Bars in Riga
The Latvian capital city has an excellent nightlife and you’ll find a full range of bars in Riga. The establishments range from chic western style establishments to old-fashioned drinking dens and striptease clubs for those looking for something a bit more racey.
Recommending bars to visit is always slightly risky because entertainment venues can be something of a personal taste, but here are a few suggestions for some of the best bars and nightspots in Riga:
Casablanca: Situated on Smilsu iela, this bar has a basement area that becomes a popular nightclub. You’ll find that it specialises in live jazz and funk on Wednesday nights, while DJs provide mixed sets throughout the rest of the week.
Hedonia 55: This bar is at 55 Dzirnavu iela and has excellent décor. The only down side is that prices can be steep – we recommend that you order your drinks directly from the bar, as you may find that the staff add on quite a premium to take your orders at the tables. Nevertheless, one of Riga’s most popular venues.
Velvets: At 9 Skarnu iela, you’ll find Velvets Bar. Particularly popular with visitors from the UK, the service is to be recommended, while the dancing continues until late into the night!
For those of you looking for more “home comforts” there are also a number of Irish-themed pubs in Riga. They’re always popular with both visitors and expats. The leading pubs include the unoriginally named Dublin, plus Paddy Go Easy, Paddy Whelans and Tim McShanes. As you might expect, all of these establishments serve variations of favourite Irish dishes. It’ll also give you a chance to see exactly how well Guinness really does travel!
So if you’re looking for bars in Riga, should you hang out with the locals or opt for the Irish bars that are specifically aimed at visitors? Our personal opinion would be that you should have a go at visiting some of the local bars – you’ll generally find that prices are cheaper and that you’ll be sampling the real Latvia. If you fancy a meal that you’re more familiar with, or meeting some fellow Brits, then by all means seek out one of the Irish pubs, but it would be a shame to totally miss out on this element of Latvian culture.
Related Links: Visiting Riga, Riga Nightlife
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