Riga
Riga's craft-beer scene runs deeper than the tourist taps. These ten are where locals drink. The craft beer bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip, Old Town (Vecriga), Centrs, Miera iela, Agenskalns all show up, and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason.
CENTRS · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
26th-floor rooftop bar at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
OLD TOWN · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage Latvian cellar-pub. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
OLD TOWN · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage Riga sports-and-cocktail bar. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing, the upstairs gets loud.
MIERA IELA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Coffee-and-cocktail bar with a serious bartending program. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
OLD TOWN · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Craft-beer pub with thirty taps including Latvian craft beers. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
CENTRS · $$ · DATE NIGHT
Self-serve wine bar with sixty bottles available by the glass. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for second dates and unhurried Friday evenings. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Riga or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten craft beer bars that any serious drinker in Riga would tell you to put on the list.
26th-floor rooftop bar at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
Heritage Latvian cellar-pub. Order: Riga Black Balsam highball. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Riga? See our guide to the best craft beer bars worldwide, or compare craft beer bars city by city. Or find craft beer bars near you.