The MICHELIN Guide Latvia 2025: All The Winners

One New Michelin Star Is Awarded

Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking, taking into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients; the harmony of flavours; the mastery of techniques; the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine; and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.

JOHN Chef's Hall in Riga enters the selection with One Michelin Star, which is no mean feat. Set beside existing Michelin-recommended restaurant JOHN in the Michelin-recommended A22 Hotel, it’s an intimate spot with just four tables and 10 seats. The room overlooks the kitchen pass, where you can watch the chefs preparing a tasting menu that reflects both the country and the seasons. Cooking is modern and also playful in places, but never at the expense of flavour, with all ingredients treated with equal reverence and understanding. The chefs present and explain the dishes themselves and it’s worth opting for the bespoke wine pairings. The Michelin Inspectors were well looked after by the chatty team and particularly enjoyed the cured pikeperch with cucumber, dill emulsion and rhubarb, as well as the strawberries three ways with lemon verbena ice cream.

JOHN Chef’s Hall joins Max Cekot Kitchen, which retains its One Michelin Star status for another year. The eponymous owner of this sophisticated restaurant on the edge of the city gives a nod to Latvia’s culinary heritage, while bringing together many different elements in a creative surprise menu. The Michelin Inspectors love Max’s use of homegrown ingredients and the way he finishes many of his dishes tableside, creating plenty of engagement and interaction.

Five Restaurants Are Added To The Main Selection

The Michelin Inspectors were delighted to add five Riga restaurants to the Latvian selection this year.

The latest restaurant from an experienced chef-owner, the bustling B7 has a pleasingly rustic, homely feel and a relaxed atmosphere to match. The owner both cooks for and serves the guests himself, offering flavoursome modern dishes that take their influences from around the globe. The Michelin Inspectors recommend sharing four dishes between two or opting for the tasting menu – either approach offers a great range of flavours. Highlights from their meals included ceviche of salmon with saffron and habanero sauce, as well as a delicious hazelnut tiramisu. The desserts as a whole are not to be missed and the wine list offers great value.

Having only opened in summer 2024, BABO is currently something of a lesser-known gem. It was set up by a pair of experienced restaurateurs – and it’s one owner’s home country of Georgia that informs the menu. It’s split between two rooms and a smart terrace, with the main room housing a pizza oven – where the delicious breads are cooked – as well as a charcoal grill which adds a lovely flavour to the various meats and fish. The Michelin Inspectors loved this different style of cuisine and suggest ordering two dishes each to share – their favourites include the beef and pork khinkali (dumplings); the salmon in bazhe (walnut) sauce; and the chicken tabaka with salt and lemon. The superb wine list showcases a great mix of classic and modern Georgian wines to accompany the cooking.

As you’d expect of a bar, wines lead the way at LOWINE, which is located on the very edge of the city. Inside it has a rustic look and a laid-back feel, and for warmer days there’s an enclosed rear courtyard. The appealing, keenly priced wine list keeps natural options to the fore and changes weekly, providing plenty of interest for the regulars. Similarly, the menu also lists something for everyone, from the traditional to the modern, with an extensive brunch menu offered earlier in the day and the likes of salmon with ponzu sauce followed by entrecôte with herb cream in the evening. The Michelin Inspectors loved that the regularly changing wines were available by the glass.

The small but luxurious Grand Palace Hotel plays host to elegant restaurant Seasons, as well as to a supremely comfortable adjoining bar which comes packed with antiques and fine artwork – the perfect place to either start or end the night. Seasonal dishes showcase Latvian produce where possible and are themed around the world’s greatest painters. The Michelin Inspectors found the wonderfully lightly smoked trout with béarnaise sauce a joy to eat, as well as the toffee pudding with buttermilk sorbet to finish. The wine list offers some premium bottles at premium prices, and the plush bedrooms come Michelin-recommended too.

The sumptuous Stage 22 sits on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga and affords superb views out over the park and the city skyline. Start with a drink in the chic cocktail bar or out on the lovely narrow terrace to make the most of this outlook, then settle into plush chairs to enjoy a procession of wide-ranging Asian dishes. Some favourites of the Michelin Inspectors were the spicy tuna roll, the crispy vegetable tempura with dashi sauce and the Argentinian beef fillet with shallot cream. This is an ideal place for celebrating and guests are looked after with consummate ease by the professional team.

These join 21 restaurants that maintain their place in the selection from last year:
Akustika, Valmiera
Barents, Riga
Barents Cocktail & Seafood Bar, Riga
Chef's Corner, Riga
COD, Riga
Entresol, Riga
Ferma, Riga
H.E. Vanadziņš, Cēsis
JOHN, Riga
Kest, Cēsis
Le Dome, Riga
MO, Liepāja
Neiburgs, Riga
Pavāru māja, Līgatne (Awarded a Michelin Green Star – See Below)
Riviera, Riga
Tails, Riga
TAURO, Riga
3 Chefs, Riga
36.Line, Jurmala
Whitehouse, Riga
ZOLTNERS, Tērvete

One Restaurant Is Highlighted with a Green Star

The Michelin Green Star highlights restaurants within The MICHELIN Guide selections which are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their practices regarding sustainable gastronomy. These restaurants offer dining experiences that combine culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments and are a source of inspiration both for keen foodies and the hospitality industry as a whole.

We are delighted to announce that the first Latvian restaurant to be awarded a Michelin Green Star, Pavāru māja, retains its distinction for 2025. Here, the menus are informed by what’s available each day, with their raised beds and foraging trips providing the kitchen with vegetables and herbs, and the rest of the produce sourced locally. Guests are also encouraged to relax in their lovely nature observation garden – a place to sit back, listen and watch – before taking time to really savour their meal.

Related Read: A Culinary Road Trip in Latvia

All Three Bib Gourmands Retain Their Awards

The Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants within the selection which offer good quality food at a great price. For 2025, all three of the restaurants previously awarded a Bib Gourmand retain their distinction. Located in Riga, all of them offer something unique and distinct from one another.

Milda is an unassuming-looking restaurant with warm service and a great value menu. Here, traditional recipes from Latvia and neighbouring Lithuania take the lead, but the dishes have a light, modern touch and contemporary presentation. The dumplings – be it the Latvian pelmeni or Lithuanian cepelinai – are a hit.

Shōyu is a tiny little shop serving classic ramen dishes comprising homemade noodles, rich, full-flavoured broth and a range of different ingredients. Rice bowls are available too, along with starters that are great to share. Service is sweet and the room has an appealing buzz.

Snatch completes Riga’s Bib Gourmand trio. With its floor-to-ceiling windows and faux-industrial styling, it’s one the capital’s most stylish spots. The authentic Italian cooking features some terrific homemade pastas; the staff are bright and breezy; and the upbeat soundtrack and bespoke cocktail list help contribute to the lively mood.

Congratulations to all those selected as part of The MICHELIN Guide Latvia 2025!