In Riva East Falls Philadelphia

**Hypebeast** · 12-13-2011, 09:40 PM

Stopped in for dinner tonight.

Best pizza in East Falls? With out a doubt. Extremely tasty food? yes. Complex flavors? New takes on classic dishes? Absolutely.

Would I go back? Probably for drinks and a snack. Problem is, I think the menu is way to pricey for the (laughably) small portions you receive (in comparison to the other restaurants in the area).

Between 2 people we had: 3 drinks, 2 apps, 1 pizza, 2 desserts for $70. Not bad, but when I spend that much at Fiorino i'm left feeling like I can't walk because i've eaten too much. Not at In Riva, in fact, I could have had more. Picture any of the portions you would have at Fiorino and now cut them in half and you have In Riva.

Cool atmosphere, good music selection for a younger crowd (punk, the roots, tribe called quest, etc). The deck will be nice in the summer.

**Malloy** · 12-14-2011, 12:10 AM

Hmmmm, so Stella pricing. I can live with that if it's as good. Prob a bit high for the area...Ridge&Ferry is a far cry from Society Hill.

**RollinRox** · 12-14-2011, 08:16 AM

How big is the pizza? Do you know if they do takeout?

**The Rox** · 12-14-2011, 10:14 AM

That menu looks awesome. I'll have to check it out soon.

I also heard that a new sushi restaurant will be opening in Manayunk. I've been in NW Philadelphia now for 10 years, and it seems like our local restaurant scene gets better every year.

**alex** · 12-14-2011, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by RollinRox

How big is the pizza? Do you know if they do takeout?

I was in last night. The pizzas are 10" and they do takeout (I asked).

I think it's a good addition to the neighborhood. Fiorino is for a full-on dinner with a bottle of wine. In Riva will be a good place to go if I want to sit at the bar for pizza (which was very good) and a beer.

**PhillyTex** · 12-14-2011, 12:01 PM

We ate at In Riva last night. The food was all very good, I'd say bordering on great. Portions were smallish, for sure, but pretty much in line with what I expected. I think they were more generous with the pizza toppings than Pizzeria Stella, so I did feel like it was worth the cost. They recommended two people to a pizza, and I think that left quite a bit of room for appetizers and desserts. Four of us shared two appetizers and two pizzas and two rounds of drinks and while no one left hungry, no one was really full either. That's pretty much how I like to eat on a week-night, so we didn't even bother with dessert, but if you're looking for a Friday or Saturday night feast, I think you'll want to order more than half a pizza and half an app per person.

The service was very attentive without being intrusive or annoying, but they do have some minor tweaks to work out over the next week or so. For example, the maitre d' didn't direct us on what to do with our coats--we had to ask. That's not really a complaint so much as an observation--most people probably wouldn't have cared much. Our server had to go back to the bar to get the details on the Italian craft beers before he could help me pick one out. (I'm a beer geek but the only Italians I know of are Peroni, Birra Moretti, etc.) Again, that's really not much to complain about for a brand new restaurant, but merely an observation of something that could be improved. There were no delays in getting the food to the table, and everything was well-prepared, so I would say they were doing a very good job for a place that was only on their 2nd night of service.

The atmosphere was nice--not too stuffy, not too bland. The music selection was right up my alley, and not too loud for the setting. Don't expect it to be loud and raucous--this ain't Tatooed Mom's. If you are into punk rock, it's a nice treat to hear Social Distortion and Bad Religion in the background as you eat, but if that's not your thing, I can assure you it's not going to be a mood-killer.

The cycling theme was evident in the posters around the bar area, as well as the bicycles that were worked into the railing on the deck, illuminated with Christmas lights. Also, the chefs (whom you can see from most of the dining room, working the dough and tending to the wood-fired oven) wear red cycling caps, which is fun. Aside from those things, the main dining area wasn't really cycling-themed. It was more of a factory-turned-bistro look. Mod-style desk fans were mounted to the walls over the tables, and a large wooden plank decorated with a dozen or so mod desk lamps was suspended over the center of the main dining room. Those things coupled with the fireglow from the pizza oven made the space more comfortable and inviting than you might expect from the building's architecture.

I definitely see great potential here, and I'm hopeful that more craft beers will be added as things settle in. I also can't wait to see the deck in action come springtime. The bottom line is, I look forward to going back soon.

**taxgirl** · 12-14-2011, 12:47 PM

Thanks for the updates, I'm excited to check it out!

**alex** · 12-14-2011, 02:40 PM

The draft beers are very, very small. It's an 8 or 10 ounce glass; I got the same glass for my 12 ounce bottle and the entire bottle didn't fit on the first pour.

**Hypebeast** · 12-14-2011, 02:47 PM

My fiancee commented that she felt the wine glass was small as well.

Forgot the include the bathroom area downstairs, very cool! +10 illmatic points for the SF2 machine & wall to wall graf burner.

**The Count** · 12-14-2011, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Hypebeast

My fiancee commented that she felt the wine glass was small as well.

Forgot the include the bathroom area downstairs, very cool! +10 illmatic points for the SF2 machine & wall to wall graf burner.

But do they have skee ball and an ear-shattering basketball game?

Even if they don't, I can't wait to try this place.

**krailkronie** · 12-14-2011, 03:07 PM

We also tried it out last night . . . a summary of my first impression would be very good, with a few minor problems. But, hey, last night was their second night, so I am sure many of these things will be ironed out over time. But I find it really funny that someone else on this thread mentioned the hostess and the coat situation, because we had the same exact problem. The hostess was really friendly, but completely clueless in the ways of welcoming a family into a restaurant. I asked for a highchair, and she brought a booster. My wife was holding all of our coats, and she never asked about taking them. And when we asked her if there was a coat rack, she did not know and she did not offer a solution. So I know all of this is nitcpicky, but she does represent the first impression of the restaurant.

I really like what they've done with the space -- it seems more open. Not necessarily inviting, but more open. There is no longer a wall between the bar and the dining room, and the kitchen/pizza prep area is open and visible, which the kids enjoyed. Basically, if you've been to Pizzeria Stella at Headhouse Square, then you will feel as if you are in their sister restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and accomodating to the kids, and he seemed pretty knowledgable about the menu. He said that he tasted all of the menu items, and he was willing to offer his opinions on the pizzas, which I always appreciate. As for the pizzas, I thought most were very good, but one not so much. All of the pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven, so the crust has that delicious (in my opinion) taste -- again, if you've eaten the pizzas at Stella, you know what I am referring to. Our waiter highly recommended the wild mushroom pizza and the prosciutto/arugala pizza, so we ordered them. We were disappointed with the wild mushroom but we both enjoyed the prosciutto/arugala pizza. For the wild mushroom, the cook went WAY too heavy on the truffle oil and the mushrooms were overcooked to the point that they were dried out and turned to dust. But the prosciutto/arugala was spot on and very good. We also tried the quattro formaggi, which was excellent. But people with kids should beware - this one actually has marinated tomatoes on it, it is not just cheese. My 5 year old wouldn't touch it. But we then ordererd the margherita pizza for the finicky 5 year old, and that, in my opinion, was the best pizza of the night. It was cooked perfectly -- I actually liked it better than Stella's margherita pizza, which before last night was my favorite margherita pizza in the city. So to sum up the pizza experience: one miss, two very goods and one runaway hit.

We also tried Mommy's Meatballs, and they were phenomenal. Really, really good. They melt in your mouth. The waiter said that it is actually the chef's mother's recipe.

So overall, I think this place is a great addition to the East Falls scene. Two more quick things -- we found the music selection in the restaurant to be really annoying and loud. I know this is a very subjective area, but when the music in a restaurant like this is so loud that you can't hear your daughter, then it is way too loud. We had to ask them to turn it down twice, which makes me feel like an old fart. BUt it was really loud. And the menu is pricey, but the food is high quality. I hope it does well and I wish them luck.

**PhillyTex** · 12-14-2011, 04:59 PM

Agree on the Mommy's Meatballs. Just calling them "Mommy's Meatballs" is pretty ballsy (no pun intended.) That label sets the bar pretty high. They were a solid hit at our table... I only wish there were more of them.

We must have dined after you, because the music was pretty low the whole time we were there. We had no trouble conversing across the table.

**Malloy** · 12-17-2011, 01:17 PM

Went last night at 930, ~20 people were there. It was supposedly quite busy during typical dinner hours, which is good to hear. I bet it will get loud in there when packed. Music was not loud and I really liked the mix. My g/f could have passed on the occasional rap music (which I like) - haha.

The place looks really cool...the bar could be a cool place to hang out. They did a great job with the design...it really works in that space. The deck will be even nicer. I really liked the big table...my g/f already has a plan for bringing a large group there.

The employees were VERY friendly and attentive. Our waitress was probably the nicest person we have encountered in along time....great service too.

Best pizza in the NW hands down, nothing is even close. We kept it simple and tried the basics: margherita and pepperoni. Both very good...but some small complaints:
margherita - tad too salty
pep - not enough salt

Other than that, both pizzas were great. After some tweaks this place will probably be better than Stella. It's unique enough to be a destination.

ps. the tables are very cool

**D-man** · 12-17-2011, 01:54 PM

We stopped by for dinner last night, as well. We might have gotten there earlier than you, Malloy, because when we arrived there was way more than 20 people. In fact all of the tables in the dining area were either taken or reserved, so we were forced to sit at the bar area (which was almost full, itself). I'll spare you any details that were already mentioned by others, but every menu item we tried was very good. Mussles, excellent. Octopus, very good. Wild mushroom pizza, excellent. I would go as far to say that the pizza was on par with anything I've ever had at Osteria. As others have mentioned, the beer glasses were small (10 oz.?).

Interstingly, the menu concept here is almost identical to the Tomato Bistro (the new restaurant upstairs from the Couch Tomato). Salads, soups, small plates and brick oven pizza. As you might expect, the food at In Riva blows Tomato Bistro out of the water. On the other hand, the Bistro has a way better beer list. They probably have twice as many craft beers on draft, and a huge bottle list. Not that the options at In Riva were bad, they were just limited. I'm sure they will up their beer game as time goes on, and would like to see them follow through on their plan serve Italian craft brews.

**The Count** · 12-17-2011, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by D-man

We stopped by for dinner last night, as well. We might have gotten there earlier than you, Malloy, because when we arrived there was way more than 20 people. In fact all of the tables in the dining area were either taken or reserved, so we were forced to sit at the bar area (which was almost full, itself). I'll spare you any details that were already mentioned by others, but every menu item we tried was very good. Mussles, excellent. Octopus, very good. Wild mushroom pizza, excellent. I would go as far to say that the pizza was on par with anything I've ever had at Osteria. As others have mentioned, the beer glasses were small (10 oz.?).

Interstingly, the menu concept here is almost identical to the Tomato Bistro (the new restaurant upstairs from the Couch Tomato). Salads, soups, small plates and brick oven pizza. As you might expect, the food at In Riva blows Tomato Bistro out of the water. On the other hand, the Bistro has a way better beer list. They probably have twice as many craft beers on draft, and a huge bottle list. Not that the options at In Riva were bad, they were just limited. I'm sure they will up their beer game as time goes on, and would like to see them follow through on their plan serve Italian craft brews.

I love this place already and I haven't even been in here yet.

I love the idea of brick oven pizza and cold beer on the deck in the summer. It will be nice too sit on that deck again and look at river on a summer night.

So...among In Riva, Il Fiorio, Shan Chuan, and Falls Taproom we have 4 legitimate quality restaurant options depending upon your mood.

Throw in Murphy's for great cheesesteaks, homemade burgers and chili and there aren't a lot of reasons to leave the neighborhood anymore.

**thoth** · 12-18-2011, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by The Count

So...among In Riva, Il Fiorio, Shan Chuan, and Falls Taproom we have 4 legitimate quality restaurant options depending upon your mood.

Throw in Murphy's for great cheesesteaks, homemade burgers and chili and there aren't a lot of reasons to leave the neighborhood anymore.

Great to hear. Got worried after fork and barrel and franco's fizzled. Nice to have some options when I'm up there.

**Hypebeast** · 12-20-2011, 01:24 PM

"Tonight (12/20)

1/2 off your choice of a pepperoni, sausage and peppers, or eggplant and fenel pizza from 5-9pm. password is SHERMAN MILLS."

Saw this on facebook.

**taxgirl** · 01-29-2012, 09:47 AM

Finally made it out to In Riva over the weekend... Can't comment on the quality of the food because, well, we didn't eat. Despite having reservations and a nearly empty restaurant to boot, the service was abysmal, the atmosphere was quite bleak and the lack of attention to detail was really telling. We left within a few moments of being seated, something I've ever only done once before in my life. Instead, we moseyed over to Agiato on Main where the service has always been gracious and the food was stellar.

Really disappointed as I had high hopes for this place.

**Naveen** · 01-29-2012, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by taxgirl

...the service was abysmal, the atmosphere was quite bleak and the lack of attention to detail was really telling.

Care to be more specific? What made the atmosphere so "bleak" and what do you mean by "details"?

**taxgirl** · 01-29-2012, 11:53 AM

For a fairly empty restaurant, the staff seemed overly busy doing... something? I thought from the comments that the space would have a cool vibe. I didn't feel that at all. The dining space was loud, dark and empty. The seating was awkward (our table was kind of in the middle of the floor, I could practically touch the bar). There was no place to put coats (unless there was a coat room and no one advised as such); weird since we were there when it was the trattoria and it was different.
Neither our server nor our hostess introduced themselves nor could they manage an introductory smile. I don't need fake syrupy hellos but we felt more like a bother than guests.
The server was rushed (again, despite the place being practically empty), threw some nuts on the table (mumbled the name of the nuts so I'm not sure what it was) and then sloshed water on the table when he attempted to fill my glass.
The hostess advised that we could get a better table if we promised to be finished within an hour and a half (odd statement to make).
Just felt awkward from top to bottom. Seriously disappointing.