I visited this restaurant with my husband in February 2007 and it was one of the best, if not THE best experience of the trip.

The night-time view is truly stunning and magical. The food and service is excellent and the resident piano player just puts icing on the cake. If you love good food and are looking for a romantic setting then do not hesitate to book a table!

myself and my partner booked to have a meal on 10th dec, when we arrived its setting is breathtaken underneath the brooklyn bridge over the hudson river with the view of manhattan by night. totally stunning, to top this all off the retaurant was covered by christmas lights to make the setting even better.
we arrived a little early but were instantly greeted and made to feel welcome and shown to the bar. where we were served straight away.
i would reccomend a table (if their is two of you) sitting alongside each other as you get to appreciate the view fully.
our waitor was very curtious and any questions he dealth with very well.
its a very romantic place and if visiting new york i would highly recomend a visit especially if you go as a couple and the food was fabulous as well.a little pricey both food and wine but it is a fantastic place. will definatly be returning

This restaurant was superb. The location is wonderful overlooking the lights of Manhattan across the water. We had booked a table on the internet before our trip to New York and then confirmed 24 hours before we were due to be there. Jackets are required in the dining room so it is important to pack one in your luggage.
The waiters were friendly, helpful but not overpowering and we were made to feel very welcome. The food was delicious and beautifully cooked and presented. We had a lovely relaxed evening and could not fault anythng at the River Cafe. Thoroughly recommended for a special holiday treat - expensive but well worth it.

My partner and I went to the River Cafe on a weekday in December 2006 for lunch. We'd tried getting a dinner reservation but no chance. So lunch was second best, or so we thought.
The weather was glorious if cold so the view over to Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge was just unbelievable. I had forgotten to request a direct window table but we were shown to one anyway, a big (and nice) surprise. We were greeted more cordially by the maitre d' than by the hostesses on the front desk, but then we did walk in on foot and didn't exactly look dressed up for the occasion (as it was so cold and we were sightseeing that day). (Although that should be no excuse).

Service was excellent if bordering on the obsequious in some cases. We were shown the extensive wine list and were assisted in choosing a white wine. We are from the Moselle region and could see that the German choices in the wine list were very respectable. As for dinner, we went for the three-course full monty. Portions were not enormous but even my partner, who eats for two normally, was sated by the end of everything. I won't go into the food details but suffice to say that the quality goes way beyond anything I have eaten in the States so far and even to some extent in Europe. The menu is not huge but still the choice was difficult. For the full three-course meal including a bottle of wine, two cocktails to start with and one coffee the bill came to about 190 dollars excl. a 30 dollar tip. While this may seem expensive by some standards we felt it was absolutely appropriate for this quality of food.

And - what impressed us most is that we were not hurried in any way. We found that in most places in the States you are presented - unasked - with the cheque as soon as you put your spoon down. OK, this was a lunch session so they probably did not hope to get a second sitting in, but still, we took loads of time over everything (as did most guests) and having walked in at 1 pm we left at quarter to 4.

This was definitely one of the high points of our trip (my sixth time in New York, my partner's first) and we very much enjoyed this. A walk back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge is much recommended after so much food! We will definitely return next time and may try to get a dinner table to see the lights of Manhattan although, to be honest, to see the city in daylight is just wonderful.