Riva Italian Restaurant - Port Stanley, Ontario

Sheena B.

My husband and I popped in for dinner and had such a great experience that we came back for lunch the next day. We were seated by the fireplace overlooking the water. We started with the calamari, and my husband had the steak and I had the mushroom pasta. Everything was delicious and cooked perfectly. My husband said the steak was one of the best steaks he’s ever had, and he’s had a lot of steak in his day. For lunch we had the seafood bisque and the Italian sausage & mushroom pizza. Both were delicious! We will definitely be back. Amazing food and great service!

Agent D. E.

We had a wonderful dining experience at Riva! This new Italian restaurant in Port Stanley is beautifully situated right on the water, and the views are stunning, especially with the garage doors open, letting in the breeze and overlooking the lake.

The food was excellent – we enjoyed fresh oysters, a perfectly cooked steak, and a flavorful tomato-based pasta that felt like a true taste of Italy. The wine selection was fantastic and complemented the meal beautifully, while the beer was decent.

The service was attentive and friendly, making us feel welcome and well-cared for throughout our meal. Overall, Riva has a fantastic atmosphere, great food, and attentive service. We will definitely be back to enjoy it all over again!

Lana N.

We were in this place few times and all was good. Pizza, spaghetti and fish and chips were delicious. But it was summer and there were a lot of people here. This place has absolutely stunning views. So I had a wish to drink coffee, eat some dessert and enjoy the view. And yesterday we did it. It was so nice experience. Holiday vibes, a lot of space and delicious desserts. They made my day! We have one more amazing all season place in Port Stanley!

Olivia N.

Loved Riva! Do they have some kinks to work out as a new place? Of course. But they are definitely trying their best and that shows through their service. All very friendly and attentive. They apologized for any delays in food coming out and worked to fix it right away.
We had the ricotta Montana, and the prosciutto pizza and both were SO good. Really flavourful and fresh. Prices are reasonable.
The vibes and location are awesome.
Definitely a place to go to sit and enjoy your food and the views. If you’re on a time crunch maybe not the best option but well worth it if you have time to spare.

Eric

Fantastic new restaurant in Port Stanley. We didn't have reservations but thought we'd see if we could stop in since we were in town with family, and they were booked right up, but were still able to fit us in and we ended up at a nice table with a gorgeous view. They were super welcoming and nice about getting us in even without the reservation. The waiter was really friendly too, and had great suggestions for us. The seafood pizza, cheesecake, and pistachio ice cream were amazing. Will definitely be back!

Sunanda S.

What a perfect little spot by the water, the staff friendly and welcoming. The mussels blew us away…the main course could do with a little help the chicken we got was over cooked so the crisp outside actually tasted burnt, the seafood in the pasta was perfectly cooked but the pasta itself needed some flavor it was quite bland. Having said that we’re definitely visiting again because we loved the vibe and we believe as time goes by the food will get better if they’re given honest feedback and act on it. It’s how good restaurants are made…wishing the team the very best of luck we are rooting for you.

S A.

Service was great. fast and friendly. Atmosphere good except we were seated next to hostess stand and the staff hangs out at the station. Water served needs to be cold no ice provided. Food was not good at all. The spaghetti was dry awful. The eggplant completely under cooked, hard, and no salt! No salt and pepper at table provided. The ceaser salad was served whole a head of lettuce cut in half turned upside down drenched in dressing. I do not recommend needs new head chef and someone please taste the food before it goes out!

Jeanne

The food here was phenomenal! From drink, to app, to main we enjoyed our meal! The oysters were lovely, i would have enjoyed a few more slices of the fresh lemon. Chicken Milanese was perfection (sorry for not turning the plate around in picture, there was actually a lot of chicken on the plate. Its hard to tell from the picture though). The breading was crispy, and just enough salt! Arugula was fresh, crisp, and peppery.

This being a new restaurant we could tell immediately there were some bumps with the operations. When we came in staff had spilled a drink at the hostess station ( I've worked in restaurants and drinks were only allowed out customer sight. While everyone needs to stay hydrated, there are better places to allow staff hydration than the hostess stand). The acoustics of the restaurant were very loud, it was hard to hear. While our waitress was phenomenal she had way too many tables and wasn't able to check in on us an much as I would have liked, she never got to ask how our food was. It's to no fault of hers, she was absolutely lovely.

I'm hoping the operation issues will get sorted out next time we go. I'm very hopeful to update this review to 5 stars. Because the food was really delicious. The addition of a good Italian restaurant in Port & St Thomas area is needed, I can't wait to visit year round. I hope my feedback was helpful and considered.