After seeing the negative reviews about Rive, my friend and I almost considered cancelling our reservation, but we're so glad we didn't! Many of the reviews mention the servers being rude and the food being served cold, but our experience was the complete opposite. From the moment we walked in, our servers were attentive and very nice and the food was incredible. We had the watermelon feta salad, escargot, ricotta gnocchi, and feuilleté for dessert. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavors were amazing. Sitting on the river was the cherry on top to an amazing dining experience and ambience. read more

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Just perfect service and incredibly good solid food! We had a plate with selection of charcuterie, pate and cheeses with cornichons and salad with goat cheese. Our dinner was the branzino served with fingerling potatoes and roasted fennel and Moroccan olives to die for! My dessert was the apple strudel. Excellent dishes with great presentation, can't wait to return!!! Sorry no pics was to busy eating. read more

Good food, pretty setting. Have live bands, would recommend. Service was great. Get an outdoor table on the patio read more

Rice Bistro is a favorite of mine! Having a delicious meal while sitting, viewing the river is delightful. I plan to return to my roots in Westport soon. This is my hometown! Rice Bistro is one of the best in town. read more

I had a wonderful lunch with my friend. I had never been to Rive before, This restaurant was very pretty, situated on the water. We had an outdoor table, and it was perfect weather and just beautiful. I ordered a pumpkin martini to start, and my friend and I decided to split the kale salad entrée, and we each got a burger with shoestring fries for entrées. The kale salad was exceptional! The marinated tomatoes in the salad we're a taste sensation! The salad has a nice crunch to it and was finely chopped with a tart citrus dressing. I wanted more! But then I got to the burger, and the shoestring fries were crispy and just perfect. My burger was juicy, a great flavor, it was on a perfect shiny roll. Overall the service was wonderful, the experience was a great one! I will be back. read more

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I was so disappointed at what use to be my favorite place. We arrived for our reservation and they said they didn't have one for us. The hostess offered to sit us in the tented outside area even though there were many available tables. When we pointed that out we were told they were for people with reservation. We were those people but we decided to just try and enjoy the evening. The outside area was very warm. The butter that came with the bread melted in a pool of liquid fat. So we asked to move and were seated by the windows of this outside tent but since we were so overheated we welcomed the cool draft. i ordered my favorite martini; Titos with a splash of cranberry and fresh lime. I received a concoction with lime juice that create a foam on top. I tried to go with it but then just ordered wine. The meal was delicious but the usual salad I always order was half the size. I get that everything is more expensive but I usually eat that salad as an entree and it was the size of a small salad. All said it was quite disappointing. I hope my favorite restaurant just had an off night. Oh and when we left there were still empty tables in the main area. My husband mentioned that to the hostess who didn't even care to respond, It felt like they didn't care about their customers at all. read more

We've been here three times and love it. Beautiful view and wonderful staff. We've had Caroline, I believe is her name, French, our first two times. When we saw her on our third she welcomed us and made us feel at home. Unfortunately, she was working an event so we had a different server. We ordered baked Brie and it never came. We were surprised when our meals came and we did not receive our appetizer. Also, once we finished he never returned to give us our check. We were there for quite some time with no one checking on us. I had to go inside and ask for our check. I would go back but hopefully these small details get fixed as they matter when dining out. read more

We nostalgically enjoyed our dinner on Friday, August 30th, not only because every course was superbly crafted, but also because we were celebrating the end of Chef Roland Olah's 1 1/2 year span as Executive Chef at Rive Bistro. He is an undisputed master of Central European and French cuisines, so we enjoyed many top-notch brunches, lunches, and family dinners at Rive during his tenure there. Ordering a menu staple guaranteed the best incarnation of that menu selection, but with added and unexpected flourishes of flavor, such as his boeuf bourguignon and croque monsieur, both the best I have ever had. Each special menu selection, such as shrimp & grits, monkfish, and all of Chef's sublime soups created the joy of discovering a new favorite. Chef Roland, we look forward to learning of your new pursuits and anticipate following you there. read more

Went on a Wednesday night around 6pm, not busy at all. Was told with out a reservation our table choice is either outside or the hi top in the bar. I asked about my favorite table #23 and was told without a reservation we could not be seated other than what I mentioned above. I told the hostess (who is new) that we frequented this restaurant and had not ever heard that. We took the hi top. The wait service is all new and honestly not very good. The food was lacking as well, mussels frites and steak frites are not difficult to prepare well. The drink prices are pushing city prices. This is Westport, not Greenwich or Manhattan . I truly don't mind high prices but the service, drinks and food must then be high value, not just mediocre. Sorry Rive Bistro, but you are missing the mark. Sadly this had previously been my go to place for large family celebrations. read more

Eaten at Rive Bistro 1-2 times/month for 5 years. We intentionally patronized during pandemic to support it. Always loved it until tonight. Multiple negatives, strangest was when hostess handed me wine list - which I was reading - when our server said it was handed to wrong table - and took it from my hand!!!!!! It was as if the printed single piece of paper wine list was the only one in the restaurant. There are probably 50 copies in the building, but she had to have the one I was actively reading. Literally pulled it from my hand!!! No apology, no offer for an alternative, just walked away!!! Food was served cold, service very very slow. One beef dish ordered medium was raw at center. One salad was served with plain lettuce/greens - no dressing. We asked for dressing / response was there is dressing on it - it was dry lettuce/greens!!!! No one checked back at our table. Several other ludicrous negatives from the night, everyone in our party was stunned. Ultimately, I felt that they didn't care about us whether first time patrons or multiple repeat customers. Very disappointed after long time repeat customers and have recommended numerous times. Will look elsewhere going forward. Three generations patronizing Rive from our family. We have always loved going there until this terrible experience. PS if you read the reviews with 3 stars or fewer, you will see same themes repeated - rudeness, cold food, meat not done to ordered wellness, inattentive staff, hit or miss experience. As another reviewer commented, this was previously a go to place for us - a favorite. I don't think they care. read more

My partner and I used to come here often through the years with positive experiences, but after the last 2 dining experience it's obvious that this place has gone downhill. We ate here on Valentine's Day with a pre fixe menu for our reservation. But when it came to order time, they had already run out of the entree that I had been looking forward to. I ended up complaining to management and was given a sincere apology and a bit of a refund. No problem - these things happen on holidays. But when we came back a few months later in May, we encountered another problem with our food: unopened mussels. Not one or two of them - but 9! That basically constituted a significant portion of the meal. When I complained to the waitress, I was shocked by her apathy - she suggested this was normal and not a big deal! This felt like a slap in the face b/c clearly, to me anyway, it meant undercooked and poorly prepared food. I went inside to escalate the complaint to management...only to find that it was our server! When I finally told her that 9 unopened and uncooked mussels was completely unacceptable (and it had to be embarrassing for this place bc everyone around us turned their heads since discretion was off the menu as well at this point), she offered us $8 off the price. And while that is an effort - albeit not a great one - to rectify a situation, it reeks of cheapness, which is a bad look for a nice place like this overlooking the river. Should've been another appetizer on the house or maybe even take those mussels inside and either recook them, open them, or add more to our plate - like other seafood restaurants would do. This could've been handled so differently. Something is wrong with this place, whether it be the chef or management. It's too bad, but I can no longer recommend this place and won't be going back. read more

Use less f...king salt. God awful amount, my cardiologist is requesting less salt. 4th time here, with four different dinners, salt is overbearing. Andre the waiter, clueless! It will take me days to rid my salt content!! read more

Highly recommend. I have been coming to this restaurant since it opened. It is consistently excellent. However, tonight's dinner was SPECTACULAR. Served by the charming Mario C, newly arrived from Marseille France. Special cocktails toasted the night and lead to a Perfect date night dinner!! The Artichoke soup with lightly dusted goat cheese on croutons was sublime. The Salmon entree in a lightly dusted goat sauce with artichokes, capers and more yumminess than I can describe was next level. My husband's Steak frites was perfectly prepared at medium rare, and I needed to eat some of his fries!! For dessert; the Crème Brûlée, and the hazelnut dark chocolate mousse. But, when we ordered our after dinner drinks, our waiter Mario C told us that the Pernod Pastise liquor we ordered is from his hometown of Marseille! When he brought it to the table, he told us how to drink it... wait until the ice has melted a bit... then enjoy! Delicious! Thank you Mario, and thank you Rive Bistro for a truly special dinner. Chef's kiss! xo PS Insider Tip: tomorrow night they will light the Christmas tree outside the windows, on the dock. read more

Rive Bistro is located right on the Saugatuck River - the rear of the restaurant faces the parking lot, so it is not the most welcoming sight and it was also hard to tell if the restaurant was open. There is plenty of parking but the lot is shared with other businesses. We stopped in for a late lunch over the holidays. Since we arrived at an off-hour, we were seated right away at a window table overlooking the river. Really a gorgeous view. We ate very light - my friend ordered the crab cake and I ordered the Rive Salad with grilled chicken. The chicken was very well prepared - good seasoning, moist and a nice portion size. The crab cake was about the size of a hamburg patty and had a little salad on the side. Pretty pricey for the one small crabcake. I would go back to Rive and try out some other lunch options. Service was good - a little slow and the prices are really high. But if you want a leisurely lunch with a spectacular view, Rive Bistro is worth trying out. read more

First time to Rive Bistro and really enjoyed my meal. We ate outside- not quite a river view but close enough. But it was still quite warm out. There was a fan pointed directly on me - it was annoying as it directly on my all night - but better than having no fan. So my only slight complaint is basically weather related - and I'm assuming the restaurant can't control that. The food was terrific. I had the shrimp/avocado appetizer. It was perfect for a summer evening. Light, full of flavor and super fresh. I could have easily enjoyed a main course size for my meal. I also had swordfish for my main course. I can't remember - but it may have been a special. It was fantastic. Super fresh piece of fish in a very light cream sauce over spinach and fingerling potatoes. A five star dish for sure. I'm a beer guy and was happy w/ the Two Roads IPA they had on tap. It's a bistro so I get that the beer selection is not deep (certainly no points off for that)...but I am happy I could find at least one I liked (the Sam's Summer would have been fine too). The service was pleasant, attentive and professional. Overall, a really nice restaurant and I would certainly come back and/or recommend. read more

Food was absolutely delicious. Unique flavors. Beautiful romantic atmosphere. Our waiter was excellent. Only thing I would say is wait time is just too long. Other than that I would recommend this place to everyone and I will definitely come back again! read more

Rive Bistro - Grilled Scottish Salmon with Basil Pesto Risotto - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

The location is really lovely. The bar is very attractive and the tables nice looking too. That is as far as it goes. The food is not at all up to par. What a shame, since I know it was good in the past. Oysters (we asked for raw, they didn't have them) grilled with spinach and breadcrumbs, way over cooked and not tasty. Pate de campagne seemed ok. Grilled salmon overcooked even though I said I wanted it rare. The escargot which we didn't order are probably okay, because its hard to mess up garlicky buttery anything. I would advise going here for drinks and enjoying the lovely atmosphere and if food doesn't matter to you, try a hamburger. read more

Excellent food. Nice ambiance. Good service. Very happy with everything about this restaurant. My wife & I shared a baked Brie appetizer. Very good but small portion. I had trout almandine entree. Best trout I've had. Heavy butter on trout, veggies and rice but it all tasted good and as Julia Child says the more butter the better. My wife had the chicken entree, also very good. And we shared frites - also tasty. Recommend highly read more

We just had my daughter's bridal shower atRive Bistro. Everything was perfect. The setting is beautiful and the food was delicious. Monica outdid herself. She is so warm and gracious. We had a lovely time. read more

Rive Bistro - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

So came here once with Rainy Heart on a nice spring day as part of her CT farewell tour. Location is terrific. Beautiful stony outdoors. The bistro lights that lit up at night gave it a warm feeling. The river views only added to the setting. Service was okay. Problem is for being so hyped up, the food was okay. Menu does appear to be seasonal since I remember getting a duck breast dish I no longer see on the menu. read more

Incredible food and service. This place has a quiet French vibe that is welcoming and comfortable. The food is first class, fresh and different. Very delightful place for brunch or dinner. read more

Rive Bistro - Frittata, French toast, eggs benedict, croquet monsieur, peach mimosa. - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Attended an absolutely beautiful and elegant event on Dec 30th and was absolutely blown away by the quality of both the food and staff. Immediately upon arrival we were greeted by incredibly friendly and attentive staff and were offered drinks. Prior to the event start, a waitress came around to refill our glasses and made sure we were set so as not to leave during the event. For dinner, I ordered the chicken and my husband ordered the gnocchi, both of which were absolutely delicious, and even my husband who is not a huge mushroom fan devoured the gnocchi. Additionally I want to add that the staff was incredibly competent with food allergies and restrictions. I have celiac and the waitress was very on top of making sure I knew my options and was able to safely enjoy the food. When the dessert trays came out, she came right up to me and showed me exactly which desserts I was able to enjoy. I truly have no complaints about any part of the wonderful night. Will definitely be returning to this wonderful establishment! read more

small portions, our fish ,salmon and trout, were swimming in butter-way too much , olive oil for our small piece of bread was not tasty, cake cutting charge of $24 to cut a birthday cake in 6 pieces and we wonder if they kept some of the cake. Not all the meals came out at the same time and I had to get up and ask what was going on so that we could all eat together, had to ask for my water glass to be refilled which should be automatic if someone is paying attention. . Only nice thing is the river view but you can not eat atmosphere or enjoy when you feel you are being over charged $24 to just cut a cake into 6 pieces. read more

Excellent food and service. Perfect respite by the river! Highly recommend for any occasion

Winter Sunday dinner Good for vegetarians. I read about the great views of the river when the weather is nice enough to sit outside and you can see blues and greens rather than grey and white. So for the time being it was just the food an service that we were treated to. I'm going to start with a special mention of the wine list, I was very pleasantly surprised! Well it is a French restaurant but most don't do this well. Our group is six ordered a wide variety of things but I will mention the standouts and what I personally tried. The fondue was excellent - a bit on the salty side but not enough to put you off. The plan was to stay away from it but after a taste I was hooked! Burrata was creamy and excellent too. I ordered the Steak frites without the frites! I got sautéed kale instead. This dish came out after it sat around a while in the kitchen so it wasn't hot. I didn't want to have it thrown out or heat up after so I didn't say anything because it was good for taste and a large portion. The veggie pasta was good which my wife had. So I will say there's enough for vegetarians. Being a Sunday night everyone was a little hasty to get out and go home but the service wasn't rushed. I'm hoping to go back for the view and some more French food. read more

French bistro along the water. Stopped for a Sunday Bloody Mary & small plates. House made Foie gras, wonderful crusty house made bread, escargo served in a traditional butter, garlic and wine sauce. Pleasant view. read more

Rive Bistro - Escargot - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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Rive has always been a special gem located on the Saugatuck River. During Covid, that was our go to place as they had outdoor seating and they were very respectful about following guidelines more that any other local restaurant. Their cuisine has always been top notch, however with the newly appointed Chef Roland the menu is TO DIE FOR!!! Chef Roland has transplanted some of his staple dishes and added to his best known dishes. We had a dinner party and everyone at the table ordered a different entrée. Each one was met with silence and satisfied faces of happiness. The night that we went we had a "green" server, however they did ok. Rive is now open more nights during the week and the parking lot is generally packed. read more

The food was incredible. My husband had the scallops special and I had the steak. We shared the strawberry puff dessert. The ambiance on the patio was Devine!! Sitting on the water soaking it all in. Very relaxing and romantic. The attentiveness of the staff was a little lacking. We had multiple servers helping us so we were never quite sure who was on point for drink refills and such. But overall we were satisfied. I would highly recommend!!!! read more

Our car club was hosted here by the owner. It was a buffet lunch and, quite frankly, the food was excellent. Beef, chicken and fish - served by attentive and professional wait staff. Beautiful decor. Classy atmosphere. Wonderful service. Recommended. read more

Spectacular cuisine. Brilliant setting. The Ambience and Atmosphere reflect the casual luxury of the area. All put together with an attention to detail that makes it a must try. I only wish I took a photo or two. read more

Rive Bistro is a bit off putting when you pull up as the back of the restaurant faces a parking lot and the entrance is not clear. However once inside glass windows overlook the Saugatuck River. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Sunday brunch was packed and it was difficult to hear so I don't recommend going with a large party and expect to have conversation. We ordered a few salads. The Caesar salad was slightly under dressed but included a beautiful Parmesan crouton. The salmon was cooked well and had a generous portion served over the salad. The shrimp add on to the Caesar only included 4 shrimp and not worth the 8.00 add on charge. Salad Nicoise was very nicely done and I would recommend ordering that. They do have a nice selection of desserts but due to the volume we opted for dessert at home. Service was ok but not great and it took awhile to get our drink order. If you are looking for a nice river view and have a small party of 2 then I recommend Rive Bistro. It is nice to have a place to eat with a river view. read more

Rive Bistro - Salad Nicoise - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

This meal was very satisfying, as the view was quite nice and the server was incredibly polite and nice. The food was decent though, not the best but up there. read more

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Been a while since we have been here and we recently stopped in for lunch. The food was great, the service was on point and you can't beat the location. My wife enjoyed the beet salad and the mushroom soup that was a special. I had the salmon which was perfectly cooked and delicious. This is a great place for a quiet dinner with your partner if you want thoughtfully prepared well designed French cuisine. The view of the water and a nice layout certainly helps but the food and service are also great. We felt well taken care of and the staff were very nice. read more

Great views, right on the Saugatuck River in wonderful westport. Friendly staff, plenty of parking , and food is great. It gets a big lunch crowd . Favorites are kale salad with apricot and faro, and trout almondine - good portions and excellent flavor ! read more

Rive Bistro - Trout almondine - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday here with a group of 12 people (including a baby). For drinks, I had the mango margarita and I really liked it. It's definitely on the sweet side, but it didn't taste boozy. I'm not a fan of boozy drinks, but if you are then that's not the drink for you. We had the shrimp and avocado salad, pate, tuna tartare, crab cake, trout amandine, mussels, salmon, and several other entrees. All of the food was outstanding! The avocado in the shrimp and avocado salad was perfectly ripe and the dressing wasn't too acidic, while being tasty. The pate was very peppery and the texture was nice. The tuna tartare was fresh and also had some of that perfectly ripe avocado. The crab in the crab cake was fantastic. Curry remoulade isn't normally my cup of tea, but I liked it. The trout was well seared and delicate with perfectly cooked rice and veggies. My husband enjoyed his salmon and my dad enjoyed his mussels. The fries were extra crispy - perfection! Everything is pretty simple. Nothing had bold flavors, but the execution and the quality of the ingredients was top notch. They were able to serve our large table without any issues. No dishes were missed and everything came out in a timely manner. Although my husband said when he was there for a dinner in the past, service was incredibly slow. That wasn't the case this time. Nothing was spicy or too acidic, so my son really enjoyed his meal. At first glance it doesn't seem like a baby friendly place, but they have high chairs. I didn't see a kid's menu, but my son was happy trying most of the food we ordered (shrimp and avocado salad, crab cake, and trout). One con was that there were a lot of bones in my trout. My mother didn't have any in hers, but I was extra cautious in picking out the bones before feeding the trout to my son. The outdoor benches and chairs are really comfortable. The bench made it easier to sit and entertain a kid. However, it was a hot day and the two fans weren't doing much. Good thing we had our own little fan to keep my son cool. Overall, it was a fantastic meal and we will definitely return. read more

Food and service are good. Location is beautiful. Make a reservation even for lunch. Parking can be frustrating.

This is a perfectly pleasant and classy spot .... attended a professional event here and the cheese and vegetable spread and hot appetizers were all delicious and top quality! Staff service was very commendable as well! read more

Awesome restaurant! Shrimp avocado salad and lobster bisque were great appetizers. The shrimp risotto, lamb chops and pork tenderloin are delicious. As is the chocolate mousse, banana creme brûlée and the champagne. Atmosphere on the water is elegant and beautiful and the staff is top notch. read more

Rive Bistro - French Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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The food was absolutely fabulous. I took my boyfriend for his birthday for brunch, we split the romaine salad - OMGGGG incredible!!! He had the Eggs Bene which he said was fantastic, I had the omelette of the day, it was SO good! The service was a little bit slow and inattentive. We waited 10 minutes for a drink order and 15 minutes for our check. That's why I didn't leave 5 stars. I am in the business so I'm not typically judgmental but it wasn't very busy at all so I'm being honest about that part. We will be back next weekend for sure for the food and we will sit at the bar. read more

We live nearby, and had been there before for dinner; food OK, location terrific. Today, we decided we wanted to stop for a drink by the water. Pulled into Rive Bistro about 5:00 PM. NOBODY on the patio, with literally about 15+ empty tables. We went into the restaurants (maybe 10 people inside). Asked if we could have a drink outside. The only response we got from 2 hostesses was "FULLY BOOKED". Seemed to be the only phrase they knew. We just wanted to have a drink, and maybe a small snack; be gone before the rush. The only response was FULLY BOOKED. read more