FACES — Restaurant in Jūrmala

Located near the beginning of Jūrmala city proper (moving from Riga), "Faces" is at prime location for ease of visit. Either as a standalone destinstion or after having enjoyed beach, leisure activities in Jūrmala. Can't comment on interior design, having visited on warm and rainy summer's day chose an outdoor table on the covered patio. Visiting washing closet was a quest. Doors being unmarked and having no outwards signs as to the occupation and rooms purpose behind the closed door. Tried to stick to the seasonal menu, excl. dessert & drink:

1. yellow tomato gazpacho - savory and full of flavour. Sprinkled with goat cheese which you can't go wrong with. Personal mistake having forgotten gazpacho is a cold soup, it didn't fit the the damp weather at all.
2. Rabbit in honey glaze with quinoa. The rosemary in the main was overpowering. Would have preffered glaze to have a more pronounced taste or to have a sauceboat to go with the rabbit and quinoa.
3. Side dish of chanterelles with new potatoes. It was excellent. When ordering I was asked if it will be a side or main, answered that it's a side for the rabbit. Expected to receive on a single plate with rabbit, without quinoa. Enjoyed non the less.
4. Ceylon cinammon spanish churros with chocolate-orange sauce. Churros had a rough surface from cinnamon and, guessing, brown sugar coating. First time trying churros with coating. Without was better. For drink sencha senpai tea served on a tea platter with appricot (or peach) preserve and candied fruit. Well sized tea pot, enough for 3 cups. Should have stopped me from churros, but gluttony...

Champagne served in white wine glasses rather than champagne flutes and when asked about replacing them were told that these glasses enhance the taste. I found it hard to believe that white wine glasses can increase the taste of champagne especially when I travelled around the world and champagne is my favourite beverage. Champagne itself was totally overpriced and was sold to us as vintage Louis Roederer champagne (the only champagne I could actually recognise on the menu!) when in fact it was sweet and definitely young grape and definitely not Louis Roederer! (How can you get it so wrong at the restaurant that claims to be “prestige”). We eventually switched to Cremant which somehow was better than “champagne”.

Also ordered a “cocktail” at a price of 14 euros that literally tasted like sugar syrup.

Food was below average. My mother in law ordered “Smoked Spanish sardines” when in fact these were Latvian sardines from the supermarket counter. My husband ordered steak “medium to rare” and it came “well done”.

Service was ok, but had to pour drinks ourselves most of the time.

I just don’t know how you can get it so wrong unless perhaps the restaurant caters for tourists that are prepared to pay anything.

I’d say for the total bill of 460 euros that we paid I’d head back to London where for the third of the price I’ll get “value for money”, quality of food and drinks and...

We recently dined at Faces Restaurant and had an unforgettable culinary experience. The seafood paella was nothing short of extraordinary, surpassing even the best I've had in Valencia. The tataki was amazing, perfectly seared and seasoned, offering a delightful burst of flavor.

The tiger shrimp were lovely, cooked to perfection with a great texture. The desserts were the highlight of the evening. The honey cake was mind-blowing, a perfect balance of sweetness and richness, lazy Napoleone cake was decadently layered and delicious.

To top it all off, the herbal tea was out of this world, a perfect ending to a fantastic meal. The service was exceptional, characterized by pleasant humor and a very friendly demeanor. Faces Restaurant truly offers a remarkable dining experience, made even better by its...