Riva Blu Italian Restaurant & Bar, Manchester

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Reviews

1. Sarah Green ★★★★★

   We visited for the first time on Saturday 8th November 2025 and we were served by Simona. She couldn’t have been more attentive. The service provided was excellent and right up there with the food. I had the arancini and the carbonara with sides of tenderstem broccoli and rocket. My partner had the scarpetta and lasagne. We both really enjoyed the food, particularly the dishes I picked. Simona kindly made me aware that the carbonara was traditional and not cooked with cream, which is what I expected but I do know people who have eaten a version of “carbonara” with cream who would definitely appreciate this information for their knowledge and to be aware of what they were ordering. Despite our table being booked for 7pm on a Saturday and the restaurant being very busy, we did not wait long to be served or for our food to come out. It was all well presented and perfectly cooked. I’ve already recommended a number of people to visit since our meal and we will definitely return next time we’re in Manchester.

   almost 2 months ago
2. Ilona W ★★★★★

   We had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious! Even though it was a busy Saturday evening and we didn’t have a reservation, the manager kindly found us a table. Our server, Andreea, was very polite and incredibly friendly — she made us feel truly welcome. We’ll definitely be coming back!

   almost 2 months ago
3. Jessica Mensah ★★★★★

   Andreea was really nice and made us laugh. Had such a relaxing time, well taken care of and considered the facts we needed a few more minutes in between meals. Food was good.

   almost 3 months ago

1. Mr Wolf ★★★★★

   We had seen a review of this place and thought we would give it a go and oh my word, outstanding. From the minute we walked in we knew it would be a great experience. Sabrina out server took amazing care of us with 5 star service, and the food just superb. I read reviews about the lasagne and how good it is. Turns out they sell 150 every week and now having tried it i see why. BEST lasagne i have ever tasted and if you like it you will not be dissappointed. This place comes very highly recommended and cant wait to go back. Worth every penny.

   almost 4 months ago
2. Angelika xx ★★★★☆

   Our experience here was overall pretty good. The menu had a lot of options to choose from and the staff were extremely friendly. We were personally served by Simona who was so helpful and ready to help when we asked about the toilet etc. The food was a bit overpriced in my personal opinion for what we received though. As you can see we ordered steak, this was the £35 steak. The taste of it was good but with the amount of fat, how big it is, and just a bit better than average taste wasn’t personally £35. We was also quite disappointed to realise a lot of it was just fat that obviously you don’t partially eat as you can see on the photo. Again overall it was great but the thing that made it unfortunately not so good was that on the bill we got an optional service charge, than then wasn’t really optional because once the server came over, we wasn’t asked if we wanted to pay it or add higher than 10% it just got immediately added to our payment.

   almost 4 months ago
3. Connor Downs ★★★★☆

   Came here before a concer at the arena. The restaurant is very pretty. The menu is pretty good as well for an Italian, but there wasn't very clear vegetarian and vegan options in my opinion. I ordered the pesto pasta and the waiter was helpful with making sure it was mild because I don't do well with spicy food. The garlic bread was tasty and my friends enjoyed the pizza. I was disappointed that my pesto pasta had blobs of cream cheese of some sort on there as it wasn't stated on my menu from what I understood, and I hate cheese so that was annoying, but it didn't ruin the meal. The service however was weak. Our starter arrived before our drinks did which wasn't good and the staff also kept going to wrong tables when delivering drinks which was pretty embarrassing to watch. We had to waive at the waitress to tell her that is our order. We also ordered some more tap water when the food arrived and the waiter came back and said they had no more bottles so they couldn't give us any, when we then saw 3 more tables get bottles of water. I had a flare up of cystitis so I really needed some liquid and it really was a joke how long it took for us to get some tap water. We ended up telling another waiter we'd been waiting around 15 minutes for some water. I would say to go but definitely be aware that the service of the place isn't great

   almost 2 years ago

1. Nancy S ★★★★☆

   Booked a table for two as we received 50% off mains offer. We ordered Arancini, Lobster Linguine, Veal Milanese and Truffle Cheesy Fries. Food came swiftly. We enjoyed the starter, the pasta and the side but weren't that keen on the veal main dish that was quite dry. Otherwise, the Arancini and the Lobster Linguine are highly recommended! Friendly service too.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Vignesh Mohan ★★★★★

   I recently dined at Riva Blu Italian Restaurant in Manchester and was blown away by the amazing food and service. The panna cotta and affogato for dessert were both incredibly delicious, and the calzone and smoked cheese garlic bread were standout dishes. The king prawn pasta was also a standout, as it was different from what I've had at other competitive restaurants. The ambience and lighting at Riva Blu were top-notch, making for a truly enjoyable dining experience. But what really impressed me was the service - the staff were knowledgeable and helpful, especially in recommending different wines as I am not a wine person. Overall, I highly recommend Riva Blu Italian Restaurant for anyone looking for great food and excellent service in Manchester.

   almost 3 years ago
3. Diane ★★★★★

   Called in on chance, Resturant was fully booked so we eat in the bar. Service was great we had three courses with wine and cocktails. The whole night was perfect,loved the atmosphere of the place.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Pushpa Hossain ★★★★★

   Lovely Italian place around Arndale. Food was good, particularly enjoyed the calamari antipasti. The waiters are friendly and happy to make suggestions when asked.

   almost 3 years ago

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