River & Post

“River and Post is the definition of a hidden gem! Tucked away in a local neighborhood this spot has an unassuming exterior. Once you step inside the vibes are very classy, cozy and romantic. Service was attentive and polite. The menu is seasonal and had lot of great options. Everything we ordered was flavorful and delicious - chicken soup, beetroot salad, tuna tartare. The server told us the owner is particularly proud of their bread pudding so we had to try it and it was the perfect end to the meal. Highly recommend this place if you are in the Hyde Park (NY) area.”

“I took my wife here for her birthday. The owner wanted to seat us in a small back corner table rather than in a more accommodating booth. When questioned, he claimed it was only for 4 guests. There were other booths with only two couples each but he said they arrived earlier when it wasn’t going to be busy. Finally (grudgingly), he seated us in the “4-top” booth. Thereafter, he was quite rude — asking everyone else in the restaurant if they were satisfied with their meal but not us. It was definitely not the “vibe” one wants on an evening meant to be relaxing and celebratory! Our server was great. The food was great. Still, there was a lingering sense of unwelcomeness — was it because we were two women together? The restaurant never filled up — there were several open booths like ours. It left a bad taste. We mentioned the owner’s rudeness to our server and she was puzzled as well. Normally, we would be happy to return but the spoiled evening was a big downer — what’s up with this place???”

“We found this restaurant by searching google for a highly rated restaurant near where we were staying in Hyde Park. We booked dinner for my daughter’s birthday and chose a Sunday specifically so we could try the fried chicken which is only served on Sundays. The restaurant is located in a house in a mostly residential area, with a large parking lot across the street. We had a reservation and were greeted and seated immediately in one of the booths with glass dividers on 3 sides - it felt almost like being inside a terrarium. The overall atmosphere is warm and cozy - leaning towards a modernized Victorian feel with lots of dark wood and dark furnishings. This would be a nice place to take a date if you’re looking for an intimate atmosphere. Our party all ordered the fried chicken - which, really, we could have split one and just added some appetizers to feed all three of us. There is easily half a chicken on each plate. The chicken was super crispy, not greasy at all and still moist inside, truly excellent! Sadly the sides of mashed potatoes and coleslaw were just average at best. The mashed potatoes in particular were disappointingly tasteless and slightly lumpy which cost the dish a star in our ratings. We opted just to share an apple tarte tatin for dessert and the staff dressed it up with a birthday candle for us. Service was unobtrusive to the point where we had to flag down a waiter for more water. Overall, a good but not amazing meal.”

“Top points for ambiance, it's a very cozy and romantic place with dim lighting and many nooks and crannies that create privacy. The shrimp ceviche, more of a cocktail since it tasted cooked, but was dry and not tasty. The vegetable lasagna was a good balance between light and decadent, a good main if you are not very hungry. The cheesecake was okay, the flavor not very cheesy. The staff is friendly and very attentive, and they checked in on me regularly. Definitely go for the ambience.”

“We tried this place for the first time last night and the experience was underwhelming. The food was not bad, but it also wasn’t great, and service was lacking and scattered. Though our waiter was friendly, we saw him exactly 3 times during our meal, when he first took our order, when he cleared our appetizer plates, and at the end when I requested the check and he dropped off the tablet and said thanks and walked away. We were greeted warmly upon entry and given our choice of three different seating areas and asked our preference for water. Our waiter came by shortly after and we ordered a cocktail, an appetizer and our entrees. My cocktail came out very quickly, and the appetizer followed about 15 minutes later. The waiter did not check on us during the appetizer. We sat there with empty plates for a bit and my empty cocktail glass sat on the table for at least 10 to 15 minutes, which isn’t a terrible amount of time, but I wanted another one. Our waiter came by to clear the appetizer plates and I asked him for another cocktail before he noticed my empty glass. Cocktails came out very quickly and were well-made, the Wasps Kiss was absolutely delicious, as was The Snow Bird. The Ahi tuna appetizer was tasty, well seasoned, and well prepared. The entrées came and my husband‘s short rib was hearty and well plated, but my swordfish was disappointing. When the staff member brought out our entrées, she tilted my plate towards me, dripping juice onto the table in front of me for which she apologized, but did not wipe. The mash with the short rib was very creamy, the short rib itself was very tender and falling apart, but my husband felt it needed more salt but was saved by the gravy. My swordfish entrée was fine, however, it lacked salt and any discernible seasoning. My rice was cold, the pineapple salsa on top of the fish was ok, and had the waiter come by I would’ve asked for salt, but he didn’t. The meal was filling, but not necessarily satisfying. Another staff member cleared our plates and asked if we wanted dessert, but I requested the check. The waiter came by and dropped off the kiosk, said thanks, and walked away. For $140 I expected a better meal and service. We ended up going somewhere else for another drink and an appetizer. The whole experience felt kind of perfunctory. Service was scattered and inattentive and so was the food. The restaurant was packed by the time we left, but this was our first and last visit.”