Where to look for culture
There are several significant cultural spaces in Teika. We have selected for you the ones that are worth visiting first.
VEF Kvartāls
A huge creative quarter on the former territory of the famous Latvian electrical engineering factory VEF. Once home to thousands of high-tech products, it’s now home to nightclubs, street food trucks, art exhibitions, concerts, cafes, offices and more.
The red-brick factory architecture of the century-old neighborhood is particularly interesting to explore. It is advisable to allocate at least two hours for the walk—so many interesting places to visit here. But, as in other similar neighborhoods, it is better to come here in the evening and in the warm season. From afar, the VEF buildings are clearly visible in the dark, when the logo of three big letters on the tower is illuminated.
Read about other creative neighborhoods in Riga here.
VEF Culture Palace
A place where exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events are constantly taking place. Inside the huge building there are many creative workshops in theater, music and applied arts, there is even a jazz club. Current events can be followed on the website.
The VEF Culture Palace also houses a museum dedicated to the long history of the factory. It was organized in 1969 to celebrate VEF’s 50th anniversary. The museum’s modern collection contains more than 6,000 items: from popular telephone models and radio receiver model Spīdola to the famous VEF Minox miniature camera, which was invented by Walter Zapp in 1936.
What to taste
Sweet tooths have long favored Teika in search of delicious eclairs and vegan cakes. But the neighborhood will also appeal to connoisseurs of craft beer and oriental cuisine.
Café Teika
This is not a gourmet café, but it is a favorite among the locals. The atmosphere here is like twenty years ago: from the design of the street sign to the interior and the design of the counter. But the assortment is such that you’ll feel like you’re visiting your grandmother. Cakes, eclairs, sweet and not sweet buns, meat chops, potatoes, salads, dishes in clay pots… Of course there are americano, cappuccino, tea and other drinks, including alcoholic ones. In general, if you miss simple and inexpensive dishes, come to Zemitāna laukums 2.
By the way, the café is located in an expressive functionalist house, which was built in 1933–1937 according to the project of Teodors Hermanovskis. From the late 1930s until 1998, the movie theater called Teika, was also located here, and the sign with its name is still on the facade.
Korean restaurant The K
In the area with modern architecture called Jaunā Teika, there is a Korean restaurant with a loft-style interior. It serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from South Korea and a wide variety of dishes.
But if you don’t feel like eating anything, it’s still worth coming here for one strange sculpture. It depicts a cosmonaut monkey and is dedicated to the animals who died during survival tests in space. It was made by Denis Prasolov in 2016. The ten-meter tall monkey figure was originally displayed in Kronvalda Park, but later moved here.
Raunas Dārzs Eklērnīca
This is probably the main eclair place in Riga. A lot of positive reviews about the taste of local sweets tempted us to visit this place. We liked the eclairs very much. The filling is made of natural products—there are a lot of fruit pieces in the cream. And most importantly—a huge assortment. We counted at least 20 kinds of eclairs of different taste and color. On average, one eclair costs here 2.5 euros—quite an acceptable price for such quality. There are 4 cafes of this brand in Riga, but the first and classic one is located in Teika on Raunas iela 22A.
Vigan cakes
The Teika neighborhood is also home to some of the best vegan cakes in Latvia. Pastry chef Vita prepares them according to her own recipes. She started her first experiments in 2017, and in a few years her cakes were already on thousands of festive tables. In preparation, she does not use eggs, flour, artificial colors, products containing gluten and lactose, as well as refined sugar. You can view the range of cakes and order their delivery on the website or on Instagram.
Addresse: Burtnieku iela 2
Craft beer at local brewery TEIKA
Teika has its own local brand of craft beer. You’ll find the small but stylish and cozy bar at Brīvības gatve 348—it’s in the very east of the district. There are about ten varieties on tap: from classic lager to gose, IPA, double IPA, APA and even seasonal varieties that are brewed in limited quantities. For example, in October and early November, you could try a pumpkin beer here, a Halloween special.
The brewery has its own merch: T-shirts with bright logos, glasses of several shapes for different types of beer, a shopping bag and a cap. For up-to-date information on new craft beer offers, see Instagram.
Sports areas
Biķernieku Forest
In the large pine forest you can go jogging, cycling or, for example, walk with your children. Within the framework of the urban development, this place looks a bit wild, but it has an advantage—in fact, it is a full-fledged forest inside Riga. Take a walk along the route from the Akropole Alfa shopping center to Linezers Lake and back.
Sport Factory
On the territory of the current creative quarter and the former VEF Factory, next to the expressive tower decorated with a glowing logo, there is a large sports club Sport Factory. It positions itself not as a space with exercise machines, but as a “functional gym” that allows you to develop your body in all directions.
What to buy
Decor and home furnishings, clothing, souvenirs, and books can all be found in lovely local stores and family-run stores.
Ilma Veikals
A cozy store for crafts from Latvian producers. Come here for knitted mittens and scarves, home fragrances, traditional holiday decorations, household goods like unusual mugs, plates and other items that are made in small quantities. Come to Brīvības iela 348 to immerse yourself in a pleasant home atmosphere.
Zvaigznes grāmatu nams
We also recommend visiting the chain bookstore Zvaigznes grāmatnīca on Biķernieku iela 19 in Teika. It is located in a well restored wooden house from the early 20th century—there are not many of them left in the neighborhood, as Teika was actively rebuilt from 1920-1930s.
Read also about Teika’s architecture on the N+ website.
