I want start this review off by saying I've been in the hospitality industry for 10 years as a server, bartender and manager so Im always understanding of service and all of the things that could potentially be out of the control of waitstaff. My experience for brunch was very lackluster. When I arrived there was no one at the door to greet guest and I ended up having to walk up to the bar to let the bartender know that I had a reservation. The space is smaller than expected but all the tables were full and they had a dj playing hip hop & t&b. I was seated at the bar and sat there for about 15 minutes before I was greeted. The choice of alcohol at the bar was VERY bare! During that time the bartender and kitchen staff were having a disagreement behind the bar in front of myself and other patrons. The bartender seemed very annoyed as she seemed busy and was making drinks. As a bartender/manager, I completely understand being in the "weeds" as the only bartender for a busy brunch shift but it is also still very important to greet customers as they sit at your bar and just let them know you will be right with them, providing at the least a menu. For me that goes a long way and at least lets me known that I am seen. Once we were finally given menus, it took the bartender about another 15 minutes to take our orders. I ordered the peach mimosa pitcher, catfish and grits with a house salad and my friend order the salmon Philly which I was very interested to try. Unfortunately, they let us know that they wouldn't be able to make the salmon Philly so my friend opted out for the chicken Philly on the menu. The food came out in waves with my catfish and grits coming out first and the chicken Philly about 10 minutes later. I normally would like all the food for a group to come out at the same time but we had already waited a while so I let it go. The fish was pretty good but the grits were hard and flavorless without the sauce. My friend stayed the chicken Philly was just OK. My salad didn't come out until I was basically done with my meal but I sent it back because it didn't have the toppings that were described on the menu. I don't even know why they would bring it out to a guest if it didn't look as described. We ended up getting hookah as well which was $50. I was ready to go so I asked for the bill which game to $150 at first. I noticed the bartender still had the salmon Philly on the check which was a different price than the chicken. When I let her know, she said that they didn't even have the chicken Philly in the system although it was on the menu and a different price. She end up removing it and changing the price. Overall I think it was overpriced and the staff could use a bit of training on customer service and engagement. read more

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I made reservations for my birthday. Got there 30 min early to make sure everything went smoothly...was given a table right away. Service and staff were awesome. Food was another story. My chicken and waffles was cold. The chicken had no taste. They didn't have fish. Took 45 min for an omelet. read more

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A few months ago my friends and I made reservation for 10 people on a Sunday. Once we got to the restaurant it took about an hour to get seated, the owner apologized and said they were backed up. We should've took the chance to go somewhere else. Because it took so long the owner gave us a discount on 2 mimosa pitchers. Once we were seated the service was subpar. We all ordered our food which then took an hour to come out. Half of our group's food came out 30 minutes before the other half's came out. Mid way they informed us that some of the sides that came with the meals were out (this was while some of us already had our food). I will say once I got my food it was really tasty. I got the shrimp and grits and the grits had a didn't flavor that I had never tasted before. Overall even though the food was good the wait was not worth it. I'll chalk it up to it being a new business. I might try again on another day that isn't so busy. read more

The Riviere - Shrimp and grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! We arrived at 12:55 pm for our 1:00 pm reservation. The waitress was AWFUL! She sat us told us everything they were out of and left. We sat for 15 minutes with no water, drinks, communication at all. There was a table seated after us and she waited on them, went behind the bar made them drinks and took their order. We finally flagged down another waiter and asked him if he could be our waiter AWFUL! It took them 45 minutes to make me salmon and scramble eggs. The salmon was the size of 1 chicken tender. I could not believe they served me that for $20.00. It was more eggs than salmon. I sent it back and they said they were now out of salmon. At 2:00 pm and they were open until 6:00 p,m. I opted not to order anything else that this was my experience for an hour. My husband ordered the grit bowl that comes with catfish and was told they were out of catfish. He and my son ordered the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was piping hot and the grits were luke warm. It was sent back, reordered and it came out the same way. I believe the grits are precooked and on a warmer which explains why they are never hot. We were so unhappy, we left. I never ate which is sad to leave a restaurant without eating. The focus on the food was lost. The esthetics are not good. When you walk in, it is a small tight spot with seating jammed in 1 small room. There is a DJ who plays the music so darn loud you cannot hear the people you are eating with. There was a birthday scene that was supposed to emulate bottle service that looked horrible and forced. The focus should be on the SERVICE!! The female waitress is awful and it seems she would rather be a bartender than waitress. She gave horrible service to the table next to us as well. Our service was so bad the table beside us complained for us because they noticed it. Stop adding automatic tips to the ticket. This is why we get bad service so that's why they do not give good service!!!!!!!!!!! If they have to work for it they will do better! It is UNPROFESSIONAL to run out of food AND to open at 11:00 am and to be out of anything at 1:00 pm. Lazy business! Black businesses want to say people don't patronize them. This is what we get when we do. We do not want to waste our money. I will NEVER go there again! Save your money and go somewhere else! read more

The Riviere - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The Riviere is a decent bar that has potential with brunch restaurant aspirations. With the ambience of a nightclub and the food of an unsuccessful brunch restaurant I was highly disappointed with my experience. My date and I arrived at 11:05am on a Saturday morning which is minutes after opening hours. Shortly after seating ourselves we were notified that the restaurant was completely booked for the day and walk ins could only sit at the bar. Initially I was impressed, rather than disappointed - I assumed that this meant that the establishment was of great quality, shortly after I discovered otherwise. I ordered the shrimp and grits, my date got the catfish and grits alongside a blueberry lemonade mimosa. To keep a long story short, neither of our dishes tasted fresh, frozen fish and frozen shrimp both fairly dry while the grits were extremely thick and dry. I would highly recommend cooking the grits for a tad longer, providing less and including more cream alongside these dishes and using fresher ingredients. The food is almost market price while customers receive frozen seafood - not only unethical and distasteful but unsatisfactory. In all the service was fair but I do not have any intentions on revisiting. A good place for a quick drink for the music and drink menu but this restaurant has a lot of room for growth to say the least. read more

Very small menu, and sub par breakfast. $7 mimosa is made from Tropicana and cheap Champaign. 4 egg omelet only comes with bacon (could barely find any in mine) and veggies. $15 for this omelet and it's the worst. For the price, selection choices, quality of service and menu quality, this should be at the bottom of anyone's choice for breakfast in RVA. read more

The Riviere - 4 egg omelet. No side choices. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, they were listed on the the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience. My girlfriend said we haven't been there so lets go. We made reservations however no one asked us about that, they just said sit down....so we did. Upon entering I was like oooooooooooo okay so this what we doing. Pooh Shiesty was playing, so I knew this wont the spot for the oldies but goodies. (I love Pooh tho) lololol My kids are in that age group so I was good. I knew immediately the owners were young people, late 20's early 30's perhaps. The food.....the only thing I liked on my plate was the blackened salmon. It was PERFECTION as was my friends salmon bites. I ate the salmon slow so that my taste buds could savor all the flavor. I was disappointed tho, that some of the things on the menu they didn't have. Our service was slow and the server was kind of nonchalant however not rude at all. A young dude brought my cabbage out...he was quite personable. When we requested our check the young lady who brought it to us thanked us for being patient throughout the evening. Like I said they were slow, but not rude. While we sat there I witnessed 7 people walk out. Its a small restaurant so you wouldnt miss that. Its definitely not a place to go expecting 5 star fine dining. My friend and I are older but the atmosphere didn't deter us. Again the blackened salmon was PERFECTION. read more

The Riviere - That Blackened Salmon was the BEST ive had . - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Came here for brunch, it was such a vibe. Our server Conneisha took great care of us and was super attentive and made sure we were satisfied. I got a mimosa pitcher (blueberry lemonade) IT WAS AMAZING! Food was on point and wasn't a long wait time at all! Definitely recommend if you're looking for a great brunch place! read more

When you first walk-in you may say "oh so we in one of those establishments" meaning music is blasting, hookah going, and it's just a mix crowd of folks enjoying good food with day party vibes. Now I was a bit taken back because I wasn't expecting the turn-up but BABBBBYYYYY it was a good time. The staff is friendly, my husband and I chopped it up with owner and locals at the bar, and we even met the chef who I wanted to smack for this slapping French toast. I didn't take pictures of the food but listen everything we had was well seasoned and so damn good. It's nice to see young back male entrepreneurs doing their thing, I wholeheartedly support that. I had wings ( hot and honey) and the French Toast and it was so good. My hubby had salmon cakes, eggs, toast, and honestly potatoes. He said it was so good and well seasoned. The French Toast was the star for me because I am French Toast Chick. For Hubby he can't choose, in his words everything was damn good. Reservations highly recommended and when making them make sure you note whether you want the bar or a table. It is a small spot so it does not fit many patrons but it's def a must when coming to Richmond. Oh and they serve brunch all DAMN DAY. read more

I would give 5 stars but my partner got his food very late. However, the salmon bites + grits was the BEST absolutely BESTTT thing I have ate in a long time. It was exquisite. Recommend 10/10. (But they do need to work or serving timing maybe they're understaffed in the kitchen I'm not sure.) read more

The Riviere - Salmon Bites and Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The food was sub par. Chicken strips were super dry & the food was barely warm. The service was just okay. I wouldn't recommend or come back. read more

Tells you it's first come first serve on the phone, and when you get there 10 minutes later, all of the 6 visibly open tables are supposedly "reserved". Either they just don't understand what "you don't need a reservation, it is just first come first served" means or they did not want to give us a table for some other reason. Tells you it's first come first serve on the phone, and when you get there 10 minutes later, all of the 6 visibly open tables are supposedly "reserved". Either they just don't understand what "you don't need a reservation, it is just first come first served" means or they did not want to give us a table for some other reason. Response to owner: We called literally 10 minutes prior to coming in and were told word for word "you do not need a reservation, it is first come first serve. We have had a lot of people calling with the same question today so all we can say is it's first come first serve. Their 6 open tables already being reserved was never mentioned, in fact they specifically said we did not need reservations. First come first serve contradicts reservations, unless it is specifically said first come first serve other than reservations, which they would not allow me to make on the phone. Really seemed like when we walked in they decided they just did not want to give us a table. read more

We have been stalking this place for a while and finally had time to make a reservation. We were quickly seated upon arrival, and the wait time for food and drinks weren't too bad considering they only had one waitress for the whole place. The food was good, no special recipes but everything was seasoned well enough. My friend thought it was regularly seasoned, he wasn't impressed The cons: while the atmosphere was set up and decorated so nicely, the music was over powering. They had a large speaker in one corner, so on one side I could hear LOUD music, and talking/laughing on the other side. I had a headache by the time we left. My friend and I didn't have much conversation over dinner because we couldn't hear each other. If I return, it be a drink and carry out situation. But I do recommend trying the spot. read more

I've tried this place out a few times and I have to say the service sucks. It took them 2 1\2 hours to get my food and mind you I only ordered two sides. Then when it's about to come out they were out of one of the sides. Its no organization. As I observed all the tables food came out at different times. I tried to give them a few tries but service got worse each time! read more

We were in the area and stopped in by chance. We were quickly greeted by the bartender who told us to have a seat wherever we'd like. She also acted as the server and was quick to bring us waters, menus then take our order. She was friendly and efficient. Modern music was playing with a few other patrons seated for a late lunch. We ordered the Chicken & Waffles as well as the Honey Jerk Chicken. They were out of rice (side it usually comes with), so I was offered my choice of side. I went with the fried potatoes. The jerk chicken was full of flavor and definitely packed a punch. read more

The waffles are thick and dense so beware but filled with flavor! Verse was so sweet and all good vibes. I will definitely be back! Great atmosphere read more

The Riviere - Mimosa flight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

First time having brunch at The Rivière. Good Sunday vibe not too much happening. Do make reservations before you go. The music was good, hookah was good (we all love a lil hookah) and the food was great. Everyone at my table enjoyed their food. I had the steak bagel with a fried egg and the steak came out perfect and very tender. I will definitely be going again. read more

This spot is usually packed and I can see why! My mom and I went on a Friday afternoon;even though we had reservations, there was still seating available. Let me tell y'all. McDonald's steak bagel has nothing ( I mean nothing) on The Rivière's. It was tender and flavorful. The French fries... chef's kiss. We also had some type of pink drink with Moscato, which we weren't super wowed by but neither of us are drinkers.Regardless, I'm still going to give them five star because we cleared our plates. We will definitely be going back. read more

The Riviere - Steak Bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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For once, something a little different. More than one offering of salmon on the menu. AND lamp chops! Two choices of lamp chops. Nice decor inside. Scenes of downtown Richmond on walls and a faux greenery wall. Nice, bright and clean. read more

The Riviere is a community treasure. The food is rich and abundant, soooo flavorful, and the owners Ray and Shawn are wonderful restaurateurs. The recipes are steeped in comfort food with a lot of twists and surprises. You will NOT be disappointed if you visit here. read more

The food was very good, but the service was a little slow. The drinks were awesome! The wait staff was really friendly. read more

The Riviere - Chicken and Waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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A friend has started a restaurant tour where we visit places we haven't been. The Rivière was second on our tour for brunch. This establishment is pretty small and on Sundays, no getting in without a reservation. We started off with some mimosas ... I had peach with was majority alcohol lol. I wanted the pineapple rum punch but at first* they had no pineapple juice. After about 20 minutes, they had pineapple juice so we tried the rum punch and it was tasty. For an entree, I had the steak bagel ... it was AMAZING. Came with tater tots. The rest of the group all seemed to enjoy their meals. The French toast LOOKS great but it's just ok. I think I would pass on that next visit. read more

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Nice place and concept. Need to hire more staff. We visited on a Friday after 7 pm only 2 servers who performed multiple tasks from host, server, and bartender. Was told a birthday party of 30 ppl was set to come in. With 2 servers it may have been best to close for a private event. Ordered a fish meal, which came with 1 pc of fish, my side choices were candied yams and fried potatoes. Food came out in a reasonable time but it was cold. Food came with no condiments had to ask for them. Ordered mimosa flight and they were so sweet with little to no champagne, causing me to have a headache later that night. The bar didn't have a huge alcohol selection. Will strongly consider giving this business a 2nd chance because I want to see the owner thrive and succeed. read more

was thoroughly dissappointed. Booked a party of 20 for my birthday. There was no DJ, we had a new waitress, they didn't have half things on the menu. They double charged for the drinks. I'm just so disappointed. Please choose another restaurant for your party. read more

Came here for the first time. The staff and waitress were very nice and welcoming. Music had a vibe...The pitcher of mimosas were great and the food (shrimp n grits) was delicious too! The only issue was that our food took 40+ minutes to prepare and their was only one other party of two in the restaurant. Would definitely refer others but warn them of the long wait. read more

VCU /downtown RVA location. Full bar with televisions, happy hour, on-site parking and innovative menu. Most menu items are sugary, salty, or creamy which isn't my preferred component however everyone has a different palate. I didn't care for the sweet-savory fish and grits, but the waffles looked good. My pineapple rim punch was delicious and the service was prompt. They offer plastic cutlery and hand sanitizer too. read more

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The Art District was the vicinity of his dining excursion for the evening. Strolling along Broad St., the Trademark Blue Fedora slightly cocked, served as Mr. RVA's crown for the occasion. "God, thank you for your provision and protection," he thought, entering Richmond's newest restaurant. Drake exclaimed that there were "No Friends In The Industry," as patrons enjoyed hookah under circulating fans. Pearl, Silver, & Royal Blue accents adorned the walls, giving river-like vibes to the R&B, Hip Hop mix echoing throughout. There's nothing like seeing my people enjoy delectable cuisine, good music, & captivating conversations with loved ones. And then, Three Black Kings met. One, a Surveyor of his city. The other, the budding Entrepreneur & Owner, Vontae Jones; making his mark on Virginia's capital. Lastly, Chef Nasir; bringing new culinary ideas for citizens to dine upon. They exchanged pleasantries & accolades, each returning to their respective kingdom's business endeavors. The locale's menu highlights it's interesting look on Southern American fare & signature cocktails. Ladies and Gentlemen of Discovering RVA, it is my privilege to unveil, The Riviere. @theriviererva . Appetizer- Salmon Bites~ Huge chucks of fresh Atlantic Salmon, fried & drizzled with their house-made Lemon Pepper seasoning. . Entree- Lollipop Lamb Chops~ Tender, pan seared, house marinated Lamb Chops Lollipops, topped with Rosemary sprigs, & served with their Sweet Curry Dijon Sauce, all accompanied by savory Cabbage & Mama's Kitchen "Paqs N Cheese." . Spirit Pairings- Whelp, this is going to be interesting! 4 Signature Cocktails~ ¹ Broad St. Hurricane ² Malibu Wave ³ Pineapple Rum Punch Blushing Lemon Drop Martini. . Ammarah- I truly appreciate your hospitality, rapport, & conversation. Much Obliged. . Owner Vontae Jones & Chef Nasir- There's nothing like an enlightened meeting of the minds. Truly a pleasure meeting you both. Thank you for taking the time to converse with your boy. Cheers to Evolution Good Sirs! @_vontaejones @_chefmarmar . Please, if you haven't already, follow me on my official Instgram page @Discoveringrva and take a journey with the Gentleman, "Mr. RVA" and uncover the hidden gems of our noteworthy city. . #discoveringrva . #804 #va #virginia #rva #richmond #richmondva #rvadine #rvaeats #Rvafood #food #foodies #foodshare #foodstagram #foodiesofinstagram #yummy #foodblog #foodblogger #foodlover #foodpost #foodography #delicious #delish #foodpic #eating #foodandwine #eeeeeats #foodiegram #igfood #forkyeah read more

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A group of 10 teachers got together for brunch for my birthday. The vibe was great, waitress/service were so kind and my waffle was superb! They have tower mimosas, carafes and glasses--w cheese steak egg rolls. I enjoyed the whole experience and am grateful for it on my special day! read more

I came here on a saturday sometime in the afternoon and it wasn't that busy. My friend reserved a table for her birthday but didn't get seated until 30 mins after we arrived. The service was really slow, we were sat for about 30 more minutes before we could even get our drink orders in. You could imagine how hungry and irritated we were by this time only to be told they were out of almost everything on their menu. The pasta was relatively good, I ate just about all my food. We then again waited almost a hour after we finished eating to get our check. Gratuity is automatically included but if weren't I wouldn't have left a tip honestly. read more

The Riviere - Chicken Broad St. Alfredo Pasta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Go here for the food - it was amazing! The French Toast, turkey sausage, and home style potatoes were all cooked perfectly - delicious!! The in-restaurant service, however, was subpar. Water served in a plastic cup and plastic utensils - not a good look for a $16 French Toast plate. It took forever for the waitstaff to take my order (it wasn't very busy). One of the waiters was texting most of the time I was there and swore loudly when the cook rang the bell for service for the umpteenth time. And they automatically add a 18% gratuity to the check for a party of one! Guess they've been burned in the past. read more

Absolutely An Amazing Experience. The Food. The Ambience. The Location! All 5's! Neco Really Made Our Experience A1 & First Class read more

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If you need good food, a good vibe, good music, and good people serving you! this is the place for you!!! Never disappoints!! read more

The Riviere - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Great food great service great atmosphere. Will definitely return salmon Philly with Mac n cheese and a watermelon mimosa

I decided to try this place because all the good reviews and photos. Much to my surprise the atmosphere was a little to be desired. As soon as you open the door you are hit with a blast of vulgar music coming out of this extra large speaker. Very loud! The food gets 4.5 stars the salmon bites were delicious seasoned just right. I got chicken and waffles which were delicious also. My boyfriend got the pasta which was watery and shrimp over cooked and too salty. I wouldn't recommend this place for date night but would get the food to go. Oh service was just ok. PS there was hooka section next to our table read more

service was very slow. food was okay, definitely not worth it though because it took WAY too long for what we ordered. About 30-40 mins wait for waffles and chicken & each entree came out 10 min apart. won't b back. it was also hard to talk with eachother considering the music was extremely loud. won't return. read more

This was my first time ever coming here to this establishment. Jeanna M was such a great server.

The food was amazing and our Waitress Nada was out of this world 10stars I'll be back for jerk macaroni egg rolls

your server Jeanna was great she was very professional fun & entertaining & the margarita flights were delicious I will be back read more

The food was delicious. I had the fried fish and grits. There was so much flavor in the grits. I will definitely be going back there.

I visited because I heard good things about the brunch, and I felt the restaurant had a great concept. I want to say I WANTED AND STILL WANT THIS ESTABLISHMENT TO WIN!!!! I wanted this to be good soooo bad. When I arrived the tables were packed together but not a lot of customers. Service was extremely slow as there were only 2 servers (I understand and get it). I was with a party of 6 and the food took a while to come out. Drinks cam slow (2 servers I get it ) When the food arrived it all died in the window it was cold some luke warm. The grits were cement, the plastic spoon broke. Which leads me to this question. Why is a sit-down establishment with this great vision great music, somewhat pricey menu treating us as to go patrons? Like I said earlier I want this establishment to win! So, I'm going to give it another try. I wish the owner much success! Hopefully this was just an off day read more