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The main asset of this restaurant/bar is that it sits in a chic terraced spot along the river, and there are spots to dock if you come by boat. The service has never been excellent, but at least last summer there were individual tables for dinner all along the outdoor patio, so the atmosphere made up for the service. This year, apparently, the service is almost non-existent (actually, non-existant might be better than the incompetence that seems to be the current norm) and the beautiful outdoor patio becomes a "lounge." What "lounge" means here is that if you're hip-looking enough and dumb enough to want to overpay for everything, you might get something to eat or drink within an hour or two of arriving (not because business is booming, but because the waitresses and manager strut around, apparently so concerned about maintaining an image that they have forgotten or never learned how to treat actual customers). If you ARE lucky enough to get served, be grateful, extremely grateful because this bounty may not last--the staff openly reserves the right to ask you to give up your seating area if someone else ostensibly more important comes along. Funny thing about that is, there are no reservations out in the lounge area-- it's open seating--er, kind of. I used to love bringing friends to this place by boat last year--the first (and only) time I went this summer, it was very disappointing. I'll say one positive thing--the avocado egg rolls were still delicious. If they can get their act together, this place has great potential.

Had a great experience at Flatwater the other day. It's a little tight out on the deck by the River but worth it. The food was fantastic. Try the Aloha Avocado Egg Rolls and the Espresso Hazelnut Lamb Chops. Both are terrific. Note: if you're not up for the hazards of a trendy downtown spot (other people, music, a tight fit), this place probably isn't for you until after 9p or so.

My family and I were Chicago and a friend recommended Flatwater. Overall, we had a great experience. The waiter was extremely gracious and accomodating, great views, and the food was incredible- as a matter of fact I'm salivating just thinking about the food now!

the great part is the river. the annoying part is the happy hour 80's music, played at high volume for the sake of the crowd at the bar, and clearly not for those of us paying big bucks to dine at the tables. repeated requests to turn the volume down were handled graciously by a couple of waitstaff, but then soon countered by someone, the manager or bartender perhaps, who dialed the tunes right back up again. half of the dishes served were really nice and half were not good. at 140 bucks for three of us, we deserved better.

we were greeted quite nicely, seated promptly and had a great view of the river and passing boats from our outdoor table. We were a party of four. The waiter was helpful and knowledgable about the menu. I would return to Flatwater for sure. Cost of our meals were in line with most restaurants with similiar menu.