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 Top Western Restaurant in Dalian, No Comparison!,  Wednesday, 26 September 2007 The Riviera is hands down the finest Western Restaurant in Dalian. The food is absolutely amazing and they import a lot of things that you cannot find in stores such as avocados and limes. The presentation of the various dishes is quite spectacular and very enjoyable. It is almost a shame to eat given how nice the dish looks when served.

FOOD:

They have a wide selection of cocktails, a wide ranging menu of various soups, salads, starters, entrees and desserts.

I will agree that the portions are smaller than other typical restaurants, but the european attitude toward food is to eat less, but have a much higher quality which Riviera easily delivers. If you're looking to load up you gullet and stuff yourself, then I'd recommend going somewhere else, but if you're looking for a lite to medium sized meal that will satisfy you and not leave you sluggish afterwards, then Riviera delivers!

The AMBIENCE was fine. I couldn't really complain, but my back was to the room and I didn't get a very good look around. From what I saw walking through the restaurant to our table, I wasn't put off by anything. The noise level was low, but not silent either.

The SERVICE was fine. The owner explained every item on the menu to us and gave us tips on how to order certain things which I've noticed is similar to other fine restaurants from the States. The only complaint I could make regarding service was they kept taking my sparkling water bottle and moving it to the far end of the table, when that was my "cocktail" selection. I had to ask 3 or 4 times for people to pass it back down so I could refill my glass. It was pretty obvious I was the only one drinking it as everyone else had a cocktail. Slightly annoying, but otherwise not a major inconveinence.

COST $$$ You can probably get by spending under 500 RMB if you stick to a soup/salad, non-steak entree, one or two cocktails and a dessert. I highly enjoyed the salmon salad which ran around 75RMB, and to be honest was satiated after just that. The dessert menu looks sinful, but since most everything on the menu has normal sized portions, you cannot feel too guilty for indulging a bit.

The think about really good steaks is you must expect to pay $$$$ if you want quality. Nearly every high end steak house in the US starts around $50-60US for a normal 8oz filet. This is because they treat the meat and marinate it and it is kept at certain temperatures and is generally well prepared. You can always go to a hotel restaurant and pay 150-200RMB for a steak, but I guarantee they just stack them in a freezer and thaw them quickly when ordered which destroys a lot of the tendernous of the meat. You get what you pay for when you go to Riviera.

This is not an everyday sort of place to eat though, as it'll loose its charm quickly, but for special occasions, work functions, anniversaries, special dates or for a good meal to treat yourself, this is the place to go, no question about it. You won't be disappointed and you'll be eagerly awaiting your next visit to try something new.

Bon Apetite!

 Don't eat all day before you come here,  Monday, 02 July 2007 The food here was EXCELLENT! I went for the buffet which was way
underpriced as far as I was concerned. I think the cost was 38
RMB/person and they bring out about 15 different types of meats and
give you a slice or two of each. On top of that, there is a buffet
that has a lot Chinese and Western foods, a decent salad bar, fruit
selection, and massive dessert table. Simple beverages such as sodas,
tea are included, as well as an ice cream bar with about 10 different
flavors. The decor is interesting and will keep you occupied while
you're allowing your food to settle in between the meat servings. The
service was really good, but the only downside is that one person MUST
remain at the table at all times, so if you're in a small group (two
for instance), it is not possible to go to the buffet and discuss the
selection with your entire party or ask questions of someone who may
be more familiar with a particular item. But that isn't really a big
deal. They brew their own beer which I haven't tried, but judging
from how many jugs I saw on the tables around us and being carried by
the servers, it must be pretty good.

The worst part of the experience is after you get home, you'll have
absolutely no strength to do anything but slip into a "food-coma" and
pass out.

I will definitely be going again, and would highly recommend it to
anyone else!

 Good place for those hard to find items,  Thursday, 14 June 2007 Once you get in the door, the hard part is over. I must have hit a lucky day as they simply asked for my passport, snapped a photo, and I was shopping less than 5 minutes later. That was about a month ago. It is a good idea to have a letter from your company ready to go, but don't show it unless they ask.

Inside, you'll find a very good selection of various foods you will unlikely find in other stores, plus Metro brings it all together, so you do not have to run to 2 or 3 different markets to pick up a couple of items at each. They import A LOT of foreign products, so this is your best bet to find ingredients or particular items necessary to make an authentic dish from back home. In general, I shop at other stores closer to home for convienance and price as Metro can be a little on the high side when compared to other stores, but they make up for it in availability.

I would recommend spending half a day just exploring the store to see what products they stock, and get an idea what you can get there that you haven't seen anywhere else, then make it a monthly errand to get those hard to find items at Metro and stick to the local markets for the everyday needs.

 Weekend Early-Evening Hot Spot!,  Monday, 26 March 2007 DAVE’S BAR is an excellent place to have a good time. I’ve found that it has an excellent mix of many nationalities, and about an even split of guys and girls. It seems to be a very popular bar with foreigners on the weekends and attracts a younger crowd. Friday and Saturday nights seem to be best nights, as every time I’ve gone by during the weekdays, there is less than 10 people inside.

The size and layout of the bar is a little poor. The front area is made up of tables and barstools in front of the only bar in the place. As you walk toward the back, there are a couple of booths, and when you reach the back, there are a couple more booths, then up some steps, with tables surrounding a dance floor.

The bathroom is in the back on the left just after the steps and can get cramped especially when the bar gets crowded on the weekends.

The drinks prices are very reasonable, though the selection is a bit small. (Most beers are 10RMB, shots for 15RMB)

Service is quick, and you can generally get to the bar to order a drink or get the attention of one of the employees very easily. I’ve always found the staff to be very polite and easy to get along with.

The music is a bit repetitive and it isn’t uncommon to hear the same songs played within a couple of hours, though they do play a lot of popular western dance music, albeit a year old or more. Volume isn’t too bad unless you’re in the back in the dance area, but it isn’t so bad that it is uncomfortable.

Dave’s seems to have a strong following of loyal patrons. It isn’t uncommon to see the same people there week after week, and as mentioned in another review, there is a large contingent of Russian girls who are there every weekend.

The crowd on the weekend fills in shortly after 9pm, and will last until about 1-2am. Around this time, a sizable portion of the patrons move on to the JD Bar. This seems to be the popular weekend routine for nearly everyone I’ve talked to at Dave’s. The crowd is still sizable enough for a good time, and by no means does the place go dead after the exodus.