This was one of the rare years when I didn't visit Finland. Usually I pack my bags at least once a year and head up north. This year was different and the closest I could get to my favourite country was Riga, the capital of Latvia. When you cherish something deeply, you look for it everywhere. So I kept my eyes open for Finnish-inspired places in this Baltic city.

The timing of our stay couldn’t have been better as the EuroBasket championship was being held in Riga at that time with the Finnish men’s basketball team reaching the semi-finals. Many Finns took this opportunity to visit Riga. Wherever we went, we heard people speaking Finnish and spotted several Finnish flags displayed outside houses and restaurants in the Old Town which was lovely.

I generally assume that Riga is a popular travel destination for Finns as it is easy as well as fast to reach (e.g. with AirBaltic airlines) and is more on the budget-friendly side. When we left the airport, the first person to talk to us at the bus station was a Finnish woman. When we went out for breakfast, we sat next to a Finnish couple. At lunch at Big Bad Bagels, we spotted a few drawings by Finns on the restaurant's walls.

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Drawing-from-a-Finn-at-Big-Bad-Bagels-in-Riga

Finnish-drawing-at-Big-Bad-Bagels-in-Riga

Finland inspired places in Riga

Here are a few places inspired by Finland in Riga:

Hesburger

We arrived in Riga very late due to a delay at Ljubljana airport. Still very hungry, we searched for a place to eat near our Airbnb. We were happy to find out that there was a Hesburger store nearby that closed at 11 pm.

Hesburger is a Finnish fast food chain similar to McDonald's or Burger King. It is a family-owned company founded 45 years ago by Heikki Salmela, whose nickname is “Hese” and who is also the name giver of this restaurant. Hesburger offers hamburgers, fries, salads and desserts as well as its own in-house sauces and dips. Their mayonnaise in particular is said to be a key factor in the taste of Hesburger's savoury products.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of fast food and I've only been to Hesburger in Finland once. I remember the burgers and fries tasting less salty than those at US fast food chains which left the impression of eating a healthier version. However, I did not notice this while eating the menu in the store in Riga.

The product range in Riga wasn’t as extensive as in Finland, for example they didn't offer any of the typically Finnish desserts such as ice creams with several salmiakki toppings. I tried the limited monthly offer which was a chicken kebab burger with fries; my sister had a chicken burger. The taste was good; however, as with all fast food chains, the visual presentation of the products could be improved.

If you like fast food or are in a hurry to get something to eat, you could try Hesburger in Riga – there are 51 stores in total in Latvia (and 274 in Finland). If you have a bit more time and are craving better food, I would definitely recommend trying one of the other places mentioned.

Hesburger locations in the Old Town:
- Skunuu iela 3, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
- Valnu iela 31/33, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia

Hesburger locations in the city centre of Riga:
Krisjana Barona iela 44, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1011, Latvia
Stacijas laukums 2, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
Merkela iela 6-4, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
Brivibas iela 62, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1011, Latvia

Hesburger Latvia Website

Karjala Grill Bar

Let's head to the next culinary spot which is the Karjala Grill Bar in the Old Town of Riga. The restaurant is described on its website as a “true Northern experience” and it truly is an experience of a lifetime. If you're a minimalist, you might be overwhelmed by the decorations – there are plenty of fan scarves, flags, caps and ice hockey jerseys as well as Christmas lights and big TV screens everywhere you look. Karjala is the only Finnish (sports) bar in Latvia and has its own rustic charm.

Since 2012, they offer Baltic and Finnish cuisine; even the menu is in Finnish. Finnish food lovers couldn’t be happier with Karelian pies, Finnish salmon soup or Karelian stew on the menu. As well as classic Finnish drinks like Lapin Kulta or a Hartwall Long Drink, there are plenty of Finland-inspired cocktails like “Cha Cha Cha”, “Virtanen” or “Sininen Enkeli”, all reasonably priced. As a non-alcoholic person, I especially loved that they also have a wide selection of great mocktails. On Fridays and Saturdays the bar owners host karaoke nights, making the experience even more Finnish.

While we were there, a group of Finns also visited the restaurant which I think speaks for its authentic vibe and tasty food.

Karjala Grill Bar in Old Town
Kaleju iela 50, Centra rajons, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia

Finnish Menu in Riga
Karjala Website
Karjala Grill Bar on TripAdvisor

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Stockmann

There it was: a giant Stockmann store in the heart of Riga. If you have ever been to Helsinki, you probably have come across the large flagship store or their beautifully decorated shop windows on Aleksanterinkatu. Stockmann is the largest department store in Northern Europe where you can find everything you need – from the latest fashion and trendy cosmetics to electronics and housewares. There are five Stockmann stores in Finland, one in Tallinn, and, to my happy surprise, one in Riga too.

Strolling through the store felt as if I were in Finland. It was lovely to spot so many Finnish design pieces from brands such as Finlayson, Marimekko, Lapuan Kankurit, Pentik or Iittala. This Stockmann store also had a large grocery store which was heaven for Fazer products. There was even a Stockmann café where you could enjoy delicious desserts, as well as everything from the lunch and salad bar. This immediately brought me back to Finland, as I loved the salad bar at Sokos — another well-known department store, especially in Finland. We went there twice to try their range of salads which were served on the same Iittala plates that we have at home. The desserts were delicious too and looked like small pieces of art.

For a true Finland fan, Stockmann is the closest you can get to a Finnish experience in Riga.

Stockmann in Riga
13. janvara iela 8, Latgales priekspilseta, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia

Stockmann Website for Riga

Finland is all around the city

Perhaps its geographic proximity to Finland makes Riga a good destination for lovers of all things Finnish. Speaking of Finland, Moomin is also very popular there. We spotted a few places like bookstores or anime shops, but also chains like Sinsay and Reserved that sold Moomin products. You can buy Fazer chocolate in any regular grocery store. Mego had an offer where the big bar of Geisha chocolate only cost a little over one euro which I had never seen before and sold out very quickly (not only because of me ;-). If you're lucky, you might also find some Finnish design pieces in second-hand shops.

Architecturally, Riga has a few similarities with Finland – lovely wooden houses are very popular in both countries. Riga is primarily known for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil houses which can also be spotted in Helsinki.

As always, nothing beats the real Finland experience, but if you can't afford to go all the way up north, Riga might be a cheaper alternative. When travelling to Riga, it's definitely worth looking out for Finnish places to get a taste of Finland for your next Suomi-vacation.