Went to Riviera Dec 4th at 6pm and am now in the midst of a bad case of food poisoning. Started feeling sick 4 hours after eating. Avoid at all costs !!! I had the scallops and lobster spaghetti.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Nicholas Angrignon
I recently visited this restaurant for the first time with my partner to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. My first reaction was how beautiful the space is amazing ambiance, very chic, and the service was wonderful, quick, and very friendly. I will say the tables are quite close to each other, which makes it feel like you can hear other people’s conversations, but the music does help drown it out a bit.
Now for the food: it is definitely on the pricier side, which we expected. We ordered a starter, the sea scallop chowder, to share. The scallops were cooked to perfection, but the chowder itself was lacking flavor, and the Kaffir lime leaf on top was honestly unpleasant.
For the mains, my girlfriend ordered the Cauliflower Raviolo Uovo with Black Trumpet Mushrooms. It was wonderful but very small only one raviolo! For the price, at least two would’ve been better.
I ordered the Chicken Milanese with Winter Greens, Crispy Guanciale, Pecorino & Croutons. I could barely finish it. The salad tasted like a really good Caesar salad, but the chicken was extremely salty. Good thing I had a Negroni to wash it down.
Overall, as a fancy dining experience, it’s a beautiful place and definitely worth seeing. Just be aware that the food may not meet your expectations for the price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Brian Henry
We had great service and delicious food and a wonderful experience to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday. When we made the reservation on-line, we mentioned it was Mom's birthday. When we walked through the door, the two hostesses greeted Mom with big smiles and wished her a happy birthday - she was so surprised by her welcome and she loved it. The manager personally brought over her dessert with a candle and wished her happy birthday and once again Mom had a big smike. Mom thought Riviera might be a young person's restaurant when she walked in and looked around but she was treated so special and she loved her food and the experience so much that she can't wait to go back. We highly recommend Riviera and we will be back soon. Thank you for the fantastic evening and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan
Absolutely amazing services. My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary and the staff went above and beyond to make our night special. The food is to die for and could easily be top 3 in Ottawa. Don’t skip this place and enjoy the vibes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dan Trudel
This is one of my favorite places in Ottawa hands down, service is always on point it seems and the food is consistently amazing. Even when I ordered take out during COVID. I can't say enough good things about Riviera and I hope to make it back soon. Also I should add that I really respect the fact that the bar staff put great efforts in the mocktails as they do their cocktails. My wife and I do not drink alcohol and we are always thrilled with everything. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christine Richard
Amazing business dinner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TravelwithShaq
Celebrated my birthday at Rivera with family and absolutely enjoyed the ambiance, meal and drinks. They have a PhotoBooth at the back of the restaurant where our group took lots of photos . The drinks are super tasty and dishes themselves are exceptionally tasty delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms on Toast with Shaved Black Truffle and an Egg, Braised Lamb Shank, Buratta Tomato Salad
george f
Definitely one of my Favourite restaurants in the city. The food and atmosphere are incomparable i just love every culinary experience I’ve had here,so many great memories. Make sure you end the night in the photo booth i have my pictures on my mirror from my first date there with my wife and its an amazing thing to remember.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Latisha Amoroso
My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner and we were blown away! Their negronis are to die for, we had the beef tartare and the scallops to start, and the rabbit ragu and sea bass as our mains. For desert the chocolate creme aux which we would recommend sharing. Everything was delicious. Our server Stephanie was the highlight of our evening, she was so kind and never made us feel rushed. Even though the photo booth wasn’t working that evening she made sure that we still got some photos. She was so lovely!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tamsin Stone
I really enjoy the Rivera. The food is tasty, the service is good and the general atmosphere is nice. I am compelled to provide feedback about the ventilation system; it needs to be cleaned immediately . There is grease all over the ceiling and all over the unit. Upon arriving home we had to change our clothes as we smelled like oils. I noticed the same issue at my last visit over 6 months ago.
Very good atmosphere ! Servers were nice and the food was great. Would recommend for a romantic date night or for a birthday. The seafood tower is absolutely wonderful !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amir Tahami
We recently dined at Riviera with a group of three and had an overall excellent evening. The service was attentive and professional from start to finish — the staff made sure our wine and dishes were timed perfectly throughout the meal.
Both steaks were cooked precisely to the desired temperatures and beautifully plated, though the cut itself could have been of slightly higher quality given the restaurant’s premium pricing. The sea bass stood out as a highlight — crisp on the outside, tender and flavorful inside. Our lobster spaghetti, served as a shared starter, was tasty and nicely seasoned, but the pasta was on the overly al dente side, making it a bit tough.
We complemented the meal with a 2018 Maté Brunello di Montalcino, which paired beautifully with the dishes and elevated the evening. Riviera remains one of Ottawa’s most refined dining rooms, and while a few details could be polished, the experience was memorable and deserving of a strong four stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lauren Clarey
I came in for my anniversary, and David was amazing! We ordered the seafood tower and steak and David’s recommendations and service were top tier. We will definitely be back!
Went to Riviera Dec 4th at 6pm and am now in the midst of a bad case of food poisoning. Started feeling sick 4 hours after eating. Avoid at all costs !!! I had the scallops and lobster spaghetti.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
I recently visited this restaurant for the first time with my partner to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. My first reaction was how beautiful the space is amazing ambiance, very chic, and the service was wonderful, quick, and very friendly. I will say the tables are quite close to each other, which makes it feel like you can hear other people’s conversations, but the music does help drown it out a bit.
Now for the food: it is definitely on the pricier side, which we expected. We ordered a starter, the sea scallop chowder, to share. The scallops were cooked to perfection, but the chowder itself was lacking flavor, and the Kaffir lime leaf on top was honestly unpleasant.
For the mains, my girlfriend ordered the Cauliflower Raviolo Uovo with Black Trumpet Mushrooms. It was wonderful but very small only one raviolo! For the price, at least two would’ve been better.
I ordered the Chicken Milanese with Winter Greens, Crispy Guanciale, Pecorino & Croutons. I could barely finish it. The salad tasted like a really good Caesar salad, but the chicken was extremely salty. Good thing I had a Negroni to wash it down.
Overall, as a fancy dining experience, it’s a beautiful place and definitely worth seeing. Just be aware that the food may not meet your expectations for the price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
We had great service and delicious food and a wonderful experience to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday. When we made the reservation on-line, we mentioned it was Mom's birthday. When we walked through the door, the two hostesses greeted Mom with big smiles and wished her a happy birthday - she was so surprised by her welcome and she loved it. The manager personally brought over her dessert with a candle and wished her happy birthday and once again Mom had a big smike. Mom thought Riviera might be a young person's restaurant when she walked in and looked around but she was treated so special and she loved her food and the experience so much that she can't wait to go back. We highly recommend Riviera and we will be back soon. Thank you for the fantastic evening and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely amazing services. My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary and the staff went above and beyond to make our night special. The food is to die for and could easily be top 3 in Ottawa. Don’t skip this place and enjoy the vibes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is one of my favorite places in Ottawa hands down, service is always on point it seems and the food is consistently amazing.
Even when I ordered take out during COVID. I can't say enough good things about Riviera and I hope to make it back soon. Also I should add that I really respect the fact that the bar staff put great efforts in the mocktails as they do their cocktails. My wife and I do not drink alcohol and we are always thrilled with everything. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing business dinner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Celebrated my birthday at Rivera with family and absolutely enjoyed the ambiance, meal and drinks. They have a PhotoBooth at the back of the restaurant where our group took lots of photos . The drinks are super tasty and dishes themselves are exceptionally tasty delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushrooms on Toast with Shaved Black Truffle and an Egg, Braised Lamb Shank, Buratta Tomato Salad
Definitely one of my Favourite restaurants in the city. The food and atmosphere are incomparable i just love every culinary experience I’ve had here,so many great memories. Make sure you end the night in the photo booth i have my pictures on my mirror from my first date there with my wife and its an amazing thing to remember.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner and we were blown away! Their negronis are to die for, we had the beef tartare and the scallops to start, and the rabbit ragu and sea bass as our mains. For desert the chocolate creme aux which we would recommend sharing. Everything was delicious. Our server Stephanie was the highlight of our evening, she was so kind and never made us feel rushed. Even though the photo booth wasn’t working that evening she made sure that we still got some photos. She was so lovely!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really enjoy the Rivera. The food is tasty, the service is good and the general atmosphere is nice.
I am compelled to provide feedback about the ventilation system; it needs to be cleaned immediately . There is grease all over the ceiling and all over the unit. Upon arriving home we had to change our clothes as we smelled like oils. I noticed the same issue at my last visit over 6 months ago.
Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything was great! Many claim to do fine dinning and disappoint you like Mati, but this is place is worth it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing architecture, showcasing some of Ottawa's history. Great place to eat, amazing food, when visiting Ottawa.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Tower, Braised Lamb Shank
Very good atmosphere ! Servers were nice and the food was great. Would recommend for a romantic date night or for a birthday. The seafood tower is absolutely wonderful !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We recently dined at Riviera with a group of three and had an overall excellent evening. The service was attentive and professional from start to finish — the staff made sure our wine and dishes were timed perfectly throughout the meal.
Both steaks were cooked precisely to the desired temperatures and beautifully plated, though the cut itself could have been of slightly higher quality given the restaurant’s premium pricing. The sea bass stood out as a highlight — crisp on the outside, tender and flavorful inside. Our lobster spaghetti, served as a shared starter, was tasty and nicely seasoned, but the pasta was on the overly al dente side, making it a bit tough.
We complemented the meal with a 2018 Maté Brunello di Montalcino, which paired beautifully with the dishes and elevated the evening. Riviera remains one of Ottawa’s most refined dining rooms, and while a few details could be polished, the experience was memorable and deserving of a strong four stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I came in for my anniversary, and David was amazing! We ordered the seafood tower and steak and David’s recommendations and service were top tier. We will definitely be back!
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