Space Falafel — Restaurant in Riga

Update 2022: got tap water after asking, waiter needed persuading though, haha. Food was decent-good. Service still below average for Riga. Patrons still pretentious. Still can't give 4 in good conscience. 2020 REVIEW: A mixed bag. Good food, not a pleasant experience. Although for some folks the good will outweigh the bad.

First things first: the food we tasted was decent to really good. Highlights: falafel - not too dry, just right, and nice sides on the dish. Hummus was really good, too. Lentil soup and halloumi were ok. The interior was very nice and stylish. It's an upscale Israeli / Middle Eastern kitchen. Service was decent, but nothing special. One staff member who served us was kind-of-kind, the other was in a "yeah whatever" mood. Portion size is restaurant portions, so take at least two dishes if you're hungry. Prices were on the high side. That's expected for a place in this part of town (we had expected even higher prices). The AC ventilation was really good for a "street food" place in a semi-basement, no smells from the kitchen.

The bad: Lack of vegetarian options on the menu. For a place with "falafel" in the name, there were only a couple vegetarian options. Almost all the dishes are meat-based. The water. We were refused tap water with a clearly-made-up-by-the-owner money grabbing excuse "we cannot serve tap water, we're a restaurant". What a load of rubbish. Just stop. You are embarrassing yourselves. The cherry on the cake was that the staff kept refilling their glasses from a water tap right in front of us. Finally, the crowd/patrons. They ruined this place for me. It was filled with botox, designer clothes being flaunted and stares. The majority of patrons literally always turned their heads to check out and stare at who came in the doors, and their clothes. Ugh. One might say this comes with the location ("Klusais centrs" part of Riga). But it's also likely a result of the heavy influencer marketing this place did on opening. It seemed full with plastic surgery insta-moms and new money, and you could feel it.

Go there within the next few weeks if you are a fashionista in search of a selfie at the hip new place. Don't go there if you are looking for value-for-money and/or a good vegetarian-friendly meal and positive vibes from the staff...

This is one of my favourite places in Riga. The food here is really amazing.

Pita with falafels is my favourite dish from all the menu, it’s so delicious and I order it almost every time when come here. Falafel (hummus/pita) from the starters — good option to share: great falafels, classic taste hummus and warm soft pita. Dessert Pyramid — there is not too sweet passion fruit mousse covered with a marzipan shell. Marzipan outside is also not too sweet, so don’t be afraid. It’s very unusual dessert and we really liked it. I would recommend to try it! Jaffa pepper cheese cake has too delicate taste, overall tastes not bad but nothing special for my opinion, I wouldn't take it again.

The service here is so nice and fast enough, even when all the tables were occupied we got our food quite quickly. The restaurant can be quite crowded in the evenings, so I recommend to book a...

Space Falafel was a highlight, offering some of the best casual food of the trip. Stacey, who looked after us, gave outstanding service — friendly, attentive, and clearly proud of the food being served.

I liked this Israeli Resturant so much that I went there TWICE for breakfast during my stay at the nearby AC Marriott Riga hotel.

The falafel was crisp on the outside and soft inside, the halloumi was grilled perfectly with that great Sudanese red sauce, and the hummus was smooth with real flavour. Same goes for Babaganouj,

The cheesecake at the end showed the same standard, rounding out the meal on a high note.

The portions were generous, and everything was served quickly without losing quality. The atmosphere was casual but welcoming, making it easy to enjoy the food without distraction. It is the type of place that shows how simple dishes can be elevated when...