Riva Blu Italian Restaurant & Bar - Birmingham

Was here for work, wandered in as the menu looked nice. Shown straight to table and service was quick to follow. I ordered the mushroom risotto. It came quick, hot and fresh, with visible truffle oil on the top. The portion size was generous and filling. I would definitely visit again 👍

Our evening was spectacular the food, service etc was on point… A friend of ours was celebrating her birthday and she felt really special. Piyush was our service for the night & he was so professional, patient and fantastic with us. Thank you for having us I definitely recommend x

Great experience! Tamara served us, gave us a nice table offered drinks to start with straight away, told us some recommendations about the menu and she explained whats in the dish and how it is cooked. The food was absolutely delicious + the service from staff. Overall, amazing experience will recommend to come and eat!

Excellent italian restaurant, their starters like sweet tomatoes are exceptional, so was the pizza and the grilled chicken. Lovely ambience and service

Absolutely gorgeous and remarkably clean. You could eat your meal in the bathrooms this place was so clean! I have to say how beautifully decorated it is that you honestly feel like you’re back in Italy and hearing all of the Italian being spoken by the staff is such a beautiful touch. I had a wonderful conversation about my time in Italy with one of the waiters who was so kind and patient with me. Now for the food, in true Italian tradition, the portions were huge and such amazing quality. The flavours were all perfect and the food so fresh. This place is perfect for a special occasion, I will definitely be back.

Arancini and Lasagna was amazing!! Favourite Italian restaurant in Birmingham, was happy to spend money here as eveything was worth it. Will definitely come again!

Absolutely fabulous meal at Riva Blu last night. The Italian food is truly beautiful and we had the risotto gamberone and the linguini gamberone with the burrata for starter. Food was served fresh full of flavour. Service was also second to none and I would recommend going for a drink at the bar first which is decorated lovely. Highly recommend and can’t wait to visit again to try more Italian flavours! Thank you Laura and Dean

This Italian restaurant is very much worth a visit. Both the food and house red wine was as good as any of the good restaurants in Brum. Service was on point and the decor and seating arrangements (we had a booth) was high quality.

Great food and service. Our waiter Rafael was brilliant - very friendly and helpful.

To be honest I wasn't sure about dining here following the comments of a close friend who had visited a couple of weeks ago. However my daughter wanted to go for her birthday so who am I to argue? I have walked passed here a few times but I had never noticed just how big it is, likewise the decor in the restaurant is more homely than the front bar area. The six of us were a bit late for our booking but we had a very nice welcome and were shown to our booth. Thursday night and the place was full, I was therefore expecting that the food and service would be slow but I couldn't fault it. Irma looked after us and she was excellent. Nothing wrong with the food either although I do prefer my chips to be served without salt, similarly the spinach was a bit salty. 6 meals and all were happy with what they had. We found room for desserts and enjoyed those too. All in all a very enjoyable evening.

Love this place! Right by my work! Delicious food - seafood spaghetti is always a win win here! Attentive staff, my spaghetti had hardly no clams in lol and it was called clam spaghetti! Spoke to the manager who swiftly bought in fresh clams - perfect! Lovely Hugo spritz cocktail too!

Such a lovely restaurant , the food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect . We were served by Saba who was very friendly and Monica at the bar was very lovely

What a great atmosphere and tasteful food! Authentic taste and excellent service—what more could you ask for? Many thanks to Fabio and Michele for making everything even better!

Khalid was fantastic in letting us know about the offers and the food, very helpful, attentive but not overbearing

Best Italian restaurant in Birmingham. Nice ambiance, delicious food, good prices and the staff is very professional. Felt looked after and not rushed. We - a group of four - had a great evening at a lovely „Italian“ place. PS: the wine card is worth looking at, too ;-)

The atmosphere was perfect for a relaxed evening – stylish and welcoming. The starters selection was excellent, especially the carpaccio, which was fresh, full of flavour, and beautifully presented. The cocktails were also fantastic and a great way to start the night. Service was friendly and attentive, making it a great choice for a date night. We’ll definitely be back!

We hosted a large group party this evening—a business meeting combined with our end-of-year summary—and everything was exceptional from start to finish. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was excellent, and the hospitality was outstanding. Agatha, who looked after us, was wonderful and ensured the entire team was well cared for. Thank you very much!

Went to Riva on Sunday with the family to celebrate my daughters 18th birthday. We were a party of 8. What brilliant service. The staff were amazing. Our server Agatha was very impressive. Took care of our every need, very patient and calm and really couldn't do enough for us. The food was exceptional. Flavours popped in the mouth. Reasonably priced. Beautiful setting and surroundings. Great for any occasion. Definitely visit again 5* 👍👍👍

What a fantastic afternoon ! Service , food , ambience totally exceptional. As a group of 5, we have never been before and we were blown away .Khalid was spectacular, he made sure we were well looked after . The food really was so very tasty , You must try the Sparcetta, the olives were positively the best I have ever tasted . The mains were all amazing . You must try this lovely restaurant . Thanks so much for a lovely time x

Visited for Boxing Day lunch with the family, and it was 10/0. The food was delicious (large portions), service was great (it was no issue when we requested a short break between starters and our mains), and the atmosphere was warm and inviting but still felt elevated. Great cocktails too. We will be back.

I recently discovered this incredible Italian restaurant in the heart of Birmingham, and it truly exceeded every expectation. From the moment we walked in, the warm Italian hospitality made us feel at home. A special mention goes to the General Manager, Alessandro, whose presence on the floor is outstanding. He embodies true Italian authenticity and ensures every guest feels genuinely welcomed and looked after. Our waiter, Michele, was exceptional—professional, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. His recommendations for both wine and food were spot-on, elevating our entire dining experience. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a charming atmosphere that perfectly matches the quality of the cuisine. Every dish tasted authentic, fresh, and crafted with passion. I will absolutely recommend this place to all my clients. A real gem in Birmingham

My partner and I really enjoyed our evening last night. We want to give a particular shout out to the general manager Alessandro who stopped at nothing to ensure we had a good evening. He very clearly enjoys his job and wants the best for his guests. Lovely food, a warm service, and good wait times. We will definitely be back. Thank you!

Very good welcome, straight away has given an option to have some drinks at the bar before to have a seat at the table. Once accommodate to our table service we received our drinks fast and been asked for allergies and explained the menu with some suggestions. I had bruschetta gamberoni and meatballs which was nice. The name of the staff if I don't wrong was Astrida. All staff generally has been very warm and friendly. Thanks for the experience I will back again.

We came as a couple and really enjoyed the food. Above all was an absolutely amazing service from Joshua. He was so attentive, smiley approachable. He checked on us and seen to really genuinely enjoy his job. Other waiters were good but Joshua really stood out. Thank you Joshua !

Had dinner at Riva Blu last night. It was a Friday night, the city was heaving with Christmas market, but inside Riva Blu was an oasis!!!! The incredible service starts the minute you set through the door. The hostess greeted me with a warm calm smile and took me straight to my table where the rest of the part was waiting. Our waitress was Agatha who was wonderful. Friendly, knowledgeable, happy to joke and chat if you wanted and made excellent recommendations. Drinks were lovely (the edible glitter in the Bellini was a nice touch) and then the food arrived! There is no other word than WOW!!! The chef really knows what they are doing. We had the Fritto Misto to share for starter and then the meatballs, linguine frutti del mare and the orecchiette al ragu. We also had a side of the garlic bread with tomato. The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. I cannot recommend this place more. It was busy but you would not have known as the service was fast without rushing and so friendly. I will be coming back many more times in the future.

Agata was lovely and very professional. You can tell she is very good at her job. We didn't even have to ask for anything as she anticipated our needs perfectly. The food was great and exactly as expected. Overall, amazing service and would 100% come here again and recommend this place to others.

We went out to eat with friends and had a wonderful experience. Maddie, our waitress took great care of us with her lovely smile and positive attitude, she really made us feel welcome. The food was excellent as well, we had the Sunday roast and the porchetta was absolutely amazing. We’ll definitely be back! Thanks to Andrea the chef

Food was exceptional, well worth the little bit extra. Wine was lovely, facilities were clean. One small and it's very small downmark is the atmosphere was a little flat, the staff weren't overly chatty, but some people prefer that. We went for 2pm sitting on a saturday.

A warm welcome, clockkroom tags, very good system. Great service delivered with personality throughout. Short wait for our food, lovely presentation and very tasty. Great atmosphere, this was our first visit to Riva Blu and we will definitely be visiting again. A lovely experience on a cold and rainy day.

We had a great time here. The food was very nice, we ate from the 2 courses for £20 menu. Would definitely recommend eating here. One of reasons we had an amazing experience was Maddie, such a wonderful person, friendly, happy and a great personality. Thank you

Had a family meal during our visit to Birmingham. 10 of us on Saturday 3rd January. We had a private area at the back of the restaurant, but still felt a part of the wonderful atmosphere in the main area. The food was gorgeous and we had an allergy which was taken seriously and dealt with professionally and easily and the meal was perfect. It was our pleasure to be paired with the lovely Maddie. We cannot praise this young woman enough. She was excellent in every way and deserves recognition for the way she represented Riva Blu. You should be proud to have her in your employ. All in all, we had an extremely good experience in every way. Definitely book a table and see for yourself.

Visited Riva Blu in Birmingham with colleagues. The food was good, I had the prawn pasta, which was fresh and flavourful. The ambiance was stylish but a bit noisy, and the service felt slow. Others in my group enjoyed different pasta dishes and drinks, all served beautifully as seen in the photos. A decent spot for Italian, but expect a bit of a wait during busy hours.

it was all good with food and service! The only thing what I didn’t enjoy is when im having my 200 pound meal the customers from outside kept walking past my table wearing coats and jackets. I believe that all top coats and jackets should be offered to be taken off somewhere by the entrance so no people in big coats walking through restaurant to get to their tables. especially in busy hours.

I decided to celebrate my birthday here, and it was a good experience! The food was delicious, especially the lasagna. The portion sizes were also just right. However, the mocktail was disappointing. It was small, overpriced, and tasted more like plain juice. The margarita pizza was also on the verge of being cold, which was a bit of a letdown. That said, the interior was absolutely stunning, making the overall experience enjoyable.

Was a nice meal out, felt the music was a bit loud in the bar. It was quieter in the dinning area but still a little too loud for us as a family to enjoy a meal. Loved my sisters meal. They had there own Gluten Free menu, which was great for my brother.

Disappointed by Poor Communication – Lovely Food but Rushed Experience I had high hopes for Riva Blu after visiting few years ago and I made a booking for around 3pm for a bridesmaid proposal dinner/bridal shower. At no point during the booking process — not over the phone nor on the website — was it mentioned that there was a strict 2-hour time limit on our table. This crucial detail was completely missing, and only brought up once we had already arrived. We got there slightly after 3pm, which wasn’t an issue at first. But soon after, we were told we only had the table for two hours. This was confusing and frustrating, especially as we were still waiting for the rest of our party (6-7 people in total). Throughout the meal, we were constantly reminded about the time limit, even though the restaurant was far from full. It made us feel rushed and uncomfortable during what was meant to be a special, celebratory occasion. While I completely understand the need for time limits during busy periods, it makes no sense to pressure paying customers when the restaurant is nearly empty. It affected the entire mood — my friends and I felt we had to rush our food and drinks, and it genuinely took away from what should’ve been a relaxed and joyful dinner. On a positive note: the food, decor, music, and general atmosphere were beautiful. The staff were otherwise very lovely and accommodating — but the constant reminders and the lack of upfront communication about the time limit really soured the experience. If you have a strict 2-hour table policy, it needs to be clearly communicated at the time of booking — both on the phone and on your website. It’s such a shame, because everything else was so well done. I left feeling disappointed, especially because this dinner was meant to be part of a special memory, and instead it felt rushed and pressured.

First time here with my boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. When we walked in it looked lovely, we got a drink at the bar whilst we waited for our table. When it was ready, instead of being in the restaurant, we were taken downstairs to what I assume is usually an events room with around 15 tables along the sides of the room. There was only one other couple down there so it was a bit awkward. We were confused as to why we weren’t in the usual restaurant area, but as time went on, more and more people came in. We are 18 and 19 and it seemed like all of the younger couples were ushered downstairs into this room, no one older than 21. This made us feel a bit uncomfortable because it seemed like we were being kept away from the usual areas because of our age. There was a member of staff down there at all times, and it felt like we were being babysat as he just stared at everyone eating throughout our time there. The food was good, recommend the sharing starter and the carbonara. I had the linguine gamberoni and the head on prawn was mushy and had that awful texture that not fresh seafood does. The dish lacked flavour everywhere but the headless prawns. Truffle fries are very good, the courgette fries are mushy and tasteless, do not get. Overall the experience was meh, food good, being treated very strangely. As we were leaving, older couples and everyone not appearing to be under 21 were sat in the normal restaurant area. We left feeling like we were being stereotyped simpel because of our age when we had done nothing, the events room was too quiet and had an awkward feeling, I don’t think I’d return here or recommend to anyone who is between 18-23. Very dissatisfied

It was my partners first time at Riva for his birthday/Valentine’s Day, as I’d highly recommended it having been here before but we very disappointed with our experience this time round. His calzone was 90% ricotta and barely any salami. It all came out too quick and felt rushed. I’d also requested by email about a dessert being brought out for his birthday and that didn’t happen either. The seating was a weird environment being sat downstairs out of the way with no real ambiance. Overall a poor experience and a big let down for what was supposed to be a special occasion. 3/10

I came here with my partner to have some food and celebrate her birthday but the night turned out to be a pain. As soon as I got home, I started feeling very sickly and started vomiting straight away and felt this was due to the seafood not being stored correctly or the pasta being old and even left a message on their website in hope they will reach back out but didn't hear anything and clearly the management have no sense of care. also nothing was done for the birthday that I had clearly mentioned in the booking notes and mentioned when we walked in. a very poor experience from a venue that I used to like but will definitely never return again after this experience.

Booked online for a birthday meal and selected the Venti menu (£20), expecting to receive the menu I chose. Instead, we were given the standard menu with no communication or explanation. If the selected menu was unavailable, this should have been clearly explained before ordering it wasn’t. Food was extremely disappointing: • Ordered a grain-fed ribeye medium-rare, received well done, and was told it couldn’t be corrected. • Truffle fries were drenched in truffle oil, soggy, and unpleasant. • Calamari starter consisted mostly of vegetables with very little calamari. When paying, I raised the issue of the birthday offer. Although this was discussed, it was only partially removed, meaning we still paid full price defeating the purpose of a birthday deal. What made this experience unacceptable was the behaviour of the staff member Swati. During a serious complaint, Swati repeatedly asked me to smile and hug her, which was invasive, unprofessional, and made me extremely uncomfortable. I was also interrupted while speaking, and responsibility was deflected onto her colleague Khalid, despite both having served us. Additionally, we were given contradictory information about whether birthday booking details are received first being told they knew it was my birthday, then later being told booking information is not received at all. This was meant to be a birthday celebration and it was completely ruined. Poor communication, incorrect food, billing issues, and inappropriate staff conduct. Not acceptable