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    The River Downtown

    4.8 (45 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    The River Downtown Photos

    THE RIVER DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The River Downtown

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    Chicharron was a crispy spicy treat.
    Adria D.

    We sat outside and the sun was blazing after the clouds were gone. They tried so hard to make us comfortable and provided shade and a fan. The food was so amazing! We ordered so many items and everything was delicious!

    Elderflower spritzer
    Elaine J.

    Such a fun spot! We shared three small plates and all were very good. They feature rotating wine spritzer cocktails that were perfect with our light meal. The staff was welcoming and attentive. Definitely two thumbs up!

    Little mac BIG flavor!!
    Melanie M.

    Found this little hole in the wall on yelp. Went here for appetizers and loved it. The woman who seated and served us was a doll! We got the chicharone and little Mac and both were extremely tasty!! I normally do not try things like the chicharone but I am so happy I did! So delicious!!

    The back room, formerly a working smelting room in the 1800's.
    Rancher R.

    We heard good things about The River Downtown and tried it out ourselves. We were not disappointed. The restaurant is small but rich with Gold Country history. We had a cozy table in the back room which was a working smelting room in the 1800's. The walls are well-cooked brick. Service was brisk and we enjoyed the small plate meals. They also had an excellently-curated list of wines by the glass and a considerable selection of beers on tap. This is a great place for a cozy meal selected from a large variety of tasty dishes. We loved the Seared Ahi Sliders and Maui Wowie Coconut Shrimp. Next time, we'll try the Smashed Tacos.

    Liliana A.

    Not the best photos but we came here for a quick bite and drinks. We absolutely loved the Mac n cheese and harvest salad. The space itself was pretty small but we made reservations and were seated with no problem. They also have a bar that's open seating.

    Ahi nachos $20. Actually a lot of Ahi in there once you break it up.
    Adam X.

    Very nice new addition to Nevada City, fantastic service and a beautiful new remodel. The food was exceptional. We had the Aji nachos, and the Wild West tacos. The tacos were actually two of the best I've ever had anywhere. For $16, for two, it's a perfect share, and it's a must try. Wines by the bottle were priced between $30 and $50.

    Tacos and chardonnay
    Greg B.

    We had a lovely dinner at The River Downtown last night before the show at Off Broadstreet. We enjoyed Killer Tacos, coconut shrimp and a delicious chicken & waffles sliders. Great wine selection and excellent service. Reservations are a must!

    Tacos
    Daniel B.

    Amazing food. Great people. Epic vibe. Make sure you check this place out. Family owned, great little local gem

    Entrance, Patio Seating

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    29 days ago

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    30 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    24 days ago

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    16 days ago

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    10 days ago

    Excellent. Absolutely excellent. Had the bruschetta, wrapled asparagus, wild west tacos and the sticky toffee cake. Can't wait to go back.

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    3 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 months ago

    What a great find. I can honestly say that their tacos were sone of the best I've ever had.

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    Christine K.

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Great service! The food is amazing. Fun sharing plates together. Lovely experience! Going back ASAP!

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Outstanding food, service, and ambiance. One the best dining experiences we've had recently.

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Great for a lovely date night, ask for Ella!! Fantastic food, incredible service !!!!!!!

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

    I recommend the hummus and chicken sliders. Service was great as well. Smashed wild west tacos were yummy.

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    11 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Great food, amazing ambiance, and friendly staff. The owners are great people, too. I am looking forward to many return visits.

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    11 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The River Downtown

    Vip Ultra Lounge

    Vip Ultra Lounge

    4.1
    (9 reviews)
    54.4 mi
    $$

    One of the best places in Chico to grab a drink and avoid the college crowd. I know, I know, its a…read morecollege town, don't gripe about the college kids... but holy hell its nice to hang out with the grown ups sometimes! A couple of tips for the newbie adult headed to this VIP lounge: 1) Make sure to get your booty up there prior to 9pm (after 9pm there is a $10 cover charge) 2) $10 isn't going to break the bank, I get it however, it IS a key bit of info so take it for what its worth. (Its worth ten bucks, ha!) Make sure that if you should arrive before 9, like for happy hour, and stay after 9, that your given a wrist band so you can wander from floor to floor without having to pay the entry fee 3) If you get there prior to 9pm and have a person or people you actually want to speak (and not yell at) the music is at a normal level so carrying a conversation is tres easy. Beware, after 9pm they PUMP up the volume so be prepared to yell your conversation after that time frame kicks in 4) And speaking of 'tres' this bar is tres chic, there is a ton of cozy seating, you can go find a booth which is semi private or go more public and choose a table out in the open (along with more cozy seats) 5) They have an 'L' shaped pool table, very weird but very cool and ultra different. I've never seen one quite like it anywhere else 6) The martini selection is pretty tasty (see my pix) and the prices are right up my alley (marginally priced and well worth it) 7) The absolute BEST part of my experience here at the VIP Ultra Lounge was Stephanie. The adorable, extra friendly bartender/waitress, literally, the best little thing located upstairs. Her personality ROCKED. She gave me mini tour and being that it was my first time here, while she toured, she explained all the bars (total of 4), their highlights and best times to have fun at each of them. Seriously treated me in TOTAL VIP fashion, what a gem!! The cool thing about this bar is that its connected to 3 other totally different (un-VIP, just made up that word) bars. So... if you get tired of being a snobby VIP, you can take your wasty face downstairs and kick it with the college kids. Good thing #8... if your walking sideways and acting like a drunk monkey, you'll blend right in :) Dance, scratch your butt, do a shot then fall on the floor, hey! Have a good time!

    Oh I'm a sucker for a place that serves good drinks and doesn't smell like puke. Come on Chico…read more.. you know the places I'm talking about. Once you are past the cheapest drinks you can buy phase of Chico life, come up to VIP Ultra Lounge. Check 'em out during happy hour to scout if you like it without paying a cover. I enjoyed my melon mojito- with none of the stickiness or smell associated with most the venues in Chico. I get that Chico isn't used to paying much of a cover charge at all, but I'd rather pay a cover and go somewhere gorgeous, comfortable & clean. I used to love the Bear & LaSalles, but you go there after a few drinks because otherwise you'd never get past the smell and in the door. You can smell them from outside. Yuck. Other than harping on the fantasticness of a clean place- my husband has enjoyed his drinks there as well, we've had tacos and a steak/gorganzola pizza during happy hour- all good stuff. And that explains why I'm headed there in 40 minutes to celebrate the end of my work week!

    Photos
    Vip Ultra Lounge
    Vip Ultra Lounge
    Vip Ultra Lounge

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    Holbrooke Hotel

    Holbrooke Hotel

    3.6
    (145 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    Had we known about the hotel ahead of time, it would've been a better stay…read more The hotel is not a bad place, at all. It's full of history and class. It's clean and central to many locations in town. The chief complaints I have are these: 1. The walls of the hotel are paper-thin. You can hear *everything* going on outside your door and the rooms next to yours. 2. There are no TVs in any of the rooms. For #1, nothing to be done about it but go in forewarned. For #2, not knowing that was totally our fault. The TV situation is listed on their website. But TVs are such a standard item, who thinks to look for that note..? :P Now. The best part of our hotel stay was Ulina. She was the front desk rep when we got there. She was extremely friendly and very helpful in getting us settled in. She went above and beyond her duties to make sure our 2 night stay (that turned into a 1 night stay due to job issue) was stress free and comfortable. If you stay here in the future, ask for Unlina, you will not be disappointed. :)

    The ambiance was wonderful, definitely recommend going during the holidays. You can't beat the…read moreromantic lighting, striking decor, and Christmas vibes! The main dining room only has three or four tables, so I recommend calling ahead for a reservation. The shareable plates and desserts were delightful, but there were some issues with the mains: Brussel sprouts had an incredible glaze, a perfectly balanced dish. Salmon bowl was okay... kimchi and seaweed salad were excellent but the salmon tasted like the pre-marinated cuts from any chain grocery store. Large plate, I could only eat about half. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare! The portion, however, was very small. Chicken pot pie was frightful, I wish I would've taken a photo of it. Presentation was... deconstructed to say the least. It looked like a slop of filling plopped on a plate with ~half of a biscuit in the middle of the mess. A dissatisfying disappointment, especially for a $40 dish. The desserts were wonderful! Rating four stars instead of five due to the menu being an overpriced for the overall quality of the main courses. You're definitely paying to eat at a beautiful historic hotel, not for the quality of the food.

    Photos
    Parking lot entrance
    Parking lot entrance
    Tinsel Tavern
    Tinsel Tavern
    Front desk

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    Front desk

    The River Downtown - wine_bars - Updated June 2026

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