The Riverview

What a fantastic restaurant ? from the owner, manager, assistant manager, bartenders, hostess and staff ? we had an amazing experience for our wedding! The owner is a masterful planner and took all the worry of planning off our hands. The food was exceptional and we had almost everything on the menu from chicken, fish, to my favorite, the filet mignon ? it all measures up to the finest served in Manhattan. Riverview has a tasty drink menu as well ? try the mojitos. To top it all off, the location is perfectly situated on the water which allows for a view Manhattan that can not be rivaled. Thank you Riverview for making our wedding such an amazing experience; one which we will forever be thankful to you for.

Pros: Food, staff, location, drinks

Cons: None

Posted 10/30/09

A large room with good ambiance where the feel is comfortable. The menu seems to fit everyones taste with prices that don't necersarly dictate whate u might order. The entrees were excellent. Avoid the soup and deserts--- overpriced and nothing to rave about.Over all a good deal east of the east river!!

Pros: No need 2 go to Manhatten

Cons: Dimly Lit and Techno Music

Posted 10/26/09

Had my daughters party there......
great!
The hostess was a pleasure to work with.
Catered to what my daughter and I wanted
The price was reasonable and the location is great...

Pros: Great service

Posted 10/17/09

the atmosphere and ambiance is great here
as soon as you walk in you are greeted with the upmost
mannerism
the food is delicious
had the lobster ravioli
awesome!

Pros: location, service and delicious food

Posted 10/17/09

the service was pleasant
the best part was the Burger
Tasty

Pros: Delicious Hamburgers

Posted 10/17/09

Took my family there loved it !
Great view and very well mannered waiters.
Took advantage of the great prices.
Try the seafood platter delicious.
Gotta go again...

Pros: Great deals!

Posted 10/17/09

Great view by the water...
Right in L.I.C.
The food was delicious........

Pros: Valet Parking, Great service

Posted 10/17/09

This is one of my favorite spots! The food is great, and the prices are super reasonable. My friends and I enjoyed 2 for 1 in the lounge, after we ate we even split desserts, they were awesome!! (or as someone called it "Orgasmic"!!)

Great food, great music, amazing view & good times!

Pros: Great for familiy, dates, and even a girls night out!

Posted 10/16/09

I went on a date and we both had a fantastic time and the food was great. I view made me feel like I was in a movie.

Pros: Very Romantic, Great Food

Cons: The train ride back to Manhattan

Posted 10/13/09

We have spent every New Years Eve and holiday inbetween at Riverview for the past few years. The pre fixed menu is great, the staff is great, and everything is really fun to be apart of. The music is always nice, the drinks are incredible....have the filet mignon, or lobster.. you will not be disappointed. come join in on the fun.

Pros: theres no place like it

Posted 10/12/09

I had been wanting to go out to a romantic meal with my GF and sit waterside. We found the Riverview on Citysearch, and it gave us all of this. The music was nice, the service was good, the drinks were delicious, the fish was fresh, my GF had salmon, and I had halibut. Overall this was a great experience! We will be back soon.

Pros: water views, valet parking, food, drinks

Posted 09/08/09

My wife and I went to the Riverview restaurant in LIC and had a terrible experience. We thought we were either in the ?twilight zone? or on an episode of ?Punked?. We went on a Saturday, during Brunch at 12:30pm. Before entering we looked at the menu and saw that they had burgers and sandwiches. Once seated and drinks were ordered, we looked at the menu at the table and no such burgers nor sandwiches were to be found. The menu had dinner items. Who eats lobster and pork chops at 12:30 in the afternoon. We were bamboozled. Before I go on I must say that we did ask both the waiter and the hostess if the restaurant served burgers. We were told on both instances that the menu (menu with burgers and sandwiches) we saw in the front of their establishment was only for the weekdays. We could have left but decided to just have salads. As we waited for the salads, to our amazement, we saw burgers being served to two other customers. I was confused. So I asked another waiter about the burger question and he stated that they did serve burgers but it was upon request. Well, I did inquire about it, but I guess I was supposed to have a magic word or something. We didn?t bring it up with our waiter nor the hostess as to not be confrontational. I will never go their again and suggest no one go there. We were bamboozled, probably for a higher tip as our bill was higher than it would have been otherwise with the burgers. If you go, be prepared to be bamboozled. I am still appalled?

Pros: None

Cons: Criminal business

Posted 08/09/09

Great food, great atmosphere, great service. It's like stepping into a different world (or country). My favorites were the Assorted Seafood platter. once you try it for a special occasion bewares... You can't stop! You'll be there for every anniversary, birthday, Valentines Day...

Pros: Great atmosphere, service, food and the view

Posted 02/18/09

Great time, had a great waiter by the name of Alfred on Friday July 25. Weather was perfect and so was the atmosphere. I had the jumbo shrimp coctail, and the talapia for dinner, my girlfriend had the pasta and seafood which was a perfect portion. We also had a bottle of wine and desert and it only came out to $110.00. I say only because that is a very reasonable bill for the evening we had. Very pleasant staff and we even sat at the bar to watch the rest of the yankee game. I was dressed very casual, i saw a few peolpe in shorts and a few suits so it is pretty wide open. I guess as long as your neat. A few people had gotten lobster which looked huge and i also saw a seafood tower which looked good as well. Great experience, will be going back shortly. Im not sure what the policy is for reservations or the crowds, but when we went we sat right away and it wasnt to crowded, but very steady. When we left at 1030 peolple were still being seated. The view is unreal if i didnt mention that.

Pros: Service, food and atmosphere

Cons: NONE

Posted 07/28/08

Me and a group of friends went there on a week night, place was packed. We had a great time. Drinks were fabolous (pitcher of sangria red). Service amazing, our waitress catered to our every need. Food outstanding ( shrimp salad with payaya and mangos). And the view spectacular.

Pros: Smoking section

Cons: bathroom lighting

Posted 04/27/08

The view was fantastic, however that was about it. The salmon I ordered was dry, nothing of note. The steak my husband got was chewy according to him. Prices were way too high, for a mixed drink was starting at $12! Wait service was slow. Although it was interesting to get out of the Manhattan and see the city from another view, was definitely not worth it.

Pros: Great View

Cons: Everything else

Posted 04/26/08

Great service .
The view is amazing ..Overlooking Manhattan.
The food is great..
Price range: Affordable.
If you want to dine out without going to far this is the place to try.

Pros: Valet Parking, Great service

Posted 04/05/08

I had reservations on valentine's day for 8:00 and we weren't seated until 9:00. I don't know why they bother taking reservations when they make you wait an hour anyway. The waiter then took about 10 minutes to even walk over to our table, had to wait another 10 minutes for bread and sat at the table for quite a while during my entree with no water or drink I had ordered that did not come. The service was terrible. It wasn't just our waiter, it was everyone. And they weren't even full. There were numerous empty tables all around. The food was mediocre. Definitely not worth the $75 per person. We decided to go there because of their supposed great view of the NYC skyline, however we were seated next to a solid wall so we had no view at all. I would never ever go back to that restaurant. The whole experience on Valentine's Day was awful and really put a damper on the whole night. I don't know if they are any better on a normal night, but I am not wasting one more dime on that place.

Posted 02/16/08

I tried this place two years ago on my last visit to LIC while visiting my sister and the place was not that great. I was here this past weekend and decide to give it another shot. I was really impressed. The bartender was explaining that the hired a new manager about 2 years ago and he changed the chef, changed the menu, changed the staff and really turned the place around. Our waitress was really nice and helpful, the chef came out to our table to answer our questions and even modified some of the entrees to our liking. The food was great, they play cool funky music and they have a cool bar and lounge area. Great place, unlike anything else in the area, very cool and now on the track.!!!

Posted 12/10/07

Was here 3 years ago when I was visiting my sister and wasn't thrilled with the place. Well I was visiting again this weekend and decided to give it another try. What a great meal! They've really turned this place around! New menu, new staff. Cool chef who came to our table to explain the menu and even made us something not on the menu. Cool funky music, Cool vibe, Great food! Deffinately worth checking out!

Posted 12/09/07

Friendly staff, with excellent food. Try the price-fix dinners you'd be surprised at the portions.

Restaurant has a wonderful view of the city i.e. Riverview :)

My family and I had gone on Friday evening (11/30) before heading into the city for a show. We all enjoyed our meals.

P.

Pros: Romantic spot, reserve one of the private banquetts. Valet Parking a plus

Cons: none

Posted 12/09/07

THE SERVICE AT RIVERVIEW IS SO OUTSTANDING, YOU FEEL LIKE ROYALTY. THE COOKING HERE FOCUSES ON VERY ELEGANT TASTES OF FINE FOODS, A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE SKYLINE .ONE OF MY BEST RESTURANT EXPERIENCES.PHENOMENAL SCALLOPS AND LOBSTER.AND FABULOUS DECOR, TO -DIE-FOR.

Pros: THE BEST RESTURANT EXPERIENCES.

Cons: FABULOUS

Posted 12/05/07

I was with a group of eight visiting from England. As soon as we walked in the door we were put off by a nasty, oppressive smell. We found we were the only clients, though a couple did come in later. There was no sparkling water available. I ordered the scallops, which were tough and bitter, followed by the mozzarella and tomato salad with basil. I think they must have run out of basil and snipped the leaves from their ornamental plant: it had no flavour at all. They had only one creme brule available and had no chocolate mousse at all. A waiter asked if he could 'retire' my partner's plate before he had finished. The only reason I have given the restaurant one star (it doesn't deserve any) was because we were served by a girl called Jill who was utterly charming and who couldn't have been more helpful. The view is gorgeous and deserves a better chef.

Pros: Jill the waitress

Cons: the food

Posted 11/30/07

This place is a city lovers dream come true... during the warmer months... you sit outside and drink your cocktails and eat fancy delicious food.. and you can gaze into the sunset, or off to the east river views... or the lighting on the empire state building... or just around you.. at the piers that long island city have...
The inside is well lit with generous lighting, and the staff is really friendly. The food is superb, and everything about this place is just surreal. The music is great on Saturday nights, and they have dance parties late night...for the younger crowd.
Over all.. you have to try this place out... at least once.. youll be back, im sure.
Ps they valet park you.. this is just a no brainer

Pros: The Views and food; the new park

Cons: There just arent any

Posted 11/20/07

I made reservations last saturday for me and nine of my best friends to celebrate my birthday.Before heading i went online to get some directions.I came across the reviews .... I was so surprized with all the complains !! . my boy friend had just took for lunch and I loved it.Since it was too late to cancel,i did not have a choice.
We had the best time ever..and guess what 21$ for 3 cources with so many choices,and greet portions.
I do not understand those reviews.somebody had a bad date????
riverview is the place to be for me and my girls we will be back soon...........

Pros: ambience,music and staff

Cons: can't kiss the cook

Posted 11/04/07

we have moved recently to long island city,and discovered the riverview restaurant.we have been regular diners since.
the view is breath taking, we have come to know most of the server's and they all very attentive and friendly....

Posted 11/03/07

all i have to say that riverview is one the best restaurant that ive dinned at the food was exellent the service is professionel and i would highly recommended to anyone

Pros: beautifull place to dine at

Cons: none

Posted 11/03/07

Lets say the food and decor was amazing now on to the service... We had a waiter we could barely understand extremely cocky and spoke so low.... He didn't even tell us about the specials. The funny thing was that he wore a ridiculous black vest while the others waiters didn't. After we finally finished eating and paid the check my date had to use the bathroom i waited for her by the bar, I witnessed the manager harass one of the waitresses he yelled at her in front of the restaurant. That was so unprofessional the only way i would ever eat there is if I ordered out so that i wouldn't have to deal with the unprofessionalism of the staff

Pros: the view and the ambience

Cons: the unprofessionalism of the staff

Posted 11/02/07

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE MARIED TWO YEARS AGO AND COME BACK EVERY YEAR FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY . WE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE PLACE. IT`S A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE AN AFFAIR. THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS AND SERVICE IS EXCELLENT. THE VIEW OF MANHATTAN IS SPECTACULAR.

Posted 11/01/07

i went to riverview on monday with my wife and i had a great time the food was exellent and the service was to the point i would highly recomemend it to anyone the place is just beautiful i would say that riverview has the best view in new york

Posted 10/31/07

We went to Riverview on a Monday evening around 8PM. It was Restaurant Week in Queens and they were on the list of restaurant. We walked in and were seated in a short period of time. Even though it was Restaurant Week in Queens we were not informed of this and had to ask for the special menu. The food was acceptable, nothing special. The service was horrible. Especially considering out waitress had only one other table of guests while we were there. The restaurant was not crowded. To top it off after we finished our dinner the waitress came over to take our dessert order. We ordered 2 coffees, cheesecake and a chocolate souffle. We finished or coffees and waited for our waitress to come back with our desserts. After approx. 15 minutes when she finally did return she had no desserts. We told her they never came. We asked for the check and left. Not once during dinner did anyone come over and offer to refill our water glasses or our coffee cups despite having to wait more than 15 minutes for a dessert that never arrived.

Pros: View

Cons: Horrible service, average food.

Posted 09/24/07

I agree with everyone that said the food tasted frozen. I was so looking forward to eating here and it was terrible. I had the flounder stuffed with crabmeat, I'm still waiting for the crabmeat. My husband had the lobster ravioli, which was mediocre to say the least. Even though the view of the city was beautiful it couldn't replace a lacking meal.

Pros: Our waitress was great

Cons: Food not worth the view

Posted 08/28/07

This past weekend, my family celebrated my sister's graduation at Riverview. Although a private party was coming to a close, we were seated promptly after arrival (which was before our designated reservation time).
We were all impressed by the level of service provided at Riverview. When we left, at least five different members of the Riverview staff wished us a nice evening with huge smiles. It seemed like every person on duty that night came by our table and offered us great service.
The food was wonderful as well. We enjoyed the quality, quantity, and variety of food on the menu.
After the dinner I emailed the restaurant to find the name of the wine we had at the restaurant and within a few hours I was sent a response.

We highly recommend Riverview restaurant! Our total bill was very reasonable for a party of 6!

Pros: Parking, View, Service

Posted 05/23/07

We asked for our lamb/steak to be cooked medium rare, but as a cook, you can realize that the meat was frozen and that it had to be cooked right through. food is wayyyyyy too pricey considering its frozen. dessert was frozen. if you feel like going to riverview, stay home and order a frozen meal, its cheaper and better.

Pros: ambience

Cons: food and prices and drinks - > horrible

Posted 03/23/07

I had dinner last night with my husband at Riverview Restaurant the ambience and the view are spectacular. The food was definitely good, very well presented and prepared perfectly. We were very happy with the service and they met the high expectations we have. I high recommend this restaurant and would encourage anyone who likes Modern American cuisine to visit.

Posted 02/05/07

If your looking for a place that has good food, great service, and friendly management. Riverview is NOT , NOT, NOT the place you want to go. I dined there last saturday night and after arriving, it initially did look very nice however what I was about to embark on was anything but. The food was okay (not worth the price at all), however it took about 40 minutes for each individual course to arrive. Keep in mind, that there was ONLY about 20 other customers in a restaurant that probably seats about 200.

Next and most importantly when going out to dinner is the service. I presented a gift certicate from a prominent restaurant website to the waiter and it was denied by the manager. All the terms and conditions were right on the certificate and it was still not honored. This was an embarassing experience and was disgusted that I was put into that situation with my date. Its common business practice in a service industry that the customer always comes first. This was definitely not the case in this situation and they were only interested in getting that extra $50.

All I can really say is that I hope someone who knows how to run a restaurant someday takes this place over because its in a real nice area.

Pros: Nice Area

Cons: Food, Staff

Posted 02/02/07

I know people often take the time to complain, but few take the time to say ?thank you? when all goes well. Yesterday, I hosted a baby shower for my sister at your restaurant. I live in the Washington, DC area and had to plan this event long distance. During the planning, I was very impressed by the professionalism of the staff. Upon arriving to the restaurant to set-up prior to the event, Riverview staff was extremely accommodating and professional.

As guest arrived, the Riverview staff responded promptly and was so gracious with any request we had. The food tasted great and your prices are affordable. I can not say enough about the wonderful experience we had during the baby shower, I will recommend the Riverview to all my friends and colleagues. Thank you for an outstanding experience!

Pros: EVERYTHING

Posted 11/12/06

After I had made the reservation I read some of the reviews on this restaurant and almost cancelled. After all it was my best friend's birthday and I didn't want bad service, mediocre food and a big check. But I decided that people often times take the time to write something negative but not to write something positive. So I rolled the dice. Well I'm glad I did, the restaurant is beautiful, the service was great and upon dessert being served the sax player came out and played Happy Birthday for my friend. It was a nice change from the usual and we couldn't have been happier. We sat outside and enjoyed the magnificant view. I felt guilty that as a resident of L.I.C. I had never patronized this restaurant. That of course will now change and intend to go there for brunch next Sunday.

Pros: ambience, view, outdoor dining

Cons: none

Posted 09/24/06

So my husband and I went here for Restaurant Week. We get to the restaurant at 7 ish and the host tells us we can't sit inside because they are cleaning the restaurant. After some debate he decides to allow us to sit inside and covers our wet seats with napkins. The view was nothing amazing. The Restaurant Week Menu was the cheapest menu I've seen. You know most restaurants for Restaurant week will put their midrange entrees and maybe a premium. These guys obviously put the cheapest thing possible with minimum choice. My husband got a regular entree of swordfish was was ok. I ordered from Restaurant Week menu , got a chicken mushrooms thang which tasted like a VA hospital kitchen creation. The kicker for this dinner adventure was our wine order. We ordered Vouvray, a white wine. Initially, the waiter presents us with another bottle of higher priced whte Sauternes. When we point this out to us initially he argues with us and says no thats what you ordered , its this manufacturer SEE!. After reshowing him on the menu our choice, he comes back with another wrong wine, this time labeled Beaujoulais, which is normally a red wine. I tell him this seems like another mistake, we look at the menu again and I notice this time that the wine we ordered is actually labeled both Vouvray and Beaujoulais, so I figure maybe thats the mistake. The waiter keeps insisting that this is a Vouvray. The host now comes over to insist this is Vouvray tells me to taste it and I will see. SO he opens the bottle and pours out , YES A RED WINE. He is still insisting it is Vouvray and a red wine that is served chilled. He insists I taste the RED wine before I change it, which I didn't and finally was able to order a Sauvignon Blanc. For the price, this place is soooo not worth it. The view and ambiance don't make up for it! Save your money and go to other good queens places or drive over the bridge and find some manhattan places!!!!!!!!

Pros: ok intereior decor, ok view

Cons: poor service, poor food, poor wine knowledge

Posted 09/19/06

a wonderful dining experience. beautiful restaurant, very good food and attentive service. now to the view, SPECTACULAR. highly recommended for everyone. be sure to take a stroll on the broadwalk after dinner and oh yeah, bring the camera.
jay

Pros: all the way a good dining experience

Posted 07/27/06

the view is spetacular and the service excellent. however their menu needs to be a bit more eclectic, the food was just too too average for their prices.
on the down side "the loud wedding singer" has got to go, if they want to attract more and more customers.

Pros: terrific ambience

Cons: terrible singer. there should be no singers.

Posted 06/17/06

I took my visiting parents here for the skyline view, only to have the worst restaurant experience I have EVER had. The restaurant had a mediocre jazz band outside playing so loudly that, sitting inside, I could not hear the person next to me. Our reservation was at 7:45, and the food did not arrive until 9:45. We got our bread basket at 9:30. What's worse, the manager's reply to my questioning on these matters was an indignant, "It's live music, what do you expect?" and "the cook's wife was in an accident" with a mean glare. I was very sorry to hear about the accident, but shouldn't he have at least expressed his appologies for our wait? Furthermore, when I go to a restaurant, I generally expect to hear the person next to me, not a painful musical performance. The view is stunning, but not worth the hastle.

Pros: view

Cons: service

Posted 05/30/06

the view is the signature of this lovely resturant.the decor is just out of tis world.i discoverd this palce by chance while i was driving from work i stop to see a friend of mine in long island city,she invited me to riverview ,i was stuned that there is well dressd up resturant in this up coming neigbrehood,
the food is modern italian cuisine,very tasty and big portion,i had to take some home,the waiter was very knowlgebale about wine,we had a botle of frensh red wine ,its was a good choice.

Pros: inexpensive, very good food, good service

Posted 04/26/06

Lovely décor and view but horribly slow services, which there was no excuse for since the restaurant was, empty (our group of 14 and about 6 other patrons). Yet, it still took over an hour for us to get our food, which was alright; my nephew said his tortellini tasted like Costco, they even forgot to bring my beverage. The waiter was rude acted like we were bothering him. I would identify him but he never bothered to introduce himself, which was reflected in his tip, thank god gratuity was not included. The entire experience lasted over 3 hrs. If you want to enjoy the view go the park across the street.

Pros: view, decor

Cons: service, staff, food

Posted 04/16/06

Yes, the view and decor are gorgeous but, We were a group of 14 on a Saturday, there were approximately 8 other people in the restaurant, we entered at 12:30 and took an hour + to get our food, was alright. We were a 1/2hr late and was told the chef just arrived therefore, no soup. The rude waiter never nformed us his name he appeared like we were bothering him. We brought a cake for a birthday celebration it took another 1/2 hour for them to bring the cut cake out and we had to request the check and still it took another 15 min. I can only imagine what the place is like if there were more people in there. Overall, not worth it, you are better off admiring the view from the park across the street. We finally got out of the place around 3:30

Pros: view, decor

Cons: slow service, food

Posted 04/16/06

I took a girl who is really important to me on a date here about two weeks ago. We had a wonderful night the food was excellent, the view was great and the bathrooms were really cool. However my only complaint and the only thing that is holding me back from going back was the service. It may not seem like much but we needed our waiter for several things and it just took way to long. the service was very slow and his knowledge of the menu wasnt that good. Other than night if you need a place with a great view, ultra modern this is the spot!

Pros: Food, View, Ambiance

Cons: Service

Posted 03/14/06

My husband and I went there for Valentine's Day last night. In short, it was one of the most horrible dining experiences I have ever had!!!! We waited for over 1 hr and 15 min for our entree to arrive after the appetizer (which came cold and undercooked). The couple next to us just walked out of the restaurant, they were so disgusted with the service and atention. The Manager did not do much to make things better. At $85 per person, this was a complete rip-off and I will NEVER go there again.

Posted 02/14/06

My boyfriend and I decided to go to Riverview on Valentine's Day 2006, not such a good idea. People were leaving because they had been waiting for hours, however we decided to stay and have a complimentary drink at the bar which was absoloutely beautiful along with the view, the only plus. We were seated after about only 20 minutes however it was already 10pm. The menus took about 15 minutes to come, the menu were already set up for Valentines day the salad was good my dinner was a soup of about 2 or three shrimps, THAT'S IT! Dessert tasted as if it had been sitting there for hours. The bill was $85 a plate, not even worth have of that. If you're looking for a nice view and nice decor this is the place, do not go on a holiday, there was one waitress for the whole restaurant.

Posted 02/14/06