The average Riga visitor only stays in the city for a maximum of a few days, so time is usually precious. But not everyone wants to visit museums, eat at stylish restaurants or get drunk at a pub watching football all day. With this in mind, we’ve put together this list of Quick Picks for all tastes. Photos courtesy of Donegan's Pub, Riga Out There and MZ.

Budget
Eat: Any average kafejnīca or ēdnīca should be fairly affordable for the average student or backpacker, but many restaurants and pubs offer a daily two-course lunch special with a drink for 2.50 - 4Ls. For cheap food any time of the day try Pelmeņi XL, which specialises in Russian meat, cheese and veggie dumplings, or Šefpavārs Vilhelms that sells local pancakes either filled or with a variety of different jams. Most LIDO restaurants, with the exception of Alus sēta, are also affordable if you know what to order and don’t go crazy with sauces and other extras.
Drink: Although a beer will cost you close to 2Ls at most pubs in Old Riga both Celsijs and La Belle Epoque pour local brews in plastic cups for as little as 0.70Ls. Outside of the old town we recommend Sveiks Šveik!, Pablo, Gauja or Kaukāza sēta around the corner of Tērbatas and Stabu where a tasty Latvian beer will set you back about 1.20Ls.
See: All of Old Riga and the city centre is a feast for the eyes and medieval and Art Nouveau edifices will impress without charging you a dime. Most museums are fairly cheap seldom costing more than 2Ls, but the Occupation Museum, War Museum, Jews in Riga museum, Latvian People’s Front Museum and Museum of the Barricades of 1991 are all free of charge.
Do: Take a stroll among the hundreds of stalls at the Riga Central Market and get lost in one of its five enormous pavilions or take the lift to the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija for excellent views of the city, but bear in mind that it charges a 2Ls cover at the weekend.

Couples
Eat: Romance is never far away in this medieval city but if you’re looking for ambience and fantastic food, then Bergs, Neiburgs and Pinot are all excellent options. For something more down to earth, try candle-lit Osīriss in the centre or Foody in Old Riga.
Drink: Vīna Studija is the perfect start to a romantic evening. Order a wide variety of wine by the glass or bottle for affordable prices accompanied by a plate of Mediterranean tapas. For cocktails and views Skyline Bar and Star Lounge are never a bad choice.
See: After the obligatory tours of St. Peter’s and then Riga Cathedral, walk across the square to the brand new Riga Bourse Art Museum for centuries of international art spread across three floors of this completely renovated former stock exchange building.
Do: Weather permitting, a canal boat tour beginning at Bastion Hill is always recommended for lovebirds. If you’d prefer some bonding and relaxation book yourselves a spa day at the six-storey ESPA Rīga, the Kolonna Spa in the Galerija Centrs mall or the smaller DabaSpa day spa.

Families
Eat: For family dining there’s no better option than Vairāk Saules, which provides excellent service and international cuisine including pizzas, affordable prices, a kids’ menu and a children’s corner with colouring books and loads of Legos. The K|I|D outlet on Pulveža Brieža even has a separate room for the little ones that’s supervised by a babysitter.
Drink: Take a cab or a tram to LIDO atpūtas centrs for micro-brewed Latvian beer and a huge buffet of cheap, local, child-friendly food in a giant log cabin, not to mention a huge amusement park for the kids.
See: A trip to the Latvian Ethnographic Museum can be interesting and educational, but it involves a lot of walking unless of course you take the new museum train, which the kids will definitely love. The Sun Museum is also free of charge to kids under the age of seven and a workshop where children and adults can paint their own plaster suns is included in the price.
Do: If you have the time we wholeheartedly recommend a short trip to the Līvu Akvaparks water park in nearby Jūrmala. The state of the art complex offers several different indoor pools, water slides, children’s play areas, saunas, hot tubs and, best of all, a poolside cocktail bar where parents can just swim up to the barkeep and order a piña colada.

Lads
Eat: At some point you’ll have to put your pint aside to refuel. For classic fry-ups you can’t go wrong at Kiwi Bar or Paddy Whelan’s and both also offer Indian food in case you’d rather have a curry. Harry Morgan also makes a great breakfast, but for something more substantial and local try one of the LIDO joints. After midnight Pelmeņi XL in Old Riga and Pizza Lulū on Blaumaņa are your safest bets.
Drink: For pure selection it’s hard to beat S.Brevinga Alus & Viskija Bārs on Tirgoņu. In addition to a number of brews from the UK and Belgium, it also specialises in single malts and has plenty of TVs tuned into the Premiere League. Donegan’s is another good option in Old Riga. For techno and well-dressed local ladies try PUSH. For a late night, last ditch effort to meet someone venture into the depths of Kabata.
See: Sightseeing is for losers and will cut into your drinking time, but you can always combine the two activities with a lift ride to the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija for cocktails and unparalleled views of the city. A ride up to the top of St. Peter’s is another option, but you’ll have to do it sans booze.
Do: Firing AK-47s is usually a popular option, but you have to book in advance (www.traveloutthere.com) and need to bring ID. The more adventurous can take a train to Sigulda to check out the Latvian bobsleigh run. The foam padded bobsleigh can reach speeds of up to 50km/h and costs about 7Ls/person.

Splurge
Eat: If money is no object then reserve a table at Bergs, Bibliotēka No.1 or Pinot for fine dining and excellent interior design. Gastronome is without a doubt the finest seafood restaurant in town with prices to match and Vincents is renowned for its celebrity chef who has fed many a foreign dignitary, prince or pop star.
Drink: Most cocktail bars went belly-up when the financial crisis hit, but you can choose from a wide selection of exotic, aged and expensive single malt scotches at S.Brevinga Alus & Viskija Bārs in Old Riga. You can also take in a live blues concert at Bites Blues Club which will cost about 15Ls/person, but performers are often flown in from as far away as Chicago.
See: Hire a car with a driver from Auto, tel. (+371) 29 58 04 48, and plan your own route around Latvia and the Baltics. Although it may sound expensive, it’s actually surprisingly affordable and the English-speaking driver will take you anywhere you want from the lake country of Latgale and the hidden gems of Kurzeme to castles in Vidzeme and the baroque masterpiece of Rundāle Palace in Zemgale.
Do: How does a day at the spa sound? Visit ESPA Rīga or Kolonna Spa for a day of relaxation, massage, saunas, swimming pools and beauty treatments right here in the centre of Riga.