This year, Latvia’s capital is hosting Riga Flavour Festival (Rīgas garšas svētki) – a culinary celebration that continues the tradition of Riga Restaurant Week, which has been held for more than a decade. For the first time, this year’s programme has also been expanded to include patisseries. The festival forms part of the official celebrations marking Riga’s 825th anniversary.
A year of eating in Riga
Riga Restaurant Week takes place twice a year, in spring and autumn. During the event, visitors can explore the city’s diverse dining scene through specially curated menus offered within fixed price categories. The event’s guidelines and quality standards were developed by the Latvian Chefs’ Club in cooperation with the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency, with the Latvian Chefs’ Club also serving as an advisory partner in the restaurant selection and evaluation process.
In spring 2026, Riga Restaurant Week took place from 13 to 26 April as part of the expanded gastronomic festival Riga Flavour Festival. For the first time, the programme featured not only restaurants but also patisseries. At the heart of the patisserie programme was the iconic Vecrīga pastry, described by the organisers as one of the symbols of Riga’s culinary heritage and gastronomic identity. Pastry chefs presented both classic versions of the beloved dessert and their own contemporary interpretations.
The celebration of Riga Flavour Festival and the iconic Vecrīga pastry will continue in August 2026 as part of the main events marking Riga’s 825th anniversary. On 14 and 15 August, Riga’s Birthday Restaurant will take over Opera Square, next to the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, offering visitors a festive culinary experience. Throughout the celebrations, the Vecrīga pastry will also be available in a selection of cafés and patisseries across the city.
One week to rule them all
Riga Restaurant Week is a special culinary event that invites food lovers on a journey of flavours, celebrating both culinary innovation and timeless classics. Each participating restaurant creates a special menu centred on high-quality seasonal ingredients, transforming them into refined contemporary creations as well as elegant classic dishes. The event offers an excellent opportunity for both Riga residents and international visitors to enjoy outstanding cuisine, revisit favourite restaurants and discover exciting new dining destinations across the city.
The idea behind Riga Restaurant Week was born more than ten years ago with the aim of increasing the visibility of the city’s restaurants after the busy tourist season, attracting new diners and supporting the hospitality sector during a quieter period for restaurant visits. Over time, the initiative has gained recognition among industry professionals, with interest in participation increasing year after year.
Over the years, Riga Restaurant Week has become an integral part of promoting Latvia’s capital as a tourism destination, helping to position Riga as a city where visitors can experience not only outstanding culture and architecture, but also a vibrant culinary scene. Thanks to specially designed pricing during the event, dining at high-quality restaurants becomes accessible to a much wider audience, making fine dining an experience that almost everyone can enjoy.
Traditionally, throughout the two-week event, visitors can choose from specially created menus offered within several fixed price categories, making it possible to enjoy exceptional cuisine at an accessible price. Each dish is prepared with great care using quality ingredients and showcases the richness and diversity of Latvian gastronomy.
New on the menu
In recent years, Riga Restaurant Week has continued to grow, both in the number of participating venues and in the diversity of its culinary offering. In spring 2023, more than 50 restaurants across the capital took part, marking the highest level of participation in the event’s history at that time. The following year, participation remained at a similarly high level, while the programme welcomed several restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide Latvia for the first time, including LeDome, Chef’s Corner, Ferma, Entresol, Whitehouse, JOHN and 3 Chefs Restaurant.
Spring 2025 also witnessed a new record, with 65 restaurants participating in Riga Restaurant Week. That year also marked the introduction of a dedicated €45 menu category for restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide, while the existing €30, €35 and €40 menu categories remained available for all other participating venues.
The flavours of spring
In April 2026, the menus created for Riga Flavour Festival were inspired by the city’s rich history and the finest seasonal local ingredients. Each menu was evaluated as a cohesive culinary story, with the starter, main course and dessert complementing one another while reflecting the festival’s overall concept. The event brought together 63 restaurants and, for the first time, 17 patisseries, further expanding the celebration of Riga’s culinary heritage.
Before the festival, all menus were assessed by a professional jury comprising Ina Poliščenko, Executive Chef and culinary expert at GEMOSS, Arturs Arnicāns, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Chefs’ Club, and Svetlana Riškova, President of the Bocuse d’Or Latvia Academy. The aim of the evaluation was to ensure a consistently high standard across all participating venues and verify that each menu reflected the festival’s overall concept.
Representatives of MaMà Bistro described spring as a season of creativity, when new recipes and fresh culinary ideas come to life. They highlighted young peas and cowslip leaves as characteristic seasonal ingredients, noting that even familiar local produce can inspire entirely new flavour combinations and dishes each year.
Save room for dessert
The most significant addition to the 2026 spring edition of Riga Flavour Festival was the inclusion of patisseries. At the heart of the programme was the iconic Vecrīga pastry – a dessert that has been part of Riga’s confectionery heritage for decades. The festival organisers selected it as a symbol of the city’s gastronomic identity, inviting pastry chefs not only to recreate the classic recipe but also to present their own creative interpretations.
Participating venues included cafés and patisseries such as Crumble Cake, Fika, Livi Cafe, Better Bread, Cruffins, Bezē Konditoreja, Rocket Bean, Chambao, Kalve Coffee, Mārtiņa Beķereja, Bazaar Beķereja, All Cappuccino, as well as Melnā Bite and After... restaurants. Several businesses offered their Vecrīga pastry at multiple locations, making the festival easy to explore across Riga Old Town, the city centre and other conveniently accessible neighbourhoods throughout the city.
Different interpretations of the Vecrīga pastry gave visitors the opportunity to compare flavours, presentation and serving styles. Bazaar Beķereja, for example, introduced its own version under the name Cloud Cake, preserving the connection to the classic Vecrīga while giving it a distinctive name and creative twist. As in previous editions of Riga Restaurant Week, pricing remained accessible, with a maximum price of €4 for a single pastry and €8 for a dessert served together with a beverage.
Dining under the sky
From 1 to 31 August, Riga will celebrate its 825th anniversary with a month-long programme of events under the theme “Open Riga! Code: 825!” Throughout the month, the city will host neighbourhood celebrations, concerts, open-air performances, street art, sporting events and a wide range of gastronomic experiences. The main Riga Birthday Festival celebrations will begin on the evening of 14 August and continue throughout 15 August, taking place across the 11 November Embankment, Riga Old Town, Vērmanes Garden, Victory Park, Esplanāde, Opera Square and many other locations throughout the city.
One of the highlights of the celebrations will be the gastronomic experience “Open a Window to Riga!” (Atver logu uz Rīgu!), a special open-air birthday restaurant that will take place in Opera Square, beside the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, on 14 and 15 August. Visitors will be able to enjoy a specially curated selection of restaurants and bars, a live music programme, a variety of activities, as well as special performances and surprises prepared by the Latvian National Opera and Ballet.
Just as in spring, the iconic Vecrīga pastry will once again take centre stage in the festival programme. From 3 to 16 August, it will be available at participating patisseries and cafés across the city. A dedicated festival map will help visitors discover all the locations where the dessert can be enjoyed throughout the celebrations. The programme will culminate on 15 August at Riga’s Birthday Open-Air Restaurant in Opera Square, where visitors will have the opportunity to taste several different interpretations of the Vecrīga pastry while discovering the story behind this beloved dessert and its place in Riga’s culinary heritage.
The event is expected to feature a specially curated culinary offering from renowned venues including Osta, Garāža Wine Bar, B Bārs, Ferma, 3 Chefs Restaurant, Entresol, and a number of other restaurants and hospitality businesses.
Published: 01.09.2026
