5. July 2015: Restaurant Valtera
Usually, I would not follow the recommendation of a tourist guide, however, as I randomly walked up to the Restaurant Valtera which had been recommended to me the previous day, I decided to give it a shot. And I must admit, I was not disappointed at all! Although in the beginning I was not entirely satisfied as it took the waiters quite long to realize that they had new customers – despite the fact that they passed the table various times (and there were just two other tables occupied while there were two waiters) – it took them approximately 10 minutes until they finally arrived with the menu. Once the dishes were chosen and the order placed, service definitely improved.
The “bread with cream cheese butter, roasted hemp seeds and sea salt” was not really special with regards to the bread but the butter with the hemp seeds and the sea salt was a tasty alternative to regular butter you mostly get.
While the “yoghurt cold soup, egg, radish, sorrel, spring onion oil” (EUR 6.90) only looked limitedly appealing it was actually quite tasty and especially refreshing.
The “catch of the day” which was a “Baltic Salmon” (EUR 20.00) was not only moderately priced but also quite aromatic. Although you kind of had to look for the salmon below all the vegetables, it was very well prepared and not too dry which happens – unfortunately – quite often.
Despite the fact that I did not want to have dessert, the dessert the other table had when I arrived looked so tasty, that I had to give it a shot. And it was worth it: The “home-made ice cream selection (Camomile, Chicory, Chocolate and Strawberry)” (EUR 5.50) was interesting due to the fact that there was camomile and especially (!) chicory icecream. The strawberry “icecream” on the other hand was definitely not to my liking as it was tasting way too artifical!
The service is friendly and the quality definitely improved after finally having had placed the order. However, there could be a bit more attention to the customers – especially in the beginning and the very end (when it comes to paying the bill). The prices on the other hand are spectacularly low for what you get which makes the beverages comparably expensive (i.e. double espresso, EUR 4.00; sparkling water, 0,75L, EUR 4.00).
When you enter the restaurant and decide to eat inside you can definitely see that the kitchen is dedicated to provide an outstanding experience and I think for what they charge you, they do a marvelous job! I mean, even if the prices were quite a bit higher they’d still do a great job! But not only that, the atmosphere is also lovely – the place is rather small but it has “heart”, “atmosphere”.
To sum it up, I can recommend you to go to Valtera – despite the fact that I was very critical as the place had been recommended by a tour guide (with what the experiences e.g. in Marrakesh were quite bad). Perfect for a short and quick lunch!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Valtera
Miesnieku iela 8
1050 Riga (LV)
Tel.: +371 29 52 92 00
E-Mail: info@valterarestorans.lv
Homepage: http://www.valterarestorans.lv
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
