The seaside taste competition “Fish Soup Taste” will be held in Ventspils for the first time
27.06.2026 - 11:00
This summer, from July 6 to 11, Ventspils will host the first-ever seaside taste contest “Fish Soup Taste”, inviting city guests and residents to go on a delicious adventure through Ventspils’ dining venues and discover the diversity of fish soups. The contest is organized by the Ventspils Tourism Information Center in cooperation with the Ventspils Culture Center, and its goal is to popularize Ventspils Maritime Festival and involve interested parties in a tasting activity dedicated to the Sea
Nine Ventspils catering establishments that responded to the Ventspils Tourist Information Centre's call to participate in the competition will be able to taste fish soups created especially for the Sea Festival. The chefs will surprise you with various recipes - from classic salmon and seafood soups to creative interpretations with smoked salmon, sprats, pike-perch meatballs, as well as cold herring fillet soup.
The following participate in the "Fish Soup Measure" competition:
The following participate in the "Fish Soup Measure" competition:
- Cafe "OTTO" with soup "Fish Concert in a Pot"
- Restaurant "Olivia" with "Seafood Soup"
- Cafe "Little Rome" with "Fat Herring Cold Soup"
- "Pilskrogs" with "Baltic Trio or Ventspils Bulbul"
- Cafe "AL-RĒ" with "Fish Meatball Soup"
- Cafe "Sea Breeze" with "Salmon Soup"
- "Skroderkrogs" with "Warming pumpkin cream soup with ginger and smoked salmon"
- "VINDAVA cafe" with "Rich salmon chowder"
- Cafe "Ventiņkrogs" with "Sprat Cream Soup".
Anyone interested will be able to try fish soup in all nine catering establishments. taste from July 6 to 11, while visitors will be able to vote for their favorite soup vote from July 6 to 10, using a QR code that will be placed at the catering location. Each voter will participate in a prize draw, where they will have the opportunity to win dinner for two at one of Ventspils' catering establishments or exciting adventures at Ventspils' tourist attractions.
As a result of the competition, one fish soup will win the title "Ventspils' most delicious fish soup 2026", which will be determined by the overall evaluation of visitors and invited experts. The jury, which will take place as an anonymous tasting, will include Aigars Silis - chef and laureate of several culinary competitions with many years of experience in Latvian gastronomy, Andris Upis - a project chef and catering professional with many years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industry. His specialization is the creation of unusual gastronomic concepts, combining high-quality food with the story of the place, environment and adventure. Andris creates author's recipes and taste experiences not only in restaurants, but also in nature, hiking and other non-standard events, creating thoughtful and memorable gastronomic adventures, as well as Iveta Roadmap - owner of the fishing farm "Dieniņas" in Bērzciems, participant in the TV show "Īstās latvju saimnieces" and custodian of the coastal culinary heritage.
The winner of the competition will be announced on July 11 during the Ventspils Maritime Festival.
"Fish Soup Taste" invites you to take a taste journey through Ventspils, discovering how diverse and modern it is possible to interpret one of the symbols of coastal cuisine - fish soup.
An invitation to participate in the competition was sent to all Ventspils catering companies that have registered on the Ventspils Tourist Information Centre website VisitVentspils.com. The regulations of the "Fish Soup Measure" competition can be found here. here.
The Ventspils Sea Festival program is available here.
Experience Ventspils through the flavors of the coast and find your most delicious fish soup!
