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In fact, there were always plenty of places in Riga, where you could drink a cup of good coffee and taste a freshly baked, delicious pastries. Even during the Soviet era "melnā kafija" ( black coffee) was very tasty and made from coffee beans, if only not brewed from once already used grounds... Sorry for such reminiscences :)) Already at that time Riga was called the little Paris. I think it was mainly because of Riga cafes, pattisseries and its coffee culture...
I am a coffee fan myself. I always start my mornings with freshly brewed expresso. I am always happy to discover new settings in Riga to enjoy a cup of coffee. It is not so hard since coffee is served everywhere - outdoor cafes in parks and squares, coffee shops, bars, indoor cafes and restaurants.
I remember my trip to China where I desperately tried to find a cup of good coffee. In most cases always riant and ready to help Chinese waiters served me with one, but the taste of this brown liquid made me to switch to tea drinking. From that time I am also a great fan of Chineese tea ceremony :)
I shall not go here into deep details about coffee as a drink. The list is not about the popular beverage so much as the experience and the taste of the city. Tastes differ, of course, but all places usually offer good coffee, friendly service and cosy and relaxed atmosphere. Here's a few of my favourite Riga destinations to stop, sit, relax, watch and savour the city:
1. My great discovery was V.Kuze Cafe in Old Riga. I felt as if this place was created specially for me. I like its atmosphere of the 1930th, achieved by well thought-out and elegant decorations and original period furniture. Friendly wait staff in "vintage" clothing of the interwar period enhances the feeling of the old good times. Cafe serves good coffee, gourmet chocolates, delicious tortes and cakes, offers nice views over Riga Castle, the small park surrounded by the Bank of Latvia and the Arsenāls buildings.
Old Riga, 20/22, Jekaba str.
