Riviera
62 Sparks St., 613-233-6262, dineriviera.com
Open: Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. to close, Saturday 5 p.m. to close, closed Sunday
Prices: starters $9 to $22, pastas $18 to $55, mains $28 to $44
Access: no steps to front door or washrooms
For decades, Spark Street has been in desperate need of revitalization. Everything from condos to cars to a casino has been suggested in recent years to liven up the too-quiet pedestrian mall a block from Parliament Hill.
My food-centric two cents: Sparks Street needs more restaurants like Riviera, which opened there four months ago just west of Elgin Street.
After too many last-minute attempts to score prime-time dinner reservations there, I finally ate at Riviera twice this month.
Before any of the pricey but wow-worthy dishes landed at our table, we were struck by Riviera’s big-city feeling and stylishness. Yes, it has an air of youthful hipness, as do many of Ottawa’s neighbourhood-but-destination restaurants. But perhaps more so, and probably necessarily so given its proximity to the Hill, Riviera thrums with success, power and history. If wheeler-dealers have missed Hy’s Steakhouse since its February 2015 closure, Riviera could be a plausible replacement.
Built in 1869, the premises has been many things — originally a jewelry store, a financial institution through most of the 20th century, and for a few years until 2014 a shop catering to stamp collectors. Now, it’s a magnet for the spiffily suited and dressed-down alike. All make merry in a long, alluring, neo-classical, high-ceilinged space. Grey-panelled walls, faux Greek columns and marble flank guests on one side. On the other, cooks in black and ball caps preside over a gleaming diner-style open kitchen.
The kitchen crew shares the inviting 70-foot bar, fitted with banker’s lights, with bartender Stephen Flood, formerly of the Black Tomato. He doles out posh, creative or classic cocktails. Mad Men-ish liquid lunches do seem apropos.
Other retro touches abound, from the Riviera-branded Royal Doulton dishes to the ’50s rock and roll and vintage jazz I’ve heard playing, not too loudly. Edgiest at Riviera is its understated taxidermy fetish — on its west wall is deer’s-head artwork that nods to St. Hubertus, patron saint of hunters, while two rabbit heads decorate the bar.
About 80 people can sit at tables on leather banquettes or cushion-less wood tables, 26 more, including some walk-ins, can settle in at the bar, and a private table seats 10 in the former bank manager’s office.
Riviera’s owners and chefs are Matthew Carmichael and Jordan Holley, who already have hits on their hands with three-year-old El Camino and one-year-old Datsun on Elgin Street. They’re more casual, downstairs spots that cater to fans of Mexican and Asian food, respectively.
Tacos and steamed buns aside, Carmichael and Holley have fine-dining chops and experiences under their aprons, with stints at one or both of Social, Restaurant E18hteen, Domus Cafe and Perspectives between them. For this kitchen duo, the “New Canadian” food at Riviera, from raw-bar apps to house-made extruded pastas to short ribs on polenta, is nothing like a stretch.
Overall, the frequently tweaked one-page menu is not about pushing boundaries, but rather delivering very well-made and familiar but dressed-up comforts.
I’ve started with the most punchy thing on Riviera’s menu — some heat-forward confit tuna belly “‘nduja” (normally a spicy Calabrian spreadable pork indulgence), slathered on Riviera’s oh-so-fluffy brioche bread ($8). It served as a jolt of flavour before more refined appetizers followed.
Tuna ‘nduja at Riviera
Chowder ($19) was a thing of beauty, more like a composition of spot prawns, tiny scallops, mussels, chunks of potato, bacon and corn, all cooked with finesse and then swaddled, not submerged, in a creamy but complex broth.
Spot prawn and scallop chowder at Riviera
Carmichael’s penchant for and prowess with seafood were also clear in his take on wedge salad ($16). The steakhouse fave came well-dressed with a garlicky, anchovy-perked dressing and, best of all, lavished with impeccably cooked, sweet Nordic shrimp.
Wedge salad at Riviera
The first time I ate octopus in Ottawa was at Restaurant E18hteen when Carmichael was at the helm. Two big cephalopod tentacles re-appeared at Riviera, made tender, simply grilled and criss-crossed, served with shishito peppers, romesco sauce and chilies to amp up the flavour ($20).
Octopus with romesco sauce, shishito peppers at Riviera
Two pasta dishes struck me as being more about protein and sauce rather than the made-at-Riviera noodles — not that I’m complaining. A rustic, chunky pork shoulder ragu ($20) was very good. Even better was lobster lasagnetti ($30), generously meaty and blessed with a deeply-flavoured, bisque-like sauce that cried out for brioche for sopping.
Lobster pasta at Riviera
I’ve sampled three of Riviera’s four mains and found that beef and fish slightly edged out fowl.
Deboned beef short rib ($32), sitting on polenta and topped with horseradish, was completely on point, toothsome and tasting of a long, wine-y braise. Lacquered black cod ($44) served on a carrot purée was as good as that dish could be, a captivating balance of buttery roasted fish and multiple sweet notes. The pressed half-Cornish hen ($28) did a little less for me, despite its crisp skin and sumptuous mushroom sauce.
Short ribs at Riviera
Black cod and carrot purée at Riviera
Pressed half Cornish Hen at Riviera
Three desserts ($10 each) sweetly extended the restaurant’s upscale but accessible vibe. Best was a fantastic slice of chocolate peanut butter tart, drizzled with salted caramel, vanilla-tinged whipped cream and sponge toffee. The flourless chocolate cake, surprisingly cool, was bettered by a coffee sauce and shavings of cocoa nibs. In a wide-bowled glass came a deconstructed lemon tart — a heap of lemon curd, studded with broken pastry and topped with lavender meringue.
Chocolate peanut butter tart at Riviera
Flourless chocolate cake at Riviera
Service has been as crisp as the staff’s shirts.
Almost exactly a year ago, I lauded Datsun’s elevated Asian food and relaxed digs. Now, I like Riviera’s power-player fare and cool-capital space even more. If Carmichael and Holley have another restaurant up their sleeves, Ottawa, or at least Sparks Street, could use it.
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Peter Hum’s restaurant reviews
