Riga's restaurant scene is good and growing, with the most interesting places clustering away from the Old Town in the residential neighbourhoods of Miera iela, Āgenskalns, and around the Central Market. The Old Town itself has plenty of options but they skew tourist-heavy — anywhere with a laminated English menu on the main square should be approached with caution.
Latvian cooking draws on the same pantry as the rest of northern Europe: rye bread, smoked fish, pickled vegetables, pork, dairy. The rye bread (rupjmaize) is exceptional and shows up in various forms. Black Balsam, the national herbal spirit, is an acquired taste but worth trying — mixed with blackcurrant juice it goes down more easily.