Dinner, Lunch or Brunch, With a View!

It’s hard to say which of the several dining spaces at River: A Waterfront Restaurant & Bar, is more captivating.

For sure the main seating area, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive views of the Connecticut River (which encompasses the Boathouse down river in Glastonbury) is a show-stopper. Though it can seat more than 150 people, the main dining room’s subtle dark colors, private booth seating areas, adjoining bar, river views and a covered, heated outdoor deck is both grand and intimate.

The deck, which runs the length of the restaurant and overlooks the water, provides outdoor dining for River. On the patio below, just a stone’s throw from the broad sweep of the Connecticut River, is another dining area for River’s sister restaurant, Tequila Rio Mexican Cantina.

If it’s raining or too cold to sit on Tequila Rio’s patio, you can dine in Tequila’s “Jungle Barroom” inside. Located within the office building’s lobby, the Jungle Barroom is a two-story intimate atrium space with a pair of live trees in its center, overhead string lights above and a glass ceiling where you can see the stars at night.

If you’re visiting on a Friday or Saturday night, you can take in a comedy show at Brew HaHa, a comedy club that is another offering by River, located just across the hall from the Jungle Bar, and which features a rotating schedule of acts each week.

River and Tequila Rio are owned by Chris and Martha Henney, along with their son Patrick.

“This is definitely a family affair,” Martha says.

The family, which defines River as an Italian Steakhouse, opened River in 2018 in space just off the lobby of a seven-story office building the couple built in the 1980s on Great Meadow Road in Wethersfield.

“We wanted to take advantage of the waterfront views and all the walls of glass in this space. Also, there aren’t a lot of riverfront places to eat and not everyone has access to these kinds of river views.”

The creation of River wasn’t just an investment for the Henneys. It was, and still is, a labor of love. Chris and Martha have long shared a passion for food and cooking, so much so the couple took off a year in their 40s to go to culinary school together.

That passion is evident in the food served at the restaurants. There is a pastry chef on staff as well as chefs versed in making fresh bread and pasta on site. River also makes its own fresh ice cream and each month River features a new, original dessert on the menu.

“Our desserts are amazing!” Martha says.

All of the seafood is brought in fresh daily and its steaks are USDA prime.

One of River’s signature and popular dishes, Martha adds, is its Seafood Linguini, a melange of seared scallops, mussels, cod, little neck clams, shrimp and calamari. The dish is served as either a white or red sauce.

Other menu favorites, Martha says, are the Asiago Salmon, served with fresh daily vegetables and risotto, and the River’s Roasted Chicken, a hearty roasted half chicken basted with a lemon creme fraiche sauce and served over a generous slice of freshly baked sourdough bread and served with garlic-scallion mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.

River, which won the Hartford Courant’s 2024 Best of Award Experts’ Pick for Best Waterfront Dining, is open for lunch and dinner, and offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It also offers a Happy Hour in the River Barroom from 3-6 p.m. weekdays and 3-6 p.m. weekends. The menu includes Happy Hour-priced fresh drinks, beers and wines, as well as a Happy Hour food menu.