|
Stargorod
Bars
By Anatol Steven.
16.01.2014
Flush on their success with similar restaurants in Kharkov, Lviv and Donetsk, a group of deep-pocketed Ukrainian investors have chosen Riga for their first venture on foreign shores.
Stargorod, a name derived from the Russian for Old Town, is an impressive long-term establishment, blending microbrewery, filling feasts and a historical riverside setting.
The Ukrainian businessmen have thrown €18 million into refashioning a 300-year-old old barracks with a unique tunnel-shaped redbrick interior into a superior restaurant.
Frescoes painted for the restaurant show different stages in Riga’s history – Bishop Albert’s arrival in the city in 1200, the golden years of the Hanseatic League, the “enlightenment” of the Swedish period, Peter the Great’s siege of the disease-ridden city, and culminating with Latvia’s eventual independence.
The restaurant’s brewery is located in the basement, but large kettles are also on view on the same ground-floor level as the eatery, constantly bubbling away to create some excellent beer. Three types of clear, fresh brews are made in accordance with Czech recipes and are readily flowing from the taps at the bar. Strengths range from light and sparkly to strong and dark.
Huge portions of meaty food are served. Start with soup, for example the signature beer soup (€5.40), made with smoked meats and freshly brewed beer grains, or fish soup made with lumps of trout and salmon and served inside a loaf of bread (€5).
Progress to Stargorod’s more-than-ample main dishes, such as crispy pork knuckle (€13.50) served on a spit that’s brought to the table, known as an excellent accompaniment for barley beer and brews of all kinds for many centuries. Or opt for half of a roast duck (€18.40), served Czech-style with baked apples or with buckwheat.
Alternatively, tuck into pieces of pickled salmon (€13) served with three types of sauces, or perhaps a full fillet of trout with grilled vegetables (€13), or sausages of all kinds – Bavarian, chicken-and-cheese, grilled with cheese and toast, or served with sauerkraut.
Live music entertains the crowds most evenings between 8pm and 10pm, and karaoke teaming takes place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t be surprised to get roped in with one team or another – lyric sheets provided. Chatting between tables happens every night.
If they’re around, kids are kept busy thanks to an energetic in-house entertainer. Live sports are televised on countless flat screens.
With a capacity of up to 400 people over two floors, Stargorod is already a major player on Riga’s restaurant and catering scene. It’s proving so popular with locals that reservations are almost required, particularly at weekends.
