Light House Jūrmala

Light House sits right on the sand at Dzintari, on the Gulf of Riga, where the dining room and terrace look straight out at the water. Chef Vitaly Volkov cooks Mediterranean and Latvian dishes over a Spanish Josper charcoal grill, working with local fishermen and farmers for what lands each day. Mains run from about €22 for the catch of the day to €50 for the entrecôte, with a king crab and caviar list above that for a splurge. It is one of the few year-round seafront kitchens on this stretch of coast.

The Kitchen

Vitaly Volkov runs the Light House kitchen on the Dzintari seafront, cooking classic Mediterranean dishes alongside Latvian ones in his own reading. The centre of the menu is the Josper, the enclosed Spanish charcoal grill that gives whole fish, octopus and meat their char without drying them out. He sources from local fishermen and farmers, so the fish fillet of the day shifts with the catch.

The Latvian side of the menu is the most distinctive: smoked eel from Latvian waters with red barley marmalade at €28, a vodka-laced 'Uha Tsarskaya' fish soup, and cold beetroot soup with quail egg. From the grill, the octopus with chimichurri at €36 and the rack of lamb with potato gratin and truffle mayonnaise at €45 are the dishes to order; the Beef Wellington runs €40. Mains sit between roughly €22 and €50, with a king crab and Latvian caviar list reaching well above that for a celebration. The restaurant is at Gulbenes iela 1A in Dzintari, inside the Light House boutique hotel, a short walk from Dzintari beach, and it appears on the official Visit Jūrmala restaurant guide. The wine list is long, and the terrace opens to the sea in summer.

The Room

The dining room faces the Gulf of Riga through wide windows, with a terrace that opens onto the sea in the warmer months. Lighting is soft and the mood is calm; the loudest thing in the room is usually the water. Tables are well spaced, and the setting inside a small boutique hotel keeps the floor quiet rather than crowded. There is no strict dress code, but the prices and the setting pull toward smart dress in the evening. The Josper grill scents the room without smoke, and service is formal and attentive. In summer the terrace is the seat to request; in winter the window tables hold the view.

Best for Proposal

Book Light House for a proposal because the sea does the staging. A window or terrace table puts the Gulf of Riga in front of you, the room stays quiet enough to hear each other, and a long seafood dinner gives the evening room to breathe before the question. Tell the team when you book and they will help with timing and a quiet corner. Picture the terrace at sunset, the grill working behind you, and a ring coming out as the light goes off the water. For more rooms like it, see our proposal dinner guide and the Jūrmala dining guide.

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