#77 | Gimlet, Riga, Latvia
Last Visit: Summer 2026
My recent Baltic trip took me to Riga, a city that bridges the culture of similar ports like Gdansk (for which we have two articles that I can recommend) with eastern and northern culinary influences. The connection to 'the Nordics' however isn't just geographical, it is also reflected in how fermentation and flavors are interpreted, an interesting parallel to my Stockholm visit in 2025 (also reflected in those articles). Gimlet, to me, is the stand-out bar for this approach and at the top of Riga's bar scene, having survived many other concepts that have come and gone in the meantime.
Gimlet is located in a basement, at an intersection with many more bars, cafes and restaurants, a few streets away from the Jugendstil district. Design wise guests are welcomed by a particular comfort: A lot of cozy wood, warm lighting and living room atmosphere instead of speakeasy splendor. That continues in the great service, unfortunately not a given in Riga, but who can blame the staff when the entire industry is struggling. Here at Gimlet, they were incredibly proud and enthusiastic about their ideas and not only are they happy to explain everything but also let me taste a lot of their experiments and future cocktails.
As you can see in the menu below, the idea is similar to Velvet in Berlin, or Roda Huset in Stockholm. Local and seasonal ingredients are the point and not so much the brands. They told me for every single ingredient whether it was foraged by them somewhere in the region, bought from a local market or in the rarest case (like citrus) imported. There is an Absolut Vodka sponsorship (that might even charmingly haunt you in the toilet area), but even then, it is all about the infusion and less about promoting the vodka. The texture of the paper and the handmade feel of the menu set your senses for the drinks. As everything is based on availability, the menu changes often, sometimes every 3 weeks, which makes the fact that they have a printed, well-designed menu even better. If the name is 'Gimlet', then it only makes sense to start with one. The Sorrel Gimlet was particularly recommended for its seasonality.
Sorrel Gimlet
| Plymouth Gin
| Gooseberry Juice
| Sugar
| Fresh Sorrel
Very green, like strawberries with their leaves plucked straight from the garden, this cocktail effortlessly establishes the mood and style. Not an especially deep drink, since the gin botanicals blend into the sorrel, but it stays consistent in flavor even with more warmth and doesn't lose its fun. It reminded me of a similar drink I had at Tag, Krakow, which is featured in that article as well.
Magic Mushroom Old Fashioned
| Morel infused Four Roses Small Batch
| Dill Oil
| Sugar & Spices
I asked, of course, for a stronger follow-up, both in alcohol, as well as flavors. This is a pleasant Old Fashioned, rather straightforward, with a little less local influence, at least in how it tastes. Ice and dilution were on point, something that other bars in Riga also completely missed. A drink for bourbon fans, very focused on the oaky notes, which means for me personally it could lean even more into the umami 'mushroom stew'.
Honeyberry
| Planteray 3 Star
| Meadowsweet Tincture
| Linden Flower Syrup
| Gooseberry Juice
| Lingonberry Gastrique
| Cranberry Cordial
| Egg White
All of the berries. What you read is what you get. Conceptually I was so convinced by the bar and its team, that I had to try a third, 'as a dessert', and this is the perfect guilty pleasure. The acid balance keeps it in line, but overall, this is still a fruity marshmallow, especially with the egg-white texture. Fun, playful, this feels like midsummer night when the sun never sets, and the berries are at their peak of ripeness.
I believe that the biggest positives of Gimlet are all building on each other, even if the drinks themselves (from a summer menu) aren't the most complex or exiting. Atmosphere and hospitality were top-notch. I got to try the tomato from the 'Fermented Mary' or some of the homemade mead, all of which I found already more authentic in flavor than Roda Huset for example, which had a shiny exterior, but (at least during my visit) no sense for deep flavors. While other bars might build community by partying together, most pictures I see of this team is them getting all the ingredients and doing prep work. The bar with its living room charm also has cocktail books and menus from international bars they visited, which they were happy and proud to show. In return their Gimlet menu is now part of the LT collection. Finally, there are the prices, which are more than fair considering challenging margins and some people rather wanting a cheap beer. The entire experience is giving you way more than what you pay for.
Cheers,
/jf
Excerpts from the menu during the visit (click for original size):
