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This Riverpark NYC Brunch Review is from our 2020 visit during NYC Restaurant Week. Hungry for more? See our Restaurant Reviews covering everything from Michelin star restaurants to inexpensive NYC favorites.
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Riverpark Location and Hours
Riverpark is located at 450 East 29th Street, right by the East River, as its name implies. The restaurant serves weekend brunch from 11am-3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, lunch from 12noon-2:30pm on weekdays, and dinner from 5:30-9pm (until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
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Riverpark Menu and Food
Our server initially distributed menus that didn't have prices next to any of the items, only a $45 as a prix fixe that said it included a starter, entree, and choice of 2 brunch cocktails. We were all given this menu, even though we were accompanied by our 12 year old son, who obviously doesn't consume alcohol. Fortunately I'd looked at the Riverpark brunch menu online and knew that a la carte pricing is also available, so I asked for that. Our server returned with just one menu for me. I then asked her for the same a la carte menu type for my husband and son as well, which were finally brought.
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After ordering, it was at least 20 minutes until anything was brought, even though our son had ordered a yogurt parfait, which should have been very easy to prepare.
Just as strangely, when my son's yogurt was finally brought, mine wasn't, even though I'd also ordered one. I will say that my husband's Bolinho de Bacalhau, potato and salt cod croquettes, were very tasty and perfectly crispy.
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The cinnamon doughnuts with chocolate sauce were also wonderful, although I should have specified that I wanted them last; I was hoping to enjoy them as dessert, but they came first, before my scrambled eggs.
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Our son's yogurt parfait was fine, but it had very little blood orange and pomegranate and was mostly plain yogurt and granola.
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It was another long wait for our main dishes, until eventually I flagged our server, who seemed confused that we would want to eat our main dishes after 45 minutes of sitting in the restaurant. For our entrees, my husband got the Pastel Frito de Frango, chicken pastries with a side of sour cream for dipping. The hot sauce, sadly, wasn't hot at all.
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Our son's Steak and Egg sandwich was enormous, so we ended up bringing some of it home. He seemed to really like it, and the caramelized onions were good, although I thought it could have used better quality steak and more aged gruyere and thyme.
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I'd asked for some cheese to be added to my scrambled eggs, but apparently our server hadn't informed the kitchen, as there was no cheese with it. I was eventually given some mozzarella to sprinkle on top.
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Our server failed to check on us to ask how things were, and I again had to flag her down to ask for our son's leftover sandwich to be boxed up and for the check. 10 minutes later, we still hadn't received the check and I had to ask a manager, who took care of it swiftly.
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The Verdict
I liked most of the dishes we ordered for brunch at Riverpark, with the potato and salt cod croquettes and cinnamon doughnuts with chocolate sauce as the highlights. I disliked the incompetent and extremely slow service, which continued even after I indicated we'd like faster service. While we'd consider a return, I'd go in knowing I'd have to micromanage the service and pacing, which shouldn't be the case at a celebrity restaurant such as Riverpark.
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