Kest — Restaurant in Cēsis

Kest is a truly warm and genuine place, thanks to its friendly and cheerful team. Everyone there enjoys explaining what they do and really listens to your ideas.

Personally, my impressions were a bit mixed: out of the three starters served at the beginning, I liked all of them except the tuna. Serving fish so directly as a starter felt quite bold — but I also appreciate that kind of confidence! The panna cotta was simply flawless in both taste and quality. The iced apple on top was an interesting touch, though I found it a bit too cold for a starter plate.

The bread and butter deserve a special mention. I wouldn’t change a thing because the bread truly took me to another world. In a country that prides itself on bread, being able to create something so remarkable is a big success — and Kest has definitely achieved that.

The cod was good, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the veal that came afterward. Part of me secretly wished for a bigger portion of veal instead of the cod. The mashed potatoes served with it were on another level — they had a rich, buttery aroma that made them stand out from any other mash I’ve ever had.

The pre-dessert was very refreshing, although I felt the frequent use of basil in almost everything was a bit too much. We have other bold herbs like coriander or thyme that could also shine! But especially in this dessert, I would have loved to see some fresh forest berries added to make it even more vibrant.

Finally, the beautifully presented dessert made with high-quality honey was an absolute showstopper. It reminded me so much of my own culture and felt similar to a beloved Caucasian breakfast dish, which made me really happy. It turns out we share some taste traditions with Latvians!

As a final touch, the home-made pesto offered at the end was very natural and...

Despite its Michelin recommendation, Kest in Seisi turned out to be a real letdown. The evening started off with a complimentary dish from the chef — which, to our shock, contained a piece of plastic. The chef did come out to apologize, but beyond that, nothing was done. Out of the eight courses, the cod prepared in an Asian style was a complete miss: the fish was far too salty, the sauce completely drowned out the flavor of the fish itself, and the rice was more like a mushy porridge than a proper side. The dessert listed on the menu never arrived; instead, we were served a random assortment of ingredients that felt thrown together, with strawberries that tasted like they’d been defrosted from frozen. Service was equally underwhelming. The staff clearly didn’t know the menu — even basic questions about flavors or ingredients sent them running back to the kitchen for answers. For a place that positions itself at a fine-dining level, this was unacceptable. And to top it all off, we were “offered” a liqueur as a gesture of apology — only to discover later that part of it had been added to the bill. Really? If it weren’t for the wonderful company of friends, the evening would have been thoroughly disappointing. Definitely not a place I’d return to...

The food was excellent - a well balanced summer menu. Also the drink/ wine pairing fit the food well. However, the pace of food and drinks arriving was very sped up, not very relaxing. We felt like running on a treadmill, because even after asking for a slower pace, no adjustment to the serving time possible - even though the website specifically said that we should plan in approx. 2.5 hours, maybe a little longer when deciding to have the wine pairing (everyone arriving within 30 minutes was served food at the same time in the end and we were pretty much done after 1.5 hours). The first wine was served just a couple of minutes after we ordered an aperitif, which we had just stared drinking. Basic service rules were not always obeyed (clearing my partner’s plate just when he put down his cutlery, while I hadn’t even finished yet). All of this led to a very rushed meal and we couldn’t really enjoy the food as much as we probably would’ve in a more relaxed setting. We would come back for the delicious food but considering the rushed atmosphere we don’t think it’s worth the money, especially with the...