Riva in Richmond upon Thames

Something magical about this place 😍

So good we came back a second time in a week - super service from Abdulkabir as well!

Back open and usual brilliance...

Amazing delicious food, full quality ingredients and outstandingly prepared. Very friendly staff and charming cozy environment. Fully recommend. First time I have been there and I am looking forward to be back very soon!

Very good establishment, pleasant atmosphere, excellent cuisine and excellent service. We will definitely come back here again.

Very good food. The milanese was one of the best I have ever had. Really amazing. Pasta was unfortunately a bit disappointing as it was not very hot when served. House wine was good as well and service was good too. The only thing that could be slightly better is the restaurant itself. It is a welcoming restaurant but it feels old and lacking a bit of refurbishment. Would definitely recommend and would go back myself

Outstanding food, great service.

Overpriced small portions. The Ravioli’s filling was close to non existent. Both pasta dishes arrived cold. The lamb was undercooked when we asked well done and the mustard sauce was terrible.

We had amazing dinner at Riva today. Food was delicious, perfect combinations and flavours. My squid main course was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended and we will be back for sure!

Delicious local Italian that punches above its weight…

I’ve been wanting to dine her for a while and wasn’t disappointed - insanely delicious Italian food! The staff were very inviting and the food was exceptional. I really recommend!

We have not been here for many years. The decor hasn’t changed in all that time. It can be quite noisy but that is solved when people are eating! The food was very good as was the wine. The staff were the high spot being amazing.

Delizioso. Can’t wait to go back.

The food and service here is always glorious. Last night, there was a monkey in the corner with a tin opener. I said, "you don't need a tin opener for a banana", he said, "No, this is for the custard".

Riva doesn't need reviews - or probably even want them. It's too good.

My favourite place to dine in Barnes, especially Sunday lunch, where I am always greeted in a friendly way despite being a solo diner. The food is always delicious and there is a good choice of wine by the glass.

We've been coming to Riva over the last ten years for special occasions. Had lovely lunch here recently. Did not disappoint.

Amazing food, relaxed atmosphere and knowledgable staff

Incredible experience from start to finish

Delicious food, wery warm and friendly service and lovely atmosphere.

A gem of a real independent restaurant. The quality and presentation of the food superb. The front of staff top notch. All of this comes with a price but money well spent.

The restaurant although quiet did not detract from the experience. Rather preferred it. Service by the ladies was excellent showing a good knowledge of the menu. Not rushed in anyway. My wife selected garlic bread starter commenting best she'd ever had. Followed by lasagne and wow what a serving dessert of fudge cake with chocolate ice-cream. I decided on the garlic mushrooms and a side of bread in basket. A Viva fillet in lemon and white wine sauce and chunky chips. Then Tiramisu A true wonder what should be hot was piping hot and what should be chilled was. Very good would visit again if in the area. Too far to travel. Loved it

Second time in a month , fabulous!!

Too expensive for bland food. Clearly has a dedicated group of customers but very unimpressed with flavours and portions were tiny for extraordinary prices. Very run down inside.

A spectacularly understated, intimate dining experience featuring classy staff & eccentric clientele. The food is simple but exquisite, with possibly the most tempting dessert menu I’ve ever seen. I failed to make a dent in it this visit, but might just order all of it next time.

Everyone who has been here knows it is packed every night of the week when open. It is the best restaurant in Barnes hands down. If you don’t know where it is it is easy to miss but a true gem with the magic ingredients to make it a favorite for locals and chefs.

This is a restaurant of dreams...dreamed by the owners and the people who work here to make it just perfect. Warm, welcoming, incredible value, incredible fresh food and thought through wine list (I looked though I didn't drink on this occasion). It made me want to move to Barnes with my whole family. People come her for generations and I can see why.

Beautiful food. Excellent service. One of the best in London!

Perfection from start to finish. I stepped into this delightful cosy restaurant with two friends on 26th April 2023 and everything from the impeccable service to the unique and flavoursome food was incredible. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly and the service couldn’t have been better. A perfect dinner in London. Faultless.

I was told this was one of the best Italian restaurants in London - so I went here for lunch. The restaurant is small and expensive but the dishes were excellent and the ingredients fresh. Service was a bit quirky though - I walked in a bit early which appeared to completely throw the unsmiling waitress - "I told you on the phone what time we start serving" - not exactly friendly or welcoming! But she was at least gracious enough to allow me into the empty restaurant to sit at my table and wait until she decided to do me a favour and serve me - for the first hour or so I was the only guest! I had grilled vegetables, and then a pasta dish for my main. So whilst the food was excellent, the waitress drops a point and I wouldn't go back. Not the easiest to get to either as nearest tube station is Hammersmith, then a good old walk over Hammersmith Bridge and to the restaurant.

Best Italian restaurant in the UK!!!!

A little gem I’ve discovered via friends in Barnes. Great for seasonal Italian dishes paired with fine wines.

The food was excellent, this restaurant is an authentic Italian with a very homely feeling. I was even more impressed with the service, all the staff were incredibly friendly. Would definitely visit again.

Have been dining at Riva for so many years now. It’s classic, reliable and always a pleasure. I absolutely love this restaurant. The food and service is flawless.

Having been denied a number of last minute reservations as they have always been fully booked, we finally decided to book in advance and we didn’t regret it at all. We were afraid it could be slightly pretentious, but it was far from it. It was homely, with lovely service, with delicious and generous portions of beautiful Italian staples and the quality of it really reflected good value. We booked table again while paying the bill. Thank you and see you soon.

Great local Italian, bit of an institution

Another lovely meal yesterday evening at our favourite Italian restaurant. We thoroughly recommend Riva

Outstanding REAL Italian Resturant, as good as ever. Haven’t actually been in 5/6years, it was special then, as it is now. Love the service personality here, a bit quirky for some, very genuine and gracious for me. Wine selections good, maybe more choice would be even better, that said there is something for most tastes. The food is the main event, the specials in particular, all of which are described in detail by front of house professionals who along with the Chefs are Riva. We had Courgette flowers, Octopus, Veal, Lamb, Green Veg. to finish: Prune Crepes and the Tart, all delicious… What would I change, maybe a bit of TLC here and there for the building decoration, but a full refurbishment would ruin the understated elegance achieved by the simple decor, Riva is rightly all about food, service and Wine. Overall we had a really enjoyable and memorable evening, thank you Riva, we won’t wait years to come back.

Great place. Staff are welcoming and kind and very good. Food is also excellent

Brilliant food and service in a lovely relaxed discreet restaurant

Cannot fathom what others rave about. Been here twice and it’s consistently mediocre. Hard to put it any other way than the food just isn’t very good. Bland, basic and unexciting. Staff are nice though.

A very rare & special Restaurant is Riva x

Last night was my first visit to Riva. I'd read the reviews and wasn't sure what to expect - the reviews were mixed. As someone who enjoys food & eats out a lot, I must say I thought Riva was excellent. There is a lot of choice on the menu & lots of specials. I enjoyed all of my 3 courses & for me the food was just a bit different, a bit more interesting with unusual combinations that really work. The service was very good and we were treated very well. I would recommend this place and I've booked up for a return visit in April.

Oh dear. Booked (with a real human being, not through a booking app) for a family birthday lunch for Sunday 5 Feb. Arrived to find the place closed with a note in the door saying they aren’t opening until several days later. Not the birthday surprise we expected! Won’t be going back. Have only given this one star because you can’t give no stars.

Had the most incredible meal here! We came for my grandmas 90th birthday and they went above and beyond to make it special for her. I’d written to ask if we could have rabbit and polenta and they delivered in spades! They also catered well to my coeliac disease, checking if dishes were ok (I had the risotto which was amazing) The staff were all incredibly friendly and helpful and the food was amazing. We’ll be dreaming about the tiramisu for years to come! Thank you for your kindness and for making a 90 year old very happy!!

My husband and I went for dinner on Saturday night to belatedly celebrate our anniversary having recently moved to Barnes. We loved our evening at Riva and thought the food was delicious, wine lovely and the service was faultless. Our principal waiter was very friendly and we enjoyed chatting to him. We shared the antipasto to start and both had the tagliata di manzo followed by an affogato for dessert. We would definitely recommend and can't wait to go back!

Lovely food and cosy atmosphere. Very friendly staff too

Food was delicious but the service made the whole experience outstanding.

Agreeing with all other reviews apart from the one star clown. They must have gotten out of bed on the wrong side that day.

Ignore the bad reviews. E have been coming to Riva off and on for over 10 years and have never had a bad meal. Last night four of us had a very convivial meal—osso buco, calamari, linguini and fregato, all beautifully cooked, rounded off by a bottle of very drinkable Barbera di Asti, for £50 a head. Not cheap but great food and lovely service. On a par with a top end French bistro. We will certainly be coming back.

We had booked Riva on Saturday, but after reading the two previous reviews we thought about cancelling. What a mistake that would have been . We were greeted by delightful staff- there were 5 of us eating various dishes and we were all blown away by our food. Crisp white tableclothes, very authentic Italian cooking, delicious desserts... What's not to like ? Can't wait to go again

Do not go here. Awful service. Atmosphere and food. Manager of this place is racist! Came on Sunday she didn’t want us to have meal in her place. It was obvious. Not only was there flies everywhere around the food. The food tasted off.

We sometimes agree to go to this restaurant with friends who love it and always question why we say yes, after the event. The food just isn't good enough if you don't eat meat. I don't know whether the meat dishes are better. Grilled vegetables too al dente, just not interesting enough to be a starter dish. Tough, thick ravioli with underwhelming filling and a side salad that was inedible - had they poured a whole container of salt over it? Good bread. Tiny dessert but far too sweet. It is very expensive and the food I eat there just isn't worth the price. However, the waiting staff are lovely, just the right amount of attention and make you feel extremely welcome. The restaurant has a good, authentic Italian ambience.

We heard Marco Pierre White recommend this so called ‘restaurant’ on a podcast. This was meant to be a treat. Far from it. We waiting 1 hour for the starter to arrive, asking the waiter what the hold-up was. He replied saying everyone arrived at...

An establishment of true integrity

As someone who has been a resident of Barnes for just over 16 year, other inhabitants will know this, we have seen a lot of boutique restaurants pop up and fade away (in some cases begrudgingly so.) So when the staff member of one of our pubs recommended RIVA as a new Italian place in Castlenaught, I was keen to experience it for myself. Perhaps the first red flag should have been the Domino's pizza the admirer was having delivered simultaneously. To be honest the staff were just average, a little rude laughing at certain questions, no check back at all to inquire how the evening was going (one of the first rules of service btw) and when we tried to cancel our mains assuming they would be on par with the starters, no one thought to ask why. We were told they were already being prepared... At the end of our meal we were met with an erratic attitude and a flurry of excuses.... this is not how you talk to guests, ever! She also said, "well when you asked if there is a pizza on the specials, I think maybe you don't know what kind of a place this is" and my personal favorite "I'm guessing you have a long way to walk home"... I have to assume that's because of our attire... I'm not even going to comment on that kind of profound ignorance. Now the food: Octopus - completely under cooked and served on old rocket and pretty much raw beans - I still have a stomach ache. Followed by lamb which had no flavor and was somewhat cold and old potatoes which were completely dry on the inside. My partner's food was little more to write home about, her starter would have been better coming from the pub across the road. All of that and a stomach ache to take home for an intended £102. The worst restaurant I've ever been to in this area for almost 2 decades.

Me and my partner we were looking for a place to eat after a long walk on Tuesday night and one of the pub managers advised us to go to RIva, as we both haven't been there before and yet my partner grew up here...

This is a unique little place. There is zero design element to it (think bare walls, white paper tablecloths) - no bells and whistles whatsoever. But the service is super friendly, the menu is very good with just the right amount of options and the quality of the food is high. We will continue to return.

Food, ambiance and service are just faultless. My favourite restaurant.

Seemingly effortless, Riva consistently just get it right. My go-to restaurant for a special occasion.

I am living abroad now, but one of my regrets is not being able to eat at Riva - the staff are intelligent and witty, fast and stylish - and remarkably, have been there since opening in 1990 - Mr Riva, the well-read, philosopher-restaurateur, never...

This is the kind of place you don't want to write a review about, because it's a rare treasure and somehow uou want to keep it secret. But that wouldn't do them a favor. So.... the food is simple bit the flavors Unbelievable. It s pure genius. From starters to dessert you don't stop to be amazes by the deliciousness of the dishes. The staff is hard working, passionate and makes the stay very pleasant. I wish you well and will see you soon.

Outstanding food. Charming ambience and excellent service

This is an old favourite where menu doesn't change much and quality/service is probably as good as anywhere in London. Everything is worth ordering and this is a destination of sorts in SW London. Hard to get a table here though - even tougher than River Cafe, although at times it depends on who picks up the phone here.

Excellent service. Menu is slightly disappointing. But I will try other items in the future to be fair

Local celeb hotspot. Great food, drinks and service guaranteed. The only restraunt In the area which I could compare Riva to is The Riverside Cafe, yet you'll be paying a fraction of the price at Riva. Don't look any further and give this place a go, you won't regret it!

Simple and classic Italian Restaurant with a beautiful interior. Quiet at lunchtime but expected during this time, waiter was very friendly and charming. I had octopus followed by gnocchi, both had excellent balance of flavour, neither overpowering in any aspect but plenty of taste -...

Have been going here for years, food and service always top notch.

Pasta not great. Setting average. Very good service.

We've tried to get a last minute table before but haven't been successful, however we managed to get a table last night (Tuesday). There was a buzzy yet intimate atmosphere. The staff were incredibly friendly, attentive and highly professional. Most importantly, the food was INCREDIBLE. We started with octopus, which was seasoned sublimely and expertly charred.Then I had grilled Tuna steak (it was gigantic) and my partner had the squid, all perfectly tender and skilfully cooked with masterful, rich flavours. It is on the more pricey side (for us) but we were extremely satisfied with what we got for our money. It will be our choice of restaurant for the next special occasion.

Cisza, spokój, mega przyjemny klimat

Mm,, a little overhyped , as I think the best asset of this place is the waiting staff,, attentive courteous, and funny , , The menu is old fashioned , or not contemporary ,, Does what is says on the tin without blowing your mind...

Excellent food, great atmosphere. Lovely staff who've been there for years. Highly recommended.

I'm going to give this place 5 stars, even though I have some comments... The food was so good. Real, rustic homecooked Italian food, delivered in an informal setting. The surrounds to me almost felt like a film set. Specials every day - the Langoustines were everything I hoped for. My only negative is the wine list. Old, poorly put together and frankly boeing. Nothing aged, nothing interesting and only big names. This is where people go with money - the wine list needs as much attention as they put into sourcing the best ingredients.

The food was amazing. The setting is intimate and feels like a theatre set! My only gripe is the wine list. Nothing interesting, nothing aged and quite honestly very boring. If they put as much attention into the wine list as they do with their ingredients it would have everything. This is a place people with money go ... You would have thought that there is a place for a great wine list.

Me and three others had dinner at Riva last week. I had high hopes considering it's reputation for being a London trend setter. The service was charming and similar to what you can expect from a more central, michelin starred restaurant which was a nice...

A celeb friendly local with a family feel but top end food.

We wwere invited to dinner by friends who recommended Riva very highly. We were not disapponted. The quality of the food was 5 star as was the service. A small restaurant, it has an intimate atmosphere, noise levels are low, and the staff are efficient...

Lovely interior in keeping with a quality family run restaurant. Very personal feeling. Food delicious - recommend grilled langoustine starter and I enjoyed my osso bucco, suckling pig and ravioli stuffed with crab also good. Good wine list. Worth seriously considering the daily ‘specials’. Can...

Delicious Italian staples, good specials, knowledgeable and friendly service, traditional decor. Great reputation, and good for special occasions.

First reading the reviews..we felt that we must have hit a bad day..this happens to all restaurants..and home cooks too..but I write this review to improve standards. My chicken had been cooked sometime before..perhaps frozen and then warmed up and sauce applied ..the spinach with...

Cooking Italian food should be inspiring. A visit to this restaurant was anything but inspiring - the salmon was dry and tough, the berry-dessert was not made of fresh berries. For the price - totally unacceptable. The only thing that was acceptable was the service,...

What a disappointment... me and a friend visited a couple of months ago for lunch. We had heard a lot of positives and wanted to try for ourselves. Altogether it was a fairly mediocre experience and with that I mean from start to finish. Matey...

Lovely zucchini flowers cooked in batter and great grilled octopus. We has sbrisolona for dessert which was delicious and new to our palette. The riso del creole was however somewhat too spicy for the crayfish.

Where do you start discussing how fabulous Riva is? The Wine list is great and the lovely staff are always willing to help you with suggestions. The service is wonderful; friendly, efficient, welcoming and enthusiastic. The food is what brings us back there time after...

Scrumptious Italian in Richmond, not cheap but very good.

Perfection A class Italian restaurant The service was excellent The food was a privilege to eat Every course mouthwatering The wine delectable The grappa was from heaven

Great Italian food in an old world atmosphere. Wonderful service.

Yummy food and staff are very friendly. Worth to have a visit. Recommend the lobster speghetti

Well known classic Italian restaurant. Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Well worth visiting.

It's many many years since we've been to Riva and we thought we'd give it another try. Hardens (3 3 2) & Trip Advisor reviews are spot on. We really enjoyed the food and the service was generally very good albeit a little eccentric. The langoustines were fresh; the Mediterranean fish soup had lots of fresh seafood in it; the Osso Bucco had a strong pungent sauce and my Veal Milanese was unctuous and moist. Even the Italian apple strudel (not Austrian I was reminded!) was good too. What lets down this restaurant is the ambience & the owner. The restaurant looks as if it hasn't been painted since the 1970's with a dark brown ceiling, flaking paint on the interior doors, and a very uninspiring interior; and the owner chooses only to greet the regulars (one table on the night we were in) and hide behind his counter the rest of the time appearing to scowl and shake his head at the guests and the waiting staff. To cap it all we were charged £10 more for the Osso Bucco than we should have been which thankfully we noticed. A leading New York restaurateur called Danny Meyer extols the virtues of Enlightened Hospitality. This restaurant could learn a thing or two about it! So in summary a very enjoyable meal let down by a grumpy owner, a poor ambience and being overcharged.

Good night out. Great waitress and waiter. Lots of personality and attentive service. Did was excellent and atmosphere great.

Extremely noisy Food only very average Service good

This was our third visit to Riva. As usual the food was excellent. We started with fried salt fish prawns and vegetables in a perfect light and crispy batter. our main courses were grilled langoustines and monkfish both were simply cooked but just right.

Lovely food and great service but quite expensive.

Magnifico! Where expectations are always surpassed. One of London's finest northern Italian restaurants. Upscale, yet cozy and very friendly with a great seasonal menu. A fine wine selection to complement the great fish, pasta and meat courses. Try the suckling pig, veal Milanese, or grilled langoustines. This place has a very loyal following , and if you want a table you really must book, sometime ahead preferably. I've been coming here for over 20-years and have never been dissatisfied. Amongst a sea of really good London restaurants, this is a truly great one. If you like then please 👍 . I"l riso nasce nell'acqua e deve morire nel vino".

First visit and very disappointing evening. Menu looked promising but octopus with beans not up to scratch. Octopus cold and beans straight out of a tin. Osso buco bland and ordinary. Very slow service. Ladies room shockingly below par for a restaurant with these prices.

As I hadn't been for some years it was lovely to see the same great staff and find the food as wonderful as ever !

Como siempre, el restaurante estaba lleno. Un encantador zumbido. El hombre que nos servía era muy divertido. Gran sentido del humor. Feliz de comenzar con un Americano negro, confirmó un café y no un cóctel exótico. Un montón de encantadores platos especiales bellamente explicados. Sopa de calabacín y una fresca y sabrosa ensalada crujiente para empezar. Bistec de costilla medio raro, perfecto y escalope de ternera en el hueso para los platos principales y nuestro postre favorito (rara vez en un menú) Zabaglione. Personal alegre - todo con sentido del humor.

Como muchos otros críticos, hemos estado yendo a este excelente restaurante italiano del vecindario durante varios años y somos grandes admiradores. Siempre esperamos una buena experiencia, así que es un poco decepcionante escribir una reseña de una noche en que las cosas no fueron del todo perfectas. El personal de la recepción fue excelente como siempre. El vino era bueno y nuestros entrantes, papardelle con ragout de liebre, verduras asadas y fiorelli rellenos de ricotta e higo en una maravillosa salsa de queso y coliflor fueron excelentes. Este último fue uno de los muchos especiales que parecen salir la mayoría de las noches y que siempre vale la pena prestar atención. La decepción leve (y fue solo leve) vino con los platos principales que eran buenos, pero no tan sabrosos como suele ser el caso. Las chuletas de cordero y una chuleta de ternera no tenían ese toque especial, pero el venado fue declarado hasta la marca habitual. Terminamos con una deliciosa tabla de quesos y un muy buen plato de panqueques en salsa de ciruela con helado de ciruela. . Me siento un poco culpable por ser crítico con un lugar que normalmente amamos, y con una comida que, seamos sinceros, fue bastante bueno para la mayoría de los lugares, pero sentimos que en esta noche en particular estaba un poco "fuera de lo común". hervir ". Esto ciertamente no evitará que regresemos, cuando estoy seguro de que se redimirán.