A medieval feast for all the senses: Riga, Latvia’s Lasite

Imagine all the theatrics of a restaurant hearkening back to the atmosphere of the year 1454, but with gourmet cuisine. In a cellar-type space in the ancient Old Town section of Riga, Latvia, is a restaurant that takes you back in time, but without the kitsch that often comes with themed restaurants: Lasite. I was happy to be hosted to experience it!

Servers are dressed in period garb and medieval music plays in the background — until the live music comes on, playing pop favorites.

The chairs are high-backed armchairs, as befitting just the royalty at that time. There are medieval style decorations, such as suits of armor and animal skins. They turn the lights down to rely more on candlelight.

They have quite the extensive drinks menu, including a nice range of non-alcoholic drinks. I chose the latter, because I had jet-lag, I was trying to keep sugars to a dull roar and I knew I’d be walking back to the hotel by myself after dark. The “Fruity Raspberry” has lemon and lime juice, grenadine, 7up and lots of fresh raspberries, which they serve in a soda fountain glass with a long spoon, so you can get at them.

I also ordered a bottle of one of Latvia’s still mineral waters.

With many of the dishes, they advise you to eat with your hands, as they did in the Middle Ages.

I started with a generous portioned Latvian goat cheese salad with wild berry sauce and cranberries. The colors of the Latvian flag are said to be represented in the salad. The salad has cucumbers, fresh dill, fresh cranberries, red pepper strips, blueberries, baby watercress, green apple, yellow cherry tomatoes, sea buckthorn. This combination really changes the salad from a goat cheese and fruit salad that you might find at an American bistro.

There are several game dishes on the menu, including rabbit and venison. Sensing that deer might be a “Latvian thing,” I ordered the red deer flambe’ with glazed mini carrots, made with rum. It’s flambeed table-side, so that was extra fun in the darkened room. I was told that the dish is symbolic of the summer solstice fests — a MAJOR deal in Latvia, it sounds like a national party — where they burn firewood. The deer was very tender and flavorful.

For dessert, I splurged (temptation got a hold of me!) and ordered chocolate souffle’ with caramel filling and ice cream, garnished with berry sauce and a sea buckthorn. It’s like cake meets gourmet candy!