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✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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Welcome to The River Downtown, your neighborhood watering hole and community gathering place in the heart of Nevada City. Family-owned and housed in a historic Gold Country building, our space blends the soul of a rustic mining town with a modern edge. We serve elevated comfort food and shareable plates from our full-service kitchen, alongside 24 taps featuring local beer, cider, kombucha, and seltzer and a curated wine list. Rooted in community and crafted with care, The River is all about good food, good drinks, and genuine connection. Half our tables are bookable with a phone call or message, the other half are for folks who wander in — come fancy or river-soaked. Just come sip, savor, and stay a while. We can’t wait to welcome you!
Hours
| Saturday | 4–9 PM |
| Sunday | 4–8 PM |
| Monday | 4–8 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 4–8 PM |
| Friday | 4–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 232 Commercial St, Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone: (530) 273-0000
Website: https://www.theriverdowntown.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: toasttab.com
Related Web Results
The River Downtown
Nevada City’s New Favorite Spot to Eat, Drink & Connect … The River Downtown is a family-owned gathering place where great food, drinks, and genuine connection …
The River Downtown (@theriverdowntown) – Instagram
610 followers · 30 posts · Watering hole and grub. Thursday-Monday 4-10pm Nevada City, CA.
The River Downtown | Nevada City CA – Facebook
The River Downtown. Serving sharable plates with 24 rotating taps of beer, local kombucha, and a great wine selection. Restaurant. . Follow …
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Reviews
Surbhi Verma
Great vegetarian food, friendly service, nice ambiance! Pick the spot at the back with the brick walls for seating. Tried the Mediterranean smashed tacos and Mac n cheese and both dishes tasted good. Great selections of drinks as well including some nice kombuchas. The server was pretty kind in providing a sampler to make a decision on the flavor. My favorite – lavender lift kombucha from the local brewery in Grass valley!
… moreKelly M
One of the best food experiences I’ve had. The peach salad, southwest tacos a.d Mediterranean meatballs were nothing short of amazing. I can say, I didn’t want dinner to end. Fantastic experience.
… moreA C
This venue beautifully weaves together the rich history of Nevada City with a fresh, innovative spirit. The atmosphere is warm and distinctive, and the food was delicious.
… moreRose Ryan Campau
We stumbled into The River Downtown on their soft opening and walked out completely obsessed. It’s set inside a historic gold smelting building that’s been lovingly brought back to life by the owners over the past few years. You can feel the care in every detail – the kind of place where nothing feels rushed, even though it’s brand new.
We grabbed a table on the little front patio, which had the perfect energy for a golden-hour dinner. The owners and staff were all incredibly kind – genuinely excited to be open, and it showed. Service was smooth and attentive, even though it was literally day one.
Food-wise? A knockout. The ahi nachos were the star – crispy, cool, and drenched in an unreal wasabi sauce. I got the Tuk Tuk tacos (so much flavor, perfect texture) and my friend went with the Mediterranean smash nachos, which were also excellent. Honestly, everything we saw coming out of the kitchen looked good. We’re already planning a return trip just to work our way through the rest of the menu.
And the wine list. Just – wow. Easily one of the best-curated selections I’ve seen in a long time, especially at this price point. Tons of interesting small producers you rarely see on menus, all chosen with real intention.
It’s rare to catch a place at the very beginning when it’s already this dialed. Don’t miss it.
… moreWe grabbed a table on the little front patio, which had the perfect energy for a golden-hour dinner. The owners and staff were all incredibly kind – genuinely excited to be open, and it showed. Service was smooth and attentive, even though it was literally day one.
Food-wise? A knockout. The ahi nachos were the star – crispy, cool, and drenched in an unreal wasabi sauce. I got the Tuk Tuk tacos (so much flavor, perfect texture) and my friend went with the Mediterranean smash nachos, which were also excellent. Honestly, everything we saw coming out of the kitchen looked good. We’re already planning a return trip just to work our way through the rest of the menu.
And the wine list. Just – wow. Easily one of the best-curated selections I’ve seen in a long time, especially at this price point. Tons of interesting small producers you rarely see on menus, all chosen with real intention.
It’s rare to catch a place at the very beginning when it’s already this dialed. Don’t miss it.
Sarah Danenberg
Service was fast and friendly. Food is different then most restaurants around here but delicious! We had the smashed tacos, was a little out of the norm for what we normally get but yummmmy!!
… moreKimberly Scott
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at The River Downtown. It was our first time eating here and we were excited to have a higher-end, new restaurant in Nevada City.
We ordered the Tuk Tuk Thai Smashed Tacos (spicy and delicious), the Seared Ahi Sliders (creative and delightful), Samosas (delicious and not at all greasy), and the Caribbean Dip. The chips served with the dip weren’t the best vessel for the dip. They were more like small, tasteless, banana chips from Trader Joe’s. We suspect perhaps they ran out of properly sized, fresh plantain chips. This was the only “miss” with what we ordered. The draft beer and wine selections were well thought out.
Great atmosphere with thoughtfully repurposed decor. The food is little pricey, but the food is delicious. This new establishment is a welcome one.
… moreWe ordered the Tuk Tuk Thai Smashed Tacos (spicy and delicious), the Seared Ahi Sliders (creative and delightful), Samosas (delicious and not at all greasy), and the Caribbean Dip. The chips served with the dip weren’t the best vessel for the dip. They were more like small, tasteless, banana chips from Trader Joe’s. We suspect perhaps they ran out of properly sized, fresh plantain chips. This was the only “miss” with what we ordered. The draft beer and wine selections were well thought out.
Great atmosphere with thoughtfully repurposed decor. The food is little pricey, but the food is delicious. This new establishment is a welcome one.
Fitrie Randolph
I’ve been wanting to try this new restaurant in town, and I finally did. Loved the ambiance—rustic interior with a cozy vibe. We tried the coconut shrimp; it was okay, but nothing extraordinary.
… moreRick Dobbs
Great, friendly service in absolutely charming digs.
Chef knows how to make some amazing bites but then slaps a variety of sugary sauces on the dish which really detracts from the flavors. It’s expected in the coconut shrimp but the samosas, tacos, and others aren’t better for it.
Reasonably priced and the wine list is really well done with some well known hits and a few nice finds.
… moreChef knows how to make some amazing bites but then slaps a variety of sugary sauces on the dish which really detracts from the flavors. It’s expected in the coconut shrimp but the samosas, tacos, and others aren’t better for it.
Reasonably priced and the wine list is really well done with some well known hits and a few nice finds.
Organic Food
Definitely will be coming back the tacos were unique and the setting was nice. Good kombucha options as well
… moreMelanie Miller
We had a really good meal with even better service – many thanks to Mariano! We enjoyed the samosas, ahi tuna sliders, and Mediterranean tacos. We also really liked the hummus but it would be better with a different vehicle (the corn chips aren’t doing the hummus justice). The building’s history and the thoughtful design of the space make it special. Will return when we are back in the area.
… more