PROMO Dining / January
Publicity photos
A winter
restaurant
Address:
Valkas iela 7, Riga
Open:
Mon–Sat 12.00–24.00
Sun closed
E-mail:
info@fermarestorans.lv
fermarestorans.lv
With the right atmosphere
Located in Riga’s
Quiet Centre near
one of the city’s most
beautiful parks,
Viesturdārzs, the
Ferma restaurant is
a meeting place for
people who appreciate
excellently prepared
local products as well
as those who love
the culinary classics
prepared in the
best traditions.
Chef Māris Astičs
112
/ airBaltic.com
A visit to the Ferma restaurant is like a journey into the
world of flavour, in which special thought has been given
to each stop along the way. Ferma’s chef and owner,
Māris Astičs, explains that his main goal is not running af-
ter the newest trends; instead, he wishes to create some-
thing that guests will want to return to again and again.
Astičs is one of the most talented young chefs in Latvia,
and he believes it is his duty to remain honest towards
himself and his restaurant’s guests. ‘Of course, food must
be visually pleasing and beautifully presented. But first
and foremost, it is a source of energy, and therefore one
must not forget that the guest should leave the restaurant
satiated,’ says Astičs.
Senior host Jānis Gudļevskis explains that people who
enjoy dining at Ferma appreciate not only the superb
selection of foods on the menu but also the details that
make this one of the most in-demand establishments
in all of Riga. ‘We ensure our guests the best possible
service, including several types of homemade bread and
butter and compliments of the chef at the close of each
meal,’ he says, adding that guests are more and more
often following the recommendations of the restau-
rant’s waitstaff in their desire to experience an exciting
gastronomic event.
The menu at Ferma is quite extensive and will please
both meat-lovers and vegetarians. Astičs has come to be
known as a ‘fish chef ’, so it’s no surprise that the menu
includes several types of fish. Regular guests already
know that the waitstaff will offer catches of the day
not listed on the menu, such as catfish from Latvia’s
largest river, the Daugava, zander, trout, and sea
trout. The smoked sturgeon is one of diners’ favourite
dishes on Ferma’s regular menu, especially because
it is smoked on site at the restaurant. Seeing as Astičs
is also an avid hunter, guests can sometimes also
enjoy venison tartare or fillet or other game he has
hunted himself. Dessert-lovers, for their part, are
particularly delighted by the 13 sweet dishes on Fer-
ma’s menu, each an authentic and unique creation.
The team at Ferma is very familiar with the an-
cient verity that a good meal is incomplete without
wine. It therefore offers guests a wide selection
of fine wines at friendly prices. The restaurant’s
vinothèque delights even the most sophisticated
wine lovers, and the use of Coravin technologies al-
lows them to enjoy a glass of exclusive wine without
having to order a whole bottle. Sommelier Mārtiņš
Tērauds has personally selected each of the almost
150 wines and drinks on the list. Gourmets will
appreciate one of his biggest discoveries, a Robert
Moncuit Les Vozemieux champagne. As of Septem-
ber 2018, Ferma’s wine list will be supplemented
with a new section featuring older vintages of
Italian wines.
Astičs points out that each product on the
restaurant’s menu has a story to tell. To bring
these stories to light, Ferma offers masterclasses
led by the chef that highlight the flavours of
Latvian foods. To obtain the ingredients for these
classes, participants are encouraged to join the
chef on a shopping trip to Riga’s Central Market,
which is one of the largest markets in eastern
Europe and the best place to find local products.
It’s a favourite place for many of the city’s chefs.
In his masterclasses, Astičs tells about the
products and shows how to make the best use of
their characteristic flavours. The masterclasses
focusing on sweets have been particularly well
attended, with participants learning to make
various desserts and pastries, for example,
cruffins. Ferma’s masterclasses are offered in
groups and require prior reservation.
For daytime dining, Ferma recommends its
selection of business lunches, available every
weekday from noon until 4 pm. And when the
work week is over, guests to the restaurant can
enjoy live music on Friday or Saturday evenings.
Sipping a glass of fine champagne or one of
Ferma’s signature cocktails to the sounds of a
saxophone playing in the background – what a
great plan for the weekend!
Baltic Outlook
/ 2019 / 113