I have been driving by this place for MONTHS after a tornado ripped thru this part of Temple. After refurbishing I heard they changed it up a bit so I suggested to the hubs that we try them out for date night - and MAN were we Supremely happy we did!! This little place is completely redone inside to look like a high class bar and dinner venue!! We stared w the Ahi Tuna Crudo - super fresh Ahi tuna beautifully presented with a surprising and refreshing arrangement of pickled celery, and sweet Italian peppers, served over a delicate avocado puree and tiny dots of citrus ponzu. The plate was Beautiful! Our next adventure; lightly charred pieces of octopus atop slightly pureed cannelloni beans. Now this is an unlikely and unusual pairing, but it WORKS!! SPLENDIDLY!! And again, the presentation is beautiful Generous portions of octopus with a char that gives it a slight smokiness and perfectly cooked to make for a tender bite and with the puree? Not since Italy have we been so amazed!! The saltiness with hints of chilis in the background, the texture of the beans, the slight chew and smoothness of the octopus; an elevated flavor combo that knocks it out the Park! As we wait for our main courses the restaurant fills with patrons and I'm gazing around, noting the Huge pizza oven. It's rustic and beautifully made; tiny tiles overlaying its upper surface making for a gorgeous and impressive visual in the midst of the bustling kitchen. I love that it is used as a WALL of sorts on its outer edge. I also love that one has a view of the kitchen via a smallish viewing glass next to the oven. Another site is the bar! Now mind you. This is TEMPLE. But this bar, and really the entire inside of this establishment is something you'd expect to see in the bigger cities like Austin or Dallas!! It's Truly a class act!! White linen clad tables, servers dressed black and white, beautiful decor. Not something you would expect in this area!! Our awesome server Austin takes excellent care of us; taking the time to stop in often to chat and share with us his wanderings, life experiences, and Menu Expertise!! We love the interaction! And then Austin brings out our MAINS!! And OH MAN GUYS.... First up is the Osso Bucco. I've had Osso Bucco in many places; I've MADE Osso Bucco. This is PERFECTION. Not too much demi which is almost ALWAYS the case, in stead of Drowning in the sauce this dish gives just enough so that you can scoop up perfect bites of light and creamy polenta. Not a trace of its gritty source this polenta is airy and buttery smooth promoting mere corn to another level altogether. The Real Star here tho is the Veal Shank. We are presented with lavish portion - the shank bone is served with a tiny bone fork alongside; given to scoop out the unctuous velvety richness that is the inner MARROW!!! And when I say wow? I mean WOWWWWWWW The flavor of the shank is a consume of beefy richness with hints of herbs As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVED the veal tho? The homemade pasta stole it for me honestly. Now, my hubs and I are blessed enough to go to Italy a couple times a year, and we have YET to taste pasta like this!! La Riv makes their own pasta in house and GUYSSSSSSSS we tried the Pappardelle with beef rib; Gorgeous braised beef chunks swimming in a delicate jus and herb ricotta to mix in. The beef is melt in your mouth tender while the Pappardelle has a slight bite telling you it is FRESH!! I LOVE the texture of this pasta. It is my favorite of the pasta cuts and I just could not get enough!!! But I had to hold myself back so I wouldn't eat ALL of hubs dish!! We absolutely Love this little Gem on W Adams in Temple. It's unassuming but I Guarantee will knock your socks off!! The staff are wonderful, and your taste buds will be treated to a Real Italian Flavor Adventure!! read more

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Service is outstanding and the food is so fresh! The table seating quaint in the ambience it's very relaxing! read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Their wine selection is fantastic! - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

Upscale Italian dining which is a rare find in Temple/Belton. Almost the same as their location in Georgetown, a bit smaller. Easy parking off West Adams. Service was nice and attentive. The food was fabulous. Highly recommend the ravioli which is made fresh in house. We added salmon to the ravioli order. Salmon was a nice thick cut and not overcooked. Polenta was creamy and savory. The pizza is rustic style and such a treat. I was surprised the Caesar salad didn't come with anchovies as most upscale restaurants serve it like this. I did not care for the spice on the broccolini - I was not expecting it. The broccolini has a beautiful smoky charred flavor with pine nuts and they put some sort of spicy chili oil on it that I found distracting. Great wine list and cocktails but I wish they could expand their wine by the glass menu. Hopefully they offer a rotating seasonal menu because it seems they keep the menu pretty tight, which is ok with me as long as they change it up a couple times a year. read more

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My second visit to La Riv was much more disappointing compared to the first time. See my first review for my perspective on many different dishes, as this time I only got one for myself. I had the Bucatini a la Riv, which is a pasta that comes with pancetta and prosciutto meat. There were a lot of small bits of meat, and they made the whole dish taste very greasy. I had a sheen of oil on my lips, and it was not a pleasant taste. There was definitely too much meaty oil in relation to the actual pasta. This was a portion on the smaller end for $30, and this is one of their cheaper pastas that contains meat. Our server was friendly. read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Bucatini a la Riv - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

Good Italian food. Portions could be bigger. Service is good. They need bread oil and cheese on the table. I'll be back.

It had been a long time since I had a pasta this flavorful! The sauce was so rich with the mix of the short rib flavor. I enjoyed it very much. The truffle mac and cheese was okay I probably would not order again. It could use a bit more spice or seasoning in my opinion but not bad! The staff were super sweet and friendly and recommended this pasta. The ambience was great and a good spot for a date night. Try this pasta if you go!! read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - short rib pappardelle pasta - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

Great ambiance and amazing food. Definitely worth the splurge. Small menu tho. I wish there was more options to choose from so we could go more often and have variety. read more

We were staying in the Belton Lake area at an AirBNB while visiting for our daughters graduation from Baylor in Waco and came across this restaurant. First night was awesome and we decided to come back for their Happy Hour the next night which became the next 2 nights because it was JUST.THAT.GOOD! Apps were delicious, pizza was delicious, servers were awesome, ambiance was awesome. 10/10 read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

If you're looking for a special dining experience in Georgetown, La Riv Kitchen & Bar is a standout. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance set the tone: elegant yet comfortable, modern décor with warm lighting and a thoughtful layout. read more

REALLY enjoyed the atmosphere and my mother LOVED Her Birthday dinner with family there. WE ALL got so much food and all the dishes were amazing! JUST LOOK at my pics! GREAT Service and overall time! Thank you again for a WONDERFUL time with my family! Will DEFINITELY be back! read more

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My first time here! Food was amazing and the service was great! We ordered the chicken and also the pasta with beef ribs. We also got an appetizer- the parmigiana garlic bread. We ordered drinks- espresso martini and an old fashion. Ambiance is great. You won't be disappointed! read more

Our first visit and it is good to see them reopen. The food won't disappoint. We were seated at the bar - supposedly due to tables having all been reserved but likely due to my casual attire. I detected a real tension among the staff. It appeared that ownership was in attendance and watching every move.. Nobody dared crack a smile or exchange a pleasantry. They made the DMV look friendly. read more

La Riv is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Temple!! I have been here too many times to count. My favorite item is the braised beef short rib pasta (as you can see by my many photos of it). It always tastes amazing and has never let me down. They have many wines to choose from. For dessert, their bread pudding is a favorite of mine. The service has always been exceptional and the staff is very friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant is inviting and the restaurant is clean. read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Braised beef short rib pasta - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

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This was our first time visiting since the reopen after the tornado in 2024. The menu has been updated and has amazing choices to include homemade pasta. The chef came out to meet with each table and ensure everything was to your liking. The ambiance is great with low lighting. Everything tasted amazing. The only two things I would recommend is changing the entry and check in station as it leaves people having to wait outside the door, and the AC always blows extremely cold. Definitely not enough to keep us away though. Will be keeping this for low key local date nights. read more

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Great environment and food! Went on Valentine's Day and was very pleased! We will be back!

La Riv is an excellent little Italian gem in Temple, TX. The food is great as is the atmosphere. I've eaten there 4 times in the last two years and will continue going there whenever I'm in the mood for Italian. read more

What happened? This used to be one of our "go to restaurants." This was our first visit since it closed for repair after the tornado damage. The first thing we noticed was that the menu had changed, deleting several of our favorites choices. Service was still prompt and friendly, but neither mine nor my wife's food choices were good. The spinach tasted like fiberglass resin, and the fire roasted chicken was so over-salted that it was not enjoyable. We did not complain about our food, but the people seated behind us sure did! La Riv has opened another restaurant toward Austin, and I wonder if the best chefs have been relocated there. This used to be a wonderful restaurant. I hope they can get it back together. read more

Had a wonderful evening at the Temple La Riv. Food was excellent, server Theresa was amazing and we couldn't have chosen a better place to celebrate a birthday. We weren't rushed in the slightest and would highly recommend! read more

Why has it taken me so long to discover La Riv Kitchen & Bar? Last week I met a friend for lunch here. I loved it so much, I met two more friends today. On my first visit we shared the wedge salad. I was a little skeptical at first because it has bleu cheese on it. I'm not a fan of bleu cheese, but wanted to be a good sport, so agreed to trying it. Grilled romaine, candied bacon, cherry tomatoes, and bleu cheese works. Who knew? During the same visit, I had Bolognese rigatoni and my friend had the shrimp scampi. Both were large portions and we each took a 'doggy bag' home. I couldn't stop thinking about the wedge salad, so today, two more friends and I met for lunch. This time they were unsure about ordering a salad with bleu cheese on it, but at my insistence they gave it a go. Yep. They loved it too. In addition we ordered pizza. One would have been enough to share, but at the advice of our server, we each got one and once again I had food to take home. I got the vegetarian, one friend got the Margherita and the other got the pepperoni. We agreed the pepperoni was our fav. Next time, we will share the salad and a pepperoni pizza. Loved the chew on the chargrilled crust and the ratio of toppings to cheese to sauce. We also ordered a margarita each and thought it was well made. La Riv has great food, ambience, and service. I look forward to bringing the Mr. here for date night soon! read more

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Super good Italian food, expensive beer and wine however. But that's what you expect when you go to a higher end Italian restaurant. Service was responsive, food was quick and awesome. Will come back and do recommend read more

Confession, I met the owner while eating at the bar and she asked me to write a review. I don't usually write reviews on a 1 meal, 1 person and 1 visit ever, but I agreed to do this so here goes. First, it's a beautiful and spacious place with high ceilings, a bar for seating and an outdoor covered patio for nicer weather. Second the staff are all lovely. Alexa was the bartender and she was especially helpful! I wanted the mussels or tuna appetizer, however due to the supply chain issues of COVID, those items were not available, no big deal. Alexa, highly recommended the veggie bowl which actually was outstanding and out of this world! I've never had such good quinoa, grilled sweet potatoes touched with pesto, and grilled veggies! I inhaled it and was so stuffed I couldn't finish my arugula salad nor quinoa. Next, my Chilean Malbec was delicious! And they let me buy the bottle and wrapped it up to go! Parking was safe and convenient and all in all, I would return to eat here, when I return to Temple, after COVID is no longer raging. Thankfully the place was fairly empty when I went on a rainy Tuesday night and so I felt safe enough, especially knowing the bartender was vaccinated. read more

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Exceptional food and service. A family of four at for $120 including cocktails. We had the Osso Bucco, Pappardell, Ravioli, and Salmon. All were cooked perfectly and were the perfect temperature upon arriving at our table. read more

Went to Dinner At La River for Wife's Birthday. Service was Excellent, Food was Excellent . Amy our Waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. My wife had the Pappardelle with Short Ribs, I had the Rigatoni with Bolognese both were delicious. Special Kudos to Amy she made my WIfe's Birthday Special with her great service and suggesting the Tiramisu Dessert . We will definitely be returning to La Rio. read more

We drove 1h to get to this place cause my friend said I would be pleasantly surprised with their food and their osso buço is gluten free. This is a relatively small restaurant, but a very nice one. They even have a piano! My husband ordered the beef short ribs pasta and he said it was very flavorful and tasty. I had to have the Ossobuco with polenta. I could taste that the Ossobuco had been slow cooked as it was very tender and the sauce was thick. The polenta was also perfect! It was very smooth and I could taste some butter. It was a big dish, but I could eat it all by myself and in fact, I wish I had a bit more of the polenta. There was only missing a tad bit of salt, but this was it. Will definitely be back! read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Braised beef short ribs pasta - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

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So we decided to give it another try once they revamped the menu. We've been back about half a dozen times in the past 1 year. Ciabatta bread is good. 4 slices with small saucer of dip. Half chicken is really great - which is the only reason I even come. But the creamed spinach they put with it can be tossed back in the trash. In the past, They normally will allow people to sub that out with the grilled veggies .... However they "updated the Policy" and won't allow substitutions anymore because it was getting out of hand (waitress quote). If it's "getting out of hand" that's probably an indication that the sides are not tasty. Instead I was upcharged $6 to get sautéed veggies instead of the spinach. My husband always orders some sort of vegetable bowl and really likes it. Service is usually decent. Seems like it's hit or miss in how long it takes meals to come out. (Over 45 min between ordering and meal being placed on our table during this last visit). Owners were having a dinner party with a group of people at the table next to us and when I questioned our waitress why it was taking a long time (we had to be in Austin my a specific time) the owner got up and asked "if we had an issue". I was a little taken back with his assertiveness. Not sure if he was trying to flex or if he's always like that. Wine selection is good. I'm a sucker for a moscato D'Asti. I ordered a glass and can tell that it had gone flat from the bottle either being opened a while ago. I let our waitress know and she promptly got me a new glass from a recently opened bottle. Which I appreciated. Overall, I feel like everything is subpar right off the bat, unless you speak up. This is the type of place that waits for you to notice that something isn't right instead of just turning out a quality product from the start. read more

Food was good, nice space, but service was lacking. I would try it again, hoping for better service. We had pizza, pasta, and cocktails.

We enjoy dining here regularly! It feels like each dish is made with love! I recommend the grilled Caesar salad. It's delicious. Shrimp scampi is amazing! When the weather is nice be sure and enjoy the outdoor seating. Service is always great! read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Chef inspired dessert - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

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Well at first, I thought I was going to be disappointed. I saw a dish on the on line menu that I really wanted. Well it wasn't available on today's menu! Service started off a little slow but there was a big group there. I tried the short rib pasta and was not disappointed! Short ribs melted in my mouth and the pasta was perfectly cooked. My wife had the filet and it was also cooked to perfection. Will go back in the evening to sample the full menu. The restaurant was clean and had a great neighborhood feel. I also heard the wood oven pizza is really good! For you over in West Temple you need to try this place! read more

So happy we drove 8 miles out of the way for lunch en route to Kingsland. We stopped here on a Tuesday, place was very quiet. I was a bit concerned. However, the food was exceptional. The pizza dough was comparable, if not better than Grimaldi's. You've got that chewy crust that doesn't get soggy. The Chicken Fondue sounds rich, but not. It was a good amount of chicken with yummy cheesiness. My husband ordered it and finished the whole pizza (I helped)! My salmon and everything it came with tasted great; i.e., well balanced . I ordered it medium, came out medium well. Yet, I did not return it because the flavors were that good and I did not want the salmon to have swum in vain. Will definitely be back. read more

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Top of the line! Vira's recipes and wine offerings are always enjoyable. Steaks are predictably great, but the Italian influenced choices are personal favorites. The house made pastas are hard to beat. read more

I got the spaghetti with meat ball it was delicious!! The waitress was very sweet and never let our drinks get empty. Definitely would recommend for a nice quiet evening out! Plus for the women they have different lady products in the restroom for us. read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Spaghetti and Meatballs Italian Countryside Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette Truffle Mac-n-Cheese - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

Great place to eat!! Glad they are reopen! Their scampi is excellent! I highly recommend!

Meatballs, fancy cheese bread, wedge salad, and fancy wine.... YES YES YES! My husband and I came here on a whim. We like to do Sunday afternoon drinks and apps somewhere, but have gotten tired of the same old bar food and beer. So we wandered into La Riv because of the 'fine wine, craft cocktails, and steak' we saw on the building as we drove by. We were NOT disappointed one bit! First came out the wedge salad and it smelled (and tasted!) so delicious! Then came out the meatballs and ciabatta cheese bread.... Get... out... of... town. The meatballs are in a slightly spicy red sauce and the bread is soft and perfectly mouth watering. All of this was paired with glasses of 'Falrenia' Malbec and 'Bull by the horns' cab Sauvignon. We WILL be returning for dinner! read more

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Excellent food, great service. The meatballs with polenta was a delicious starter course. Save this restaurant for special occasions, it is on the pricier sude. read more

Warm atmosphere, very friendly and attentive waitress. It was not crowded when we arrived but when we finished it was getting pretty crowded (630pm on a weeknight). The food was very tasty! We ordered the ciabatta bead for our appetizer, entrees we had were shrimp scampi (delicious!) , Bolognese Rigatoni (also very good) and a pepperoni pizza. We also tried the truffle mac which was probably the best Mac & cheese I've tasted, and the Fire roasts cauliflower (also really tasty). Can't wait to go again! Highly recommend! read more

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It's been a while since my husband and I ate here. I was extremely excited because I've been wanting to try another new dish from here. My husband however stuck to his same dish as last time, chicken pesto rigatoni. It was delicious just as the last time he had it. I ordered the Seafood Ciopinno. I was disappointed when I received it. The menu states it is classic tomato base seafood stew with assorted fish/muscles/and shrimp/fresh basil/grilled ciabatta. Mine was served with salmon and shrimp only. I was definitely missing muscles (as you can see in the picture). I didn't say anything to the staff just because I was really enjoying the time with my husband and didn't want to change the great atmosphere around us. But I must say even though the muscles were MIA in the dish, it was still really good. It was balanced and the seafood flavor wasn't over powering the tomato stew flavor. I do plan on returning and plan on trying this dish again but will ask next time to make sure muscles will be served in the dish before ordering. read more

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Great Food, Drinks and Ambiance. Highly recommend the Short Ribs (wish they offered them over mashed potatoes) & the Texas Mule

Food here was okay. However, I have had better food for a better price elsewhere. It just wasn't so great that it justified the price. $78 for a steak with two sides and a soda. I would happily pay that if the steak was excellent but it wasn't. They advertised that It was Angus beef of the highest quality. With steak that expensive you'd think the cooks would take better care to get it right and make sure it's tender. I ordered the steak rare plus. Parts were amazing, but one whole side was almost medium well and chewy. I will likely never return. There's just so many great places to eat and this place just didn't make the cut. I believe my sisters enjoyed their food but again it was nothing to write home about. The salmon was just okay and the chicken parm again was just okay. Nothing spectacular. I want to be clear though. When a place like this charges such astronomical prices for their food it needs to be excellent. Unique. Tender. Juicy. Flavorful. It wasn't. It wasn't close either. So I'm sorry but that warrants a bad review. read more

La Riv Kitchen & Bar - Filet, salmon, chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Temple, Texas

My husband and I went here for a date night at the recommendation of a friend. It's very classy and has a lovely ambience. The wine selection is spectacular, and they have a full service bar. Our service was okay. The server was very friendly if a little absent and we waited for refills on water for quite a while- though I appreciated his recommendation for my wine selection. My husband had an old fashioned which was quite good, but tasted cinnamon-y (when old fashioneds don't have cinnamon?). The sausage and potato appetizer was tasty, if a little small for the price. We were both disappointed with our meals. My husband got the shrimp scampi which basically looked like shrimp thrown on to a bed of noodles. He said it was rather bland. I got the salmon dish and the stir fried vegetables were perfection BUT my salmon was over cooked and too salty. All in all, we would probably go here again, but only for drinks and ambience (although in retrospect perhaps it would be wise to get the pizzas, instead of seafood....I was just looking for a healthier option). read more

We are so happy that La Riv has reopened! The food? Impeccable! The ambiance? Warm and inviting! The service? Teresa was friendly, efficient, and professional! You will NOT be disappointed! read more