Step through the door and you’ve time-travelled into a Soviet-era apartment circa 1975 – vinyl players, faded wall paintings, period magazines stacked on shelves, and furniture that looks lifted from your babushka’s living room. But this isn’t maudlin nostalgia; Gauja’s young team reimagined the old Soviet buffet tradition with a decidedly contemporary twist, swapping Lenin busts for local poetry readings and filling the tiny space with Riga’s artists, musicians, and perpetually black-clad creative class.
Despite barely fitting a dozen people comfortably, this pocket-sized cafe-bar has become a pilgrimage site for anyone seeking alternative Riga. The beer selection champions local independents – particularly Brenguļu alus, available in both dark and standard versions – while simple wines, cocktails, and proper pub food round out the offering. It’s peak Riga hipsterism, yes, but executed with enough genuine warmth and historical texture that even the cynical leave charmed.
