Riva

There’s no middle ground in discussions of this famous Barnes Italian. Regulars love Riva & will not hear a bad word said about it; one-off visitors & celebrity hunters hate it, citing the brusque service, tired decor, close tables & uncomfortable seats. Though it’s undeniable the staff favours diners they know, the charm of the place can grow on you with repeat visits. There’s a lengthy menu of Italian classics, but those in the know ignore it & ask the urbane proprietor Andrea Riva for his recommendations. The better he knows you, the more appropriate & well judged his suggestions will be & the more you’ll feel part of the restaurant’s inner circle, so much so that you may agree with regulars who say that ‘here is a restaurant you want to go to for the rest of your life’.