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Tue, 19/03
20:00

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RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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PRICE RANGE
S$12 - S$55
CUISINES
Canadian, Contemporary
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
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Traveller rating
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46
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Reviewed 30 October 2023 via mobile

Great location, local Canadian inspired food, good drink selection and friendly service. All ingredients are Canadian. Including "pepper," which is from regional tree bark. Not as spicy but flavorful

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 15 October 2023

The Beef Tartare and the Beef Burger were really unique and fantastic in taste and flavor. They mostly use locally sourced ingredients and this makes the food excellent in flavor. The service was excellent and we had a memorable lunch here.

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 4 October 2023

Sadly, this was the most expensive disappointing meal I’ve ever had. I truly wanted to love this place. My wife and I came to celebrate our anniversary, and we chose River Cafe based on the great reviews and locally sourced, Canadian-focused ingredients. We left so...truly disappointed. The Good: The setting, atmosphere, and service were all great. Our waiter Shel(sp?) was refreshingly down to earth and very attentive. The sablefish and tenderloin were both quite solid dishes, though neither was a great value for the price. The Bad: My wife and I are not the types to send food back unless it’s almost inedible. We had to send both of our entrees back and we wish we could have sent the wine back as well. The duck breast was very chewy and bland, the wild boar was unacceptably salty and also bland, and the puréed oyster mushroom sauce that came with it was so very acidic. Acidity seems to be the chef’s weakness: the chicken liver mouse was acidic and sour to the point that it was hard to detect any other flavors aside from an occasional small flash of mint, the aforementioned oyster mushroom purée tasted more like vinegar than mushrooms, and the wine that the “somellier” recommended (a Beaujolais) was one entirely one-dimensional, with that dimension being sour. About the wine: I try to own my own mistakes, so it’s really our fault for not rejecting it when the bottle was opened and we tried the first sip. But here’s the thing: River Cafe seems so very proud of their wine program on their website and menu that when the “somellier” (who spent the rest of her night taking orders and bussing tables by the way, which is why I put their title in quotations) recommended only two bottles of Beaujolais (nothing from any other region) I put my faith in them that the wine would open up after it breathed and would pair well with our main courses. It didn’t, and it didn’t. This was the first and only time I ordered a bottle of wine in a restaurant and left nearly half of it behind. It simply wasn’t worth drinking just to recoup the cost. That’s pretty much sacrilege in my world. Long story short, it’s shocking to me that River Cafe was rated one of Canada’s best restaurants. Perhaps they had an EXTREMELY off night when we dined there, but with how bad our food was, I’d be truly surprised if they could produce anything spectacular on their best night. What a shame.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 29 September 2023 via mobile

We had just driven to Calgary from Banff and weren’t quite ready for the city.. a walk on Prince’s island fit the bill and a seat on the porch at River Cafe for some late afternoon charcuterie and beer/cidre was absolutely perfect. It’s a bit...pricey but the quality is worth it!More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 18 September 2023 via mobile

We booked for mid afternoon Sunday. The only option was the weekend brunch menu (not specified on website that lunch menu not available) and food very basic - eggs, bacon, fried small bits of potato. Small enough portions. Service initially very slow until waiter went...on break and more efficient waitress replaced him. Sat outside on a nice day. Better food in a Denny’s.More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 12 September 2023

I read about this restaurant in a travel book and was very interested in trying it. I walked a little further than I expected, but the meal made the walk worth it. From the start, the staff were very attentive and made excellent recommendations. I...had the beef tenderloins - the best I've ever had.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed 8 August 2023 via mobile

Had a great dinner at river cafe yesterday. Food was excellent with attentive service. Only item worth mentioning was that the wait time for the food was a bit long as they were quite busy but special thanks to the restaurant manager for handling this...very well.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 30 July 2023

Wow. What a disappointment. I made a reservation for my fiancé and I for her birthday. We arrived at 16:45 with River Cafe nearly empty. We were given the afternoon menu with the option for the dinner menu. We started developing an appetite based on...items from both menus. The waiter was slow to attend to our table and we eventually managed to order wine. When we were ready to order food, just past 17:00, we were told we cannot order from the afternoon menu anymore. Suddenly we were forced onto the dinner menu which was previously an option. Great, now we must shift the appetite we've already developed. Still waiting for our wine, everyone else is served bread except for us. Are we on the dinner or the afternoon menu? Our food arrived but we still have not had a sip of wine.....? In addition, we noticed other customers still being served items from the afternoon menu… ? The food was good, but we had a hard time to enjoy it due to the above events. We asked for the dessert menu, only to find that one of the items we would have liked from the afternoon menu is indeed available for dinner but only on the dessert menu… ? River Cafe, thanks for disappointing birthday afternoon (I mean dinner).More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 22 July 2023 via mobile

Food was really good but it took at least 30 min to get our starters and then another 20 min for the mains. Dessert was much faster. Restaurant was busy but not packed. Nice ambiance. Too bad about the wait.

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 21 June 2023 via mobile

We strolled from our downtown hotel over to the island and were first in line at 1100 for an early lunch. No reservation- it was a Friday - and were promptly seated outside in a garden-like setting. We both ordered a pot of tea, the...charcuterie board, and split the eggplant entree. Everything was cooked to perfection. Very pleasant day. Great setting would definitely return - highly recommend.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 12 June 2023

This is an elegantly chic, yet informal, restaurant situated on Prince’s Island, overlooking the Bow River and surrounding greenery. Dishes comprise fresh local ingredients, creatively crafted, and presenting a tantalising blend of colours, textures, and flavours. Imaginative wine list, and good range of beers, ciders...and other beverages. Service is sublime - highly responsive, unobtrusive.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 8 June 2023

If you want to be patronised by a condescending member of staff (sullen blonde), this is the place for you ……. but make sure Sullen Blonde is there. Appalling and unhelpful.

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 May 2023 via mobile

Great service and delicius food. Nice place to go with family and friends. We drink local beer an a delicius dessert. Most of the time you need a reservation but We were lucky We got a sit on the deck. Muy recomendado. Excelente servicio .

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed 28 April 2023

River Cafe offers great Italian food and wine. Fresh, tasty, and well-presented. Friendly, attentive, and competent service. Elegant and cozy. Their risotto is a taste explosion. River Cafe is a top London restaurant.

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed 22 March 2023 via mobile

Great setting with beautiful views, but you’ll need a reservation for dinner; fortunately there were seats available at the bar. Hummus appetizer was excellent and both mains were good. Pricy but probably worth it if you have a comfortable table. Service, even at the bar,...was excellent.More

Date of visit: March 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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Lac T
5 September 2019|
AnswerShow all 8 answers
Response from Shuttrrbug | Reviewed this property |
We UBER to a Sheraton nearby and walked over the bridge to the cafe. The walk before and after is part of the ambience, very nice. Very nice restaurant. Go.
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osudanni
22 June 2019|
AnswerShow all 11 answers
Response from Grimsy | Reviewed this property |
Casual but ‘neat’
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River Cafe, Calgary - Northwest Calgary - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about River Cafe

River Cafe is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5