What are the happy-hour times at each Riga hostel?

Hedgehogs 6-8pm daily, Naughty Squirrel 8-10pm daily, Cinnamon Sally Thursday-Saturday 9-10pm during pub-crawl warm-ups. They stack cleanly, so you can do all three in one night.

How cheap is a Riga hostel beer compared to a bar beer?

Hostel happy hour: €2.50 for a Latvian lager. Old Town tourist bar: €4.50-5. Non-tourist bar like Piens on Miera iela: €3-3.50. The hostel happy hours are the cheapest way to drink in central Riga.

Can non-guests use hostel happy hours?

Naughty Squirrel's bar is open to everyone 24 hours. Hedgehogs' bar serves non-guests during happy hour. Cinnamon Sally is technically guests-only but staff generally don't check if you walk in with a guest.

Do the happy-hour specials include Riga Black Balsam?

Yes, at all three hostels. The €2 shot of Black Balsam is the signature discount during happy hours — cheaper than buying a 100ml bottle at the Rimi grocery next door. The Black Balsam with blackcurrant juice at €3 is the first-timer entry.

Happy Hour✻Riga✻3 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Happy Hour✻Riga✻3 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Happy Hour✻Riga✻3 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻

Riga Happy HourRanked guide

Best Hostels with Happy Hour in Riga

Three Riga hostels run genuine nightly happy hours with discounted Latvian beer and Riga Black Balsam shots: Naughty Squirrel's 8-10pm slot, Hedgehogs' 6-8pm earlier pour, and Cinnamon Sally's rotating pre-crawl bar specials. Together they form a stackable pub-crawl circuit within a 5-minute walk of Merķeļa iela 1.

◉ Ranking · 3 picks

01Cinnamon Sally Backpackers Hostel€18
02Naughty Squirrel Backpackers Hostel€21
03Hedgehogs Backpackers Hostel€19

§ 01 — Traveler's take

“The happy-hour circuit is why you stay near Merķeļa iela 1 even if you're not a party traveler. Start at Hedgehogs 6-8pm for the earlier pour and the Latvian restaurant dinner, walk 30 seconds down the stairwell to Naughty Squirrel's 8-10pm slot for beer pong, and if Cinnamon Sally has a pub crawl night you'll end there before rolling into Old Town. All three bars accept non-guests if you ask at reception, so you can mix and match freely. Pints at €2.50 during happy hours vs. €4.50-5 in Old Town tourist bars — the savings add up over a three-night stay.”

§ 02 — The ranked list

Our Top 3 Picks

★ 9.02,315 reviews€18/night

Cinnamon Sally Backpackers Hostel

Cinnamon Sally sits at Merķeļa iela 1, directly opposite Riga Central Station and a five-minute walk to the Old Town. Famous in Baltic backpacker circles for its homemade breakfast, bottomless free coffee and a strict adults-only, no-stag-party policy that keeps the vibe travel-sociable rather than chaotic.

Directly opposite Riga Central Station, 8 min walk to Old Town
9.0 rating over 2315 Booking reviews, top-tier Riga backpacker rank
Included fresh-waffle breakfast and free coffee all day
Adults-only, no-stag-party, no-under-18 door policy

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★ 8.7503 reviews€21/night

Naughty Squirrel Backpackers Hostel

Naughty Squirrel has been Riga's headline party hostel since 2007, a three-minute walk from Town Hall Square and home to the 24-hour on-site bar that runs beer pong, trivia and movie nights on rotation. Australian-owned, dog-friendly, and famous for organizing the Latvian Olympic bobsled trip in Sigulda and the AK-47 shooting day at the firing range outside town.

Three-minute walk to Town Hall Square in Riga Old Town
24-hour on-site bar with happy hour 8pm to 10pm nightly
Bookable Sigulda Olympic bobsled run and AK-47 shooting day
Smart-card dorm access, under-bed lockers fit a 70L pack

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★ 8.3525 reviews€19/night

Hedgehogs Backpackers Hostel

Hedgehogs sits on the second floor of the same Merķeļa iela 1 building as Cinnamon Sally, opposite Riga Central Station. The split is clear: Cinnamon Sally does breakfast and quiet, Hedgehogs does the bar, karaoke, ping-pong and live music nights. In-house restaurant, mini-mart, 24-hour front desk and a 9.6 couples location rating anchor it.

Same building as Cinnamon Sally at Merķeļa iela 1, opposite Central Station
In-house bar with nightly happy hour, karaoke, live music
Ground-floor Latvian restaurant and mini-mart on site
Soundproof air-conditioned rooms, 9.6 couples location rating

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§ 03 — Tips

Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Happy Hour in Riga

Tip Nº 01

Stack Hedgehogs 6-8pm then Naughty Squirrel 8-10pm for 4 hours of €2.50 pints in the same Merķeļa iela 1 building.

Tip Nº 02

First Black Balsam shot at Cinnamon Sally is free on arrival if you ask at reception. Mix it with blackcurrant juice your first time — the straight 45% bitter is an acquired taste.

Tip Nº 03

Old Town bars (Chomsky, Piens Bar, Folkklubs Ala) run pints at €4.50-5. The €2 happy-hour savings per drink add up fast on a multi-night stay.

Tip Nº 04

Naughty Squirrel's bar is 24-hour, but happy-hour pricing only applies 8-10pm. After 10pm, beer jumps to €3.50-4.

Tip Nº 05

Ask reception about pub crawl pricing — some crawls include 3 shots and a drink at the first bar for €15, which beats paying €2.50 per drink at the hostel bar alone.

Tip Nº 06

Valmiermuiža and Labietis are the two local Latvian breweries you'll see on happy-hour taps. Labietis has the smoked beer (Rauchbier) that's worth trying if you know German beer styles.

§ 04 — Other vibes