River Bend Bistro is a hidden gem in Fort Hunt in the Hollin Hall area. It's got a quiet and quaint atmosphere with a great selection of wine. read more

Just 9 days into a soft opening, River Bend Bistro is already a very welcome addition to the Mt Vernon dining scene. It was crowded on a Wed night even though they have not had a grand opening yet. We look forward to going back soon to explore the rest of the menu. Co-owner Chef Carol clearly knows how to please! With a few tweaks to the "front-of-house" this Bistro will be a welcome part of the neighborhood. So some comments: first it took a long time to be greeted at the table and for our drinks to arrive. Unfortunately the sparkling wine was served in white wine glasses. The waiter was friendly and polished but the young runners look like deer in headlights - not knowing what to do next. Our pate appetizer (actually off a very tempting bar menu) was a generous portion of goodness and a great value. The crab flan was tasty but a bit under-seasoned; the crab was sweet and plentiful but I found myself picking out fairly large pieces of shell. Our entrees were delivered exactly as my wife finished her appetizer...'nuff said! We had the mac and cheese and sweetbreads. The Mac & Cheese was too die for - adult-oriented, creamy & cheesy in a good way but as a main course needed something more on the plate. The sweetbreads (a decidedly acquired taste) were expertly prepared and delicious. This is not a place to take the kids nor is it a spur-of -the moment / I don't feel like cooking kind of joint. Depending on how much you drink and how many courses you order, the bill could easily be $100 per couple. But it is a great place to wind down with a glass of wine and tasty meal after a hard day. Every new restaurant needs a few weeks to get the kinks out and we're confident River Bend Bistro will work on these nits. Now if they could only turn the volume down a bit on the noise level... read more

Terrible menu. No burger, chicken sandwich or anything for the casual diner or for children. Only available sandwich was liver wurst. Portions are very small and menu is limited. "Flatbreads" are toast with toppings and salads are tiny. Macaroni and cheese is a straight out of the box. Rockfish appetizer was marginal. read more

Food is ok but extremely limited menu that needs a few simple items added. Sparse decor matches the lackluster attitude and "bistro" knowledge of greeters at the door and wait staff. In a bistro, one should expect a loaf of fresh bread and butter on the table when seated but this bistro requires a request for a couple of slices. Hopefully, a real bistro climate will take hold. read more

Delightful, informal spot with excellent service. The Red Snapper soup special (chowder ) was great! They have an excellent wine list and very fair prices. Overall, its a really nice place to have dinner and conversation. read more

Second visit for dinner. Ordered the grilled flatbread appetizer with porchetta, blue cheese, and lemon anchovies. Now, whenever I order a "flatbread" app, I expect to get something like a pita or a slice of grilled french bread with the meat/cheese on the side. Like a charcuterie platter. Basically, I got two slabs of Texas toast topped with meat, cheese, and anchovies. The presentation threw me off, but the stuff was delicious; nice roasted pork with rich salty cheese and a mellow non-stinky fish rounding out the flavor. I have to wonder why they don't just take two slices of bread, fill it with stuff, and serve it as a sandwich, because as described, you're getting something like a meat & cheese bruschetta. Followed up with the grilled ribeye which was too big to finish. Nice to know someone knows what medium-rare means. As for the "shoestring fries," maybe it's just me, but when I hear "shoestring fries," I see something thin and narrow like McDonalds fries. What you get is the equivalent of Utz Potato Stix: ultra-finely shredded potato twigs fried super crispy. Again, tasted great, but not what I was expecting. Still a solid 4 stars. Looking forward to new items coming onto the menu as the seasons change. I just hope I can remember to ask the server EXACTLY what is it that I'm ordering. read more

Sometimes food is better than other times. Very small. Limited menu. Located in a strip mall. Open atmosphere.

We are pleased to see a nice bistro open in our area. On Monday, October 21st we were the first guests to try this new bistro. The portions were quite adequate, and the food was superbly prepared, as compared to others in northern Virginia. Bravo. We will be back soon. read more

Have been looking forward to the opening of this French bistro. But my first lunch was disappointing. Tuesday lunch, 12:30 seated in an almost full cafe style dining room. Friendly wait staff, but very slow in taking our order, delivering our food, refreshing our drinks and bring us the tab! We spent over an hour! My chicken shish-k-bob had chunks of fatty skin wedged between the mushrooms, meat and red onion. Foul tasting! Side salad was good. I sure hope this bistro gets better because we need a bit of fine dining in this area of Alexandria, VA. read more

Food extremely bland. My husband and I both had to add salt to our entrees, which we never do. Waiter knew nothing about wine. AND to top off the evening--I just learned my credit card was charged twice for the meal. read more

My wife and I took our next door neighbor out for a Birthday lunch. On Open Table I was specific about the Birthday, and detailed what she looked like and what "HER NAME" was. My wife delayed her in the parking lot so I went in and confirmed our "birthday" celebration. Another manager/waitstaff person knows our neighbor and came by our table to chat. She happened to mention to her that we were taking her out for her Birthday. After completing our lunch we were asked if we wanted desert we all said no. The waitress brought the check and that was it? No candle no nothing! After paying I stayed behind and asked what happened to the "Birthday" recognition. It was a "McFly" moment when the waitress said that we all said no to dessert. I asked her why I went through all the effort in telling them about this event. I also asked her if next time I should just say, "Give us one SURPRISE desert with a lit candle on it". On the way home my wife said they probably just wanted to have us all order and pay for desert. If this is the case then they really shouldn't expect repete business, and they are definitely a neighborhood only restaurant that needs me to come back to stay in business. BTW the lunch was pretty expensive and just ok. read more

Great place to meet friends for dinner - nice neighborhood place. Small dining room, unassuming ambiance and the food is very good. I had a fantastic scallops appetizer last week at the bar (Chris the bartender is great) and last night my rockfish entree was wonderful. The smoked mozarella risotto that one of our friends ordered was superb and the blueberry cobbler dessert was also delish! HIghly recommend. read more

I really didn't want to write a review for River Bend because it's pretty much my local watering hole which brings loyalty and friendship into the mix which has no place in a review. With that said, I recently noticed there's another Fred Z. in the area (don't know him) that posted a review here. So to ensure all Fred Zs are heard, I'll go ahead and provide my thoughts. First, what I know best, the bar. Some of the best bartenders in town. Not only are they great drink slingers but they truly know the restaurant business and a few of them pretty much run the floor when the owner is busy in the back. They understand the menu and the owners vision, can discuss the menu items on the same level as the beer, wine and spirit selections, and are extremely attentive, participating in conversations when it's welcome and disappearing when it's not. As for the food, I enjoy just about everything on the menu and I'm a huge fan of several of the entrees. The ribeye, lamb shank, and pork tenderloin are my favorites and all of the fish dishes are wonderful. She also gets the best oysters in town, serving them with what I'm told is a wonderful mignonette but I'm a cocktail sauce guy and they're always happy to whip some up for me. Finally, the wait staff and the hostesses are extremely professional, friendly, and know their business. River Bend is definitely one of my favorite places in town. If you visit between 5-7 on the weekends, buy the balding guy with a goatee at the corner of the bar a drink :-) read more

I have to admit I was very disappointed and cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone. I am a native of Hollin Hall and very much want our neighborhood shopping center to continue to succeed especially with a nice place to eat. Although the menu was very limited the food we chose was good. The hostess was very nice, the waitress was very nice. The service was fine. But that is not the problem. We had a party of eight (6 adults and 2 kids) and last Friday night but at the end of the person we were told by the staff was one of the co-owners was so rude and obnoxious we got up and walked out. We had just paid our check when he began to clear our table, reaching across everyone, bumping into people's shoulders and the best was throwing a beer bottle into a trash can about 5 feet away that clanged so loudly half the restaurant looked up. Clearly he was ready for us to leave although there was no line at the door and several other tables were open. We explained to the hostess how difficult he was but there was nothing she could do. He was even rude to our 14 year old while he was speaking with the grandparents of one of his friends at the next table telling him he had to move on. When we spoke with him about his behavior his only response was ... "I'm sorry you feel that way". When we told him we would not be back his response was, again, "I'm sorry you feel that way but we have long lines every day so I'm not worried". A very un-welcoming environment to say the least. I'd have to say, take the 10 extra minutes and drive to Old Town for dinner. Glad to have a restaurant back in Hollin Hall where I grew up, but with an ownership attitude like that, I doubt it will last the year. read more

This place is great. I've frequented it on several occasions and it has impressed me each time. Chef Caroline Ross has created a casual setting for a wonderfully diverse menu of American and European cuisine. The ribeye steak was done to absolute perfection. The Cotswold mac and cheese redefines the term. Calling it mere mac and cheese is like calling the New York Yankees a mere ball club. The charcuterie was an inspired smoked bluefish pate that was a fiesta for the palate. The strawberry rhubarb cobbler was a wonderful balance of sweet and tangy. All that complimented by an extraordinarily extensive wine list. The biggest surprise of all was the check. I was truly amazed that quality that high came at a price that low. I don't know how she does it but Chef Ross has it figured out. My new favorite eatery. I isn't cutting edge or something experimental, it's just truly lovely cuisine done to perfection. Prepare for a satisfying culinary experience. Bon appétit! read more

My husband and I went last Sunday evening for dinner. I was very hopeful of finding a nice restaurant within easy distance of our home (and out of traffic and parking issues). Unfortunately, we did not enjoy our experience. The menu was a bit limited, and the choices were odd. My husband had the rockfish, which was good; I tried the crabcakes, which were very bland. Sides were plain and relatively small portions. I ordered a soda to drink, which was brought out in a can! Although the restaurant was less than 1/4 full, the service was very slow and our server was quite inattentive. The atmosphere was not too bad, but really no ambience or anything particularly engaging. Perhaps we'll wait six months and try again in the hope that changes are made. read more

After three trips to the River Bend bistro, we won't be back. The portions are small, food quality so-so given the high prices, limited menu, awful service, limited bar, and no ambiance. During our last visit, just this past Saturday night, we ate at the bar, which is always too crowded for the single bar-tender. The potato-leek soup was small and bland, and then we tried one of their "flatbreads," which were shockingly small and literally just a piece of toasted sliced bread with some toppings. Most egregious, wine by the glass prices are so high it's laughable. So disappointed as we had such high hopes for another good local restaurant. read more

It is so nice to have such a good neighborhood restaurant in our area! The food is always tasty and the service is very good and friendly / just what you would want so close to home. The dining room can be a tad noisy and could benefit from noise dampening but that is the only drawback and minor at that. Check it out! read more

A great addition to the Hollin Hall restaurant scene! You don't need to drive to the city for a great meal! Met long time friends from Fort Hunt HS there for lunch recently. The decor is open, clean, and inviting. Our table had the cheese and brie sandwich, liverwurst sandwich, cheeseburger, and salmon. Each meal was prepared perfectly ..... cooked just right, seasoned just right, presented pleasing to the eye, and the taste was excellent. We all enjoyed our own serving of rhubarb cobbler, which was sinfully good. I'll be back, again and again. read more

This place is fantastic and a much-needed addition to the area! Food was fantastic, ambiance is lovely, and they have a good wine list. Highly recommend the tots appetizer. Had the risotto special of the day with braised oxtail - nearly licked my plate! read more

I sometimes rate a place by their fries. These were perfect!!! But overall the menu needs to be expanded, I've been here a bunch and sometimes it is hard to find something that I want to order, although I have never been disappointed. Also they desperately need a kids menu, especially for where they are located. read more

While the design is a bit off (exposed brick that is not pretty and should be re-plastered or at least decorated with some art) and a bit cold, the wine selection is quite nice. I had the salmon and it was cooked perfectly.. The salads are huge!!! read more

My wife and I have wanted to go here for two years and finally went last night. We were so impressed with the food and service. Antonio was an awesome waiter. We can't wait to take family and friends. thanks! I believe this is on par with the top restaurants in Old Town. Hidden gem, south of Old Town. read more

It's located in a unappealing strip mall. We were skeptical before we went in but decided to try. The decor was pleasant. High ceiling & bare walls made it sound noisy. The menu is small but different. We order the duck & lamb dishes. Both were great! Lamb was so tender & the sauce was so perfect. The duck was cooked to perfection too, not chewy, hard, dry. It's moist even without the sauce. The wine selection is not big but good. Service was nice. Price is very reasonable. We'll definitely go back read more

They have been in business for close to three years and it is great that such a place exist in a small strip mall on Fort Hunt Rd. Plenty of parking space, you are missing out if you haven't visited this place. Reminds me of a French bistro with a small bar on the side. The owner/chef knows wine since she ran the wine store on Duke street for a long time but she was a chef before that. If you want to taste unusual grapes, she can help you. As for the dishes, she experiments but usually quite good. Still not to the level of Eve in Old Town but she is trying. A great place. read more

stopped in for early dinner before an evening program at mount vernon (which is only 4 miles down the road). we had a group of about 13 and everyone ordered different items. the rockfish, the pork chop, the duck, the crabcakes, the pasta, the chicken, the salads, the peach cobbler, the selection of adult beverages -- everyone gave everything a double thumbs up (and our group had many fine diners and seasoned travelers). service was fairly attentive and accommodated special requests (the place was empty when we arrived at 4:15 and was packed when we left at 6:00 on a thursday in september). very good quality food and drinks, at a good price, in a super location. whether for a quick drink, an easy dinner or a special occassion, river bend bistro should be in your regular alexandria rotation. read more

Consistently excellent food and service. Chris at the bar is the best. I stop by frequently and have tried several menu items. The chicken with tagliatelle pasta is superb, so is the flatbread with mozzarella, prosciutto and truffle oil. Ribeye is always cooked exactly as ordered, not more towards well done as happens at most restaurants. I highly recommend the vanilla and caramel homemade ice cream for dessert! read more

I was very impressed with not only the food but the service. This is only the 3rd time going in, since I do not live close by. During my last visit I had ordered the pumpkin soup and the liverwurst sandwich, plus drinks of course, which everything was great. No complaints, Will definitely visit again when in the area...... read more

Anxiously awaiting the opening of this restaurant - fearful that the county red tape would sabotage it! My husband and I had a really delicious dinner last night - crab cakes, pasta, salad, sorbet. Pleasant atmosphere, attentive staff, interesting menu and, most importantly, the food was excellent! Best wishes as you grow and prosper. read more

Interesting menu, very well prepared. The price is quite reasonable, given the quality and quantity. The bone marrow flan is unusual and exceptional. The wine list is not too large, but the choices are excellent. It has become a regular venue for us. read more

Great food,well prepared,not overly expensive.$80-$100 with drinks is the norm for great food, if you want cheap slop go to the awful V__ Ve__o around the corner of the center read more

I really like eating lunch at River Bend Bistro on the weekends. The place is usually busy but the service has always been excellent. Lunch prices are quite reasonable, I particularly like the grilled flat breads. The shoestring fries are great too! Very good atmosphere in the restaurant, a mix of industrial and upper class styles. read more

Wonderful addition to the area! We tried several appetizer items and were not disappointed...from the 3-year old oyster to the soup of the day and the steak tartar. All were very good! My husband had the lamb shank which was perfectly done (and, the risotto....normally do not like....was AMAZING!) the addition of cheese made it perfect. I had the duck breast and again, AMAZING! Very tender, wonderful portion. Caroline is such a talent. The Ft. Hunt area is very fortunate to have her! Menu is amazing. We will definitely go back for dinner but look forward to trying Sunday brunch as well as lunch on the weekend. Thank you for a gem on Ft. Hunt Road! Spread the word everyone (we've already told about 10 people)! read more

Just had lunch today. I don't understand why it's not busier. The menu is larger than last time I was there. Had probably the best burger ever from a restaurant. The quality of the food is outstanding. Other stand-outs, the bacon gruyere quiche. I always get the spinach salad with goat cheese and prosuitto. I think it may just be in the wrong location. read more

I enjoyed a recent weekend lunch at the River Bend Bistro. The salad was fresh from a local farmer's market and the tagliatelle pasta was delicious. The waiter was efficient and friendly and the restaurant itself is ultra clean and modern. Highly recommended. read more

A great place to eat fine cooking in a relaxed environment. One of the best restaurants in the Alexandria area. We're there every week.

Fantastic restaurant - sophisticated food but not too fancy. Great menu of solid new American cuisine. A shorter than average menu with only great selections - no filler selections. Also, they change the menu regularly to highlight local ingredients or seasonal availability. Their succotash (I know - succotash, really?) is to die for. They only make it when they have fresh ingredients. Varied wine list and friendly and knowledgable wait staff. As far as the cuisine it seems more like a DC restaurant than a suburban Virginia - which is a good thing. But with Virginia prices. Finally - they have great raw oysters in season. I have dined there regularly since they opened a couple of years ago - there really is no similar restaurant in the Mount Vernon area. read more

We came here about two or three weeks ago for the first time, after trying 3 or 4 times and was told there would be a 30+ minute wait! We called in advance, but of course they do not take reservations what-so-ever! We decided to give it one more shot of driving there and waiting. After waiting for 20 minutes we are finally seated. We were given damp dish cloths instead of napkins! yikes. The inside of this place is very cramped, is just a brick wall, no real decorations. The waitress tells us that they were out of the Crab flan, and pate'! Oddly enough, these were the two dishes I really wanted to try after looking at their menu online beforehand! sigh. We decided to order two flatbreads as our starters. They were small crostinis with meltzed mozzarella and prosciutto. Although they were small and overpriced, the flatbreads were really good. For our main course, we both ordered the roasted duck. The fingerling potatos and greenbeans were great side dishess. The duck was amazing! It tasted like how my grandma used to cook duck once or twice a year when I was a child. Although the dish was expensive. That duck alone is worth the 30 minute waits, and going back again. For dessert we had the pine nut pie, which was to die for. I've never had pine nut pie before, but man was it good! That also is worth going for. Overall, the food was overpriced but very tastey. The service was decent. The wait was long, and the place was crowded read more

We waited a few weeks to give the bistro a try. A solid B at this point in time recognizing it is a new restaurant and Caroline is learning her market. I had the rockfish which needed salt, spinach which needed the jolt of lemon juice I gave it, and a really tasty tomato chive butter. My husband had the chicken with noodles and morel sauce. The noodles were outstanding, the chicken perfectly cooked and nice portions. Caroline offers 3 and 6 oz pours of wine which I really liked especially after ordering a Zinfandel which turned out not to be to my liking but a cab ordered later was terrific. The restaurant currently lacks ambiance but that's probably only a matter of time before it acquires some more art and something to deaden the noise level due to hard surfaces everywhere. We are very happy to have a good local restaurant at last and can erase the memory of The Wharf forever! p.s. there are wine tastings,too! read more

Once again I wonder if the reviewers and I ate at the same restaurant. We had been looking forward to this restaurant opening for more than a year - what a disappointment and waste of space. Atmosphere is cheap for lack of a better word. Nice exposed brick wall and small but nice bar space but it truly ends there. Server could not answer the simplest question ... is there any shellfish cooked hereI? He just didn't get it. I'm allergic and when I get this response have to be very careful. So I ordered the warm spinach salad with dressing on the side. Turns out they warm the cheese in olive oil (which I avoid) and than pour it over the salad. I could have had vinegar on the side and do without the cheese ... or?? Cancel that idea. I ordered potato leek soup. I love potato leek soup - it's simple, filling and delicious. What I got was gray/green glop reminiscent of wallpaper paste and served tepid. I was done after a few spoonfuls - it was foul and I am being kind here as were the people at the table next to me who ordered it too. Did the waiter notice that it wasn't eaten but that he was asked to remove it? No...he just took it away while my lunch mate proceeded to eat. Thankfully she said her food was "tasty" not exceptional but tasty. A flaky salmon on a bed of warm lentils. I've never been anywhere that did not even offer bread for purchase when they offer entrees and soup and salad but River Bend does not. Soup is served alone and looks forlorn. That in itself should be a warning. I won't go back you can bet on that and If I could give River Bend less than one star, I would. A waste of space and a waste of my time. I still had to have lunch when I got home. read more