Several restaurants in Riga are included in an essential Scandinavian gastronomy guide

The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), in cooperation with the Investment and Tourism Agency of Riga, has implemented a project which has resulted in a Riga gastronomy guide published on the influential Scandinavian market-orientated gastronomy blog https://andershusa.com/.

"Food is what drew us to visit Riga, and we were impressed by what we discovered. In recent years the city's culinary landscape has shifted, with many young chefs stepping up and opening exciting new concepts. Chefs dream big and aim high, using high-quality ingredients. We saw that many restaurants are emphasizing sustainability, thus promoting Riga's exciting and diverse culinary scene," says Anders Husa, author of the Riga Gastronomy Guide.

Restaurant critic and gastronomy expert Anders Husa, content creator, and spouse Kaitlin Orr visited 23 catering establishments in Riga during the week and gave their feedback. To showcase Riga's gastronomic offer, the guide includes caterers such as MAX Cekot, Tails, Barents, 3Pavāri and others. However, to complete the picture, Riga-specific places such as Kalve Cafe, Space Falafel, Kūkotava, Street Pizza in Āgenskalns, Molberts and Mīkla Bakery were also featured. This resulted in 21 sites being covered, although the original plan was to highlight ten stand-out locations.

The popularity of gastronomy tourism is growing rapidly worldwide, and this year, the LIAA Tourism Department has been working hard to promote this sector. Gourmets worldwide are very demanding, and competition in this sector is relatively high, so it is essential to continuously develop the quality of restaurants and promote interest in them internationally. This is how we can attract more foreign visitors. 

"In a market study conducted this year for LIAA, we can see that Scandinavians have a favourable opinion of Latvia's restaurant and bar offer. We want to tell potential travellers more about Riga's gastronomic offers with such a guide. Anders Husa is a highly respected expert among professionals who have given his insight into Riga's culinary offer. 

We have a lot to be proud of in this respect, which is why we plan to create similar guides for Latvian regions," says Inese Šīrava, Director of the LIAA Tourism Department.

The new guide will be a source of inspiration for Riga's visitors. Ieva Lasmane, Head of the Tourism Administration of the Investment and Tourism Agency of Riga, also stresses the importance of this initiative: "The Riga Restaurant Guide, created by recognised Scandinavian experts, is an essential marketing tool for the city, helping guests to navigate Riga's wide gastronomic offer better. We are delighted that the guide includes high-end restaurants and popular pizzerias and cafes that have impressed experienced restaurant experts with the quality and creativity of their food." 

Anders Husa and Kaitlin Orr are the creators of food and travel-themed content. They work in Copenhagen and operate Scandinavia's largest and most influential restaurant blog. Combined, they have an audience of 500 000 people. 

Anders Husa has been nominated among the top experts of the World's 50 Best (TasteHunters). Read more about the author of the popular blog here: https://andershusa.com/about/

Photos: Jason Henry.