Theater District restaurant serves ‘60s-style French food.

by Josh Ozersky

Nobody looks to Restaurant Row for culinary innovation, and Le Rivage may have the distinction of being the most outdated place even in that gastronomic backwater. In fact, the place is a time machine--a glance backward at what French restaurants were like in the ‘60s and ‘70s, before the first whiff of nouvelle cuisine made its way to New York. The food, like the decor, is heavy--but also delicious. All the old warhorses are here--frog legs, escargot, coq au vin--back like hall of famers at an old timer's game, and still packing a wallop. Just don't come counting calories: There's enough cream and butter in each dish to supply a dairy.

06/18/09

Maybe I missed something

by jjpmom

Maybe we experienced this place on an off night, but I did not have 4 1/2 star food or service at Le Rivage on my recent visit. I had the "Artichoke and tomato salad" which consisted of a few lettuce leaves, 2 slim slices of tomato and 4 pieces of artichoke that looked and tasted like they had come out of a can. It looked like a plate you would get at a roadside (and I mean highway) cafeteria in Europe- minus the cellophane wrap. The main course, Coq au Vin was terribly dry and accompanied by very bland and also dry, not to mention uninteresting red potatoes and a birds nest of some unidentifiable vegetable, perhaps parsnip. It came off as a meal that had either been long prepared (a la a hotel banquet meal that sat in the hot box too long) or it had been microwaved. My husband's salmon tasted as though it had been pulled out of the Hudson- last week. Yuck. Dessert held little hope for us and we weren't surprised by the quality of the creme brulee which again smacked of something pre-prepared/frozen/purchased through a vendor like Sysco and definitely not made on premises , nor made recently. It was the worst creme brulee I have had; and I have liked creme brulee ever since the first time I had it in Paris when I was 12. It seemed to me by the staff on hand that the proprietors are not French, nor are the cooks (and I mean cook and not chef), which could be part of the issue. I regretted choosing this restaurant as the location where I had my last meal in New York before I left the next day. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth.

• Pros: Ambiance
• Cons: everything else

04/14/09

Not worth it

by hunter1gbr

Having read the reviews on city search my boyfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a romantic night out. We were the only people in the restaurant which was concerning but we sat down and ordered. Although we ordered completely different meals it appeared we both had the same brownish sauce. Everything seemed to be made from this one sauce. We had the fixed price menu and they managed to get through all three courses in 40 minutes; this would have been fine if we were heading to a show but we weren't we were after a nice lesuirely meal. The service was good but it is certainly not a 4 and half star place and I wanted to let people know that perhaps this place has gone downhill somewhat and perhaps go somewhere else.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Food and decor

02/15/09

Food worth every penny, in every course.

by kareemahb

SO me and the boyfriend did a Valentine lunch, cause of our hectic schedule. This restaurant has been here for like 40+ years so you;ll find a lot of umm Mature people in here during the lunch on saturday for the cheap prix fixe meal. and its opens at 12. we were there by one. the place was packed. its very popular. every course was so delicious, I couldn't believe it. cause there is always one course that's just okay.Not the case here. We both agreed its the best french food we had on restaurant row. and will definitely y come back again.

01/28/09

Best French food and entertainment

by cartonhelmet

Aside the food being fantastic, the french Marie antonette fashion show was excellent and in very good taste. The designer was from Providence, R.I. and had the pleasure of meeting her at the restaurant. Her name was Bruna from Bruna Costumes . They make original designed gown, hats and wigs. The french would be envious

• Pros: excellent food and atmosphere
• Cons: none

12/28/08

Nothing Special

by DennisDee

I found the restaurant in need of a renovation. Its 1960s decor was not comfortable and its rest rooms were worse than Penn Station. The food is ok for someone just getting familar with French food but I would not suggest it for an experienced person. The presentation was awful. Coq Au Vin served with a lump of mashed potatoes and a few carrot stix . The Chinaware resembled something that was purchased from an OLD Greek Diner. The French Onion soup was no better than one can get at Cosmos Diner on 23rd Street. None of the dishes were bad. They were all decent. But with wine and tip the bill was $60.00 per person. I can get a much better meal in NYC for that price.

• Pros: Traditional French Cuisine most people would be familar with
• Cons: Traditional French Cuisine you can find in a Greek Diner.

12/08/08

My Best French Restaurant

by jdabyy

This is one of the few restaraunts I remember really well. The food is unbelievable. I remember that the first time I came in I had the Salmon and it was the best I ever had. The servers were friendly and knowledgeable about the food and wine had a really nice relaxing dinner .I cant wait to go back.

10/02/08

I love FRench Food

by mmicki

Came here during lunch with a bunch of coworkers for my birthday. This isn't the best french food I've ever had, but the place does a great job of combining charm, convenience, and overall good experience. The food was around the price I'd expect for this type of place and area. In a great unassuming alley, there are places to eat outdoor or indoor on a colder day. Service was slightly slow, but since we were just taking a long lunch it didn't matter as much. Generally, everyone was happy with their food. I had the salmon and it was perfectly cooked. I would reccomend to anyone.

• Pros: foods
• Cons: slow service

09/08/08

Last real French restaurant

by 3lions

This is not a trendy bistro, or brasserie but an honest to god real french restaurants. Not the same generic menu that you find all over. The food was great with plenty of authenticly prepared classic dishes. The service was very nice and the owner was very visible, how nice for a change.

Will return with friends and even more friends

Great experience

• Pros:  everything
• Cons:  none

07/06/08

Bad Experience!

by vivicabo

Super low quality food. Chewy and over cooked steaks/meats. Tinny portions. Bad service. Cocky waiters. Overly priced. It's too dark. It's depressing. Creating a romantic atmosphere doesn't necessarily mean too dark. Unless you're creating a cave.

• Pros: ?
• Cons: Food ad Service!