Cooperation with the international gastronomic guide "Michelin Guide" is the best investment in Latvia's tourist marketing in recent years, said Jānis Enzīš, chairman of the Latvian Restaurant Association, to the LETA agency.
He noted that the number of enterprises recognized by the "Michelin Guide" continues to grow each year, as does the overall level of the industry.
Jānis Enzīš pointed out that more and more tourists choose their travel destination due to interesting gastronomic offerings. At the same time, gastronomic tourists who rely on the recommendations of the "Michelin Guide" are financially capable — they stay in good hotels and spend significant amounts of money at their destination, he added.
According to the head of the association, the presence of the "Michelin Guide" in any destination is not only a guarantee of quality but also an additional source of income for entrepreneurs and tax revenues for the state budget. Moreover, in his opinion, it is a good signal for young professionals in the industry, encouraging them to prove their abilities at a global level during their career growth.
He also reported that this year a contract was signed with the State Education Development Agency for participation in a Swiss project and borrowing Swiss experience in vocational education, which will strengthen the quality and potential of vocational education in terms of both approach and content, as well as prepare a qualified workforce for the needs of the industry. Next year, a pilot project is planned to be launched, combining the efforts of industry experts, leading enterprises, and educational institutions to adapt Swiss experience to the conditions of Latvia, Enzīš said.
Additionally, the Latvian Restaurant Association is implementing another European project, "Cultural Tourism Cooperation Network," administered by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency. The project aims to create four routes for lovers of gastronomy, music, art, and fashion, and attract an additional flow of cultural tourists to Latvia. Enzīš noted that cultural tourists are also a financially capable segment, and Latvia's cultural offerings are of very high quality and relatively underexplored.
Earlier, the Latvian Investment and Development Agency informed the LETA agency that the procurement procedure for cooperation with the "Michelin" guide for the next three years is still in progress.
It has already been reported that the Latvian Investment and Development Agency previously signed a contract worth €1.27 million with the France-registered company Manufacture Francaise des Pneumatiques Michelin for participation in the international gastronomic guide "Michelin Guide."
The contract's execution period was set to expire at the end of October this year.
As previously reported by LETA, 34 restaurants from Latvia, including three new ones, are included in the international gastronomic guide "Michelin Guide" in 2026, and the restaurants "John Chef's Hall" and "Max Cekot Kitchen" retained one star each, representatives of the "Michelin Guide" informed LETA.
Of the restaurants included in the latest guide, 27 are located in Riga, while seven are in other parts of Latvia.
The "Bib Gourmand" awards, which are given to restaurants offering dishes at affordable prices, were retained by the restaurants "Snatch," "Shōyu," and "Milda," which received them last year. They were joined by the new restaurant "SMØR Bistro," as well as the previously included restaurant "H.E. Vanadziņš."
Thus, the latest edition of "Michelin Selected Restaurants" includes three new restaurants — "SMØR Bistro," and for the first time, the Riga restaurants "The Catch" and "Māsa" entered the main selection of the guide.
Furthermore, the guide "Michelin Selected Restaurants" also retains the restaurants "Entresol," "Chef's Corner," "COD," "3 pavāri," "B7," "Akustika," "Mo," "Pavāru māja," "Tauro," "Kest," "Lowine," "Stage 22," "Ferma," "Barents Coctails & Seafood," "Neiburgs," "Tails," "Zoltners," "Barents," "Seasons," "John," "Babo," "Whitehouse," "Riviera," "Le Dome," and "36.līnija."
The Latvian Restaurant Association was founded in late 2017 with the aim of protecting Latvian restaurants and enhancing their competitiveness.
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