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As the autumn approaches, the area of Tukums will once again host the nationwide tourism campaign Home Café Days where everyone in Latvia can try their hand at being a café host, chef and waiter by setting up a Pop-Up Café for one or two days in their home, yard, garage or garden. This autumn, for the fifth year running, Tukums municipality invites visitors to Home Café Days in Tukums and the surrounding area.

This year, on 13th and 14th September, 24 hosts will open their doors to guests at four local destinations. Families and groups of friends, small businesses and various tourist attractions will await the visitors here. The menus will feature both Latvian and international cuisine, including a variety of fish and meat dishes, desserts and treats. Vegetarians, too, will find something to their liking here. The diversity will also be reflected in the themes of menus of the home cafés – from picnics and garden parties to visiting grandma’s house in the countryside and opportunities to enjoy artistically prepared dishes, just like in fine restaurants.

Home cafés in Tukums and the nearest vicinity

When you hear the word “Tukums”, you immediately think of another word: “Smukums” (Beauty). The motto “Uz Tukumu pēc smukuma!” (Discover the beauty in Tukums!) originated a long time ago owing to the picturesque surroundings of the town – the hilly terrain, gardens, castles, palaces and manors and small-town charm invite you to slow down. In September, Tukums and its vicinity will offer five home cafés in the area of Durbe Castle, in the surrounding countryside and on the hills of the Ziemeļkursa uplands, as well as in the meadows of Ķemeri National Park.

Western gathering at “Sloces pērles”

This year, the home café “Sloces pērles” in Tukums, located in the courtyard of a private house in the Durbe neighbourhood, will offer a Western American and country style ambience. Line dancers will be visiting to create a truly Western atmosphere. The hosts, Anita and Arnis Vuguļi, and their helpers will entertain guests with archery, lassoing, and master classes, while those seeking peace and quiet can enjoy the autumn garden with herbal tea. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Home Café “Vīnkalni”

On home café days, Ketija Baldzēna, the owner of the country house “Vīnkalni” in Sēme, invites you to enjoy the “Charm of Autumn Raspberries” — a peaceful moment of relaxation in a granary decorated with mirrors, paintings and ponds full of water lilies. Visitors will be able to enjoy meaty snacks with raspberries and pumpkin while sitting leisurely at tables, listening to music and engaging in pleasant conversation in an idyllic rural setting under a mighty oak tree. “Vīnkalni” is a place where good people with great taste meet. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Lunch stop at a weavers’ workshop

At the home café “Lunch stop at a weavers’ workshop” near Milzukalns, you will be warmly welcomed by master woodworker Pēteris Tutāns and his wife Lolita. Guests will have an opportunity to try tasty treats andlearn about the weaver’s trade, as well as see how baskets are made. During the tour, you will also have the opportunity to meet farm animals – rabbits, goats, domestic fowl, and even ostriches! The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Greek Tavern

The home café “Greek Tavern” in Smārde will offer authentic Greek dishes accompanied by Greek music and the host’s stories about Greece allowing to experience glimpses of the sunny south and enjoy genuine flavours. Guests will be welcomed by Raivis Čilipāns and his wife Ionela. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

In a Meadow at DARE — hunter’s flavours and garden goodies

The managers of the Ķemeri National Park in Antiņciems Sanita Matule and Indulis Skrebelis once again invite you to visit “Pļava pie DAREs” (Meadow at DAREs), where you will find food and activities featuring the bounty of the meadows, gardens, and forests, as well as game. A place to enjoy a meal of your choice – on a picnic blanket in a meadow or in a white dream grove under birch trees, rocking in white chairs. The young and old alike will have the opportunity to take part in educational and engaging activities in the meadows and forests, where natural diversity and the charm of wild authenticity reign supreme. In place of honour – the old pancake (badpankūku) pan. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Home cafés in the vicinity of Irlava and Jaunpils

The residents of Tukums refer to the Irlava area as their Vecpiebalga (transl. a region in Latvia rich in cultural heritage), where many notable local figures grew up and went to school back in the day. The name of Jaunpils, on the other hand, is widely associated with the Medieval Times, which can be experienced both in the stately medieval castle and in the surrounding businesses.

On Home Café Days, eight hosts will invite visitors to come to their home cafés. Here, you will have a chance to experience different times and cuisines of various nations. Garden parties and picnics, hearty meals and various snacks will await you. It will appeal to meat lovers and vegetarians alike, and, of course, to lovers of various home-brewed beverages.

“Uz Rietumiem pie Austrumiem”

At the home café “Uz Rietumiem pie Austrumiem” (Looking West at the home of Austrumi (transl. East)in the centre of Irlava, the host Krists Austrums will delight the guests with an authentic American BBQ experience and slow-smoked delicacies. The open-air meal will be complemented by fresh salads, various pickles and a family atmosphere, where activities for both adults and children will also be offered. Smoking foodstuffs is not only a skill for Krists, but also a passion that gives each dish a special story and flavour, which is why the event will take place outdoors with the opportunity to watch the food being prepared. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Pop-up little Italy at “The bridge to nowhere”

In a quiet corner of the countryside, where time passes slowly and the road forces you to stop before the “Bridge to Nowhere”, old fieldstone walls will be brought back to life for a weekend, transforming the place into a small Italian-style café under the open sky. The pop-up home café “Pie Tilta uz nekurieni” (At the Bridge to Nowhere) will be created with love for food, people and feelings by CORNER’s Catering chef Mārtiņš Zelmenis. The home café menu will offer four carefully crafted pizzas – from classic flavours to autumnal interpretations with garden and forest ingredients. The pasta will be made right there on the spot, because preparing the dough and cooking is like a little show here, while for dessert, there will be three Italian classics to choose from. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

A hunting meal worthy of noblemen in Vecsāti

This year’s home café in Vecsāti will offer a lavish autumnal picnic. The hostess of Vecsāti Sanita Rozenšteina will offer a stylized 18th century nobility’s hunting feast. While participating in the picnic, guests will not only be able to try delicious dishes, but also learn about the history of the food and how these hunters’ meals have influenced and shaped the leisure and cooking traditions of European aristocrats. To enjoy this autumn picnic to the fullest, guests are encouraged to arrive dressed in suitable attire and with the right attitude. The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

“The peonies of Romji rock”

“Peonies of Romji” is a garden of sensations, where peonies entice with their scent in summer, birds sing and hearts rejoice, while in autumn the garden takes on an unusual air of mystery. For one day only – on Saturday, 13th September – everyone is welcome to share in the joy of flowers and the magic of nature. The daily life of hostess Laila Leja at Romji consists of tending to her peony garden and sharing her experience of growing peonies. During the home café days in September, peonies are just preparing their roots for the following year’s bloom, but guests can enjoy the autumnal garden atmosphere and romantic ambiance while sampling various savoury and sweet roulades with a cup of fragrant mint tea or coffee. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Get wings and taste poetry at “Auri”

At the home café in “Auri”, guests will be welcomed by hostess Guna Misāne and the creative “Auri” family – people who love creative adventures that bring joy and satisfaction. On Saturday, 13th September, enjoy a relaxed and romantic picnic with welcoming hosts in a scenic rural setting. Here, visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of “Auri” – between the silence of nature and the warmth of human hearts, indulging in the winged and creative flavour palette of the world of poetry both at the “Poet’s Tavern” and the “Folk Songs by the Sauna Spirit.” Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

“Garden Party” at the Nature’s Event Garden

At the garden party “Nature’s Event Garden” at Arta and Artūrs Dumbri’s house, every visitor will find their favourite spot in the vast grounds to enjoy the day’s events with exciting activities for the whole family, delicious dishes prepared by the hosts, snacks and various homemade drinks. From fresh vegetables to hearty main courses, our carefully prepared offerings from the plant world will surprise and delight everyone! The café will be welcoming guests on both days – 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

The 17-star restaurant at Celmiņi

On Home Café Days, two BBQ culture enthusiasts, Māris and Artis, will join forces at the Celmiņi family home, offering their original BBQ dishes and pairing them with home-brewed beer. Here, you will have the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and natural beauty on a well-kept farm, as well as watch food being prepared outdoors and enjoy the day in a family atmosphere or in the company of good friends. However, it must be noted that this offer is no longer available, as all places have been sold out.

Meal at the estate of Baron von der Recke

One day only – on Saturday, 13th September – you are cordially invited to visit the café at the Rogas country house near Jaunpils, once owned by Baron von der Recke! Hostess Veronika Smirnova and her family have been running an organic farm for more than 20 years, turning their own produce into delicious meals cooked on a wood-burning stove. On Home Café Days, you can enjoy a hearty goulash soup, lamb stews, cutlets, sausages, and homemade desserts. The dishes are complemented by old family recipes, warm hospitality and a special rural atmosphere that makes you feel at home. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Autumn flavours on the coast

The municipality of Tukums has nearly 60 km of seashore which is home to many fishing villages. This autumn, six home cafés will welcome visitors in the stretch from Lapmežciems to Bērzciems. You will be able to try fish, as well as autumn produce from local gardens, prepared in a variety of ways. International cuisine and local home recipes will be on offer. It will be thoughtful and fun. Remember, when heading to the coast, be prepared not only for delicious food, but also for lively conversations!

Captain Reinis’ flavour cruise

In the old fishing village of Lapmežciems, guests are invited to embark on a culinary adventure through three countries – from Thailand to Latvia and Spain – at Captain Reinis’ flavour cruise café, where the main attraction is fish that has been smoked and prepared in-house. The family business “Reinis B” has been lovingly continuing fishing traditions for more than 23 years, and this year, for the second time round, it is offering delicious meals, stories about fishing, and the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rhythm of coastal life in a welcoming environment filled with fisherfolk stories. Guests will be welcomed for one day only – Saturday, 13th September– by mother Alla Bečere and the families of her three sons, Aivis Gleitners, Reinis Bečers, and Agnis Pūrs. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Live green on the coast!

Home café “Live green on the coast!” In the old fishing village of Lapmežciems, guests will be welcomed by the creative team of Jūrciems, offering delicious dishes made from local plants and nature-inspired masterclasses. The hostesses Ieva Einause, Ieva Janelsiņa-Briede, Vineta Vējone, Dace Treimane-Freimane, Iveta Meiere and Anete Norīte want to highlight and show their visitors that coastal villages are a great place to discover and enjoy nature’s treasures and, thanks to them, improve one’s health. Guests will be welcome to visit on Saturday evening to enjoy an evening film, as well as all day Sunday. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

With cheerful chefs

On both days in September, at the home café “Baltā Saule” in Ragaciems, guests will be welcomed by the hosts of “Grandma’s kitchen” Juris and Alda Pļaviņi with hearty home-cooked meals, including the legendary Jurčiks’ shish-kebab, and a healthy dose of humour from the girls at “Workshop of smiles”. At the stove — cooks who know what real grandma’s food tastes like and not just an “Instagram portion”. Cheerful chefs will sing, dance, cook, and laugh, and they will do it all together with the guests. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Creative house “Sea Stories”

The hostess of the creative farmstead “Sea Stories” in Engure Baiba Dorne – a descendant of ten generations of sailors – invites visitors to enjoy stories of the sea and her family, Latvian autumn flavours, take part in creative workshops, and listen to the sounds of kokle (transl. a traditional Latvian string instrument) during the Home Café Days on Saturday and Sunday. The event will be accompanied by a kokle concert and creative workshops. This will be a place where food, heritage and proximity to the sea come together in a heartfelt, inspiring experience. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

At Kundziņi

At the coastal home café “At Kundziņi” in Bērzciems, during the Home Café Days, guests will be welcomed by the family of Sindija Kundziņa, who make delicious dairy products “Kundziņ’siers” and will offer cheese nuggets, snack platters, yoghurt dishes to be enjoyed in a cosy atmosphere especially suited for families with children. Younger visitors will get a chance to enjoy soft ice cream and children’s menu, while adults can purchase local delicacies to take away. Guests are welcome on both Saturday and Sunday. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Hostess’s Kitchen — Grand Room "Lielistaba"

At the fishing homestead “Dieniņas”, the Celkarti family has been keeping up old fishing traditions for five generations. On both days in September, guests will be welcomed with stories from the locals, offering fish dishes prepared according to old recipes, and a romantic feast in the Grand Room. The home café “Dieniņas” will take you on a journey through time in terms of tastes and sensations alike. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Cafés in the Kandava area

The Abava River Valley is particularly scenic in autumn. During the golden autumn days, its hills and valleys with cultivated fields and lush meadows take your breath away with the beauty of Latvia. There will also be a wide range of offerings at five cafés in Kandava. Here, you can enjoy the meals in the garden and in the meadow. Here, you will find home cooking and dishes inspired by other countries. Here, you will find the flavours of Latvia and the world all in one place.

Home Café “Vēsmas”

The home café “Vēsmas” in a picturesque meadow far from the urban hustle and bustle invites you to enjoy a three-course meal close to nature – a hearty vegetable soup in a bread bowl, cheese zucchini boats, and a dessert of your choice. On Saturday, 13th September, the hostess Daiga Pelīte will offer a peaceful atmosphere, delicious local dishes and a warm welcome, allowing you to truly relax and feel that life here is quieter and tastier. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

OGLE at Kalnēni

At the home café “OGLE at Kalnēni”, owners Mārcis and Kristiāna Kūmi and their family invite guests to enjoy a carefully selected autumn meal – from boletus soup and Napoleon’s shish-kebab to smoked salmon waffles and cheesecake, as well as take a tour of the Kalnēni farm, leisurely stroll along the pond trail and buy homemade products at the “OGLE” concept store. Here, you will find rural peace, family hospitality and rich Latvian flavours. The hosts will welcome guests on both 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

Kalnmuiža apple orchard

This autumn, one of the most beautiful parts of the Abava River Valley – Kalnmuiža – will be filled with flavours and stories from Georgia, as the nature of Kurzeme meets Georgian hospitality. On Home Café Days, at a picturesque apple orchard overlooking the ancient Abava river valley in Kalnmuiža, the hostess Kristīne Otmane and Georgian Vika Kacevica invite you to enjoy Georgian hospitality and culinary delights at their home café. Guests will enjoy Georgian-inspired meals, stories, and music intertwined with the landscape of Kurzeme and local farm produce. The hostesses will welcome guests on both 13th and 14th September. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here. 

Festival “Smilgājfests”

This autumn, the creative house Smilgāji will host the festival “Smilgājfests” — an autumn festival inspired by German flavours and Schlager (German country-style) songs, held in a greenhouse in the Latvian countryside. Hostess Aiga Bitmane invites you to enjoy delicious food, “Saldalus” beer, a cheerful atmosphere, also including options for vegetarians and young guests. Festival “Smilgājfests” invites you to experience German-Latvian flavours, German Oktoberfest music, and the joys of autumn with beer, Schlager music, and a heartfelt atmosphere. The café will be open on both days. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

World flavours on the edge of Kurzeme

At the guest house “Smiltiņi” in the area of Vāne, hosts Marika and Andris Sprūde invite you to enjoy “World flavours on the edge of Kurzeme” at their home café, including family favourites from Hungary, Italy, France, Thailand, and, of course, Latvia. Guests here will be welcomed like friends – with warmth, rural peace and meals that travel the world but are rooted in our own kitchen. Guests will be welcomed here on Saturday, September 13. Read more about the offer of the café and the menu here.

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Additional information for visitors to home cafés

When planning your route, check the home café opening hours and visiting conditions – whether advance booking is required and what the payment arrangements are. Please contact the owners of the specific location in advance and reserve your time for a visit, as most home cafés have limited seating. The opening hours are as indicated in their offers: some cafés will be open only on one day, others on both days. Depending on weather conditions and demand, the way food is served at the event may differ from the images in the brochure or on the website. PLEASE remember that most home café owners are NOT professional catering business operators.

More information about home cafés in Tukums municipality in September can be found here or here. 

We would like to ask you to fill out a survey after visiting the home café, as every visitor’s opinion matters to the home café owners and the coordinators of this campaign. The QR code for the survey questionnaire is available from the café owners, at the campaign brochure, or here. By filling out the questionnaire, you will be entered in a draw to win a souvenir set from the Tukums Tourist Information Centre. The winner will be determined using a computer software and notified afterwards using the contact details provided in the questionnaire.

Let’s travel in autumn and enjoy dishes created by the people of Tukums!