Riga's cocktail scene splits between polished Old Town rooms and looser cultural-venue bars in the Centre. Black Magic Bar on Kaļķu iela and B Bārs on Doma laukums work the historic core, while Skyline Bar high on Elizabetes iela trades on the view. For a more local, music-led night, Kaņepes Kultūras centrs on Skolas iela and Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs in the Old Town pour into the small hours, and Labietis Culture Taproom on Aristīda Briāna iela leans toward Latvian craft beer.
8 cocktail bar places in Riga we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Riga · Cocktail Bar across every city.
Order Black Pina Colada or Black Mojito to taste Black Balsam in cocktail form.
Black Magic Bar on Kaļķu in Old Town is the dedicated Riga Black Balsam stop, a medieval-themed bar pouring cocktails built around the city's 1752 herbal.
Order A signature cocktail at sunset with a small plate from the Asian-fusion menu.
Skyline Bar sits on the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Latvija on Elizabetes, the city's most-cited rooftop view with cocktails and Asian-leaning bar food.
Order A signature cocktail at the bar; the bartenders run with the room.
B Bārs on Doma laukums anchors the Old Town cathedral square with classic cocktails, a respected bartender team and a European bistro menu until late.
Drink Beer, wine and event-night cocktails
Kaņepes Kultūras centrs on Skolas is Riga's longest-running cultural-centre bar, an 1895 building hosting 300 to 400 art events a year with a working bar.
Order A four-beer Latvian craft flight; the cellar pours small breweries you won't see elsewhere.
Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs is Old Town's deepest cellar bar, 32 taps of Latvian beer and cider with live folk music five nights a week and Wednesday dancing.
Order The bar's beer-and-shot pairing during event nights; the kitchen runs a tight snack menu.
Kaņepes Kultūras centrs on Skolas runs as a late-night bar most Fridays and Saturdays, with DJ sets and live music extending the evening to 02:00.
Order A signature cocktail and an Asian small plate at sunset, then linger through the DJ set.
Skyline Bar on the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Latvija runs late on Friday and Saturday with DJ sets from 21:00, the city's highest late-cocktail option.
