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The River Bistro, Providence, RI

The River Bistro

3.5
3.5
31 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
  • Great for brunch
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighborhood gem
Welcome to The River Bistro, a hidden gem located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. Sitting at 200 Exchange Street, this is the perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful Providence river walk. The Rhode Island business owner and restaurateur, Chef Stefan, is excited to turn this hideaway into a hot new destination. At the River Bistro, our chef puts his touch on the classic foods Rhode Island has to offer. All of our food is locally sourced and made fresh daily. Whether you are joining us for brunch or dinner, our staff is here to make your dining experience unforgettable.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Mediterranean, Bistro
  • Hours of operation
    Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (401) 548-6688
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 31 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.5
3.5 based on recent ratings
  • 3.3Food
  • 3.6Service
  • 3.8Ambience
  • 3.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Rhode Island

    Great for brunch

  • Rhode Island

    Healthy

  • Providence County

    Great for brunch

  • Providence County

    Healthy

  • Providence County

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Providence County

    Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The River Bistro offers a picturesque riverside setting that "you can't beat," especially for outdoor dining in Providence. While the food is "INcredible" and drinks "phenomenal," service can be inconsistent, particularly during busy events. Expect a limited menu on Waterfire nights. The location remains a major draw for visitors.

31 Reviews
  1. Leandro

    New York City

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    New owners and menu. Got the chicken and waffles. Went with 8 people and everyone who had a side of home fries got charred burnt ones. My chicken was bland and undercooked. Food was better before the change.

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  2. Albert

    San Francisco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 27, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Awful experience. Despite having reservations through Open Table, we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. There were empty tables (that were not cleared from previous guests) the whole time we waited. We had to ask multiple times to get seated, and watched other guests (presumably without reservations) also made to wait and they left. Apparently their excuse was that a server called in sick, but there was minimal communication about the status of when we might be seated (kept saying 'getting ur table ready') and only minimal apology at the end (and no comp or any effort to make it right). Would NOT recommend this restaurant!

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  3. Manal

    Detroit

    65 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    65 reviews

    Dined on October 27, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the location. Food is average. Great service.

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  4. Stefanie

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Unexpected gem on the rivers of the quaint Providence town. Portions were unexpectedly large, and the food was just delicious. Only made better by great bartender… Absolutely will patronize the river bistro in the future. 

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  5. Gail

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    If you go during Waterfire be prepared for an extremely limited menu. We expected to order seafood and instead had pasta with a meat sauce. Not what we expected but we figured it would be hard to get in anywhere else at that time (which was why we made a reservation). It was a flat price of $25 for a plate of pasta. They have just a few other choices. A glass of Pinot Grigio wine was $18.50. There was $6 wine at the wine bar they had set up outside. The service was terrible. After tip for the overworked server our bill was $100. What a ripoff. The only positive thing I can say is the location was good.

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  6. Danielle

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    My review is similar to the ones already posted. When I made the reservation, it never said anything about a limited menu. The menu had no glutten free or vegetarian options and was nothing like we saw online. So we just ordered drinks, and thank God we made reservations at another restaurant in case this place didn't work out. And it didn't.. Honestly, reading all these reviews, I'm not sure why they are still in business, probably because of the location on the water. Drinks were good, and the staff was fine but a little frazzled but not rude. My advice is FIX THE MENU.. or post that you have a VERY LIMITED MENU. So people know before wasting their time.

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  7. Cynthia

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 1
    Limited menu and still no food availability but had a drink and it was good.

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  8. Chris

    Greater Boston

    9 reviews

    2.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Limited menu was a surprise, rushed in and out. Wish I picked another restaurant.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Indiana

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We ordered the chicken sandwich and it tasted very bad. We left.

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  10. IanG

    Greater Boston

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on September 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    You can’t beat the outside tables. Right on the river.

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FAQs

The River Bistro is rated 3.5 stars by 31 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
Google Map for The River Bistro

200 Exchange St, Providence, RI 02903-2621

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Providence
  • Hours of operation
    Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Mediterranean, Bistro
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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