Restaurants near SUNY Downstate Medical Center

a cozy, friendly eatery with excellent service and food

Outstanding dining experience shared with out of town family who were guests for the holiday season. The River Cafe did not disappoint. The menu offered a dazzling array of options for each course and given the large selection, we were a bit concerned about their ability to deliver… we were extremely happy and quite frankly blown away by each course. The food was of the best quality, presented beautifully and tasted absolutely DELICIOUS. Our only disappointment was the water service - it seems so silly but we had to ask NUMEROUS times for water and wait and wait for our glasses to be refilled. This seems like a minor detail but a major annoyance that can be readily corrected. One other troubling detail that surprised us was the lack of toilet tissue in the Ladies Room- it appeared that no staff attended to the bathroom during our three hour meal. We raise these two points in support of The River Cafe’s commitment to excellence. A warm thanks to the Chef and their team for a wonderful meal and lovey dining experience.

Gorgeous setting. We had river views in summer there are outside tables. A stylish restaurant with a central bar area. The food was fast and delicious and had a great vegetarian selection. About 5mins walk from York Street. Really can’t recommend this place enough.

Love our meal at strange delight. The room is surprisingly beautiful. The cocktails were very well-made. And the dishes we tried were wonderful. Prices are definitely high, the gin ramos fizz is $10 more than when it was reviewed in August, but I would return. The food, drinks and ambulance were wonderful.

This place is such a gem - from the moment you get to the door, you can tell Cafe Mars is not your typical restaurant. The decor is colorful and vibrant; it just screams "walk in here and get ready to have a great time". The staff are warm, entertaining, and knowledgeable. I have had nothing but 10/10 service on all of my visits here. And of course, the food is fantastic. Chef Paul truly works wonders here. Run, don't walk to Cafe Mars!