Where To Eat In Riga: The Best Vegan Food Guide

If you are planning a trip to Latvia and are wondering where to eat in Riga as a vegan, then I have you covered with this guide.

For a cuisine that is traditionally very meat heavy, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the vegan scene in Riga is booming. While you can’t just walk into any restaurant you pass as you can in London and find at least one vegan option on the menu, there are a number of vegan restaurants dotted around the city.

In my 3 days in Riga, I tried to squeeze in as many cafes and restaurants as possible in an attempt to discover vegan food in Riga and all that it has to offer. Sadly I didn’t get to try any traditional Latvian food here, but here are my recommendations on where to eat in Riga as a vegan..

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Where to eat in Riga if you are vegan

Miit Coffee

There is a lot of negativity in this post (you have been warned), so I am starting off on a positive note with my ultimate find for vegan food in Riga; Miit Coffee.

This is more than just a coffee shop, with an outstanding menu and dessert selection to boot. We enjoyed it so much that we visited Miit twice in one day.

The first time, we went for coffee and I can confirm their iced oat flat white was lovely. I had always wanted to try a vegan version of Rasols, a Scandinavian salad that is usually mayonnaise heavy so I couldn’t resist when I spotted this vegan offering in the cabinet. Surprisingly not too creamy for my liking, I really enjoyed this!

The menu looked so great, and especially after a number of hit and miss meals in Riga (more on that later), we decided to go back for dinner.

Between us, we ordered the Greek bowl, quinoa bowl and cauliflower buffalo wings and I have to say it was exceptionally good. As far as vegan food in Riga goes, this was the best!

It was one of the first times of our entire trip from Vilnius, Kaunas and now Riga that we had some food with flavour and spice. The chilli sauce they brought out for us to try was in fact far too spicy, which if you ask me, isn’t a bad thing!

We even ordered their iconic Snickers bar to share for dessert and it was exceptional.

If you are looking for where to eat in Riga as a vegan, then look no further. Mitt Coffee needs to be at the top of your list – and the service here was the best I have experienced throughout my time in Riga. Simply wonderful.

Location: Lāčplēša iela 10, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Kozy Eats

Kozy Eats is another popular vegan restaurant that often features on almost all ‘where to eat in Riga guides’.

We ordered the Kozy gourmet plate to share and what a feast! This platter is designed for 2-4 people and for only €28 it included Singapore style cauliflower, mushroom croquettes, soy nuggets, chia caviar, pesto rosso salad, carrot-salmon, vegan feta and shimeji mushrooms. 

Aside from the vegan cheese that I am never a fan of, it was all delicious – just the type of meal I really enjoy eating; mezze style with a variety of vegetables to pick at.

The chia caviar was really unusual and not something I have ever experienced before. I really enjoyed that actually. The carrot salmon wasn’t for me though, as I don’t like smokey flavours.

Coffees here are Kozy Eats were excellent too; we ordered an oat flat white (me, of course!) and a dirty chai latte. This is another spot to add to your list!

Location: Blaumaņa iela 34, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1011, Latvia

Gardā Pupa Restorāns

Gardā pupa was an interesting restaurant to visit; with pretty hostile service and with a very rustic, homemade atmosphere. The food however was actually delicious and I would recommend the short Bolt ride to this unique vegetarian buffet restaurant, for the experience and food alone.

While the restaurant is on the side of a motorway, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, it is a very popular spot for locals. With a constant stream of people coming in for lunch, they were constantly replenishing the food at this small homemade buffet. 

The two women serving speak almost no English and there is no service with a smile here. You are expected to know what to do, with no direction which is quite funny. Essentially, you just grab a plate and load it up. The plate is then weighed, which is the price you pay.

They managed to explain that all of their dishes are vegan with the exception of one which looked like yogurt to me – hence why this is a vegetarian restaurant. 

The food was tasty, though I have absolutely no idea what I ate and I can see why it is such a popular spot.

As with much of Europe, their opening times are very limited; closing at around 3pm most days so I’d advise checking the opening times before you go there as they do vary.

It is also worth noting that this place is cash only. We rarely carry cash in Europe so were hoping it wouldn’t be too pricey as we only had a limited amount on us, however the total was less than €10 for two meals which is almost unheard of these days! 

Gardā pupa is a real cheap eats place and one I would recommend when looking for where to eat in Riga.

Location: Zemgale Suburb, Riga, LV-1048, Latvia

Maza Terapija

I had high hopes for Maza Terapija as it is another popular vegan restaurant on all the vegan food in Riga guides I have come across.

The atmosphere was lovely, reminding me of some of the vegan restaurants in Ubud that we visited and service was great too. However, the food really fell flat for me.

We ordered two burgers which were truly awful; they were soggy and unnecessarily large making them difficult to eat. The bread was far too big for the patty, which kept falling apart and the contents were falling out as we were eating so it was a pretty messy affair.

I had the soy chicken burger with cheeze which was my least favourite one, but also tried the furious grill burger that was marginally better.

The roast potatoes and dip they served it with was incredible however, I would like to think that we simply made bad choices and the rest of the menu might be good. I didn’t have enough time on this trip to go back to find out though.

Location: Baznīcas iela 15, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Tirgonu Darzs

Tirgonu Darzs is in the middle of the square in old town Riga. We stopped here for a drink and some snacks as opposed to a meal.

While this isn’t a vegan dish, if you are a vegetarian then I highly recommend the gouda cheese rings with lingonberry jam. They were unusual but so deliciously cheesy and the jam complemented the cheese perfectly – a very underrated combination, if you ask me.

It did get a bit sickly for me as I can’t eat too many sweet things, so I asked for some hot sauce which they kindly brought out, even though it was sriracha (not spicy in my opinion).

I had a funny conversation with the waiter who was laughing at my request for a spicy sauce. He told me that black pepper is used occasionally or very sparingly in Latvia, but also that the lingonberry jam is spicy for Latvians. To this day, I am still confused about whether something was lost in translation there or whether it really is spicy for them. I cannot get my head around that!

Location: Kaļķu iela 1A, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

Rigensis 

Rigensis is a sweet little bakery in the heart of Old Town Riga that serves a variety of Latvian and European baked goods and hot drinks.

Their outdoor seating makes for a great spot for people watching and they supply blankets for when the temperature starts to drop which is a lovely touch.

We stopped here for a drink and cinnamon pretzel as it was one of the few places with seating I came across that also serve non-dairy milk.

I have to say that the oat milk cappuccino was delicious, as was the pretzel, though I’m not sure whether that was vegan or not.

Location: Tirgoņu iela 8, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

HuMMus

This Israeli bistro is the first place we stumbled upon on our first night in Riga. I ordered the vegan mix plate which consisted of baked aubergine, falafel, hummus, salads & pitta and the amba mango spicy sauce on the side.

I must admit this was a pretty disappointing first meal in Riga as nothing tasted like it was supposed to. The falafel were dough-y and lacked parsley and possibly even chickpeas, the hummus was like a thick paste and the baked aubergine had zero flavour. 

The menu looked promising, but it just wasn’t an enjoyable meal. If you are looking at where to eat in Riga as a vegan, I would skip this place.

Location: Vaļņu iela 2, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

LIDO

Lido is a chain restaurant throughout Latvia serving traditional Latvian food in a canteen style setting that reminded me of IKEA. While it is another one of those places that people mention when talking about where to eat in Riga, I was not impressed from a vegan perspective.

Vegan food is extremely limited here; my only options were steamed veg, french fries and a vegetable ratatouille with rice. It was late one evening and restaurants had started to close. Having already done about 16000 steps, we were too tired to find somewhere that had better vegan offerings, so decided to grab dinner here as we were nearby.

While it is affordable and probably quite nice for meat eaters or those with fewer dietary restrictions, I can’t recommend you visit as a vegan. If you don’t fall into that category though, I hear it is the place to go for traditional Latvian food.

Location: Krāmu iela 2, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia – there are many branches all over Latvia.

The best bars in Riga

Skyline bar

The Skyline bar is an iconic bar in Riga,  located on the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel and is famous for it’s breathtaking views of the entire city.

I must admit we were only there for the view and not the overpriced drinks by Riga’s standards, but nevertheless, the drinks and atmosphere were brilliant.

We ordered the Rigatini which is a wonderful twist on a traditional espresso martini with the addition of Riga black balsam and an Apple of my Eye; a combination of whiskey, ginger ale and a hint of green apple.

The cocktails were delicious, but the bar does get extremely busy as it approaches sunset so I’d advise trying to get there early and watching the sun set. Depending on which side of the building the sun sets, the view is always better on one side, but you can walk around the whole bar, and there’s a slightly hidden area around the back of the bar too for the views.

Top tip: The view from the women’s toilets is extremely good too, so don’t miss out on that. I can’t speak for the men’s toilets obviously, but this is bit of hidden gem that only those in the know know about.

Location: Elizabetes iela 55, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia

Bar Riga Black Magic

Bar Riga black magic is an atmospheric little bar located in the heart of Riga Old Town with quirky decor. With a retro facade and mini-labyrinth interior of dimly lit, olde worlde rooms adorned with antiques and apothecary style cabinets, it is a unique bar that is decorated like a medieval 18th century pharmacy.

Serving more than just alcohol, they have a variety of handmade chocolates, truffles, ice cream and hot drinks on offer too.

We visited on our last night with the intention of trying the infamous Riga Black balsam which is similar to the zalios devynerios I tried in Lithuania. Black Balsam is a dark herbal liquor created in 1700 to cure indigestion and today is commonly sipped on as a shot before dinner.

While there is an original flavour, we tried the blackcurrant and the chocolate and mint balsams, which was far nicer of the two. The blackcurrant flavour reminded me of Ribena, while the intensity of the chocolate and mint was enough to mask the taste of the alcohol very well.

These are shots that you sip on as opposed to knocking back, but I believe you can also have them as a hot toddy; mixed with some hot water which I didn’t try. One was more than enough for me!

Location: Kaļķu iela 10, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

The Best Food and Drink Tours in Riga Latvia

There are so many food and drink tours in Riga depending on your preferences. You can visit the central market on a food tour, go on a Latvian wine tasting adventure or a beer tasting in a brewery if that’s more your thing.

If you want to have a go at cooking your own food, this khinkali and pelmeni cooking class looks great and they cater for vegetarians too.

Where to eat in Riga FAQs

If you still have some unanswered questions about where to eat in Riga, then I hope some of these frequently asked questions help..

Is Riga good for vegans?

Most of the traditional dishes are made with meat or dairy products, however you there are plenty of restaurants in Riga that cater for vegans. You may struggle with finding vegan versions of traditional food and not all restaurants will have a vegan option, so it is important to do a little research in advance. Hopefully this guide on where to eat in Riga as a vegan helps with that.

What are the must-try Latvian dishes in Riga?

• Rye Bread: A staple in Latvian cuisine, often served as an appetiser or in desserts.
• Sklandrausis: A traditional sweet pastry made from rye dough, carrots, and potatoes.
• Speķa pīrāgi: Savory bacon pies, commonly enjoyed as a snack.
• Grey Peas with Bacon: A hearty dish especially popular during the colder months.
• Riga Sprats: Smoked small fish, famous worldwide, often served with dark rye bread.

As you can see, the majority of those dishes are not vegan, however rye bread is the most vegan friendly traditional food in Riga and possibly sklandrausis, if you can find a vegan version anywhere.

Where can I find traditional Latvian food in Riga?

Lido is a popular chain restaurant with a buffet of traditional Latvian dishes. However, as mentioned above, it isn’t very vegan or even vegetarian friendly. 

Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs is another restaurant located in Old Town that offers traditional food, as is Milda but I haven’t been to either of these restaurants to be able to recommend them personally.

Is tipping expected in Riga Latvia?

There are no rules when it comes to tipping in Latvia, but it is appreciated.

I would advise tipping around 10% or rounding up the bill if you enjoyed the food and thought the service was exceptional. There are no rules here.

What time do people typically eat dinner in Riga?

Dinner in Riga is usually between 6 and 8pm. Some restaurants close earlier here than in other European cities, so plan ahead if you prefer a late dinner.

What is the average cost of eating out in Riga?

A meal at a mid-range restaurant is around €10-€20 per person, while fine dining can range from €30 to €100 per person. Casual cafes and markets offer meals for under €10 and there are many cheap eats places to discover.

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Read more about Latvia:

• How To Spend 3 Days in Riga, Latvia: An Itinerary
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