Rochester's southern suburb villages along the Erie Canal. Pittsford village has the upscale dining strip along Schoen Place overlooking the canal, with Wegmans Amore Cooking School at the Monroe Ave store and Pittsford Farms Dairy at the original location. Brighton's restaurant row runs along Monroe Avenue east of the city, including Thali of India and Voula's Greek Sweets.
Thali of India on South Winton Road in Rochester serves Indian cuisine with a daily lunch buffet, named Best Indian Restaurant in Best of Rochester 2025.
Signature: Lunch buffet, Chicken tikka masala, Lamb curry
Order: The lunch buffet, which rotates daily across North and South Indian preparations.
Tip: Buffet runs until 14:00 daily. Monday evening buffet is a good value. Takeout available.
Thali of India on South Winton Rd is the city's most-recognized Indian kitchen, named Best Indian Restaurant in Best of Rochester 2025 with a daily buffet.
Signature: Lunch buffet, Lamb biryani, Chicken tikka masala
Order: The lunch buffet for variety, or lamb biryani for single dishes.
Tip: Monday evening buffet a good value. Takeout available by phone. No reservations needed for lunch.
Voula's Greek Sweets on Merchants Rd in Rochester serves Greek-influenced brunch dishes and pastries, named Best Brunch in Best of Rochester 2025.
Signature: Sparta Frittata, Greek sweets, Brunch pastries
Order: The Sparta Frittata for brunch or the house-made Greek pastries with coffee.
Tip: Weekend hours end at 14:30. Closed Tuesdays. No reservations; arrive early on weekends.
Voula's Greek Sweets on Merchants Rd in Rochester serves Greek-influenced breakfast and pastries, named Best Brunch in Best of Rochester 2025.
Tip: Weekend hours end at 14:30. Closed Tuesdays. Known for the Sparta Frittata and Greek pastry selection.
Thali of India on S. Winton Rd in Rochester runs a daytime Indian buffet and dinner service, with a daily buffet of North and South Indian preparations.
Tip: Buffet until 14:00 daily; arrive before 13:30 for the best selection. Takeout available by phone.
Voula's Greek Sweets on Merchants Rd in Rochester bakes Greek pastries and serves a Greek-influenced brunch, with house-made baklava and spanakopita.
Tip: Weekend hours end at 14:30. The Greek pastry case is best early in the morning before popular items sell out.
Wegmans on Monroe Ave in Rochester is the flagship grocery chain born here, with prepared foods including sushi, hot bar, deli, and in-store dining.
Tip: The prepared foods market cafe runs hot bar, sushi, Italian, and American stations from opening until midnight. The Pittsford Wegmans at Schoen Place has an in-store flour mill, a nod to Rochester's Flour City heritage.
Wegmans Amore Cooking School at the Monroe Ave Wegmans runs professional-quality instruction by Wegmans culinary staff, covering Italian, seafood, holiday baking, and knife-skills sessions.
Tip: Classes run $60-$90 per person. Call 585-452-8780 to book; online registration is not always available. Wegmans staff instructors teach in the store's demonstration kitchen.
New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, 35 minutes from Rochester, is a state-backed culinary center combining hands-on cooking classes with a wine bar poured from Finger Lakes producers.
Tip: About 35 minutes from downtown Rochester via I-490 West and Route 332. Classes span 2 hours and include a paired Finger Lakes wine flight. Combine with a Canandaigua Lake winery visit on the same day.
Thali of India on South Winton Rd serves a lunch buffet daily for $13-$15 per person, covering 8 or more Indian dishes from dals to biryani.
Tip: Lunch buffet runs daily until 14:00. One of the best-value meals in the Rochester metro. The full buffet includes samosas, soup, rice, and fresh-baked naan.
Voula's Greek Sweets on Merchants Rd is Rochester's beloved Greek brunch cafe in Brighton, open six days a week for the Sparta Frittata and Greek pastries.
Tip: The Sparta Frittata is the signature brunch dish. The Greek pastry case sells out early on weekends. No reservations; walk-in only. Closed Tuesdays.