A guide to great places near Grand Poet Hotel and SPA by Semarah
We are happy to announce - very very soon we will finish moving and will be in our new specious ZIB* workshop! From now on all the colorful garments will be made in our new space at Kr. Valdemāra 4.
163 m from hotel
Kr. Valdemāra iela 4-13
One of the most beautiful places, set in a semicircle of greenery, is a hill built over the former Sand Bastion. Beautiful stone embankments with small cascades and waterfalls resemble mountain river.
192 m from hotel
Zigfrīda Annas Meierovica bulvaris
The charismatic and professional chef Mārtiņš Sirmais is a loved public figure in Latvia and he has assembled a top notch team to finally give credence to the phrase "guest's experience"
293 m from hotel
Torņa 4
The museum offers one of the best opportunities to witness the development of visual art in Latvia and the Baltics. Always interesting art exhibitions right here!
294 m from hotel
Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1
The Freedom Monument is a memorial located in Riga, Latvia honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom
303 m from hotel
Brīvības bulv.
Rocket Bean on Raiņa bulvāris is one of the nicest “proper specialty coffee” spots in central Riga – smallish but serious. A Rocket Bean Café right on the park ring, serving all the roastery’s coffees in a compact, design-y space with some counter seats and tables. It’s part of the same group as Rocket Bean Miera (the roastery) but feels more like a city-centre espresso bar. Free Wi-Fi, laptop-friendly, kids- and dog-friendly, with some outdoor seating facing the boulevard when the weather is decent.
315 m from hotel
11 Raiņa bulvāris
KALVE Coffee Living Room is basically KALVE’s “flagship lounge”: a bigger, slower version of their espresso bars, meant for hanging out, working, and eating, not just grabbing a flat white and running. A specialty coffee “living room” by Kalve Coffee Roasters – think hybrid of café, lounge and mini-bakery. It’s their most spacious Riga location, designed specifically for people to sit, work, meet, and drink coffee properly, not just takeaway.
316 m from hotel
17A K. Valdemāra iela
The primary accent in the Latvian National Theatre is on new plays that makes it an ideal place for heavy theatre lovers.
335 m from hotel
Kronvalda bulvāris 2
Kolonāde. Mūsu stāsti… is one of Riga’s classic “central city” restaurants: strong location, seasonal Latvian-leaning food, good wine, and a calm, grown-up atmosphere. Interior is light and contemporary in the daytime, becoming more romantic and soft-lit at night – good for dates, small celebrations and business dinners. The space splits into a glazed terrace with park views and a slightly more private café side by the open kitchen. Kitchen is built around a seasonal gourmet menu using local Latvian products with international touches – think modernised Latvian/European rather than strict “traditional”.
360 m from hotel
Brīvības bulvāris 26
TAILS is a very polished seafood restaurant + raw bar in Riga’s Art Nouveau quarter – one of the city’s more serious “occasion” places if you care about fish, technique, and design. Self-described as a seafood restaurant with a raw bar, built around a tail-to-gill philosophy and a visible dry-aging room for fish. Head chef Matīss Aleksandrovs has worked at serious places like Narisawa (Tokyo), Twins Garden, Agrikultur, Pure C, and others, and that fine-dining background shows in the technique and plating. It’s been listed in the MICHELIN Guide Latvia, and is generally treated as one of Riga’s top modern restaurants for fish.
440 m from hotel
Snatch is a high-energy modern Italian restaurant in central Riga – very food- and wine-serious, but with a buzzy, slightly clubby vibe. Calls itself a bold, modern Italian restaurant exploring different Italian regions rather than doing just the usual “greatest hits”. Holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand (good quality, good value) and has kept it for 2024 and 2025. Strongly Italian-focused wine list, with some rare and “geeky” bottles; this is part of why Star Wine List features them. Bar runs a signature cocktail programme for both warm and cold seasons – think spritzes/Bellinis in summer, deeper spirit-forward drinks in winter.
445 m from hotel
Elizabetes iela 39
Worth visiting at night - beautiful lights and bridges.
472 m from hotel
Kalpaka bulvaris
Look at the one of the largest buildings opposite the Dome Cathedral - used to be a National Bank in early 20th century. Now it's the home of Radio Latvia.
0.5 km from hotel
Doma lauk.
Falafel was amazing, super tasty and spicy! Nice place to start the evening.
0.6 km from hotel
Skolas iela 12
LIDO Vērmanītis is a big, central self-service Latvian canteen/restaurant just by Vērmane Garden – classic “everyday LIDO”, not a fancy place, but very practical. Part of the LIDO chain: a family-style, cafeteria restaurant where you walk along the counter and pick from lots of ready dishes (hot mains, salads, soups, desserts). It’s especially good for trying traditional Latvian food in a casual way.
0.6 km from hotel
Elizabetes iela 65
Brasserie Vivien is a fairly new French bistro / bar in the very centre of Riga, doing classic Paris-style brasserie food with a bit of story behind it. Concept and menu are by French chef Vivien Lebecq. The menu is built around Paris brasserie staples, cooked from a mix of French know-how and local products.
0.6 km from hotel
Brivibas 37
Vērmanes garden is the oldest public garden in Riga. It's romantic in every season of the year!
0.6 km from hotel
Krišjāņa Barona iela
Galleria Riga is a modern city-centre shopping mall with a rooftop terrace and coworking / gym floors, so it’s more than just a few fashion stores stacked together.
Rooftop terrace – one of the easiest ways to get a city view without leaving the centre. In winter, they’ve run a rooftop ice rink and pop-up dining; in summer, it turns into a multi-restaurant open-air level.
Coworking: the Workland floor means you can combine errands + a few focused hours of work in the same building.
Gym: if you’re staying nearby longer term, the MyFitness here is large and modern and just got expanded in November 2025.
0.6 km from hotel
Dzirnavu iela 67
Bella Napoli is a serious Neapolitan pizzeria in central Riga – very product- and technique-driven, with Italian pizzaioli and proper ingredients, not just “Italian-style” branding. Best for: pizza-focused lunches or dinners, pre-bar food, or a quick, high-quality bite between meetings.
0.7 km from hotel
Bring your old keys to the treasure chest. A symbolic key will be made from them during the Riga 810 yrs festival.
0.7 km from hotel
Kungu iela 3
