Riviera

Food was very good. Innovative and attractive presentation. Large portions. An appetizer and a main leave no room for dessert! Force yourself! Wine list a bit limited. When full of guests I expect that it will be very noisy.

Wouldn’t recommend for an anniversary as we were sat so close to another couple that our dinner was literally overshadowed by their loud conversation.

Wine was very good. Server was polite and prompt. Appetizer (mushrooms on toast) was okay. Fiancé had lobster spaghetti. Serving was very small

I had the steak frites... my steak was extremely tough and had a very bubble gummy sort of texture. As a steak lover I can say it was one of the worst steaks I’ve had in recent memory. The sauce was good but couldn’t make up for the tough chewy meat.

This place has got a nice slightly retro feel and they serve a wide selection of cocktails. It’s a little pricey but the food is great. I highly recommend their halibut and duck breast

Delicious lunch of seafood chowder with a glass of Sparkling (cuvée Myla). It was a big, buzzing space - unpretentious for it’s caliber. The staff made an effort to be welcoming, and they were attentive. I am happy I went, my meal was delicious, I’d say 4.5/5, as there was something missing to make it an ‘exceptional’ experience although I can’t put my finger on just what. Staff could be a touch more conversational, that may be it

At Friday lunch, the place was busy, good share of the Ottawa lobbyists and other "in" people, dining/wining, The place is nice, a converted old bank, there is an open table, and the food is very good. So this is a welcome place in Ottawa.

We went for a friend’s birthday celebration. Riviera was a first for some of us and were pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. It is an open space setup (the kitchen and its staff can be observed from the dining area) that is dimly lit and well decorated. Staff was friendly and helpful, but the best part was the food. Will definitely go back.

Very great food and atmosphere. Also very aware of allergies and made sure everything was safe.

Good food, high prices. The lobster pasta sauce was good but the spaghetti was undercooked (I just had a vacation in Italy - so I know when pasta is undercooked). The duck was very good but the sauce was very oversalted. The chocolate tart was delicious.

We had great service, and a very good meal!
Went here to celebrate an intimate birthday with for my husband and Riviera did not disappoint.

Perfection.

This was my first visit to this restaurant & I was quite impressed. The food was unique & cooked to perfection. The ambiance was chic but not pretentious. Service was attentive. Can’t wait to visit again.

I had much higher expectations of Riviera. The food was good but not spectacular. I ordered clam chowder, it had a lot of see food, but it did not really taste like clam chowder but more like creamy soup with seafood in it. I also ordered lamb which was really good served with pure celery root. This dish was very nice but caused me a heart burn (which I have very, very rarely). For desert we shared a dark chocolate tart and it was not really good. It was a combination of salty and sweet and I personally did not enjoy it. Service was just OK. I think Riviera is

Delicious food and fabulous service - an excellent dinner

Outstanding place imho

Graduation

Nice ambience but our waiter was quite short with us

Riviera is a nice restaurant, with nicely curated tables, seats, and especially beautiful lamp on the table.

Unfortunately, the experience was not enhanced by the service. Aside from a quick round of ‘how is your dinner?’, we had very little interaction with our server (it would have been nice to hear about the menu, get some suggestions about drinks, and know more about the food we were eating).

The cocktails and the starters (nicely seasoned, refreshing iceberg wedge, and beautifully smooth chicken liver pate with nice counterpoint of slightly spiced chutney) were very good. However, the halibut (with a delightfully crunchy crust of dill pickle chips) was slightly overcooked and dry. The chanterelles were nicely cooked accompanying the duck breast, unfortunately, the dish ate a little sweet overall with the sauce.

The desserts (pavlova and crème brûlée) finished the meal nicely, although the rustic presentation of the crème brûlée feels a little out of place with the nicely plated pavlova dessert at the same table...

I enjoyed our dinner at your restaurant however i would recommend that on your steak and frites that the frites are put in a vessel to protect them from the bordelaise sauce as there is nothing worse than a soggy frites when you want crispy.

These guys can cook! Multiple courses everyone was remarkable, Scallop crude, beef tartare, mushroom toast and a ridiculously amazing lamb shank. This is the real deal.

Given the locale (Sparks street) and high-end interior I was expecting the ambiance to be quieter and bit more intimate. The music playlist and volume, the general atmosphere of lots of sounds (and positive energy, to be fair!) from the cooking area and the cook/wait staff, made it feel a bit more "clubby" than expected.

The food, service and the atmosphere are all really good - everything is just also really expensive.

Fantastic on all counts! Service was first class.

Nous avons beaucoup apprécié la qualité des plats. Dommage que la musique soit si forte au point d'avoir des difficultés à avoir une conversation

Business lunch

Was not pleased the steak frites was not on the lunch menu for lunch!

The food and drink selections were all fantastic. We had the usual amazing service and advice on pairings and choices. Fall inspired starter such as delicata squash rings is highly recommended. The pavlova and the chocolate tart are favourites for those with a sweet tooth.

Best restaurant in town and super cool ambience in the old bank building

It was fantastic night . Birthday celebration . We definitely going back . The food was amazing . Steak was cooked to perfection

The seafood chowder & halibut were delicious. The food, drinks & service were outstanding.

Riviera is consistently excellent. This time it gets bonus points in my books for being extra accommodating with one of our guests being in a hurry to catch a flight. Stunning food arrived in a timely way and our guest who was in Ottawa for 20 hours found this 1 hour meal the highlight of his visit. Although we were in a hurry we never felt rushed and had a wonderful dining experience. Look forward to the next visit.

Absolutely!!
I loved the smoke salmon!
Desert was fantastic - chocolate tart

Excellent location, beautiful decor and design, great service and food. I would gladly recommend Riviera for lunch and a dinner dinning experience.

Everything was outstanding from beginning to end! Great birthday celebration!

Came here for our anniversary dinner. Wonderful experience!

Excellent food and excellent service. We had a fantastic time

Awesome. Great food.

Amazing place with great food and outstanding service

Our server was very knowledgeable and excellent as well as friendly. Great place!

The food was spectacular. Being adventurous eaters is a necessity for this restaurant as you will not find many “basic” options.

We just wish there had been more dessert options as nothing really interested us from the dessert menu.

Great place to have dinner, but I had some concerns with both food and service, food wise, the temperature on my duck was a little over and pacing on the food was a little fast. In terms of service, there was a lot of confusion across multiple people and it led to a a few minor disruptions in our dinner.