A Taste of Riga

Last fall when we visited Riga, we ate dinner at this restaurant. The interesting thing is that we now live across the street from this same restaurant. I wrote last week about the facelift of the building holding this place. Unfortunately, most of the painted murals were covered over by the new paint.


We loved this restaurant last fall, so I'll reintroduce you to a gem from here. Tucked into a small alley in Riga, we discovered a tiny restaurant called Lasite.


 The building housing the restaurant was actually build in 1454 as part of the ancient fortification of the Medieval city of Riga.


In 1975, while Latvia was still under Soviet rule, the building was turned into a cafe. The architect tried to maintain the spirit of the Middle Ages with its arches and stained-glass windows.


The paintings on the outside walls made the quaint cafe very eye-appealing and inviting. But once we entered the restaurant, we were transported back in time.







People have to stoop through the low arched doorways. Walking past the suit of armor in the corner makes one look twice. The cozy atmosphere was conducive to conversations.

The wall was decorated with a wolf skin and swords. We enjoyed taking in the surroundings as we ate the Medieval-type cuisine with our fingers. It was a very different experience.


You can choose from rabbit stewed with vegetables, stewed pork tongue, Latvian homegrown lamb knuckle, roasted quail or other delicacies. We shared the authentic Middle Age meat, poultry and fish platter with marinated vegetables. That's the one served without any utensils.


Be sure to come visit us now that we're living here. We'll take you with us to check out Lasite, since it's right across the street. It's a place you won't forget.