Riverside Bar & Kitchen in East Cambridgeshire

On this occasion, the carvery meat was under cooked, as we're some of the veg. They had run out of Yorkshire pudding and gravy, but didn't say before we had chosen our food. We had to wait about 5 minutes and the food was getting cold. The manager did finally sort it and we got a discount, as it would of been very pricey for what we actually got. It's a shame, as when we came before, the food was lovely. Not sure what's happened but unsure if I would go back to eat. The location was lovely though for a drink 🙂

Pizzas overcooked underneath. Stone baked, so easily done. Great service and views.

This place is definitely capitalising on location alone. Lovely views of the river but restaurant like a tacky canteen with no effort to add any decor or atmosphere at all. Dirty glasses (literally bits of food from other peoples mouths stuck to them) which had to be returned, the replacements were better but still not great. The only thing I enjoyed was a vegan chocolate milkshake which was tasty to be fair. I was excited to see several veggie/vegan options on the menu. However, the food was disgusting. I was ravenous and had waited ages for it to come, had paid £18 for a veggie burger and I hate food waste, so I ate it. I also didn’t want to make a scene in front of family and it was also cold outside so I was glad to be indoors but the food was gross. Chips were basically edible but actually tasted a bit unpleasant (most likely cooked in old oil) so I put loads of ketchup on them. Burger was a beyond burger or similar I could’ve got in Tesco for £1.50. Many restaurants/pubs use them these days but at least they usually put some decent salad and burger sauce on them. This had a cheap brioche bun, a few sad leaves from a bag, onion chutney (best part of the meal but that’s not saying a lot), the vegan mayo they forgot to put on so I had to ask for it, when it arrived it was runny and tasted like icing it was so sweet. It honestly tasted nothing like mayo, no idea why they don’t just use hellmans, I don’t know what that stuff was but it wasn’t mayonnaise. This place is completely overpriced and basically a soulless canteen. My advice would be — Avoid!

Cozy and relaxing, food excellent, staff brilliant, location wonderful, price not from another world,

Great location, the best in Ely and a delight as it's next to the river. But most of the food is incredibly stodgy, full of carbs and saturated fats. The coffee cups don't retain the heat. So morning coffee or maybe a glass of wine, but not the food.

Great Italian food. Sat outside by the river.

Chips were amazing. Pizza on the otherhand was a bit undercooked(edible still). Topping completely pulled off on first bite and the tomato sauce base is heavily seasoned and not to my taste but it tasted good apart from that, nice base and cheese. Also pet friendly outside

Stopped for a quick drink and discovered this great location. Sat outside in the nice weather.

Friendly staff but quite a long wait at the bar.

Terrible, experience. Overpriced substandard food. Very rude and uninterested staff. Flies everywhere. This place is not deserving of its location.

We visited for coffee and brunch. The waitress gave off an air of not wanting to be working. Having placed our food orders, we were told 50 minutes later that they were not able to do gluten-free bread and had nothing gluten-free available for the two of us who are GF. Another person (the manager?) then came over and apologised and waived the price of our coffees.

We had 4 drinks @ 4 ice creams & price was £59, well over priced, other pubs are available.

Beautiful little town with historic cathedral. Nice restaurant for some break.

Lovely place to eat and relax by the water

Very slow service, 15 minutes wait to be served. Only one member of staff serving. The three customers before me all ordered coffees, I felt sorry for those wanting behind me when I ordered four coffees. However I will visit again, coffee was very good.

Unfortunately, our experience here was not the best. When we arrived, the staff informed us that food would take 30 minutes or less, which we were happy to accept. However, most dishes took 35-40 minutes to arrive, and my friend’s pizza didn’t come until 45 minutes later. The garlic bread (£10) was overcooked and completely lacked garlic, and the fish and chips (£20) were excessively oily. For the price, the quality just didn’t match up. The ordering process was also chaotic. We waited 15 minutes just to order a drink at the counter, and the queue was poorly managed, with people frequently cutting in. On top of that, we had booked an outdoor table and received confirmation, only to be told upon arrival that they don’t take bookings outside - yet instead of helping us, the staff simply moved on to the next customer. To their credit, the staff were working extremely hard, but it was clear they were understaffed. Overall, the food was overpriced and underwhelming, service was disorganised, and the long wait times made the experience frustrating. Wouldn’t return.

Used to come here on a weekly basis, sadly they have stopped doing any vegan options. The cleanliness has declined on more recent visits with poor customer service.

Had a wonderful meal here today with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. The service was great- Bella did an amazing job even though the restaurant was very busy. The food was lovely and reasonably priced, but perhaps the best thing was being allowed to take our time and not being hurried as often happens in other restaurants. A fabulous location next to the river … will definitely be returning!

Lovely restaurant alongside the river in Ely! The food was delicious and the drinks were outstanding! Service was pleasant and friendly! Great views of the river, food was amazing but quite pricey. Would visit again!

Great location, poor over priced food all ultra processed. Disinterested staff who never even cleared the table - we did. Give it a miss!

A lovely setting in a lovely restaurant. Would recommend.

Nice and cosy place! Fantastic view from the restaurant, since it is right next to the river ! Service is quick and staff is very friendly ! Food is okay !

We have had lunch here a few times and the food is always good. A nice selection on the menu and a beautiful location on the river. The drinks are great here too, so perfect in the summer to come and have a drink along the river. Definitely a spot to come to if you are out and about in Ely.

Lovely warm atmosphere, great food,my husband I called for some fish chips and mushy peas and a drink, we will definitely call in again, I would recommend this lovely place to any one

Brilliant time with live music and service.

Delicious carvery!! Look forward to our next visit.👍👍👍👍

Location is great but the prices are ridiculous. Ordered 4 pints and chips and this was £60! I couldn't believe it as its wasn't anything special at all! Reply to Riverside: I got charge on my card for £60 and i didnt get the bill as the staff didnt provide any! I only order 4 pint and 4 bowl of chips and still think its outrageous to pay that much! I can also see from previous reviews many people disagree with your prices, and or you to question the mistake in the bill makes me wonder if i was overcharged/ scammed by the bar staff!!! now downgraded to 1 star

Sunday brunch on a busy Sunday lunchtime. A visit to Ely Sunday market topped off with a superb Mediterranean flatbread and smoothie. Despite being busy, friendly member of staff found me a table. You order your food and drinks at the bar, drinks are made there and then, with food to follow. My flatbread was delicious, and I’ll be back on my next visit. Top tip: the riverside view tables go quickly, so if you want a view with your food, you’ll need to book up!

Rude staff! I’m utterly disappointed with the service I experienced today. The team leader on duty was unprofessional and made the visit feel uncomfortable. Even though this is a carvery, I was only allowed one serving of a single type of meat, while other customers ahead of me were given multiple choices. When I went back to refill my meat, I was denied, even though there’s no mention anywhere that you can only get one serving. This inconsistency made the experience feel unfair, unwelcoming and made me question the consistency and training of the staff. I think the team leader working on October 27th should get additional training on how to interact respectfully with customers and provide a more welcoming experience. The food is below average. Not a happy customer at all

Somewhat overpriced and unfortunately staff more interested in chatting than serving

I’ll start with 3 good things Tyler and how clean it is and the coffee That’s it , the breakfast was diabolical , how any cook because it wasn’t a chef let these plates of food go out is unbelievable The only thing on my husbands plate that was hot was the sausage and the baked beans , the rest was tepid and cooked to death , my scrambled egg was cold with undercooked with sections of slime and the bacon was unedible , The toast was just warm bread . His they charge the prices that they do for the food that they serve us beyond me . I also have to say , to the blond girl , your mouth is disgusting , we didn’t appreciate your bad language , and your attitude was nonchalant towards us . I work in hospitality and I have never seen or heard my staff talk or act like yourself , you should take a leaf out of Tyler’s book and get him to give you some tips Don’t waste your time going to be disappointed . First and last time for us and we couldn’t recommend this place either I’ve edited my post to Remove ‘ thick set ‘ because she’s upset ? We are upset because of her foul language discussing her friend’s personal problems with her colleagues !! If you think that is acceptable behaviour of your staff then we’ve had a lucky escape and we won’t be returning . Manners are free - she didn’t have any

Great views of the river with ducks and swans. Great food too.

My husband and I had drinks at RBK one evening in early August on the day before our wedding, with various guests. We cannot recommend RBK enough for the service they provided, and the value for money this was. Their service was impeccable and they were so attentive to us! I cannot thank RBK enough and we will pick them time and time again. We had received a quote from a venue a little up the river which was absolute daylight robbery - whereas RBK was so fair. Thank you very much RBK, we will be back!!!

On my day off I decided to have lunch with my daughter in this place. I ordered Chicken Caesar Salad. In the menu it was written: "Chicken Breast, Pancetta, lettuce, parmesan cheese etc". £15 for the salad, no side. Imagine my surprise when my salad arrived with fresh lettuce, cold crunchy 'pancetta' (I'm Italian, that wasn't pancetta) and STONE COLD chicken. Thick cold pieces, probably 3 days old. So old that in the picture, on the right you can see the stamp of whatever container it was left off for the night. No effort whatsoever to make it appealing, cut it in smaller pieces or whatnot. When the staff saw my disappointment, and I voiced this, a kind lady apologised but did nothing, and the guy that came afterwards tried to sell me the idea of "it's a cold meal". If the plate was £7/8, then MAYBE I could have imagined it was a cold plate, but for £15 and no mention on the menu, one should find a freshly cooked chicken breast there. No reduction on the bill, no solution given for the problem. Needless to say we won't be back.

We ate at Riverside as a large group on a Friday evening, having sent our orders ahead of time. Everything arrived on time, hot and tasty, exactly as per our pre order. Staff were very flexible with allergies/intolerances and last minute cancellations. Food is good and prices are reasonable. Thanks for looking after us well!

We went on a busy Sunday. Great carvery. Well managed. The views are wonderful. Generous roasts. Awareness of gluten intolerance.

We really enjoy coming here for a drink in the evening, and have enjoyed the times we have dined here too. The service is quick and friendly and the food is pretty decent. We also went to a party here recently and the catering was fantastic

Awful chicken flat bread plus chocolate fudge cake tasted cheap and horrible

Excellent food and very quick service. Brought water out for our dog without us having to ask. Will definitely be back.

While it boasts a beautiful riverside location, the mediocre food served is served by untrained, bored staff. As usual, when a restaurant has a good location, the standards tend to drop.

Gear location bar in a lovely town.

Stopped here for a quick lunch with my mum. We both had a Ciabatta panini with salad and chips. The chips where ok but the salad was drenched in a vinegar dressing and the sandwich was stale. It wasn't busy but somehow the toilets where filthy aswell. Mum had a pot of tea which had one tea bag, it also came with no teaspoon, she couldn't find one herself when she went to look for one. Just not a great experience really. We won't be coming back.

Great atmosphere and lovely location, the sun was shining and it was just surreal.

Lovely food, great view of the river, very relaxing

Well cooked breakfast, friendly staff and reasonably priced. Plus coffee still warm when breakfast eaten.

Great place for a Riverside coffee and slice of cake!

food burnt and cooked too much, stafull. too bad and too nervous, cold people

Just stopped in for a drink, Very busy.

Just ate there 10 minutes ago Horrible food We had sea food platter to share as from menu just battered nothing really, we also had loaded chips Chips burnt and soft, cheese was orange and looked out of a tub Won’t go back Lovely pub such a shame

Always nice to stop here. In fact it's a regular destination. The area is one of my favourites to visit on my motorcycle.

After touring Ely, we stopped by for a drink. The view is beautiful, and we had a great time.

Popped in for some dinner. Warm welcome, lots of space. Friendly helpful staff. Food arrived fast,delicious, and taste devine. Clean restaurant will definitely visit again

We decided to stop by here for our lunch, as we have done a few times. The last time we stopped here wasn't really such a great meal but we always think that, "maybe they were having a bad day" and lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice !!. We decided to have the scampi, chips and peas with tartare sauce. It wasn't delicious. Lots of scampi and chips each but as much as the chips were big and chunky they were very overcooked and hard. Usually you can taste the potato in a chip but these were cooked beyond oblivion without a hint of potato. However, the peas were another matter. Last time we had them they were rock-hard, this time they were cold. Have to say though, the price for x2 Scampi, burnt and overcooked chips and cold peas, a coke and a lime 'n' soda was an eye-watering £42.90 !! £17.95 each for the Scampi and Chips and £7.00 for a glass of Lime & Soda and a glass of Coke. If I'm paying high prices, I expect high quality food. Your bar is a great tourist-trap and like many tourists, they will most probably only visit you once and I suppose your prices suit them but we are local and don't appreciate bad food at tourist prices. So, in our opinion, value for money, 0/10. I don't mind paying good money for good food but we have been very disappointed with the food on our last two visits so with other eating places to eat along the river, we will be going somewhere else from now on. ** You will have all heard the phrase "Once bitten twice shy", this is us and we won't be back**

Nice area but let down by mediocre food and not great service. Would come back for a drink but not for a meal.

Beautiful location, lovely atmosphere

Has lots of potential due to its location. But the outdoor seating is basically lots of wooden picnic benches mainly. Overpriced mediocre food and the drinks are expensive too. Service is fair when you can get it. The only positive is the river location. In the right hands could be a winner.

this food is not for animals either,a burnt fish in the oil and burnt potatoes and these in the oil and without any substance or taste,I wonder why the people who sit down and order what this store has are eating this, unacceptable as a human being to accept such food that only does harm, and very expensive for such restaurants 17 pounds,

Great place for nice food and atmosphere. Never had a bad meal here. Happily recommend.

Nice cocktails, slightly over priced but you are by the river i suppose.

Awful. I had plant burger which was revolting even before they poured vinegar over it. The only edible things were the chips. £16.50 for chips!

Good place, good service, reasonable prices

Myself and partner recently visited Riverside as a last minute idea with our 3 children. It wasn’t too busy and plenty of empty tables, we promptly got seated by the open doors and lovely view of the river. It took me a while to decide on a drink as there was limited cider to choose from, food was easy to choose and they went went above & beyond for our autistic daughter, 2 of the kids dishes came out mixed up, you only get 2 chicken tenders on a kids meal, I ordered the chicken burger and the chips were really over cooked, the chicken didn’t fill the bun, filling was limited and plastic cheese!!! For a burger that was £17!!! The glasses came out dirty and the toilets weren’t very clean, so my overall review isn’t very high! Quite disappointed really in a meal that cost over £100!!

Very good food, fabulous salad and great chips

Had lunch Monday 24th, staff polite,friendly, ordered scampi & chips plus mac& cheese with garlic bread, 45min wait, when arrived it all looked good, BUT ,garlic bread & chips so over cooked hard as rocks, Mac cheese gd , scampi peas & tartare gd, Had tap water as prices of drinks !!! Waste of money at total £33, Never again ,sorry RBK,

Just held my dads 90th party here. All i can say is fantastic guys and thankyou. The staff were amazing ,first class so thankyou. The food was absolutly fantastic ,well done and thankyou. Amazing place amazing weather . If your ever in ely then this is the must go to place. Thanks so much to you all.

Beautiful setting outside to sit by the river with a drink. Lots of tables and space. Unfortunately the young staff serving are quite rude. I understand could have been a busy shift but a smile, manners and generally not moaning to customers about how bad your job is would be good.

Ordered coffee and cake with a friend. Coffee came straight away, cake 20 minutes later. Staff were rude when I queried it, with an offhand "the kitchen are busy".

Only had drinks and pudding. Service was slowwww. Puddings delicious.

Good near the waterside pub and restaurant. Can be very popular for families.

A drink was spilled beside me by the waitress. She then returned with paper towel and made us clean her own mess. What sort of circus is this and took 20 mins to get a scone.

However, not at all happy to be seated near THREE dogs for a Sunday carvery meal. Think it’s unhygienic for them to be inside Restaurants. Would a dog free section be available maybe for those of us who are allergic or just uneasy about them being nearby🥴

According to the barmaid, the Campari spritz consists of 25ml Campari, 50ml of Prosecco and half a wine glass of soda 🥴

Axreally nice pub and restaurant to visit, right on the river with plenty of boats and wildlife to see. The staff were all really polite and courteous toward us and nothing was too much, the food was absolutely lovely and arrived very quickly.

Can't wait to return to try the food as it looked delicious.

Friendly and helpful staff, excellent coffee along the canal

Lovely setting and good choice on the menu. Nice friendly staff that were very helpful and welcoming. Gluten free choices available. Carvery looked amazing. Thanks

Drinks expensive carvery had finished before 14.00 ordered 3 fish and chips only had 2

Is busy at weekends and when events are being staged. Right by the river, a relaxing spot. When we went there they had staffing issues. I'm not sure but I would guess that at busy times you may wait longer for food.

Nice meal with serene surrounds

Visited today … with my international guests … horrible service , ordered starters and mains only starters come and no main , waited for food more than an hour to be told that I already had it … explained that we did not … at the end I had to leave without food as my parking was about to expire … in the bill they still added the food so I had to ask to be removed … horrible experience with guest left hungry!

We friends been there for lunch. Everything look nice. Beautiful location at riverside for beautiful view. So we sit out as plenty of tables empty. Try to find out menu list so I can choose our lunch and make sure prices. But there is no prices display which is according to law is wrong. When asked get very disgusting serve from very rude staff. Anyhow ordered drinks have it and moved on. Didn't bothered to have lunch here. Shame it was nice atmosphere but didn't go very well.

The staff were extremely polite and helpful

Lovely place to go for a delicious breakfast by the river. I love their full English compared to other places in the area is certainly the best. Friendly staff and a good number of dishes to choose from. Atmosphere by the river is great! I would only recommend improving the table tops on the table outside more often.

We visited the RBK before going to a gig in the music venue next door. The eaterie is very modern and chic with a big picture window looking out onto the river and the marina. The food was great and very good value for money. I had the roast which was excellent. The Atlanta Pale Ale was OK..quite similar to a lager, but I just wish they had some 'proper' real ale. Otherwise, service, and everything else was tickety boo!

Brilliant coffee, bacon or sausage toasties, and treats for the dog 🐕 as dog friendly too

Absolutely disgusting service received. Husband asked a member of staff if they could clear the table so we could order. This was firstly ignored. He then asked another member of staff later who was outside clearing tables and she after being asked a few times said bare with me. Which of course was fine. (This lady was blonde and wearing a dress). Then when she eventually came over to clear the table was very obnoxious and made snarky remarks regarding what we wanted her to do. Not only that she didn't even clear the table fully. Very rude and even our child made a comment on how rude she was. We was aiming to order food but after this experience we are extremely put off and the table still hasn't been fully cleared! Staff member needs a serious talking to, re training at a min! Actually in shock at how rude she was, making faces and remarks is not OK.

We had a tasty meal, great portion size and amazing cocktails. Friendly staff too. Great to sit outside in the summer and watch the boats.

Pretty much a delight, the coffees were made nicely and it was a good atmosphere. Had a baby with us and space wasn't an issue inside with it next to our table. Must head back and try the cocktails for a night

Couldn't get in , very busy, perhaps next time

Update to the below: It was really nice of RBK to reply and it's made me want to go back and try it again so thank you. 😊 Unfortunately our visit was a real let down. We arrived for an early tea on a Saturday around 4.30pm. Firstly we were given a table right under a speaker blasting out music, couldn't hear the person opposite speak. Asked to move and ended up by the window which was better but the music still was an issue. People were talking loudly because they probably couldn't hear each other and it just made for a loud environment. Ordered a couple of carverys, a pizza and a kids meal of sausage and chips. Waited a while for someone to come over and after a bit the pizza and kids meal came. And then we waited and waited with no idea what was supposed to happen with the carvery. Nobody came over and so my partner went to ask and was told they do it for you, someone should have told you to go up... Carvery consisted of turkey, beef and gammon, Yorkshire puddings which had been sitting under a heat lamp for ages and so were rock hard, roast potatoes that clearly had also been sat for a while as it was impossible to cut them, approx 8 pieces of carrot - half of which were stuck to the pan, peas/cabbage fine, roast parsnips fine, stuffing saltier than the sea. The gravy was watery and tasteless. All in all it was a huge let down. We sat right next to the carvery and nobody else went up after us or before we left and at no point did anyone come and give things a stir or make sure it was okay. It's just left to fester. I'm guessing the time of day we went maybe was the reason for the poor food as it's too late for lunch and early for dinner so you're not getting the turnover to keep it fresh, but you can't serve Yorkshire puddings to people that have been slowly turning from nice soft fluffy things to something that you could fire out of a cannon. No staff came anywhere near us so we could mention anything and even when we had finished we sat there for a fair while and nobody came to take the plates or ask about pudding. We gave up and bought a dessert from the Tesco nearby! And no it wasn't that busy. To be honest the kids meal was the best thing on the table, sausages lovely. You are either a bar in which case the music was at a good volume, or maybe for a Saturday night, or you are a restaurant/carvery. I don't think you know anymore what you are and hence why it's not a great atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place to sit outside for a drink in the summer but we would never eat here again. It's very expensive too. £16.95 for a burger and chips which I wish I had just paid for instead of going for the carvery. Hindsight is a great thing!

Large group of us enjoyed a fabulous carvery here, potatoes and Yorkshire particularly good, meat and veg full of flavour. Will definitely be back. Service good and good value for money IMO.

Really disappointed. Unfortunately felt like everything was just below par and less than average. We had a carvery and it was as if all the food had been left from lunchtime under the heat lamps and not much was left. The experience as a whole wasn't ideal either, won't be rushing back. I think this place is suffering from an identity crisis, and needs to decide if it wants to be a bar that serves food or a restaurant.

Great place to stopover for a pint or to enjoy a sunny day. Grabbed a pint as we waited for our river cruise. Overall lots of seating inside and outside with a great position to overlook the river and people watch. Only slght drawback was that service was slow.

Tuesday it was very quiet early evening, Wednesday it was lively. Nice vegetarian options, alongside meat/fish dishes.

It's nice it serves food .. busy for Sunday Carvery food good and fresh didn't like the wait to be called up for food when no one was up there didn't like that chairs not very comfortable for me post opp. So discomfort not nice for me sadly. Also having to pay extra for Cauliflower cheese didn't go down well well either. With so many Carvery places on offer in Ely now overall not sure about this. !

Lovely location and dog friendly too. Food is decent but expected more for the high prices.

Lovely place to relax by the River watching the boats.

tried calling ahead in case we needed a booking. Have only just moved to Ely. We arrived and stood in the doorway for nearly 10 minutes and wasn’t approached by any members of staff, and then overheard two of the staff standing right next to us saying we are only accepting Bookings very bad customer service I found staff to be rude for not coming over to speak to me.

What a disappointment! Noting the Carvery being promoted on-line as being available from 12noon to 8pm on Sundays we booked a table for 6pm for our pre-concert dinner. To our surprise we were greeted by a server advising that all of the three roasts had run out! Unfortunately little else was available on the menu without chips (which we try to avoid), but we settled for fish & chips / burger & chips which were pretty standard fare but nothing special. I asked for a beer shandy (I was driving) and was astonished to be charged £6.50 for it. When questioned I was told that a premium lager was used at £6.50 pint and that a shandy made with this beer was priced the same as a pint. I reckon that makes a half of lemonade £3.25! Come on Riverside get your act together - you may have an ideal location but your customers don't all come for the view.

Great food. Good variety on menu. Situated along the river.