I had been here before during Covid and had a pretty bad experience overall, but I saw it was under new management and decided to give it another go. tl:dr, it was much better! We arrived and were seated immediately. The interior is very open but still cozy, with warm lighting and interesting decor. Our server was very friendly and conversational, which was a welcome change from before! We got the Chicken Marsala and Cavatelli with Broccoli Rabe. The mushrooms in the marsala were a bit soggy, but the chicken was really tasty and tender, and the sauce not too sweet. It also came with a potato croquette, which was fun and unexpected -- despite being southern Italian like a lot of other Italian-American things, I haven't really encountered them on the standard menu! The Cavatelli itself was fresh pasta and cooked to a satisfying al dente. The dish was somewhat bland, though, and could have benefited from more salt. The garlic was also a bit suspect (kinda tasteless, almost like the jarred pre-minced stuff). It was all also a bit watery, and the broccoli rabe a bit overcooked. A show stopper was the Creme Puff. It was delicious, approaching one of the best I've ever had. I wasn't a fan of the Hershey-like chocolate drizzle, but the pastry itself was super light and airy. We liked it so much we got another to go, in fact. Something to note was that, despite there being only one other table and only 2 of us, service was quite slow. I'm not sure how long it took for food to come out, but it was easily ~40 minutes. The experience overall, however, was nice! It was a nice atmosphere and the food was good. If you're in the area, I'd recommend it. I'm in the area frequently, so I'll likely be back. read more

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Very tasty food for a very reasonable price. You'll look at the menu and think someone made a mistake. Always get the various pastas. And garlic bread. read more

Food was plentiful and delicious, but the service was very slow. The ambience is still cozy!

Great hidden gem. Food was great. Service was friendly & attentive. Would definitely go back again

First time here. Who knew this little gym was hidden in this neighborhood! I had heard great things about it. We started off with a baked clam appetizer and the house salad with Gorgonzola cheese. Wow, off to a great start! The clams were garlicky and delicious. We should've gotten a dozen! The salad was so delicious with strips of Gorgonzola. Just perfect! For entrées, we ordered the chicken Parmesan and the penne with brasciole. The portions were huge. The chicken Parm was crispy and cheesy in a wonderful sauce. The brasciole was fork tender and perfectly executed. Loved it! Our cocktails were strong and delicious. We ended this delicious meal with a cream puff, which was crunchy and chewy yet light and delicious. I will definitely be back to try other delicious things on the menu! read more

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I did not like the food when the old owners had it. It has not improved since then but has gotten worse. I rate the food as TERRIBLE. My husband rated it as OK. Will never go back. I have been to diners that serve better food then this place. There were only us and two other people in the whole place maybe that tells you something. read more

Last night, we met my 2 sister-in-laws and 2 brother-in-laws for a delicious feast at La Riviera. This quiet little gem is tucked away in a little corner of the town. Four of us started with a refreshing beet salad with feta cheese. We also shared the stringbean salad, which was crunchy and lightly dressed. My scrod francese was lemony and scrumptious. My carniverous in laws loved the veal piccata, the steak special and meat lasagna. The restaurant permits substitutions for the sides so I swapped out my potato croquet for broccoli which was sauteed with garlic and al dente. The portions are generous. I could not finish the entire entre because, upon the recommendation of the owner, I had to leave room for the creampuff which was heavenly and which my husband and I shared. La Riviera is a repeat for all of us. read more

Great local spot, food was delicious and great price. Standouts were the green bean salad with Gorgonzola, clams oreganata and made to order chicken parm. Space is cozy and not too loud. Service was lovely, will be back! read more

Covid review- they are open, and ready for takeout and delivery. The food as tasty as ever. So good to know. We should all continue to support this fine business read more

La Riviera - Cold Antipasto - Italian Near Me - Pleasantville, New York

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Great food. Had it delivered and it arrived early so hot Only downside was they missed a couple of small items in order. read more

Great old school Italian style eats , the bread is straight from Arthur Ave and the Salad is the best. I've never had a bad meal here, always tasty and fresh !! read more

One of the most underwhelming food establishments I've entered. -First the place is dingy with gross carpet that's well overdue for replacement. I also think it's dimly lit on purpose. -No drink or wine menu. -I asked for French martini which I think any bartender should be able to make, I was asked what the ingredients are....ok guess I won't be having that. -food is mediocre and not memorable. Should've just boiled pasta myself and thrown a bunch of cheese on it -we decided to try the dessert and they couldn't be bothered to bring out dessert plates! I put some cake on my dinner plate covered in sauce. Save yourself the trouble and go to Dolphin (if want Italian) or any other restaurant in the area. read more

I came back home for the holidays and was so excited to eat at one of my favorite restaurants. However, once I came to pick up the food with my mother, the waiter/owner of the restaurant was incredibly disrespectful and rude to us both. I don't know what happened as this restaurant as it used to be super fun and family friendly. Now they are really nasty and rush you in and out as fast as they can in order to make room for other customers. We have been coming here for many years and have never had any issues before. I don't know what changed... but it wasn't for the better. read more

Hidden gem down a residential side street in Pleasantville.Not easy to find but my GPS got me there.Great Italian food and stellar service. Everything tasted home made and fresh. A BIG HIT with my eclectic work crew. I will definitely be back with the family. A must try if your in the area.Call first,they have limited hours at times. read more

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This is a great restaurant that looks like it is from a bygone era. Nothing fancy-fancy or modern here, just really good, reasonably priced, solid red-sauce Italian food. No lines, no reservations, just walk in and enjoy. Only recommendations (I know, this would be pretty radical...) but wish they had more vegan-friendly options. Went with 4 friends and everyone enjoyed their food. I always happily return and I'm always glad they are still in business!!! read more

EXCELLENT!!!! Was there last night and the food was outstanding! Best Eggplant Parm and chicken cutlet topped with vinegar peppers, a fresh string bean salad W/ Gorgonzola and warm crusty bread. Delicious homemade Italian cheesecake for dessert . A 5 star for sure!! read more

This place is a staple in the Pleasantville community. I had my communion here, birthdays here, family funeral dinners were held here, etc. The family style meals truly shine, but don't pass by even for just a quiet dinner. The staff truly cares about the customers and the restaurant. If you want a bit of small town nostalgia and yummy food, it is worth a stop. You will feel like family. read more

Everything was excellent! Great food & service. Drinks hit the spot. Homemade desserts were off the charts. Overall a great experience and one of the staple restaurants of pleasantville. My family has been coming here for decades and we have always had great meals for a good value. read more

Everything they make is delicious always looking forward to come back they make the best Italian food read more

La Riviera - Garlic bread with chicken parmigiana and linguini - Italian Near Me - Pleasantville, New York

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The authentic Italian dishes are to die for. Place doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food is well worth checking it out.

Wow. Okay so this is my very first yelp review & I feel like that says everything I need to say. This is the first time I've felt compelled enough by the food to actually write a review when trying something new. My girlfriend and I went and we ordered the chicken parmesan, linguine chicken alfredo, and chicken piccata with the potato croquet. Each meal was phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. The pasta was perfectly cooked, each sauce was super tasty & surprisingly light, and the chicken was so juicy, in the best way possible. Definitely recommend & I'll certainly be coming back read more

I have lived in this area for many years and never heard of this restaurant until a friend told me about it, What a pleasant surprise. I started with the string beans and Gorgonzola which was very tasty and actually better than a much higher priced Italian restaurant in the area. My wife had the Beet salad and enjoyed it. For main courses we had chicken piccata which was served with a potato croquette and mussels with linguine. Both well prepared and delicious. We skipped dessert. The service could not have been more accommodating and friendly. We will definitely be back. read more

My partner and I came on a Thursday evening and were the only ones in the place. We didn't even know it was in Pleasantville until we happened to walk by one day. The staff was incredible and sweet, and very attentive. The chef also obliged a special request to make a gluten-free meal for us to take home to our daughter. All of this on top of the fact that the food was top notch. I would definitely recommend trying out this place! read more

Another date night winner! Sweet little place with great food tucked away on a side street. Really enjoyed their chicken picatta and hubby's chicken parm was great. Also love that they have potato croquettes - how deliciously old school! read more

Pverall experience was a bit of a joke by the time dinner was over.. -The reservation was for large party. There was a confusion on topic. -As for dinner : --The cosmopolitan was bitter. --They ran out of the fried calamari. --They ran out of broccoli rab. --Two of the dishes that we ordered required to have other ingredients substituted.. -As for dissert : --One or two was not available from the menu. --One of us ordered a orange sobet. To our surprise , we wind up with lemon sobet in the orange shell.. In general the place was not too crowded and I really do not understand how a resturant can stay in business offering less and charging the customer the same price.. read more

Traditional Italian food that is always a hit. The place is not fancy but the food is delicious. Definitely try the gnocchi. Also super kid friendly. read more

Acceptable place with good and friendly service, old-fashioned look. Fish was well-cooked and seasoned, with some tired potato dish. Had a mediocre green salad of iceberg lettuce, supermarket tasteless tomatoes, nothing else. Nice, inexpensive wine. Good coffee and cannoli. No great gourmet joint but OK local place. read more

My friends & I enjoyed our made-to-order meal @ the Riviera, in Pleasantville, NY. Our crisp salad was dressed w special tasting oil & vinegar. Our main courses were prepared to perfection- Chicken, scrod, egg plant Parmesan, along w a mouth-watering basket of piping hot garlic bread. The service is friendly & attentive. The ambiance is casual, warm & quiet- w no loud music to interfere w our conversation w friends. If you're looking for tasty affordable traditional Italian food & attentive service in a casual setting, try the Riviera in Pleasantville, NY. read more

Persistence pays off! We had been trying to dine here since the summer, but each time we called it was closed or closing early 8pm ish. We weren't sure what to make of it, but now we understand. Tommy, the chef and owner, is basically a one man show so when he had to take off some time for a few days because of illness it seems that word spread that the restaurant was closed or closing and subsequently things got slower so he would close. It's expensive to run a restaurant for only 1 or 2 tables so that's why I'm making sure to review it because they deserve the business and customers should know its NOT closed. I called yesterday before heading out and Tommy stayed open for us. So glad he did. Mary Alice is a fantastic server with an even better personality and Tommy is a good solid chef from the Bronx who's in the business since he was 14 years old. The benefit of it being slow, we got to speak and learn more about Tom and the restaurant. All his food is from Arthur Ave and it's fresh, flavorful and filling. For me, that little detail of when the bread is good you know you're in for a good meal holds true here. We had the baked clams, a simple salad with oil and vinegar, the way our grandparents used to make it, bracciole with gnocchi and rigatoni with meatballs. Dessert was cappuccinos (in the clear tall glasses! Love it like that) with homemade cheesecake and cream puff, both excellent. I read reviews about the decor etc, but it was fine, it was clean and it had a certain charm especially when coupled with the authentic food at reasonable prices and fantastic personalities of Tom and Mary Alice. The Riviera is not closed, and it deserves your business, just call ahead to confirm. It really was that good! read more

Best (and biggest) chicken parm you will ever have! Everything on the menu is delicious! Tom and the staff are very friendly too which makes for a great experience. read more

Hi I live in Pleasantville and have been to the Riviera many times. I was there tonight for take out. My meal included Shrimp Parmasan, Penne with vodka and a Pork special with peppers. It was awesome! As with all restaurants, Covid has been horrible for business. Please go back if you can or try them for the 1st time. read more

I went there without expectations and left impressed. The pasta was outstanding. Best I've had in a long time! read more

My favorite restaurant! Have been coming here for forever, definitely give it a try if you haven't been. Best chicken parmigiana I've had.

Had dinner here for the first time last week. I really wanted to like this place as it reminded me of the old fashioned Italian restaurants that I grew up with. I didn't mind the very dated decor, but the food was impossible to like. We started with a large house salad, which was definitely not fresh as the lettuce had lots of rust on the leaves. The dressing was terrible - mostly just oil. We then had chicken cacciatore, which tasted as if the chicken had been boiled to death, served over pasta which was way overcooked and mushy as if it had been sitting in the pot all night. The food was so bad that we would not ever consider going back. read more

An old fashioned Italian restaurant with large portions, good prices and excellent food. Highly recommended!

My favorite restaurant. Came here tonight. & was not dissapointed. Nice homestyle Italian food. We ordered Chicken Francois & stuffed salmon. These dishes are to die for. Order them with a vegetable side dish. The deserts are made on the premises & are delicious. Try the cheesecake! read more

Amazing food and service. Although the place doesn't have great curb appeal it's one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to. Definitely will be back!! read more

Comfortable out of the way restaurant. Serves good food at reasonable prices---parking a little tricky as well as locating the restaurant itself. Never left there hungry read more

Very good, relaible, Italian food. Just like your grandma used to make!! I can always count on this place for a good meal. Nothing outstanding but definitely good! read more

Good food at reasonable prices. This place hasn't changed in 30 years. Frankly it could use a little brightening up, nonetheless, it a safe bet. read more