STRADA started in 2004 as a tea trading company and began roasting and selling specialty coffee in 2018. At first the coffee was roasted on a small roaster inside the coffee shop. Demand outgrew it, so STRADA bought a new roaster and moved the roastery to a separate space. Being small lets it buy many different coffees in small batches and change the range and the roast profiles quickly, and the coffee bar gives it a place to try brewing methods and hear straight away what guests think. The coffee is packed in recyclable, resealable bags with paper labels, and the roastery sells green coffee for roasting at home as well as roasted beans.

The coffee bar sits on “the oldest street in Old Riga”, with a sunny terrace. Coffee is brewed as espresso and on AeroPress, pour-over and Chemex, alongside coffee mixology, cold brew and anaerobic-processed lots. The tea list is curated by experienced tea masters and runs from aged pu-erh and Taiwanese oolongs to rare traditional teas. There is yerba mate too.

STRADA also has a bar, snacks and a boutique shop for its coffee and tea, and the room doubles as STRADA art, a gallery with exhibitions, tastings and small cultural events.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: STRADA