I totally enjoyed my experience here. I visit Chester often, but this was my first trip to River Tavern. I went on a Monday, if you plan to go on a weekend, you will need a reservation as the restaurant is small. During the summer there are three dining options. You can sit outside, in the bar area or in the back which is a small dining room with maybe 6 tables. We sat in the back and I am glad we did. You can see into the kitchen, which I really like. The service was great. I can see where people could be frustrated due to the time it takes to get your order, but I was prepared based on other reviews and I like to relax and not feel rushed. The food was amazing. The flavors were perfect. I will be back again. read more

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Top restaurant, for sure. Enjoyed a great dinner here on a busy Sunday night. Food, service, ambiance, and overall experience were outstanding. Best meal we had over a 4-day weekend in the area, by far. Strongly recommend - and quaint Chester has a very attractive Main Street to boot. read more

We had such a great Sunday lunch to celebrate depositing our son at a nearby camp! Cocktails were refreshing and generous, and the seafood was so fresh and delicious that I feel the need to write about it more than a day later. The mussels were plump and perfectly sweet and briny. I wish I'd asked where they were from. My husband enjoyed the local oysters and had a fantastic-looking seafood stew with chunks of crustaceous delicacies and some artichokes too (to be honest, both of our dishes looked like they were simmered in the same broth, but that broth was outstanding!). We fought over the crispy Belgian-style fries to soak up the sauce (these dishes should have come with bread -- hint--- hint --- a nice crusty baguette would have been perfect for sopping). If you're on the road, looking for a quick bite, this is not your place. It is way more lovely and elegant than any tavern I know. But it is not to be missed. Shout out, too, to all of the lovely women who waited on us, really great service! I enjoyed our time at River Tavern immensely! read more

Wonderful experience for our first time at this restaurant. We decided to go there because they use fresh produce from local farms. We both got their only vegetarian offering, tofu with vegetables, and found it extraordinary. Cooked to perfection and very flavorful. The only thing that would have enhanced the dish is if it was served over a grain, such as brown rice or quinoa. The grilled sardines appetizer was also very creative and good. The service was great and wait staff very attentive. The River Tavern is about an hour's drive from home but worth traveling to. read more

Absolutely wonderful dinner outside. The service was impeccable. The food was delicious and the drinks were wonderful. It was a mother daughter dinner date, we would absolutely go back. read more

Food is so good ... but don't take the table immediately to the right in the main dining room. Waiters will climb over you every 30 seconds or so on the way to the kitchen: disappointed. Hope the management fixes the problem: read more

On Saturday, we went to Chester and started walking around. We went into River Tavern at 1:35 and the woman said she could not see us till 2 o'clock even though there were open tables. We said we will be back. At 2 o'clock we arrive back and get seated. We were there probably there 15 minutes before she came over and took our drink order. When she came to our table, she said it's slowing down a little now. She then said if you know what you'd like you could order it now. We put in our order and my husband ordered eggplant Parmesan. She said that was going to take a little extra time about 20 minutes. We said fine. Our drinks came probably 10 to 15 minutes later. 35 minutes later, she walks up to our table and tells us I'm sorry I forgot to put your order in. We looked at her and she says yeah I'm sorry I forgot to put your order in. We said give us the bill for our drinks. We're leaving. She walks away. She comes back five minutes later and says the drinks are on us sorry. And watched us get up and leave. What she should have done was walk over to the table with something and said I totally apologize. Your meals are going to be a little bit later because of an error that I did not put the order in, but here's an appetizer to tie you over, I think if she did that then we would've stayed waited the additional 20 to 30 minutes and had lunch. That is how she should've handled it to make the customer stay in the restaurant. She seems like she did not even care we were leaving. We walk down the street to their sister restaurant Ottos. The restaurant outside was pretty much empty with only a few tables being occupied. The waitress seats us gives us menus. We tell her what just happened to us at River Tavern and she is the one that informs us that that was their sister restaurant and the pizzas come out here pretty fast. She turned around never asked us if we wanted anything to drink went inside and we literally sat there for 15 minutes and never came back out. While we are waiting a party of four women come standing by the hostess stand. Still no waitress. We got up and left and the four women turned around and they left. Six customers walked out of autos because of poor service. We got in the car and we left Chester. These two restaurants are poorly staffed and poorly run. read more

Excellent service as well as menu selection. Ambiance too. Great meals. Different from any other restaurant. Yet not extravagant. Air filled with great aromas of tasting food. Love the place. Will go back to taste every tasting course in the menu. read more

I shall return to River Tavern because I am hoping it is better than it was my first visit. But my initial lunch was not very good. The positives: The restaurant itself is lovely, as are the linens, glassware, etc. Understated, refined, clearly chosen by someone who is discerning. Service was accommodating. The negatives, unfortunately, are about the food. I was excited to see a falafel salad on the menu. I ordered that with an unsweetened iced tea. You know that funk iced tea has when it's not fresh? My drink had it. My guess is that the issue was the container it was in vs the beverage itself because I can't believe this restaurant wouldn't make tea, daily. Regardless, the result was a disappointment. The salad needs to be removed from the menu. The falafel weren't recognizable as traditional or even reimagined falafel. They were more like deep fried chickpea croquettes. Very little flavor, mushy inside. Just odd and unappetizing. The salad greens were very fresh, but the dressing wasn't mixed properly and bites were alternately all lemon or all salt. Rather awful. So that was the lunch. I am hoping it was just bad luck. If I get back to River Tavern soon, I'll post an update. read more

1.5 I make a point of ignoring service quality in restaurant reviews. That policy changes now. While my meal was generally pretty decent, the service was the worst I've experienced at a pricy restaurant in many years. Reservations can be difficult to manage in small places. So a place might get a pass for being 20-25 minutes behind...except that River Tavern subsequently did its best to hustle our party out of the restaurant. Bonus hint: on a busy night, endless small chatter between owner and regulars does nothing to speed along table turnover. You don't have to convene the Potsdam Conference at every table in order for guests to feel as though they've received the personal touch. The restaurant's other service foibles were numerous: 1) Hostess quite nicely asked if tap water would be appreciated. Hostess subsequently brought over one drinking glass. Drinking glass remained lonely and unfilled until four others were finally brought over 11 minutes later. 2) Requests about the table's desire for more bread only served the purpose of allowing the busboy to hear himself speak. 3) Busboy lackadaisically lifted bowl partly full of (excessive) dressing, poured contents on diner's arm and shoulder, muttered, "Oh...oh...sorry," and then darted away. Pink pool of dressing sat on floor for about 15 minutes until owner [?] surreptitiously mopped it up with her feet. 4) Owner regaled neighboring tables with dull anecdotes seemingly insensitive to fact that her position inhibited staff and diner movement. 5) Staff made obvious effort to get us out the door (about 65 minutes after we'd finally been seated), apparently so they could savor celebratory cigarettes outside. These things don't matter when the three course dinner costs $25. But for $65, we should expect more than the summer camp dress rehearsal of the restaurant drama troupe. Also, one of the crostini was totally blackened. Perhaps the thought was that I wouldn't notice if enough liver was strategically placed atop. The pan roast was cooked well, but undersalted. I really don't have too much interest in describing the food. We can just say it was above average, though not at the price. read more

Very, very surprised with the service me and my girlfriend received yesterday for lunch. Food was good as always but the service was horrible. We waited over an hour for sandwiches, had to serve myself coffee twice and couldn't be bothered by our waitress.? At your level of perfection MR. Rapp you have to be staffed and ready for business even on Sunday. It will be sometime before I'm back! read more

River Tavern - New American Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Is it fair to review a restaurant based on one dessert and two cocktails? Well, River Tavern managed to wow me with that. Just that. So the answer has to be an enthusiastic, "Yes!" After dinner at Otto around the corner, my dining companion led me to River Tavern for dessert - one particular dessert. The menu warns you to order it in advance, and in fact the waitress at Otto called in to order it for us! We still had time to order cocktails and get started on them when we arrived, and to enjoy the ambience of the river side of the restaurant, where plenty of greens lend a really calming atmosphere to the room. The cocktails arrived promptly. Mine was bourbon-based, and my companion's was rum-based, and both were sublime: smooth, flavorful, and not overly sweet. It happened to be half-price cocktail night, for which I definitely now envy Chester locals. It's a long drive for me. A nice thick-crusted bread and olive oil for dipping came with the drinks, which I hadn't anticipated for a dessert-only order: a nice touch! And then came: the date pudding. It's a variant on bread pudding and English steamed puddings, but its combination of lightness, richness, and sweetness is like nothing else I've ever had. I confess I'd been a tad skeptical when my friend insisted we order it. She was right. Absolutely right. This is a superb dish. It's a small space, so it was very nice of the staff to take our coats when we arrived. The acoustic ceiling does a nice job of keeping the noise level down, and the staff are formal, but very attentive. They even brought out the good old-fashioned table brush to remove the bread crumbs. Anybody want to meet for dinner in Chester? read more

At last, my wife and I were determined to be sufficiently Caucasian to eat at a restaurant in Chester. [Dry humor, settle down.] It's hard to have a bad meal here, but one must consider value when this is the type of restaurant with an ever-changing menu, practically-required reservations for weekend dinners, and a relatively hefty price tag. And to make a long story short, the result was fine, but not so amazing that it would warrant an immediate return. Yes, the dessert was the best part of the meal. I love a great dessert, no doubt, but the food that comes before has to match it. And while it was good, I probably could have gotten the same result at a more run-of-the-mill restaurant in say, Middletown or Cromwell. So far, Middletown is still the restaurant spot for us... more good ones per linear foot than Chester, that's for sure. read more

The River Tavern is a very small restaurant with a warm decor (a lot of yellow and red). When you reserve a table for dinner (and because it is so small, I would recommend doing so if you plan to go there on a weekend) they block that table off for two hours - they believe in enjoying your food at a relaxed pace rather than rushing through your dinner. The restaurant was opened in 2001 by Jonathan Rapp. The kitchen is currently presided over by co-executive chefs Chris Flahaven and James Wayman (Jim Morrison, formerly of Thames River Wine and Spirits, put me on to James). The kitchen's focus is "simple, delicious cooking" always using fresh ingredients (local ingredients whenever possible). We decided to start our meal with cocktails. The River Tavern has a unique, wide-ranging wine list, and I knew I would want a glass with dinner. For an apertif, however, we selected drinks from the innovative cocktail menu (River Tavern cocktails are delicious - not only are they well-crafted but they are made with quality liquors and fresh-squeezed juices. I chose the Ginger Blossom, a delightful concoction of white rum, fresh ginger juice, and honey, shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass. The bite of the ginger was tempered slightly but not totally mellowed by the honey - spectacular. We decided to order an appetizer while we sipped our cocktails. We finally settled on a squid dish, sauteed with green chiles. Sauteed squid can be rubbery if overcooked, but this was nice and tender. The chiles gave the slightly sweet squid a hint of heat. This dish was a great alternative to the usual fried calamari you see on so many menus. It was a bit harder to decide on our entrees, but ultimately we ended up with some Sicilian-inspired scallops, sauteed with squid and tomatoes and served over polenta; the Tavern Burger - a patty of local Four Mile River Farm beef served up with onions, bacon (thick-cut, delicious bacon), aged cheddar, and house-made ketchup; and pan-fried skate with warm lentils, bacon, and arugula. The skate was amazing - lightly fried so the outside was browned, it flaked immediately when grazed with a fork. (For those who have never had skate, the texture and the flavor remind me of a firmer white fish.) The warm lentils gave it a little bit of heartiness. The whole thing was infused with flavor from the tick-cut chunks of bacon (this bacon was glorious) and topped with arugula, finishing off the dish with an interesting hint of bitterness. I managed to snag a bite of the scallops, which were also perfectly cooked and delicious, but the burger disappeared so fast I barely saw it, let alone got to try it. Our taster gave it a rave review, noting that the meat was moist but the burger was not overflowing with juices and soaking the bun like some burgers he has eaten. (He also put in a request that I start seeking out Four Mile River Farm beef from the local farmers markets.) We were all pretty full, but we couldn't resist the idea of dessert. We settled on vanilla bean creme brulee. It came to the table ungarnished. This creme brulee needed no additional presentation. The caramelized top was nice and crisp and cracked when tapped sharply with a spoon. Underneath, the warm custard tasted of real vanilla. It was decadent without being heavy - the perfect ending to our meal. The River Tavern is more than worth the drive to Chester. The food is uncomplicated, but sophisticated. It's simple and fresh, well thought out and carefully prepared. This restaurant is worth a trip. read more

The River Tavern is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. It's a place I'm always excited to go back to. The menu is constantly changing based on what's available fresh from local farms, what's on the menu Monday might not be by Thursday. The cocktails are lovely; I especially like the Tequila Pink. All of the juices used in the cocktails are squeezed in-house, nothing bottled. They're fresh and delicious. A meal without the date pudding for dessert is a mistake. The restaurant is very, very small. Seating in the front faces the bar, in the back room there's a large window looking outside, and another looking into the kitchen. This isn't a good place for groups; I can't imagine being here with more than three other people. I suggest calling for reservations; while it is possible to walk in, the diminutiveness of the dining room makes a reservation a good plan. Dress neatly, but don't worry about being refused seating because of what you're wearing. My boyfriend and I routinely go here in (clean, neat, pressed) shorts and flip flops. It's worth noting that he and I were absolutely the youngest people here; the place seems to attract a more adult crowd. Even so, we didn't feel out of place: River Tavern is for anyone who can enjoy a good meal. read more

How have I not reviewed this place yet? I love the River Tavern! Every dish I have ever had here has been great. Most recent notables include a Thai mussel appetizer special. Kind of like heaven in my mouth. Coconut, saffron broth with a nice kick of heat (the husband and I love spice) and the mussels were perfectly cooked, clean and fresh tasting. We talk about them all the time. Always always always pre-order the sticky toffee pudding, aka date pudding. Best dessert. Ever. Locally sourced meats, produce, etc is always a win in my book. And they are inventive without being ridiculous. Everything always seems to compliment everything else on the plate so well. Great wine list, and be sure to ask about specials. Family night on Sundays - kids eat free! Only cons - sometimes it can get a little loud and occasionally the service can be a little slow - but nothing at all to stop you from eating there. As a matter of fact, more often the service is spot on. I love the River Tavern! read more

We went here last night for the first time based on a lot of local recommendations. Well something happened since anyone I know was there. The service was horrible, I'm talking 15 min wait to place a drink order. Which took another 10 minutes because 1 bartender is cover all drink orders including a full bar. And how do you mess up a dirty martini. Tasteless Then the app came. Our app was the guacamole wasn't anything special except for all the avocado husks mixed in. Then the main course arrives. Looking up I thought. Great presentation. Until I took my first bite. Horrible ! My steak tasted like it was dipped in salt. And then there was a strange aftertaste that I could only compare to easy off oven cleaner. Every part of the meal tasted the same. I was really disappointed. I heard nothing but great things. So today I look on Yelp...clearly this place has seen better days. A lot of bad reviews including another one from yesterday as well. Pass on this place until you see Gordon Ramsey show up. read more

For the price my mom paid for my birthday dinner, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Looking back on it, I feel extremely guilty in suggesting this restaurant to her for my birthday. Personally, I kind of felt out of place there. I didn't know why. I realized that it was not the restaurant's fault per se...If you love rich people watching, then this would be your place. Since it was one of those "farm-to-table" themed restaurants and had many good options on the menu, our waitress was not very helpful in recommending an entrée because their menu constantly changing. I had the rigatoni and it was actually the best entrée out of the four people in my dinner party (my mom and dad plus my husband). I agree with the other Yelpers that the date pudding was so freakin' awesome that it was worth the $12 price tag. Great place to impress your friends in the hedge fund industry. Heads up, parking is a b%#ch. read more

The food is phenomenal, but I had to knock off 2 stars for the service. On my last visit here, it took almost 20 minutes for the waitress to ask for our drink order. Then, the appetizers arrived before our cocktails. When the drinks finally came, they were wrong. Then, they were out of 2 dishes on the menu. Dinner came pretty quickly, but then they only brought us one coffee with dessert, when we ordered two. They ended up comping our drinks, but only after we complained. Loudly. We were seated outside and I saw a woman at another table get up THREE TIMES to go inside for another glass of wine because the server completely ignored their table. Again, the food is really amazing, but the service and/or management needs some serious work. read more

River Tavern served one of the best meals I have had in Connecticut, and the service, ambience, and warmth of the restaurant matched the food. Several reviews note inattentive or slow service, but for our visit, such concerns were quickly put to rest. Delightful times, and wonderful food. I would particularly recommend the duck liver mouse on grilled toasts for an appetizer--if you enjoy paté, this is one of the best around. The tavern menu also offers the best guacamole that my wife and I have had in CT. On a practical note, don't trust google maps to get you to the restaurant, and thereby miss your reservation! If you seek directions to "River Tavern Chester" rather than the specific address, Google Maps will deposit you at 23 Main Street in Deep River, rather than Chester. We cannot wait to return to this unassuming gem. read more

The menu here is almost as limited as the parking. This would be a nice place to go and get a drink after work, but the lunch menu here is pretty limited and has huge bread portions on the burgers, lobster and smoked salmon sandwiches. I didn't have any apps, but I did have a taste of the pudding and it was ULTRA YUMMY (which is why I gave them three stars instead of two), This place was just not for me. read more

Very slow paced. We were the first to arrive, only ones in the place, and even our drinks took a while. Our waitress was friendly and nice but forgot to put our order of guacamole in. The falafel is overly greasy. Our desserts (ice cream and blueberry cobbler took 30 minutes....). The blueberry cobbler was very poor... nothing to it and we found a strange stringy substance in it. Very disappointing experience. The manager did give us a gift card to come back in an effort to make things right.... probably will not go back. read more

THe kitchen is on top of their game here -- serving up some fresh, local twists on American cuisine. But the service is on a different planet entirely. It took nearly 10 minutes before the server returned with our drink order and even longer for her to pickup the check. Not that we were in a hurry, but an appetizer and sandwich somehow turned into a 2-hour affair. We'll definitely return for dinner, but unless the service sees a drastic improvement, it will be the last time, despite how good the food is. read more

Let's face it. For a San Franciscan, most of the restaurants in this area - from Chester to the shore - suck. River Tavern is an exception. Great wine selection. The date pudding made me weep openly. Dishes that satisfied snobby SFers AND a 90-year-old New Englander! read more

Very clearly one of the best restaurants east of New Haven and West of Providence, with a small dining room, a tiny kitchen and lively bar. Service is friendly with occasional hiccups and lapses. The menu is fairly au courant, but not oppressively so. The kitchen executes very well... these guys know how to cook. A recent meal had enough serious highs to recover from a couple of notable lapses... we sat down, ordered drinks, had a few slices of tasty bread and olive oil, and waited half an hour to put in our order for apps and mains... the apps were seriously good, best-ever mussels, superb pasta, beautiful roasted vegetables... mains were less so... one person ended up accidentally with plain, ungarnished lobster roll, a whole branzino was mushy and impossibly bony even for someone practiced at filleting fish. This is a place that takes its vegetables very very seriously... desserts were good, sometimes great... the date pudding is winner. The panna cotta was tasty, but the garnish of canned luxardo cherries and the slightly stale packaged cookie crumble was underwhelming. Overall, we were positively glowing as we ate our apps, and everyone left very happy, and looking forward to our return. read more

A personal favorite here in the woods of Chester and Killingworth. Food is outstanding, always interesting, always variety...which is only reason I don't go 5 stars, sometimes I just want a staple:) Wine is always interesting, bar service is outstanding! Ok, ok...more like 4.8! read more

I wanted to give this place five stars, but they lost three for the abysmal service. My husband and I went to River Tavern for our three year wedding anniversary. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly - right next to the service window. Not ideal, but since every other table was full, I wasn't going to say anything. Our waitress came over a few minutes later to take our drink order. My husband ordered a beer; ginger ale for me. (I don't drink - personal choice.) She disappeared and came back about 15 minutes later to take our dinner order. I ordered the pork chop, Husband asked for the monkfish polpette, and we ordered the date pudding. We were asked if we wanted an appetizer - no, thank you. Asked again a minute later if we were sure we didn't want an appetizer. No, really, thanks. We're fine with some bread. It took over an hour to get our meals - there were others who were seated after us who received their entrees a full 15 minutes before we did. Another waitress brought our food over and never bothered to check in with us to see if everything was to our liking. We didn't see our original waitress again until we were halfway done with our dessert - she asked us if we wanted coffee. I said I wanted some tea, so she brought over a menu and walked away. She didn't come back until we were done with our dessert - by then, I just wanted the check so we could go home. Now, everything was delicious. No complaints there. The food was truly excellent with tons of flavor, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate, as did my husband. But the service? Inexcusably bad. I feel like we were discriminated against because we didn't order a bottle of wine or an appetizer, unlike everyone else around us. I will go back because the food was that good, but I will be eating at the bar - no waitress service for me, thanks. If I want to be ignored, I can sit at home and feed myself in silence. read more

This restaurant has been in my top three favorites in the area for the past ten years or so. I admit that there are occasionally service issues. Somehow, I tend to get great service, for the most part, but when its bad, it's bad. But tonight I went with a friend, and the service was outstanding. I called to push back the reservation a half hour, and they were perfectly accommodating. About an hour into the service we wondered who our wait-person was, because we had a number of people waiting on us so attentively, that it hadn't occurred to us to wonder. My companion's steak was somewhat cold when it arrived, but they immediately whisked it away and then returned it four to five minutes later- much warmer, and still medium rare- and they were very apologetic. The food was delicious. When the service is great here, they really knock it out of the park. Atmosphere is fantastic. Kitchen is superb, ingredients couldn't be fresher, and the cooking is beyond creative. The service we had tonight pushed this review to five stars. Let's see if they keep it up. Be sure to get the date pudding for dessert. Divine doesn't even begin to describe it. read more

Hands down the best restaurant we've ever been to, and we've been to a lot. We have had our eye on River Tavern for about a year now, and finally made the drive down. From the ambience, to the service, to the gourmet food, this place won us over. We already started planning our next visit! Tip- order the date pudding!!! We can't stop talking about our dinner here. read more

River Tavern - New American Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

We had a lovely meal at River Tavern this weekend. The atmosphere is modern and intimate. The menu options are varied and each dish is served in an attractive manner. I had a salmon dish with fingerling potatoes and asparagus and finished the entire portion along with half an Asian salad (which they kindly split). The service is leisurely, bordering on slow, but all staff was helpful and tried hard to accommodate. Reservations are recommended. read more

The food at River Tavern was excellent. We had a burger and green salad and both were fantastic. Chester is a great little town and I loved the location for this restaurant. Service was a bit on the slow side when it didn't seem that busy but the food more than made up for it. read more

I had never even heard of Chester, CT until this restaurant was recommended to me. This place is cute and small. Nice decor, good looking bar at the front and open kitchen. The menu has some variety including some Asian inspired dishes and more typically American dishes. Their drinks looked tasty (although I didn't have any). The menu changes frequently so it's not much help for me to tell you what I ate, BUT, if they have a Mystic Cheese Company Sea Change appetizer, you have to order it. It was DELICIOUS (ours came with blueberries, pistachios and mushrooms). It sounds like a bizarre combination but, seriously, it was so good. As a final note, get the Date Pudding. You have to order it ahead so they can make it, but it's totally worth it. Save room, get the Date Pudding. OM NOM NOM...I'd go back there just for that. read more

Amazing food... It was our first trip so in not sure how the service usually is but it was terrible today. The kitchen took a long time but the wait staff didn't check on us at all. We wanted more drinks, were ready to order, and we're left to ourselves for long periods of time. I'd give it another chance if I lived closer. read more

River Tavern - Great drink menu - New American Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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This is the Best restaurant my husband and I have ever been to! We go whenever we can and it is always a gem. We love Gillian, the hostess and James, the Chef who is always there sun-thurs. We usually go on Mondays(half price bottle of wine night)! It has never failed to impress us! We had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding there and went back for our one year anniversary. We love it. Food is always amazing. Wind list is superb. The service is a slow but not terrible. The atmosphere is laid back and the scenery is ever changing collection of art work. When we go out we go out for two reasons. Great food and great wine. This place has got it and is the top of our list! read more

Very good dinner- pleasant inside and out. Enjoyed our appetizers, beverages and entrees. Very attentive service as well.

After a DISTASTEROUS encounter at L&E Restaurant (just down the street) -- we came here. WHY? Had a 7pm RESERVATION at L & E --- but they made us wait until 7:26pm (i.e. so WHY make a reservation?) -- HOWEVER --- BEST DECISION EVER!! Got on the phone at 7:26pm and within 2 mins had a 7:30pm reservation at this GREAT restaurant -- and they ONLY had 2 tables open (it was a Tues eve)but they asked us where we'd prefer to sit. Beautiful food, ambience, and attractive, well-mannered staff! TOTAL CLASS! LOVED the food and décor. SO -- recently referred my daughter to go here when she came in town, as she works in the Hollywood/Entertainment industry in LA, so accustomed to many higher end LA restaurants ---and she and her friend from NYC had a GREAT lunch and afternoon here. Loved it. Great food ---TRUE CLASS! BEST in Chester!! read more

Oh my gosh people, what took me SO long to get here?! We called for a table about an hour before getting there, sat outside, and cannot tell you how delicious it was. And all I had was mussels and a ceasar salad, but it was just delicious. We had a bottle of wine, dessert, and just soaked up summer. BIG recommendation to go here! read more

Among the best (if not THE best) in the Chester/Essex area. On the leading edge in terms of the "Farm to Table" concept in that the menu features very high quality, seasonal ingredients consistently executed with a high level of skill. Bright, urban setting, and always busy. Waitstaff are good, if a bit harried. Superb cocktails and a very good wine list. Reservations a must, but regrettably not on Open Table. read more

I had bookmarked this place two years ago and thought it was perfect to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary here, so quickly I made a reservation over the phone for dinner. So we reached there by 7.45pm and as we entered the entire restaurant was jam packed. They have a bar area with couple of seats and those were occupied too. The decor is simple and elegant. All the tables had a small candle on them which made it romantic. We were seated quickly and the staff was so nice and welcoming. To start off I had a grapefruit cocktail and my husband had a beer. I just loved the cocktail, just perfect with the balance of the grapefruit and the vodka. Then we got the famous beet salad which was raved so much in so many reviews. And I must say it was outstanding! Thank you yelpers for mentioning it. I have tried the beet salads in other restaurants but I loved this the most! The beets were tossed in vinegar and were topped with some creamy sauce, yum yum. The main course was the tofu ramen. This had such simple flavor but tasty. And to end the special dinner we ordered the warm date pudding! Ah this dessert was a piece of heaven in the mouth. Loved it so much. The portion was generous and served with a dollop of cream. The texture was fluffy n light. The restaurant is really cozy but it was really worth driving up all the way from Manchester. And it's Vegetarian friendly too. I'm sure it's worth the price! Now I'm waiting to go back again. read more

I may be addicted to this place...I admit it. I was here again last night and just had to update with a rave about the food (of course) and the staff. They had a full house being a holiday weekend. The woman told us it would be about a 20 minute wait, so we told her we would head to the Pattaconk down the street for a beer and check in after a little bit. We were halfway through our beers at the bar and decided to send a scout back to the River Tavern, which is by no means far. They came back and said they still did not have a table but had offered to send someone down to get us when they were ready. We sat 5 more minutes and they came to get us. It is not far, but they did not have to do that. I thought that was super nice. We then got to experience the culinary amazingness that is the River Tavern. This time around I tried the "The Bridge" tofu dish. It was fantastic. Perfectly crisped tofu with rice noodles and a delicately sweet chili sauce. Delicious! Thank you for being fantastic in every way! read more