River Cafe

River Cafe could easily be a mediocre or even bad restaurant. Looking out at the East River and lower Manhattan from its nestled perch beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, River Cafe could coast on its views alone, which are nothing short of spectacular:



But it's the quality of the food that makes River Cafe more than just a nice photo opportunity. There recently for a birthday celebration, we were impressed by the scallop ceviche and potato and goat cheese terrine, both of which took our attention away from the windows. Our main dishes--filet mignon and a "shellfish duet" of garlicky shrimp and crabcake with avocado and mango--kept our focus on the table, and it was only when the chocolate Brooklyn Bridge arrived at the end that we looked away, this time for comparison's sake. Great food, great views, and great company on a great day.