Riverside Inn

Amazing experience, great food, wonderful service, beautiful view. Can't wait to go back.

Food is decent, but service was not good. For as expensive as it was, I didn't think that I would have to get up and find someone for drink refills and find someone to get a check. Again food was good, but the service will keep us from coming back.

Guest service was extraordinary! Kathryn, Parker and Libby make a fabulous team - creating a 5-star experience during our brief stay. Extraordinary dinners, beautifully prepared with appropriate attention to detail. Lodging overnight was delightful and Kathryn provided a ray of sunshine again during breakfast service. As a retired owner of several 4-diamond rated inns, I understand the difficulty in finding and retaining folks who understand and deliver service excellence with consistency. Bravo and congrats. Worth the trip. Highly recommended. PJ from Virginia.

Nice place. Friendly staff. Great food. Great atmosphere. Loved their smoked ice cubes for small batch bourbons! Could use a few more servers, but that's life these days.

Riverside Inn is a wonderful gem we stumbled upon while traveling in Northern Michigan. So peaceful, right on the river, friendly and courteous staff, amazing freshly made food, and the Petosky room was beautiful. Highest recommendation, you won't be disappointed!

One of our favorite Northern Michigan restaurants. Outstanding food, attentive service. Beautiful location.

My husband and I lodged at The Riverside Inn for a romantic getaway. I cannot express enough how beautiful the Inn is. The hospitality was impeccable and we now know where we plan on staying up north every summer. The dining & service was just as amazing! Who doesn't love a "farm to table" selection. The hostess and staff were cordial. Highly recommend!

I read so many excellent reviews but i am sorry to say that this will not be one of them. From the mi Ute i walked in, i felt a dated vibe. The place needs a definite decor update. We ordered the charcuterie to start. The toast points were so crisp they broke when you spread on them. The cherries didn't really work since they weren't spreadable and the pork rilettes were tasteless.

I ordered the salmon and it was over cooked and the polenta on which it sat was dry and co healed. My husband got the duck which was rubbery and hard to cut. I will say the homemade ice cream was very good but if i want waterside dining n this area, i am going back to The Boathouse!

Been coming here for years, always love the dishes. Was a little busy and spotty service last time but that's 4th of July for you. There's a new chocolate cake dessert that is absolutely world class and worth a visit on its own!

Had an early dinner yesterday 7/12/21 at the Riverside Inn. We had a table in the bat area. We had a fantastic dinner and experience. Our server was Libby who also is the bartender and great source of information about the Inn I was very impressed with the staff in general, very professional and friendly. In summary, a great place to have a great meal paired with some great wines. Highly recommend!

Beautiful restaurant in beautiful Leland Michigan heavy touristy area and all the restaurants had 2-3 hour wait times. I entered the lobby area and was told they had 0 places to sit me and my husband. Sadly I left. The manager named Dillon actually ran out the door and caught me and said he could get us in! WOW! Never has that ever happed to me. Since it is my 70th birthday I feel really special

Excellent service. Delicious food and cocktails. Beautiful atmosphere. Highly recommend.

My wife and I ate there Memorial Day weekend 2021. The food and service were exceptional. The steak tartare was nicely prepared and well seasoned, but the accompanying sauce made the dish stand out. The charred avocado was subtle but stood out in the best ways possible. The entrees are where the meal really stood apart. I ordered the beef tenderloin, which was perfectly seasoned and cooked.

It was one of the best prepared steaks I have had in recent years. Simply perfect which made the well prepared sides unnecessary. My wife ordered the scallop dinner, also seasoned and cooked exactly to our preference. The cocktails and desserts did not disappoint, nor did the service. If you are debating a Leelenau dining experience, look no further. If your dinner is anywhere closer to our experience, you'll be thinking about it for days after.

Staff is phenomenal! Attentive to their guests needs. I stayed in the Island suite. Beautiful clean room with a view. I ended up hurting my leg waking around town. The staff was so caring that they went out their way to grab some stuff to make me feel better. They didn't have to but they did. Also their food is delicious! The bruschetta and White Fish with apricot glaze were amazing. Overall, great experience and glad to spend my anniversary there.

Unbelievable dining experience and outstanding top chef quality cooking. The tuna tartar was phenomenal. Scallops and beef tenderloin equally so. I mean the food was superb. Pricey but worth every penny. I did struggle with the $8.98 Covid charge on a $200 bill after paying $3.00 for a relatively small basket of bread. That was not cool. And it's the first restaurant I've seen do this and we eat out a lot. Regardless if you want an amazing dining experience this is your place. Same if you're a foodie.

This Restaurant is one of, if not the finest restaurant in the State of Michigan. Flavorful ingredients well and imaginatively prepared. The Chef at The Riverside Inn is a standout amongst Chef's. A true Master of her craft. Add to the wonderful dining experience is this lovely small Inn located in idyllic surroundings. Well worth the drive.

I had the beef tenderloin and it was fantastic. Cooked to perfection and melt in your mouth good. The mashed potatoes were smooth and buttery. The charred broccoli was crisp on the outside and crunchy on the inside. My wife had the ravioli and said it was very tasty. The view of the river is relaxing. After the sun set there was a warm comfortable glow in the dining room. Robin, our wait person, was attentive and personable. I only had one minor negative comment. The cost of the meal is not inexpensive so I don't understand the $3 charge for bread. I highly recommend The Riverside Inn.

I typically do not leave reviews, but our positive experience at this restaurant made it worth reviewing. We had the pleasure of going here shortly after its reopening from COVID restrictions. The restaurant was very clean and there were very organized social distancing mechanics in place. Everything from start to finish was amazing, from the tuna tartare and charcuterie board for apps.

Then for the entrees, the sea bass and scallops were incredible. Our waitress, Olivia, was phenomenal. She was very helpful and did a wonderful job. She provided my wife and I with dessert and glasses of champagne on the house to celebrate my wife and I's honeymoon. We will absolutely be coming back next time we are in town and will recommend this place to everyone. Thank you for making our night special!

My wife and I have dined at the Riverside many times over our years in Leland, yet I've never written a review. However, after our meal last night during COVID times I felt compelled to do so. Our meal was phenomenal. Charcuterie starter to split (we have probably sampled 100 other charcuterie and cheese boards across the country and nothing holds a candle to the Riv's board), my wife had the Sea Bass and I the Filet.

I would honestly say it was one of the best meals I've ever had there - and that's not just my post quarantine pallet talking. Our food was awesome! We sat at the bar (our favorite spot to eat there), had exceptional service from Aurelia, and met two other nice couples who were looking to buy property in the area. We were safely distanced, and the bar area (and whole restaurant) was constantly sanitized - but in no way was it a nuisance.

We felt completely comfortable. So for anyone wondering if they should take a chance on dining out during these crazy times, 100% - I would highly recommend the Riv. We felt completely safe, the service was outstanding, and the food was divine.

Had dinner on September 23 and was completely impressed with the food and staff. Very charming historical restaurant with turn of the century decor. A must do when in Leland.

The Riverside is now open and as wonderful as ever! The Vilter Family had a tough year after the fire, but is back stronger than ever! Dinner for four this evening, with an intelligent, informed and friendly staff, led by Kate Vilter has done a couple of soft openings, as they try to capture the close to Labor Day crowds. The apps, salads, entrees and desserts are all as fresh and inventive as ever. Not too many suggestions to confuse, each course well presented and flavorful. The Northern Leelanau is blessed with some great dining, with The Riverside being at the top!

Yum. We love the Riverside Inn. Anything you get will be delicious. Ask your server for their recommendations - they have never disappointed me. Great drink menu too!

A historic restaurant up the street from Leland Fish market docks, this was established in 1902. Highly recommend making reservations, a popular place for finer dining and quality service from a team of friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. The menu has a variety of fresh and interesting selections, from appetizers, main courses and yes suggest to check out their dessert menu.

Many fresh seafood choices, plus both traditional and interesting meat selections, so from beef tenderloin to duck breast, venison or lamb as well as vegetarian and GFO options. They also have daily specials, so ask your server for anything off the menu, but beware it may have limited quantities, so don't be surprised if they run out. We also tried an Oregon Pinot Noir (Daffodil) recommended by our server that was excellent, unfiltered, smooth and easy to drink with any meal selection.

I tried the Diver Scallops over a bed of fresh smoky, creamy corn - both flavorful. Scallops were prepared perfectly, seared golden and very tender to eat. Also tried a side of Brussels sprouts with bacon, again cooked to tenderness and very tasty. Others tried the beef tenderloin, sea bass, cauliflower steak and the tomato bisque which all looked great! Topping it off, we shared the chocolate Opera torte with a scoop of ice cream, and the Creme Broulee Cheesecake. Both were rich and just the right touch of sweetness, so a few spoonfuls was all I needed. This is definitely a nice restaurant to try when in the area. Enjoy!

Happened into the Riverside. Warm greeting; great wine/cocktails. Enjoyed the scallops with fresh chips.perfection! Another lovely night in Leland!

The next-door restaurant was closed for cleaning, which was a little odd to me, so my girlfriend and I decided to give this place a try. I went in blind, without much knowledge of what it was before going in. We were surprised to see such an upscale place in Leland, but rolled with it. The restaurant is very small, and has a cozy feel. We were instantly greeted by the waitstaff who was very informative.

The menu was very small, which was what I had expected, and selections were diverse, with unique combinations that I had not seen before. Overall, the restaurant has a very old fashioned feel, but in a way that did not necessarily appeal to me. It definitely seems to cater to an older demographic, which we were not a part of. Regardless, my food was very tasty.

Most people in the restaurant seemed satisfied, but there seemed to be a few other parties who originally had not planned to go to this restaurant like we had. Ultimately, this is a fine establishment with quality food and great service. However, it's not my cup of tea.

Came here for dinner while in town for a wedding. We were looking for a nice place to eat, and this is def that type of place. They market themselves as a fine dining locale and they do live up to that standard. Hostess was exceptionally polite and professional. Server was very nice, professional, well informed about the menu and wine. Tables were set well and excellent silver and glasses.

The people and the place were great, but how about the food. Well--it was a bit disappointing. I had the pheasant and my lady had the lamb. Both were cooked perfectly and plated beautifully, but unfortunately didn't have the flavor we expected from it's look. It's for this reason we thought that the experience didn't justify the fine dining price we paid. Riverside Inn is a beautiful location right on the water with a great staff, but hopefully our dinner was an outlier in it's disappointing lack of flavor. I would consider stopping in again in the future to try something different.

For the price of the food this place was quite a disappointment. I ordered the halibut and both my mom and I agreed that it was very bland. They really could work on their wine selection as well. My mom sampled three different white wines and did not find one she liked--even the waitress admitted to not liking one of them. The red wine I ordered I wish I would of had them take it back as well.

It tasted more like chemicals. My mom rarely sends back wine and I never have. My mom really enjoyed her scallops and the atmosphere is nice, hence the three star rating. For the kind of money you will spend, go somewhere else that's a real taste treat instead of just an up north small town restaurant masquerading as fine dining.

We discovered this intimate Leland inn restaurant on our 25th wedding anniversary and thought: hey, this can't be as good as we remember, right? Nope it was amazing yet again. We began with tiny sweet oysters about the size of a thumb and glass of champagne, followed by a julienned beet salad with walnuts and homemade creamy ricotta dressed in a light mellow balsamic vinaigrette.

All good but just four star up until this point. The server recommends a glass of Tooth & Nail, the Possessor red blend (Cab/Petite Syrah/Malbec). I balked at $12 a glass -- until she said the magic words: made by Orin Swift, so if you like Papillon, you'll like this. Well, dang. Orin Swift's The Prisoner is my favorite all time red and she was spot on.

Incredible mouthfeel, stonefruit at the front, mellow tannins and vanilla/toffee leather middle which bloomed with a bit of edge when the steaks arrived. Oh my, put this on the wine cabinet wish list. The husband's Del Monica steak was so tender he didn't need a steak knife?! My filet mignon was at least 3 inches thick, perfectly seared to a carmelized crust.

The red wine reduction sauce felt a bit too gelatinous for me, but then, I'm a straight up bearnaise on the side kinda girl. Oh, and it was over 8 oz, for $36! with sides -- difficult to find in a metro like Cincinnati. It was so perfect I hated to mention that it was more medium well than medium rare, knowing this is a small house that lives and dies on the margins but they swiftly took it back and delivered the best steak I've ever had and then offered a free dessert. Don't hesitate here, head straight for the flourless chocolate torte in a rich thick ganache big enough for two. I've tried this recipe several times (from an old Gourmet magazine issue) with folded cream and gazillions of egg yolks and melted Valrhona chocolate and never gotten the results the Riverside Inn did.

My husband ordered home made chocolate ice cream, rich, custardy similar to the french pot Graeter's chocolate. He voted mine was hands down better. A hearty round of applause to everyone here for the most memorable vacation dinner of the year.

Came for dinner last night nice place overlooking water We first had cocktails mine being a brandy old fashion Which was good For our first course we had the smoked Gouda beer soup which was very good except it was a bit too thick almost seemed like they used flour or corn starch to thicken it up when it probably didn't need it. We also had the beet salad which was Julienned like Cole slaw.

Problem With that you don't get the true flavor of the local beet its muddled and to make things worse it's over dressed so that's all you taste. The arugula salad was the best of the three but it too was over dressed with the vinaigrette. For the main course I had the whitefish special with Fiddleheads as they are in season The fish was perfectly cooked atop some hash brown type potatoes both excellent The other main courses were the pasta made from golden squash with peas I tasted this and thought it was very good, and the walleye which was also good. Jim Had the Berkshire pork chop which was suppose to be med well.

It came out rare so he sent it back. So almost everyone is finished with there meals and his refire comes out and it's still way undercooked like now it's med rare. So he sent it back and said he's not hungry anymore. Bummer he didn't get an entree said he was ok But still that's disappointing. we didn't have desert. Food was good and our Server Kayla was excellent