Rive Bistro

My wife and I went there for our Anniversary. After looking at their bland menu we decided to stick with their signature dishes. We both ordered escargot for an appetizer and they came out tasteless. If it wasn’t for the copious amounts of garlic on them they would be uneatable. But at least we were able to dip the stale bread into the sauce and freshen it up a bit. We both ordered their famous mussels. Thank God it was a small portion because they were horrible. Not quite sure what they do there but they threw a bunch of spices over some kind of hot tomato juice. «Would you care to see the dessert menu?» NO — give us the check so we can get out of here. It wasn’t until the AMEX bill came that I really felt I had wasted $ 150 +/-
Move along — there is nothing to see here!

I take my last review back… I have found Eric to easy to work with as he hones his exquisite menu and operations. By summer I expect he will have all Four stars.
Rive us the only true French restaurant in the area.

Feb 2, 2016. After a year of being nearly a weekly customer, I (and spouse), feel Rive is outstanding because of the food quality and river view. Staff is friendly if not always attentive serving tables. Bar staff is outstanding

My reviews are always short and to the point. Great view and setting, food was awesome… surprising almost. Actually impressed… downside: limited wine selection, staff wasn’t as attentive as they could have been but they were pretty good, but all in all, great first impression.

The setting is gorgeous… we sat outdoors overlooking the river on a warm late-​summer night.
The waitstaff is befuddling. One person came over and asked us if we wanted sparkling or plain water. We asked for sparkling. Then another person came over and we said the same — yes, we’d like the sparkling. Third person comes over, sees our glasses empty, and says «OK, you don’t want water?»
For a French Bistro, we also felt that the wine list and the menu were lacking many French options! We ordered a bottle of Rosé and were amused by the waitress’ pronunciation of Saint Pierre Rosé… a French restaurant where none of the staff speaks French?
The foie gras was very good, but was served with white toast that was uninspiring. I much preferred the crusty baguette that came in a basket. The steak frites was very good, the bleu cheese was creamy and delicious. We also enjoyed a daily special of salmon which was cooked perfectly. The waitress never checked back… we were lucky everything was cooked the way we liked it.
The slow, confused service was the biggest drawback… the menu was limiting but what we had was good. I’d give it another try.

Atmosphere was very good, service poor, food mediocre. Branzino was swimming in butter too much. Salad was greens with 2 small tomato slices, tasty but in inspired. Other dishes others had: risotto under cooked, mussels overlooked and very small. Server did not seem to care whether we were there or not until time to get a tip! Managers nice, but not effective. Will never go back to this restaurant.

This was our first visit to Rive. It will be our last. Service was about as bad as France where they don’t have any service at all. The waiter didn’t care about our table. Never checked our water rep our our bottle of wine. He just delivered the food. Horrible!
Now the food. Risotto– undercooked, mushy and bland. Was supposed to have shrimp in it. We couldn’t tell. Mussels– overlooked and shrunken to chewy rubbery bands. Branzinno was washed with butter and overlooked. Burger was ok, but it took three tries to get some mustard. Who can screw up a burger?
This is a great location with interesting décor. That’s the only reason this place gets 2 stars. We will never return. The manager really didn’t care to hear about the bad service report. We always tell them if it is not good. I was obvious they didn’t care. We asked three times for a check an had to go to the bar to finally get it. It wasn’t even busy, but the server obviously had other friends that he wanted to serve.
Never again!!!

Extremely disappointed. Beautiful restaurant with great views but horrendous food. First, we were given luke warm water with no ice. Escargot and mussels were horrible. Mussels were in a tasteless broth. We didn’t even bother ordering entrees because the appetizers were so bad. Don’t go here!

The view is lovely but the service is lousy. Two out three entrees were good. The trout was delicious a good French staple but the steak frites was utterly disappointing. Ordered medium rare received well done and luke warm. The waiter never came back to ask how our meals were. The service was super slow, they dropped the dessert menu and it looked good but the waiter never come back to take our order so we just got the check and saved the calories.

Nice location. Average cuisine at best. Over sauced fish entrée I could have passed on. Service was inattentive. Take the trip up to Ridgefield and go to Luc’s instead. You won’t be sorry.

Terrible staff!
Good view if you get a riverside table… but. They lost our reservation in spite of the fact that we called to say that we would be 10 minutes late. The wait staff was plain unfriendly and not close to being French.
Place has very poor acoustics so it was very loud.
The food was overpriced and tasteless. A $ 32 piece of bass was overcooked and the waiter did not care less. 4 slices of indifferent bread for a party of four. No French Bread here.
No taste of France here except the old Citreons out front. Some restaurants make you feel like a guest, this one just wants your money.
May have been a good restaurant once but go somewhere else if you want a quiet French meal! The view earns it the one star.

Have been back a few times. The location is still wonderful. One of the best waterfront dining spots in CT. The difference is… the food is now delicious!

Overall a fairly unremarkable experience. Outside area is cute and casual, over looking the little river, inside was fairly busy on a Thursday night and somewhat loud. By 8 pm they were out of oysters which was disappointing. I had shrimp salad which for $ 15 was a pile of avocado with 2 – 3 shrimps mixed in, really underwhelming. Burrata with eggplant mixture was ok, tried a few salads (beet, arugula with artichokes) — pretty boring. Filet was ok. Now, desserts were really good, esp opera cake and tart tatin, coconut cake was wayyy too sweet. Had to really try hard to remember what we ate — that’s my main point on this restaurant. Forgettable.

Wonderful lunch/​dinner at a river side French restaurant! The staff didn’t rush our meal and the service was fantastic.

Iv been here 3 times now twice when it first opened and for lunch today. After the first two experiences which were not too awful we decided it was not something we would want to put in the regular rotation. Today about a year later we tried it again. It was horrific the service was good but the food was terrible I had a burger ordered med. rare it came out well done with a sickening crust to the meat! My mom had the salad nicoise. The dressing was oily and tasteless and the tuna was cooked on too high a heat it crusted up just like my burger. The service was nice and took off the burger from our bill without question. It’s a very pretty location and I would come back for a drink but needless to say I will never eat here again!

Beautiful place right on the river. Indoor and outdoor seating with a beautiful fireplace. Great spot. French place. Been here a few times and it’s great every single time. Either salmon or trout is all I get and don’t sleep on the frites. Also very pretty Christmas tree on the dock.

Order a drink and watch the river on a sunny day, they won’t rush you out. The Mini lobster rolls (sliders) comprise a regular full lobster anywhere else, but they give you a little salad too for the same price, so the value is actually better here. Plus you can’t beat the waterfront atmosphere. Their lobster roll is not swimming in mayo so it is quite light and the taste of lobster comes through. Get the tarte tatin for dessert, it’s apple pie a la mode without all the carbs. Grande Marnier crème brûlée wasn’t too sweet and good. The sorbets a little too whipped but still taste good.

French bistro along the water.
Stopped for a Sunday Bloody Mary & small plates.
House made Foie gras, wonderful crusty house made bread, escargo served in a traditional butter, garlic and wine sauce.
Pleasant view.

Rive Bistro, a restaurant serving French fare with a multi-​million dollar view opened recently along the banks of the Saugatuck River in Westport. As you approach the restaurant you are greeted by an awning-​covered deck that seats 40 – 50 guests with full southern exposure to enjoy the view in the warmer months. The interior features a cozy, glass enclosed dining area with a 180-​degree view of the river as well as a fireplace for a romantic evening when the weather turns cold.
Chef /​owner Eric Sierra brings years of experience to Rive Bistro and many will remember him when he [oversaw] the kitchen at Westport’s Bistro des Amis before he relocated to Il Palio in Shelton. I recently attended a dinner at Rive Bistro where Chef Sierra’s presented an array of flavors from every portion of the menu.
The appetizers included several delicious choices. The «Mouse de Foie Gras» with brioche toast and fig marmalade was wonderful and included a few slices of a rich, smooth duck liver mousse that were perfectly complemented by the sweetness of marmalade. The «Charcuterie Board» included jambon, paté and saucisson, all of which were enjoyable, and our board also included duck rillettes, and Rive Bistros’ was a moist and flavorful rendition. The chef’s next dish was one of the best dishes of the evening, the «Lamb Meatballs» with caramelized Vidalia onions. The deep flavor of the lamb was elevated with a few Middle-​Eastern spices and then perfectly complemented by the sweet and subtle onions.
The appetizers also include a traditional preparation of «Escargot» with garlic butter and fresh herbs, a «White Bean Stew» with grilled shrimp and «Roasted Beets» with maché greens, goat cheese, and topped with walnut vinaigrette.
The entrées include many choices, ranging from a tradition «Steak Frites» to a rustic «Seafood Parmentier» (a French seafood shepherd pie).
My favorite was the «Steak Frites,» a NY strip loin offered with either a herb garlic butter, a black pepper sauce or Roquefort sauce. The steak was prepared to rare /​medium rare and sliced. The best of the three sauces was the Roquefort, the creaminess and richness of this sauce was a great complement to the steak. In addition, Rive Bistro also serves «Grilled Salmon» with sautéed kale, silky potato purée served with a yellow pepper dill sauce; the «Duck Confit» with fingerling potato, wild mushrooms and frisée; the «Seafood Parmentier» as well as a traditional «Moules Frites Provençale.»
The desserts were fantastic and my favorite was the Pain Perdu. The bread was moist and flavorful and then Chef Sierra added a perfect amount of sweetness and a nice textural difference with the walnut topping. This was served nestled in a delightful crème sauce. The Tarte Tartin was also fantastic. The apples were perfectly prepared and the caramel sauce was just sweet enough to complement the apples. The dish was accented with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream. The dessert menu also includes several Madeleines served with a delightful chocolate sauce.
Rive Bistro has a wonderful view and many of the dishes were delicious. As the weather turns warmer, enjoy the incredible view of the Saugatuck River on the deck with a glass of wine, some charcuterie, a Steak Frites and Tarte Tartin… a great way to spend a beautiful evening.