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The River Cafe, Brooklyn, NY
Award-winning

The River Cafe

4.9
4.9
9211 Reviews
$50 and over
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 39 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • Romantic
The River Café is one of New York and America’s most unique locations. Nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge with sweeping views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty, this elegant restaurant has, since 1977, been a favorite destination for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world who demand the highest level of cuisine. Renowned for its exquisite setting, beautiful decor and seamless service The River Café serves a wonderful classic New American menu using only the finest, freshest and often rare ingredients. With an award winning and outstanding wine list, romantic piano music nightly, breathtaking floral arrangements, the River Café is more than simply dining, it is often a magical experience. Whether you are coming for dinner or a private party, be sure to leave some time to enjoy The River Café’s spectacular garden.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (718) 522-5200
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Jacket Required
  • Executive Chef
    Brad Steelman
  • Private party facilities
    The Terrace Room at The River Café is uniquely capable of offering your guests an unsurpassed setting for private dining with spectacular views overlooking New York Harbor, The Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.Inquiries about special events please contact privateevents@rivercafe.com
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Area
    DUMBO
  • Cross Street
    Old Fulton St.
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is always available to guests with reservations. The River Café's cobblestone entrance is beautiful but sometimes challenging for people to navigate on foot. If you arrive by taxi, please insist your driver take you past the cobblestones, directly to the restaurant's front door roundabout.
  • Public transit
    A or C train to High Street 2 or 3 train to Clark Street F train to York Street Bus #B25 to Old Fulton St./Cadman Plaza West
  • Entertainment
    The River Cafe features live piano nightly.
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

  • New Year's Eve 2024

    US$947.21 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Ring in the New Year at The River Café! On Tuesday, December 31st, 2024 we will host a New Year’s Eve Gala which includes a 5-course dinner featuring caviar and truffles, live music, and dancing! We will be taking reservations between 8:00pm – 9:00pm and all guests will have their table for the entire evening, through midnight. The Lester Lanin five-piece orchestra will be playing American Standards for music and dancing. The price is $725 per person plus sales tax and a 20% administration fee for a total of $947.21. A non-refundable charge will be made at the time of booking the reservation. This cost does not include additional beverages. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted. For more information please call 718.522. 5200
    New Year's Eve 2024 photo

What 9,211 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • New York City

    American

  • Brooklyn

    Best Ambience

  • Brooklyn

    Great for fine wines

  • Brooklyn

    Romantic

  • Brooklyn

    Great for scenic views

  • Brooklyn

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The River Cafe in New York City is a "legend" known for its breathtaking views of Manhattan, impeccable service, and exquisite cuisine. Guests praise its "wonderful ambiance" and "stunning" setting, making it ideal for special occasions. The live piano music and attentive staff further enhance the experience, creating "a truly magical evening."

9,211 Reviews
  1. Samantha

    VIP

    Richmond

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is very good. You’re paying for the experience and the vibes are super old school, so just know that going in, and you’ll have a great time. We had a wonderful dinner and the views were incredible.

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  2. Rebecca

    Dallas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfectly Perfect Server timing on point Worth it

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  3. Amanda-lee

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    River cafe was amazing highly suggest to everyone. It was an amazing experience!

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  4. Dorian

    VIP

    New York City

    36 reviews

    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding dining experience shared with out of town family who were guests for the holiday season. The River Cafe did not disappoint. The menu offered a dazzling array of options for each course and given the large selection, we were a bit concerned about their ability to deliver… we were extremely happy and quite frankly blown away by each course. The food was of the best quality, presented beautifully and tasted absolutely DELICIOUS. Our only disappointment was the water service - it seems so silly but we had to ask NUMEROUS times for water and wait and wait for our glasses to be refilled. This seems like a minor detail but a major annoyance that can be readily corrected. One other troubling detail that surprised us was the lack of toilet tissue in the Ladies Room- it appeared that no staff attended to the bathroom during our three hour meal. We raise these two points in support of The River Cafe’s commitment to excellence. A warm thanks to the Chef and their team for a wonderful meal and lovey dining experience.

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  5. Richard

    VIP

    New York City

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s always a pleasure to dine at the River Cafe. It’s the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion!! We had the privilege to be seated in the area served by the excellent captain Bernie. He is friendly, attentive, and professional!!

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  6. Francesca

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Posto stupendo , atmosfera magica, una cena tra le più belle mai fatte

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  7. Ilaria

    Milan

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Adoro il the river. Ci sono stata diverse volte ( 2 per cena e una il pomeriggio per un the’). Trovo che il locale sia splendido in una posizione magica. Il servizio e’impeccabile come sempre. Non ho amato particolarmente “le ostriche the river” con una qualche salsina e del bacon. Avrei preferito qualcosa di meno elaborato. Il lobster e i dolci erano buonissimi! Sempre top il dessert al cioccolato con il brooklyn bridge che e’una vera opera d’arte. Ho provato anche il souffle ma l’ho trovato un po’pesante. Credo che i prezzi siano aumentati esponenzialmente negli ultimi 2 anni. (Il prezzo del menu’ e’rimasto invariato. Alcool e resto un po’cari). Spesa complessiva altina.

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  8. Angel

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Inolvidable cumple plenamente las expectativas, no defrauda

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  9. corey

    Coastal Georgia

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sommelier was very helpful. Michelin Star is well deserved.

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  10. Jo

    Essex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic service, food and ambience. My only fault was that it was very cold in the restaurant which meant for an uncomfortable dinner.

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FAQs

The River Cafe is rated 4.9 stars by 9211 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 39 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The River Cafe

1 Water St., Brooklyn, NY 11201

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2022
  • Cross Street
    Old Fulton St.
  • Area
    DUMBO
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Jacket Required
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is always available to guests with reservations. The River Café's cobblestone entrance is beautiful but sometimes challenging for people to navigate on foot. If you arrive by taxi, please insist your driver take you past the cobblestones, directly to the restaurant's front door roundabout.
  • Public transit
    A or C train to High Street 2 or 3 train to Clark Street F train to York Street Bus #B25 to Old Fulton St./Cadman Plaza West
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Brad Steelman
  • Entertainment
    The River Cafe features live piano nightly.
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (718) 522-5200
  • Private party facilities
    The Terrace Room at The River Café is uniquely capable of offering your guests an unsurpassed setting for private dining with spectacular views overlooking New York Harbor, The Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.Inquiries about special events please contact privateevents@rivercafe.com
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