Riviera Grill

We walked in, and the place is very attractive, the staff is so friendly, and the food was awesome! We ordered the veal and it was the best I’ve had!

I am an Italian who has been exposed to homemade Italian food prepared by my Nunna (grandma) for years. This food is of that caliber. Best Italian restaurant in Long Island and significantly underrated. Pena Alla vodka and Filet Mignon are INSANE — go for it !

A fantastic experience, over and over again: the food, the service, the atmosphere — simply awesome.
Any of the pasta dishes, the fish specials, beet salad, Tuna Carpaccio, try the Pinot Noir by the glass, or if your name is Bond: a dry Martini with a twist.
And Pietro: a true gentleman, with old world charm and real professionalism! Ask him about the Riviera and enjoy his adventures …

Not. Going. Back.
I had ‘heard’ good things about this place. In retrospect I think I must have made that up in my head. My wife and I went on a Saturday night. Within 5 minutes of sitting down we both realized it was a mistake.
The service was terrible. Slow. Disinterested. They made us feel like we were bothering them. The food was served cold and was simply not very good.
We tried it just to try it. Conclusion: waste of a night.

Went on Valentine’s Day weekend and I can say that the service was top notch starting with the friendly parking lot attendant who had to move cars in 8 degrees weather to the warm welcome from the owner and staff. We had made a reservation, and our table was waiting for us as we arrived. Starting with generous poured glasses of wine, we were treated to crusty bread and complimentary antipasto. The mango salad was fresh and crisp. But, it was the main courses that made this a meal to remember. The fresh clams and pasta was excellent, but the night’s special of a 1−¾ pound lobster surrounded by mussels, clams, calamari and a pasta with a zesty Marinara sauce was the highlight of the meal. I have had this dish in the city, but the Riviera Grill made one of the best I have ever had. We completed the meal with Tiramisu dessert that was fresh and satisfying and accompanied with complimentary Biscotti and shots of Limoncello. A great evening!

The Italian food here is probably some of the best prepared and plated dishes you’ll ever taste, great ingredients used, coming together in pure pallet delight. So, why one star… You ask? The owner Pietro went above and beyond to make my wife and I unwanted in his home. I believe a restaurateur invites you into his restaurant which is their home for the next hour or two to give you a dining experience like no other…
Like no other it was, but it took place in buzzaro world.
Eating here felt as though I was in a prison mesh hall with guards standing watch over my table watching every move we made.
I didn’t get it immediately but Pietro was walking around clicking his pen every second and waiters clanging dishes to motivate customers to finish quicker so they can turn over the tables. This place wants you out in 60 minutes or less.
I actually watched Pietro go to the table in front of us, that had a couple in deep conversation but came at the same time as us, (about 59 min) be told you have to leave I need this table for my regular customers as Pietro took the woman’s pocketbook off the chair and handed her it, along with her coat, hat, and husband’s coat and scarf as well.
We were outraged by this and asked to speak to Pietro, when he came over we expressed how horrible his actions were and he said «they weren’t his regular customers and he needs tables for his regulars, by the way I need your table now. Ask him how do you run a business like that, he stated if you don’t like it there are over 2000 restaurants you can go to and you don’t have to eat here, because I have so many Customers who dine here.
First Pietro you are a nasty horrible old man who should have been taught manners but you never were and your true colors came out last night, and what I got a kick out of, was a lot of your Regulars saw those true colors too. Un Pazzo

It might appear that I am a limited Unilocal user, but I can assure you that Unilocal is my go to Bible to find the newest, greatest mouthwatering new food establishments in the Tri a State area. Unilocal star ratings are usually right on target but my experience last night was just «odd» and anyone seeking refuge in this establishment must know what they will experience upon entering.
We called for same day reservations, in retrospect I should have known, the gentleman answering the phone seemed rushed, somewhat rude & requested that we arrive 30 minutes prior to my requested reservation time to «avoid the rush». Ok by me. We arrived on time, was greeted by a valet attendant shoveling snow from the lot, we waited a few minutes and when he didn’t stop we pulled into a spot. Wrong move, we were lectured on how this «wasn’t a real spot», how his job is unmanageable, because of the amount of snow and expected reservations.
Inside the restaurant we were greeted by an «older», «disgruntled» somewhat «unkempt» older man. We were escorted to a table just outside the restrooms next to an empty party table set for 25 people. He said don’t worry, you will be finished prior to their arrival, not ok, why do we need to sit in an empty party room, when there were empty tables in the restaurant– after all we arrived on time!
We received our plastic laminated menus — mine withhold melted butter in it making the pages stick together & immediately received the usual questions «tap» vs. «Bottled» & drink orders, I needed a few minutes and couldn’t decide — wrong move– this restaurant is all about turning the tables over.
We received a complimentary cold appetizer plate, nice touch, hot garlic bread, even better– things might be improving — not! The soup special was horrible, overpriced and had a Mexican flair — ok to each his own!
My chicken dish and husbands veal dish were delis. Only problem, throughout the entire meal, the wait staff hovered — I mean they could have pulled up a chair and dug in. I witnessed two waitresses pointing to a female patron & laughing. Completely unprofessional, what a group of unholy servers!
At one point the grumpy old man (owner) stood behind the couple beside us and started to click his pen uncontrollably. This was code to get these people out of here. When that didn’t seem to bother the couple, he started rant under his breath (loud enough for us to hear) that he needed to turn the table over and screaming at his wait staff to «get them out of here». This behavior was unbelievably rude! The owner PIETRO actually handed the woman her handbag and coat and said «time to go»,
I called the head waiter over to express my complete dissatisfaction with what I’d just witnessed. Apparently, this is the way it rolls in this establishment. He apologized but seemed adjusted to this type of rude behavior.
So, I woke up this morning & realized follow your gut, from reservations, to parking, to entrance of this establishment I felt unwanted. What a disgrace — PIETRO, the miserable, old, grumpy owner needs to realize there are many dining establishments with wait staff waiting and wanting to make their patrons feel «at home». Needless to say, the bill was not cheap, while the food was delicious, I’m paying for a dining experience. I want to feel appreciated, I want to dine, not shove food in my mouth. I do not want to hear morse code, the sound of pens clicking, signally hurry up!
It’s time to retire PIETRO, or you need to go. Your old fashioned beliefs about ownership are just that old! Bring new blood in, restore this old antiquated restaurant. I feel as though I visited my elderly grandmother in a nursing home and crashed for dinner! Disgruntled people who no longer have a passion for service need to move over and make room for those people who actually want to stay in business. I work hard for my money and you will never see my greenbacks again. Ps: we were lucky to get our car back as the valet guy was totally thrown for a loop as well left another car pulled in, omg — what to do!

This place is like one of those Italian restaurants that you see in movies. A charming spot from times past with waiters in suits providing impeccable, knowledgeable, and attentive service. While the food may not be on par with some of the Michelin places in NYC, it’s still delicious, well worth the price, and the service takes it up to five stars.
My friend and I had reservations on a Friday night and I noticed that it was already full of people– always a good sign. While splitting a bottle of Pinot Noir, I sampled the complimentary hors d’ouvre of bruschetta, parmesan, and olives. Additionally, each table gets a basket of crisp Italian bread with a drizzle of olive oil and minced garlic. They certainly know how to win a girl’s heart… bread.
Given the delicious array I already had before me, I went lighter on my entrée and ordered the minestrone and a salad of shaved fennel, arugula, avocado, and shaved parmesan. The soup was tasty with beans and fresh vegetables and our waiter graciously added cracked pepper to top it off. The salad was fresh, light, and balanced from the creamy avocado, lemon dressing, and sweet crunch of fennel. My friend’s pasta looked delicious with a burst of cherry tomatoes and shrimp in homemade fettuccine. And at each course, the waiter and management would make sure our dishes met our expectations.
Already in a satisfied state, we sadly declined the nightly special of profiteroles. Even so, each table is provided with a plate of biscotti. The spices are reminiscent of gingerbread with warming allspice and a dusting of powdered sugar. Just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. We sipped glasses of Amaro and the owner came by to chat with us as my friend had frequented Riviera Grill in his college days. Again, the quality of service is hard to find! This place is a must if you find yourself in Glen Cove.

One of the best Italian places around Long Island. My family loves coming here and we always order large trays of pasta
for our family gatherings. Staff is extremely pleasant and willing to work with any of your requests. Try the seafood in black squid linguine. Ahhhhmazing!

Impeccable service. Amazing food in a perfect atmosphere. A great Italian for any occasion. Our waiter Marco went above and beyond to provide a level of service you won’t get anywhere else. A must try if you’re around glen cove.

Great food and service old time classics with a nice twist. Would recommend highly the chef really knows his stuff. I’d recommend any of the seafood items as it seems to stand well above other food items.

Just came back from dinner. It was excellent. Great bruschetta n cheese plate.
Garlic bread was light and crunchy.
We had the Orange Roughy and the Rigotoni Bolognese, both excellent.
Biscotti was delish.
We will be going back and bringing friends.
Service, you could not get better service any where. very attentive.
Wonderful, wonderful.

I do not know where to begin. It was a Friday evening, and the service was so attentive. We walked in, and the staff were beyond nice, genuine and made you feel at home. They were quite busy. The pinot was excellent, as was the bread with diced garlic complementary appetizer. I had the Pasta Abruzzo, it was excellent. My friend had the Fettucini Mare Monte, amazing. A complimentary lemon cello was served after eating, which ended the meal perfectly. The staff went above and beyond. I highly recommend the fennel salad, its delicious. Definitely will become a staple place for dinner. If you want true, Italian food, go here.

I have been here a few times for dinner and have always been pleased with the food. The cuisine is quite delicious and the staff is extremely friendly. On a recent visit, I was quite impressed at how attentive everyone was from the host to the waiter, they continuously checked in to make sure we were enjoying our meal. The desserts were delectable, especially the fresh cannoli. When the meal was over, the host told us to take our time. It was nice not being rushed out. I will definitely return and highly recommend this restaurant for Italian food.

Excellent. Freshly made everything. I enjoyed every bit and didnt mind paying the price. As close to Italia as your ever going to get. Pietro is a hands on owner. I will return.

I don’t live too close to Glen Cove but the reviews for Riviera Grill made me want to give it a try… My boyfriend is very into seafood so he tried the crab cake to start off while i stuck with chicken soup. Both were phenominal. As far as our main dishes, my steak and his lobster were out of this world. I don’t eat much seafood but after trying his lobster claws, I feel obligated to order it myself next time! Great food but what stood out most to me was the service. They had a way of making us feel special, which I don’t find at too many restaurants when we go out. Unilocal reviewers weren’t kidding when they said 5 stars… I AGREE!!!

As I have said before, Glen Cove definitely has more then its fair share of Italian restaurants and MOST of them are good. This one is GREAT! All the waiters (who I think are all owners) are remeniscent of my Italian uncles, and take care of you like you are family. The atmosphere is lovely and the food is superb. All the sauces are incredible (bolognese to die for) and the veal parm is probably the best you’ve ever had, thin and butterflied veal that positively melts in your mouth. I also adore the complimentary antipasto of salami, cheese, spicy olives and bruschetta not to mention the basket of warm and crispy homemade garlic bread that greets you upon arrival. Prices? Definitely fair. The Riviera is a true dining experience. One you will not soon forget!

This place is FANTASTIC! The crab cake appetizer is the best on earth and the risotto is absolutely amazing. We recently moved to GlenCove and enjoy the wide selection of good restaurants, this one could be the best. I agree with the other Unilocal reviews, the Riviera Grill earns its 5 Stars at every meal. Dining here is truly very special.

My husband and I had our wedding night meal at Riviera Grill in Glen Cove this past summer in August. We were so happy with the excellent service and food for our small party. They treated us like gold and the food was divine. Everyone had something different and all were more than pleased with their dinners.
We look forward to going back for all of our special occasions.

This place has been around for a while now, but they seem to be hitting a peak. I had not been for a few years but recently had dinner here on a Friday night and it was packed and the food was fantastic. We had a really memorable meal. We sat down and were given a excellent antipasto plate. Always nice to see a large complementary plate when you sit down. Good quality Parmesan, cured meat, very flavorful bruschetta on crisp bread, and black olives in garlic. Much better than your usual starter plate.
For appetizers we had the chicken soup with I think barley and vegetables. Good strong flavors from the peas and carrots, good start to the meal. The other appetizer we had was the mixed seafood salad. We loved this. The seafood tasted great, with a light lemon vinaigrette. Very large portion, great value. My favorite part were the scallops which were sweet. For our entrees we had the Spaghetti Alle Vongole which was excellent, although not a very large portion. They chopped the clams on request, so it was nice not to have to pick out the clams from the shells. Strong clam flavor, great dish.
The star of the meal was the Halibut in a light cream sauce, over lemon risotto and shrimp. Amazing flavors, well cooked Halibut, and perfectly seasoned and cooked lemon risotto. The cream sauce was light and perfect, this dish was just fantastic. The service is perfect, great friendly usual staff, and the food is memorable. Highly recommended!