River Cafe

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1 Water St (at Old Fulton Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11201

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(718) 522-5200
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River Cafe - Brooklyn, NY
River Cafe - Brooklyn, NY
River Cafe - Brooklyn, NY
River Cafe - Brooklyn, NY
River Cafe - Brooklyn, NY
Reviews
( 55 )
( 23 )
( 14 )
( 5 )
( 14 )

Best

Expensive, but the view and the food were amazing! Very romantic!

Worst

I called for my boss to make a reservation and the person taking the reservation never put it in the system. I'm sure the food is great but the staff of a business should represen...

User review by jamroc 4/6/2006

By invitation - I went to the River Cafe for my birthday. If you are in the mood for highly priced cuisine and scenery over size portions; then this place is perfect. Not an every week spot, but a nice place to take a date or have an informal business meeting. Pros: Beautiful Scenery, Nice Place for a Date Cons: Not at good value more
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Enchanting 4/5/2006

River Cafe has an enchanting view and extraordinary food. My fiance and I did the 6 serving sampling and enjoyed every single bite due to the unique flavor in each selection. It was more than enough food even though the portions are tiny. Additionally, the restaurant has beautiful decor throughout and our waterfront table was amazing! We were two of the youngest patrons (early 20s), but we were still treated exceptionally well. Pros: views of the city, gourmet food, service more
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Outstanding 2/22/2006

Even though we are native New Yorkers, my wife and I were dazzled by the view of the Big Apple. It was our 25th and everyone in the place went out of his/her way to ensure a thorougly enjoyable evening. Outstanding food and service. Pricey, yes, but we dined with the Statue of Liberty and the Woolworth Bldg. outside the window. It just doesn't get any better than that. Pros: view, cuisine, service more
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Wow! 2/4/2006

This place does live up to the hype. I went for lunch during restaurant week. The food and service were first class. You must treat yourself or a significant other to this place. You won't regret it! Pros: Tasty food, Attentive Service, Calming Ambience more
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Not worth it... 12/22/2005

This restaurant is disappointing to say the least. When you leave the restaurant still hungry, you know you have a problem. Why is it on The Most Romantic Restaurants in Brooklyn list? The tables are close together and the staff is cold and unwelcoming. I would bet that the good feedbacks were there during the week or on off-times. My advice, try another place. Cons: TOO MANY more
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Wonderful memory 12/12/2005

A little pricey for a regular date but great for a special occasion. My husband and I went there for our anniversary some years ago, and still to this day the experience stays with us. We remember the light piano music, the wonderful warm ambience, the great service (so attentive yet half the time you didn't even know they were there- thats really good service) and the food. We have since referred many of our friends. We plan on going back there very soon. Pros: Romantic, Good food, view Cons: pricey more
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Amazing Experience! 11/7/2005

I took my boyrfriend out to dinner at the River Cafe to celebrate his birthday and it was such an awsome experience. The food was amazing. We had the stuffed shrimp and the steak tartar to start with, then the seabass and the lamb for the main course, and finally we had the sorbet and the chocolate cake for dessert. EVERYTHING was very very delicious. And the wine was even better! Our server was very attentive; she kept on checking on us and pouring more wine in our glasses. We were presented with a great service. Put all of that aside, the view was unbelievable. We could see all of NY city from our table. I had requested a romantic table with a nice view, and I sure got what I asked for. I couldn't have wished for a nicer experience! It was definitely worth the money! Pros: Food, Service , View more
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Romance and the River Cafe 9/27/2005

I've never heard about the River Cafe until my girlfriend told me about her mentioned her wonderful experience there. She hadn't been there in several years so I wanted to surprise her for anniversary. The River Cafe truly exceeded my expectations from the minute the taxi drove the cobbled streets. My girlfriend, who was wearing a blindfold, bursted in sheer excitement as the taxi made its way around. We we're amazed by the great ambience that restaurant brought. We both felt the grandeur of the place and location because of our view of the New York City skyline. It was truly magical. I can't say enough about the wonderful service and breath-taking food. It was an evening that I will never forget. Pros: Service, Food, Romantic more
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Living up to its reputation 9/23/2005

I haven't been to River Cafe in many years. I booked it for an anniversary dinner, which turned out to be a stormy night, but the experience at River Cafe was still as special as I remember it. I had one complaint about the service, because it took a very long time before anyone asked us about drinks or brought a menu, but from there on, it was superb. All of the dishes we ordered were much better than I was expecting after hearing the kitchen had declined in recent years. The very best part, though, was that I booked through OpenTable and mentioned it was for a anniversary. Without another word when we arrived, they added a chocolate decoration saying ""Happy Anniversary"" to our desserts. Nice touch! Will definitely return for special occasions. Pros: View, Wine list, Service more
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NEW YORK'S FINEST- 8/29/2005

The most romantic restaurant that ever was and will be, if you can go around the Christmas Holiday. It is absolutely spectacular with impecable service. Men must wear a coat. A very classy place Pros: Veiw, Service, Good Pour more
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Pricey but worth it! 8/1/2005

My boyfriend and I were looking for ea special treat in a new place and since Brooklyn has become very trendy I heard of the River Cafe as being the best brunch and city view one could get. The food was exquisite!! So was the service, very attentive and polite. The scene is very family oriented; the place sits large groups, mainly WASPI. We had a fantastic brunch over bellines and kissing in our little red booth. Highly recommended for a special brunch with a special someone, be prepared with lots of cash though! Pros: Food, View, Service Cons: Price more
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Elegant and romantic 5/31/2005

The River Cafe made me feel as if we were in an old English fairy tale garden under the shadow of the majestic Brooklyn Bridge. Lights twinkled welcomingly from the trees surrounding the front door. Ive never seen downtown Manhattan so breathtakingly stunning. For appetizers, I ordered Stuffed Shrimp, while my fiance ordered Rabbit and Ravioli. Both were delectable. For our main course, we had the sirloin, cooked to perfection. It was topped with pan roasted new onions and it lent the meat a great flavor. It was also served with the best Mushroom & Marrow Tortellini. For dessert I had Chocolate Marquise Brooklyn Bridge. It was presented beautifully with a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. My fiance ordered Coffee Caramel Parfait for his dessert, also very good. Finally, the service was just right. I felt well pampered. It was without a doubt the perfect place to celebrate our engagement. Pros: Romantic, Delicious, Great View Cons: Men need jacket more
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How can you not love it? 5/19/2005

I just didn't understand the negative reviews. I thought the service was wonderful- they made us feel like royalty. They may have been slow on initiating service, but I believe that was simply so you would not feel rushed; people take their time here. All we had to do was let our waiter know we were ready, and it was done. The staff is incredibly polite, the view- spectacular. The food- succulent. Do try the vegetarian gnocchi. The River Cafe is my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, quite possibly my favorite overall! Pros: view, staff, food more
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The Best Restaurant ever 1/7/2005

I was planning a surprised birthday dinning for my wife. After I already made a reservation at the restaurant, I found the last 2 bad reviews. They made me feel so nervous. Thanks God! I didnt believe those reviews. The restaurant was classy, cozy and very romantic. The view is perfect. We were well treated from the valet parking guy to the bus boys. The food is excellent. Their wine was great selected. My wife loved it even she doesnt really drink. We had a wonderful time. All I can say is the best restaurant ever. Dont be misguided by other people. You should check it out by yourself like we did. Pros: food, romantic, services more
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Please Read Do not eat here 7/30/2004

Don't eat here. The food was average and the service was horrible. After being ignored by our waiter we complained to the manager who assured us ""everything would improve."" It didn't. Our service remained subpar and we weren't compensated at all. Any good restaurant will do something (free desert/easy reservation) to make up for poor service. When I called back to speak to another manager I was given the impression that they didn't really care that I wan't happy. The sign of a good restaurant is how they handle a complaint and whether they show customers they appreciate their business. Since they don't appreciate my business, I'll spend my money elsewhere. And tell everyone I know to do the same. If you want the exact same view, walk along the Brooklyn Heights promenade. Then go to Gramercy Tavern or Nobu for a truly outstanding restaurant. Because this isn't one. Cons: , Service & attitude more
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Bad service, Average food, Good view. 7/16/2004

I took a group of 6 business associates for dinner, and the service was very bad (I guess since they were adding the tip to the bill themselves -- no opportunity to punish for bad service, except here). Very inattentive & dinner took 4 hours. Somehow the $78/person price fix got up to over $110/person with no one drinking alcohol. Nice flowers & view. Food good but not spectacular. I'm a big Brooklyn booster, and really wanted to like this place, but I was disappointed. Pros: View, Flowers Cons: , Ho-hum food, Stuffy w/o class more
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Great wonderful service 7/9/2004

Service is great! Food is great! View is great! Price is reasonable too! Two people with a 1/2 bottle wine, dessert tea and 20% tip comes up to $216 but it is worth every single dime. Highly recommended. Forget about going to restaurants like Butter and getting yourself bullied by the waiters. more
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Unbeatable 6/27/2004

I came here in March 2004 with my fiancee for lunch. We had a 12 noon sitting as we couldnt book for 2 oclock. Strangely we were the only people dining though! The food was the best I have ever tasted. I had the foie gras followed by the duck which was cooked to perfection. My fiancee had scallops then fillet mignon and was just as impressed. The service was unobtrusive despite us being the only diners. We missed out on the view because of cloud but it was snowing in a romantic location so cant complain really. We'll be coming back for our honeymoon! Pros: excellent food, unbeatable view more
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Great expectations 6/5/2004

This restaurant fulfilled my expectations regarding the famed view, service and overall quality of the experience. It was booked for dinner on Sat 5/21, so we did lunch, which was probably just as well because we enjoyed the daytime view and took the Water Taxi back to Manhattan. Staff were courteous but non overly invasive and extremely kind. My date did not drink and we didn't get any sour looks when I turned down the wine list. The courses were nicely prepared and pleasant. The fish was great and the desserts really topped it off. I had a very memorable time and would definitely recommend this place for that special occasion! Pros: Memorable view, Quality cuisine, Respectful service more
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One of my favorite dining experiences 5/23/2004

I have only been to the River Cafe once but I am planning to go back already. I went for the Sunday brunch and it was amazing. Everything from the little tastes prepared by the kitchen to the main course to dessert was outstanding and the beauty of the restaurant makes it that much nicer. Soothing piano playing with the beautiful view and great food provides for a very memorable occasion. Sure this doesn't come cheap but we are not talking about a grand slam breakfast at Denny's here....... Pros: Food, Ambience, Parking more
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Menu for River Cafe


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Editorial

  • Flowers and fairy lights are appealing, but it's the honest-to-God knockout location at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge that guarantees the River Cafe its romantic reputation. Banquette seating...

  • 7/6/2007 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm; 5:30pm-11pm Sun 11:30am-3pm; 5:30pm-11pm
  • Payments: American Express, Discover, Diner's Club, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Vinegar Hill
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