Riga Central Market: Food Tour or Taste It Yourself?
3 min read
Take a food tour if you want someone to choose and explain Latvian food for you; go alone if you are happy to point at stalls and learn as you eat. Both guided options below are two-hour tastings at Riga Central Market, which the descriptions call one of the largest markets in Europe.
The two tours
The 25 tastes of Latvia tour costs €45 and lasts two hours. It is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 642 reviews. You meet inside entrance B of the Riga International Bus Station (Prāgas iela 1), where the guide holds a yellow umbrella. The page lists four tasting stations in the market pavilions: sprat and herring open sandwiches, hemp pesto, an alder-smoked chicken wing, cheeses with rye bread croutons and kvass. Then you walk about 15 minutes to a café by Town Hall Square for a sit-down meal of soup, main course, warm pastry, dessert and drinks, plus a tasting of Riga Black Balsam. Groups are capped at 15, the tour needs at least three people, and it runs in English or German.
The Central Market food tour with 20 taste samples costs €45 and also lasts two hours, with 506 reviews. It meets at the Galerija Centrs shopping centre (Audēju iela 16) and then spends 105 minutes in the market and its former zeppelin hangars. The 20 samples include bread, several cheeses, smoked meat, several kinds of fish, drinks with and without alcohol, and sweets; the description says they add up to a light lunch. The tour ends in the market and is guided in English.
The visible difference is the programme and the diet. The first ends with a full meal in the Old Town; its page says it is not well suited for vegans or vegetarians. The second stays in the market; its page says it is not suitable for vegans but works for vegetarians, people with lactose or gluten intolerance, and Muslims. Both pages advise bringing cash.
Doing it on your own
The market is a public market, and you walk in without a ticket. The market’s website shows the hours for the current day; on a Friday in November it gave 7.30 to 18.00 for the pavilions and 7.00 to 18.00 for the outdoor area (centraltirgus.lv); look again for the day you go. What you give up on your own is the selection: a guide chooses the stalls and explains dishes you would not know to try. If you have a good appetite and a curious mind, you can taste your way through without a guide; if you are short on time or unsure what to order, the guide saves you from guessing.
| Option | Length | Programme | Diet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 tastes of Latvia | 2 hours | Market, then a sit-down meal in the Old Town | Not well suited for vegetarians or vegans |
| 20 taste samples at the market | 2 hours | Market, history and food traditions | Vegetarian, lactose- and gluten-free possible; not for vegans |
Who should choose what
Visitors who want a meal and a look at the Old Town in one go should pick the 25-tastes tour. Vegetarians, and anyone who prefers to stay in the market hall and hear about its history, fit the 20-samples tour. Vegans fit neither. With other allergies, ask the operator before paying. Read more food options on the Riga food tours page.
Our recommendation
For most first-time visitors we would pick the 25 tastes of Latvia tour, because it combines the market with a seated meal. If you are vegetarian or only want the market, the 20-samples tour is the better choice. Pair either with a boat tour for a relaxed day.
