15 upscale places in Rochester, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Rochester: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Rochester food.
Good Luck ★ 4.6
downtown · 50 Anderson Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Good Luck in Rochester opened 2008 in a converted industrial space on Anderson Ave and earned Best Restaurant in the 2025 Best of Rochester awards.
Tip: Walk-ins at the bar are easier to secure than a table. The cocktail program is one of Rochester's best.
Good Luck ★ 4.6
downtown · 50 Anderson Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester opened 2008 as one of the city's top rooms, writing menus around seasonal availability with a serious cocktail program.
Tip: Best reserved four to six weeks ahead for Friday or Saturday. The bar is the most interesting seat in the room.
Good Luck ★ 4.6
downtown · 50 Anderson Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester has one of the city's strongest cocktail programs in a converted industrial space with a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The bar seats are the easiest walk-in option. Order what the bartender is excited about; the cocktail menu rotates with the kitchen.
Good Luck ★ 4.6
downtown · 50 Anderson Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Good Luck on Anderson Ave in Rochester runs a curated wine list alongside one of the city's strongest cocktail programs and a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The bar team does both cocktails and wines with equal care. Ask the bartender for a wine recommendation with whatever is on the seasonal food board.
Char Bar at Strathallan ★ 4.5
park-avenue · 550 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Char Bar at the Strathallan Hotel on East Ave holds the 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, the only such honor in greater Rochester, with a deep cellar.
Tip: The full wine list runs hundreds of references. Hattie's sushi operates in the same space Thursday through Saturday. Open for lunch and late evening beyond kitchen service.
Lento ★ 4.5
nota · 274 N Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14607
Lento on Goodman St is the farm-to-table room national food media missed, sourcing from regional farms for a changing seasonal menu that regulars protect.
Tip: Lento rarely appears on national lists despite consistent local awards. The Village Gate building means most tourists walk by without recognizing it as a restaurant. Reservations on weekends are essential.
Good Luck ★ 4.5
downtown · 50 Anderson Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Good Luck on Anderson Ave runs occasional brunch pop-ups with a seasonal menu that applies the same farm-to-table discipline as its evening kitchen.
Tip: Brunch at Good Luck is seasonal and irregular; check the website before planning a visit. When it runs, it is one of the most polished brunch experiences in the city.
Lento ★ 4.4
nota · 274 N Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14607
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.
Tip: Reservations on Resy. Menu changes weekly; checking the website before you go is worth the two minutes.
Mr. Dominic's at the Lake ★ 4.4
north-rochester · 4699 Lake Ave, Rochester, NY 14612
Mr. Dominic's at the Lake on Lake Ave serves Chicken French and Italian-American fine dining with patio views of Lake Ontario. Named Best Chicken French 2025.
Tip: Patio seats overlook Lake Ontario Park and the Port of Rochester. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations recommended for Friday and Saturday dinner.
Lento ★ 4.4
nota · 274 N Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14607
Lento in the Neighborhood of the Arts built its reputation on Rochester Public Market sourcing, pickling in-house, and a tightly curated seasonal menu.
Tip: Menu changes weekly. Check the website or Instagram before booking to see what is currently on the seasonal menu.
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen ★ 4.4
downtown · 16 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen on W. Main St won Best Local Wine List in Best of Rochester 2025, with global wines and seasonal entrees.
Tip: The kitchen closes earlier than the bar. Reservations on Tock.
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen ★ 4.4
downtown · 16 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
Carnegie Cellars on W. Main St in downtown Rochester is a wine bar with coffee service and a world wine list, offering Finger Lakes and global producers.
Tip: Wine by the glass from Finger Lakes and global producers. Reservations on Tock.
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen ★ 4.4
downtown · 16 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen on W. Main St won Best Local Wine List in Best of Rochester 2025, with global wines and a seasonal kitchen.
Tip: The wine flights are the easiest way to sample the list. Kitchen closes an hour before the bar.
Restaurant Fiorella ★ 4.4
public-market · 5 Rochester Public Market, Rochester, NY 14609
Restaurant Fiorella at the Rochester Public Market sources from market vendors, making pasta from morning-picked produce that most visitors never find.
Tip: Located inside the market building itself. Reservations essential; the dining room is small. Saturday is the most seasonal menu day.
Branca Midtown ★ 4.3
downtown · 280 E Broad St Suite 100, Rochester, NY 14604
Branca Midtown on E Broad St downtown serves Neapolitan pizza and pasta, with lunch service Wednesday through Saturday and a polished dining room.
Tip: Lunch only Wednesday and Thursday. Bar stays open after kitchen closes. Reservations via Resy.