New American$$$notaTue-Thu 17:00-20:30, Fri-Sat 17:00-21:00
Lento in Rochester's Neighborhood of the Arts is a farm-to-table kitchen on N. Goodman St, sourcing from Rochester Public Market weekly and pickling in-house.
Signature: Seasonal vegetable plates, Chef's market menu
Order: The seasonal vegetable course, which rotates based on what the kitchen brought from market that week.
Tip: Reservations on Resy. Menu changes weekly; checking the website before you go is worth the two minutes.
BBQ$$downtownMon-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-00:00, Sun 12:00-22:00
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Rochester occupies a 1905 railroad station on Court St, overlooking the Genesee River. Named Best BBQ in Best of Rochester 2025.
Signature: St. Louis ribs, Pulled pork, Prime brisket
Order: St. Louis ribs with coleslaw and mac and cheese on the side.
Tip: Best seating is at the bar overlooking the river. Live blues music on weekend evenings. Reservations available on Resy.
Chinese Noodles$$monroe-avenueMon-Tue 11:30-21:30, Thu 11:30-21:30, Fri-Sat 11:30-22:30, Sun 11:30-21:30
Han Noodle Bar on Monroe Ave in Rochester serves Chinese broth noodles and stir-fry dishes on a no-fusion, no-gimmicks philosophy since it opened.
Signature: Broth noodles, Stir fry noodles, Dan dan noodles
Order: The dan dan noodles with house chili oil and the spicy broth noodle bowl.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. The kitchen takes its noodle quality seriously; this is not takeout-chain Chinese cooking.
Italian$$downtownTue-Thu 11:30-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00
Branca Midtown on E. Broad Street serves Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza and hand-cut pasta in a polished downtown Rochester dining room and bar.
Signature: Neapolitan pizza, House pasta
Order: The Neapolitan pizza from the wood-burning oven, charred and blistered at the edges.
Tip: Lunch service runs Wednesday and Thursday. Bar stays open later than the kitchen. Reservations via Resy.
Mediterranean$$monroe-avenueMon-Sat 11:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-20:00
Aladdin's Natural Eatery on Monroe Ave in Rochester has served Mediterranean food with vegan options since 1979, winning Best Mediterranean 2025.
Signature: Falafel wrap, Hummus plate, Mediterranean salad
Order: The falafel wrap with tahini and the hummus plate with warm pita.
Tip: One of Rochester's most-visited lunch spots. Gets busy at midday on weekdays. No reservations needed.
New American$$notaTue-Thu 16:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-02:00, Sun 11:00-14:30
The Revelry on University Ave in Rochester runs a cocktail-forward New American kitchen with a Sunday brunch program and late-night bar hours on weekends.
Signature: Weekend cocktails, Seasonal dinner menu
Order: The seasonal cocktail and whatever protein is on the dinner specials board.
Tip: Friday and Saturday the bar stays open until 02:00. Sunday brunch runs 11:00-14:30. Reservations on Resy.