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Restaurant RIVA
The RIVA restaurant is located in the Kaisergarten Deidesheim and stands for
Mediterranean cuisine and a relaxed, modern feel-good atmosphere.
It’s also worth taking a look at the wine list! Constantly updated, it offers a wide range of wines from renowned winegrowers in the Palatinate, with national and international wineries completing the broad portfolio.
The restaurant is generously laid out with different areas, retreats and seperate rooms: while the hustle and bustle in the glass show kitchen can be observed from the main room, a larger group can be undisturbed in the green seperate room with the natural moss wall. An absolute highlight in the warm season is the summer terrace with its beautiful, atrium-like garden. Mediterranean plants, the watercourse with the pond,
the intimate lounge corner invite you to linger on warm summer evenings.
Cocktails co. are available at the RIVA Bar, which connects seamlessly to the restaurant with the newly renovated RIVA Bar Lounge. The cozy fireplace room scores with a private retreat.
In short: at RIVA, everyone will find their favorite spot, depending on their taste and the occasion.
Benvenuto at RIVA!
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday
12 to 10 p.m.
Kitchen: from 12 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8.30 p.m.
Sundays & public holidays
11.30 am – 2 pm | late riser breakfast
3 pm – 10 pm | à la carte
Kitchen: from 3 pm to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 8.30 pm
NEW:
“Cake time” daily from 2 to 5 pm
Dogs are welcome in the restaurant
Only events with a buffet are excluded.
E-charging stations
Charging stations for your e-vehicle are available in our hotel parking lot – 50 cents per kWh.
Special opening/rest periods 2026
Late riser breakfast
on all Sundays & public holidays, except:
January 1 | May 1 + 14 | June 4 | December 24 + 25 + 31
December 24 | 12-2 pm à la carte & from 6 p.m. Christmas menu
December 25 1 | 12-2 pm à la carte & from 6 p.m. Christmas menu or a la carte
December 26 | 11.30 am – 2 pm late riser breakfast | restaurant and bar are closed in the evening
27. December | 11.30 am – 2 pm late riser breakfast | à la carte in the evening
December 31 – New Year’s Eve | 12-2 pm à la carte & 18.30 h New Year’s Eve party incl. New Year’s Eve menu and DJ (only bookable with New Year’s Eve arrangement)
January 1, 2027 – New Year | in the evening from 6 pm à la carte
Cancellation on public holidays
Changes to your reservation can be made online at OpenTable up to 1 week before the table reservation.
In case of no-show or cancelation less than 1 week in advance, a fee of 50 € per person will be charged.
Food like in Italy – and a fine selection of steaks on top!
The RIVA team loves and lives international-Mediterranean cuisine.
Our wine list is constantly updated and offers a variety of wines from renowned Palatinate estates, and international wines complete our portfolio. Our restaurant team will be happy to help you make the right choice.
Our breakfast times for our hotel guests:
Monday to Friday | 6.30 – 10 a.m.
Saturday + Sunday | 7.30 – 11 a.m.
29 € per person
For late risers, we offer our popular late riser breakfast on Sundays from 11:30 am to 2 pm.
39 € per person
A good meal without good wine
is like a day without sunshine.
UNA CENA SENZA VINO È COMO
UN GIORNO SENZA SOLE.
Restaurant manager Julian Berkhemer
Two hands, three plates, in addition to the restaurant management at Restaurant RIVA currently also the provisional service management at Restaurant 1718… and always a smile, always there for everyone.
There is nothing in his large team that does not exist: from baby boomers to Generation Z, everything is there. It unites generations and cultures. His team is rumored to be the “best restaurant manager ever”.
He himself is enthusiastic about the RIVA. He loves the daily challenge and the people in his team.
Executive chef Mike Deuschel
At the GmbH, he is responsible for two restaurants: Restaurant RIVA at Hotel Kaisergarten Deidesheim and Restaurant 1718 at Genussresort Ketschauer Hof . While the cuisine at Restaurant 1718 has a clear Francophile accent, RIVA focuses on Mediterranean cuisine, particularly Italian. The team players in both kitchens, above all the sous-chefs, have a feeling for the restaurants different characteristics and can switch from one restaurant to the other at a moment’s notice.
What characterizes the RIVA cuisine?
RIVA stands for top-class meat quality, and steaks play an important role on the otherwise thoroughly Mediterranean menu.
What are RIVA “classics”?
Guests rave about our stone oven pizza, which we top according to the season, and the vitello tonnato, the beef tartare, the popular truffle ravioli,… are a must on the menu.
We also serve Mediterranean dishes in all variations and shades. Look forward to gaspacho andaluz, Apulian burrata, chanterelle tagliatelle, loup de mer from the Canary Islands with herb and spinach risotto, veal saltimbocca with parmesan gnocchi and fennel and a crema catalana to finish.
And because eating together is so nice…
Mike Deuschel loves Mediterranean cuisine and, above all, the table culture of eating together that is inherent in southern latitudes. You eat together, talk about how it tastes, share the food and pass it on to the other person. “You only do that with someone you like,” says Deuschel, and it is in this sense that he uses the saying “Food makes you happy”.
That’s why you’ll always find a dish “for two” on the menu, for example sole for two.
Team
Restaurant RIVA Service
Julian Berkhemer
Restaurant manager
…has been at RIVA since 2020 and heads the service team there. In addition to his role in operational service, he sees himself as the first point of contact for his team. He coordinates the services, the people and everything around them, preferably after 10 o’clock.
His passion is not just his job, but first and foremost his son.
And when he does find time for himself, he prefers to spend it playing with blocks, audio books and computer games.
The RIVA inspires me. I love the daily challenge and the people in my team.
Dominik Blanke
Deput. Restaurant manager
…has not only been part of the team since 2022, but also Julian Berkhemer’s reliable right-hand man. What his lively colleague brings to the table in terms of openness and creativity, he makes up for with experience and composure.
Simply a strong team together!
He has a soft spot for the wine list. He will soon be hosting a “wine battle” at the RIVA restaurant. There are still places available – join us!
He finds a balance to his job with his family and with strength and endurance sports.
This company successfully combines the history of our wineries with the modern atmosphere of the Hotel Kaisergarten and the RIVA restaurant. My tasks are varied and the division of responsibilities with the restaurant manager is really harmonious. This makes work fun!
Dorothee Kuhlmann
Chef de Rang
…is the loyal soul in the team, now for over 10 years – details that speak for themselves. 😉
In her free time, she enjoys meeting friends and visiting her two children and grandchild. She also enjoys eating out and reading a lot.
I appreciate the high-quality products I get to work with at RIVA. The most important thing for me is the good cooperation in our team. And: we have the best restaurant manager ever here!
Vincenzo Zavatta
Chef de Rang
…has not only been part of the team since April 2021, but above all an “experienced bunny” who means well with everyone. With his experience, it is important to him to create a trusting working environment, especially for young employees. On the other hand, he wants to offer guests excellent service and specialist knowledge.
When he’s not in the restaurant, he’s there for his family. There he sees himself as the contact person for all his loved ones’ concerns.
For me, the Kaisergarten Deidesheim is THE address in the Palatinate! The professional expertise and warm working atmosphere of our team motivates me in my work every day.
Igor Stjepanovic
Commis de Rang
…has been reliably supporting the RIVA evening service since 2023. Born in Bosnia, studied sports management in Croatia and after 2 years in Austria speaks such great German – wow!
What he likes about RIVA are the high-quality steaks and the architecturally successful integration of the open show kitchen.
In his private life, he is a sportsman through and through. When he’s not playing sport or soccer himself at , he coaches the first team at FC Hambach.
I feel right at home in the RIVA team. Everyone is there for each other!
Karyna Piskovatska
Service employee
The charming Ukrainian has been part of the company since August 2022 and has recently been working primarily in the RIVA restaurant. Guests appreciate her attentive service and keen intuition.
We are currently supporting her wish to work 30 hours a week so that she can attend language courses and improve her German language skills while working.
I'm pleased that I was able to reduce my hours without saying much. I want to learn German so that I can live and work in this country.
Sebastian Berg
Bar Chef
…has been with us since August 2023 and has been the rock in the surf at the RIVA BAR ever since. With gin and tonic, Negroni and many more cult drinks, he makes the guests at the bar and in the restaurant happy.
For him, the RIVA Bar is THE bar in Deidesheim night after night, for night owls in the region and hotel guests alike.
He finds the interplay between the restaurant and bar teams to be “bombastic”, the first time he has experienced such good cooperation here.
I'm rich in human encounters...that's what my job at the bar is all about for me.
Renata Karolina Trochimiuk
Breakfast employee
…has been a valued colleague in the breakfast team since 2019. With her experience on the job, she knows exactly what guests want in the morning: whether they’re a breakfast speedster or a breakfast connoisseur, they all love to have a warm cup of coffee or tea at the table quickly. Always in a good mood, she gives away her good morning smile at the same time as her cup of coffee and gets even the last morning grouch out from behind the stove.
As a mommy of three, I am so glad that I have a job that leaves me room for my big "family" project. I can combine my job and family well here.
Jennifer Licha
Breakfast employee
…has been part of the breakfast team since March 2024. She is happy to make the daily journey from Ludwigshafen because she has a job with us that allows her to spend time with her school-age child in the afternoon, and there is hardly anything going on on the street at 5 o’clock in the morning.
She feels like part of a family with the breakfast “girls” at RIVA. When asked what our breakfast guests would like from her, she answers: a fragrant coffee and a “good morning” with a friendly smile.
If she were a guest at RIVA herself, she would choose the truffle ravioli from the menu.
In her free time, she likes to fulfill her daughter’s wish to go to the cinema together from time to time.
It's the little things that count with us. For example, greeting guests by name - a small, personal gesture that makes our guests very happy.
Nina Heizmann
Breakfast employee
Nina Heizmann joined our breakfast team at Restaurant Riva in March 2025. She previously worked for 25 years in a hotel in the region as a service employee and deputy restaurant manager.
She enjoys working in the breakfast service and is happy to welcome familiar regulars and many guests from the surrounding area every day.
In her free time, she enjoys cycling, hiking with her dog and discovering new restaurants with her husband.
I feel very comfortable in the breakfast service and am extremely happy with the working hours - so I can relax and look after my dog in the afternoons.
Ann-Marie Krischer
Demi Chef de Rang
After completing her training with us, she was taken on and has been a permanent member of the RIVA restaurant team since July 2024.
She empathizes well with the current trainees and supports the “young chicks” wherever she can or even helps out in the big “chicken coop”.
She loves the RIVA pizza, which tastes fantastic straight from the stone oven.
In her free time, she spruces up the house and garden with her partner. Or she goes on bike tours with her job bike.
The RIVA team is special to me! After work, we also have a lot to talk about in private, we go out together... Real friendships develop here.
Leonie Wieck
Apprentice hotel manager
…discovered us on Hotelcareer, applied and has been our trainee since this summer. She has long fancied working in the hotel industry and worked at the Mercure Hotel for one day a week for a year before joining us. After her apprenticeship, she can well imagine spending time abroad.
In her free time, she goes horse riding, strength training or jogging.
I immediately felt at home here. The colleagues are all incredibly friendly. And I really like the interior of the RIVA restaurant.
Jan-Erik Oltersdorff
Trainee specialist for restaurants and event catering
… moved from his hometown of Frankfurt to the Palatinate in August 2025 to start his apprenticeship with us. He finds the people here to be particularly open and welcoming – a difference that he greatly appreciates. At RIVA, he is particularly impressed by the variety of the menu and the attitude towards guests: casual without being careless.
He also occasionally supports the team at Restaurant Sushi B. He finds the smaller, personal spaces there and the close contact with guests and staff particularly special.
In his free time, he enjoys cooking, following Eintracht Frankfurt and keeping fit at the gym.
"I appreciate the versatility of my training company: two hotels and four restaurants make my training extremely varied."
Johanna Baier
Auszubildende Fachfrau für Restaurants und Veranstaltungsgastronomie
…ist als jüngste Auszubildende, die im September 2025 bei uns gestartet ist, unser „Küken“. Nach anfänglichem Zögern nach der Schule, wie der Weg weitergeht, hat sie einfach begonnen – bei uns. Wir geben ihr die Zeit, die sie braucht, um anzukommen. Zwischenzeitlich fühlt sie sich angekommen und wohl im RIVA-Team, das sie einerseits fordert und ihr andererseits liebevoll „Welpenschutz“ gewährt.
Im RIVA begeistert sie besonders das Interieur und die lockere Atmosphäre. Dürfte sie von der Karte wählen, würde sie sich für den Caesar Salad entscheiden.
„Ich bin dankbar, dass ich in diesem Team beginnen durfte – ich habe hier eine wunderbare Starthilfe.“
Restaurant RIVA Kitchen
Mike Deuschel
Chef
Since May 2024, he has been responsible for two kitchens at the GmbH: the “RIVA” at the Hotel Kaisergarten Deidesheim and the “1718” at the Genussresort Ketschauer Hof. The ages of his two teams range from the youngest trainee, not yet of age, to over 60.
“In my large team, a wide variety of human needs arise. I want to listen carefully, otherwise it won’t work. It’s like a big family,” says Deuschel with a smile.
When he’s not stirring the pots at RIVA or motivating his team there, he prefers to be out and about on his bike with his family of five.
I have two families: the Deuschel family and the RIVA family.
Kevin Müller
Sous Chef
…has 9 years of experience on Sylt and has been part of the team since September 2023. He currently holds the position of breakfast chef, but will soon take over as sous chef from head chef Anselmo Basile.
His girlfriend and he are quite an adventurous couple, like to travel to different cities together, see everything there and have a good time together. When time allows, he goes to the gym.
I was really well received here at RIVA and am really looking forward to my job here.
Nico Kirchner
Chef de Partie
…discovered our ad in summer 2024 and then applied directly to us. He is the man in the kitchen who takes care of the menu for conference groups of up to 100 people. He makes his production preparations the day before so that he can “send à la minute” the next day.
He drives to us from Hochspeyer every day and is grateful that he can work here without part-time. He appreciates his chef, who gives him space, lets him work independently and at the same time integrates him into the team.
When he’s not in the RIVA kitchen, Lautern fans can find him at the Betze.
Our menu is clearly structured, you could almost say "simple". This allows everyone, right down to the trainees, to work well together. However, if you look deeper into the details, you quickly discover the subtleties and the level. The devil is in the detail! 🙂
Christian Kirstein
Chef de Partie
After more than a decade working in various kitchens in the Stuttgart area—from large canteens to one-man shows—the native of the Palatinate region is returning to the Palatinate in fall 2024, now with his family. Since then, he has been supporting the RIVA team and, as an entremetier, is responsible for all side dishes. He is incredibly happy to finally be working in a large kitchen again and loves the variety of dishes on our menu. He appreciates that the head chef allows all chefs to contribute their ideas for the new menu.
If he were a guest at RIVA, he would choose the shellfish croquettes as a starter from the current menu and the Challans duck with sauce au vin rouge, radicchio trevisano, and Jerusalem artichoke as his main course.
When he’s not in the kitchen, he spends his free time with his wife and their little son on outings in the Palatinate.
At RIVA, everything is still produced in-house, down to the last detail. I really enjoy cooking here.
Isabell Neubert
Breakfast chef
…joined us in September 2024 to leave behind a period of high professional stress. She greatly appreciates the clear structures and responsibilities at RIVA, as well as the collegial atmosphere.
She loves the early shift and likes to start at 5:30 a.m. with the mise en place for breakfast. This leaves her time in the afternoon for what is important to her: as a family person, she prefers to spend her free time with her extended family and friends.
I received a warm welcome here, and I am delighted that, even a year and a half later, everything is still running exactly as promised at the outset.
Rolf Michael Egger
Breakfast cook
…responsible for breakfast at RIVA since 2021. After several decades as a chef in well-known hotels, especially abroad, he was looking for something “regular” and found it with us. As an early riser, breakfast is exactly his thing at this stage of his life, so he has time to look after his mother.
As a father of two grown-up children, family is still very important to him. He finds relaxation in sport and wellness at the gym.
Our product quality is fantastic. The team fits, the atmosphere here is good. I really enjoy working here.
Filip Slavov
Kitchen gadgets for breakfast
Filip Slavov has been supporting the breakfast team as a kitchen assistant since August 2025. Originally from Bulgaria, he has been living in Germany for seven years. Whether fruit, vegetables, or hot dishes—everything offered at the breakfast buffet first passes through his hands. He prepares the food fresh with great care and ensures that it is attractively presented. In addition, Filip provides important support in preparing coffee breaks for conferences held in-house.
His working day starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends in the afternoon. He particularly appreciates being able to spend the rest of the day with his children and the family dog. This is another reason why he feels very comfortable in the breakfast team and has quickly settled in.
“I like the RIVA team and my job. And it's great that I can improve my German a little bit every day at work.”
Ansgar Ehlers
Chef dishwasher
…has been part of the hard core of the Riva kitchen since 2013 and has been in charge on the dishwashing front ever since. It is an important piece of the hygiene puzzle and also keeps the warehouse tidy.
As an absolute culture freak, he loves to travel, enjoys going to the theater and has a knack for learning foreign languages: he is currently learning Arabic!
At Riva, he loves the exquisite menu, the Mediterranean cuisine, the modern-chic ambience and the great working atmosphere.
He has his quote ready in Italian – no wonder, if you know him 😉
Amo gli italiani, la lingua italiana, la musica italiana. Ma soprattutto voglio restare qui.
Ansgar Ehlers
Chef-Spüler
…gehört seit 2013 zum harten Kern der Riva-Küche und hat seither das Kommando an der Spül-Front. Er ist ein bedeutendes Puzzlestück im Thema “Hygiene” und sorgt zudem im Lager für Ordnung.
Als absoluter Kultur-Freak liebt er das Reisen, geht gerne ins Theater und im Erlernen von Fremdsprachen hat er es faustdick hinter den Ohren: aktuell lernt er Arabisch!
Im Riva hat es ihm die erlesene Speisekarte, die mediterrane Küche, das modern-schicke Ambiente und das tolle Betriebsklima angetan.
Sein Zitat hat er – kein Wunder, wenn man ihn kennt – auf Italienisch parat 😉
Amo gli italiani, la lingua italiana, la musica italiana. Ma soprattutto voglio restare qui.
Benjamin Weiß
Apprentice chef
…began his training with us in August 2025 and already has extensive knowledge and experience. As a career changer, he rose to the position of restaurant manager at Bisto Luxx in Mannheim. At the same time, he supported the bar at the Leopold Restaurant/Winning Winery. Not content with that, his desire to train as a chef grew, which led to his start at RIVA and his move to Deidesheim.
He currently works as a garde manger in the RIVA show kitchen.
As a guest at RIVA, he would choose the beef tartare, the restaurant’s signature starter, and from the current menu, the Holstein veal shank with gravy, gremolata, and saffron risotto for his main course.
I am a chef through and through. In my free time, I recreate recipes and treat my friends to my cooking.
Emmanuel Weißmüller
Apprentice chef
…has been training with us since 2022. He got into cooking through his grandmother, with whom he enjoyed cooking from an early age, especially the Tafelspitz recipe. Fortunately, his aunt read our trainee ad in the newspaper in 2022 and drew his attention to our company. Then everything went quickly: applied to us, had a good interview and off we went!
I think the Italian dishes on our menu are really great. Italian cuisine doesn't need a lot of excitement, the focus is on fresh and high-quality products!
Paul Fuchs
Apprentice chef
…started training as a chef with us in summer 2023. He wants to get involved in the team with the chefs, support them and learn as much as possible for himself.
In his free time, he is active in the voluntary fire department and the altar servers.
I love the RIVA kitchen because it has a really good working atmosphere.
Mark Bogatyrev
Apprentice chef
…comes from what is now the northernmost metropolis in the world: St. Petersburg. It’s impressive to hear the young man speaking almost fluently German. As the youngest in the kitchen, he only recently started his apprenticeship with us in August 2024. He is currently already helping with breakfast, in the open show kitchen and stocking the buffet.
At RIVA, he likes the stylish, modern interior and the friendly atmosphere in the RIVA kitchen team.
I see the fact that the company has a total of four restaurants as a great opportunity for me personally. Not only can I do my training here, I can also get a lot more out of it for myself personally.