As always, Riga will once again become the capital of culinary diversity this autumn. Over two weeks, both residents and guests are invited to explore the richness of Latvian flavours and the virtuosity of the city's chefs at special prices. Once again, a three-course meal will be available in several price categories—€30, €35, and €40, as well as €45 in the prestigious Michelin Guide restaurants.
This year, 61 restaurants will take part in the event, including 11 featured in the Michelin Guide: Whitehouse, Barents, SEASONS at Grand Palace Hotel, Chef's Corner Restaurant & Bar, Stage22 Bar & Restaurant, FERMA, Tails, Entresol, 3 Pavāru Restorāns, NEIBURGS, and Le Dome. In these restaurants, guests will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy a fine dining experience for a special price of €45.
To ensure the highest quality and compliance with the main principles – seasonal and predominantly locally sourced ingredients that reflect modern Latvian cuisine – the participating menus were evaluated for the first time by a professional jury. The panel included Svetlana Riškova, President of the "Bocuse d'Or Latvia" Academy, chef Māris Jansons of the Michelin Guide restaurant Kest (Cēsis), and chef Lauris Aleksejevs of the Michelin Guide restaurant 36. Līnija (Jūrmala).
"I am truly delighted that, as a city and as the agency that has been the main organiser of Restaurant Week for years, we have managed to keep this tradition not only alive and very popular but also to attract new visitors and participants while adding new dimensions. For example, this year's restaurant menus were reviewed by a professional jury from the industry, who gave their insights and evaluations. Once again, we have received many applications, proving that Restaurant Week is a project eagerly awaited by both restaurants and guests," emphasises Fred Birkavs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.
Jury member Svetlana Riškova, founder and head of the "Bocuse d'Or Latvia" Academy, highlights: "Riga Restaurant Week has both tradition and prestige. It was created to promote Latvian cuisine among international guests, especially locals, allowing them to taste seasonal, high-quality food with a story, to enjoy restaurant culture in a purposeful, meaningful way at a very accessible price. It is an opportunity for chefs, waiters, bartenders, and all staff to build stronger connections with guests twice a year and highlight their style, flavours, and vision of Latvian seasonal cuisine. Food or drink may be modern or traditional. Still, the key lies in a genuine, responsible attitude, the quality of Latvian producers and farmers, and the charm of wild nature's bounty."
All participants have put real creativity and effort into their menus this season, combining local products with modern nuances. The most frequently used ingredients include Latvian favourites—pumpkin, beetroot, apples, plums, quince, and sea buckthorn—and forest treasures such as mushrooms, game, and berries.
"I remember when this project first started. Back then, I was still the chef at Bibliotēka No1, and I was quite sceptical – I thought, who needs this, nothing will work, and nobody will come anyway. Ten years later, I see how well this project has developed and how much it has helped popularise dining out. It is clear that people truly enjoy it. I think a common concept is necessary to maintain the quality and theme, though it can change from year to year, as in other countries. The most important thing is quality – it's essential not to damage the event's reputation, especially for new guests just starting to visit restaurants. What's fascinating is that you can see trends, chefs' ideas, and experiments in their kitchens when you analyse the results. The products are highly quality, often paired with great creativity, and you can tell that good ingredients are mostly used. The conclusion is clear – large-scale activity attracts people, and everything works when supported by quality marketing. Fantastic – I'm truly happy!" Chef Māris Jansons of Kest says.
The third jury member is the chef and co-owner of the restaurant 36. Līnija in Jūrmala, Lauris Aleksejevs, shares his impressions of this season's restaurant offerings:
"Reading through the 'handwriting' of each participant several times revealed a wonderful diversity and style of execution. Many chefs' visions were 'out of the box,' using familiar local products and seemingly classic flavour combinations. Particularly exciting was that several menus were very thoughtful and original in their storytelling, which might be why a guest chooses to visit a specific restaurant! Thank you for such a well-organised event that supports marketing and enriches Riga's gastronomic scene – it keeps every chef and their team on their toes to deliver their very best. Only by doing so can we all achieve one big goal together – to delight and surprise our guests, while finding personal satisfaction in presenting Latvia's products with our signature. Let's keep it going!"
More information is available at liveriga.com.