Victory Pub Riga — Restaurant in Riga

On trying to find a small, cosy pub we came across here and I certainly does look intruiging from the outside.

Now, small and cosy it might not be BUT this place is actually home to a chess club and is very quirky, we started playing a game of chess and one of the team (who by all accounts are at a very high level throughout Europe) came over and started chatting with us.

Possibly after looking at the state of our board and probably feeling a deep sense of pity for our chess skills this gentleman decided he'd show us a few moves. First up was the quickest possible checkmate with 3 moves and interestingly enough..... B-A-M..... checkmate was pronounced with a smash into the pieces which saw pawns, knights and bishops galore all over the place 🤣 I never knew that chess could be quite so dramatic.

The lessons continued between smokes where he would pass us on his way out. I never did catch his name but he was certainly a character and I would go back to this place in a flash just for another lesson from this guy.

As for the pub itself, its certainly a quirky place to whittle away a few drinks, plenty of little alcoves to explore, the bar staff were great and the price from what I remember is reasonable...

Around 3 o'clock in the morning, we were on our way to the AirBnB when we fruitlessly searched for a bar with freshly tapped beer and some atmosphere. Along the way, we passed by a pub named "Victory." The name seemed promising, so we decided to go in. At the door, we were approached by a friendly, older man who bore a resemblance to the German politician Friedrich Merz. He explained that we should talk to him, as there was an exciting show happening in the basement - a bachelor show. Being young and curious, we ventured into the secret basement. We were well aware that it was probably a scam, yet the ladies were very nice. Thanks to you, Friedrich, who acted like Pablo Escobar, for this...

Victory Pub doesn’t serve drinks — it serves moments. Laughter, camaraderie, spontaneous dance-offs, and stories we’ll be telling for years — that’s what we got. And at the heart of it all? Līga, our unstoppable spirit guide, party captain, and honorary MVP of the night. She didn’t just lead us to Victory — she was the victory. With her boundless energy, razor-sharp wit, and superhuman ability to get a group hyped, she turned a great night into an unforgettable one.

So if you’re looking for a pub that punches above its weight class and delivers a knockout night every time… look no further. Just make sure Līga’s in the mix — because that’s when the real...