Riva Blu Italian Restaurant & Bar, Birmingham

We Visited Riva Blu for our 5 year anniversary and everything from start to finish was impeccable. The food was outstanding (the scallops were a big highlight!), the drinks were well presented and delicious, the restaurant was pristine and The service from Michele made the experience much more enjoyable, he was very friendly, went above and beyond, very informative and professional throughout. I highly recommend visiting here whether it’s for a special occasion or a nice meal out with family/friends. I recommend booking as it gets very busy.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.