River CaféHighly RecommendedProbably the nicest setting in the city. Food and service are as good as it is anywhere in town as well. Two thumbs up as they say...12/4/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was snowing so diligentlyIt was snowing so diligently we couldn't see from the island to the shore-but the ambiance was warm and welcoming. While no one raved about the food, everyone let feeling satiated and happy - but this group was not necessarily 'foodies'. The astronaut loved the pickerel; the writer enjoyed the sandwich; the illustrator raved about the special; the funders enjoyed the burger and the pot pie; and as the project manager, I was pleased that everyone found something that they could enjoy, and would remember on a snowy, spring day in Calgary. The Café continues to be one of my favourites-red lentil hummus and canola seed crackers are simply the icing on a good experience!11/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWe've eaten at the River CafeWe've eaten at the River Cafe a few times before and enjoyed it but the food was particularly well done on Monday. Our party of four ordered the two appetizer specials and three different entrees. All were excellent. Our 18 month old grandson enjoyed the experience as well!11/3/2013 12:00:00 AMRiver Cafe Exquisite!We absolutely loved this restaurant and highly recommend it. The food and service was exceptional! Thank you River Cafe for the most wonderful experience! We definitely will be back!11/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was very good, butThe food was very good, but the service was lacking. We waited quite a while before getting more drinks and our main dishes were wrong. The waiter was pleasant though.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFather's day gemIt was the perfect location for a low key, but lovely, brunch with family for Father's day. Food was amazing and to sit outside on the river in good weather was a wonderful touch.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent as usualAnother delightful evening except it rained so we had to be inside.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat summer lunch spotGreat ambience on a summer day...ominous clouds were brewing though and we asked what would happened if it started to rain...waitress said we had 'forfeited' an indoor spot by choosing outside. Inside was absolutely empty when we went in to check...now will be leery in uncertain weather.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the priceWell thought out menu,elegantly presented in a quasi casual setting. Loved the canoes and furniture.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMLike the ambience and feelLike the ambience and feel of the restaurant, semi formal and respectable. A beautiful stting.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMRiver Cafe never disappointsWonderful lunch on the patio with warm, attentive service. Highly recommended.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, presentation very nice.Only downfall is my tuna didn't have as delicious a sauce as the halibut cake.
Still great meal as the tuna was lightly breaded and grilled to perfection.
Panna Cotta done very nice.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMModern "rustic"Beautiful setting in a park - interesting menu and fun place to spend an evening. Food was well presented, but halibut was underwhelming - dry and the hummus appetizer was bland. My companions really enjoyed the bison and the boar, so stick to the meats. Good wine list, though not up to date with current offerings.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother incredible summer lunchMy special friend is lucky enough to have a birthday in June. So each year we book our birthday luncheon in April for the June luncheon. Again she rarely leaves her downtown office to have a "break". But we again thoroughly enjoyed the luncheon. We shared an appetizers tray of wild boar, carmelized salmon, duck pate, olives. and the suggested wine pairing was exquisite. We had flatbread with southern Alberta strawberries, and a fresh dungeness crab salad. We make our visit a special occasion and we are never disappointed. The lush trees and the smell of the wood burning stove create a peaceful retreat.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceThe food was great, the servers were great. I'll be back!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMI live locally but hadn'tI live locally but hadn't been to the restaurant for some time and was very pleasantly surprised. I took a friend for a special birthday gift and she was impressed too. We shall be recommending it to others. Our server was excellent too with a great personality...I can't remember her name unfortunately. Thank you, until the next time .....6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat locationWe knew that the river cafe was going to be great so we weren't too surprised about that. But the location is super peaceful amongst the trees and very comfortable. The waiter was very knowledgable and patient and the food very good.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMImpressed some visitorsI brought two US business visitors to River Café for a dinner. I wanted a place with great food and a special view and as always both were delivered. We sat on the patio, and too in the view as we enjoyed food and wine.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMA wonderful experienceWe had a marvelous dinner at River Cafe! The weather cooperated for the first half of dinner and had turned into a glorious , sunny, warm spring evening. The service was friendly, courteous and the server was extremely professional and knowledgable!
Then........ as is known to happen in our lovely city, the weather changed in a second and the umbrella almost landed on my head.
A bus person ran over to assist and as we quickly gathered our things to go inside, our server already had a table ready for us. We didn't have to say a word.
A truly wonderful experience!!
Thank you!!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat makes this restaurantWhat makes this restaurant really great is its location. Located in the heart of Prince's Island Park, this restaurant reminds you of being in the shire setting for Lord of the Rings. We went there for their weekend brunch.The food was alright. I had the rare seared albacore tuna. it was rare but I wasn't sure it was seared. it resembled sushi rolled in mustard seeds. It was flavourful however just not what I expected. In terms of price, I suppose they can command 21$ for a small morsel of fresh Tuna as afterall we are farthest away from the ocean. My partner had the Brioche french toast. he really liked it as restaurant french toasts tend to get soggy and this wasn't. Overall, great place to go to for the ambiance.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGood night at River CaféService can be hit-and-miss but this was a good night at the River Café. They knew it was our anniversary and the service was the perfect amount of attentiveness. The food was very good, just off excellent simply because I hardly ever give an excellent. I personally like the rustic feel but modern menu of the River Café; great place for a semi-casual romantic evening out; don't be shy, let them know in your Open Table reservation you are celebrating. Give them a chance to shine!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMMarvelous ExperienceWe were looking for a suitable place to celebrate our anniversary, and were certainly not disappointed. The service was exceptional and the food was outstanding.
Very much appreciated the extra touch of providing complimentary truffles for our special occasion.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMReview of River CafeLove it. Great food - innovative plates (and I've eaten many) well cooked, presented and served. It's not cheap, but worth every penny I say, Wine list features Canadians as well as others from further afield, so something for everyone. And it's a gem of a place...in the summer it's all about patio dining (or wishing you were on the patio) and in the winter it's a cosy refuge from the cold with wood fires and that comforting smell.
I'm a fan. I've been alot, and I plan to go many times again.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFine diningFood was excellent and server was great ,very responsive. The place was cozy and comfortable to dine in. Thank you.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a pleasureLocation is perfect, food is stellar and Lindsey the host is adorable and sweet.
The halibut and salmon were as always wonderful.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMLove It!I love this restaurant. The menu is a little eclectic for me, but I can typically find something pretty normal. The ambiance is ridiculous, located right in Prince Island Park.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother perfect dinnerAnother perfect dinner at the River Café. Friendly staff, superior cuisine with lost of choices, excellent wine, fantastic outdoor atmosphere. My three guests from out of town were very happy. One of my three favorite restaurants in town, the other ones being Rouge and Blink.5/27/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday treatRiver Cafe is my daughters favourite place, so I took her there to celebrate her birthday. She is a runner and enjoys the park setting and eclectic cleintele. We had a wonderful seat overlooking the park pathways. Our waitress was excellent and seemed not only very knowledgable about the menu, but was friendly and food enthusiastic. I took her suggestion and ordered the lunch special. The food was excellent in look and taste. We shared the chocolate zuccini cake with raspberry sorbet for dessert and it was delicious. We had a wonderful walk in the park, to and from, our lunch and also did some shopping in Eau Claire market. It was all and all a great experience.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent environment...everythingExcellent environment...everything was outstanding - best restaurant in town...5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways dependable and super.The restaurant and the food are only bested by the friendly yet professional staff. We arrived over 30 minutes early and were accommodated by the warm fire on a rainy evening. Always and excellent choice.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGrad CelebrationWe went to the River Cafe after my daughter's Grad Ceremony because we wanted to go to a restaurant that was unique and memorable. The menu provided an outstanding variety of unique food and the ambiance was perfect. Our server was very friendly and answered all of our many questions. Our out of town guests were just as impressed as we were. Thank you for excellent food and service!!!5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for a romantic dinnerI reserved a table for my husband's birthday. Everything was perfect...the food, the service and the ambiance.
We loved our experience there.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMQuiet evening with friendsGreat place for a relaxed special occasion dinner. Very friendly & efficient service from the usher to the server. Heard about this place before, but never got around to visit. Tasty & healthy food, great wines for all levels of prices!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb salmonWonderful location; what a shame that on such a beautiful evening the terrace was closed!
The wild spring ivory salmon with fiddleheads was superb and the thought of it will have me salivating for some time to come. The wild hog was tender and delicious.
The restaurant is very expensive!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceDining at River Cafe is always a great experience! The location is just as amazing as the food.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMFrom the moment we arrivedFrom the moment we arrived everything was great! Our server was friendly and suggested great items off of the menu. She didn't rush us along and let us take our time to enjoy our drinks and meal. River Cafe is a great spot with wonderful food, but at the same time does not feel stuffy at all. We will definitely be back! The wild boar was delicious!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMRelaxing experience!!I really enjoyed my time at the restaurant with my friends. Service was awesome, food delicious and well presented and the wine was tasty. I am planning to bring my husband next time. I found the restaurant appealing and chic .5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service was great andThe service was great and the food was interesting. We enjoyed the relaxed feel of the place and the view for all diners was enjoyable.
I do object to being charged $4 for the water that was offered to diners.
Flat, even flat filtered water sold at extravagant prices is unnecessary and felt like a deceitful add on to an otherwise acceptable $250 bill.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat SpotWonderful spot and a true gem of a restaurant. We had a spectacle lunch - the food was delicious and the perfect size for lunch. The only thing better than the food was the service - helpful and friendly but not in your face, we were spoiled by the entire team. Highly, highly recommended - especially for outdoor dining at lunch.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial placeThe River Cafe is great for special occasions: pricey, but the food and the view are worth it as a splurge. Highly recommended for celebrations and romantic dinners. The bison was seasoned to perfection, the sturgeon was excellent, creative and delicious things are done with vegetables. They're good about altering ingredients to accommodate allergies, too.
It's usually not loud, but it was on a recent visit. -- timing probably makes a difference.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the very BestWe were very pleased with our experience at River Cafe when we went for a Mother's Day brunch. The food was outstanding. The waiter was helpful. The meal was relaxing and unhurried. Altogether we very much enjoyed our experience there and would most definitely return as well as recommend to others.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMothers Day DinnerMy family and I truly enjoyed our Mother's day dinner at the restaurant. We had a informative and attentive waiter and was very helpful on our wine selection. The restaurant is in a uniquie location and you feel in a special place. The food was very good although the portions are not overly generous. I would restrict our attendance to the restaurant for speical occassions as the food prices are much higher than the other restaurants we frequent.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMajestic!What a delightful dining experience we had, cosy setting overlooking scenic downtown Calgary with the quiet river running beneath. The food was superb and the staff so friendly!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's Day TreatI took my mom here for mother's day and it was absolutely fabulous! It is one of those unique Calgary gems that really highlights the beauty of Prince's Island Park. The food was absolutely outstanding, came out quickly despite the restaurant being packed, and I love the daily features so the menu always is new and fresh! It is such a lovely restaurant for brunch when it is nice out.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAs expected lunch at the RiverAs expected lunch at the River Cafe was faultless. Our compliments to management and staff for maintaining such a high standard of quality and service.
The noise in and on the property of the restaurant was fine. However, throughout our lunch we could hear the beating of drums from Eau Claire Plaza. It was monotonous, loud, continual and far from entertaining. After almost an hour we had to leave. I had the beginning of a headache as a result of the noise.
Perhaps the restaurant needs to talk with the management of the Plaza to ensure that times and volume of noise do not disrupt the enjoyment of diners.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMRelaxingGreat place to have a relaxing high end meal. Portion sizes were perfect, food was excellent. My only wish would be to have more selection on the menu.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMA great place in the downtownA great place in the downtown area, but maybe a more varied menue for people just walking in the park. A lovely place5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMMy favourite Calgary restaurantLove this restaurant for its romantic feel, "out of the way" woodsiness, and superb food.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing!We could not have asked for a better server or meal. This was a special dinner for us, and we could not stop talking about how amazing everything was! We will most definitly return to River Cafe! What a gem in a beautiful setting!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMNever disappointingI love going to River Cafe in the spring/summer! When weather is beautiful, the view is great and the food is even better. Having weekend brunch here completely makes my weekend! Service was great as usual it's something I can always count on!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AM