The River Cafe

We celebrated Thanksgiving at The River Cafe and had one of the most exquisite dining experiences that was almost impossible to articulate in words! The service was exceptional and everything from the warm bread , appetizers, and main courses were delicious. We may never roast another turkey! I didn’t take photos of the meal since the restaurant prefers if guests limit their picture taking. I did photograph one of the desserts that was a chocolate version of the Brooklyn Bridge, that was as delicious as it was beautiful.

We had a very romantic time with exceptional food and wine. Already knew that this is one of the restaurants that has everything, the vibe, food, service and so on. All the course was phenomenal, very delicious and served with perfection. (We were delighted with the chefs surprise too!) Would love to revisit it on our special day.

The setting is incredible, out of a NY rom-com. Must be incredible at sunset. We went there for the place, expecting to pay for service and scenery mostly. But we were actually pleasantly surprised by the food, and a bit disappointed by the service. Food: The appetizers ticked the umami checkbox with smoked fish, dashi/mushroom broth and parmesan cream. They were delicious. I enjoyed every dish after that, including the complementary courses. Only lowlight was the dessert, which was a bit basic to me (literally a Brooklyn Bridge chocolate cake though). The cheese platter (all american) was to die for. Reasons for disappointment: 25min wait time despite reservation / cocktails that were not good at all (my violet-gin cocktail was "flat" with no flavor nor acidity to balance the sweetness, while the egg whites left me nauseous all evening). Service: One waiter with a foreign accent was just amazing, smiling and cheerful, but the rest of the staff was a bit cold. No apologies for the wait time, or for the very dusty glasses that we had to change twice. And no special attention for our birthday (candle/anything) despite the fact that we had specified it at reservation. Overall a very good dinner but there are major service watch-outs for a Michelin-starred restaurant.

This was worth the hype for us! We live up the hill in Brooklyn heights and always wanted to come. They made our anniversary so special. Food was delicious and presentation was fun. We loved the piano player. We’ll be back!

The food here is great. Most reviews talk about the view but we go here for the food. Our reviews had over 37 million views last year and this is one of our favs. It is a tasing menu but you will leave stuffed. I could not believe how small the portions look, but trust me when I say they are totally filling and I am a big eater. Plus the food is fantastic. We had some free apps which were great, then I had soft shell crab (best I have ever had) and she had ricotta pasta which she loved. She had the beef medium rare which was served perfect and she could not finish it, I had some and it was divine. I had 4 large lamb chops which were very yummy. I had soufflé for dessert ad she had the semifreddo which is a cold dessert much like ice cream. Both were phenomenal. At $180 each it is pricey for some folks but frankly for this level of food we have paid $300 each in the City many times so we considered this a "bargain". Lots of extras given to you for free here as well. We love this place and will be back often. All tables have a good view and be sure to walk around their little park after dinner. it is really cool. Also go out past the bar to the 12 sq ft balcony for some photos between courses. It is lovely. Check out all of our reviews. If we do not like it we do no review it so all of the ones you see are places that are fantastic. Follow us if you like. We had over 36 million views so far this year and we thank you for that. We don't get paid, we just love to eat. Be sure to click on "RobH" at the top of this review to see all of them and to follow us if you like good food and FUN. If we do a review it is because we love it.