Review River Cafe - Adelaide

The food I ordered was very good, points to the chef as we arrived slightly later than our reservation time. The waitresses were kind and polite, directed us and assisted us with our order. However this bald guy at the entrance and checkout was extremely rude to us, talking behind our backs, he was also very rude to his staff as we were checking out he told them to shut up in front of us. Not a way anyone should be treated. Shame that such great view and food is not fully enjoyed because of one person actions and rude personality.

Saturday night at the River Cafe. Very exciting. But this time it really seemed to be lacking something. Music? Not sure. But it wasn't the same. The service was extremely poor. You usually get, highly skilled waiting staff. I guess they were at home having a long weekend rest. So it's a 2/10 for service. You are usually made to feel special, not to be . Ok..... so onto the food. Excellent food thankfully. At least the chef was awake. The tapas idea I wasn't sure on, but it was very nice and well priced at $12 per person. Main course excellent. Dessert not many options and really to be honest., not fantastic. Would I go again??. Maybe not in a hurry. They really need to pick up their game. Otherwise it's another fabulous restaurant finished. Also where are the table clothes???. Not on every table and should be. Poor presentation!! Management needs to do some work. I guess that's it.

Food was okay, and the view was lovely, but something was missing? Venue felt a bit sterile, or boring or something.

Limited menu but superb position built out over the river. The food is excellent quality and beautifully presented although the plates were not heated on the evening we dined there. Service is satisfactory but not particularly outstanding. Definitely worth a visit with free and easy parking on-site.

It was lovely. The chef could cater for vegan and lowfodmap but very, very limited as it's an Italian restaurant. Very expensive but service is outstanding. And of course the view :)

It is very easy to give this restaurant a 5 star review. We asked for a quiet table and they happily obliged. The food was excellent, some innovative ideas which enhanced the experience. The food was very well presented, made the visual experience a pleasure. The quality was excellent in fact pefect, the quantities generous. A truly nice pleasant experience. Everyone on the table was impressed. The waiting staff were attentive, professional and very pleasant. They made the night. It was nice to meet the manager who was always making sure people were enjoying themselves and being attended to. Thank you for an excellent night.

Awesome service. Would recommend trying this restaurant We had arincini balls. They were 10/10 Highly recommend trying them aswell as we steak was nice

Excellent cuisine. We have the prawn pasta and the marinara pasta followed by two delightful desserts. Staff were friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend.

Last night we celebrated my mums birthday with a group of around 15 well educated and professional women with a wide range of career paths.. I was completely disgusted at the service we received and the way we were treated. Our table paid cash up front previous to attending the dinner for a three corse meal included 4 bottles of wine (roughly 1 glass each). As you can imagine this was a large bill right from the start, during our meal we where informed that we were being cut off as we were all intoxicated after one drink and would not be served anymore alcohol. Towards the end of the night the staff proceeded to tell us that we were being to loud without any previous warning and that we were not permitted to make a speech (which was just a few quick words to my mum). We were completely disgusted by the way we were treated and appalled at the way the situation was handled by staff and management, I have never seen such unprofessional and disrespectful service in my life I will never return to this place again and do not recommend it to anyone I know!

Good food really marred by inattentive and snooty service. If you put the water in an ice bucket for the waiter to serve, then serve. Took 15 minutes before dessert orders were placed after mains only after we asked a waiter who was busy clearing unoccupied tables to take the order. Got a surprised look. Left a sub 5% tip when we normally do 10% to 15% for decent to good service.

The Mrs ordered a medium well steak and it came out medium rare. However, the staff were 10/10 and accommodated us very nicely . The rest of the food was 10/10!!! Highly recommend this place and will be coming back soon!!! Thankyou everyone at the river cafe!

Had booked for 7:45pm, arrived at 7:40 and didn't get to our table until 8. The female waiter/manager said it wouldn't be too long 3 times and hardly apologised. When ordering drinks I ordered a beer and also some table water, when the water came out there was no beer. Food was nice, view was good also but windows quite dirty and the waiter always kept saying thanking you which was annoying. Probably won't come back

Thank you to the very attentive young lady who looked after us all night, an absolute delight. The food was amaZing, the best view and a relaxed atmosphere. Never disappoints and we visit as a group of 6 friends each year for that very reason 😁😁

Was an amazing night out with family..The food was so delicious, had no fault at all and the service was absolutely top class...First time i have been but i do know it won't be the last...Highly recommend..

I dined here on a busy Saturday night the day before mothers day. Despite being full our waiter was very attentive and our food was amazing. I think this is one of the best hidden gems in Adelaide, will definitely be back.

Celebrating wedding anniversary. We ordered the chef's Feed Me selection of 5 courses. Every course was a complete surprise. We enjoyed everything. There were no crumbs left from any of the dishes. Really recommend the Feed Me option.

Went last night for our wedding Anniversary and can not fault anything. Our waiter went above and beyond for us. And the food was delicous. Will go back again and happily recommend.

I have been to The River Cafe a few times with family and friend. The views are amazing and it has a very pleasant atmosphere, the food and service was great. On the two occasions that I have been there, management and staff were fantastic. We had received complimentary champagne brought to us by the manager for our anniversary. Last night we dined there and the manager was very friendly and professional, making sure our dining experience was a positive one. The waiter that we had last night was very well mannered and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

What an amazing lunch at The River Cafe for Mother’s Day! Fantastic service, and they even catered especially for two of us dining who were lactose and gluten free. So nice to find a restaurant that goes out of their way to accomodate their guest’s allergies without any eyebrows raised. Thank you River Cafe for making our Mother’s Day magical!

I think I die and went to heaven. The food was 10 out of 10. We'll be back. Thanks for making my 60th Birthday dinner beautiful. X

Have always loved it in the past but not as good as it used to be. Two people on our table were looking forward to the duck legs on the website but they weren't on last night. The staff were great. The meals were ok. Great location

Went out for some friends birthdays. The staff were professional, friendly and welcoming. The food - sensational but dessert was the best.

Great steaks deserts views and good service

This is one of my favourite restaurants, the ambience is wonderful, the food is so delicious every dish I have tried is presented beautifully . I would recommend anyone trying this restaurant you won’t be disappointed.. staff are very professional and helpful, can’t wait to go back again!!

A Tuesday night work function dinner at this cafe in a lovely setting. It wasn't overly busy but the service was very slow. It took over an hour for our entree's to arrive. Food was very nice and full of flavour. I chose the mixed grill for my main and it was very generous. The steak in this dish was tender and cooked perfectly. Over all it wasn't too bad but a little over priced for the standard I expect. The service and staff very professional.

How did your winter go so far? My one started off great but after catching virus and being sick, I was inundated with all things occurred in the past several weeks. Never mind, things will get better. To overcome the winter ‘fever’, Tina and I headed down to one of the iconic cafe in town, River Cafe, to try the Festival of Food 2018 Menu.

Came here for the Festival of Food. This place has always been one of our favourites! Atmosphere is lovely with the gorgeous River Torrens view and service is always exceptional. For mains I had the crab pasta and my partner ordered the beef cheek. My pasta was delicious and creamy but I would have liked it just a little bit more if the chilli was more prominent. My partner enjoyed his beef cheek, it was soft and melts in his mouth as he described it. However I really loved the potatoes! They now added chilli flakes to the potatoes! It was so lovely, crunchy and flavoursome we finished the whole thing!

I'd been meaning to go to The River Cafe for a long while. I should say, I've wanted to review River Cafe for a long time. Every time we go I'm too engrossed in the food to take pictures therefore am not able to write anything up. <br/><br/>Trolling (not the bad sort of Troll) through Dimmi, looking at the specials they have if you book online. Just who would be in the listings? My old friend, River Cafe, 50% off food bill. Get that booked pronto! <br/><br/>To read the rest please click the website below

Excellent service with tasty food, best view for a fancy restaurant on the river. Dessert is much more than expected. The only downside is the portion of the entree at such high price, while main is much reasonable. When booking via Dimmi with 50% off on food, nothing should stop us to visit again.

What is this? Food for ants?<br/><br/>Good service but the food was not worth the loan I had to take out to eat here.<br/><br/>Portions were tiny and to make it worse the steak was cold. Can’t say I’ll be coming back any time soon.

Used a discount voucher which made the evening very affordable as it is a quality venue with quality food and bills are higher than the average restaurant. The only fault (which we have found tonight and on our last two visits) is the service is patchy. E.G. ordered sparkling water delivered still, ordered beers and while pouring one managed to part empty the other on my partners foot, ordered another round and was told they didn’t stock that only to find the waitress had asked the bar for something which we did not order and wasn’t in the menu. <br/>However the location is excellent, the presentation excellent, menu choices are extensive and the quality is very good. As above, you do pay more but the value is certainly there.<br/>If you want to impress someone you couldn’t go wrong with visiting this place.<br/>Wine & beer lists are quite extensive.<br/>Starters - we shared Arancini Balls & Zucchini Flowers both were generous serves, well presented and tasted great. For my main I tried the tagine of goat which was excellent and again a very reasonable portion.  We finished with a shares cheese plate - 3 decent sized cheese selections with terrific accompaniments, again very well presented and enjoyable.

PICTURESQUE VIEW<br/> We arrived early for a Saturday night dinner booking made by a friend & there was a sign on the door that said, "Closed for a private function", which was disconcerting - should we find somewhere else to eat? Apparently the sign applied to the day's lunch trade only.<br/>You can get a parking permit on arrival to prevent getting a ticket in the nearby 2 hour spaces.<br/>The service was good. The waitress warned us that a large group was coming & that we might want to get our orders in before they showed up. I appreciated this advice. <br/>We ordered bread with olive oil & balsamic to start which was delicious but the oil mixture ran out very quickly. The waitress happily brought us some more.<br/>The main course serving sizes were on the small side. My girlfriend's tortellini dish looked like an entree.<br/>I had the beef fillet which was cooked perfectly to my taste. Everyone had a taste of it & commented on how good it was. The accompanying truffled mash was ok. Everyone else enjoyed their meals, being papardelle, linguine granchio and a seafood broth.<br/>My sister & I decided to order the chocolate pudding which had a 20 minute wait. However, my sister had to wait for 10 more minutes after my & my girlfriend's dessert (panna cotta) was delivered - why?

There is nothing special about the food at river cafe, the food could of done with touch more seasoning. However, the lamb meat was cooked nicely. The crab pasta was really lacking any crab meat in it. The view is good but I probably wouldn’t return to dine here. Even though it was a quiet night the staff members shouldn’t be playing around and giving low standard service.

Guys you need to update your website, no way in the world are you 10 minutes from the festival theatre, unless you are Usain Bolt. Great location top table, Bruschetta charcoally, topping not that special. Aranci under seasoned, needed pepper. Veal gnocchi extremely salty. Some Local pubs do it better for a lot less. Happy to pay for quality when it deserves, but not the case this time. Over rated.

I love Festival of Food time, where I revisit all the restaurants I went to last year, because FOF have made it so affordable! River Café is one of our favourite restaurants in Adelaide and has never disappointed.<br/><br/>The view is spectacular as always. <br/><br/>Service a little slow on this occasion, through no fault of the restaurant, as I believe some sickies were in play, making this difficult for the remaining staff, I so get that! They did a fabulous job for the amount of waiters they did have! <br/><br/>We are always excited with the FOF menus and ordered promptly. Our entrees arrived fairly quickly and were quite nice, small critique on the crostini, it was too hard and just fell to pieces when you tried to eat it, the rest was nice. <br/><br/>When our mains arrived, my eyes roved the table and all the dishes looked promising. The lamb dish was enjoyed, the gnocci not so much, as this really needed some sauce to tie it all together and the gnocci was a little stodgy. I had the pumpkin tortellini which was undercooked, where the pasta was pressed together, was still hard. The pumpkin filling was sweet and the goat curd a bit lost, married with the amaretti butter crumb really made this a super sweet dish which I did not enjoy and couldn’t finish, I believe this dish would be much better without the amaretti and maybe a more savoury crumb instead. The rest of the dishes were just okay. We ordered some desserts and they were lovely.<br/><br/>We came here last year with a large group on the FOF and uber foodie mates and myself were totally blown away with their meals. Sad faces all around this year, it wasn’t up to the same standard, such a shame. <br/><br/>Thanks team, we will return and give the FOF another go!!

Food was AMAZING. Service was pretty good too. Didn't have to wait long for food. Wasn't too noisy. Now one of our favourite places to eat. Highly reccommend.

The next stop on my Festival of Food journey was The River Cafe.  Like most nights this time of year, the night we went was cold and raining and as I left work I wondered why I had agreed to this when I could be on my way home to a hot cup of tea and a warm couch. However once I arrived, I immediately felt better about my decision. Walking up to the restaurant I could hear the sound of the river running under the entry bridge and I felt the calm flow over me and the warmth comfort me as I walked through the doors into the restaurant. As I looked out the window at the beautiful view of the city lights over the river I forgot all about my couch and the cup of tea.

Just had a great night out for dinner here. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, great food, beautiful view and spectacular service. Just short of 5 stars because slightly costly, but it ticked all the other boxes so most probably will return. 🙂

Great views over the Torrens and beautiful decor creates the perfect setting for a special night out. Staff were attentive and professional yet friendly. All dishes were presented beautifully and tasted devine. Traditional flavours done well.

Food is okay- small servings- you will need to order sides.<br/>Service is poor..Saturday night:<br/>- can't see the river due to the people dining outside block the view<br/>-it took 1hour for our meals to come out after ordering<br/>- it took 20mins for my glass of wine to come out <br/>- general service is quite poor- we were never followed up once for drinks in over 3 hours and had to help ourselves to the wine in the chiller baskets next to the table<br/>- the kitchen stuffed up and one of our guests didn't get their meal until we were all finished ours<br/>- maximum of 2 entertainment cards per table (apparently) when we had 8 guests and 3 cards<br/>- corkage is $20 per bottle<br/><br/>We won't be back.. <br/>

Went on a Friday night which a lot of big tables r having Christmas dinner or family dinner, so in a not so big restaurant, it's consider very noisy. Service was not bad, food menu was on the traditional side but still cooked very well. Order the special of the night which was a mixture of seafood grill and cook in a broth, it was very nice as I'm a big fan of seafood, ended the dinner with a passion fruit semifreddo which was very light and refreshing, but I won't go back in a short period of time coz it's pricey place.

Booked for a celebratory dinner with family for a table of 8. Service prompt but time to meals a little delayed. Nonetheless oysters were beautiful. For main the beef fillet cooked to medium rare perfectly. really the only flaw was the salt was a overpowering on the side of potatoes.

It was our two years and six months, so we decided to treat ourselves to a massive feast at The River Cafe. It was our first time here so we were both excited to see what this restaurant had to offer! Here was our experience…. First up we had appetisers – bruschetta and 10 grilled oysters. The bruschetta was really simple but tasted great. It consisted of char grilled slice of ciabatta, topped with roma tomatoes and rockets, followed by a drizzle of balsamic reduction.(Unfortunately we forgot to jot down the name of the dishes). With the oysters, they were nice and fresh and had the perfect amount of toppings, so we were overall very happy with our starters. The evening was off to a great start!

Good wine, great food, the presentation was nice and can tell that a lot of thought has been put into construction this menu. Not as great as upstairs, but nonetheless, nice food with a view for a cafe! Nice coffee too!

The service was great so was the wine. Ordered a few entrees, the zucchini flowers were awesome but the cure kingfish and salmon was not as fresh and flavoursome as I hoped, it was a little smelly (not super fresh) and salty?. The mains were OK my beef cheek wasn't as soft and stringy as you would hope and the lentils were plain and starchy. The dish needed some freshness. My partners rib eye was nice. Maybe we didn't order the right items as our friends rave about this place.

We came here as part of the festival of food. The table service was sufficient and non invasive. The entree tasting plate was a let down, the soup was bland, the lamb was OK and the arincini balls were just like chip shop crumbed fish with rice. For the main, I had the goat tagine, and I must say it was really good. A massive serve as well. Highly recommend this dish. Overall, for a $150 experience, I felt all the cost went into the service, and not the food. I wouldn't visit here again.

I usually make an effort to visit every participating Festival of Food establishment each year, but it's nearly two years since my last visit to the River Cafe. With the introduction of the smartphone application, we've been given a lot more time to visit each restaurant, as compared to the leaflet which had to be used over a short period of time. I've already reviewed this place in the past, so I'm just going to get straight into the food.

It's been a while since we have been to River Cafe.. and what a disappointment that was. Although the menu looked similar to what it used to be the food proved to be opposite. Two of my friends ordered beef fillet which were really served burnt and unevenly cooked.When we complained we weren't even offered a change instead the waiter thanked us for letting them know. Service was poor and the food had not much taste to it.. We had to wait ages for the second glass of wine. Although it is one of my favourite spots in Adelaide I would not bother going again. Really disappointed.

On the River Torrens, underneath Red Ochre, is this reasonably fancy restaurant. It's full, but I peer through, and spot the unoccupied outdoor tables. Following my own Excellent Tip from last week, I'm wearing an extra-warm jacket, for occasions such as these.

Another year has gone by and it's that time again, yes it's Festival of Food season again. This is The River Cafe, and not the Riverside restaurant - located in The intercontinental hotel across the river.

RIVER CAFE NOTHING SPECIAL.!!. IiHad lunch 2 days ago with several members of Family on a cold wet day. For Entrée 2 had Arancini. The others had Zucchini Flowers & Scallops.... Arancini a little dry but nice flavour. Really lacked enough sauce and grated cheease over top. Zucchini Flowers most disappointing. There were only 2 flowers so overtrimmed they were barely there. Scallops were tiny. the sausage overcooked & not sutble & where the hell was the puree...<br/>Main courses were a little better. Swordfish on roast fennel & celeriac puree was deliscious, Crab linguine was nice but not special. Eggplant parmigiana was tiny and unremarkable...<br/>Now for sweets!! Tiramisu was nice. Crème Brulee with Rhubarb was embarrassing. The custard was like dishwater & where was the Rhubarb???? The Pannacotta was too creamy & over the top rich & none of us could eat it. The Honeycombe Icecream was deliscious... Sooooo OVERALL we thought there were several 'hits', but far more 'misses'. Considering their prices, their portion sizes are very small. You will pay for the restaurant name & can find a lot better for the same prices here in Adelaide....  "Eating Our Way Around Adelaide.!!"

I will admit from the start, the review may be biased given it was done for a meal we had during New Year's Eve. It was a set menu with free flow of drinks, although not the best selection of wines on offer with it. The dinner consists of miniature entrees and desserts with a main each. Without going into too much detail, the creations were fairly bland and tasteless. The beef was also overcooked. The restaurant does offer a fantastic view of the Torrens though, especially if they sit you close enough to or on the balcony. But unfortunately that is about the best good criticism I have for them. I'm unlikely to return given the poor quality food, service and price tag but I do hope that their usual menu is far better...

Great meal. After my previous gripe about booking for 8pm and not getting our table until after 8.35pm, the food was delicious and worth the wait, with the manager apologising profusely and offering entree & aperitifs gratis to us. Still love the River Cafe<br/><br/><br/>-----17 Jan, 2015-----<br/><br/>Service somewhat lacking. Have been here before and loved it but tonight booked for 8pm and it is 8.30pm and we are still waiting for our table to be vacated by earlier dining patrons. Not happy

Top Notch food quality. Went with a large party for dinner. Food quality was exceptional, tasty and well presented. Only compliant was service was not up to standard for a restaurant with premium prices. Had to refill our own wine glasses and had to ask for more table water multiple times. Could have just been an off night. Other than that, highly recommended.

Excellent view but flavor was missing in most dishes also a insect was found in our veg and $39 for a over cooked chewy steak was not acceptable service average wasn't game to order deserts.

Needs work. Have to agree with another review the routine, of waitress introducing herself, saying they'd be looking after you, then going elsewhere, then haphazard service after that, is puzzling. I am respectful to waiters but they are not entitled to converse as if part of the group, especially if they seem to be chipping in. Over priced in both food and wine, considering both are nothing special.

My Review. Food: Hit and miss. <br/>Service: Took a long time between courses, and service was generally abrupt. No gender balance in staff members, as they were all male. <br/>Atmosphere: Nice.

OK but .... Excellent views.... OK but ....<br/>Excellent views of the city and good surroundings. Well booked for lunch atmosphere good. Excellent choice of little known adelaide wine. Food all ok but expensive for what it was and seemed like it was taken from a 10 year old menu. My friend had Atlantic Salmon which looked less than an entree serve. Coffee was good. .

Stunner location stumbling dining. Everything began splendidly - the welcome, the table, the view, and unfortunately it all deteriorated from there. The service was confusing. We were told 'you will be looked after by................. ' but then we got a mixture of 4 table attendants. The young person that took our order could not explain what the snapper special comprised of and also suggested I probably didn't need to order a side dish. <br/>Our entrees were enjoyed - the scallops on the specials list were delicious. At this stage still all good despite the inexperienced service. It was the main courses that were so lacking that have deterred any thoughts of a re visit. My snapper was overcooked, dry and tasteless. Fortunately I did take it upon myself to order a side salad of greens. My partners crab pasta dish lacked any flavour at all. The sauce was very bland and crab meat scarce although I was unlucky to score some crab shell in my tasting. Since pasta is a big component of their menu it is hard to believe the sauce could be so dismal. My suggestion is the chef should try the crab pasta at Ruby Red Flamingo - not only does it taste amazing the serve is approximately 3 times bigger!

Great atmosphere, service satisfactory, maitradi rude.... Seafood Marinara came with empty shells. :( very over priced. Meat was cooked beautifully tho, but sadly left still hungry.

Great food, service and atmosphere. Having walked passed The River Cafe on many occasions, we finally booked a table here for my birthday and we absolutely loved it. Dinner was top notch and the view overlooking the river and city lights made for a very enjoyable dining experience.

The service was appalling! The man was cold, rude and kept us waiting for a long time so he could serve the people who came in after us. The food was ok, nothing amazing to justify the price. Thank goodness we had the entertainment book!

Had a birthday dinner here over the weekend - enjoyed it immensely. Friendly staff and a diverse menu on the night - would gladly return!

Wouldn't say it was bad, but certainly not worth the money you pay. <br/>Service was really good, except for the maître d, who was not overtly rude, but was certainly in no way friendly. <br/>Food was ok at best, husband was happy with the t-bone, I was not at all thrilled with the gnocchi funghi. The stuffed green olives we had for starters were definitely the highlight.<br/>We decided to go elsewhere for dessert and are happy we did. <br/>Really, for the same money, we could have done much better.

Couldn't fault the food in the slightest! Honourable mention to the Chicken stuffed Olives, Sea Scallops with sausage and cauliflower purée, Brodo di Mare & the Panna Cotta. <br/>Wine list also impressive, and a view that's worth paying for.<br/>The service is fairly run of the mill, but you won't be much bothered once the food starts coming out.

Woeful service. Waiting to order food and drinks for 20 minutes because the "kitchen told us not to take orders as they are backed up", followed by no food coming to the table for over an hour, as others who came in later we're served and had left whilst we were still waiting on main course, is not acceptable. With the poor service from the kitchen was the poor service from the wait staff, who had to be asked on two different occasions for water refills, and to order drinks during the wait for food, then as we were eating main course, started to pack up tables and ready the place for cleaning for the evening. Again, unprofessional. <br/>Food was good when it finally arrived, however hot chocolate was anything but hot. <br/>Thank goodness the staff are paid well within the costs of the meals, as they would have received no tips at all. Too bad really consumers cannot vote with their tipping dollar to encourage better service.<br/>Will definitely not return, and have told everyone we meet about the poor service, and the many other alternate restaurants in Adelaide with better food and much better service.

Great food, great service! The eggplant side dish is AMAZING but I suggest sharing it with 3-4 people with a main coz by the time you eat the main, your stuffed. T-bone steak was cooked to perfection, massive serving compared to the beef fillet.

Good food Fantastic service.... Good food<br/>Fantastic service<br/>Good ambiance<br/>We will definitely be back

Thank god for the entertainment book. "Beautiful View, food was ok. The bread is not free!!! Charged $1.90 per person,and was given two slices in chiabatta cut in half... Cafe Primo gives you free bread. The scallops were overcooked and overseasoned. The scotch was not the best quality and difficult to cut. The chicken was fig stuffed??? but you could not see or taste the fig. The waitress had no idea about the menu, we saw a dessert special, but she said there wasn't one, we both though there was a sticky date... we were right, it was on the specials menu... Does the chef not go through the specials with the staff before service!!!! We were given free muscat for the fig less chicken, but if the staff were better informed, you would of gotten our money for dessert too

Wonderful meal and service. We couldn't fault our meal and the service was very good. Our table was well positioned with a great view across the river. It was a warm evening so the doors out to the balcony were open. The temp inside was very comfortable and no bugs came in, which surprised us. Entree of the scallops as a special and the Vitello Tonnato were delicious as were our mains. I had the beef cheek which melted in my mouth. A wonderful evening.

Didn't Wow. We went to the River Cafe on a Thursday night for a family get together. One couple in our group had been before and said the food was fantastic.<br/><br/>Perhaps it was our waitress’ first night on the job, for the service was average. She spilled red wine onto the glass and tablecloth a couple of times with no attempt at wiping up the slippage and mixed up an order, but more about that later.<br/><br/>There was a mix of dishes ordered from Penne, Gnocchi Funghi, Salmon, Crab Linguini, Fish Stew, Beef Fillet and Beef Cheek. Those who had the Gnocchi and Salmon enjoyed their meals. The Fish Stew was ok.. given 7/10. Those having the Penne were disappointed, and wouldn’t order this dish again as there was too much penne and very little else in it.<br/>One had the Crab Linguini but said there was more linguini than crab and definitely not as good as the first time they had dined there. The Beef fillet was well-done instead of medium-rare as ordered so was sent back to the kitchen... we received another meal, this time cooked rare! We weren't charged for this meal. <br/>The Beef Cheek was nothing special, however, as I sat down to write this review I was checking the docket and found that there were 2 Beef Fillets on the order! So, I rechecked the menu and now realise that I was served a Fillet and not the Cheek! I have never eaten Beef Cheek before and couldn't remember the accompaniments that were served with it, so didn't realise that I had been given the wrong dish on the night. I’m guessing the waitress misheard my order?<br/><br/>After reading the reviews and having others in our group say how fantastic the food is at the River Café, I would say that most of us were a bit disappointed. The food didn't "wow" and for the price I would expect it to be exceptional.

This is my new favourite restaurant in Adelaide. Food was magnificent, with the eggplant involtinis and panacotta being the highlights. Service was pleasant and could not be faulted. Overall a very enjoyable dining experience.

One of if not the best restaurants in Adelaide. Such a comforting ambiance, awesome scenery, and mouth melting food at fair prices. Also top notch customer services and great for any occasion. A personal favourite, I highly recommend River Cafe.

Had FOF voucher so wife and i decided to give River Cafe a try. I chose the beef steak medium rare and the wife had crab linguine. <br/>The steak i had was amazing. it made windy point and gauchos look like hogs breath cafe. ordered it with potatos and mushrooms as sides. 10/10<br/>Wife usually eats half her mains. Her pasta was so good she finished it. she scored it 9/10<br/>desert menu is amazing. we were so full we shared the creme brûlée. couldnt fault it. <br/>customer service was top notch. nice friendly staff who made you feel welcome.<br/>first and definitely not last time we will visit.

FOF WOW. Husband, daughter and I have just been to the River Cafe as our last restaurant on the Festival of Food Brochure. What can I say, I think we pretty well left the best to last. Impeccable service, magnificent food, great wine, excellent coffee and cheese platter (not on FOF but well worth the extra minimal cost!) Everything was unbelievable. What can I reccomend....what can I not? Do yourself a favour and try the salmon....absolutely disregard that other review....and if you get the steak you will absolutely love the spicy tomato jam that comes with it. We will definitely be back...FOF or entertainment book or not! Special thanks to Isaac and Anthony.

I wouldnt normally do this but i have to agree with Lynn-Voss, the service was great, the venue is in an awsome place and well what can i say about the food but simply awsome,,,,Charly Bear must have picked a bad night or hes just a whinger

Fabulous. The river Cafe is one of those hidden treasures that deserves to be praised. The food was amazing from start to finish. We all had different entrees and all were so tasty. The Main courses were full of flavour and very good sizes. The sweets were lovely and if you are a creme brulee or chocolate lover i suggest you leave room in your belly. The service was friendly and and its always good when you can have a laugh with the waiters. We will most definitely be returning. a fantastic night....

The chef argued with me at the counter!!. Absolutely disgraceful! The worst dining experience I have EVER had.<br/>When is it ever acceptable for the chef to come out to the cash register and argue with a customer trying to pay the bill?<br/>The chef should be ashamed, you are completely unprofessional.<br/>The whole issue arose as one of my fellow diners salmon was raw, and we sent it back (not to mention the soggy skin that could be rolled into a ball, not nearly crispy), our waiter even was astonished, stating, 'We like it pink, but not like that!'.<br/>The salmon came back re-plated, mind you without the accompaniments and no sauce.<br/>Again, we sent the plate back, it came back with just some undressed rocket, and still mildly undercooked, and by now very dry on the edges. At completion of the course we mentioned our disappointment to the waiter.<br/>We finished our meal, went to pay, and were asked how we liked our meals. I wasn't going to raise the issue any further, but because I was asked I did say that the salmon served was the worst that our diner had ever tasted.<br/>At that comment out came the chef, who must have been eavesdropping.<br/>He started verbally attacking me stating that e cooked the salmon as it is meant to be cooked and that the skin was crispy, I told him that our table as well as his waiter did not agree. In the whole back and forth he accused me of lying and not knowing what I was talking about. Keep in mind all of this is in front of another customer next to me trying to pay her bill, and in front of the rest of the restaurant.<br/>The person taking my payment was very apologetic, explaining that she is the manager of Red Ochre upstairs, as I commented that I would never come back to either establishment again (I was actually due to go to Red Ochre next week, which wont happen!). I told her that I though the chef was very unprofessional, to which she agreed and said that it was out of character, and I should be reassured that there is a different chef upstairs.<br/>No compensation was offered, and was declined when I asked.<br/>I was there to commemorate my Mother's loss of both of her parents, what a disgrace, the chef could have ruined our day, but my Mum and I are laughing saying that we now have a story to tell EVERYONE!

Lunch. Haven't been to this place for quite a few years. We had a nice view of the river and a good first impression of this place. The meals (I had ragu pasta and my husband had mushroom gnocchi) were tasty and well presented. The service was quite good also. Hubby had a coffee and I a hot chocolate. I would say don't bother with the hot chocolate - I can make much better myself with Lindt hot chocolate flakes from Woolies. Although we enjoyed the pasta it was expensive. We have had equally nice pasta from other places at a much more reasonable price. Overall it was quite a good lunch but not great value for money

Had a great experience here. The views are great and the food and service was awesome. Our table staff were two people named William and Poppy, they were quick and very friendly. William made the service and ordering a little fun with some humor and made some great suggestions. <br/>Really enjoyed this place and will be a return customer.

YUM...YUM...YUM. I have been to the River Café many times for a number of different occasions – from casual dinners with friends and family, birthday dinners and most recently, I brought along interstate and international visitors....and I have never been disappointed. It has been a place to go to for a fabulous and relaxing ambiance, attentive service and unmistakably a delicious meal (and every time!). <br/>I recommend. Highly.

Terrible, rude service. Waiter had the wrong time for our booking and had no table. No apology, no indication of how long we would have to wait, no offer to show us the menu or bring us some olives, no idea or slightest interest in whether customers are satisfied. We left in disgust and will never go back.

The food is pretty good but the service is appalling. Also, don't go on a warm day/night because their air con is non-existent.

Bit of a disappointment. River cafe has a wonderful view and great atmosphere - we all noticed that the tables were a good distance apart so you didn't have to shout to be heard over all the noise! however we were disappointed with the food we were served. Entrees were nice, most went for zucchini flowers or calamari which was lovely, but mains were not great. I had chicken with red rice and parsnip(?) mash. Found the chicken a bit dry and the flavours overbearing. Friend's meat was boiled and tasteless while another's was quite obviously pre-cooked before hand. Another friend's polenta was not like polenta at all, very claggy. would probably give it a miss.

YUM!. We had a wonderful dining experience seated in a picturesque setting. We were delighted with our 3 courses topped off by 'couldn't resist' fabulous desserts! My fillet of steak was the best I've experienced since Las Vegas in 2007. We'll be back.

Our family of four went for dinner for the first time on Saturday. The service was great and the food was terrific. HIGHLY recommend the River Cafe. We booked our next dinner on the way out !)

Amazing as usual. My partner and I went there tonight for a celebration and as always it was amazing.<br/>Our host Ryan was a treat and the food spectacular.<br/>We started with ciabatta bread nomnomnom and followed this with the zucchini flower and arrancini ball entrees. Delicious. We then had the crab linguine and the brasato mains, with the brasato never failing to please me. I don't eat seafood but my ptr raved about the crab linguine. As sides we got the eggplant - again never failing to please, and the potatoes - aioli a dream.<br/>No room for dessert which is not a surprise, but is a disappointment - again the menu looked amazing.<br/>We washed this down with a bottle of the dalz Otto prosecco and left very happy customers. The price is very reasonable for the sterling quality of food we received.

What a gem! I can't speak highly enough of my experience here. We arrived early, so decided to wait at the bar and have a drink, but were offered to make our way to the table at any time. To begin, we polished off ciabatta bread; chicken-stuffed fried olives; arancini balls and oysters, all being of top quality. I opted for the Gnocchi e Funghi as a main and was mighty impressed. Despite being far too full for dessert, we couldn't resist ordering baked Lemon Cheesecake and Double Chocolate Fudge Cake to finish. With wonderful service, stunning views and a delectable menu, needless to say I will be returning. Can't wait for the warmer weather, as alfresco dining would make it more enjoyable again.

Dying of thirst. Saturday 23rd June over from Melbourne for dinner for 6 people. We were asked as soon as we sat down what we would like to drink. We wanted to look at the drinks menu first and said so. We weren't served again for about 15 mins, when the last couple joined us for dinner. By that time the rest of us knew what we wanted to drink, but as the (same) waiter asked the newbies what they wanted to drink and got the same reply as we gave him, he disappeared with an "I'll give you a few minutes to have a look", even though the rest of us said we wanted a drink! Another ten minutes passed, and finally I raised a hand in signal for service, which received a cold look in reply. We said we had been waiting at least 20 mins for a drink, but the waiter/restaurant manager was very negative and put it that it was our problem. Several other mishaps occurred during the evening, and even though the food was nice enough, it wasn't great. I don't imagine I'd return to that Adelaide restaurant again.

I have been dining at the river cafe for many years. We love the location over looking the river Torrens. The service is always professional. The food is always decent. A nice place for a romantic meal.

EXTREMELY LOUD in the cafe. Was like walking into a sea of noise, which meant nearly having to yell to be heard and further increasing the volume as everyone seemed to be competing against one another. Service was average too. Waited 10 minutes to have a bottle of water brought to the table and then we were given a broken glass which had a crack and chip couldn't really be missed! Food was very impressive, although what I'd expect for the price. The potato side dish is a must as the main alone won't feed a grown man. Overall not overly impressed, the dining experience was ruined by the volume level and mediocre service.

Lovely food and views. We go here for romantic evenings for a meal where you can take your time and enjoy the lovely views and of course your company! Very good food, plenty of variety.

Bill issues spoilt the experience.. We went to the River Cafe for our work Christmas lunch so we were a large group (more than 20 people). Despite the restaurant being full the service was excellent - meals came out in a reasonable manner and we were continuously offered drinks. The set menu catered for everyone and the food was delicious. Disaster didn't strike until it was time to pay the bill. It's always tricky with large groups but we couldn't understand why we were so short until we realised that we had been charged for four people that hadn't shown up (but that we had previously advised weren't coming). When we advised the restaurant they argued that as they'd catered for those four people it was their policy to charge for them (this "policy" was never mentioned in the conversations and I can't find it anywhere on their website - only a mention of losing the deposit which we were fully prepared to do). After several minutes of arguments he went searching for the booking form that we were apparently meant to have signed (but had never seen). When he couldn't find the form he tried to split the difference - more arguing - before he finally decided to charge us only for the people that attended. We then paid the food bill and the three separate drink bills that we'd been presented with and left. I thought the matter was finished until I received a call from two of our party that had stayed for a few drinks. They were in the car park when a staff member followed them out and presented them with a bill for $700 and claimed that we had not paid our food bill!! After several minutes of discussion regarding the amount of money handed over the conversation ended with "I'll check the register and if there are any problems I'll give you a ring". So, unfortunately, a pleasant team Christmas dining experience was spoilt.

This place is underneath Red Ochre, where I fed the other night.<br/><br/>Being a Friday night, the place is full. I have to sit out on the spacious balcony, on a balmy 18° night, overlooking the Torrens.

The blueberry gelato is rather odd. It has a crumbly texture, half way between gelati and crumbs. It's full of bits, and it has some zingy candied lemon rinds on top. The gelato isn't really sweet enough to support the rinds. In a dessert, I want lemon to be accompanied by something very sweet. Here, it just makes the already-odd gelato slightly sour. It's still not unpleasant, however.

These mozzarella infused rice balls tasted a bit bland to me. It definitely needed the tomato sugo to give it balance. The prawns were perfectly cooked and the marinade provided nice colour.

Today, I wanted to share a beautiful restaurant which I had the pleasure of visiting earlier this year in celebration of my godmother's birthday, the River Cafe. This restaurant was in the most beautiful location; right on the River Torrens with an incredible view of both the river and the CBD. I have previously dined here for both lunch and dinner and the view has been spectacular both times! The restaurant has a very modern, yet classic feel. During the day it is bright and open, whilst during the evening, the lights are dimmed which makes the view of the CBD even more spectacular. What I loved most about the set up of the restaurant was that every single table had a lovely view.  Set menu for the day  GORGEOUS flowers that my godmother ordered for each table. This photo probably doesn't do them any justice. The colour really

River Cafe A very belated review of the River Cafe as I ate here before Christmas with a friend, however this restaurant is most certainly worthy of a review...so here it is better late then never I suppose. We had booked a table and when we arrived were quickly greeted and escorted to our seats. It was a beautiful evening and we had a stunning view of the river. The service was very attentive, with the waiter placing the napkins on our laps, offering water and giving an overview of the specials as soon as we were seated.  While we pondered the menu we ordered a glass of Bird in Hand sparkling each and some sparkling water both of which were brought to the table promptl y. We decided to order some bread to start, we choose the c iabatta  with extra virgin olive oil & balsamic. The bread was fresh and warm, with a soft centre and a chewy-slightly crunchy crust. The olive oil was really nice blend, smooth in the mouth and no metallic or overpowering notes. The balsamic was also very good

As the year draws closer to June and to the end of my entertainment card, a silent scream escapes from the cheap, bargain hunting Asian inside me. My entertainment card was definitely in need of another workout, this time at the River Café. Pappardelle Ragu - Clare Valley stone-milled pangkarra pasta served with slow braised lamb shoulder & regiano parmigano ($26.5) Everyone has a weakness when looking through the menu, a meal or a thing that they must get if they see it - one of mine is the crab linguini. Soft, tender crab meat broke apart and melded into the cream based chilli sauce. It was an alright dish but it wasn’t incredible - the one at Spargo’s tastes similar and at a two for one deal on Monday’s ($15) it’s much much cheaper. Crab Linguini – Linguini tossed with blue  swimmer crab meat, garlic, chilli & simmered in a rose sauce ($28.0) After my very first semifreddo at Esca I was on the hunt for more. Passionfruit semifreddo had the texture of smooth, silky icecream, tasting

We finally made some time to take advantage of the Festival of Food and dined at the River Cafe . The Festival of Food brochure came through the mail box a couple of months ago with 9 popular Adelaide locations offering great value deals for lunch and/or dinner. For example, a three course meal at River Cafe with the FOF set us back $32.50 per person for a Friday evening ! The cafe serves modern Italian food and is on a floating pavilion which sits on the water with views of the River Torrens and city. Cranberry juice; $4.50 Having signed up to Dry July for the first time, I settled for a cranberry juice whilst the stranger enjoyed his glass of red – the perfect beverage to warm ones belly on a winters night. Wood oven ciabatta rustique with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic Entree tasting plate: Marinated prawn tail, red pepper dressing, fregola and crisp proscuitto A plump juicy prawn each accompanied with springy and chewy fregola – a pearl-shaped pasta from Sardinia and a light r