Best Historic Restaurants in Riverside

We booked this on the night of the Mission Inn Christmas lights festival kickoff. We were not disappointed. First of all, you get special access to the hotel, lobby and light show with a reservation. That alone saves tons of time and the burden of standing in long lines in the cold. Then there's the restaurant... What a beautiful example of early 19th Century California architecture and craftsmanship. All of the finishes from the molding and tile to the details in the Christmas decorations are beautiful. I felt like I was in a Bing Crosby movie - in Technicolor. Finally, the food and service are both 5 star! The buffet we enjoyed was curated with high quality, well made classics like shrimp cocktail, prime rib, salad bar and all the fixings. Beverages like lemonade and coffee were included. The service was friendly and very attentive. Just get here early for this festival. It took us almost an hour to get in and find parking, and the negotiate the crowds to get here from the lot. Crazy busy, but so, so worth it.

Pizza is tasty as well as pesto pasta. Tiramisu was yummy.. spicy pasta was watery and not spicy.. lacked flavor. Ok meal,.. nothing spectacular. Decent ambience.

Wonderful dining experience, great service and food was pretty good as well.

ribeye, mashed potatoes, and green beans were all great. as was the pessimist red wine blend. the bread pudding was a pass - was more like a dry muffin. nice and quiet so we could talk/be romantic.