Max Cekot Kitchen

Back in 2018, when Max Cekot Kitchen opened in Riga, its 10-course tasting menu, its ambitious plans (own garden and vegetables, for example), its location (a 112 years old wooden factory building on the other bank of the river – so certainly not very central for Riga), was the talk-of-the-town. Everyone was eager to find out who the brave couple (Maksims Cekots and Natalija Cekote ) was behind the “Modern New Latvian Cuisine” concept served at Max Cekot. Now, five years later, it’s one of Riga’s most original and inspiring fine dining institutions serving Latvian cuisine and matching it with best of the best of contemporary wine world. Sommelier Uldis Grigalis has pretty much followed the “take no prisoners” approach here when forming Max Cekot’s long wine list (in addition to an impressive spirits list and two different wine pairing programmes). It’s an impressive collection of top producers, vintages, and formats from bottles to jeroboams. However, don’t be intimidated by the presence of all the “big guns” and back vintages – there’s plenty of value and drinking pleasure to be found here among more obscure, off-the-beaten-track regions. Enjoy!

Max Cekot’s suggestion: 2016 Inglenook Blancaneaux Blanc, a Rhone style white from Napa.

Our choice: We’d certainly need a magnum to last through all the 10 courses, so how about a nicely priced 2017 Pieropan Calvarino Soave Magnum at €135 a magnum.