Riva Restaurant & Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Celebration of Taste in Düsseldorf's Medienhafen

At Zollhof 11, where the old harbour cranes and red-brick warehouses of Düsseldorf's Medienhafen meet contemporary architecture, Riva Restaurant & Bar has carved out a space that refuses to be pinned down to a single identity. Restaurant, bar, lively gathering place, summer piazza — it shifts register depending on the hour and the season, while keeping one constant: the genuine pleasure of eating and drinking well.

The People Behind It

The operation is built on a partnership between two managing directors. Chef René Paganetti drives the kitchen with what the team describes simply as Handwerksehre — craftsman's honour. Every dish is prepared fresh for the guest; only market-fresh, catch-fresh or butcher-fresh ingredients make the cut. Convenience products have no place here. Front of house is Michele Salamone's domain, whose charm keeps the room moving and the service seamless. Together they run GHB Gastro Harbour Betriebsgesellschaft, the company behind Riva — a structure that reflects how seriously they take the long game.

That commitment has earned external recognition: Gambero Rosso awarded Riva a fork in its 2025 edition, placing it among the Italian food guide's curated selection of quality addresses outside Italy.

Kitchen and Bar

The kitchen's philosophy is direct: cook with soul and passion, let the produce do the talking. The lunch card changes daily, giving regulars a reason to return through the week. In the evening the pace shifts, and the menu extends into dinner service. A wine list accompanies the food, and the bar — stocked with world-famous cocktails, rare malts, gin selections and large-format wines — holds its own as a destination in its own right. The bartenders, by their own account, always have time for a special request or a short conversation.

The Space and the Terrace

Inside, the industrial bones of the building — exposed red brick, the memory of a working harbour — give the room warmth and texture. As evening progresses, the atmosphere builds from relaxed family dinner to something more animated, a natural dramaturgy that plays out nightly.

When the sun appears, the terrace becomes what the team calls the piazza of the Medienhafen. Heaters and blankets extend the season well into cooler months, and a winter garden keeps the outdoor spirit alive even when the Mediterranean light is a distant memory. It is the kind of place where office workers dock at midday and the same tables see a very different crowd by midnight.