What to Eat

Hors d’oeuvres are very good and often the best part of the meal. Overall, cuisine can be heavy but almost always tasty and nourishing.

National specialities:
Kotletes (meat patties).
Skabu kapostu zupa (cabbage soup).
Alexander Torte (raspberry- or cranberry-filled pastry strips).
Sweetbread soup with dried fruit.
Piragi (pastry filled with bacon and onions).

National drinks:
Riga’s Black Balsam is a thick, black alcoholic liquid which has been produced since 1700. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but some of the ingredients include ginger, oak bark, bitter orange peel and cognac. It is drunk either with coffee or mixed with vodka.
There are several good local beers, including the dark beer Bauskas Tumsais and the pale Gaisais.
Kvass is a refreshing summer drink.
Sparkling wine is popular.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Restaurant bills usually include a tip. It is customary to give a little extra for good service.