Riviera

This is likely the best meal I've ever had--subtle, inspiring, and a true joy to eat. I hope to have another opportunity to return.

Really interesting interior. Good responsive service. Good boozey cocktails if expensive. Food was just fine - it's basically pasta or meat potato and veg. Nothing tasted all that original. Presentation was on par with a chain restaurant. I had dill chip crusted halibut with fava beans and potatoes. Potato was a basic boiled potato. Fava beans tasted essentially of nothing and did nothing to complement the flavours. Halibut was nice maybe a tad chewy. Whole thing smothered in a one-note dill sauce. Price was eye-watering.

Service was excellent. Burger came medium rare. Should probably tell guest that is how it is served. Many people aren't comfortable with medium rare. It was sent back and another was cooked well done. Chicken in chicken milanese was a bit tough and over done. Tasty but was hard to cut and tough in the taste. Wine selection was great. Music was loud. Seating was very comfortable.

The food and ambience of Riviera are outstanding. When paying that much for a fine meal, I do not appreciate being blasted by loud rock music. The owners should consider how loud music adversely impacts an otherwise first-class dining experience.

We love sitting at the bar and watching the chefs, found the food too salty overall. Bar stools are too close to the bar for some, would be nice to be able to adjust the distance between the bar and the chair. Music a little too loud for us. It was our 6th visit and the music seem better in the early days. Overall a very pleasant experience.

Hi Mackenzie,
You were amazing. What a pleasure to meet you. You always have a space at our table. Please stay in touch:) 604/551-7331. Warm regards Parise and Egbert

Food was very disappointing. I ordered composed steak salad med rare. Steak was overcooked and extremely salty. The beans were drenched in the sauce which was also too salty. Unfortunately it was a client meeting and I wasn't going to send it back.

We were on time for our reservation and we were sat right away by a friendly host, but our server was slammed when we arrived. As a result of being too busy (and by her own admission) it took a long time to be greeted by her at the table and then she forgot our initial drink order and had to come back to the table to ask us for our order again, causing another delay. Our server was apologetic about these mishaps, but that didn’t help the speed of service. After that, service evened out, but it was never exceptional - just ok. A second person who stopped by our table to ask “have you been served yet?” offered to answer menu questions, but he incorrectly described a dish we asked about by telling us the pasta was stuffed with polenta (he meant pancetta) which didn’t instill confidence in his menu knowledge. Our cocktails (once they arrived) were well-prepared. The raw menu items (tuna crudo and beef tartare) were exceptional. Our wine by the glass was good. The pastas were tasty, but shockingly small. We are used to pasta courses that aren’t the typical Americanized huge portions, but the lobster spaghetti was literally three forkfuls of pasta. The hen pasta was similarly small. The taste of both was great but we were left feeling a lack of value for the price. As mentioned, we weren’t expecting huge portions but ours were shockingly small. The bottle of wine we ordered was recommended by our server and it was excellent. Dessert was cheese (excellent) and crepe brûlée (not set - runny - very disappointing).

We have been to Riviera before and had a much better experience. For me, this time was a miss. Mostly due to the pasta and the dessert. For the price, we have higher standards for value and quality.

Outstanding

Very loud buzz in busy restaurant. That’s ok if you aren’t looking for a romantic dinner. The background music was extremely loud and more like a rock concert than dining ambience but I guess if you are ok with loud rock behind your expensive dining experience, it’s fine.

Prices are very high.

Excellent seafood tower and Sancerre. Ambiance is great, trendy. Have been there several times, never disappoints.

Love this restaurant, it’s like walking into an episode of Mad men. Great food and the drinks are really original. Must try

Food was very mediocre for the price and hype. I got the riv burger and I would compare it to a slightly better a&w burger. The tuna was also ok, nothing special. Service was really good though, and I did enjoy the atmosphere.

Terrific absolutely terrific

Alex the sommelier and Gillian the server were amazing. Very friendly and knowledgeable. The building is beautiful and the atmosphere is incredibly chic. The food was good - definitely crafted with care. Overall a lovely evening.

Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in a very long time. Awesome food, service was amazing and the atmosphere is great. Had the tuna crudo it was meant in your mouth you wouldn’t have known it was fish. Shared with my husband the halibut and steak and so delicious. We sat at a table but the bar looked really cool to sit at you could watch the bartenders mix cocktails and they had some pretty cool cocktails. I can see why it’s one of Canada’s 100 best restaurants

Great meal, wonderful service and, as usual, the best whisky sour!

My best meal in Ottawa, by far. Refined yet relaxed, complex flavours and careful presentation. As tables are close, noise is an issue. Good, friendly but attentive service.

The restaurant itself is very welcoming and beautiful with a fun vibe. My only complaint is that everything was over-salted including, the steak and the frites.

We enjoyed our meal but did not enjoy sitting in a booth very close to the neighbouring couple and I expect they felt the same. There was a absolutely no privacy.

Thank you for an amazing experience in one of my favourite places on ottawa.

Great food, music and service! Room is beautiful and a great experience overall

The food is very average: had the chicken liver pate, lobster pasta, and tagliatelle. The former was good, but the pastas extremely average, and the lobster had no flavour whatsoever, but the space is nice, and the service pretty decent.

Excellent burger, salade immangeable à cause du sel - le resto nous a offert de partager un dessert pour nous dédommager, très chouette même si le dessert était quelconque - mais atrocement cher ! Un burger et un cappuccino: 47$ avec le pourboire ! Vraiment exagéré...

Great restaurant. A must if you go to Ottawa. Great cocktails. Loved the beef tartare with truffle appetizer and mushroom on toast.

Outstanding experience. Food was out of this world. Highly recommended

A lovely night out! Table was ready when we arrived 15 minutes early which was great. Cocktails were good, but overpriced IMO. We were very excited to see Pearl Morissette on the wine list and it didn’t disappoint. The beef tartare was fabulous, as was the seafood chowder. Mixed reviews on the pasta in the lobster spaghetti that evening. The halibut with dill pickle chip crust was tasty but there was a dill after taste that lingered. Our server was engaged, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, she was great!

Always fabulous. It is loud but good atmosphere and staff are terrific.

Lovely celebration at your restaurant! Dessert wasn’t as expected, perhaps waiter could describe desserts. But waiter was great attentive but unobtrusive.

Amazing food and drink, however our service was sub par, myself and company felt as if we were a last priority among tables and were at some points neglected by our server.

Overall a nice experience but: the egg yolk in my raviolo was cool, the pasta on my wife’s dish was undercooked. There was only one working toilet and it cost >$200 (and we didn’t have dessert).
When the waiter asked how everything was, I said “not perfect”, but he just walked off.
It was a good experience overall, but I’m not sure I’m rushing back.

A bit loud for my taste (music could be more subtle).

I've been going to Riviera for a few years now, the menu has gotten smaller and the cost has really gone up exponentially. I don't think I'll be going back. Also the menu online never matches the menu at the resto. The price point is much too high for the food.

Great food and great service

The food and service matches the outstanding reputation Riviera has in Ottawa. The cocktails were delicious and expertly prepared, seafood was fresh and delicious, and everything else we asked for exceeded our expectations. Well done!!

Comfortable, classy, respectively priced, clean, fantastic food, staff amazing! Absolutely best Lime Daiquiri! Perfect place for our anniversary.

Awesome!!!

Amazing lunch!

The dining room is very exclusive, wait staff attentive, food superb, BUT.... why have the music so loud that you need to yell to your dining companions. Don't get it. You want to be recognized as a top restaurant and it was on my bucket list, but the music took away from everything. It should be light jazz in the background to fit the image you want and the clientele I think you're trying to get.

Véra and Simon were unbelievably patient and attentive.

The food was excellent.

The visit to the former vault and wine cellar was a fun experience and, the champagne to toast The Champagne Kid a lovely touch!