Riverside Drive

I visited the bond no.9 flagship in New York this last year this fragrance really stuck out to me, the last working gave me 3 small sample files of it to try and come back to purchase when was ready, shoutout her fr she was super cool and very sweet. I tried and used these samples for a week before I realized that I needed that fragrance. So I bought it on a discounter of course (I may be broke but I’m not dumb) this fragrance has very quickly become my personal scent it is something I adore dearly now. As for the fragrance itself it is not a sweet pineapple, and the notes would make some think feminine but it’s somehow beautiful masculine, my absolute favorite part of this fragrance is how professional, elegant, and most importantly natural smelling this is, there is no harshness or off smelling time for this fragrance. This fragrance has the perfect mix of projection and longevity, it lasts all day long and isn’t super loud and screechy, it just smells SECURE. There are some complaints about linearity... who cares. I like how this smells, I’d be sad if it changed smell 30 minutes later lol. As of Right now and ittl prolly change this may be the one fragrance I would keep for life. In fact, whenever I go on a trip this is the fragrance I consider before all others. Objective rating 9/10 - not the most creative scent Personal rating 10/10 - perfect signature scent for a classy and secure man.

I researched to find this to replace of my all time favourites. YSL Live Jazz. One of very few occasions that it is close enough to keep my sensitive nose happy. The original Live Jazz for me - the appeal was its natural uniqueness at the time. For me Live Jazz was not so much Grapefruit but more a not too sweet candied Lemon (not tart either) with fresh crushed coriander and a bit of mint over the top. The other notes help smooth it out and giving body and the nutmeg giving a tiny powdery feel and dryness. This is where Riverside drive is different - at a casual smell it is very close but nose to skin or a good linger reveals the coriander to be more like basil and the base is less dry, a tinge more floral, more moist from the pineapple and violet. Still a rare occasion where it will suffice as replacement. Either way - both top tier scents for me (when you see my collection it will put into perspective as to how much these scents are valued to me in their uniqueness - however if you can suggest an alternative please message me). Only Miller Harris Feuilles De Tabac, Histoire D'Parfums 1828 and Versace Green Jeans (also sadly discontinued) come close to the same green natural vibe. And not far off would be Ralph Lauren Romance Silver - again discontinued!!!! If I had know I would have bulk bought. Ah the memories...

I finally sampled this fragrance, after kicking the can for so long. I mean, there's like a gazillion Bonds, can I really ever try them all?? Well, I'm trying. I enjoyed this one immediately! Right away I noticed a quasi-similarity to Green Irish Tweed; I wouldn't say it smells like GIT, but this scent and GIT do the same for me, for the most part. I just think it smells crisp and masculine. This is a potential unisex fragrance but i feel it better suits a guy. My wife LOVES this on me, which makes it more alluring for me. Longevity is there, it should easily last a full workday. Sillage is a bit strong at first, but mellows out after maybe 30-40 minutes, and in true Bond fashion I get obvious wafts of it as my temperature spikes throughout the day. I would certainly own this! Of all the Bonds i've tried, many I've liked but most are not bottle-worthy for me. Maybe like 3 or 4 out of about 16 that i'd consider owning, and this is among them. 8/10 for me, a really strong like with a potential to be a love!

Summer Fields (Maurice Roucel, 2003) Scentrack: Nicola Conte - A Time for Spring To fall in love, the phrase we often use too easy. Concerning Riverside Drive I use this phrase in the right context. Relatively simple, but charming fragrance. The smell of the late spring or early autumn. Strong green violet lea, cuisine basil and sweet pineapple mixed with patchouli and Roucel's lavender. The base is consisted of warm and transparent sandalwood, cedar and oak moss. It sounds very serious, but it's non formal and laid back. I suppose because of the funny pineapple. Riverside Drive gives me the vision of a walk in the fields during summer. I can feel some linden blossom, taking me to the early summer vibe full of hopes. This fragrance is my compliment getter No. 1. For people who cannot imagine love, Riverside Drive is Narciso Rodriguez for Him meets Cool Water meets Hypnose Homme (only much more). Rating: 7.5/10

An instant review by OBS! Another Banger from Bond!! Hits it outta the park! When I instantly start laughing in joy at first spritz it's a good sign eh? Points toward the far right fence and says "Get Outta here!" Wow, ok here we go, I get Mojito but replace the simple syrup with pinapple juice, a little muddled mint, hand full of basil, and serve it in a wood cup. Then float it with some white rum and light that thing on fire! Quick who's gotta lighter? Its got a slight old skool background drop (oakmoss, patchoooolae, sandlewood ) almost close to the original Lacosta for men, then a semi modern twist and composure of CK Eternity. If your a 90's kid -.. ish. This will bring you there, love this! Ya, this will get compliments. AND, you wont smell like her ex! Best blind buy in a long time. Probably gonna order another tonight. Thanks Jedi2.0 for your review as you helped me press that purchase button! Charlie

First 5 minutes after spraying on my arm and covering with my dress shirt long sleeve, seems a bit weak and smells fresh and watery, almost seems like it's lacking character but smells good. Then 5 minutes in, something happens with the body chemistry and heat where it just blooms and the juicy natural smelling, sharp and tangy yet rounded notes come out through the shirt and smell amazing. I was worried the new release with the blue cap (the one I got) would be different from the original which I no longer have but loved... but this really smells like what I remember loving about the original. Cannot compare side by side, so some people might claim there are differences, and there might be, but this is the stuff I remember loving. Got mine on discount at a famous Canadian discount fragrance website (won't name it in case that gets me in trouble). 9/10

A great spring/summer masculine. Think of it as right between Green Irish Tweed and Platinum Egoiste, but with an herbal/slightly pineappley twist. jtd is slightly wrong calling it a Cool Water descendent - because Cool Water is a Green Irish Tweed descendent. Just like Cool Water, Riverside Drive strives to be as good as Green Irish Tweed, but just doesn't quite get there. If you want the best of this genre, it's GIT, hands down without question. However, if you're a GIT owner, and want a slightly thinner, fruitier, more herbal and synthetic alternative, Riverside Drive is nice. I'm glad I have it in my collection. Performance is great, three sprays max. Lasts all day, and as soon as that weird pickle/glue opening starts to go away, the drydown is quite good. The violet/moss/pineapple drydown is very nice. 8.5/10

Added this to the collection after exhausting a 10ml decant. I had to spend some time wearing this in varying conditions to really get a feel for it. I can comfortably say, that out of the hundreds in my collection, Riverside Drive is unique. I don't own anything that I consider it derivative of, or even close to scent-wise. It wears light, but makes an impression the equivalent of something more substantive. Masculine and mature, but bright and airy. I prefer the herbal greenery of this in the Spring and Summer, but have worn it in the dead-ass cold of Northeast USA winter many times and it really shines then , too. I don't know why, but it does. If you like or have experienced Lancome Hypnose Pour Homme, you'll love this. So for me, the unique nature of it, and the versatility make it one of my favorite B9's.

really liked the opening of this one..very bright and a few compliments right off the bat..so i like that..going thru the drydown stage now and i do like that way this one smells..very appealing fragrance..costly little beast though so it will be one of those that you will be thinking what can i get that smells similar or more reasonable. i am sure this scent has created that sort of interest as i suspect other bond fragrances have. i do like it quite abit and could see having this one. so the search goes on...and if i can't come close...may be a purchase for me. thumbs up on the quality and fragrance it projects off me.i think it is my favorite of the bond #9 lineup....

Bond No 9's Riverside Drive is a powerhouse fragrance. I just repurchased it after several years of trying other niche houses. It just brings a smile to my face the way it smells. The pineapple burst, the combinations of violet and cedars give this vibrant fragrance a radiating melody of welcoming grace to the nostrils. It is a compliment getter for sure, but more importantly it smells amazing. A bit of a Creed vibe without the depth that Creed gives in a great way for the warmer days. It could possibly be pulled off in the winter months if you want to bring an uplifting vibe to those icy days.

Absolutely wow another banger from Bond No. 9, This reminds me of Irish spring soap. At first it’s a fresh,green,bright and herbal blast followed by oak moss and woody notes. After that you get a little sweetness and some very slight funk that goes great with the other scents. Very soapy and aromatic reminds me of anise seed or licorice a little on the dry down and very fresh will be a beast on a hot day. A great gentleman’s perfume for sure and I’m ready to buy a full bottle after one use. Kind of reminds me of CK Euphoria a little too. Love it

very fresh and minty. I get that herbal vibe from this fragrance. This is a great fragrance for high humid heat. Its not super potent and it wont offend nobody if overspray. It strong enough to withstand the heat. That basil I smell must be that herbal vibe i get from this. Very interesting fragrance with good notes pineapple is detectable. Not too sweet slightly earthy as they say. Everything else is well balanced. Definitely going to wear this on the spring and summer days. Good job Bond No.9

Really soapy violet smelling fragrance that could be considered an aquatic, but kind of isn't. Has a whole lot more going on than that. It has a perfumey type of base that almost smells of a women's moisturizer or lotion over its duration. The basil note appears throughout and is something I haven't smelled before. Like most Bonds, this thing is long lasting and radiates all over the place. Really like this scent, especially if you can get it at a good price.

There's an oak moss and ( green ) pineapple vibe that I've actually come to like in the early dry down state , then in the ending or next morning it turns into a ripened sweet pineapple . Because of this effect I've purchased a bottle . I'm not fond of summer type colognes , but this works great for me. To best test the ripening effect , spay it on the back of your hand before going to bed then check the result in the morning.

I recently revisited Riverside Drive and I am glad I did! This is definitely a unisex scent. Well-suited for summer, I think it can be worn year round. It reminds me of Aventus although it is by no means a dupe for it. Pineapple, sandalwood, citrus, herbal (basil) - so lovely. Its projection and sillage are perfect. Many compliments on this versatile, under-rated gem.

I have been wearing this scent since it's introduction. Sadly, they changed the formula a couple of years ago and it is not the same. I'm down to my last quarter ounce or so (after repossessing an old bottle that I had given to my brother) and am so sad that the new version is not as good - it comes across as quite a bit more feminine now.

So my 2023 bottle compared to my older version bottle. New bottle has a light blue cap. Older is clear. The new juice is clear and the older is yellow or almost golden. For the record the older version is much stronger and more vegetive or greener. The new version is definitely weaker and is more aquatic. Same price.

I bought this because I love my green scents. This is a mass appealing green scent. I loved it at first sniff. It's easy to wear. Green, but has sweetness and a sophistication to it. I must admit I love all my bond no. 9's. This is signature scent worthy

My number 1 fragrance. Bought this first when Robes08 and MyMickers made a review on it a long time ago. The new formulation is still good but different from the original. Lasts 6-7 hours and can be worn all year around. A manly scent.

This is what happens when someone decides to the F Boy energy out of a blue fragrance and make it mature, masculine, and rugged. It's a man's blue fragrance, not a boy's blue fragrance. It's so fresh, rugged, and incredible.

A great scent that would likely add nice variety to your fragrance collection. To my nose, it smells very similar to Matiere Premiere Parisian Musc, despite the only common note being cedar.

Perfect summer fragrance. The pineapple in the opening is lovely. The dry down is very masculine and fresh. Love this fragrance.

i love love love it a must have for me in the hotter parts of the year every time i have it on someone tells me i smell grate

Not sure why people compare this to either Cool Water or Platinum Egosite. It shares characteristics with both but people act as if these are the only citric and woody (respectively) fragrance out there. They aren't; go out and try more. Not everything with oakmoss or pine is a "rip-off" of these. As for the fragrance, excellently done and VERY complex and non-linear. Starts off with a sharp lemonpeel citrus note that lasts a few minutes then followed by beautiful Thai basil. Many reviewers seem to have issue with this aspect so if you don't like basil, steer clear. It is then that the cedar, violet, and sandalwood start to come out as it takes on a green-woody heart. I think the sweetness of the violet and the green woods of the rest of the notes combine to make this seem aquatic. Eventually the tangy basil and the sweet violet leaves and you're left with cedar, sandalwood, a tiny bit of oakmoss, and dry dry patchouli that is so common in many Bonds. Dry, woody, and almost papery. I don't detect the pineapple at all but last in the drydown is what I would guess is a green pineapple (versus the sweet ripe note found in, say, Aventus). Longetivity is great on the basenotes, and sillage/projection seems moderate. A bit pricy but this scent's complexity and quality is up there. Find a discounted retailer; definitely worth the price you can get there.

It's just OK. Definitely not worthy of full price. There's something on top that is astringent...the oakmoss? Patchouli? Not sure...but the first 30+ minutes is not enjoyable. As it settles in the dry down, the pineapple and flowers shine a little more. But the patchouli is too strong to really balance well. I think I'm finding that I just don't like patchouli in what is supposed to be a spring/summer fragrance. It's so strong and reminds me more of cold/wet walks in the woods than it does warm walks on the beach. I'm sure the latter is the objective, but I feel the nose behind this (Roucel) should have just skipped the patchouli and let the sandalwood and oakmoss work their magic with the pineapple and flowers. It's otherwise a fine fragrance. Nothing to get excited about

A pleasant basil-forward fougere. I agree with the most voted notes that basil, followed by violent are prominent. It has some citrus and a slightly powdery scent to it, and the base is what you'd expect from a fougere. It's mostly a standard fougere but with a lot of basil. In a way, you can say a lot of fragrances are like this, but also no fragrance is like this too. So a lot of this will hinge on whether you like basil or not. I'd say this basil is a bit more herby and sweet. More like a dry basil in the pantry than a pungent fresh basil. Rating: 3.5 / 5

A great scent for the year around and office safe if used moderately. It's aromatic spicy mossy woody goodness. One of those gentlemanly scents that in the sweet ambroxany world of frags is very hard to come by. I hope if it gets resurrected, it comes back with the same formulation which I am highly doubtful since I have never seen that happens. But who knows, it may happen this time :)

Secret weapon signature scent. Slightly old school with a very modern feel. Almost reminds me of a classier, more upscale, and more grown-up Aventus. Smells extremely high quality and natural, which is a plus. Bond is SO freaking slept on and I love it since I don’t smell like anyone else 😂 I truly don’t understand how this stuff isn’t on every spring/summer list.

Not a bad scent, but the weather must collaborate.. As the note breakdown shows potential to be a good scent, but there is the pickle juice vibe around 20C°,definitly a hot weather scent to let the pineapple note to shine :/. Awesome violet note Good longevity perhaps 7h + and great projection everybody can wear this. Very versatile 7/10 try before buy..

I found this to be a nice, refreshing masculine scent. It starts with pineapple combined with basil. Then the cedar and oakmoss come forward with a little sweetness that I think is the violet. It lasts well on my skin. I got this as part of my numerous samples that I bid on on e-bay.

Safe, fresh, fruity, spicy, manly, versatile, long lasting with moderate projection and sillage but common smell. I had an Armaf with the same vibe. I get a beautiful dominant combo of violet/basil/pineapple.

First Impression smells like a mans underarm Deodorant lol. But give it a bit to adjust and the smell is Amazing. Wouldnt Recommend for anyone Under 25yrs old. Last a Long time on my Skin.

A pleasant combination of basil, pineapple and sandalwood. Decent sillage and longevity, but not memorable enough for me at this price point to buy a full bottle.

Basil, oakmoss, pineapple and violet? Yeah right. More like a pine-lavender air freshener. Smells like a laundry pod and resonates about as much. It's a good scent, but not a perfume so much as a cleaning product. Typical. What a shame. This scent profile should be amazing. Beautiful bottle and presentation. I really wanted to love this, since I drive up and down the Riverside Drive everyday. There is a redeeming aquatic essence or overtone that does remind me of being near the East River. The perfumer got that part right. I'm still bitter about the above, as what this fragrance could and should have been is much better than what it is. Speaking to the version with a light blue cap. On skin, this stuff fails. Spray it directly onto cotton clothing, if anything. That should do it justice. When you pay $400 (+/-) for a fragrance, you shouldn't have to struggle to find a way to make it work. Overall, a good, clean/fresh/soapy scent, mildly reminiscent of it's namesake and mildly reminiscent of a cleaning product, however overpriced and undercooked. Has all the makings of a good cheapie, but it's very expensive and that's why I'm leaving a 😐 instead of a 🙂.

I like this. I will not buy it though. This came out in 2003 and since then many houses have came out with a similar scent at a fraction of the cost. Maybe Bond was ahead of it's time.. This is a good fresh and fruity scent with focuses on spices also. It may have been groundbreaking over 10 years ago but at the price you can find this done cheaply from houses such as Zara,Claiborne,,Oriflame etc..

Strong basil and patchouli that get freshen up by pineapple and woody notes every once in a while. It can get powdery, get fresh, pull back to dirt, and vice versa. Not my favorite from Bond but holy moly! It lasts a long time.

Most of the votes list this as a Summer fragrance. How is anyone able to pull this off in the summer time? This is very strong and cloying. I'd say this is a Fall/Winter fragrance. Be careful with the trigger with this one.

This scent gives me a headache. At first it is refreshing and interesting, but it evolves into a stagnant fragrance. This fragrance really resembles "Curve" by Liz Claborne Overall 6/10

strong pineapple not in beginning ..drys down to woody scent...not worth the price....a pass for me....nothing special at all...much better ones in the bond no 9 house 5/10 overall

When I first smelled this, I immediately thought of Drakkar Noir, slap bracelets, and Back to the Future. Not a fan, but perhaps we should have met in a decade past.

I can see why some may like this. But I can't tolerate it because it gives me a headache. So this is a pass for me.

Not good. Weird. Bizarre. Musty. Don’t like it. Hope longevity is weak because it does not smell good.

Too much basil for me. Dry-down is better than the opening.

Loved this before it was shelved. A girl once said to me that I smelled great. And that ladies and gentlemen is good enough for me

Just heard it’s coming back. There is indeed a god

Riverside Drive is a thoughtfully composed, buoyant, green/lavender aquatic men's fragrance. It's a descendent of Cool Water, but it's not one of the cheap imitators hurled at the market since about a minute after Cool Water hit in 1988. In its favor, Riverside Drive is more a reflection on Cool Water than an imitation. It tones down the 'aquatic', turns up the green, and leads to a very well-balanced drydown. The drydown, in fact, is what I think an armful of the Creeds of the last 20 years have strived for and missed. Poised, comfortable, stable. The drydown of these Cool Water wannabes, including the Creeds, is usually described as: (synonym for nice) + "but, well, you know" + ( antonym of nice). Riverside Drive's drydown is likeable. Actually, it's enviable. Coherent, harmonious, firm yet without aberrant sillage. Against it, it's a thoughtful version a hackneyed genre. How much better than the worst, is the best grilled American cheese and white bread sandwich ever made? I appreciate Riverside Drive for its composition, but am not interested in it. Who needs another descendant of Cool Water? (... asks the man with a closet full of green chypres. Spoiler alert: glass houses.) But I do feel it is important to acknowledge quality work however it comes across your desk. Not my bag, but outstanding.

Hits you with a bush of basil during the first 5 minutes. Actually, if basil could be a forest it would hit you with the entire forest. I'm not complaining though, I love the smell of basil, I find it very fresh, herbal, green AND delicious. However, I would not like to smell like basil the entire day but luckily the strong basil notes calms down after 30 to 60 minutes. It slowly evolves into a blend of basil, violet and sandalwood. After 4 to 5 hours the notes are turned around towards the drydown and I get this violet dominant scent trail with notes of basil and pineapple dancing around. Got this frag very cheap and I'm reasonable happy with it. It's not worth 200 euro/dollar in my opinion but at a lower pricepoint ... why not. Definitely worth the price is the performance, it's very good, easily lasts an entire office day and sillage is also above average. Riverside drive smells good and fresh and does that without smelling like the typical aquatic fragrance. I'm not overly amazed with it but I'm happy I have it. At least I have nothing similar in my 40+ collection so that's a good reason to keep it/buy it. 7,5/10

Riverside Drive is a bitter green aromatic. This one comes off as a very gloomy fragrance to me. It's such a classic fragrance at heart, with the typical vintage Basil, Cedar, Oakmoss, Patchouli accord to it—that it almost has no place in modern perfumery—and seems almost like some form of graffiti, or vandalism, against the flamboyant style that the house boasts of representing. The violet in Riverside Drive even seems drowned in the blandness and prominence of the other notes, that you can hardly notice it at all. Which makes me feel like the artistic expression behind this fragrance, must represent when you kill yourself in your mansion due to extreme boredom. One blast is all it takes—and that's the end of everything. Mellow in it—and you're only going to drowned in the misery. This would obviously make the name, Riverside Drive, symbolic of your funeral procession. Kind of neat—I guess. But still far too sad a story for my tastes.

Riverside Drive opens up with a very typical basil note, kind of sour one without any citric aspect acting together, just the herbal tone. Through time the sour aspect decays a little bit leaving space to a somehow slight minty aroma. After a couple hours this fragrance goes into the drydown where a fruity aspect appears, the reason for what I bought this fragrance starts to show of, the pineapple, but here it is such a deception, so hard to distinguish since it is not a sweet one as I was expecting like in Joop Nightflight or Creed Aventus, instead it is a green one like the fruit was not ready to be eaten. This drydown is much better if compared to the opening but it is nothing outstanding. I would say it is a shame given my expectation. For that reason I think this is a mediocre fragrance from the Bond No 9 house specially given the price tag.

Bond No 9 Riverside Drive - I purchased this because my girlfriend's family is from the Riverside Drive area in New York, and because I'd smelled it before at my local Bond No 9 retailer. The inital blast is the basil mixed in with the pineapple and sandalwood. It's strong at first and reminds me of a mix of Green Irish Tweed and oddly enough a really light CH Man Prive. There is something in the way the notes blend that makes me think of CH Man Prive and Valentino Uomo. I know those are very different but there something there that reminds me of those a bit. It is probably the sweetness of the pineapple and the spice that the Basil brings to this. It's a really nice fragrance. The dry down is when this really shines though. I'm very happy with this and this will be a frequent go to.