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...

best view, best food, best service 2/15/2004

my boyfriend made a reservation there for Valentine's Day. very romantic ambience. best view you can ever imagine. great sevice. friendly staff. we had valantine's day special 5 course dinner. unbelievable food. we just couldn't find anything to complain. it's not cheap eat, but great place for special occasion. more
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Amazing 1/2/2004

The view from this restaurant of the Downtown and Midtown skyline is truly unbelievable. The food was above average and the staff was very attentive and friendly. My wife and I spent our anniversary there and thouroughly enjoyed the evening. We had a late seating and actually got moved to an empty window seat to have dessert (they offered, didn't have to ask). I highly recommend for any 'special event' dining if you are visiting NY. If I remember correctly from Nov 2003, the pre-fixe meal was around $70 per person. Pros: View, Ambiance, Food Cons: Pre Fixe, Expensive more
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Truly lovely 8/28/2003

I took my boyfriend here for a special ""Bon Voyage"" dinner, and not only did the maitre'd remember to mention that (I'd written it on my online reservation), but overall--a truly lovely experience. Yes, it's pricey, but for the sigh-worthy view, the romantic ambience, the food quality, and the congenial but not in-your-face service, it's totally worth it for a special occasion. I chose the River Cafe as a place that would ""wow"" my sweetie, and it definitely succeeded. I'm so glad we went. (My one regret, a table of mafioso types who came in without the required jacket for men and who got a little obnoxious. If you don't dress and act the part--why come to such a classy restaurant??) Pros: great view, romantic ambience, service & food Cons: on pricey side, neighboring table, got loud more
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very dissappointing 7/30/2003

A while back a couple of friends from Europe treated me to the dinner here. We looked forward to a great experience and had the 7course tasting menu and wine. What a dissapointment: the fish was much too salty (didn't complain), the main course not edible (now we told the waiter) There was absolutely no reaction, not even a sorry. We did not TIP and were then approached by the Chef de Service. I work in the industry and know mistakes happen, but this arrogance is not excusable, even if they think we were just tourists. I am telling everyone not to go there. more
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Romance, Flowers and a VIEW 7/18/2003

This is one of the BEST places in the city (including Brooklyn) to go for a special occasion. The place is perfectly situated on the water under the Brooklyn Bridge with an amazing view of the bridge and the downtown skyline. When you walk in, it looks and smells like a florist shop with gorgeous flowers. It's an actual barge (but it doesn't rock because it's set in a frame) so it's right on the water. The service was terrific and even though we were late for our reservation (it takes about 40 min by subway from the Upper West Side with walking but it's worth it) the friendly maitre'd gave us a table by the window. The food was delicious and creative. I can't say enough good things about the whole experience. Pros: gorgeous view, romantic, creative food Cons: banquette crowded, $70 prix fixe more
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Take the ferry 7/3/2003

Take the restaurant's own ferry there, its romantic and the skyline is great! Leaves from the Heliport on 34 East. more
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Magical setting 5/24/2003

""Last year We had our wedding reception at The River Cafe... It was incredible! The food was wonderful, staff took care of our guests every need. No one wanted the night to end and the view wasn't too bad either! If you are planning any future events give them a call... you will not be disappointed."" more
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Fantastic Spring Brunch 4/28/2003

The citysearch photo doesn't do this place justice. I met a friend here on a Sunday afternoon for brunch and was so impressed with the beautiful flowers they had everywhere - outside, hallway, dining area, etc. Service is very friendly and unobtrusive. $35 price fixe brunch includes appetizer and main course. The closest thing to a traditional ""brunch"" selection was their waffles, pancakes and eggs benedict - everything else was much more gourmet. The salmon appetizer was amazing and my lamb was delicious - cooked to perfection. The view and ambiance are perfect - I'd definitely like to go back for dinner to see the view at night. Pros: Great service, Great view Cons: Expensive meals more
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Tries hard but food falls short 4/19/2003

With a spectacular location and view like the River Cafe has you can forgive a lot. The service was impeccible, the menu traditional but inventive and presentation for the mostpart excellent but the food itself came up short. For $250 for 3 for lunch, I expected more. The lamb was way too salty, lobster tail tough. Crab cake and shortribs though were top notch. You'll come for the view and be happy with the service but will think again before coming again at the price/performance they offer. Pros: view, romantic Cons: pricy, food preparation more
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Great food, but ... 3/11/2003

I would suggest opting for the fish instead of any steak. Their Stripped Sea Bass and King Salmon are fabulous. On the other hand, all red meat lacks something. The wait staff is very attentive, and you can smoke at the bar while enjoying the view of the river. more
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Absolutely fabulous! 3/5/2003

Took my wife and our two grown kids there for an anniversary dinner and had a great experience! This is one of the prettiest restaurants in all of NYC! That, coupled with great food and service made the evening a memorable one for each of us. The appetizers were spectacular (try the gnocchi with spare rib shavings) and the main courses were dazzling, as well (had a pork loin ""special"" that was just that!) Desserts were also first-rate! A great place!! Pros: Wonderful food!, Great service!, Great views! more
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What a View! 2/18/2003

My Fiancee and I went here on Jan 10th, the night we got engaged and it was the perfect venue for such a special evening. The view is sensational and worth the money alone. The service was extremely attentive and the food was fantastic, particularly the Foie Gras starter and Seabass and Steak main courses. It is pricey, but worth every penny. The restaurant is beautifully decorated inside and out and the view will stay with you for a long time. We cant wait to go back for our first Anniversary! Pros: The View, Service, Food Cons: Expensive more
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You pay for the view 2/7/2003

This place is all about the view. It's so pretty. Great place for a date. The food was a little too fancy for my liking though. Pros: Great View more
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Expensive and worth every damn penny! 2/6/2003

River Cafe is top notch dining all the way. Oh you will pay dearly for it, but it's all worth it. You can't beat the view...I thought it was cool how they seated us side by side so that we were all facing the water. The food must was concocted by a mastermind of flavor chemistry. Every item I ate had multiple dimensions: the initial flavor, the secondary flavor, and then the aftertaste all of amazing quality. Like a good piece of jazz music, it brought my mind to another place and time. Seriously, though, it's very expensive. A priced fixed dinner for two plus a bottle of (cheap) wine and tip cost over $180. But I don't regret a damn thing! more
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Phenominal 1/8/2003

My fiance & I went here in Mid-October on the night we got engaged. It was a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. The staff knew of the special occasion before hand and was extremely attentive and accommodating without being smothering. The ambiance and decor is unmatched by any other restaurant in the city. If there was anything about River Cafe that was not perfect, it would be the food. Granted, our meals were very good, but it lacked any uniqueness that you get at other top restaurants. Overall, you can't miss at River Cafe for a special occasion...Highly recommend. Pros: service, ambiance more
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The view makes the price worth it. 1/3/2003

My family of 4 turned up on a busy evening, with no booking and found ourselves sitting at the best seats in the house in a short time and in the middle of a real buzz of an atmosphere. My son was immediately found a jacket with no fuss. The views are jaw-dropping, Statue of Liberty on the left, Empire State on the right, the Manhattan skyline in between, with the Brooklyn Bridge soaring above us - just wonderful. The food and service were excellent (perhaps not up to the best that London has to offer, but that's no criticism), and we all had a wonderful evening. Cost on 29th Dec 02, including a hefty tip, for 3 courses, pre-drinks, 3 bottles of wine, including pink champagne - $726.88. Expensive? Well, 4 people for 4 hours is about $45 per hour. How much is Madison Square Garden? Pros: View, Atmosphere, Service Cons: Small lobster portion more
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b&t crowd 12/30/2002

I took my gf here for our 6-month anniversary and was disappointed. I must admit, the food was excellent and very creative, however you did pay for it. The staff was extremely attentive and helpful with wine selection. Still, the decor and atmosphere suffered from a decidedly bridge and tunnel crowd that was very old and, in some cases, embarassingly drunk on very expensive wine. It really ruins the ""romantic"" effect that was it's selling point. Pros: food, wine, service Cons: atmosphere, crowd more
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very disappointing 12/26/2002

My boyfriend and I went there last week - we were very excited to go to this beautiful restaurant. After eating the food there, we both decided never to go there again. My seared foie gras was overwhelmed by an unnecessary hard nut crust. My lamb mixed grill is at best called mediocre - the baby eggplant stuffed with lamb sausage had absolutely no flavor. My boyfriend had lobster bisque as appetizer and Maine lobster as entree. Both tasted very ordinary, and the portion of the lobster entree was very small. The worst was their signature dessert - Brooklyn Bridge chocolate torte - it tasted like a few days old. My advice is: if you really want to go there, just go there for a drink at the bar. The food is awful especially at that price. Also, the place is very noisy. more
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Great view 12/11/2002

This a very romantic place to invite that date that you want to seduce. nice coffee and very cute guys. Pros: inexpensive, great view, romantic environment Cons: crowded sometimes more
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Great but expensive 10/30/2002

Very romantic. It has a beautiful view of the city. Their food its amazing. it is expensive but I would say it is totally worth it. 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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