Blessed with a beautiful view of the Housatonic River, a great outside patio & plenty of parking, Stratford's Riverview Bistro (RVB) packs the crowds in for casual dining, particularly on the weekends when the weather gets warm. Over the years I've eaten in both the cozy bar area & in the cavernous dining room & I prefer the bar side which at happy hour often fills with thirsty regulars of a certain age enjoying generous pours. RVB's menu is predictably seafood centric. Their basic fresh raw bar offerings are reasonably priced as is their salads, sandwiches, & pasta dishes. During my most recent lunch time visit my fried cod fish sandwich complemented by a dill inflected tarter sauce & served on a regular sized hamburger roll with ff's on the side was competently prepared if a tab bit boring. The bun's interior was nicely grilled & the lettuce tomato & onion did not overwhelm the square of nicely fried fish. But it was surprising to learn that there was not a pickle to be had in the house :-( . My companion was happy with her rather modest salad & big & beautiful bowl of mixed seafood over spaghetti. The take out selected for later meals (shrimp cocktail & a flat bread) were surprisingly on the small side but very well packaged to go. Final note on the service: Lunch service was professional & pleasant with average wait time on our meals. Warm weather weekend, late afternoon/evening dining service can slow down considerably when the crowds descend. RVB is certainly worth visiting for al fresco dining if you find yourself passing by or are in the area. read more

Came here for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon with a group of 8 people total. We had two orders of the fried calamari appetizer and it was really good. It was super crispy and had a sweet sauce drizzled over the top and peppers mixed in. I ordered the half soup, half sandwich with New England Clam Chowder, and the turkey melt with no tomatoes. The clam chowder was great, the perfect texture with tons of flavor. The sandwich was great as well. Would definitely come back to try other things on the menu. read more

Riverview Bistro - New England Clam Chowder and turkey melt - Seafood Near Me - Stratford, Connecticut

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I was meeting a friend coming up from New Jersey, and since this was right off i-95, we decided to meet here--I had a meeting in town, and this seemed to be the best location. When I was growing up in town, this building was known as "Fagan's" and was the "fancy" restaurant in the area. A number of years ago, they became known as a "dock and dine" and the atmosphere became more casual. With this latest incarnation, it's remains a casual dining restaurant, but looks like a much fancier place. My friend got tied up in traffic, so I sat at the bar for a while. There's full-liquor service, and a very decent wine list, available both by the glass and the bottle. By the time my friend arrived, I was starving, and we were seated quickly and we started through the menus. Being right on the water, the menu is heavily seafood. Both my friend and I decided right away--I had a Seafood Fra Diavolo, and she opted for broiled scallops. Salads came out right away, and the entrees were brought out right as we finished our salads. My Fra Diavolo was just the right amount of spiciness - not too hot (like many restaurants seem to make), but also, not bland. Her scallops were plump, juicy, and cooked to perfection. We were both happy with our choices. Service was excellent, with our server doing double duty with both table service and bartender. When I'm back down in that area, I'm going to make it a point to go back and try some of the other items on the menu. Everything looked very good. read more

Always and amazing experience and the food is nice and flavorful. The employees provide great service and are friendly and polite.

Riverview Bistro is first class! I planned my sister's baby shower from multiple states away and was a little nervous about how everything would turn out. They told me I could come 1 hour before to set up for the party and I was unsure if that would be enough time. I showed up early to start setting up and immediately Christina, one of the girls helping us that day jumped right in offering me help! She held the door for me, helped me unload my car, and even helped me carry in a giant cake. Christina went above and beyond- she even got me an ice water when she saw how much I was running around. She made suggestions for where things should go, anticipated my needs and even brought out an easel to hold my welcome sign (all without me asking!). She was phenomenal and clearly very good at her job. Kelly was our other server helping us put on the event. Like Christina, Kelly was polite, attentive and eager to jump in and help whenever I looked like I needed something. Kelly brought me a microphone so everyone could hear me announce the answers to the games we played. Overall, the event could not have gone smoother thanks to these 2 women helping me! They truly did not have to be so kind!! In addition to excellent service, the food was delicious and they even boxed up all the leftovers so we could take everything with us! They helped me to clean up after the party and were unnecessarily kind. This event could not have gone smoother thanks to Riverview Bistro! Clearly, they do this all the time and are a well oiled machine for parties! read more

Very good food and service. Dave and Chris do a great job. It's a nice location on the river. The drinks always meet our expectations as well. Try it, you will no regret it. Gary V. read more

Very good food for the price! And it is right by the river so I have a good view. The Housatonic River view makes this place worth it. Plenty of parking too! read more

We started out with an app of clams casino which was a plate of 7 scrumptious clams followed by two entrees. One was an order of two battered choices including scallops and clam strips which were crispy outside and moist inside served along with battered fries but first served was a fresh garden salad. The other was a grilled chicken sandwich with Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato served with battered fries. Both meals were more than we could eat and delicious. We will return. Very friendly service from walking in the door to our exit. read more

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Quality food preparation and tasty. Been here several times and always a good experience. Warm interior and outdoor dining is pleasant and comfortable. read more

The cocktails are good! Food's pretty good, but sometimes it's not accurate. My salad was missing the shrimp and dressing when I dined in, and the side salad I received for a takeout order was all brown and missing dressing. read more

I have dined at Riverview probably 30+ times. I find Riverview to be a wonderful consistent choice for many years. Some of my favorites are the Rigatoni Bolognese, the burger, Margarita Chicken and Riverview salad. I have held many private functions as well and each and every time I walk away feeling so happy that I have Dave and his team to turn to when I need to host a large function. On all levels...service, food, cleanliness and atmosphere I give Riverview high marks. read more

Ok, honestly I didn't come here expecting much and the food aesthetic was not very impressive- but wow am I happy to say I was happily surprised with the quality of the food! Prices were very fair, the seafood was generous, service was quick, and the food was tasty! I started with the 1/2 dozen oysters and whoa could I have eaten 2 dozen more of those! So sweet and no trace of fishiness, indicating freshness! The Riverview Calamari was lightly breaded and tender, and the entrees my party ordered- Diavolo, Stuffed Sole, Scallop Sandwich, etc. were all great and plentiful! The cocktail we also ordered, the Southern Dream, was also good. Happy to return and try the outdoor deck seating! However, like I said in the beginning, the only thing lacking was the presentation and aesthetic of the food. Everything looked a little sloppy- 6 oysters on a hugeee tray looked ridiculous and made the oysters look tiny- only one slice of lemon. The sides of entrees looked a bit thrown on, and the cocktail looking like orange juice in a regular cup. Perhaps this is a choice to be no fuss, but one certainly does not eat with the eyes here and it lacks a bit of finesse which could be easily addressed. Also, I don't know if there is usually bread service, but we did have to request bread to get some, so don't forget! Otherwise, a decent, clean and tasty option! read more

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This place is really nice. It's right near the water, so the view is excellent. There's seating on the patio and also on the grass below the patio. The menu was good, there was definitely a variety of food. The prices aren't too bad, I ordered a Surf and Turf, and it was only $28. The only problem I had was that our waitress wasn't too friendly. She did not come to check on us very often, she didn't refill our drinks or ask how the food came out. It took about an hour for our one appetizer to come out. Normally this wouldn't be a problem to me, but there was only about 5 other tables of people, and they were very well staffed. Whether it was the chef or the waitress's fault, I asked for my steak to be cooked very rare (nearly raw) and when I cut into it, it was so overcooked and there wasn't even any pink in it!! Overall, the food was good enough, I enjoyed the lobster I got and the dessert. I would certainly come back here, I just hope to get a different waitress! read more

My fiancé loved his food. He had a flatbread pizza, I guess you can't go wrong with pizza. He had escargot which I don't eat so I can't comment on that, I'll take his word for it. My food was tasteless. I was very disappointed with all the different sauces my waitress brought me to try and make things better. One thing I must say she is a gem, she is a hard worker. read more

Great food and service! Fresh salads and seafood! Family Friendly. Scallops. Mixed Greens Salad read more

Honestly I don't even know where to begin on this review. But to start, I am extremely disappointed in the experience I had today at Riverview Bistro. Glassware had lipstick stains, I tripped over tablecloths that were too long for the table and the customer service left me speechless. During this time, it is completely understandable to lack employees and stretch the help. However, the people who are there working and putting in the effort providing good customer service would go a long way. Lastly, the place smelled of sewage. I get, things happen, but there is nothing worse than losing your appetite in a restaurant because the smell of sewage makes you nauseous. read more

My husband and I came here for an acoustic session with Star 99.9. I told him that I would pay for lunch and we would have a nice date. Our only time that we had been to this restaurant was 5 years prior when we first started dating and we loved it then so we we knew we would love it again. The police wasn't crowded at all as it just opened, our waiter was super quirky and nice. It was clean our food was delicious and this is definitely a spot that although we may not go very often, it's on our list of great restaurants in the area. read more

Had a nice experience! got to do happy hour at the bar and then went outside and got oysters and clams on the patio! prices are so good too! the oysters were only $9. would come back anytime! read more

BLAND AND TERRIBLE I came here for Easter dinner and it was absolutely disgusting and overpriced. It was buffet style and most of the food was cold and the labels to indicate what the food was were misplaced. Their clams weren't placed on ice, my boyfriend tried one and gagged, they were inedible. Bottomless Mimosas were included in the dinner price, they were about 75% OJ and little to no prosecco. When I asked for a real mimosa I was told by the waitress that she doesn't make them. She grabbed another lukewarm mimosa off the buffet table and gave it to me to try another. It was mostly OJ again. Their Apple crisps looked like dried up home fries, didn't even swallow them. The most we saw the of waitress was when we were paying. 20% gratuity was automatically added to the check and the wait staff did absolutely nothing to earn it. I wish I could have just tipped the busboy directly because he did the most work. read more

i called and reserved patio dining by the railing-- they put us in the middle instead of the railing with water views- there where empty tables and host said all other tables had specific reservations- several of those "reserved " tables never filled up and others came and asked for them as we sat in the middle and were seated- the person who sat us gave us the runaround and then he says" i don't want to overpower the server etc so we were given the runaround- the empty tables sat for quite a while and another couple also asked and were told they could not move- we were 4 people-they were 2 i do not like being manipulated and it was not an enjoyable evening-being manipulated is not a pleasant experience- and being pulled like a puppet and lied to at the whim of someone feeling like they need to control for some reason on that day leaves a bad taste- read more

Friday night and the place is surprisingly empty. So we were quickly seated. They had an Escargot special. The best I've ever had. We also ordered clam chowders and they were perfect! Perfect. Entrees were surf and turf and Riverview risotto. Everything was tasty, timed well, and plentiful. Our server (Christina?) was appropriately attentive and her pace was spot on. Worth returning. read more

9/24/22 I picked up a takeout order last night and I was a bit shocked at how they screwed it up. Generally I like the Riverview Bistro, and it's clearly popular, but they sold me a chef's salad that consisted of plain lettuce and a few croutons. The fried calamari was almost missing and instead the container held onion rings. The quality of the food was nowhere near the prices they charge. I'm not one to quibble about food in general, mistakes will happen. But what took place here was abuse, they charged me a lot for something they didn't attempt to provide. read more

Love this place! Excellent fresh seafood options. I've visited many times and enjoyed my experience every time. Great service and under excellent ownership. Lots of parking and overlooks the marsh area to offer a nice view. Indoor and outdoor seating in addition to banquet space. If you're looking for food recommendations, I'd suggest - the clam chowder, oysters on the half shell, and riverview calamari for appetizers. For entrees, try the lobster roll, shrimp penne, seafood fra diablo, lobster penne, pamesean crusted cod, or riverview rissoto. Their Cesar salad is honestly the best dressing I've ever had. For drinks, they offer a decent wine list and even suggest pairings on their menu. They also have various cocktail options. I even used this place for my bridal shower (~50 guests). The banquet space was spacious and the service was great. We were able to play our own music, bring in a external candy table, and play a slideshow of photos on the TVs in the room. The owners were very flexible with my mom and I explaining options to ensure we got everything we really wanted. read more

Good food but really bad service experience We just left the place feeling like it was a big mistake choosing this place. They took 30 mins to bring a salad and it was the wrong salad , my husband had to leave without eating because of how bad he felt the service was. 1+ hour to bring our meal out too Not coming back again read more

We had a baby shower in the large room. Excellent, communication, atmosphere, prices, and of course excellent service.

Great twin lobster rolls! We were pleasantly surprised and happy to enjoy our meal on the terrace.

You can't beat the prices here at RVB. The outdoor seating ON the deck is nice but I wouldn't sit and dine on the grass below, steak sandwich is a go to with lots of flavor. the cold seafood salad wasn't very tasty.. nice view of the water but not totally waterfront, it's sort of set back. So either you have a partial water view or one of a parking lot. Will be back! read more

Riverview Bistro - cars parked in front of a restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Stratford, Connecticut

I held a memorial luncheon for 14 people in August. The food and the service was spectacular. The manager could not have been more helpful in setting up a separate area and working out the menu. The food was more than sufficient and quite good. The menu selections were great. Everyone complimented me on the choice. Easy to get into and out - right off I-95. Waitresses were lovely and helpful. Would recommend the restaurant highly! read more

This place has a beautiful location with waterfront views so I was really excited to go here! I enjoyed my main dish of pan seared chicken & their short ribs egg rolls with parmesan pesto is a must try. One out of two of my friends drinks was good and she enjoyed her Calamari & beet salad. I did not enjoy my dessert at all, I had chocolate mousse, it's too sweet. I ordered a Turkey Melt wrap to go, they forgot the cheese so I mentioned it to the waitress. She kept insisting that the cheese was on there until finally I had to open the box, unwrap the entire wrap and show her. Then she stopped debating and went to get a new one, but overall she was nice. When the new wrap returned it was cut of two different wraps (photo attached) and I was basically given a messy cheese wrap. It was obvious the chef was not pleased, he told me via a cheese wrap. Also, if you're gluten free and Celiac, there are options but the staff is very unknowledgeable and not very receptive to or mindful of information. Very disappointing that a nice lunch out was ruined by the Chefs attitude over forgetting to put cheese in the wrap. I was so nice to the waitress about it, not sure if the way she communicated to him it was off setting, whatever it is, we'll have a near $100 lunch elsewhere next time. read more

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This restaurant has the potential of being great. However, they are very inconsistent and tend to be sloppy with presentation and orders. For instance, I had the salmon on top of the Mediterranean salad. The first time, the artichoke fritters that were included were slightly warm and delicious - the second time, they were ice cold and inedible. My husband's meatloaf lunch, was the sloppiest plating I've ever seen with everything covered in gravy and the salad arriving with the meal, instead of before. They have such a beautiful location and can offer so much if they can get their act together. They'd better hurry before we all decide it's not worth a second chance. read more

Great vibes and Chef Mike is the BEST! Every dish was better than the next. We started with the chowder and the Greek salad. So good, love the fried artichokes in the salad. I had the seafood risotto for dinner and it was amazing. Finished off with the strawberry shortcake which I think was a special. Everything was so good and the view is awesome. Our server was spectacular. We will definitely be back. read more

Riverview Bistro, a relatively to young restaurant seems to be making waves at this early stage. The location is a plus . Wonderful view, ample parking. Easter buffet was fantastic - layout, presentation, good wide food selection and menu variety and of course everything was resplendent. Riverview would be my choice for Mother's Day buffet. Tessa our table attendant was efficient and very personable! Thank you Tessa... read more

Great meal tonight-saved by the Riverview staff. I ordered via a 3rd party delivery service-their driver was incredibly late updates on their site awful. So I called Riverview to inquire and the kind man I spoke to volunteered to deliver it. Terrific Stuffed sole with crabmeat and sides. Great food as always. Nice and hot despite the mishandling by the 3rd party service. Can't wait to be able to dine in again. The food is ever bit as terrific as the great view given their perfect riverfront location. read more

As a party of three, we went on a Saturday night around 6:45 PM for dinner. When we were seated, we noticed that there was some fairly loud music coming from the private party room. The waiter came over who seem to be nice and started making a couple of jokes which, I did not mind. We didn't pick up on it first, but he did say something to the effect of " you guys may as well just join the wedding" Meaning that we were sitting so close to the wedding room that the noise level was going to be intolerable. I understand that you host weddings and you also have regular dinner service going on at the same time but a good thing for management to do would be to either Have a limit on how loud the music at the wedding can be or soundproof the room better or let customers who are going there for dinner know that they have the option of sitting in the bar area which is far removed from the wedding room. As dinner went on, the music became louder and louder to the point where we could barely hear each other talk it was pretty ridiculous. The food was good don't get me wrong for the price you pay they give you a good portion and the quality is pretty good. But the service was very poor on top of the loud music. I don't know if the staff was running ragged because of the wedding or if it's always like that. There was no salt and pepper on the table and they bring the salad dressing on the side, they brought me the incorrect dressing, and our waiter was nowhere in sight, so we asked a bus boy if we could get a side of ranch and some salt and pepper he said yes, but he never returned so I just used the incorrect dressing that they gave me and we walked over and got salt and pepper from another table that was unoccupied. Then the food arrived and everything was good. About 10 minutes after the food arrived. My drink was empty as well as my water glass and my wife's as well. I figured the waiter would be back to check on us, but I was wrong. He walked by our table 5 or six times never once even glancing at us even though I was ready to spend another $20 on beverages and I really wanted a beer to be honest with you . I even tried to call out to him, but the music was overwhelming. He did not hear me so we just decided to finish what we have not get any more water or cocktails pay the tab and leave I don't like complaining about weight staff because I know they work hard but this guy was a middle-aged man who should know better I mean between the three of us were dropping about $170 on a meal if I want service like that I can go to a fast food restaurant. Actually let me correct myself service at fast food. Restaurants are usually much better than what we just received. I hope management read this and make some adjustments. I certainly don't want the waiter fired or anything like that. I would just like him to be more aware of his customers needs. But hey we did, like the warm bread! read more

Have been a number of times and always a great meal. Went for wife's birthday and had fra diavalo seafood which was just spicy enough. The service was very good with a trainee helping and did very well. Cost very reasonable for 5 people read more

Went for the NYE event and the food was mediocre. The staff was rude and had no interest being there and the DJ was not good at all. Total waste of $320 for two people. read more

Everything about this place is average and I was looking for an above average experience. My mistake! Would love to go back for an appetizer and drink on their outside patio. Maybe, one day...,asking for my salmon on my salad to be cooked through came with a penalty. The salmon was the the size and shape of a chicken wing or half a hot dog. The waiter placed the dish in front of me and said the chef(?) said it was that small because I requested it to be cooked well done. My husband, a classically trained chef, was with me so we clearly knew this was an FU from the chef. Shame on them!! As an afterthought, won't be back. read more

This use to be one of our favorite places to eat. However, the last few times we were there it was a miserable (really) experience. Everyone seems stressed and it is reflecting on the food and service. Example: our appetizers arrived but without utensils. We asked, whom we assumed was the owner, for some. He didn't answer us. He returned a few minutes later and literally banged them on the opposite side of the table. Not next to each of us or gee even in front of us, but with a startling bang across from us. The waitress seemed new and we overlooked her errors. The food however was very greasy and the fish tasted as though it was frozen. Oysters were great. Don't know what's going on, hope they can fix things as we would like to return. read more

Definitely nice atmosphere with water views Enjoyed the drinks and good service if you're looking for a great place to take your date or celebrate a special occasion read more

We really like this place. My husband absolutely LOVED his meal and can't wait to go back. Social distanced tables staff wore masks one way route to come In And out. read more