So River Bend Bistro does not need a five star review.. because every one who lives here knows that it is AWESOME. The "food" is gourmet quality. Service top notich Ambiance.. is good could be better because is lined w/ wood which is not good for chatting w/ Lunch or dinner guests. It is little noisy Still a great place. best reservations the evening. it is packed all tme. read more

I eat frequently at River-bend Bistro and have enjoyed past meals there. Last evening was not the case. I ordered the tuna steak which was excellent. My boyfriend ordered the special- soft shell crabs. Unfortunately the crabs were nearly inedible. The shells were like shoe leather. We pointed this out to our server who immediately brought the manager to our table. My boyfriend explained the issue to her. Her only response was that the crabs had been delivered to her that morning. There was no apology. There was no offer to bring him something else instead, or even to comp a drink or dessert. He picked at what he could eat from the crab and ate all of the asparagus. In the end, we basically paid $44 for a side of asparagus. This is very disappointing and could have been handled differently. I don't think we will return to the restaurant any time soon. read more

Riverbend Bistro is a neighborhood restaurant not far from my house. It's always very good. We've been here perhaps a bit more than a half dozen times over the years. I strongly recommend reservations for dinner on the weekend. Riverbend is dimly lit and rather cozy. Most of the patrons, I would venture, are regulars. Just about every time we've been here, there's an older lady having dinner and a purplish cocktail at a table next to the long wall. Customer attire ranges from jeans casual to dress-up. The last few times we have been here we've had the same waiter. He's an amazing guy because he seems to be covering every table in the room, and there are a couple dozen tables. Very personable too, he can remember conversations you've had with him from a couple years ago. Above all else, I have to recommend the spinach here. It is the best I've ever had and I always order it. Prices are very reasonable. As of this writing you can get a generously-sized ribeye for $32. That price is unheard of these days. So last night I ordered the ribeye, medium-rare of course, and spinach. JP ordered the swordfish special. My ribeye was delicious and perfectly cooked. However it did come with shoestring fries and not the spinach. But our waiter quickly fixed the situation and brought me my spinach. The extremely svelte shoestring fries were very good, though perhaps a tad overcooked. The swordfish and green beans were excellent. Other than the mushroom flatbread and the split-pea soup, Riverbend's kitchen is stellar. Of course we will be back. read more

See all

Great service, delicious food, comprehensive wine list, reasonable prices. Love this local neighborhood spot that can masterfully cook simple things like a burger and fries alongside gourmet dishes like a perfectly seared Tuna Steak with grilled asparagus. Hidden gem! read more

The food is delicious. The wait staff is very attentive. The bar has delicious drinks. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Was in the Mt. Vernon section of Alexandria with some friends and decided to stop in for an early dinner at local favorite River Bend Bistro. Their website suggests making a reservation via Resy, and good thing I did. When we arrived around 5:30pm, the place was 30% full. By the time we left around 7pm, it was packed. Located in the quaint Hollin Hills shopping center off of Ft. Hunt Road, a few people I know have recommended River Bend Bistro as a "hidden gem." Unfortunately, based upon my recent dining experience this place should stay "hidden" until they correct a few major issues with their food and most importantly, service. Dining room tries to evoke California wine country vibes with dark hardwood floors, dark wooden cabinets filled with wines, with semi-uncomfortable rounded metal chairs and booth style seating along the walls. Even with large windows towards the front, the interior space is still dimly lit. Didn't really catch our server's name, but for a place which supposedly specializes in wine, he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about the offerings. Our party ordered three different proteins: fish, duck, and chicken. We asked fairly basic questions about what type of wines would he recommend pairing with each, and he couldn't really give any good answers. "Well, what do you like? White with the fish? Excellent choice. A glass of the house white wine, then?" OR "I can suggest a red with the duck, sir. What type? Oh we have many. What did you see which interests you? Oh the Australian Shiraz? Very good choice." Talk about generic "advice." I wonder if I had inquired about the wines from the "Arbor Mist" or "Charles Shaw" wineries, if he would've responded, "I've heard those are excellent wines, but we do not carry them." We finally settled on a California Merlot and a German Riesling. The table shared a starter of Caramelized Onion Tater Tots with Horseradish Cream, and the husband portion of the couple I dined with, had the split pea soup. The soup was...well, it was awful. The bowl arrived and even across the table, I could tell it wasn't going to be good. The soup was very thin, and lacked the thickness representative of a typical split pea soup. And my buddy confirmed that there were hardly any peas or smoked ham. He only had 1/4 of the soup and let the waiter know, it was very underwhelming. Many reviews mentioned that the tots were "highlights," and they were...okay. To me anyway, mashed potatoes were battered and deep fried; not typical tater tots, but the consistency was good. The accompanying horseradish sauce would be indicative of a constant theme of the evening - lack of flavor. The dipping sauce was neither spicy and needed salt...lots of extra salt. Honestly, it tasted more of mayo with a hint of horseradish mixed in. My friend's wife got the chicken with the house made Tagliatelle Pasta, and I agree that the presentation was a bit off. I'm glad there was a large piece of chicken, but it could've been pre-cut into sections to make it easier to eat, instead of having to perform "surgery" by sawing it at the table. She mentioned the Sherry Cream sauce and mushrooms was good, but again, her dish needs several dashes of table salt. My friend's trout was...again, just bad. It was leathery dry and when we mentioned something to the waiter, he looked at it and remarked, "oh, there is normally a sauce on this. let me take it back for you and have the chef remake it." It came out a few minutes later and the previously dry fish was now soaked in a white wine and butter sauce. He reported it was better, but still, would've been nice if it was sent to the table correctly the first time. When we asked him about this, he seemingly blamed the kitchen by saying, "Oh they are busy and sometimes they forget things like this. I will mention it to them." Well, if the kitchen sometimes "forget things like this," shouldn't you check it then before serving it? I spent many years of my youth waiting tables, and this was ALWAYS something I did. My duck dish was probably the best of the bunch. There was a good portion size, and the Fig and Madeira Sauce was tasty. A few pieces of duck were under the medium rare that I usually prefer, but still tender enough. However, (and wait for it) the dish was super underflavored. I had to use several dashes of table salt and pepper since it was so bland. Potatoes and green beans were tepid, which once again leads me to believe our dishes were sitting under a heat lamp waiting to be served, after they were finished. Didn't want any dessert or coffee afterwards, since we were all feeling a bit letdown by the current 4 star Yelp rating. Dinner for three adults with 3 glasses of wine, two starters, and entrees came to roughly $150 with tax and tip. River Bend Bistro might be popular with the locals, but I'll not be patronizing again if I'm in the area. read more

See all

Cute little bistro in Alexandria hidden in a neighborhood strip mall. The goat cheese and ratatouille tart was a perfect lunch portion with a side salad. Wasn't crazy about the soup. It was a little too watery for me. The mousse was alright but did taste good. Nice little off the beaten path place to try out. Their prices are reasonable. read more

See all

Wonderful food, service and ambiance Very pleasant staff and the setting is both cheerful and welcoming Lots of regulars read more

I felt deeply and utterly DISGUSTED when I was just eating my food (french fries are so dry) and I dip my fry in my sauce and suddenly see a HANGNAIL sitting on my French fry covered in sauce! Not only that but I also ordered soup and found a few strands of HAIR laying on top. Unless you want nails or hairballs along with your garnishes then DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

Well. Pros: - Local - Pretty good food - Nice hosts and bus folk Reality: - Expensive - Entrees are a la carte. No bread or salad or veg or garnish or parsley or anything. - Appetizer portions are tiny. - One vegetarian entree that's been the same for at least a year - Slow service. Entrees took over an hour when we were 1 of 3 tables. - Server was aloof, borderline rude - Salmon was overcooked. - In dire need of ambiance. Chairs are hard, space is too open, no rugs or carpet, music is too quiet to hear and dishwasher drowns it out. read more

The food here is, well, there is something kind of off about each dish. We went with a party of 7 and so we did get to try a number of dishes. I would say the favorite was the tater tots, which I would describe as croquettes. Those should be called croquettes as they were top notch. A tater tot is something fried at a diner, hard on the outside, greasy. These were light and fluffy and crispy on the outside but not hard. Perfect. And the Rockfish gravlax, which I would say is like a cold smoked salmon (but rockfish).Those are the two best items. and the leeks. The ambience is pleasant, but a bit noisy. The wooden chairs were too hard for our 95-year-old guest of honor and he was very uncomfortable by the end. The lighting is lower, although the noise level is acceptable it is still on the noisier end. Probably because of the concrete floor? The service was really good. And the parking was easy and plentiful. The chicken was said by a friend to be the best, but it was dry and the sauce not too flavorful. I think 3 of us ordered the chicken, so it was not a one-off. I would say the same about the snapper. Dry and sauce not flavorful. I wished afterwards that they had asked me for a level of cooking for the snapper. The cream sauce on the leeks was nice in that it was light. The leeks were fantastic. The boston lettuce salad was very fresh but the dressing was all vinegar, harsh. Like I said, every dish is like 75 percent there, like there is something that makes it not good enough to order again. And the pricing is not cheap. At $28 for the snapper, it should come out perfect and divinely flavorful. Not something you debate whether or not to take the leftovers home. We had the apple cobbler and the lemon pudding. I did love the lemon pudding. I thought it would be a cake, because it said cake, but it was not. It was a liquid, warm from the oven with a cooked top. With powdered sugar atop that. The apple cobbler you expect to have a crust topping, because it has the word cobbler in it. This did not. it was more of an apple bake. The apples were really good, but again, if you expect cobbler then you want cobbler... It seems many items on the menu say one thing but are actually another. I don't know what this restaurant needs except someone to come in and go through every dish and modify a bit, honoring the other reviews that have been left here. The lengthy one i read here from 2014 was spot on. 10 years later (now). Judging from the patrons, it seems like maybe many people just return out of habit, a place they have been coming to for over 40 years, before which it was a clothing store. read more

See all

Nice find! Went to Mount Vernon to check out George' homestead ... a delightful lunch , attentive staff, good mix of good food on the menu. Had a good size crowd for mid week lunch. read more

River Bend Bistro - Yummy! - American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Always a delight, everyone is friendly and restaurant is warm and clean. Dishes are seasonal and delicious

Nice place to stop in for dinner and a beer/wine. Owners are present in the restaurant and the food and service is good.

Not sure where my previous review went, but we came to River Bend Bistro and Wine Bar for an early dinner. We started off with: +House Made Charcuterie of the Day, served with cornichons and dijon mustard - honestly, I thought the portion was good for 1 person and not much of a shareable +Sweet Potato Biscuits with Edward's Country Ham - these are priced individually; we thought the biscuits were a little hard/stale +a Warm Spinach Salad with goat cheese, red onions, and crispy prosciutto +Pimiento Cheese Spread with sliced baguette - the sliced baguette could have been more soft, or even slightly toasted For our entrees, we tried: +the Grilled Ribeye with roasted garlic herb butter - the ribeye was a little stringy and overcooked +the Roasted Chicken Breast with tagliatelle pasta and wild mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce - we thought the chicken breast was overcooked as it was dry; the tagliatelle could have been more al dente; the sherry cream sauce was muted and more on the bland side Service could have been a bit more friendlier and welcoming. The space was small and intimate, but was a bit too dark. Located in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center, they also offer brunch, lunch, an extensive drink menu, and desserts. Plenty of parking in the shared lot. +overcooked, dry food +service could have been more friendlier +located in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center +parking available in shared lot read more

Good food....nice atmosphere...service was average. Family loves the warm spinach salad and the pasta is good.

From the start this was a difficult evening, our server was extremely aggressive, and every time she visited our table it put us on edge. Rapid fire, loud questions, I understand that she's busy, but dial it back a little bit OK? The food on the menu all sounded delicious, but the over use of "fancy" esoteric words made it difficult to know exactly what you were ordering. I was quite disappointed in the flatbread with sausage. What I expected was flatbread with sausage. What I got was three small pieces of bread toasted with something that looks like sausage and onions piled on top. Absolutely not worth it. The ravioli was very tasty, but because of its strange description on the menu, I thought there would be more than just ravioli. Lastly, if you order a soft drink, it comes in a bottle. It wasn't clear if you had to pay for every bottle, which can get excessive, but again our server was so obnoxious that I didn't even bother asking about refills and so I only ordered one soft drink. The noise level is off the charts, they could really do with some sound dampening panels. Between the wood and the brick, a half full restaurant becomes a cacophony. This restaurant has so much potential but also a LOT of little things need to be worked out. Those little things added up take away from the meal, and put this at the bottom of a list of places I would rather go back to. You're supposed to think you're at a fine dining restaurant, but you're treated more like a takeout Chinese restaurant. read more

See all

Cozy and unpretentious. Nice selection of wine. I had the Berthet, Côtes du Rhône. I was disappointed in their lunch entree menu (lots of sandwiches) but I liked their large selection of small plates (snacks and appetizers), which is nice if you just want to relax with a drink and small bite. read more

River Bend Bistro - Red wine menu - American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We had a wonderful evening of 8 friends, champagne was perfect temp! Green goddess salad delicious! Veggie option was fantastic and FRESH! Salmon was crispy and delightful. Special treat was the sweet potato biscuits!! Yummy. Great service! Lovely and Local! read more

River Bend Bistro - Room to visit and share stories! - American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I think the quality of food has gone way down :( I went there with my daughter for lunch and got a subpar hamburger . The time I went before this was for a pick up order of short ribs. It's was grisly and inedible. I wouldn't have fed it to my dog . Just tossed it's read more

We had lunch here today. Our first time here despite living in the area for 6 years! What a delight!! The restaurant is lovely, the service is brilliant. Our server Ismael was wonderfully pleasant, efficient and also quite funny! The food was sooooo good. Little Gem salad, Mushroom Omelette, homemade Tater Tots and Cotswold Mac and Cheese were all lovely. We will definitely be back soon. But I can't help but lament waiting so long to try this wonderful restaurant. read more

Caroline, the chef and owner, updates the menu every season. She also has several specials every day. One of my favorite specials is potato soup. It's served piping hot with pieces of cheddar cheese melting on top. The staff is not only friendly but tries very hard to serve the customers. One of the best points about the restaurant is that you can try foods you have never eaten and be confident that the results will be a positive experience. read more

Love their warm spinach salad and salmon with lentils. Antonio is an excellent server. Quaint atmosphere too. read more

River Bend Bistro - Warm spinach salad. - American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Good food. Good service. Unfortunately No draft beer. No brunch on Saturdays. Magnificent omelets and pasta. Good duck! Lively and crowded on weekends. read more

Good service and food. Local place for lunch and dinner . Best to make reservations on weekends.

This cute little bistro is tucked away in Alexandria, right off of route 1. We were greeted by the host and seated right away. The menu has a decent amount of selections, not too overwhelming. We started off with the caramelized onion tater tots with the horseradish cream. The tots were crisp on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. They however did not have any caramelized onions in them, still were delicious. The salmon risotto was nice, creamy and very flavorful. The spinach salad was supposed to be warm, it however was not. The cheeseburger was as it should be, juciy and packed with flavor. To end the night, we had the apple crumble topped with salted caramel Gelato. This was hands down the best part. The crust was flakey and so buttery. The Gelato was perfectly matched with the crumble. We ended on such a good note. read more

See all

I have been to River Bend Bistro many time for brunch with my family for many years now and can always count on good food. Their thin French fries are nice and crispy, and their breakfast options are tasty, and just the right size. Staff is always really friendly and accommodating. The restaurant itself is pretty small so for bigger parties or during peak times, I'd make sure to call ahead about seating/getting a table but there is plenty of parking right outside if you can get in! read more

See all

I had lunch mid afternoon. The service was slow and the food was mediocre. Cold and tasteless. Fries greasy. My two lunch companions were also in agreement. Will not be returning. read more

Went in and ordered a Martini up. $12.00 plus a $3.00 for "up". Got the bill and there is a "convenience fee" for using a credit card. The place looked decent but I left with a bad taste in my mouth because of how they jerked me around on the bill. Will not go back. read more

Enjoyed an excellent dinner with friends at this lovely bistro. They offer both indoor & outdoor seating. An excellent varied menu that gets updated every quarter. All our meal choices were excellent. We enjoyed Mushroom Risotto, ham biscuits with fries and steak dinner. They did a nice dessert for our friends Birthday. Definitely recommend this Hollin Hall delight. read more

See all

This is a small bistro tucked away in a residential area of Alexandria. It is my favorite restaurant in town. Excellent food and service. Quaint and welcoming atmosphere. Their cream of mushroom soup is amazing. read more

FLAT BREAD was an extreme disappointment. Toppings were on regular toast - not "Flatbread" as described on Menu. Warm spinach salad, had microscopic pieces of Prosciutto, and supposedly was topped with "Gruyère" Cheese, but it was not. It was some other tasteless hard cheese. I used to love River Bend, but I was so disappointed that I will not go back! read more

Myself, and a few neighbors went there for lunch the other day. I had the mushroom omelette. I have eaten omelettes all over the country and in many countries and I will tell you it is the best one I've ever had. I was amazed. The salad and french fries that came with it were also outstanding. The fries are very thin and crispy. The salad was simple and lightly dressed but very good. I will definitely be back! read more

Love this restaurant. The food is exceptional every time. The staff is friendly and we enjoy the experience always

A very good experience Ate at the bar and he was attentive and food was quickly prepared read more

Good quality food, unique offering in the Alexandria area, hope this place sticks around long term. Yes the ceiling is open and has a warehouse vibe, it's common for places nowadays and doesn't detract much from your experience. Why are there not more pictures of the food? Went on Christmas Eve and they were serving up until the close of business. Some food is great, and some I wish were better. Good items: Oysters on the half shell, spinach salad (with prosciutto and goat cheese, yum), rainbow trout (filled with stuffing, good flavor and presentation), roasted chicken breast (chicken was moist and sherry sauce brought dish together, with pasta and mushroom), spinach and ricotta agnolotti (I always wish there were more pieces of this, flavor was robust and is healthy) Wished were better: sweet potato biscuits with ham (so much potential, but the biscuits were almost devoid of flavor, much disappointment here), Caramelized onion tater tots (over-hyped to me I think, not bad but did not have rich flavor from caramelization, and I don't care for horseradish sauce), Risotto of the day was salmon (could have done much more with salmon), French fries were so thin as to easily break apart when trying to eat them read more

See all

Outstanding! I came here yesterday for an early dinner around 5:00. I didn't have a reservation, but they did ask me if I had one. I got in no problem since it wasn't crowded, but I suspect you may need one if it is. The decor is very classy. It reminds of a speakeasy from the Roaring 1920s. They even had several modernist/Art Deco prints from that period. The crowd started to pick up around 6:00. They seemed to be regulars from the neighborhood, which is a good sign. I had seared halibut with asparagus, a 6-oz. glass of Mittelbach rosé from Austria, and peach cobbler. The service was friendly and reasonably quick. The halibut was really good. I had not had it before; it was like whiting but had more flavor. The sauce was buttery with pepper. The rosé was not too sweet or too dry. The serving sizes were moderate. They did not have riesling, but that is not surprising given the supply chain issues everybody is having now. The meal came to around $45.00. It's nice having a restaurant of this quality in the neighborhood, without having to go into Old Town or D.C. No complaints. read more

See all

I happened to be in the area for lunch and had the pleasure getting my favorite liverwurst sandwich. The restaurant is definitely a local favorite. Ask for Kathy. read more

Excellent service, great food. Cute place locally owned and operated. Highly recommend if you are in the area

Came here for a late lunch with my grandma and we had a great time. She ordered the quiche and I got tagliatelle with creamy sausage and pea ragu. The portion of quiche was a little small but nonetheless flavorful. My dish was delicious and the flavors were well balanced. We both decided to end with a treat and ordered the mascarpone cheesecake with berry coulis, and I got the apple cobbler a la mode. Every single bite was finished. The service was good and ambiance makes you feel like you're dining in a wine cellar! read more