I love this spot. Great for people watching and being seen and over three visits, I've loved every forkful. I highly recommend the steak frites and the tuna with sunchoke chips. read more

The place is pretty fancy and nice, but slightly on the pricey side (especially their cocktails). Had the burger it was super juicy and cooked perfectly! Would go again. read more

The food was exquisite, I got the seafood chowder and steak and frites. The chowder was cooked perfectly and full of flavour. The steak was made as requested and the sauces beautifully complemented it. However, the fries were saltier than I prefer and the food was quite pricey. Overall, a very lovely upscale restaurant wonderful for special events. read more

Could become my new favorite. Great use of space in an old bank building. Great bar and craft cocktails. Food was also spectacular. The beef short ribs were particularly tasty. Will be back! read more

Delivered on all counts. Portion sizes where decent but for this level of quality no complaints. We were seated without a reservation, staff were overall very professional. Would def. do it again read more

Prompt polite service. Good drink menu. The duck main main was ok. Presentation was prevalent over flavour and textures.

I have been travelling across all of Canada for two months with VIA Rail. I stopped in Riviera and had a steak salad. It was the best meal I have had in this vast country! I ordered the steak salad. It was a masterpiece, the way it was presented. Constructed with green beans and fingerling potatoes on the bottom, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, then 10 oz of sliced, marinated steak, then Greens on top. It was spectacular to look at but even better to eat. Truly, the steak was cooked better than any I've eaten in this country and despite the fact that I always ask for salt, none was needed. True perfection. read more

Hate to be the first negative review, but over priced for the quality of food. It was very creamy and I think an Italian would think the Olive Gardens food was more authentic read more

A cocktail enthusiast's dream! Stephen Flood and the bar staff of Riviera have created an incredible selection of libations, showcasing a variety of Canadian distilleries and international top shelf spirits. The atmosphere is excellent, the decor unique, and the staff are friendly and very knowledgeable. While their variety of cocktails is vast (and excellent), let the bar staff make you an original creation, and you must try the whisky sour. My wife and I were thoroughly impressed, and will be back to visit the next time are in town. read more

Everything was amazing. The lamb cavatelli couldn't have been any better. My bf had the carbonara. He loved it. The drinks were great. Best Old Fashion to date and I've had a lot, seriously. read more

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The food and service was excellent. I have been back several times because they also know how to make a good cocktail. Interesting venue for a restaurant. The place is expensive. read more

Amazing. Simply everything was perfect. Service. Food. Atmosphere. Drinks. Everything. If we lived in Ottawa, we would return regularly. read more

Riviera - Canadian (New) Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Had a really great experience here on a Friday after work. Drinks with friends became an early dinner and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. Service was prompt and even a bit fun, the food was excellent, and the energy about the place was just perfect. We shared the burrata, pâté, tuna tartare, endives, bolognese, and braised (lamb? I think?) macaroni. Almost half the menu, and if we had to we'd order everything all over again; it was all great. Really glad to see this place thriving - an awesome edition to downtown dining. read more

So beautiful, great service and food. Wonderful time!!

I think this has to be the best place in Ottawa for any displaced New Yorker. Beautiful converted old bank evokes the grandeur of Manhattan in the early 1900s with mile high ceilings and ornate finishings but also captures a modern feel with its art. It was hard to limit our orders to just one drink off the extensive and top notch cocktail menu. I had the red deer ragu pappardelle. It was dreamy. Though it's probably also one of the most expensive places in Ottawa, I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a splash of NY in the heart of Ottawa. read more

Definitely an interesting atmosphere for Ottawa and great for people watching. The steak tartare and mushrooms on toast were fantastic, however the pasta mains were very underwhelming - overly rich and buttery, way too salty and very one-dimensional in flavour. Also extremely expensive for the quality. read more

Blaise food and drinks. It felt really uninspired. The newspaper length drink menu is unnecessary and seemed repetitive. Disappointed ... will stick to their other spots in the city. read more

We were told that this was an up & coming place. The decor is very cool, very high ceilings and elegant. They squeezed us in, seating us at a couple of elevated bar tables near the door with very uncomfortable stools. We ended up requesting to be moved to a regular table which they did. Not that impressed with the variety on the menu. One of my friends doesn't like fish or seafood and had very little to choose from. She ordered a pasta bolognese which was a very small serving and really didn't look appetizing. We were told the steak frites was the specialty. My other friend and I ordered this, medium. When it arrived at our table, it was rare so we sent it back. It came back rare to medium at best. Our server was very pleasant, but overall the restaurant did not impress me. read more

Very kind service, and delicious food! I had the daily special braised beef short rib and my date had the lobster lasagnetti both were out of this world :) read more

The food was amazing and I love their design of bar. You can watch them cooking and decide what to order.

My lobster pasta was subpar last night. The lobster was good but the pasta was as chewy as old rope. Adding to the experience was the poor service from the server. When ordering I told him I did not eat breaded fish and he said the two fish dishes were breaded and the chef would not serve it any other way, yet when my wife's fish came it only had a light coating of dill, so I was stuck with the pasta rope.He did not ask how the meal was and studiously avoided asking why my dinner was mostly untouched. He didn't ask if I wanted a second drink until we were getting ready to leave although he had given second drinks to two others in my party even though my glass had been empty for some time. The young lady clearing the dishes finally asked if anything was wrong with the food and said she would mention it to the kitchen staff. Altogether Riviera was a disappointing overpriced experience not to be repeated. read more

This restaurant sets the bar for the Ottawa restaurant scene. The first thing I was impressed with was the space. They have done an incredible job at repurposing an old bank building, preserving the original features, but modernizing just enough to feel warm and welcoming, yet still grand. The long bar stretches the length of the room, with a nice question mark curve at the end. Every detail about the place is thought out and fits perfectly, from the colours to the unique lighting, to the bases of the tables. Everything feels just right. The service was exceptional. When we asked about an ingredient (I didn't know what "coppa" was), we got not only a patient explanation, but a marvelous description of the entire dish, it's preparation and some insight into the thought behind it. Our server went above and beyond. The menu was not too large and offered enough variety to be exciting for all tastes. We found ourselves negotiating with one another about which dishes to share, as there were many to choose from. The food itself was wonderful. Flavours were exceptional, presentation felt sophisticated without being pretentious and the the preparation was spot on. This is one of the only restaurants in Ottawa where a group of people wearing tuxedos and gowns (coming from a night at the NAC) looked entirely at home next to young professionals in trendy outfits. For a dressed up evening or for a special occasion, I can think of no better place in Ottawa. Highly recommended. read more

In a word, WOW! In many words: My partner and I went for dinner to celebrate my new job. The drinks menu has something for everyone - a nice selection of creative cocktails, craft beer, wine and higher end spirits. The menu had a refined selection of amazing options. We settled on a craft beer and their version of a manhattan. While the price of the manhattan was a bit excessive at $14, it was outstanding. I had two. I've come to expect great things from the chefs and they certainly did not disappoint. The food was outstanding. We had the chowder and the octopus and both were a taste sensation. The broth was so rich-tasting yet light as air. For mains, I had the short-ribs. I'm normally that annoying diner who swaps out the polenta for some other fluff but this was amazing - the horseradish was tasty without being overpowering. The jus on this was superb. My partner has the steak frites - the steak was so tender he didn't even need to cut it. We finished the meal with the chocolate peanut butter tart. Delicious without being overly sweet. Loved it! All in all a fantastic meal. My only (small) gripe is that it is definitely a higher-end spot. Be prepared to 30-40% more than, say a celebratory meal at Datsun (by that I mean, one with multiple drinks/cocktails and multiple plates per person). That said, it was definitely worth it and the prices aren't higher than any other spot with food of this caliber. read more

Riviera has an excellent location and is unique to Ottawa with its vintage building. I ordered oysters, the bouillabaisse, and the lobster pasta. The bouillabaisse was fantastic with tons of fresh fish and seafood. The pasta was okay, not much flavour to the sauce. The drinks were very good. read more

Fantastic place. Food and drinks were amazing, great ambiance, the bar and design are well designed and all the staff we met were delightful. Good spot with great menu read more

Loved the menu..and the food delivers on its expectation. Our server was so attentive and made you feel like you had to come back to experience something else on the menu...I will be back! read more

Outstanding restaurant from the door in. Service, ambiance and the food are all top notch. I have been numerous times including hosting a large party and have not been disappointed. Highy recommend. read more

Had a fabulous meal there last week. I lived in NYC for a while and this was as good (in terms of space, food and service) as anything I'd expect there (that I could afford, ha). Better even. My steak was perfectly cooked and the cocktails were aces. read more

Wonderful food and atmosphere, the service is excellent! There is a lot of noise, but it's good noise; long bar and open kitchen.

Had dinner there last week. Beautiful old bank. lovely high ceiling so was surprised it was so loud. My wife had the burrata and tomato salad. She received half of a beefsteak tomato and a plop of burrata cheese. No real flavour and $22.00. This should help your food cost!!!! I asked the waiter if the Orecchiete carbonara came with cream. I was told a little bit and lots of butter. As a Carbonara fan this sent off alarm bells as a true carbonara does not have cream but I stupidly proceeded to order it. Well I got what I deserved, a watery, creamed up pasta with a few mushrooms and very little bacon (guanciale). No salt or pepper was on the table and I had to ask for ground pepper. The wine prices are at the top end of expensive. Very disappointed and won't be back. Trendy is one thing, good food is another. read more

Amazing. If you have to visit one restaurant in Ottawa, this is it. Had delicious lobster pasta, and the lobster was extremely tender. This is difficult to do and shows the expertise of the chef. The waiter was funny and knowledgeable about the champagne selections. read more

Simply phenomenal. We came from New York for. Long weekend. My fiancé found this place and said- Let's try it. I have to give extra appreciation to the staff for getting us in, as you typically need a reservation. They were very kind and found us a table. Beautiful ambiance, excellent service. The food is very clearly prepared, plated, and served by people who know what they are doing. I would take the time to describe our meal selection, however I don't feel that Riviera typically serves the same dishes in a day to basis. Nevertheless, I had Rabbit Paparelle while my fiancé had Lamb Shank and Fisherman's Chiwder. Not a single complaint. The experience fully engages the palate by serving dishes that follow a somewhat "game/earthy" theme paired with crisp cocktails to cleanse the palate between bites. Our cocktails were truly a work of art and exceeded the concept of "craft cocktail." Chic and well thought through. Staff Are constantly moving and diligently working to produce a truly exceptional dining experience. We will return to Riviera when we return to Ottawa in May. read more

Wonderful experience from start to finish. The ambiance is among the best in Ottawa. Cocktails are amazing. Service excellent. And the FOOD! Everything we had was outstanding - the mushrooms on toast is out of this world! A MUST try (and try again)! read more

I loved this place! Ate once, service was awesome, drinks were awesome, food was awesome. Had the marrow bone with a side of parsley salad. Delish. Then we had 2 pasta dishes: the carbonara and the blood pasta with morcilla. Finished with a light fruity dessert. Absolutely lovely! Cannot recommend this place enough! read more

We went for lunch, we were there at 11:40am, there was one table taken. We were guided to the very first table from the front door...Seriously? It is the worst table in the restaurant, which started to fill up as time went on, but was certainly not full even by the time we left an hour later. The server was knowledgeable and pleasant, but constantly came by and stopped our conversation, even after ordering our meal, it became annoying. The music and atmosphere is loud! We were yelling at each other across the table...it's lunchtime, turn it down a notch. Also, the worst table that we got seated at was right beside another table with a very small shoulder-height barrier in between. So as we were yelling at each other to talk, as were the new table mates, it was very difficult to enjoy anything other than the food in this place. This was the second time I've tried this restaurant, and I will likely not return. read more

My husband and I had dinner here and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. The decor is lovely and being an old bank building the ceilings are high with great architectural details. The lighting is perfect and even with a very long and fully seated bar plus tables the sound level is good for conversation. The service was very attentive and friendly. General Manager Steve Doussis is a lovely and gracious host. Now to the best part - the food! Our cocktails were very good - The Toronto (being from there and liking Manhattans I had to order it) and my husband had the Whiskey Sour. The Whiskey Sour was served in a glass a little too feminine for his taste but didn't matter much as it was all about what is in the glass. His looked gorgeous with a design on top done with the foam and had good sourness but the last sip at the end proved to be too sweet for a guy that likes his sours really sour all the way. I saw a dish on another diner's table that looked delicious so asked the waiter and had it as a starter. Mushrooms on Toast with a perfectly poached egg and shaved truffles. Cooked perfectly and delicious. I followed it with a small portion of Lobster Spaghetti - worried a little that these two,plates might be too rich together. The sauce was loaded with flavour and the lobster was cooked perfectly. The two plates together were a little perhaps a little too rich but a glass of Courvoisier with coffee at the end did the trick. I really wanted to try both dishes and it ended very well. My husband loved his Venison Tartare starter and it was also full of flavour - mixed with nuts and pickled mustard seeds. His Black Cod was perfectly cooked and looked amazing. We will definitely go back on our next trip to Ottawa and next time sit up at the bar at the kitchen end to watch the magic in action. read more