For our last night in Gananoque with my in-laws, my husband and I thought we would give Riva a try- and we are so glad we did! Everything was excellent, from the elevated service, to the decor, to the music, to the cozy and elegant ambiance....and the food blew us all away! You don't always expect to be full when you leave a nicer restaurant, but Riva was an exception- the portions were generous. The sourdough was delectable, the caprese ingredients were fresh and colorful, and my pasta was hearty and full of vegetables. The chicken breast I ordered to go with my pasta was moist, but bland- perhaps blackening it or simply adding more seasoning would help. My husband's pizza was sooo garlicky (in the best way possible!), and the crust was an ideal texture and chewiness. My mother in law ordered the fish of the day, which was salmon with a mint cauliflower puree and asparagus- it was delectable! My father in law ordered the spaghetti aglio e olio and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were so satisfied when we left, but wish we had left some room to sample their desserts. If/when we return to the area, we will most certainly be visiting Riva again! read more

Absolutely amazing food, complemented by equally great service, and a wonderful ambiance. We started with sourdough bread, and could have easily filled up on it. Yes, it was THAT good. I had the spaghetti aglio olio, with shrimp added. Perfectly cooked pasta, with just the right amount of heat in the oil. Shrimp were perfect cooked as well. Portion size was JUST RIGHT. She had the Artic Char. Wow. The grilled veggies were divine, and the mashed potatoes that the fillet was sitting on had the perfect melt in your mouth to texture. A great plate of food! The online reservation system made it too easy to get a table at our preferred time. If I could award 6 stars, I would in a heartbeat! read more

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I wish I hade taken pictures of the portions. My husband and I are in town for a long weekend, so we came in on a recommendation from a local. The atmosphere is nice, pretty trendy actually. The issue was the portion size for the price. A hand full of gnocchi is not a $32 entree portion. The same for the vodka sauce with chorizo over fusilli, my husband added a meatball which was good but also expensive for the size. If they included bread or a side salad I may be more satisfied, but as it is I feel that we were left underwhelmed. read more

Service was great. We were seated a few minutes earlier than our reservation. Drinks came quickly. Appetizers were amazing. Mains were even better. Food was fresh, well seasoned, and everyone was pleased. Great ambience. Highly recommend. read more

Riva - Beef carpaccio, charcuterie, meatballs, caprese salad, oysters. - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

Fantastic food and service. Beautiful restaurant. Fresh ingredients, homemade desserts. read more

Riva - Fresh cannoli. - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

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Ambiance is great. Food was really great too! Service is 7/10, but still okay tho. Would definitely go back again! read more

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I have had dinner here several times and lunch twice. Everytime the food is perfection! Beautiful atmosphere, helpful, friendly and attentive wait staff, and delicious food. I come to Riva every chance I get. read more

Nice Restaurant, for the area I believe it was the best one in the area. We enjoyed it and would go again!

Pizza was good. The server was not as warm as one would expect for a server in an Italian restaurant.

This restaurant was recommended by our Airbnb host and it did not disappoint! It was a spontaneous decision to try the restaurant as we got off the cruise from visiting Heart Island. Due to our last minute decision, we weren't able to make a reservation online so we tried walking in. There weren't any tables available inside but we were able to get seated right away at their outdoors patio near the back of the restaurant. The food took a while to come but we went on a weekend so the kitchen must have been busy during dinner time. Overall a great experience and decent food. Would come again if we visit Gananoque again in the future :) read more

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On July 10 a friend and I went to Riva, a favourite restaurant for excellent food and wine served in a beautiful setting. Upon arrival my friend felt unwell and went to the ladies room, and a few minutes later our server, Celine, went to check on her only to find that my friend had experienced a significant medical emergency. By the time I got to the ladies room the restaurant manager and another staff member were tending to her, having already called 9-1-1. The paramedics arrived less than five minutes later. My friend was swiftly transferred to the ambulance where the paramedics continued working to stabilize her. The manager and staff of Riva did not abandon us, checking on my friend and coordinating with the paramedics so they would know I would follow them in my car to Kingston General Hospital. Six hours later and after excellent medical care in the ICU, my friend was stable enough to be released. Without the quick thinking and efficiency of the staff at Riva and the rapid response of the paramedics, my friend might not have survived that night. The next morning Jennifer, the Manager, phoned both my friend and me to check on us and to express their concern and relief that my friend responded well to treatment. I extend my most sincere thanks and admiration to Jennifer, Celine and Elizabeth of Riva for their compassion and for their decisive and coordinated actions. They were heroes that night. And yes, I unreservedly recommend Riva Restaurant - and not just because of the food! read more

We had high expectations for this location. The ambiance is lovely. Coat check is a nice touch and close free parking. Window seats were a bit cool to sit beside...server was very friendly. Gluten free noodles were done well. Salads were terrific! The main was a bit cool when it arrived and took some time to be served even though not very crowded. Outdoor patios would be lovely and nice bar area that is more intimate. read more

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The seafood stew was good and the caprice salad was good too. Margarita pizza was ok because the crust was thin but not crunchy and Bucatini Amatricana was a little one the sour side for us. read more

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Enjoyed the Caesar salad, truffle fries and beef carpaccio- finished off with crème brûlée ! 10/10 for all items! Very delicious

Omg the food and service is so good. I can see what the rush is about. Would come again definitely 10/10

Unfortunately Not ideal for POC (people of color)! is the impression we got. Only for rich Caucasian people. Very stuffy attitudes in there and we were really looking forward to enjoying a nice meal on our last night in Gananoque. This place claims to be Italian. My husband is Italian descent and the staff here are not welcoming like the way Real Italian people are. Told we had to finish our dinner in 1.5hr because they had to make sure the next reservation for a table was good. YET we made made a reservation 2 days before in person! Turned out the table that the receptionist booked us was at the bar! We were there to celebrate our wedding anniversary and we even told her that in person when we made our reservation. But I think she judged us by our looks. That's it. No other reason. Then they made it seem like we were asking too much when we asked to sit at a nice table instead since it was our anniversary dinner. We even dressed up to go here. What a waste of energy, effort, everything. So disappointed! Food was pretty good but such a bad taste in my mouth from our horrible experience because of our skin color. Save yourself from feeling like shit and go elsewhere! read more

What a beautiful restaurant in the little town of Gananoque! I was visiting Kingston area for a wedding and had to place to have lunch with my girlfriend driving over from New York. We decided to pick a restaurant relatively closer to the U.S. border so she doesn't have to drive longer than needed. We called for reservation in advance and was the first to arrive the restaurant when they opened at 11:30am. Really nice host that talked to us before the restaurant got busy. Waitress also spent a good amount of time telling us about their dishes. Service was definitely top notch, but I was a little disappointed when I found out that they didn't have raw oysters as appetizer. After speaking with the host, I found out that they make changes to their menu regularly base on the freshest ingredients available. We ordered the Octopus Salad, Riva Pizza and Spaghetti with Shrimp & Mushroom during our visit. Absolutely loved the spaghetti dish. Everything was done perfectly and tasted great. Would definitely come here again if I ever visit this part of town again! read more

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Had lunch here on June 2, 2024, with my husband and son while visiting Gananoque. We've wanted to try this restaurant for a couple of years. The atmosphere was lovely, very clean bathrooms and two of the tree meals were good (pizza and beef carpaccio). The service was a bit slow for a Sunday afternoon, we felt. My husband ordered a cheeseburger, medium rare. His was the last meal to be served. It was cold and well done, not what he requested. He ate the burger and told the server after he had finished, that it was not up to par. Her reply was "I'm sorry, I'll tell the cook". That was Riva's apology! No compensation was provided for their error, i.e not being charged for his meal, a free desert or a free drink. This is not the way to treat a customer. They need to do better. Their server should be trained to deal with customer complaints, perhaps escalating to a manager. For this reason we will not be back, nor would we recommend Riva to others, for their total lack of insight regarding proper customer service and poor training of their staff. Anne N. read more

Have eaten in the area for over 5yrs this was our worst meal and service Had the special duck confit it was uneatable offered nothing to compensate. Will never go back read more

Food was outstanding but service was atrocious. They knew how many tables to expect because they took reservations. The server was hard to find and constantly needed to be asked. Didn't even come back to ask if we wanted dessert or coffee. Eventually we had to get up to get our own missing utensil, bowl, box, and bill. Even trying to pay was a 20 min wait. Colin the manager said someone died hence the poor service and didn't care. Looks like they need a new manager. read more

Really nice place in an old stone bldg. great outside patio. Service was good. Some interesting beers available.

Beautiful space with serene service. Tables are not all jammed together, bar/lounge seating is very comfortable with a mix of hiTop tables and regular tables. Food is great, make your own antipasti plate by selecting from an assortment of cheeses and meats. Entrees are inventive updates on classics. Cacciatore with white beans (instead of pasta). Side dish of grilled king mushrooms was spot on, as were the pizzas. Don't miss the cheesecake of the day !! read more

Walked in for dinner here on a Saturday evening without a reservation and we're seated righted away! We started with two cocktails and were surprised at how generous they were on the liquor (no skimping here!) We then ordered a ceasar salad to start, the seafood dish of the day (salmon) and the burrata plate. Service was pretty slow which we were ok with but the bigger issue was that the food wasn't really that great and was pretty pricey. The ceasar salad was okay but had lettuce that was barely cut (each piece was 3-4 inches long) which made eating it really messy. Otherwise, the burrata dish was really disappointing but the salmon was good according to hubby. Overall, slow service and subpar food .. not great given the $120 bill.. wouldn't recommend unfortunately. read more

Very, very nice! Delicious food, amazing servant, and a nice cozy ambience in the inside and outdoor areas

Amazing food, great service! Charcuterie board had great variety of meats with the perfect selection of cheeses to complement the flavours. Striploin was cooked perfectly and full of flavours...and the frites did not disappoint. read more

Riva - Antipasti board for sharing - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

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I live in NNY and this is one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The staff was great and the setting is awesome for a celebratory dinner. read more

TLDR: Delicious food, great service, nice atmosphere but reservations are a must during busy season! Perfectly situated in between downtown Gananoque and the docks, this is a restaurant you don't want to miss out on. We walked in at mid-May around 6 PM for dinner service and was lucky enough to get seated right away. By the time we left, it was packed. Reservations are highly recommended during the high season. They make their sourdough bread and sausages in-house, roast their chicken on site, and have extremely large shrimps so their protein add-one are a must. It was an open kitchen concept so you can see the cooks making your food. To start, we ordered the bread to start which came promptly and very warm with butter garlic oil and balsamic dressing vinegar olive oil. I was debating between the verde pizza (asparagus, goat cheese, pesto) and the gardine gnocchi (peas, pesto, artichoke) and was recommended the gnocchi and it didn't disappoint! I decided to add the jumbo tiger shrimps and it was delicious. Service was great and Dan was super personable despite how busy it was. The menu does change quite often to keep with the seasons with lots of locals coming here for dinner. The price point is a bit high(er) but it is a classy dinner restaurant with quality food: This is the sister restaurant of the Ivy - I would say that this has more options with different price points. Lots of alcohol and dessert options here; there is truly something for everyone. Also, parking is available but it is across the street from the restaurant. However; if you're staying in town, I would recommend leaving your car at your hotel and walk! Great place, would come back again. read more

This is the best restaurant on the St. Lawrence. This place is beautiful. The prettiest restaurant I ever did see. Looks like a restoration hardware catalog. They didn't miss a detail. The building is beautiful. Inside and out. From the wood and brick to the wallpaper and great looking windows. There's outdoor seating if the weather permits. It's right in Gananaque in walking distance from the public docks. No water view but believe me you don't need it with all the beauty this place provides. Their buffalo pizza is Delish and you can't go wrong with any of their pastas. They had minestrone soup as a special last time and it was so good, I wish I had taken some home with me :) I love this place, exceptionally good Italian food for Canada. And by far my favorite restaurant on the river! You won't be disappointed! read more

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The gnocchi was amazing melt in your mouth. So great we came back the next day. We also had the Black Forest cake drink. It was like having detest in a glass. We will be back every time we come to gan or even if just passing tho Love the staff friendly and made great conversation with the bartender. read more

Riva - Amazing gnocchi can't say enough about this pasta - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

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It's an upscale/classy place with a nice outdoor patio area (perfect during the summer), a bar-style area, and a proper dining room. It's a 5-10 minute drive from the docks, so it's very convenient. They do fill up in the summertime, so either make reservations or have a few back-up options. Food was tasty and they do use quality ingredients, portion sizes are fairly regular, but prices are on the higher end. read more

OK Listen up Food Snobs! Just when you start to get comfortable with your opinion that small town Ontario couldn't possibly have any real 5 star restaurants prepare to be disabused. My wife and I came to Gananoque to celebrate our 41st anniversary with a cruise through the Thousand Islands quite prepared for 3 days of edible but uninspiring food. For the first 2 days we were not disappointed. However, then came Sunday night when we went to Riva's and - WOW! First the decor. Modern fresh and beautifully finished. Then came the main event - the food. Oh, the food. My wife started with superb mushroom soup with four kinds of mushrooms puréed with just the right amount of seasoning while I had small portion of excellent Caesar salad. We both followed with a small portion of some of the best Spaghetti Carbonara I have ever had. For the main course we split a Mavo pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni and roasted red peppers - delicious! To cap things off we split an exquisite Tiramisu all of the above served by a delightful and very helpful server by the name of Lyndsay. Did I mention an excellent bottle of Amarone at an excellent price? If you're ever considering Gananoque as a destination for an overnight exploration into some fascinating Ontario history don't you dare use "fear of mediocre food " as an excuse for not coming. Riva should be an inspiration for other fledgling restauranteurs to believe that if you bring a properly executed high end restaurant to a small town with even a modicum of other tourist attraction - there IS a market. A strong market because this place was packed on a cool SUNDAY night! Well done RIVA. read more

My first choice for dinner tonight in the area. Based on what's list on Yelp there doens't seem much else for unpretentious fine dining. They were fully booked when I called same day but they did accept walk in to sit at the patio which is actually very nice with a fountain in the middle. The hanging lights also make it seem like after nightfall would be very romantic. Food wasn't spectacular but it was good. Maybe I expected a lot based on previous reviews. We started with the Cauliflower & Parmesan puree soup of the day but it wasn't a puree and quite watered down. Also had a strong taste of cheese but then again Cauliflower doesn't have much taste. My small Riva Salad was good with lots of roasted almonds. For my main I got a small sized pasta carbonara. I'm always apprehensive of getting my favourite dish because sometimes it's not done right. Sauce wasn't as thick as I liked it (lack of egg yoke?) but they did not skimp out on the bacon (yum) and it did taste good but could have used a bit more seasoning. Hubby got the Riva Pizza. With braised short ribs and Gorgonzola. Pizza was done well. Thin crust and crunchy. The combination didn't really go that we'll in my opinion. It was interesting that for an Italian restaurant they didn't provide spoons for my pasta, offer fresh ground pepper or provide hot chili flakes. Also a little disconcerting was in the event for rain, there was not enough table umbrellas for each table and I over heard one serve tell a table there was no room for them inside. We're we all supposed to just sit in the rain? Or get up an leave? Not sure. Had the chocolate cheese cake for dessert. It was really good and dense and rich. Overall a good value for money. About $35 per person including drinks. Service was friendly but took a little longer than I would have liked for our mains to come out. Some of the servers were young and seemed inexperienced but for the most part it was fine. Would come back again but only due to a beautiful atmosphere and lack of other choices. read more

Riva - Riva pizza - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

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I think I teared up a little bit at the deliciousness of my food. BF and my meals were total homeruns. Desert and wine were fantastic as well. Literally every member of the staff said hello and goodbye to us. The service was fabulous, our every desire was anticipated before we could think it up. Riva is also beautiful. Entrance way to the bar, fireplaces, and dining room were wonderful to look at and soak in. The smell of this place complimented it so well. So for all of this wonderful we expected to pay a TON more. It was incredibly reasonable. We will definitely be back even if we have to drive 5 hours and cross the border again. read more

Riva - Dining area. Exceptionally cozy and well appointed. - Italian Near Me - Gananoque, Ontario

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Amazing food and service! Dinner for 4 great deal! Seafood fettacine, wood fire pizza, fish entree, antipasto platter, coffee & dessert Totally recommend! read more

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One of the best italian restaurants I've ever been! The food is simply fantastic! Price is fair enough. The pastas have two size options, and I ordered the big one. I couldnt finish the plate! We started with an antipasti (5 options) for 4 people. All the plates were spectacular! The steak, the vitello, the gnocchi, and the orechiette al pollo! Definitely, you need to go if you are around Gananoche! read more

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This restaurant might serve good food however they turned a party of 14 people the other way and the lady at the door suggested we seek another place for food! The restaurant wasn't that crowded. It might be because obviously we're a group of Muslims, it certainly felt this way. read more

The BEST dinner I have had in a long time. On a rainy Monday nite we rushed over from the hotel next door for a bite to eat. We did not have reservations, so the hostess notified us that the wait would be 30 minutes, we were seated within 8 minutes, small drawback we were seated in the bar dining room, no big deal, ambiance throughout the restaurant was nice and I got to watch a little Rogers tennis open action. Varied menu but we settled on the 12 ounce rib eye and the yellowfin tuna. At the suggestion of our waiter we had the house white. The fish was great as well as the kale and lentil salad. Top 3 best fish dish I have ever had, if not the best and I have lived most of my life in Honolulu! Separate dish was offered as our server knew we wanted to share. Only problem, we ordered the blueberry cheesecake too late ( knew I should have ordered it early to reserve a piece). Got a chocolate dessert with peanut butter ice cream, very good. Dan our server was the best! Let him know our wishes and he directed us in the right direction, never trying to oversell us. Great service, great food, very good dessert and liquor, what else can you ask for, reasonable price and great value! Thanks again Dan. Mahalo and Aloha! read more

First off, let me say that this place is really nice to look at. Beautifully constructed and laid out. The atmosphere is homey, slightly modern and a bit like a Restoration Hardware catalog. Second, the service is excellent. The manager (who we chatted with about wine) and the waiter were warm and professional. Zero complaints there. Why only three stars? Anchovies, eggs, mustard, bacon, arugula and peppers. Let me explain. The Caesar Salad. Google "Caesar Salad." You'll find that virtually all the recipes all require anchovies, mustard, Worcester sauce and egg yolks. This is what makes a Caesar a Caesar. What did I get at Riva? What came was a small bowl of dry romaine leaves, cut too large, with some shaved parmesan, bacon and piece of lemon. Did I say it was dry? Except of course for the lemon I was supposed to squeeze on it. There was, it appeared, no dressing and not a single hint of anchovies or any of the aforementioned ingredients. To call this a Caesar would be to call marinara sauce with no tomatoes, marinara sauce. And bacon? That's a cobb salad, not a Caesar. The Arugula Salad. Should have arugula no? It didn't. We had to ask and were told it was a typo on the menu. Why not fix the menu or at least tell diners? After complaining, a small amount of arugula was added. Bucatini Amatriciana. When I read that the recipe included peppers, I should have paused. I recently made it myself and knew that peppers weren't one of the ingredients commonly used. Check the recipes yourself. But I ordered it anyway. It was ok. But, more importantly, crunchy peppers don't really work. I think that's why they aren't in the recipes. So, in sum, this is really nice restaurant where, in my humble opinion, the chef takes some liberties that he/she shouldn't. Sometimes the classic recipes are classic for a reason. read more

Omg !! Best place on the road , you don't even get this kinda experience in cities like Toronto where I am from. Best little town , best restaurant on the road , best service !! Great job in creating a memorable customer experience !! Ps : our server Dan was amazing !! read more

Went here last night (8/20) for a dinner. The place looked nice but when we entered, were greeted by a host who appeared to be annoyed that we walked in without a reservation. He curtly told us it would be about 25-30 minutes, so we decided to grab a few drinks at the bar while we waited. As we waited and waited and waited, we were never updated as to when we'd have a chance to be seated. After 45 minutes, we got up and left. Sorry, but that host was a snippy little turd. Such a bad impression for us common folk without a reservation. read more