Riva Fish House, Santa Cruz

Sorry to give it a one star but the food was really, really dry. We were there on 6-24-2009 for my wife's birthday. We ordered the grilled teriyaki chicken and the grilled fish both with rice pilaf. It was bad enough that the chicken was overcooked and dry but the fish was over overcooked as well. The rice pilaf tasted like it was reheated several times over because it was hard and dry as well. I guess the only thing that was ok was the calamari appetizer. Looking around at what the others were eating, it seemed like we ordered the worst on the menu. The waitress was nice but I guess there was little she could do. Will probably not give it a second chance and go back.

My favorite place in Santa Cruz ! Nice casual hangout, great for lunch, dinner, or for drinks. The spicy pasta, the oysters, and the ice cream were excellent. The alcoholic drinks were made quick and to perfection. I will go here everytime I return to Santa Cruz.

Riva is my absolute favorite place to eat. The food is out of this world. They have the best cocktail sauce. The garlic bread is great, tons of fresh garlic. and the fried calamari is to die for. it's so tender and the breading is just right. not to thick and not over-powering at all. it's the only place I eat in Santa Cruz.

Always a great place to take friends and family... show them the wharf and views of the boardwalk! Excellent bloody mary's, too! ;-)

Right on the Santa Cruz wharf. The view is the best that you can get. The food is also pretty good. Winters are great since they have locals nights with discounted prices.