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RVR is a modern Japanese izakaya with California style. RVR is having a moment on Abbot-Kinney, where the vibe never ends. At an izakaya, you expect small dishes so you can linger while you enjoy your drinks. Here, these include charcoal-grilled meat skewers, dumplings, ramen, and sandos. I visited during brunch and had a large bowl of ramen with a Banner Dark cold brew. I was seated at the bar where the stools have low backs, so you get a little core workout. Before the meal, they bring a warm towel. Manila Clam Ramen: The broth is subtly briny and sweet from the clams and dashi, so don't expect a typical rich pork soup. The Manila clams are sweet and tasty. While I'm not normally a high fan of the texture of clams, these are plump, springy, and juicy. In fact, with their huge size and orange color, they resemble mussels in flavor and shape. Slivers of the preserved lemon give a zesty, aromatic, and fermented flavor. This complements the scallions and sweet citrus zing of the red Fresno chilies. The mitsuba leaves are like a mild parsley. Today I had some interesting interactions with water. In the morning, while I was surfing, I was spitting out the aggressively salty water. My first sip of RVR's tap was noticeably sweet, cold, clean, and refreshing. When the clam broth arrived, the level of savoriness was just right! Parking: You can usually find street parking a few blocks away.
RVR is very Venice coded - it's scene-y, vibey, and food hype-y. We started with some yakitori: -chicken thigh ume myoga ($9) -duck meatball tsukune & hot mustard ($10 for 3pcs) -wagyu beef tongue, torpedo onion salsa & toasted sesame oil ($16) The skewers were fine, but nothing was really memorable. And so began our truly unmemorable meal. We had gyozas, a mixed rice, and though it was recommended that each person order individual ramen bowls, we opted not to because conceptually that's a little weird at an izakaya? Our splurgiest item was probably the crispy aji sando ($25). It's a very small portion, though I'm not looking for value at this point. It was a very expensive fish sandwich on regular ole bread - not a ton of flavor even with the morita aioli. The extensive vegetable offerings is probably the most exciting menu plug. The best thing I ate were the roasted sweet potatoes ($16). The potatoes were sweet, roasted, drizzled with a lime aioli and then topped with parsley shichimi. Sweet potatoes are the perfect vessel for any accoutrement and these were no different. Service was spotty - fast dishes, long breaks, repeat. Idk. I feel like there is a whole lot of hoopla for very mid tasting Japanese food. There wasn't anything innovative or new about the flavors I sampled. I feel like any strip mall in Torrance could take RVR down in a fight. Not for me.
Past by these multiple times and it's always packed with people. Finally got a chance to try it and now I know why! The space inside is gorgeous. Love the decor on the wall and ambiance is lovely. Music is on the louder side so I wouldn't take someone on a first date here but maybe a celebration for something. The bone marrow and uni handroll were my favorite. Both were very rich and the uni is from Hokkaido so the size is bigger. The duck meatball was also amazing but only use a tiny bit of the mustard because it is STRONG. Sweet potato was solid. The mushroom was good but a little bit too salty by itself. I wish it was served with the rice at the same time but not a big issue. Drinks were good but not memorable nor that strong for the price. Overall would come again and try the other items on the menu!
First time visitor, and can't say enough about it. I've been wanting to come to RVR for a long time, and I finally got the chance to. Reservations are tricky! They open about 10 days in advance, and get snagged up very quickly. We were seated on the upstairs patio, which felt very romantic (hell it was a date). It's a lot less intimate than the downstairs though which is dimly lit and a bit louder. The food was delightful. We ordered the handrolls (Tuna and Kanpachi), which were so good. They're a great starter for any meal. Next up was the leafy greens salad which was really good. The chicken katsu was probably my favorite of the night. I'd order this again and again. The pork rib gyoza were also a hit. Very light and airy. Lastly, the sweet potatoes were incredible. I'd order these again as well.
I regret to inform you that this place is overhyped TLDR: Some standout dishes, lots of just okay ones. Scene-y vibe. Service is nothing to write home about. The value for your money is Just not there. There were some genuinely great dishes (aji sando!!! And sweet potatoes, but you've probably heard that) most things were clearly made with fresh, high quality ingredients...but weirdly lacked flavor (fava beans in particular, but also the sashimi and shrimp dumplings). We also had two handrolls and a wagyu tongue skewer. No complaints, but I've had much better handrolls and skewers for much less at other places. Our server was knowledgeable and made some good recs, but not particularly warm. They also let us know that they had just given our table away when we arrived since we'd juuust passed the 15 minute mark. Sure, we shouldn't have been late, but we found that kind of annoying since we had gotten in line before the 15 minute grace period passed, the line to check in just moved quite slowly. It was fine in the end, but don't be like me and just give them a call if you know you're gonna be late. This is such a hot spot that I expected to pay a pretty penny, and I'm okay with that, as long as the food is good. But I can't in good conscience suggest that you spend this much of your money here when quite a few dishes fell flat.
Chef Travis the grand architect of Gjelina has unleashed another flavor explosion on Abbot Kinnney with RVR. Some of my fondest childhood memories were eating with my grandmother at Gjelina's patio when it was empty. I enjoyed a wide variety of different dishes that are well worth the hype and the articles. While aimlessly wandering Central Park in New York I saw all these ducks roaming around which made me crave some duck causing me to order the duck confit fried rice. The sauces were all so spectacular I was scraping it off with a spoon to get it all. Everything had a surprise flavor that made each dish special. The chicken Karage was extremely juicy fried chicken without too much breading. The very simple shrimp dumplings were elevated to spectacular levels with high quality ingredients. The sauce was a very unique dumpling sauce. Anyone who has read or skimmed Travis's cookbook Gjelina would be aware that the man is obsessed with pickling. I considered it a crime to not order the pickles. You've got a wide variety of different delicious pickled vegetables The snow peas are delectable and perfect on their own. The Fresno chile did something truly remarkable with the spiciness level. It managed to almost be spicy a very fascinating balance. The Handrolls with toasted seaweed from Japan were great the only thing bad about it is how fast it disappears. The ponzu sauce created a flavor explosion with the Sashimi. This isn't going to be like any other Sashimi you'll have. The crab fried rice a very juicy rice dish it has a texture similar to well made Jambalaya with how wet the rice is supposed to be. Chunks of delicious confirmed duck are also in there. The true star of the show was the Wagyu skewer my god truly tender and flavorful beef. You can occasionally see thr flames rise in the kitchen and it shows in this dish. The desert a vanilla pana cotta the olive oil enhances the sweet and saltiness of the dish a wonderful dessert. A final shout out to the house ginger ale a very good beverage. I do plan to come back to the bar to sample their other cocktails.
We had a 6:45pm reservation but weren't seated until around 7:15pm. The restaurant was clearly very busy, with a line out the door, so we tried to be understanding. Once seated, the upstairs space was beautiful, but it got incredibly loud, which made it hard to fully enjoy the experience. The biggest issue was the pacing of the food. Dishes started coming out extremely quickly..almost all at once making the table feel crowded and rushed (especially since it was a small table). It felt like they were trying to turn the table over quickly. We mentioned it to our server, who kindly said they'd ask the kitchen to slow things down, but then the timing swung the opposite way, our next dish didn't arrive for about 30 minutes, and the final plate was just rice. The food and drinks were good, the overall flow of the meal felt off and took away from the experience. I understand they were busy, but better pacing and coordination would make a big difference. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't strong enough to bring me back.
RVR has been on my list of places to try since I moved back to LA. I was even more excited when I found out it was a James Beard finalist for 2026 best resturant. I went during brunch so some items might not be available for dinner. Parking: there's a paid lot behind the resturant. There's a $15 valet 2 block up and street parking in the neighborhood. Decor: This place is absolutely adorable! There's also a bar and an upstairs patio which was perfect for a Sunday Brunch. There was enough shaded area when we went around 12pm Drinks: if you like aperol spritz, try the orange-hi. The servers recommended it and it is similar as it is refreshing and perfect brunch drink. I also ended up getting a regular aperol after. Also decent. Brunch items: Crispy Grain Pancake - I personally never had a grain Pancake before, it's not as fluffy as a regular Pancake, but had a good flavor. It paired well with the syrup, which even came in cute little container. Wagyu Keema - this was served with rice and pickled vegetables. Ok. TBH. I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I am part Indian and so obviously going to be super judgey about this but I really couldn't resist not trying it. And it was surprisingly good. It had bold but not over powering flavor and paired well with the pickled vegetables. Regular Menu Duck meatballs - ok I now understand why there's so many photos of the duck meatballs! I personally think it's the best dish out of everything we ordered. Although every thing was good, these meatballs stuck with me for a few days. Hiramasa Sudachi Ponzu - super colorful, super fresh, I love hamachi so this was right up my alley. From the sauce to the texture. Everything about this I enjoyed. Crispy Chicken Thigh Karaage with chili honey on the side. We had a toddler with us, so we ordered this dish for him but we also had some. It was perfectly battered and the chicken was juicy. Just be careful not to bite into it, because I learned my lesson...it was steaming hot. Boiled Shrimp Dumpling - good flavor and good texture. This was also a decent dish to share as well. Boiled Sweet Potato w/ miso butter - this is a great dish! I like Sweet Potato so I guess I'm bias but it was perfectly cooked and the miso butter is a nice touch to bring the flavors together. I heard the hand rolls are also good, so I am absolutely coming back to try all the other dishes and also get those duck meatballs again! This place is good for brunch, date night or a girl's night. You have to check this place out. The food, atmosphere and service is top notch. Also our sever was absolutely amazing. She went above and beyond for my nephew and even let him "pay" by letting him tap the card and push the no receipt button.
I get the hype! We came for dinner around 5:45 on a Saturday night and were seated upstairs. We ordered one tuna hand roll, chicken karaage, miso cod, a snap pea dish, fava bean tempura, Manila clam ramen, and boiled shrimp dumplings. We also got the carrot cake for dessert, and a cocktail each. The food came out hot and fresh! The tuna hand roll was buttery, the chicken karaage was perfectly flavored and crispy, and the boiled shrimp dumplings were nicely balanced and the dumpling skin had a perfect texture. The snap pea dish and miso cod were relatively light and flavorful, but not especially memorable. The fava bean tempura was delicious and the perfect combo of light and crispy. The ramen was beautifully flavored and the noodles were yummy! The carrot cake to finish was a great choice. It came with a tasty ice cream and the texture of the cake was soft and fluffy. Overall a lovely meal with tons of options. We would return and order completely new items to have a fresh experience!
We had the best brunch at RVR. It was such a beautiful day in Venice, and we sat upstairs at the bar honestly the perfect spot with great energy, sunlight, and amazing service. We ordered a variety of dishes and everything was flavorful, fresh, and so well put together: Citrus Yogurt with Candied Nuts - Creamy, bright, and refreshing. The caramelized nuts add the perfect crunch. Tuna Crudo - Melt-in-your-mouth, super fresh, and topped with the perfect amount of ginger and chives. Crispy Cod Sandwich - Toasted perfectly with a crunchy exterior and all the savory flavors inside. So good. Shrimp Dumplings in Chili Oil - Soft, silky, and full of flavor with the right kick of heat. Beignet Bites - Warm, fluffy, slightly sweet and citrus with pistachios , and the perfect finish to brunch. Everything came out beautifully plated (as you can see in the photos) and tasted just as good as it looked. The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was chill, and the whole experience felt like a little escape. If you're on Abbot Kinney and want an elevated but relaxed brunch -- RVR is definitely worth a stop. I'll absolutely be back
Was able to get reservations on short notice for a Saturday night. There was a healthy line out the door at 5:30 for those hoping to score tables. The place is packed. It has a cool vibe ... mellow, hip, friendly. The menu is overwhelming and they recommend ordering at least 1 dish from each of the categories. First category is handrolls we got the yellowtail tuna and the ratio of tuna to rice is generous amounts of tuna. It's a little on the small side, but each bite is wonderful and tasty. Ordered the duck fried rice and bluefin tuna sashimi from the second category (can't remember the name of this category) and both were out of this world. Only bummer is that the duck fried rice came out last but it would have been nice to have this as the middle part of the meal to balance out the flavor bites we had. We also had a duck bone in the fried rice too, so be careful! The bluefin comes with fresh wasabi which gives it a nice dimension. The gyoza / potsticker category we got the pork dumpling and it comes with this amazing salt yuzu topping (so, so, so salty but addicting). These were amazing and I could have ordered 2 plates just for myself! The vegetable category we ordered the pickled veggies ... lots of different bites- cucumber, cabbage, carrot (my fave), celery (second fave), burdock root with shiso leaves (3rd fave), daikon (white radish) and beets (wish it was eggplant over beets). The next category (can't remember the name) we ordered the duck meatball. Good, but not great (at least relative to the above bites). The place is packed so it does feel crowded, loud and warm. The mochi donut is only available during lunch on the weekends (not for dinner, which was a bummer as we really wanted to try that).
Venice is a really cool hip place and we saw this restaurant being super packed so we decided to try them out! Ambience inside is nice and had nice interior. A bit loud so it was kind of hard to talk to people but it was okay. The foods at RVR are like tapas style. We were a party of 4 and our server recommended we order 3 dishes per person. Visually the foods looked good. I'm sure it's hard to perfect every dish so there were good dishes and some bad. The foods though overall were on the saltier side... if you like a lot of sauce and salty foods, this place is for you! Place of the foods coming out were slow. So it felt like we had a bite of something then stopped. Then a bite then stopped etc. Service was a bit disappointing... we didn't get a refill on our waters during the whole dinner. The best thing on the menu was their matcha, black sesame gelato.
RVR (phonetically river) is a spot that recently opened (late '24) on busy Abbot Kinney in Venice that I would best describe as a Japanese style izakaya with kind of a modern, but cozy vibe to it. Where it feels more modern and polished than a lot of other izakayas I've been to in the south bay and the greater LA area, but still feels casual and comfortable enough to show up in a t-shirt and jeans. It also has the look and feel where it would be good for nights where you want to get dressed up as well. The menu has quite a few low to moderately priced items so it's easy to eat as little or as much as you want and know how much you are spending. I came here on a Sunday night by myself so I was able to find a spot at the bar pretty much right away and was greeted and help by some very friendly people behind the bar. The menu is really great, but wanted to make sure I didn't over order - so I went with the (small) clam ramen and the natto hand roll. Natto is one of those things that I'm still calibrating on how I like it served and how much I like it. It's a health superfood that is definitely an acquired taste. I really, really liked the hand roll! The clam ramen was also very flavorful and after eating, I still felt great. It didn't feel/taste heavy at all and the noodles were just so amazing. I had a pour of Japanese whiskey to go along with my meal. As a bit of a background, I heard/read of the chef's (Travis Lett) history and work ethic and it maybe I came in biased shaped on the great things I learned, but the place felt like it reflected all his efforts and vision top to bottom. I left feeling like I had a great meal for a fair price and just had a pleasant dining experience all around. Definitely eager to come back to try a lot more items on the menu and drink some more whiskey and/or beer. read more
9 months ago
RVR is giving "low-key chic" in all the right ways. I strolled in right at 5pm, half-expecting a wait (because Venice and hype), but nope--seated right away at the bar, which turned out to be prime people-watching real estate on Abbot Kinney. A+ for timing and a cool breeze. Started with the kanpachi hand roll, which was doing everything right. The flavors were clean and balanced, and the surprise cameo by mint? Oddly perfect. Like your classy friend who also knows how to dance on tables. The Old Fashioned was solid. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, just doing a good job being a wheel. Respect. Now, let's talk eggplant and avocado. Sounds like a spa day on a plate, and honestly? Kinda was. Gorgeous presentation, super fresh, the avocado was that unicorn level of ripeness, and the seasoning hit... maybe a little too enthusiastically on the salt, but I still cleaned the plate. No regrets. Duck confit rice was good, bordering on great. The portion leaned more "elevated small plate" than "I'm actually hungry," and it was screaming for some heat. A chili crisp or hot sauce situation would've taken it to the next level. But again, that mint came through with a cooling curveball that somehow worked. Who knew? The owner or manager (didn't catch the title, just caught the good vibes) was super accommodating with a food allergy at the table. Genuinely kind and helpful--none of that fake-nice energy. And the rest of the staff? On point. Friendly, knowledgeable, actually seemed to enjoy being there, which makes all the difference. Ambiance-wise, the bar seat gave me mild European café energy--watching stylish locals and confused tourists shuffle by while sipping a cocktail and nibbling on pretty food. Would absolutely return for a casual but well-executed dinner that feels like a treat without the full Venice scene tax. read more
Came here on a Monday around 6pm and was told we would be seated around 7pm. We ended up getting seated around 9:30pm for our birthday dinner. The servers and host were really kind and sent us a "free" green bean tempura but it ended up our bill. The ambiance is nice with a dark moody atmosphere but the food is honestly okay. I wouldn't be back here for the food because it's nothing impressive. The plain white rice itself came last when we didn't need it anymore and we asked for it twice during our meal. Very kind of them to give us a birthday cake and ice cream but I truthfully thought they gave us a dirty fork with leftover sesame oil because it tasted like chocolate cake after eating fried rice. Also, we were charged for the birthday cake. read more
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I went to RVR for the first time last week with a friend and loved it so much I brought my husband last night (8/23/25). Ben took GREAT care of us. The hand rolls were so light and delicious. You have to try one of the Gyoza- last night we had the shiitake , but I had the pork belly a few days ago and it was even more delicious. The black cod is amazing. It could actually be a main dish. We loved loved LOVED the August flame peach salad, which is probably going to be taken off the menu very soon (it's seasonal). The okra and roasted sweet potatoes did not disappoint. SPECIAL MENTION: The DJ who played beautiful jazz last night really elevated our experience. Ps. My husband could not say enough GREAT things about the house made tonic for those who want to enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage. read more
1 year ago
Came here with a girlfriend. Booked for 2 a couple weeks in advance. We were seating promptly, the vibes kind of reminded me of a NYC restaurant. Busy and intimate which was fun. We started with chicken karaage (chili honey was yummy). We got hand rolls (Uni, tuna, and citrus white fish) all were good, honestly the hand rolls were the highlight of the meal. Pork ramen was good and small was a good portion to share. We also ordered the charred cauliflower, unfortunately I think the waitress forget about It as It came out only after we mentioned It - it was ok. We got a dessert as well, the matcha and sesame gelato was ok. I would come back for the ambiance and the hand rolls! read more
No reservations? There is four hour public parking in back which you'll need. Stand outside shivering like Oliver Twist while the rest of us with a booking glide past you. The Hostee looked past me as I slid past her and past the the comfy booths and the Bar all reserved for others. "We have a beautiful table for you" said the assistant Hostee. The table was so small it could only be called a tab. When you stop at Les Deux Magots in Paris just for just Ice Cream that's the table you'll get. If I put the point of my elbow down there was little room for the plates of food that looked so good as they were served to diners at the commodious booths. So, don't over order as you'll have to set plates on the floor or the table next to you. Nice way to make new friends I suppose. I had to give away my water bottle and the romantic tea candle to make room for my cocktail. The Decor: A dimly lit concrete box, plain plastered walls ginning up the din of diners chewing and chatting. Oh, and the chairs are made in a Maximum Security Prison. They are butt numbing bare metal. So anywhere but a cushy booth might be uncouth. There is a high end music system floating cool jazz to smooth and soothe the soul. And while nothing is perfect...the food here is. The Bar: Spirits? Limited. Wine? Vast. The usual suspects? Yes. Sake and Craft Beer and mocktails which is like taking a bath in a wet suit. I couldn't decide. My butt was loosing it's feeling, I was grumpy, time for alcohol. My Ume Hi came tall with Yellow Genepi (a fortified aromatic slurp made from hybrid grapes from NY and flowers from the French Alps and hose aged Ume (Japanese Plums). Who thinks this stuff up? No matter this drink was terrific. Sweet and dry I stopped wondering why I wanted to try this place and was glad I did. Ume...yum. The Staff: Teamwork makes the dream work. Some wandered about, some flew about, some needed a shout out and somehow it all flowed. Claudia was a charmer. She took off all the edge the Ume Hi left behind and made a true difference in the experience. Who's here? Neighbor's taking a Felix break. The young and the Hip. Rent a newborn Baby to feel like you're fitting in. The Food: Oh rapture, oh bliss. Eat it all as nothing is a miss. Playful Japanese Izakaya fare awaits you. The Crispy Chicken Thigh Karaage with Chili Honey was a perfect bar nibble. Crunchy to the last nugget with a drift of heat. I'll have a bucket of those, please. Make that two buckets. The Yellowfin Tuna, Ginger, Scallion, Wasabi Hand Roll was so tasty it disappeared faster than a Crypto Investment. (They probably lose half a dozen of the tiny cute pitchers of Shoyu per night). The Santa Barbara Uni with Shiso, Cuccumber and Wasabi will make you looney for Uni even if it's not your thing, it will be here. Six Gyoza housed boiled Shrimp Paste, Fresno Chili, Cilantro, and Ginger. It was more Dumpling than Gyoza but who's quibbling when you're dribbling the delicious Sauce the Gyoza are resting in. Challenge your Chopstix chops and pop them in your maw while they're hot, and then when no one is looking drink the slightly spicy Sauce. The Fuya Persimmon with Purple Daikon, Myoga (Japanese Ginger), Soba Furikake and Shiso was truly divine. The Persimmon and Daikon were Mandolined razor thin and then arrayed in a flawless fan. It was like eating your Grandma's Doily only tastier. This dish was absolutely brilliant. Baby Turnips and Greens were nice. A splash pf Ume and sprinkle of Sesame Seeds added to this offering. Turnips are like Escargot and the tongue of your Nike Air Jordan. They all depend on a tasty Sauce to bath in. Here the preparation made the difference between the canned and bland and the tasty Turnip treat you'd want to eat. Mixed Fried Rice with Duck, Shredded Escarole, Mandarin Kosho, and torn Mint was also excellent. There was a slow crawl toward heat like the seat warmer in your 2010 Acura. This dish will fulfill any wish for wonderful. The slices of Char Grilled Lamb rubbed with Garam Masala and skewered with Pickled Onion was hit and miss between mystery chew and woo hoo who knew it could be this good? The warm Carrot and Buckwheat Cake with Miso Caramel and Butter Pecan Gelato made for a happy ending and was truly spiritual. So, if you're a high liver, and can nab a tab at RVR, you should shiver with joy and yell "oh boy", as you're dining at one the best in the City. read more
We were able to snag a prime time Friday dinner reservation at RVR! The space is very cute and cozy. Parties of two are limited to bar seating, which was fine, but a little uncomfortable. The party next to me had to use the bag hook directly where my legs were since there weren't others around us, and it was awkward having to keep adjusting myself in the tight space so I wouldn't keep hitting the bag. We ordered: - Uni Handroll: the uni was incredibly fresh, bursting with flavor and melted in my mouth. - Pork Rib & Belly Gyoza: so flavorful and yummy! super hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth. - Chicken Thigh Karaage: just okay... definitely too salty for my taste. - Charred Broccolini: also just okay... the charred flavor was a bit too strong for me. - Duck Meatball: sooooo good! this definitely lived up to the hype. I'm not sure I'd go back just for izakaya, but it was worth trying once. read more
2 months ago
Made reservations in advance using the Resy app. The restaurant was busy but not crowded for a Xmas eve dinner for two. The seats at the bar gave us a great view of the kitchen. Despite the small interior footprint of the restaurant; it can probably feed 30-40 guests. This is my first izakaya dining experience. Onto the food: ordered the uni handroll (best dish), yellowtail handroll, duck meatballs, mixed rice with duck (very nice), pork rib & belly gyoza, crispy pork collar tonkatsu, monterey bay squid, and the buckwheat carrot cake. Overall, really enjoyed the flavor combinations of most dishes. Everything was very tasty, unique, and delicious. I really hope this restaurant makes it. read more
1 month ago
2 months ago
Wanted to love RVR, but the food here gave me food poisoning... Dishes were over or underseasoned. Ambiance was great. read more
4 months ago
Another place that is severely overhyped. The food is mediocre and the waiters are snooty. The receptionist is probably the worst. I would not recommend this place. There's so many authentic japanese places out there. This one is giving white man's izakaya. read more
2 months ago
Excited this space is back! Stopped in on opening night after snagging a single seat reservation at the counter earlier in the day. The food was great, and I've always loved being able to see through the giant windows into the kitchen. It's a lot of fun seeing the team do their thing while you wait. Crispy Pork Handroll - honestly the least memorable dish of the night, but still super tasty. Was a nice few bites to get the courses rolling. Duck Meatballs - tenderly cooked and came with a great mustard sauce. I would have ordered more of these if I wasn't dining alone. Chicken Karaage - perfectly crispy with a really nice sauce drizzled on top. Thought a yuzu aioli or something would go perfect with these, but honestly they didn't really need anything extra on them. So good. Manila Clam Ramen - unique, perfectly executed and very memorable. The yuzu broth tied all the flavors together perfectly. Make sure you get the larger bowl if you're hungry. Also chatted it up with the head of the beverage program and ended up with the manhattan-hi whiskey cocktail with house amaro. It was super refreshing and paired perfectly with my meal. Service was super friendly and attentive, the space is lively and buzzing and surprisingly, everything was running insanely smooth for it being an opening night. Definitely worth checking out! read more
6 months ago
4 months ago
Wow - no notes, RVR was one of our favorite restaurants this year. The staff was so helpful walking through what was in season and top dishes. The highlight were the vegetables - the beets, sugar snap peas, and broccolini were the star of the show. The hand rolls were good but nothing special. Don't skip dessert the carrots cake was the best end to the meal read more
23 days ago
Came with a reservation on a weekend night, and was seated immediately. The space was very chic, cozy, a bit crowded for my own taste. It was also very dark. The service was excellent, however. The waiter checked in on us many times, and recommended a lot of dishes for us to try. I'd recommend coming witha sizable but not large party so that you can taste all the different entrées, small appetizers. Chicken froggy was delicious and flavorful! I actually really love the salad that we got, so fresh! There's street parking only, which can be a bit hard to find during busy times, but doable. Will be bringing my friends and family back to try more of their dishes. read more
6 months ago
We had such a wonderful experience at RVR. Big shoutout to Paul the manager who was so kind! They had awesome NA options for us. Also our server Mark was amazing - we ordered all of his recommendations and we were not disappointed. I couldn't just pick one dish that was my favorite because it was all amazing. You can't go wrong coming here - kind staff, great food, and vibey atmosphere. read more
Had a nice experience at RVR! Cool spot in Venice that was crazy busy for a Monday night! Had the unique seat at the end of the bar with a great view into the kitchen. This crew was working hard to crank out some great shareable dishes. We loved the Karaage chicken and duck fried rice the most. Loved the vibe with the old vinyl playing and the service was fast, efficient and consistent! Well done! read more
1 year ago
Very solid! As a party of 5, we tried nearly 20 dishes, which was a bit overkill, but everything on the menu had major appeal. The duck tsukune (meatballs), maitake mushrooms in miso brown butter sauce, pork collar tonkatsu, and grilled broccolini were all standouts that were expertly cooked and really flavorful. The duck confit fried rice and kanpachi handrolls were probably the only things we didn't feel very strongly about. Usually I'm firmly against "our restaurant has a DJ," but in this case, the volume was very appropriately kept to background levels, and the song selections made for a good loungey vibe. The staff was really friendly and the service mostly on point--the type of place where they keep you with a clean plate and a full glass--though we did have one or two dishes fall through the cracks and not arrive without us following up. When you order as much as we did, it happens, and they were quick to make it right. I definitely would come back and can't wait to try the ramen! read more
One of my new fave spots in LA. Great ambiance with cozy decor with a curated mix of records playing in the background as you enjoy a delicious meal. Plates are somewhat small in portions and somewhat pricey for size, but packed with unique flavors. Things like broccolini seem like a boring choice, but is served with a DELICIOUS sesame sauce at RVR. Service was great and on point as well - dishes came out quick and we weren't left waiting for very long in between service. Yum! read more
3 months ago
Truly exceptional food for the educated palate. So clearly the chef is a master at their craft but other parts of this restaurant made this a lackluster experience. You will either love this place or hate it. The clientele was mostly mid-20s creative professionals with a spattering of 30 somethings when I was there. The place was packed but we managed to get a table without a reservation, barely. Definitely make a reservation. The bar area looked impressive and the whole vibe of the restaurant was young, loud, and decidedly Venice. For me it was anxiety inducing and I got serious Carmen Berzatto vibes. (The Bear). Really, it's a great addition to the neighborhood. Some folks would say the food is expensive but really it's a great value if you are a foodie. We paid about $100 for 4 small dishes and two diet cokes served in a bottle. The portions are tiny which fits perfectly with the health-conscious/thin Venice lifestyle. If you're on Ozempic or Zepbound or something then you will love the portion size. But I must say again, these tiny portions are world-class in flavor and mouth feel, particularly if you have a refined sense of taste. The service was very friendly but slow, probably due to how busy it was. So finally, why only 3 stars? I was disappointed by the sticky table sitting down, the crusty food that was stuck to multiple pieces of silverware that was proudly placed on a napkin, on a plate, and set in front of me. Perhaps most folks use chopsticks here so they don't pay attention to the silverware. The final straw was the weeks worth of urine that was splashed on the wall next to the toilet. For a bathroom that has gorgeous French fixtures they really need to assign someone competent to clean it. And that's my fear; if they let the bathroom go with urine on the walls, what does the kitchen look like? read more
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More info about RVR Venice
1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
Venice
Directions
(310) 573-8077
Call Now
Visit Website
https://www.rvr.la
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
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Special Hours, Health Score
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RVR Venice - izakaya - Updated May 2026
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