Review Osteria Riva - Bondi

Fantastic staff, incredible food and lovely decor. Vegan options weren't on the menu but the staff were very happy to change things up which was great. Would highly recommend!

Really loved this place tonight. I only take off one star because I think the prawns were frozen not fresh Australian prawns. The service could have also been improved with more staff. But otherwise the staff are lovely. Our pasta was cooked perfectly and entree was delicious. I’m not sure why there are so many criticisms about the portion sizes they are huge!! Thanks

Such a gem in Bondi Junction! The wagyu sirloin is amazing and incredible! It's cooked perfectly, crispy outside and it's just like melting in your mouth🤤🤤 Tiramisu is another must-try👍🏻

It is such a beautiful, charming restaurant and the food is absolutely delicious. Mario and the owner were so friendly and helpful ensuring we were happy at all times! Thank you! Highly recommended! 😃

We arrived and were told the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. We were offered the special of the day “trufonara”, pasta with carbonara and “5 grams of truffles”. In first place, I strongly doubt it was 5 grams. And secondly and worst, it was definitely burnt. We were charged 50 dollars, a complete scam. Very strange that this place has 4.2 stars. I do not recommend this place at all. + we were charged the tap water, pathetic.

Food wasn’t too bad but really average, they didn’t let us sit inside because they were “fully booked” but the entire time we were there was at least 4 tables empty, the waitress was a bit rude. Definitely not going back and i don’t recommend this place at all

What another amazing night here! We’ve been 3 times now and each time gets better and better! They even got me a candle on my almond pana cotta for my birthday! Such lovely staff (even nicer if you speak in Italian to them), and such quick and easy service. Great wine, great atmosphere - it feels the most like Italy in Australia I’ve ever experienced (and I’ve lived in Italy for 10 months). Can’t wait to come back 🤤 xx

Overpriced even with inflation priced in. Paid $30 for a glass of pinot. Waitress was nice. Food so-so.

This is one of the best Italian restaurant I went in my life,and I am Italian so I know what I am talking about. The venue is perfect. Even though it was quite cold outside, inside was very comfortable to sit,very warm and cozy. The focaccia bread is the most authentic Italian focaccia bread I ever had in Sydney. It was the first time I tried Fiorentina and I was not disappointed. The steak was just finger-licking good, and the potatoes,oh my god...I wish I can cook them like that!The dessert was such a beautiful blend of flavours,it was the perfect cherry on top of an amazing dinner! They have an huge wine list and,most important thing,you can put truffle in any dish on the menu.It is like a dream come true. We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and I am looking forward to spend my birthday this coming Saturday. And to top it all off, all the staff was really helpful, patient and courteous. A really perfect package if you want to spend a good night,with good food in a really lovely place!

We went for our wedding anniversary on a recommendation from a friend and we weren’t disappointed, the ambiance of the place was incredible, the service was brilliant and the food was amazing!! The handmade pastas are delicious, the lamb Raghu was mouth watering. I cannot cannot wait to book again.

Molto bene!! We will be back again , and again, and again, and again!! Thank you for making my father-in-laws birthday dinner so memorable. The candle on the affogato was just delightful. You’re staff are too lovely. Can’t wait to have your pasta again 🤤❤️

Fantastic little Italian restaurant Bondi Junction is lacking in good food. It’s so nice not to have such a great place near home.. finally

Such amazing and authentic food, I would fly to Sydney just for a meal here! Highly recommend

Simply the best again and again and again........ great food, staff sempre!!!

Best Fiorentina ever!!! Can’t wait to try other dishes. Staff very friendly and location just amazing! Couldn’t ask more for my first wedding anniversary!

Stumbled upon this place on a rainy evening...Amazing food and service! Loved it..we will definitely be back soon. Italian as it should be. Thank you.

Best Italian in Sydney! I have never written a review before but i am sure this place deserves one! Really nice atmosphere, friendly staff and awesome food! You guys make me proud of my Emilian cousine abroad! Thank mates we' ll definitely be back :)

We had an amazing Sunday lunch...tipical italian food and excellent service! We ll definitely go back soon!

This is one of the best Italian Restaurants I have eaten in in Sydney. The food is simply amazing! There are also daily specials that keep us going back time and again. It is a very cosy, intimate restaurant and the atmosphere is fantastic on any night of the week. Be sure to make a booking as they are always busy! The restaurant is licensed but also allows BYO on Sunday through to Thursday. A must do if you are in the area!

Our favourite!!!! Definitely recommend it. Great food and service!!!

I'm from Italy and the food was just like at home.. I loved it! We'll definitely come back!

Always good. Great local with authentic flavours. Don't miss the Calamari fritti

Found this place by absolute accident, visited them last night and fell in love with the place! The food, the service, everything was spot on. Would give them more stars if I could.

Great food, cosy venue and friendly staff. Definitely returning soon.

Pleasantly served...authentic handmade pasta...definitely the lamb ragù was delicious and grilled vegetables and finished with traditional tiramisu and creme brûlée....recommend you try...and their coffee is excellent!! Well done guys!!

So delicious, so authentic, and really fast delivery. Their ragu tagliatelle is second to none! They don't do that thing so many Italian restaurants in Australia are guilty of doing which is making all their sauces with condensed tomato paste and an overdose of herbs. This is just right.

Overpriced restaurant and average service. Our feedback was not taken seriously and the food was not what you would expect from such hefty menu prices. Will not be back and suggest you don't waste your time either.

Serving up traditional Italian food from the regional area of Emilia-Romagna, a visit to this Bronte Road restaurant is like a trip to Italy, without the jetlag. Emilia-Romagna – the area up the top of the boot – is known for its fresh produce, strong flavours and homemade pasta – and that’s what you can expect from Osteria Riva. No pizza. <br/><br/>I recommend the antipasto plate, which comes in two sizes. It sets the tone with a pile of Italian cured meats and cheeses that are of the highest and freshest quality.

Very traditional Italian dishes featuring many handmade pastas.<br/>The crab and artichoke pasta was spot on.<br/><br/>Lots of fine Italian wines to choose from served with efficiency and care.

Perfecttttttttttt dishes with truffleeeeeeeeeeeeee! that's allllllllllllllllllllllllll ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa(omg why have to write at least 140 wordssss)

Nice and cozy restaurant. It's a lovely place to catch up with friend in a cold evening. Their food was lovely, simple but flavourful. Staff was really friendly, made you feel very comfortable.

Osteria Riva is a renowned traditional Italian restaurant which specialises in Northern Italian cuisine. From the regular lunch menu, I ordered one of the osteria's specialty, cappelletti ai porcini, or pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese topped with porcini mushroom sauce. The pasta was half-cooked and I could easily spot soft uncooked portions. I do not see how this pasta is worth $26.

Not sure if the ownership has changed or not, but Osteria Riva used to be my favourite restaurant in Sydney. It has gone seriously downhill since last year. <br/>The handmade pasta is great, and in traditional Italian style they don't go heavy on the sauce so you can appreciate the pasta. But the various pasta dishes as a whole lack flavour, colour, and any form of presentation. I shared several dishes with my family and it was hard to tell which was which because they all tasted the same.  The squid ink linguine with cuttlefish, which was a hallmark of their menu for a long time, is no more. The entrées were by-and-large better than the mains, but it felt like there was no love put into making the menu as a whole.<br/><br/>The restaurant still boasts an EXCELLENT Italian wine list, and this is one of a few reasons to still go there. It's also BYO most days, so if your heart is really set on a special bottle, that's a big plus.<br/><br/>It's a small restaurant and can get a little loud if there are big groups (I have both been and sat next to this table on a number of occasions).<br/>Overall, value-wise it's still a good eat and a decent location. Staff are friendly and helpful if not always super attentive. It's just simply nowhere near as good as it used to be. <br/><br/>Food 2.5/5<br/>Wine List 4.5/5<br/>Service 3.5/5<br/>Location 4/5

Was recommended this place by an Italian friend saying that the pasta here is just as good as what he had back in Italy, if not better than some, and definitely one of the best in Sydney.<br/><br/>Been back here three times since and the food and service never disappoints. I can't quite remember the names of the dishes I had each time but they were all amazing. The Entrees, Mains and Desserts were all good, along with their daily specials. The portions are great at reasonable prices. <br/><br/>Theres almost always street parking out front around dinner time so it's quite convenient. Though make sure you always book, or arrive just as they open otherwise there's a good chance they'll be booked out for the entire evening and waiting won't even be an option. Learnt that the hard way. ಠ_ಠ

Very good Italian restaurant. The entrees were delicious although small portions of the antipasto platter but I think plenty for 4. The pasta dishes were outstanding and very generous portions which we were all happy with because we thought after the entrees we'd recieve small mains. A bit pricey but had a lovely experience overall.

This tiny, adorable restaurant is everything you would expect from a genuine Italian trattoria/osteria. Good food, warm atmosphere, the limited number of tables help to create that nice buzzy environment without the noise that sometime big crowdy restaurant have. It's the perfect place to go if you wanna surprise your woman with a truly romantic experience. Can't wait to be back!

My partner booked a table for dinner after a recommendation. On a cold, windy, rainy night he was offered a table outside which he obviously refused and was then given a table inside the restaurant. We ordered wine and food, although the wine arrived after we had finished our entree...which was nice and well presented. A large crowd arrived and the noise levels in the restaurant were unbearable. There was no music playing to drown out the shouting from other patrons. My partner thought it was BYO from the website and was told otherwise on arrival, only for other tables to produce their own wine and be handed wine glasses without question. The pumpkin risotto was bland although the ravioli was delicious. This is not enough to bring us back to Osteria Riva. As appetising as the creme brûlée sounded, I was getting a headache looking at the dessert menu from the noise levels and couldn't wait to pay and leave so i could have a conversation with my partner, unable to hear each other all night. We left wine unfinished, wishing we sat out in the rain and cold instead of insuring the past hour in the restaurant.

Traditional italian food<br/>So many memorable dishes<br/>It has been a long time since we've eaten italian this good<br/>Wonderful atmosphere and service<br/>Good wine list too<br/>Definitely recommend for date night or dinner with family/friends - should book as it gets very full

Going Mad. I was so excited to try the restaurant because of all the good reviews. My husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal in on a Saturday night. We got takeaway . We ordered the lamb ragu and the mushroom bechamel pasta. The lamb ragu was pretty much unedible if you classify hard bits of dry lamb as ragu then you may wish to order this dish. The other pasta dish was gluggy and also unedible. We paid $50 for the privledge. So I think I must be going mad or is everyone else into crap food! Won't ever be eating there again!! Extremely disappointed!!

A bit of surprise not a nice one.. I was so excited about going to Osteria Riva with my husband last Saturday. The food review of customers on Urban spoon were great and it said that you could bring your wine. <br/>I bough beautiful bottle of Italian wine we went in got table and I handed to waitress bottle of wine. She went to ask somebody if we can have our bottle and come back to tell me that now they don't allowed any more BYO on weekend they haven't mention that anywhere on their website. <br/>It wasn't great business for them they restaurant was pretty empty they lost at least $150 and new customers.<br/>So folks no BYO on weekend.

Delicious. You must try the cappelletti so yummy! Little restaurant but perfect for a romantic dinner and lively waiters!

As we stepped out onto the street we both commented on what a great homely feel this restaurant has and the people of Bondi should feel lucky they have such a wonderful local Italian restaurant on their doorstep. Can't wait to come again.

During my visit to Australia I wasn't so lucky with Italian cuisine but that changed in the Harbour City. My friend Gian who is actually Italian, recommended and took us to this restaurant so expectations were high. The place Osteria Riva , Italian cuisine from Emilia Romagna region, modest, cozy, authentic, as soon as you get in you realise this is the real thing and they're doing their best to have a real Italian spot in Sydney, I have to say, spoiler alert they succeeded. Indeed chef Andrea Riva is doing an amazing job of bringing the cuisine from his region and keep it authentic, making everything from scratch

Meats and eggs used here are organically produced in Rylestone, northwest of Sydney. The pasta is made fresh daily, something that's clearly evident, and the style of the food is that of Emilia-Romagna, a stunning part of Italy I was lucky to travel through many years ago.

Being the only restaurant in Sydney that serves the traditional cuisine stemming from the Emilia-Romagna region, owner Andrea Riva - who also brought us the charming Amarcord - will proudly deny any requests for pizza. Handmade pastas are the specialty here, and with centuries of tradition behind them, they're confident in their innate abilities. Placing ourselves in owner/chef Andrea's capable hands, we're presented with Fried Calamari ($14) , served with zucchini and prawns in a paper cone. The presentation takes me back to a beach in southern England and British seaside fare; though it's far from sad or soggy. Gnocchi Dell'osteria ($24) is their colourful house bouquet of beetroot, gnocchi, succulent prawns and clams. The Cappelletti with Sage Butter ($22) are filled with ricotta and topped with ragù. Our charming waitress explains our little bundles of joy are "shaped like the hats that the priests wore". They're also al dente, and exceptionally tasty. Perhaps that's why pop

Good starter antipasti to die for.... Meals are reasonably priced try if you can Apple cake on special for dessert yum

Step into Italy! the best test is the number of Australian Italians who patronise this place. You can't go wrong following this crowd. This is not faux dining with all the airs and fakery of up market dining. It is cosy, sometimes a little noisy but Italian is spoken (and Italians have spoken).

The Macs and Smiths. Very salty and small servings was our experience. 3 adults and 5 kids thought as such. (The 10-year-old's quote: "I think the chef had an accident with the salt"). It overpowered what could have been subtle flavours of good simple food. Pasta was also too al dente. Generally a let-down given the other reviews. Service was good.

Not keen. I expected much better based on reviews but it's a typical strip shop Italian which is obviously relying on serving the same meals they've had forever to satisfy their regulars. Wine was substandard, by the glass tasted like the bottle had been opened days ago. Pasted was described as fresh and home made. Both the spaghetti and the short egg pasta was undercooked and suspiciously uniform for something we were assured was made on premises. Focassia tasted like day old Woolworths bread. Will not be coming back. Should have taken head of the warning signs of suede effects paint and permanently chalked specials on the wall...

Great service and fantastic food. Everything was spot on. The service was great and the food was fantastic. All the waitresses and waiters knew the menu well. The sommelier chose perfectly for the meal.<br/>The staff was very friendly and they timed the serving of the meals to perfection.<br/>Highly recommend and I will be going back.

Love it... Eggplant and scallop pasta last night was divine!

Highly recommended. The food was delicious, the atmosphere intimate and inviting. The service was excellent! A hidden jewel in Bondi Junction.

It was a last minute decision to try that lovely Italian restaurant. The staff were very helpful and extremely kids friendly. Great food, great service.. Must try!

I went saturday night with my family. I have to say they aren't kids friendly at all! no colours no kids menù and the kids portions choice are very limited. The management need to improve the trainig for the service. We remain seated for more then 10 mins with dirty plates in front of us. There were 3 staff on the floor for 17 table. overstaffed and bad trained. let me say if they will improve this few things this would be a good restaurant!

Great stuff !!. Great restaurant,great menu, great food and quick service - best Italian I have been to in a while in this country , highly recommend it !!

Disappointing!. Went for a birthday meal last night and was extremely let down. The menu had changed which was disappointing in itself as we had been looking forward to the mixed seafood pasta and going especially for it.<br/><br/>Staff refused to cook it for us.<br/>Settled on two other dishes which were no where near as nice. <br/>Found the food small in size (8 parcels of ravioli) and both our dishes were undercooked. <br/><br/>Staff not very apologetic and bordering on being slightly irritating with the frequency in which they return to your table. There is being attentive and then there is being annoying. <br/><br/>I had been here before and found the food lovely. This however was a different experience. Wont be back in a hurry!

Italian Gem. Operating in what used to be Amarcord, this restaurant is an Italian gem.<br/>Understandably popular, the meal we ate here was one of the best we have had in Sydney for many months.<br/>Showmanship and excellence in food preparation and delivery:<br/>3 examples:<br/>1. My wife ordered a Sirloin steak. The waitress brought over what must have been a 4kg piece of sirloin on a wooden board. She was asked to choose how thick she wanted her cut. Returned, when cooked, she was delighted with the taste and the perfect medium steak.<br/>2. I chose a house specialty - pasta and lamb. Arguably the best al dente pasta I'd eaten in a year. Lamb was truly perfetto.<br/>3. Desserts choices were all too tempting to refuse. We both enjoyed generous servings of moist tiramasu and 3 flavours of sorbet.<br/><br/>Would we return? Yes. Happily and hopefully soon. <br/>A welcome addition to Bondi Junction eating scene.

Great all round. We have been coming here for months now and can't believe the obviously biased and see through negative review just posted.<br/>Great food and service with fresh ingredients and BYO

Terrible service. The food was okay however the meal was completely ruined by the terrible service. We not only endured rude sloppy service but we were also charged for food that they forgot to bring us. I would have to say some of the worst service I have had in Sydney. Those who find bad reviews of this place "suspicious" actually seem a little suspicious to me. It's just not worth it with all the other fantastic places the Eastern Suburbs has to offer.

Creative menu, true home made pasta and best of all order your wine by the bottle or by 250ml or by the glass. Service excellent. Seating decor shocking. Bring your own pillow

Great food. I have to strongly disagree with a previous reviewer's negative comments about Osteria Riva and Rosso Pomodoro! We love both restaurants! The food is great and the staff are always fantastic.<br/>It is extremely unfair that these forums allow these sort of comments about restaurants from people who possibly have another agenda!<br/>We are taking friends to Riva next Wednesday.<br/>I have recommended both restaurants to friends and without fail, they have all been impressed!<br/>It seems very suspicious to see one bad review amongst the rest of the fantastic ones. Keep up the great work guys. We are fans. :-)

Great service, great food. Beautiful Italian food and wine. Would be back many many times!!

Love it. Really nice restaurant, casual and with a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere. The staff is always very kind and the food is genuine and delicious. It's truly authentic Italian food. I have been many time and in fact i'm going back tonight.

Bondi J. scandal. The worst italian restaurant in Sydney. Service was very rude and the managing reflected Rossopomodoro in Balmain which is an outrage for our city.

Fast service. Excellent food although salty. Italian looking decor. We had marinated olives, spinach ravioli and tuna as the main course. Would go back. Easy parking.

Gorgeous gem hidden away in a forgotten part of Bondi. Homemade bread and olive oil delicious, and the wild mushroom risotto was one of the best I've ever had! Will definitely be back.

Brilliant. I have been 3 times now the food is excellent and the service is unpretentious. "3 hats"