Harper Woolf — Restaurant in Riga

Disappointing Experience at an overpriced, tourist-oriented restaurant.

We chose Harper Wolf for a special birthday celebration of a close person, in a part of Riga that holds deep personal meaning — a neighborhood filled with childhood memories, once home and the place where school years were spent. Unfortunately, the experience turned out to be frustrating as Harper Wolf failed on every front.

Reservation & Arrival I booked a table in advance for a birthday celebration, but was not informed about ongoing renovations. Upon arrival, the lobby was under active construction—loud, messy, and uninviting. It was unclear whether the restaurant was even open. Inside, the dining area was empty and not separated from the noisy lobby. When I asked to be seated somewhere quieter, the waiter offered only the terrace, with no alternatives. No one from the restaurant had reached out in advance to inform us or offer options.

Terrace Seating The terrace was poorly arranged. A work van blocked the park view, the sunshade didn’t cover our group, and the tables were unstable—we had to use napkins to level them. Compared to other restaurants like Mio, the atmosphere lacked charm and thoughtful design.

Restroom Confusion When I asked to wash my hands, the staff seemed unsure. Eventually, someone guided me till the place, but while I was using the sink, a cleaner began pouring water into a bucket beside me—an awkward and inconsiderate moment that reflected poor guest care.

Service Service was inattentive and unprofessional. The waiter recited the menu without enthusiasm and made no effort to improve our experience. Despite being the only guests, he failed to clear the table properly and even placed new cutlery on top of used ones. When appetizers arrived, no individual plates were provided, making sharing uncomfortable.

Food • Bread & Butter: Served frozen and inedible at first—we had to wait for it to thaw in the sun. • Appetizers: Dutch croquettes (duck and tuna) were bland and lacked flavor (€17.50). The glazed beef tongue (€14.45) was overly sweet with little depth. Scallops were ordered but never served. • Main Courses: • Eggplant dish (€21) was overwhelmed by a thick batter, masking the vegetable’s flavor. In short, it was not eatable dish, however we are fans of eggplant. • Grilled veal steak (€26) was well-cooked, but the accompanying meat was overdone and the sauce forgettable. • In the wild deer dish (€26), the mushrooms and sauce stood out more than the meat itself. • Dessert: A nitrogen-cooled pastry set (€39) looked impressive but was disappointing—small portions, some pastries cut in half, and a honey cake that was difficult to eat due to its texture. Actually it consisted of 2 "honey cake", 4 small profiteroles and 2 pastries cutt into two pieces.

Summary The food was mediocre, the service inattentive, and the atmosphere chaotic. Despite booking in advance, we were not warned about the renovation or offered alternatives. The overall experience felt careless and overpriced. For €160, the birthday celebration was frustrating and disappointing.

Recommendation to locals and tourists There are far better options in the city—Ferma, Italissimo, Reviera, and Catch all offer superior food, service, and value.

I do not recommend...

Decided to give this new restaurant a try during Restaurant Week. Booked a late lunch. Amazing ambience - arched cellar vibes and dark decor really work - an excellent place for a romantic or private dinner or even lunch. Ordered a Rose - cannot remember the name but it was deliciously full and luscious for a Rose, yet light enough for lunch.It all started with Muramasa tuna with smoked watermelon, quince-yuzu sauce, and herb croquettes. Not sure why it's called Muramasa because Muramasa was a famous swordsmith and his Katana's were especially famous. The tuna was thin and flavourful especially when eaten with the unusual smoked watermelon slices. The quince-yuzu sauce added some tanginess to the mixture of flavours. My only complaint is that the tuna slices could have been more like traditional sashimi -thicker cut, with matched thicker slices of watermelon. The herb croquettes were perfect - crunchy with a nice delicate herb taste. Onto the turbot fillet with Svaigassenes oysters, black tiger prawns, and gourd-quince-apple sauce. The turbot was well cooked but surprisingly my prawns were a little overcooked and rubbery. The julienne of mushrooms were delicately flavourful. Dessert was the pièce de résistance: Apple, caramel, rowan-vanilla ice cream, Calvados, and waffle crunch. The two waiters lit the Calvados at the table which reminded me of the brandy being poured over Christmas pudding and lit when I was growing up. The apple was a work of art - really - and the rowan-vanilla ice cream balanced the caramel and Calvados perfectly. Most likely one of the best desserts I have had. All in all a fabulous meal!...

The ambiance and cuisine are commendable, although I would hesitate to rate it a full five stars. There is room for improvement, particularly in the realm of service. During our visit, despite being only two guests, there was a noticeable discrepancy in the timing of our meals, with one dish arriving significantly earlier than the other. Additionally, there was a lack of attentiveness from the staff, as evidenced by the need to personally approach the bartender for a glass of wine, as no waiter attended to our table.

While I found the flavor of the steak to be satisfactory, it was disconcerting that no inquiry was made regarding my preferred level of doneness. Fortunately, it arrived cooked to my liking, though I would expect such a question to be standard practice in a fine establishment.

Furthermore, the menu presented on an iPad felt somewhat tacky, and I would prefer a traditional paper menu in the future. The availability of a QR code in the lobby showcasing images of the dishes seems promising, but it feels underutilized in conjunction with the digital menu, which can be challenging to navigate and comprehend.

In summary, I would rate my experience a solid four stars. However, I would be inclined to revise my rating to five stars in the future if the establishment can address these concerns, particularly improving the service quality and ensuring consistency with food preparation, such as...