Riviera Ottawa

Had a wonderful night out at Riviera! The service was excellent from the moment we stepped in. We shared a number of plates and immensely enjoyed 4 out of the 5.
The smoked duck breast with parsnip was the best duck I’ve had in at least 10 years, cooked absolutely perfect! The caramel panna cotta with pecorino crisp was a nice twist to finish our evening, and the Fogo Island cod was another stand-out dish. Unfortunately, the sauce with the octopus fell flat and underwhelmed us. However, the rest of the dish was executed very nicely.

There is a wonderful ambiance with the high ceilings and the full-length bar seating. In the future, I would request to be further from the door. There was a slight chill as guests came and went. I would have liked to be closer to the action at the service bar or in front of the kitchen.

Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I definitely plan to return!

Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. We ordered the seafood tower and it was absolutely great! Every single one of the items on there was very good as you can see in the photos. Mains were cooked nicely. The toffee and ginger ice cream desert was very tasty. I would definitely go there again. All the staff are very attentive. I would book reservations ahead of time though. Food was pricey but worth the $$!

as someone who appreciates big, intentional flavours, the food here did not live up to the hype or the price. mushroom toast with shaved black truffle did not taste even like truffle. it was off putting being at a high end restaurant and being served cold bread that they did not even bother to warm up. that being said, the drinks are nice and strong and the ambiance and service is amazing. good location.

Good food, amazing ambiance. We started with oysters, tasted pretty standard. For the mains, we tried the steak frites. The portion is on the larger side, however, I wish they added something else to compensate for the price instead of loading it with fries, which were impossible to finish. Steak was cooked and seasoned perfectly though. We tried the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. The pudding itself was delicious—it should have been the star of the dish, but I found the ginger ice cream overpowering it a bit. Drinks were nice.

The interior of this restaurant is so unique and beautifully lit. The tables are spaced out, and the restaurant did not feel cramped or stuffy. I especially loved the ultra high ceilings.

We had a fabulous Valentine’s dinner at Riviera (our second visit) with our dearest friends and it was just as wonderful as the first time. Upscale, invigorating, delicious! This place oozes class and delivers a culinary & mixology experience you won’t soon forget. Do yourself a favour: get the mushroom toast! Go. It’s worth every penny.