River Terrace Cafe in Huntingdonshire

Curiously The River Terrace used to be one of the good reasons for visiting St Ives. Sadly gone down hill since apparent change of ownership? Odd opening times, and a limited and much less inviting menu, with a curious bias towards vegan, and gluten free. Nothing wrong with that but most lunch dishes appear to evolve around bacon and eggs.

Terrible service, such a shame as beautiful setting but drastically gone downhill. Person who seemed to be in charge was very rude. Certainly won't return.

My friend and I both had the Special Seafood Chowder and it was best chowder I had ever tasted, even when I lived in California and had Clam Chowder. Staff who served us were wonderful, friendly and could not do enough for us. Only negative was the Automatic Service Charge added to our bill, which we both queried. Apart from that it was a lovely experience and table by river (even when water high) was perfect on a sunny afternoon. Well done everyone 😊

A party of 11 of us including vegans and vegetarians went to celebrate a family birthday and were given a room to ourselves. The staff were very kind and looked after us very well. The food was served hot, delicious, and thoroughly enjoyed by all. I’d certainly recommend the large plate of vegan breakfast (served until 2:30pm). The room was upstairs, sunny with gorgeous views up and down the river as well as of the ancient St Ives bridge. We’ve been often and always the same high standard.

We were lucky enough to sit outside in the sunshine, the staff were really friendly and attentive, we had the ham, egg and chips off the specials board and it was really nice, the brunch menu looked good to

Had the best French toast ever when I visited with my wife. The coffee was extremely good and the cafe as also comfortable which received my wife’s approval

Really enjoyed my visit here ! Great venue and setting is fantastic! Great food and drink ! Friendly staff ! Lovely cocktails! Well worth a visit!

Fantastic service. Really friendly and attentive staff - a credit to you. Food was delicious, we enjoyed lunch mains off the specials board. Very refreshing mocktail too. Lovely riverside views. Spot on! Will come again when next in the area.

My wife and I had breakfast here on a Sunday morning. It was quite busy but the service was great, the quality of the breakfast was fantastic. I would definitely recommend this great place. If it’s sunny they have a lovely terrace area over looking the river.

smoked mackerel panzanella was superb

A slice of shortbread cake £4!!

Sit on the terrace if you can looking over the river.

Lovely lunch by the river. Service was good and the food maybe just a few £'s more than expected..

Lovely position. Very impressed with the coffee. I’m sure it’s the best I have tasted. Spoke to James and he was very knowledgeable about where the coffee beans came from. Lovely quality lunch with great staff. Glad we chose the river terrace during our visit to St Ives. Thank you

We both had the salt beef Benedict and it was amazing as were the hash potato’s. Abbie was just lovely, super friendly and made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. Fantastic food, staff and venue 😬

Loved loved this place. The service was great , the staff were so polite and friendly. The food was so good and the view was amazing. So pleased we randomly chose to stop here for a late lunch . We have not had good experiences or food when we have eaten out lately , so today was well worth this review. Please visit if anyone is around the area.

We've visited this cafe twice and both times have had delicious food. The vegan breakfast is probably the best vegan breakfast I've ever had (and I've had a lot!). Mia and Katie were great servers - friendly, attentive and smiley!

Abbey was absolutely fantastic. She knows what we like (specifically Ed wanting a whole mug of milk) and is absolutely wonderful ✨

So well organised, very dog friendly, good menu and tasty food on the wonderful riverside terrace, served well by Abbie. Thank you!

mediocre food and terrible service.

Delicious coffee with beautiful river view 😻

We had coffee there, it was nice! Lovely and friendly service!! Will come back!

My partner and I have been wanting to visit The River Terrace for months to sit outside and we decided to go for lunch as it was a sunny day. On arrival the roped off entrance to wait to be seated along with a sign "wait to be seated" is a tad over the top! We were seated outside and told that they were in between breakfast and lunch so no food for twenty minutes, but we could order a drink whilst we waited. I asked for a menu to look at whilst we waited and was told "no, no menu until lunch was going to be served". Lots of staff but slow service and none of them looked very happy to be there. The outside table was rickety, and we had to adjust the plastic wedge to keep the table relatively stable. The chairs are heavy and noisy to move in and out to sit down. When we were then allowed menus we chose the pakora sandwich and chips, well the bread was stale and rock hard and inedible. When we complained only the service charge was deducted from the bill! Not sure what sort of vibe they are going for here but I will not be returning. Punching above their weight is what my partner said! The friendly chilled vibe at another location further down the river is more to our liking.

Had a coffee over looking the river enjoyed it so much we stopped and had a beer

Have gone here on and off for 20 years and seen it change from a reasonable tea room to an upmarket expensive tea room / restaurant. I still love this place a fantastic view across the water meadows and old chapel bridge. The food and drinks are excellent. Staff very good. The prices are very expensive. But your paying for that view.

From South Africa and the setting looked lovely from the outside. Can't say what it is like once inside as we couldn't get in. Took five minutes to let us know they would rather wait for a larger group.

Pretty old riverside building with outdoor area overlooking the river and old bridge. Good choice of light meals and cakes.

Nice place beside the river, a good breakfast and coffee. Staff are friendly

Nice place, slightly fussy management. Food is good, but £9 for soup makes it the most expensive soup anywhere. £5 to £7 is normal. I have mentioned this but.... Also, their Victoria sponges are very good, but, again, £5 makes it more expensive than anywhere else. £3.99 max is normal. Shame.

Been here 4 or 5 times. Consistently excellent food and service.

Bank Holiday: Walk in during lunch time. The restaurant only serves Brunch meal, but there are more choices for children's meals than for adults. You can choose to sit by the river. The coffee tastes good, the price is fair, and the service is first-rate.

Lovely place to sit by the river. Food and service very good.

On a sunny morning, I challenge you to find a better brunch spot! Dog friendly on the terrace, lovely smiley staff and delicious food! Easy nearby parking too!

Brilliant place, fantastic staff, really lovely food and the most beautiful place to eat or drink by the river!

Food was ok. The service could have been a bit better. But in such a nice location they always going to have customers.

Had brunch here for the first time last weekend and wondered why I’d never been here before?! St. Ives is a lovely place to visit, especially when the sun is shining, and The River Terrace is a gorgeous venue set against The River Ouse. A warm welcome was received when entering and we were given a lovely table upstairs next to a window with a rather fab view of the river. Food/drinks order was taken quickly and food arrived within 25mins. All food was generous, very tasty and well presented. All my family had the Full English and couldn’t of been happier with it. We’ll definitely visit again (soon I hope) to try lunch and maybe ask for a table on the beautiful outside terrace! 🤩🤩

Great food and very friendly staff, specially the owner/ manager. Highly recommended! Despite the fact that I live 40min away, I’m planning to return to it soon.

Lovely food as usual. Just a shame they have removed all of the lunch items and now only serve breakfast food.

It's a shame but will not be going back there, waited over 30 mins for our lunch, our drinks were not hot and the food was too salty. Used to love this place, great views over the river but the food not up to usual.standard.

The place is nice, and the food was good. We were a bit disappointed coming here for breakfast/brunch and seeing no sweet options on the menu, like pancakes/waffles/french toast... which from older menu pictures online seemed like they used to be included in the menu in the past. Otherwise, service was good and quick and the place is cosy inside, with pretty views from the terrace.

A very nice building but unfortunately the place is not very good. The customer service is OK. The drinks are cold when served and do not taste very nice and very small, they are super expensive aswell. The cakes are dry and again don't taste nice. Disappointing place for the very very high places. I wouldn't recommend. :(

The full English breakfast was delicious. The view was splendid, and the servers even offered blankets.

What a great find! Was visiting St Ives and saw this place by the river and briefly saw that it had good reviews. It really didn’t disappoint! The beef sandwich was to die for. Also nice red house wine and the service was excellent! Thank you, will be back!

My favourite brunch restaurant. Great food and lovely staff with a nice view over the river.

Nice views of the river and bridge

My new favourite place!! Staff that smile and are attentive and a small but imaginative menu. We do miss the brioche and peaches though ( please bring them back 🙏) Turkish eggs are another favourite. I always look forward to visiting you 🙂

Fantastic Sunday brunch by the river. Wonderful service and delicious food - highlight being the most amazing slice of carrot cake you could imagine!

Nice little place to have breakfast or brunch. The Google page is a bit outdated as it shows that they serve lunch, but it's more a coffee shop than a restaurant. The food was good and the service was good too. We will probably come back for coffee and cakes some other time. I recommend making a reservation beforehand as it gets really packed.

Food was really nice and arrived all together despite being such a large party. Value for money. Beautiful setting with lovely views Staff pleasant and attentive

Firm favourite of ours and we have been attending for 5 years. Every time top class top and service. Can't beat it in the summer on the terrace watching the world go by. Thank you!!

Super friendly staff in a beautiful location.So lovely to sit outside with a river view. Wonderful customer service with delicious coffee and food. I highly recommend this place when you are looking for somewhere picturesque to enjoy a coffee and food. Highly recommend 5 stars!

We visit this gorgeous cafe In a prime location situated next to the river In St Ives regularly, at least once a week! It's set in such a beautiful grade two listed building, where we frequently sit outside on the terrace, even on a colder day, to listen to the sound of the river passing by and to people watch along the ancient bridge over the river with a frothy cappuccino In hand, together with one of a tasty selection from their Inviting menu. The atmosphere Inside the cafe is warm and Inviting, with friendly, efficient staff always at hand. Its a nice place In which to while away the time In a cosy, relaxing environment In very pleasant surroundings and comes highly recommended!

I’ve been here twice! Good seating inside and outside. Perfect for coffee and cake 👌

Nice cakes with Gluten Free options. Good coffee, but a rather small Flat White!

We visited with our family for the first time yesterday and had a lovely brunch - we all chose something different and all the dishes were delicious, well presented and very tasty. Waitresses helpful (we were accompanied by a one-year old!). We shall certainly come again

Lovely café by the river. Food was delicious.

I absolutely LOVE this place for food, and it is a beautiful location - The best place to eat in St Ives. BUT please invest in a QR code order system! Waiting for the waiters to come always takes forever here!! Also stop adding service charge, it is so awkward having to ask for it to be removed - This isn’t the USA and we shouldn’t have to feel obliged to pay for service!!

Family brunch here on a Monday morn. Service great, food delicious, couldn’t fault it and will definitely be back. I had the “Beetroot Cured Trout” gluten free option - delicious! My sister the “Veggie” full breakfast and said everything was beautiful flavours the sausages the mushrooms everything. My Dad had the “Eggs Benedict - Spinach & Goats Cheese” and praised the perfectly cooked eggs and not overly sweet hollandaise sauce - so a full house of compliments from us. There are gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options as well as the omnivore ones. Plenty of staff, efficient but not over powering. Perfect! Thank you!!

Since I last visited this venue some time ago it has become rather pretentious. Very slow service. Ridiculously expensive - £8 for 2 slices of toast and a pot of tea. I will not be revisiting.

Lovely lunch but I didn't realise the optional tip was on the bill and I tipped again as paying cash, they seemed surprised and probably thought I was being generous lol.

Best coffee in town. Great food, service, and ambience as well.

Had the mushroom tartine and it was the nicest food I have eaten since visiting Midsummer House. It was that delicious!!! Can’t give the food and the service enough stars!!!!!

Absolutely fantastic. First time we have been there. Sandwiches are amazing. We worth a drop by.

We found this place earlier in the year and what a find! We love our food and this is top notch, we've had breakfast lunch and dinner, and it has always been perfect. Good range of breakfasts available, the grilled cheese sandwich is the best one I've ever had, and the Ox Cheek was one of the best things I've ever eaten., perfectly cooked/seasoned. Highly recommend this place and we will be going back many more times. The staff are very welcoming and helpful too, and the drinks; coffee/beer/cocktails, all great!

We had brunch here at 11 am, and it was excellent. The full English was superb and kept me going on all afternoon on a long walk. One of our party had the vegetarian breakfast and was very happy with it. Another thoroughly enjoyed the Turkish eggs. The service is also excellent with very friendly staff. Lovely location next to the River Ouse, I could have stayed there for hours.

Extremely beautiful place especially sitting outside watching the swans. Food and drinks were all very nice and the service was perfect. Definitely recommend

Lovely building with very friendly staff. Beautiful river view and they even have blankets outdoors. Loved the service and the environment felt welcome and cozy. They also have great tea and cake selection

Delicious food and a great menu. Many veggie and some vegan options (far more choice than most places). Would highly recommend.

Lovely little place . On the pricey side for breakfast, but could not fault to quality of the ingredients. I had the Turkish eggs which were absolutely delicious. My partner had the full English which was huge and great quality meat. Great coffee too

Lovely cafe overlooking the river.

Lovely spot but drinks very expensive. £4.00 for a cup of tea and also not serving scones....just weekdays apparently.

Yes, the rope was a little off putting but… we were seated swiftly and the charming woman (manager) who seated us gave us a choice of outside (as we’d asked) or a quiet room upstairs as we were with our autistic son. We chose upstairs and we were offered a choice of tables and an offer to turn the music down (for our son). Excellent customer service! The food is a bit pricey and it’s a shame breakfast doesn’t run over into brunch at weekends but the food and service were excellent. Our waitress was attentive and food arrived fairly quickly given how busy they were. A lovely, relaxed family lunch and excellent service.

Efficient and friendly service, tasty food, reasonable prices. I absolutely love it. ❤️

Amazing setting right on the river, ducks and geese aplenty to keep you company 🦆🕊

Such a great beautiful cafe with some great options including Vegan and Gluten Free. You can only take your dog in on the terrace.. which is limited space. Slightly on the pricy side though.

I live locally and go here for a quick bite when shopping, as it overlooks the river. I was somewhat surprised like another reviewer, to find this time, the hostile rope in front of me when I arrived, despite the restaurant not being full. This is a new addition ! And not a good one. (Btw I have never written a review before on any media but felt I should ...). My usual is an eggs Benedict and one of the reasons I choose this place. For some reason eggs Benedict is now a breakfast item, only available till 11 am ?! ...not a lunch item. As I'd gone there specifically for that, I was somewhat disappointed. Instead I ordered a prawn sandwich, which came with disgusting flavoured crisps which I couldn't eat. I also had a proseco . The bill for this was a staggering £28 ! Including a tip/service charge that they had added in automatically without my agreement. I asked the staff politely when leaving what flavour the crisps were and that I really didn't like them. A male member of staff standing nearby made some rather rude comment eg "everyone to their own " instead of saying I'm sorry you didn't like them. I wasn't even talking to him. The female girl who served me was nice enough. Result- I won't be going back. I don't know if it's changed hands since I last went but it's a real shame as it's a nice location but the prices have shot up to a ridiculous level . For £2 more this weekend at the Brampton Mill, I had a lovely roast beef Sunday lunch, pudding and a soft drink! So I'd recommend giving the riverside cafe a miss and going to the Mill instead.

My husband and I and our little dog came for drinks. The staff were absolutely wonderful. I had the prosecco/elderflower cocktail which was delicious. Wonderful setting and we will definitely recommend and return

This is the first time I've written a bad review as it's not something I do lightly. I've eaten here twice in the last and never had a problem. Yesterday lunchtime (Tuesday), two of us headed over to the restaurant at 12.30. The restaurant was less than half full. On arrival, the door was closed on a warm day and a rope across the entrance made sure arriving customers knew their places! The sign asking customers to wait to be seated is quite clear so the rope is unnecessarily hostile. We waited. And we waited while two members of staff completely ignored us as they chatted and faffed around with crockery in a booth to the side. At last the waitress dragged herself away from her conversation and walked past without so much as an acknowledgement. As we were standing less than a metre from her, neither of us had suddenly become invisible and were wearing clean clothes and deodorant, I found this behaviour extremely rude! I understood a table may not have been ready (although unlikely as the restaurant was not busy) but a simple acknowledgement is all that was needed. At that point we decided to leave and spend our money elsewhere. We will not be returning not will be recommending The River Terrace.

A lovely place, with great views over the river. The sandwich I had, was quite simply one of the nicest sandwiches I've ever had!

Fab little brunch spot by the river, great service and food! 10/10

My partner and I have been regulars here for over a year now, and we always come back. When we have friends or family visiting, we always take them here. They serve incredible food, the servers are absolutely lovely, and the placement is so beautiful. Definitely a place you should visit when coming to St.Ives.

Great place to sit and enjoy the river.

I had heard about The River Terrace Cafe from my sister who lives locally and so, on a visit to see them,. was delighted that she had booked us all in for lunch on the day we arrived. It certainly is a delightful spot, with a long terrace overlooking the river where we had plenty to look at. A swan with 6 cygnets, plenty of little cruiser boats negotiating the bridge and children always wanting a wave, which of course we obliged!! The food was delicious and plentiful, beautifully presented and flavoursome. The menu is very innovative, not too huge, but with a good choice. I had the burrata salad and it was scrumptious. Judging by the clean plates on our table, so was the bacon and cheese burger, the chicken fillet burger and the Moroccan bowl with crispy lamb. We were too full to sample the desserts and cakes on offer, but there was certainly a wonderful display for those just wanting coffee and cake. I would certainly recommend this place for a special lunch in an ideal location. The service was also just what you need. Attentive and polite with the food cooked and prepared to order.

Excellent river side view. Friendly staffs, brilliant dishes

Közvetlenül a folyóparton található az étterem, gyönyörű a látkép... Finomak az ételek és italok, kedves a kiszolgálás. Kutyákat is beengednek, és a csecsemőket is le tudják ültetni... Nagyon finom volt az összes megkóstolt étel, és nagyon szépen tálalták, ajánlom mindenkinek!

Good coffee and riverside view. Service impeccable

Lovely place and absolutely adorable people💜

Delicious food in a lovely location. The service can be a little slow when they are busy, but the quality never falls.

Lovely place with great food and service. Great menu and really tasty. The staff were attentive, courteous and friendly

We had a fantastic lunch here when moving our son into St Ives. We went on spec on a Wednesday lunch and they found us a shaded outside table. Lovely food, with my lamb salad dish really hitting the spot. The setting really is bucolic and we will no doubt return many times

Loved this place. Friendly, attentive staff, wonderful food and a breath-taking view right on the river.

Lovely food, excellent service, and what a location!

Had a very enjoyable lunch on the terrace. The lamb was delicious and my family enjoyed their ploughman's and falafel. The manager and young staff did extremely well to manage the adult baby on the table next to us who was needlessly kicking up a fuss because there were no chips or crisps served with his meal, making a scene and doing his best to try and ruin the meal out with his partner, as well as those sat on tables around him. Embarrassing to see a grown man act that way.

Really nice spot overlooking the river in St Ives. Food, drinks and service are all excellent. Food is generally meditated themed, the focaccia sandwiches are particularly good. Also a good range of wines, some particularly nice local beers. The only negative is that rather than having a ‘wait here to be seated’ sign at the entrance they have a rope barrier across the doorway which is a little unwelcoming and made me think that the place was closed when I first arrived.

The breakfast here tasted good and the views were amazing. Sat outside and saw boats glide past.

Fabulous setting. Great service. The cakes have too many calories .... (joke)

Great food. Menu with a difference was a nice surprise. Staff friendly and service very good.

Overpriced bland food. Rude staff. Not sure what’s gone wrong here. Used to be ok.

Absolutely amazing food and coffee with really friendly staff plus great river views. Would 100% recommend.

Very pleasant eatery and bar by the river but unfortunately no non alcoholic beer or wine