Piecing together an elegant ambiance, exciting flavor combinations and warm service, The River Bistro has it all. Located inside of the Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Binghamton, The River Bistro flies under the radar for many Binghamton University students but is deserving of more credit than it gets.

As an American bistro, the restaurant serves traditional dishes like steak, seafood and fries, but surprises guests with ingredients that blend and complement each other quite nicely. The restaurant is decorated with full-length windows surrounding the dining room, and geometric furniture and plants that give it a sleek, modern interior. Along with the contemporary instrumental music playing in the background, the restaurant’s vibe is good for family, friends and even a romantic date.

This Restaurant Week, The River Bistro has lunch for $15 per person and dinner for $20 per person. My photographer and I went for dinner and found a quality meal for a good price.

For the first course were presented with two very different dishes: steamed mussels and a frisee and endive salad. The mussels were soaked in a red curry sauce that packed the dish with a lot of flavor. The accompanying focaccia bread was a great addition for soaking up any missed broth. The spice in the curry didn’t hit right away, but instead danced on my taste buds and lingered — my photographer rightfully referred to it as “the curry that texts back.” The frisee and endive salad balanced salty chunks of gorgonzola with sweet caramelized pears. It’s a salad that has so much going for it, you forget it’s a salad, and though I preferred the mussels over this option, it’s still a good way to start your meal.

For the next course, my partner had the steak and in between long chews, praised the melt-in-your-mouth meat. It was topped with beet butter, which didn’t add much, but was an interesting flavor experiment. The dish also came with a side of fries covered in Parmesan strips. This was definitely a smart decision on the chef’s part to use strips instead of powdered cheese to hold on to the flavor that the Parmesan adds.

I ordered — and enjoyed — the salmon, which came with a creamy risotto and broccoli rabe, an altogether lighter option than the steak but still just as yummy.

“Everybody can make a salmon, it’s all about the little details,” said DoubleTree’s director of food and beverage, Dallin Young.

I couldn’t agree more. The mushroom-barley sauce blended well with the fish, and every aspect seemed well-considered.

And finally came dessert. The first was a baked-apple tartin, which is an upside-down pastry, accompanied by vanilla ice cream with cinnamon crunch pieces that they make in-house. The warm tart and cold ice cream reminded me of something I’d find at my own home.

The real showstopper, however, was the carrot cake. There was a light cream cheese frosting on top, which echoed the earlier balancing of flavors. But the surprise for me was the smoked honey butter. Three words I would never have put together before turned the cake into a showstopper.

Overall, The River Bistro had unique and smart combinations, and for a Restaurant Week experience with beyond a simple meal, this place is definitely a go-to.