Books, coffee and wine: where good times and reading combine in Riga

Roberts Books

Roberts Books is a second hand shop for mostly English books, where you can have a coffee or glass of wine while you read.

The shop-cafe works has a unique credit system: bring your books to sell and get a 1/3 discount for books or drinks. Books that you’ve most likely had your eye on for a while can be bought here at a good price.

Roberts Books is located on the busy Dzirnavu street. Once you pass through the wrought iron gates of house 51 you will find yourself in a spacious shaded courtyard. It has the peaceful atmosphere of a bookstore, where visitors can leisurely peruse the racks of books. Literature on history, economics, psychology, anatomy, in Russian, Latvian and German, as well as comics, dictionaries and magazines occupy the entire wall of the cafe.

The lamp-lit atmosphere at Roberts Books changes completely during their creative evenings. The place is filled with lively discussions, poetry or chamber music.

Zvaigzne cafe

A literary cafe, an exhibition space, and a mecca for coffee lovers, the best lunches and desserts in town—that’s Zvaigzne cafe.

The cafe belongs to the family of the owners of the Zvaigzne ABC publishing house. This is why book presentations and meetings with authors are regularly held here, and why literature and art are treated with special reverence.

There are shelves with books in English, Latvian and German, as well as magazines, the assortment of which is constantly replenished.

Excellent coffee is a specialty of the cafe, and the staff is constantly improving in the art of caffeine. Baristas will be glad to tell you about the flavor nuances of different types of coffee. Zvaigzne cafe is famous for its coffee tastings and battles between flavours.

Moreover, some of the most delicious lunches in town are waiting for you here (you might have to stand in a small queue for them). Artisanal walnut salads with pomegranate and avocado, croissants with prosciutto and blackberries, desserts of matcha tiramisu or Pavlova are all worth the wait. 

Cafeterius

Cafeterius has an extensive coffee menu, with unusual drinks such as coffee with juice, marzipan, piccolo and cortado, as well alternative-brew styles. Even if you come here for a coffee with a delicious dessert, you won’t be able to avoid the temptation to browse through the books on the shelves.

Colourful covers of children’s and adult’s books have become an integral part of the interior decor. The assortment includes many useful reads on pop psychology.

In the warmer months, you can read while basking in the sun on Ģertrūdes street or in the courtyard patio.

Zuzeum

The place where everything becomes art: the art of brewing, the art of interior design and an artistic atmosphere in which you wish to linger longer.

The small bookstore offers a unique selection of art-themed books in English and Latvian, as well as a number of creative books and stories for children, which you won’t find in other bookstores.

Polaris

Any true bibliophile knows that going to the bookstore is a ritual that cannot be rushed. Especially if you find yourself at Polaris, where there is a huge selection of literature in Russian for all ages and all interests.

In their book shop on Ieriķu Street 3 in the Domina Shopping centre you can disappear for hours. Right in the store there is a café that evokes a French mood, where you can take your time to enjoy your reading, coffee and pastries.