Rioja

Review summary

1. D

   Dawn

   Denver

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   I've been to Rioja several times and each time was so special. I brought my staff for our Christmas party, truly just wanting an exceptional experience with lots of great wine, cheese, apps, full bellies, and great service. I called ahead to make sure we would have enough time to sit for a few hours. I was told that as long as we ordered on time from the kitchen, we could stay as long as we'd like, as the restaurant would still be open for happy hour. The service from our first waiter was what you'd expect at Subway, he should not be at a place like this. His wine suggestions were not great (I've always enjoyed the recommendations from the waiters here), and we felt like he was rushing us out the door. They cleaned up the appetizers before we were finished, brought the dessert at the same time as the entrées, and then took away our silverware before we could eat the dessert. We asked for an extra cheese plate for a table of 5, he brought two tiny cheese squares- we just had to laugh. The service from the second waiter (who ended up closing us out) was much better, but we still felt shooed out. All in all, it was not a special experience. We left laughing about how UNspecial it was.
   

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2. D

   Dawn

   Philadelphia

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was outstanding in the service was wonderful
   

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3. A

   Amber

   Denver

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   In full agreement with all of the reviews for this restaurant. There was not a bad dish, in fact they were all excellent! Service is amazing. From walking in the door to walking out, everything met and exceeded expectations. If you are looking for an amazing dinner Rioja will not dissapoint.
   

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4. L

   Laura

   San Francisco

   10 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   10 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Rioja never disappoints with friendly, professional, cheerful service and outstanding food. The Vesper Martini was sublime! Wonderful wine recommendations to pair with the most delicious short rib. Perfect dinner on cold night.
   

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5. W

   Wendy

   Denver

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I made a reservation here for my husband's birthday on OpenTable. Our server had just the perfect amount of attentiveness. She had great recommendations. We started off with the bacon and appetizer portions of artichoke stuffed pasta and wild boar mataki pasta. The bacon was very tender and delicious. My husband loved the artichoke stuffed pasta which is the chef specialty. For my taste it was a little too pungent with the manchego cheese. The special pasta of the night was the wild boar and mitaki stuffed pasta. It was delicious. I loved all the flavors. My husband had the venison which was very tender and had some delicious sauces with it. I had considered the bacon wrapped cod but our server recommended the octopus. I am so glad I went with her recommendation because it was the best octopus I have ever had. So tender and charred. The grapes added a nice acid to the light barbecue sauce. I will be back again if only for the octopus. Because I had told them that we were there for my husband's birthday, our server brought a birthday card signed by everyone who was working that evening and brought us to little mini ice cream cones. We also got the ginger blackberry curd tart with yuzu ice cream. I probably wouldn't get this again but it did work if you took a bite of everything together. The use of ice cream was the only sweetness to the dish.
   

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6. D

   David

   San Francisco

   60 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   60 reviews

   Dined on December 6, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Love this place… ambience is great, our server was outstanding! Food is excellent.
   

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7. s

   sujin

   Detroit

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on December 6, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wide ranging palate of flavors and textures that were skillfully and harmoniously combined.
   

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8. J

   Jeff

   Denver

   7 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on December 6, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Everything was top notch! This is a memorable place to go.
   

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9. J

   John

   Denver

   11 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on December 5, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great meal in a comfortable atmosphere. Good service.
   

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10. B

    Bob

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Rioja has been our “go-to” place since the day it opened, so it was a natural choice for my birthday dinner. Jen and her team never disappoint. The ongoing creativity of menu items and their presentations is the reason we go, and the excellent service always complements the food to ensure an overall great experience.
    

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