River House opened in August 2015 as Chef John Varanese's second restaurant, part of a 27,000-square-foot development on River Road in Louisville's St. Matthews area. Varanese trained at Johnson & Wales, worked as kitchen manager at Magnolias in South Carolina, then served as executive chef at Azalea and later at the Cardinal Club in Louisville before opening his first restaurant, Varanese, in 2007.
The restaurant pairs a raw bar with a full dining room built around regional cuisine with a Southern lean and fresh seafood daily. The kitchen turns out grouper cheeks, East Coast oysters, lump crab, cornbread, and succotash, alongside salad, brie, steak, and short ribs for guests who want something besides seafood, with fries and potatoes rounding out the sides.
The dining room leans into its river setting, with water views built into the space, and a separate wine room seating up to 12 is available for private gatherings.
The restaurant pairs a raw bar with a full dining room built around regional cuisine with a Southern lean and fresh seafood daily. The kitchen turns out grouper cheeks, East Coast oysters, lump crab, cornbread, and succotash, alongside salad, brie, steak, and short ribs for guests who want something besides seafood, with fries and potatoes rounding out the sides.
The dining room leans into its river setting, with water views built into the space, and a separate wine room seating up to 12 is available for private gatherings.