La Riv Wood Fired Italian

LOCATION:La Riv is at a really nice location. It's on the corner of a relaxed intersection, just on the outskirts of Georgetown's Main Street, but still within walking distance of all the shops. Service we had was great once we sat down, but we did have to wait for about 15 minutes despite having made a reservation days before. They were busy, so it may have just gotten missed, but it was not a big deal. Awesome interior and a nice private room. They have a huge brick oven and sleek wine room within view of almost every table inside.FOOD:We started with the steak bruschetta and the ciabatta. It was nice and moist with the red wine Demi glaze, which I loved. Steak was well cooked, although I could have stood for a bit more seasoning on the meat.Main courses were awesome. Our pasta was cooked perfectly, and the cacio e pepe especially had a great flavor to it. Similar to others we've had, but a bit creamier than usual which was a great consistency. Meatballs on the spaghetti were excellent as well.DRINKS:My fiancé had some red wine that she enjoyed, although her first choice was a still rose, but they only carried sparkling rose at that time. I had the basil mule which is just a classic Moscow mule with basil. It was great, no complaints.OVERALL:I would 100% recommend this place, especially for a date night or elevated business outing. From our experience, La Riv doesn't reinvent Italian food, but they do a fantastic job at providing food and an atmosphere that is completely satisfying.

Nice little spot near the Georgetown square if you're in the mood for some freshly made pasta or wood smoked delectables.I'd say it's a little overpriced, my reason being partially due to having similar dishes at other italian restaurants within Austin that do it a little bit better at a lower price tag. Regardless of the price, overall the food was well prepared. The asparagus and caesar salad might have been the stars of the show, nice smokiness on the vegetables plus I always appreciate a lightly dressed and fresh caesar salad. I think I prefer a less saucy pappardelle, the texture on the noodles become a little soggy. However, the pork that came with the dish was tender, fatty, and cooked to perfection. Nothing too exceptional about the spaghetti, would have preferred it to come with protein (without having an additional cost for meatballs) but not bad. If you're looking for light italian fare and cheaper drinks, you might have better luck down the block at Kork. If you're looking for the ambiance and attentive service, the additional cost might be worth it at La Riv.

Our experience at La Riv could not have been better. Our server, Heidi, was attentive, helpful, and full of great suggestions without being overbearing. We started with a round of martinis (the cucumber martini was perfection!) and she asked about appetizers. I had wanted to try the octopus appetizer but my husband was skeptical. Once Heidi said it was a must try we went ahead and ordered it, and when it came out, my plain-Jane husband was blown away by the explosion of flavor that appetizer offered.. My husband ordered the Caesar salad and short rib pasta for dinner, and I settled on the pasta with pancetta, mushrooms, and peas in olive oil sauce. Even being gluten free, my meal was phenomenal, and we enjoyed the ambience, service, and food at La Riv more than anywhere else we've been in months.

Came here on a Friday night for Valentine's Day, it was our first visit! The service was incredible and we got a great table. Our waitress gave us complete attention and there was never a minute where we needed anything. The food here is full of flavor with surprising unique mixes of sauces and seasonings too. Make sure you try out the bread. The tapenade dip is addictive as it gets. The atmosphere was romantic with candle lit tables and great lighting. We will be here more frequently and wish I had come here much sooner. Thank you to Amy and the awesome manager who took great care of us all night long.

Cool building, nice decor, polite and friendly service, nice menu options, good preparations. We split a countryside salad, Rigatoni Bolognese and Branzino and all were well prepared and tasty. Then we took a walk around the square which was lovely.

I had been to the Temple location and loved it. Now in Georgetown it is even more accessible. Our server was really nice and attentive. As a fan of octopus I had to try it. It was very tender and had that char that makes it crunchy in some parts. The cannellini purée wasn't my thing, but the Calabrian chili paste was amazing. Just that and the octopus were the star of the evening. I'm GF so I had to order the GF pasta which was not my favorite as it was just too al dente for my taste, but flavor wise it was good. Had it not been GF, I think it would have been amazing. Daughter was in love with the truffle Mac and the fillet was simply amazing.

The atmosphere is nice and waiters were nice. We have been there twice and the quality and taste of the food was simply just okay. They were short on staff so we waited a long while to get our food. The food was dry as it was probably under the heat lamps for while. We did have drinks, desserts, and coffee which have been constantly good.

Came here Saturday night around 8PM and the joint was bussling... or is that Bustling? No matter , the place was hopping busy.. waited at the bar for our table to be ready. The bartenders were trying to help us but they were swamped with orders, no worry. Finally took our drink order and promptly made our cocktails... After a lil snafu with the table , we were sat in front of the very busy pasta maker. Man that guy was hustling with the pasta making... it was pretty cool to see. Our server was very nice and prompt, and was apologetic after we ordered for the long food wait time. 45 minutes is a bit long , but we came at the busiest time and understood. It's funny that one hour later, there were numerous open tables as the dinner rush ended. We ordered the wood fired chicken with fingerling potatoes and spinach and the Paparadelle with braised short ribs. We also ordered the wood grilled garlic bread. The bread was fantastic and tasted even better as we sopped up some of the broth from our plates. Be warned the tomato/oil/calabrese pepper dip that accompanied the bread is spicy and has a good KICK! The Paparadeli was very tasty , cooked perfectly and was not overly fatty/rich as some short rib dishes can be. The chicken was delicious and well seasoned. The potatoes and the spinach were delicious in their own right... overall for my first visit here, it was a very enjoyable! Can't wait to come back. I would recommend having a nicer whiskey/bourbon selection though..

My wife and I went here for a dinner date without a reservation, and luckily, it wasn't too crowded. We were warmly greeted and promptly seated.The interior of the restaurant is stunning, making it an ideal spot for a romantic evening with your partner. The space is open and inviting, with a large wood-burning oven prominently displayed in the left corner as you enter. The kitchen is also fully visible, allowing you to watch as your meal is prepared, which adds a unique touch compared to other semi-upscale or upscale restaurants we've visited.Our waitress was attentive and made sure all our needs were met, checking in on us regularly throughout the meal.I ordered the wood-fired half chicken, which was incredibly delicious and flavorful. The meat was tender, and the potatoes were perfectly cooked--not too soft or too firm.My wife had the Rigatoni Bolognese, and she found it equally delicious and full of flavor.We each enjoyed one alcoholic beverage and opted for water on the side.Overall, our dining experience was delightful.

We had a reservation for 7:15 PM. We walked into the restaurant and there were 3 staff members standing at the host stand all talking to each other, none of them greeted us or acknowledged us for a minute or two as they kept chatting. We told them we had our reservation and they said it would still be a 30-45 minute wait. When asked why make a reservation then, they stated that other people also had to wait who made reservations. They did not apologize and were not friendly. We waited outside the restaurant for about 10 minutes and they came and seated us, at a haphazardly put-together bar in the back as all of the tables were taken. This put-together bar seating was where servers cashed their tickets and they kept putting items right at our dining spot. They also even put dishes on the bar top to unload! The wine was a large pour. The food was tasty, no complaints there. The poor ambiance made it difficult to enjoy our meal. Our waitress was kind. As this is an expensive restaurant, the service should be better. The Temple, TX location is far superior to this location and we will not be back to the Georgetown location.