Places in Riga that will transport you to a different time

Riga Black Magic bar

The story of “Black Magic Bar” intertwines with the history of the famous “Riga Black Balsam” and its creator, Abraham Kunze, and pharmaceutics of the 18th century. “Riga Black Balsam” is a dark liqueur made of 24 herbs and has remained unchanged for 250 years.

The bar has a store on the first floor where you can buy different products featuring “Riga Black Balsam”, like chocolate, glazed plums, nuts, and a lot more, and a seating area in the basement where you can order drinks and watch them being prepared. Black Magic Bar is themed around an ancient apothecary, the interior is more reminiscent of the 19th century, rather than the 18th century. The bar is complete with dusty books, burnt down candles and, of course, old bottles of black balsam. Personally, I think this bar looks a bit like it came out of a Harry Potter book.

Rozengrāls

During Medieval times, this place was a wine cellar that had almost been forgotten until it was transformed into a huge medieval-themed restaurant called Rozengrāls. It’s a cozy candle-lit restaurant with vaulted ceilings and columns, complemented by waiters in period-appropriate costumes. 

All the dishes are prepared according to old recipes, and feature locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Most of the dishes are not Latvian — they are medieval dishes from different European countries, and some of them have additional information about the dish, such as “Old French onion soup: This dish was served in receptions of John Woodville (15th century).” If you’re looking for a real immersion in a different century, then this is the place for you!

Parunāsim

Over the entrance of the cafe you’ll see a writing that says “The Most Romantic Cafe in Old Town”, and I think they might be right! It is located in a historical building in Old Town, and while they are not striving to create a historically accurate interior from a specific era, they have managed to create a very charming atmosphere with interior elements that seem to embody different time periods.

Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs

This Latvian Folk Club doesn’t look like much from the outside, but don’t be fooled! Once you step inside the building and walk down the wooden stairs into the basement, you will be greeted by a beautiful, spacious underground bar with red brick walls.

Ala (which translates to “a cave”) has probably the largest selection of local draught beer in Riga! If you can’t decide which beer you’d like, ask one of their kind bartenders! The staff here is very friendly and helpful. They have a lot of fantastic traditional dishes on their menu (or should I say “tradishional”?), as well as specials, like “Foot-long Latvian style pork schnitzel”. But if you have to try one thing, it’s their Traditional Latvian garlic bread! You won’t find garlic bread sticks anywhere else in Riga that are this thick, crunchy, and at the same time — so juicy! Visiting this place is a must if you’re spending only one day in Riga but still want to get a taste of Latvian cuisine.

House of the Black Heads

If you want to visit a museum in the Old Town, make sure to check out the Blackhead house – one of many medieval merchant guilds in Riga. The House of the Black Heads was built in 1334 and experienced many disasters till it burned down during World War II. Now it’s fully restored and has arguably one of the most luxurious facades in Riga. You can enter the Blackhead house and take a look at the rooms that are set in different historical eras. The cellars are the only parts of the building that have survived to the present day in their original historical form, you can visit them as well.

Latvian Ethnographic Open-air museum

If you want to see not only the most touristy places in Riga, we recommend you to pay attention to one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe – Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum. We have included this place in the list despite the fact that it is located outside the old city.You can get here by car or by bus from the centre – the trip will take about 30-40 minutes.

The museum presents the houses of Latvian peasants, craftsmen and fishermen. Here you can learn a lot about the peculiarities of everyday life in a particular region, as well as how the Latvian countryside lived from the 17th century to the 1930s. 

There is also a café and a pub where bread baking masterclasses are held. All in all, it seems to be the best place for those who are looking for a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city – the surrounding nature here seems to warm its warm embrace.