August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It will most likely not be ready by 2030. But that doesn’t stop us. What to expect from the Baltics? Is it affected by overtourism?
We made reservations for dinner in all three cities. Not on ‘train days’ but on ‘full days’. Rataskaevu 16 in Tallinn, 3 Pavāru in Riga and Ertlio Namas in Vilnius. I’m glad we did as it ensured we had nice addresses to go to.
So in Riga, we dined at the Michelin-listed 3 Pavāru, which means 3 Chefs in Latvian.
3 Pavāru Restorāns ‘Tam labam būs augt’
3 Pavāru Restorāns ‘Tam labam būs augt’ – ‘The good must grow’ – is a contemporary Latvian restaurant in the Jacob’s Barracks complex in Old Riga. Since opening in September 2011, it has built a strong reputation for seasonal cooking, open-kitchen theatre, and inventive presentation.
The founders, chefs Mārtiņš Sirmais and Ēriks Dreibants, were later joined by executive chef Pāvels Skopa, who continues to develop the menu within the same ethos of local sourcing and creative technique. So, there are your three chefs.
The restaurant occupies a space with considerable history. Jacob’s Barracks, a long, low structure alongside the city’s northern fortifications, has had varied uses over the centuries, including a period as the residence of the United States ambassador. Today its interiors have been refitted with a modern dining room, white walls, large windows over the cobbled street, and lighting features adapted from everyday objects such as drinking glasses.
The layout places the kitchen at the centre of the room, built as a large island so that all guests can watch the preparation of each dish. Those seated at the chef’s table are directly across from the cooking stations, giving an uninterrupted view of plating and finishing.
This arrangement turns the process itself into part of the experience, with staff explaining ingredients and methods as they work.
Seasonal menus
Menus change with the seasons and are grounded in Latvian and northern European produce. Techniques and flavour pairings often move beyond the expected: cauliflower prepared in several different forms within a single dish, or a squid-ink black onion sponge accompanied by black sesame ice cream.
Even the bread service is unconventional, with dips painted across the table covering in an abstract style before the bread is served.
Non-alcoholic pairing
Guests can order from an à la carte selection or choose a six-course tasting menu, priced around €99. Wine pairings are available for about €75, with a non-alcoholic pairing for roughly €45.
We chose the non-alcoholic pairing, which was very interesting and I would highly recommend. It’s quirky, it’s innovative and it does’t give you a headache later.
Beyond regular service, 3 Pavāru Restorāns runs cooking masterclasses, food laboratory events, and guided tours of Riga Central Market. It also hosts private events and offers gift cards for set menus or bespoke experiences.
The combination of a historically significant location, visible craftsmanship in the kitchen, and an approach to ingredients that is both local and experimental has made it a consistent presence in discussions of Riga’s most notable restaurants.
A visit in August 2025
We chose the six-course tasting menu and the non-alcoholic pairing. The menu then was:
- Kohlrabi — cheese mousse, sorrel pesto.
- Red drum — elderflower sauce, kimchi cucumbers. Optional: Mottra black caviar +€14.
- Yeast broth — shiso, oyster mushrooms. Optional: Wagyu +€18.
- Sea scallop — green peas, smoked butter sauce.
- Lamb saddle — fermented rhubarb, carrot mole, blackcurrant glaze.
- Cucumber sorbet — cottage cheese cream, pistachios, mint oil.
So not on the ‘official’ list is the quirky bread presentation.
We did have a apéritif, but we did not take the caviar or Wagyu.
I’m not particularly well-versed at prosaic descriptions of dishes. But it all tasted really nice. I like a well-curated tasting menu. I trust the chef(s) concocted a well-balanced meal, with an eye for textures, flavours and good build-up to the main course, followed by a dessert which will send you off with a bang.
3 Pavāru – 3pavari on Instagram – does that.
Food, gastronomy and restaurants
- REVIEW | Restaurant Marv & Ben in Copenhagen.
- Restaurants and food on Norwegian Getaway.
- REVIEW | Restaurante Matiz, Málaga.
- REVIEW | Le Monument restaurant in Porto.
- VANCOUVER | St. Lawrence Restaurant.
- REVIEW | Michelin-star restaurant Hytra in Athens.
- MONTREAL | Dining solo at Monarque felt like being part of a tv show.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Fred in Rotterdam.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Kuzina in Athens.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Neon in Lier.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Le Train Blue at Paris-Gare-de-Lyon in 2022.
- PARIS | Restaurant Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyo in 2023.
- MANCHESTER | Afternoon Tea at Richmond Tea Rooms near Canal Street.
- RIDE & DINE | Brussels Tram Experience.
- STUTTGART | Restaurant Plenum, in Baden-Württemberg’s State Parliament.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Ritzi in Stuttgart.
- VIENNA | Restaurant Steirereck.
- REVIEW | Restaurant Ventrus avec vue, La Villette, Paris.
- REVIEW | Restaurant De Godevaart in Antwerp.
- REVIEW | Restaurant SELSation in Hemiksem.
- REVIEW | Breakfast at the 5-star superior Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp.
- REVIEW | Dinner at DINS Santi Taura in Palma de Mallorca.
- REVIEW | Restaurant 273 in Utrecht.
- REVIEW | Restauracja Ritz in Gdańsk.
- REVIEW | Carlton President Hotel Utrecht Maarssen ft. Restaurant One24.
- REVIEW | Restaurant La Grange aux Canards in Paris.
- RIDE & DINE | Orient Dining Express by Stoomtrein Maldegem-Eeklo.
- Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason in London.
- The German Gymnasium, Kings Cross / St Pancras, London.
- Hoftrammm, the tram dining experience.
- More than, but also sausages: rich cuisine of Germany’s heartland Saxony, Franconia and Bavaria.
- Bars and drinks package on Majestic Princess.
- Restaurants and food on Majestic Princess.
- Food and drinks on board Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.
- Culinary, food and drinks markets in Antwerp.
- 5 (surprising) hotspots in Stockholm, Sweden.
- 8 food hotspots in Madrid for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- POLAND | 3 hotspots of gastronomy in Kraków.
- In search of Belgian or Flemish cuisine in Antwerp.
Baltic States 2025
- REVIEW | The Loft by Brussels Airlines and Lexus business lounge at Brussels Airport A-Gates.
- REVIEW | Brussels Airlines Business Class Brussels to Munich.
- REVIEW | Lufthansa Business Lounge Schengen and Lufthansa Senator Business Lounge Satellite Schengen at Munich Airport Terminal 2.
- REVIEW | Air Baltic Business Class Munich to Tallinn.
- REVIEW | Swissotel Tallinn.
- TALLINN | Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour Estonian Maritime Museum.
- TALLINN | Estonian History Museum at the Great Guild Hall.
- TALLINN | LGBT tour at Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom.
- RAIL BALTICA | Baltic operators launch joint tender for regional trains.
- ESTONIA | How to spend a day in Tallinn.
- REVIEW | Pullman Riga Old Town.
- LATVIA | Riga Castle.
- LATVIA | Jugendstil in Riga ft Riga Art Nouveau Centre and Janis Rozentāls and Rūdolfs Blaumanis Museum.
- RIGA | National Library of Latvia and the Latvian Railway History Museum.
- RIGA | Baltā Kaza – Riga Ghetto – Latvian Academy of Sciences.