"Hearty" is the word that would most often come to mind when describing Latvian cuisine. It is typically quite basic, without the fancy sauces and ingredients found in other places in Europe. It has much in common with its neighbouring countries, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and the Ukraine, and ingredients such as potatoes, cabbage, eggs, pork, wheat and barley feature prominently.

Latvian food can be quite fatty, and therefore it is best washed down with some of the delicious Latvian beers!

Listed below on this Latvia Restaurant Guide are some of the popular dishes that you are likely to encounter on a trip to Latvia, especially in more traditional restaurants or outside major tourist destinations. You can also check out the local food and cusine scene in Riga. And once you've filled yourself up on the hearty Latvian food and beer, why not walk some of it off with a Latvia shopping escapade?

Latvian Cuisine

A typical, and truly Latvian dish, is boiled black pieces with small strips of bacon. Janis' Cheese is also very popular, and is normally served on bread for breakfast, as well as traditionally being used to celebrate Jani. Considering the region that Latvia is found in, it should come as no surprise that Latvia has their own version of piroshki, basically little Latvian bacon buns. Soups such as borshch, which is a beet soup, and sour cream soup, are also quite common. Rasols (potato salad) and sauerkraut also find their way onto many menus. If you're not quite sure what you will and won't like, your best option is to look for Aukstais galds, which is the Latvian version of a smorgasbord.

There are a number of desserts in Latvia which you may be tempted by. These include Latvian Kringel, which is traditionally used as a birthday cake (although it is more like a coffee cake), biezpien maizites (cheese danishes), apple loaf and manna, which is a delicious, cold and creamy dessert. Popular drinks throughout Latvia include the cheap and excellent beer, a wide range of vodkas, and balzam.

Some other local delicacies include:

- skaba putra: cold soup of barley, buttermilk and sour cream.
- piragi: small pies filled with cabbage and boiled egg.
- cukas galerts: pork in aspic with vinegar and mustard.
- klingeris: saffron bread covered in raisins and almonds.
- kisels: Rich soup of fresh fruit often served with caramel cream. 

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