while police were in the area. The local told me that Latvians look down on the street performers, because they are trying to avoid getting a regular job, and many of the performers don't have any talent. There are a number of homeless street performers with very strange acts. I saw some old ladies just playing music on a radio and spinning in circles as if they were attempting to dance.

I can understand that Latvia wants to prevent an excessive amount of street performers, but it's sad that they would implement a law to prevent legitimate street performers from making a living. There are some very talented individuals and why should they need to find a regular, boring job if they have a talent and can profit from it? That was the American way, and I hope Latvians support it too! Perhaps the Latvian government can find a better solution to dealing with excessive street performers than just banning the practice?

After working up an appetite, I searched for an authentic Latvian restaurant. Using a tourist pamphlet I read about the "Kaļķu Vārti Bistro". This restaurant is cleverly hidden in the back of one of the squares closer to the Freedom Monument side of Old Town. I'm guessing that this is where some of the locals go for lunch, and the prices are extremely low. It's certainly hidden enough that tourist would not easily find it (instead, they would be drawn to one of the pricey cafes outside!) I walked through the small entrance and it was like walking into a cave as the inside expanded.

Kaļķu Vārti Bistro is a cafeteria style restaurant with a buffet line. First you can choose from about four interesting salads. I have no idea what they were, but I chose a mayonnaise based salad and it was very good. Next you can talk to a server who will fill your plate up with various Latvian foods. I asked for the most popular choices, and was given a chicken "pancake", cabbage salad, and potatoes. Also they gave me a yellow soup. I grabbed a Coke as well. In Latvia the bottles of Coke at many restaurants are approximately 8 ounces, or the same size as a small Red Bull. I actually found this size more appropriate than a 12 ounce Coke from back home, which in many cases is too much.

I imagine that many Latvians go to this bistro on their lunch break, and the prices are the most reasonable I've seen in Riga so far. My entire meal including the Coke was only 2.50 lats, or under $5! According to one local, Latvian's consider this "junk food" because it's not homemade. Well it's healthier junk food than McDonalds at least!

After lunch the rain started getting really nasty, so I decided to head back to the hotel for a nap. Upon arriving I saw that housekeeping was still tending to the rooms on my floor at 2pm. I thought this was interesting because they were working on my floor at 10am! I believe they have several maids for every single floor here. Another thing I noticed is that a majority of travelers stay at the hotel for one night. In the morning they just leave their doors open and leave. Europeans seem to take a lot of really short trips.

After my nap was over I headed back to Riga Old Town for a second authentic Latvian meal. This time I searched for "LIDO Restaurant" which I had walked through earlier. This restaurant was recommended by several locals. Apparently there are three LIDO restaurants, and the one in Old Town is the smallest. I have a terrible sense of direction, so my typical routine is to walk around Old Town randomly until I find what I'm looking for. This is great for exercise, but it's not so fun when it's pouring rain! By the time I found LIDO I was soaking wet.

After walking into LIDO I really appreciated the dark and cozy setting. There were even small tables for lonely travelers such as myself! I went through the buffet line and picked up a chicken kabob which was grilled over a fire. It looked really good. I also chose a chicken and tomato filet with cheese. The price was higher than the bistro and I paid 4 lats or around $8 for the kabob and filet. The kabob was pretty good, but I was more impressed with the chicken and tomato filet with cheese. Upon leaving I noticed the poor girl who's job it was to collect trays all day. She was extremely busy.

One thing you certainly notice in eastern Europe is the intensity and professionalism of service personnel. They take their jobs very seriously and are extremely diligent. Perhaps this is why food is always prepared so well, and hotel rooms are extremely clean. Even a fast food tray collector works as if they are doing brain surgery. This is a huge contrast to workers in the states, who have a much calmer and more leisurely demeanor.

Before heading home for the night I visited "Costa Coffee", which is a large coffee chain here. I ordered the large size mocha. It was HUGE and very tasty, without being overly sweet like a mocha in the states usually is. The wifi was broken and this was the second restaurant where that was the case. Perhaps I can find some work fixing wifi in Riga?! The cafe didn't have many patrons, even though it was raining. Some places are far busier than others, and a bar next door had live entertainment so it was packed. They used plastic sheets to shield the bar from the rain and wind.

During my walk to the tram, I came across an alcohol store and decided to check it out. They had a surprising variety of alcohol, from American whiskey to vodka and even beer. Of course the Riga Black Balsam was ever present. I had a chat with the two ladies there about alcohol in Latvia. As with most locals they didn't have a lot to say, so I peppered them with questions until it became awkward. I ended up buying a large bottle of Smirnoff Ice for when I got back to the hotel. I learned that you can transport alcohol but not drink it in public. I have seen a few people drinking at bus stations but it wasn't the norm.

There are a good amount of police in Riga Old Town. They typically walk around in patrols of two, or drive around in a van with 4+ officers. The police wear bright fluorescent yellow markers on top of their uniforms so they are easy to spot. They are very relaxed and don't appear to be "looking for trouble" like so many police in other countries. I think it's smart of Latvia to have police with this demeanor in a touristy area. Everyone is more at ease, and I even felt like I could ask them questions if I wanted to.

Today I saw my favorite street performer, a middle aged man who sings opera music. He's extremely talented and even sells CDs of himself singing Latvian folk music. I thought out of all the street performers that he was the most appropriate, and I'm sure even Latvians wouldn't protest his presence there. I have mostly seen him near McDonalds and the Freedom Monument area which is usually the most crowded part of Riga Old Town.