Kalnciema Iela. Funny name, but the best Latvian food in Riga!

It’s so easy to get distracted by the bright lights and cosmopolitan vibe of a city like Riga. It’s old town, or Vecrīga to the locals, is a curious, yet beautiful mixture of Art Nouveau alleys and Hanseatic guildhalls demanding a day, if not two, of nose-to-the-sky ramblings.

Looking up at Riga Central Market

Riga Central Market

We would totally understand if that was the limit to your Latvian experience, but if you really want to feel the pulse of this blossoming city while also experiencing the best in Latvian food, you need to take a short ride (or walk!) across the Daugava River and spend a day exploring the districts of Āgenskalns and Torņakalns!

As unapologetic foodies, we’re always keeping an eye out for festivals, markets or any other opportunity to stuff our guts. But sometimes no matter how hard you look, if you’re not a local you’re going to miss something.

A good thing we’ve got Latvian relatives isn’t it?!

We knew there were a few ‘second cousins thrice removed’ or some such floating around Riga (apparently this makes Andrew an ‘uncle’ of sorts…much to his youthful disgust), and after tracking them down for a night on the town we had not only a fantastic night out, but all the tips we could ever need!

There’s so much to see and in ‘Pārdaugava‘ (‘Over the Daugava’) when it comes to Latvian food, but we’ll focus on three of the best:

  • Kalnciema Street Food Festival
  • Āgenskalns Market (Āgenskalns Tirgus)
  • Kalnciema Food and Craft Market (Tirgus un Darbnīca)

Just click whichever link below that you’re interested in, and it will embiggen before your very eyes…!

As a little bonus, we’ve also included some photos of the Āgenskalns and Torņakalns districts, just in case the food wasn’t enough to lure you in 😀

For the best in Latvian food on the ‘other’ side of the Daugava…

Kalnciema Street Food Festival

Kalnciema Street Food Festival

You wouldn’t think it sometimes considering how far we are from LITERALLY EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD, but we’ve been privileged to grow up in Tasmania and experience its street food explosion over the last 5 years.

We can still remember the excitement as those first food trucks started popping up on our Facebook feed with their drool-worthy menus and Instagrammable creations. Well, you know what? Someone’s gone and bottled up that excitement and unleashed it on an unsuspecting Riga!

Looking down on the crowd at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

We had no idea this event had been scheduled, but what incredible timing to find out from our relatives that the very first Street Food Festival was being held only a 10 minute bus ride from our Airbnb?!

Kalnciema Kvartāls (Kalnciema Quarter) was the location, and you could not ask for a better place to indulge in the many sweets and savoury treats on offer from the best of Riga’s restaurants.

Mesty Gourmet

Mesty serving at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Who? – They call themselves caterers, but that would have to be the understatement of the year! To be constantly on the move, switching up venues from day to day and consistently pumping out quality food to the masses is one of the toughest challenges on the food scene. Yet despite the absolutely hectic conditions, the food being served up by Mesty Gourmet was easily the best at the festival (of those we tried).

What? – To be honest, as we looked through our binoculars from the end of the queue we weren’t really sure what would be waiting for us at the other end. A fly-by suggested bao, but other than that it was a mystery until we got within feet of the signboard where we found there were two options; pork belly bao, or pulled lamb bao at ‎€3 for one, or ‎€5 for two.

Mesty bao at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Taste? – Damn! How do you choose your favourite child? Both had been cooked slow and with a light touch. The pure flavours shone through, highlighted and accentuated by the sticky savoury sauce (plum?) and sweet peppers. A poor bao can break a dish like this, but they were so light, fluffy and full of flavour. We could have easily gone back for another half dozen, but there was more tasting to be done!

Muusu Terase

Muusu preparing at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Who? – Opening their doors on the banks of the Daugava River only three months ago, Muusu Terase (Our Terrace) are starting to make a name for themselves. Their older sibling , simply ‘Muusu’, have long been lauded as one of Riga’s finest dining establishments, blending old and new with panache. Here’s hoping they can follow in their footsteps!

Muusu cooking at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

What? – Forget the binoculars for this queue. This one was so long it had doubled back on itself and we started our wait right next door to the kitchen! It was pretty funny watching the look on people’s faces when they realised how long it was 😀 About 40 minutes is what it took for us to finally find ourselves sitting down and biting into the meat, cheese and salad ‘wrap’. We don’t know what else to call it because there were no signs at the stall..? No signs also meant no prices. No, it wasn’t free, and it tuned out they were ‎€5 each.

Muusu wrap at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Taste? – Not bad. The bread had been left on the grill just a little bit too long, taking it beyond smoky to charred. Thankfully the other ingredients worked nicely together. A traditional combination, with a delicious garlicky sauce drizzled over the top for some much appreciated warmth.

It was satisfying without wow-ing, especially after 40 minutes on our feet…we really should have purchased a couple of beers while we waited 😀

Ferma

Ferma serving at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Who? – Opening to much fanfare barely 12 months ago, Ferma have very quickly established themselves as a force on the Latvian dining landscape, taking out the Excellence award for ‘Best New Restaurant’ for 2016. It’s no surprise though when you see the talented lineup of 20-something wunderkinds pushing boundaries while still dipping their hats to the dishes of their Latvian childhood.

Ferma fish at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

What? – On our first pass we could see all three of their dishes on offer; smoked fish salad (compete with grinning fish) for ‎€5, rabbit hotdogs (if Andrew’s dodgy Latvian translation skills can be trusted) of ‎€5, or ‘Saldais’ burgers also for ‎€5.

On our return however, we found only the burgers remained. But that’s ok, because we would’ve ordered them anyway (a shame we couldn’t try the rabbit though…that sounded very interesting!).

Ferma saldburger at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Taste? – If only Andrew had bothered translating the word ‘Saldais’ as well…

While standing in the queue we could see them tending to small squares of soft cheese, delicately grilled and occasionally flipped. It smelt sooo good! Both of us were salivating over the thought of this delicious cheese being paired with a medium rare beef patty or something similarly traditional…

Come on, this is Ferma we’re talking about! There was no beef, or any other protein. There was no salad. There was no savoury. ‘Saldies’ means ‘sweet’ in Latvian!! This was a dessert burger 😀 And it was delicious!

At the core of the burger was an apple fritter cooked ‘al dente’, that square of delightfully oozy cheese placed on top, and a generous sprinkling of berries. Squeezed between the two halves of a poppy seed bun and we had ourselves a sensational, if unexpected end to our street food adventure!

Ferma preparing at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

What else?

We would have loved to have tried ALL the food on offer, but there’s only so much you can fit in your mouth at once right? 😀 The Vespa Garazh were serving up some deliciously crunchy looking fish and chips, while those craving oysters were loving the flaming torches on show at Fans of Oyster.

Vespa Garazh at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Oysters at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was that we only realised on leaving that we’d missed out the famous kebabs from Gvatar. It sounds like kebabs have been a big hit in Latvia in recent years, with this beasty recognised as one of the best. Ah well…maybe next time!

Those who love a drink or three didn’t go unserviced either, with a wine stall doing booming service, and many bars/cafes around the perimeter of the festival offering beers and other refreshments.

Final thoughts on the Kalnciema Street Food Festival?

We feel so privileged to have been able to share this ‘first time’ street food experience with so many other Latvian foodies. The food was delicious across the board (that bao…omfg!). The serving sizes and pricing were extremely decent. Nobody seemed to have any trouble finding a place to sit down and eat (VERY unusual for any food festival held back in Australia!), and everyone was clearly there to have a great time with friends and family. They even had a DJ on the roof pumping out some awesome electronic tunes!

What more could you ask for?

The DJ at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

Oh, and you know what? It’s on EVERY WEDNESDAY from 6pm until late! Knowing how cold winter gets in Riga, we suspect the festival will only operate during the hotter months, so check their Facebook page for all the latest news.

The details

Crowds at Kalnciema Street Food Festival - Latvian food in Riga

What? Kalnciema Street Food Festival

Where? Kalnciema Kvartāls, 35 Kalnciema Iela (click here)

When? Every Wednesday from 6pm until 11pm

Cost? Free entry! Dishes varied from €3-€5 each.

How to get there? It’s walkable from central Riga, taking around 30-40mins. There are also plenty of buses that will drop you off right in front. Check out Rīgas Satiksme website to find your best option (it’s in English!).

More information? Drop by Kalnciema Kvartals on Facebook. There are plenty of English speakers, and they are very prompt to respond, so don’t be afraid to post up a question! Use Google Translate if needed.

Āgenskalns Market (Āgenskalns Tirgus)

Āgenskalns Market

As life gets increasingly hectic it becomes all too easy to look for the quickest, easiest option when buying our food. Do you remember the corner store from when you were a kid? Is it still there? Or did it die a slow but certain death after SuperDooperMegaMart made an appearance down the road?

Thankfully, Latvia hasn’t yet made that transition. It’s on its way, but thankfully some old stalwarts still remain, both in central Riga and in the outer suburbs.

Argenskalns Tirgus - Latvian food in Riga

Our discovery of the Āgenskalns Market was purely by chance. Andrew had an appointment at the Department of Immigration to finalise his application for citizenship (success!), and with half an hour to spare before the next bus he went for a wander.

Wide cobbled roads, historic timber buildings peeling their way into disrepair like a bad case of sun burn, and trolley bus tracks weaving a path towards central Āgenskalns. Flower stalls lined the sidewalk, fragrant aromas in friendly competition with the softly calling voices trying to grab a pedestrian’s attention, “Lab dien!” (good day), “Lūdzu!” (please).

Inside Argenskalns Tirgus - Latvian food in Riga

At the suburb’s heart was a grand red brick building that had seen better days, yet still loomed large over all but the old TV tower next door. And to Andrew’s delight the interior wasn’t empty, but half-filled with vendors selling smoked meats, towering Latvian tortes, dairy, breads, biscuits, and most importantly…pīrāgi!!

Hot Tip!!!

For a great view of the market, and a fascinating perspective of the old interior, make your way to the rear of the market where there’s a stairway leading to the upper level. The broken tiles and fading wallpaper hint at past grandeur, but the views down onto and across the market are fantastic!

Looking down on Argenskalns Tirgus - Latvian food in Riga

With a few successful words in Latvian exchanged, for the miserly price of €0.25 per pīrāgi this was our first chance to try these addictive little pockets of bacony, oniony, peppery deliciousness!

Piragi at Agenskalns Tirgus - Latvian food in Riga

We’ve tried making them at home numerous times over the years, but it only took one bite to realise how poor these efforts had been.

The smokiness of the bacon is what surprised us, but it was delicious and added a real depth to the tiny pastry that we’d never experienced. Yet the pastry itself was where the biggest difference lay. While we had been successful in replicating the flavour the texture of this pīrāgi was sensational; light and fluffy, melting in the mouth with a slightly sweet addition to the mouthful of flavours already putting us into rapture!

Truly, Pīrāgi are the taste of Latvia!

Hot Tip!!!

If you can hold yourself back, save some of your pīrāgi for the oven or microwave back home. A quick burst of heat will take its flavours to the next level!

Of course, not all went smoothly, with one overly officious security guard having words with Andrew for taking photos of the flower stalls out the back. A fear of inquisitive competitors is what we hear, but it was a little strange for them to be shutting down an obvious tourist wanting to spruik this fantastic destination. It feels like this lesson has been learnt in central Riga, but perhaps the messenger pigeon is yet to arrive in Āgenskalns 😀

The Āgenskalns Market isn’t as big as Riga’s famous Central Market, but the same passion for quality produce shines through, making for a truly authentic foodie experience. And you know what, there wasn’t a single tourist in sight! Yes, it’s a little snobbish, but having a gem like this to yourself as a traveller is an all-to-rare experience these days, and we know you’ll love it as much as we did 🙂

The details

What? Āgenskalns Market

Where? 64 Nometņu Iela (click here)

When? Spring, Summer and Autumn. Open daily 7:30am to 7pm, with the dairy and meat pavilions closing at 6pm.

Cost? Free entry!

How to get there? It’s walkable from central Riga, taking around 30-40mins. There are also plenty of buses that will drop you off right in front. Check out Rīgas Satiksme website to find your best option (it’s in English!).

More information? Drop the Āgenskalns Market website.

Kalnciema Food and Craft Market (Tirgus un Darbnīca)

Kalnciema Food and Craft Market

Yep, Kalnciema Kvartals makes another appearance! And why not, when you’re located in such a great location and designed perfectly for stalls?

Approaching the Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

While the Food Festival we described above is being held weekly on a Wednesday evening, the Kalnciema Food and Craft Market is also held weekly, but on a Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Eggs at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Quail eggs on a stick…genius!!

Food isn’t quite as big a focus for the Food and Craft Market, but it still makes a very welcome appearance among the many other stalls of hand made clothing, leather goods, toys, and all-natural beauty products.

Entry to Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Food was our priority though, and we made the most of our time, trying all sorts of interesting dishes we’d never seen before. Some stalls were clearly outlets for larger businesses, but it was so good to also see a healthy mix of entrepreneurs and individuals having a go. We even got served the most amazing pastry by one little old Vecmamma (grandma) sitting at her tiny fold up table!

Vecmamma sell sklandrausis at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Selling sklandrausis at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Sklandrausis at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Sklandrausis – Rye base, layers of potato and carrot with mandarin juice, topped with a lemon custard!

For the parents, keep in mind that this market is far more child friendly compared to the Street Food Festival, with a hand propelled merry-go-round a big hit with the young ‘uns, and story telling (Latvian and French languages only though) in the building next door.

Cold soup at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Augsta biešu zupa or cold beetroot soup from Slow Food Latvia – A Latvian classic, and sensational on a summer day. Beetroot, kefir, mustard (horseradish?), spring onion, oodles of dill…mmm…

If it’s a more laid back style of market that suits your style, or you prefer to try some handmade traditional Latvian dishes without commercial overtones, then this is the market for you!

Piragi at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Bakery stall

Breaking open the piragi at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Of course, more piragi!

Medus torte at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

Medus (honey) torte

Stalls at Kalnciema Food and Craft Market - Latvian food in Riga

What? Kalnciema Food and Craft Market

Where? Kalnciema Kvartāls, 35 Kalnciema Iela (click here)

When? Every Saturday from 10am until 4pm

Cost? Free entry!

How to get there? It’s walkable from central Riga, taking around 30-40mins. There are also plenty of buses that will drop you off right in front. Check out Rīgas Satiksme website to find your best option (it’s in English!).

More information? Drop by Kalnciema Kvartals on Facebook. There are plenty of English speakers, and they are very prompt to respond, so don’t be afraid to post up a question! Use Google Translate if needed.

Photos of the Argenskalns District

You can’t help but feel good, walking the green streets of Agenskalns in summer 🙂

Arkadijas Parks - Latvian food in Riga

Arkadijas Parks

Agenskalns street - Latvian food in Riga

Paint peeling - Latvian food in Riga

Locks at Arkadijas Parks - Latvian food in Riga

Arkadijas Parks

Arkadijas Parks 3 - Latvian food in Riga

Arkadijas Parks

Maras dikis - Latvian food in Riga

Maras Dikis

Agenskalns Veikals - Latvian food in Riga 


Love your food festivals, markets and street food?

If you’re like us and LOVE your food festivals and street food, you’ll also enjoy these great articles from around the world!