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River House Restaurant & Raw Bar, Louisville, KY

River House Restaurant & Raw Bar

4.7
4.7
6045 Reviews
$30 and under
Seafood
River House Restaurant and Raw Bar is Louisville’s premiere riverfront dining destination. It is the vision of award-winning chef and restaurateur John Varanese and seats 330 in its main dining room, raw bar, and patio. Guests experience a charming “home like” atmosphere as they enter the restaurant from the front porch garden area. Enter through a 20-foot tall by 40-foot wide water wall, and enjoy intimate decor, and a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the back courtyard and river, River House is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. The menu features regional cuisine with a Southern flair and an emphasis on fresh seafood including Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell, BBQ Braised Beef Short Rib, and the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Barrel Smoked Salmon. Our 15 foot raw bar features assorted raw oysters, king crab, and jumbo shrimp. Reservations are recommended. We look forward to serving you!

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 100 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Cuisines

    Seafood, Contemporary American, Contemporary Southern

  • Hours of operation

    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (502) 897-5000

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown Louisville

  • Cross street

    River Rd.

  • Parking details

    Ample parking is available adjacent to the Restaurant. Valet parking also available.

  • Entertainment

    Located adjacent to the River House Restaurant and Raw Bar, Levee at the River House is the perfect spot to share a meal with family and friends and to enjoy some choice River night life. At Levee, the emphasis is on live entertainment with some of Louisville’s most exciting local musicians and singers on an intimate stage.

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Takeout, Wine

Popular dishes

What 6,045 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Central Kentucky

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Central Kentucky

    Great for scenic views

  • Central Kentucky

    Most Booked

  • Louisville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Louisville

    Great for scenic views

  • Louisville

    Most Booked

  1. jka3

    Louisville

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    River House NEVER disappoints. Great food, drink, service and view. Great for any occasion but especially for birthdays and anniversaries.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Indiana

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We were able to sit outside for lunch. Beautiful day! The service was amazing, polite, gave suggestions, extremely helpful! The food was delicious. Shrimp ceviche was out of this world. Bread pudding was moist and delicious! Look forward to our next meal here!

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  3. HEATHERS

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    First time eating here and we REALLY enjoyed the tasty food and excellent service and ambience. Would recommend for sure!

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  4. ScottN

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    First time visit. Took my girlfriend there for her birthday. We sat outside and the view and weather were both perfect. Our server was pleasant and attentive. The food was as good as it gets. Nice variety of choices and prices are good for the quality of the food and experience. Will definitely be back.

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  5. WayneK

    Louisville

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    very good food and service. Very enjoyable environment.

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  6. Zingatrash

    Louisville

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Really enjoyed celebrating last minute our 30th Anniversary. Wanted seafood so decided to go here. We got to try the grilled octopus, oysters -and king Alaskan Salmon and Kingklip. Very tasty. The waitress was very helpful in helping us choose. Thank you

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  7. MikeB

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall4food4service3ambience3
    Started out bad hard to get drinks, appetizers ect… then Virginia (the fixer) took over had a great meal for my girlfriends birthday!

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  8. Mikayla

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I had previously visited River House, but this was my family’s first time, and we were celebrating a birthday. The food was absolutely delicious. My family ordered a ‘V’ tower that we devoured and followed with delectable entrees and desserts. From seating to service to the meal, it was a great first time experience for my family.

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  9. SabrinaD

    New Orleans

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wow. Just wow. Amazing view. Amazing service. AMAZING food! Super impressed. I’m not one to even bother with reviews for he most part but this place is definitely worth the time and effort to write about. Highly recommend.

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  10. lizmiller

    Louisville

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Andrew was an awesome server. He made our night extra special

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  11. Jerry

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Simply awesome. All of the food was excellent. The fried green tomatoes and broiled avocado are both great appetizers. Very good wine list. Everything is top shelf. Going back tomorrow night.

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  12. OpenTable Diner

    Orlando

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Awesome experience. Great service, food and atmosphere!!! We will be back soon.

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  13. JanM

    Louisville

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had an outstanding meal with an amazing waiter. Scallops and ahi tuna were fabulous as well as the stuffed fried avocado appetizer.

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  14. MarkD

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Its wonderful to see a restaurant run like a well oiled machine. Management was on the move through out the entire dinning experience. Carson was our server and he was Perfect ,very knowledgeable of entire menu answered all of our questions. Food was delicious and served in a timely manner . We also visited the Bar for our cocktails on our arrival they were great. Over all just a great experience .We will request Carson on our next visit . Thanks Mark and Debbie Dungan

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  15. DanielleA

    Louisville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was a very enjoyable experience. I will be back

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  16. OpenTable Diner

    Western KY

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    Our waitress was amazing! Very kind, hospitable, and knowledgeable. The food was crafted with care and super fresh. We felt honored to be there for our anniversary and they even celebrated us!

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  17. Jimmy

    Los Angeles

    51 reviews

    5.0

    51 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food is excellent. We had a family meal (12 of us) and sat on the patio. It was a great evening. The staff was attentive and pleasant. We highly recommend this restaurant.

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  18. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall4food3service5ambience5
    The atmosphere was great. The server was also great and very friendly. However, the food was just okay. For the money, there’s much better seafood at other restaurants around town. Probably would only recommend this place for the location on the river. Tried this place almost a year ago for lunch and the food was just okay then too. Decided to give it another try and disappointed that it wasn’t better. Service and atmosphere was really great though.

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  19. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Absolutely outstanding experience! River House is one of my absolute favorites and never disappoints. We had Delaney for the first time and she was AMAZING! Brittany is our normal go to waitress and even on her off day, she and Delaney made sure my birthday was one to remember. 10/10 I can never recommend River House enough.

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  20. BobR

    Las Vegas

    9 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience5
    Most of the time, great experience. This time, took us awhile to get seated even though we had a reservation. We ordered grouper and salmon and they both were over cooked and no one asked us about our meal. Our server was very nice but not up to their normal par.

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  21. WendyD

    Jacksonville

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Visiting from Florida, and found this restaurant. We will be back! Everything was incredible.

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  22. Great

    SW Indiana

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was very good. We enjoyed the food, we really liked the scenery, asked for a table on the lower deck but given one in a highly trafficked area next to the bar instead. Even though there were plenty other tables--(Sad) over all was a good experience.

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  23. JeffreyW

    Louisville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was fabulous and service outstanding. Couldn’t have asked for anything better

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  24. Roney

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Ladies birthday lunch. Fabulous food and service with lots of fun visiting time. Sheridan 🙌🏼

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  25. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 31, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a wonderful experience and meal. We will be back soon!

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  26. JTTTChin

    Indiana

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on May 30, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Went and sat outside on their deck. It was a great day for it. The waitstaff was excellent and very attentive without being overbearing. The food was good, as were the cocktails, I wish I had known how expensive the mkt price crab tower was, as the 125 was definitely a surprise. I'm not saying it wasn't delicious. I just dislike when things are listed as market price and the waitstaff can't tell you how much it will be when you ask. I'm still glad we got to enjoy it, though. Will definitely come back

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  27. JenniferU

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    One of the best seafood restaurants I've ever been to. Highly recommend based on the quality, variety, service and ambiance. Will absolutely return when back in the Louisville area.

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  28. DavidR

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great visit and dinner! Food was amazing. Service was even better.

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  29. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on May 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food and very fresh. Had East and West coast oysters that were delicious! Mussels were great and a sauce that you would not expect. Tuna was cooked perfectly. Great wine list as well and outside was perfect.

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  30. WillisF

    Louisville

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was great. This was our second time and we will comeback again.

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  31. DaveW

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall3food2service4ambience5
    Food was OK. Appetizer was good and cornbread was good. Fish was just OK

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  32. OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a good experience. Fantastic service and wonderful food.

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  33. Dawn

    Louisville

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wonderful food with a great view ! Thank you Carson for your service and recommendations

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  34. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Beautiful dining experience. Food was great. Service was awesome. Just a great venue!!!

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  35. KimB

    Orlando

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall3food3service1ambience5
    We waited 30 minutes after being seated to be waited on. Our server was nice, but our bar orders were incorrect. Salads were fine, but main entrees weren't as expected. The lobster tail was cold. Too pricey with overworked staff and non accommodating manager. Great outdoor seating along the river and enjoyed the live music from next door restaurant.

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  36. mbd722

    Louisville

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great meal at River House! We are never disappointed when we dine here. This is where we take any out of town guests. Our server, Grace, was lovely and attentive. Can't wait to return! Our favorite place!

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  37. Conley

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This was our first time going, and we will definitely be going back. The food was outstanding, the service was amazing, and we had a great time. Definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a good place to eat and drink.

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  38. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The lunch menu was very affordable. Comfortable outdoor dining and the service was exceptional. The daily specials were winners in my party.

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  39. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a great experience here. Thoroughly enjoyed the raw oysters and Brussel sprouts for our appetizers. I love the charred octopus so that was my main dish. One sister had the kale salad which was the perfect size and had the best tasting dressing. The kale was very tender. My other sister had the flank steak. Even though the marinade did not add a lot of flavor, she said it was a perfect medium rare with a nice char.

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  40. DougB

    Louisville

    30 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on May 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Absolutely love River house! The best food excellent seafood perfect view of the river

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FAQs

River House Restaurant & Raw Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (502) 897-5000.

River House Restaurant & Raw Bar is rated 4.7 stars by 6045 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 100 times today
Google Map for River House Restaurant & Raw Bar

3015 River Rd, Louisville, KY 40207

Additional information

  • Cross street

    River Rd.

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown Louisville

  • Hours of operation

    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Seafood, Contemporary American, Contemporary Southern

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Parking details

    Ample parking is available adjacent to the Restaurant. Valet parking also available.

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Entertainment

    Located adjacent to the River House Restaurant and Raw Bar, Levee at the River House is the perfect spot to share a meal with family and friends and to enjoy some choice River night life. At Levee, the emphasis is on live entertainment with some of Louisville’s most exciting local musicians and singers on an intimate stage.

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Takeout, Wine

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