50 Best Italian Restaurants in Rochester

“The food and atmosphere were great. The staff were very friendly and attentive. It felt fancy without the high prices. Definitely recommend.“

“We are from out of town but visit ROC frequently because our son plays on the Jr. Amerks Juniors/NAHL team. He and some teammates discovered this place and go there for lunch literally every day they have home games. This place is the best-family owned and operated, great food great prices, great service! Tiramisu is my favorite thing in the world and Mamma G’s tiramisu is the best I have ever had. Carlo is the bomb!“

“The place was really nice. Staff was friendly too. I had a pasta (Malfaldine corta) which was $14 and it was really yummy but the quantity was not enough. Also I had two cheese pizza slices and each was $5. The taste was okay but I think it was expensive. Plenty of parking available. You have to order first and then they will call your name when it is ready. Kind of Self service. Also, ice cream was available. They had two flavors chocolate and sea salt caramel but chocolate ice cream was only available on that day. A restroom was also available.“

“Chicken Milanese is my favorite dish. I order it at every restaurant that has it on their menu. In my opinion, Cristo's version is the best in Rochester!!!“

“Your food went way way down the way outside is so long it's ridiculous then the food is cold doesn't taste like it should taste you should get back to cook she had there when you opened the ones who came from fornataros. Got to go food for Thanksgiving no one touched it the the artichoke French looked like chicken nuggets terrible look like it was baked not sauteed the clams casino were as big as to Wegmans water bottle caps I took a picture was going to even send it to them but you know they don't do anything anyways we got 25 clams casino maybe a total of those clams were four clams that's all small they were nobody even ate them I'm going to be calling to take them back but someone said don't bother they don't care about their food coming out they think because they had a name that they were good you got to keep up that good food otherwise people stop coming“

“Ann was an exceptional waitress. We will definitely request her on our next visit. On point with great service.“

“10/10! I was blown away. Absolutely hands down one of Rochester’s best restaurants. Friendly and quick staff and the food… 🤤 oh the food. The food was DELICIOUS! Cooked to perfection, and as 2 chefs on a date who are highly critical of others cooking, we were BOTH impressed. Atmosphere was warm and inviting, and presentation was impeccable. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I took some pics & vids and have a smaller social media of 22K that i plan on directing to go to this extremely good restaurant if they are in the Rochester area. The cocktails are presented with class and flare as well. If you’re looking for that perfect place for a romantic date night dinner, business meeting or just a foodie… this is a MUST-GO! Thanks to the amazing chef who was so accommodating! We will definitely be back!“

“Went here with my wife for her birthday. Staff was super friendly and the food was fantastic!“

“A gem in Rochester! The cuisine, vibe & service is all top notch! Our crew enjoyed delicious plates (and big portions) of pizza, pasta & the infamous chicken cutlet! The salad was also so crisp & fresh with a tasty dressing to top it off. We also enjoyed a bottle of Lambrusco on special - 10/10! Thanks for a lovely evening out; we will be back soon! PS don’t skip dessert - the lemon ricotta cookies are to die for!“

“Our first time here and we will be back. This was one of the best restaurant experiences we have ever had. Thank you for the delicious meal, hospitality and the lovely environment. 🤍“

“After a tip from friends, we checked out Merchants Wood Fired Pizza & Bistro. It's in an out of the way location, but is so worth your trip. Nestled in a city neighborhood, this place is delicious with a super cute patio. Food gave off an "Old School Italian American" vibe in the best possible way. We enjoyed flavorful housemade meatballs in a great sauce. Burrata was tasty with the most delicious charred tomatoes (we omitted the prosciutto at one diner's preference). The salads were just the right size if you wanted to have those and split a pizza, which two of us did. The Funghi Pizza was tasty and had just the right amount of truffle (some places go overboard). This was a super hit -- very crave-able! For our pickier diner, the Spicy Cup Pepperoni Pizza was the perfect option. Both pizzas had a nice crust, baked nicely, and a perfect amount of cheese. Service was friendly and attentive. Everyone greatly enjoyed the meal. We'll definitely return.“

“Absolutely one of best Italian restaurants ever frequented. Exceptional“

“Amazing food. Way better than Bella pasta“

“Late night arrival into Rochester on a Tuesday evening and I chanced upon Branca Midtown via Resy. We took a chance and I am so so glad we did. This place was divine. The host and the servers were impeccable. Sassy, funny, and attentive to a T, we were incredibly impressed and immediately relaxed with the atmosphere and the people. The ricotta appetizer was incredibly and reminded me of a favorite dish in Florence Italy, and the swordfish was perfection. Drinks were delicious, so thank you to the obviously talented bartender, as those were very much needed after our long drive. We will definitely make a point of stopping back then next time we are in town.“

“My wife and I finally had a chance to dine at Veneto. We enjoyed a delicious meal with amazing service. Thank you.“

“I had my 50th Birthday party here and the staff was very friendly and helpful the venue was beautiful the food was amazing and everyone had an amazing time. We will definitely hold future events at La Luna. Thank you for everything!!!“

“Tonight we tried Mr Dominic's and man were we so happy with our experience. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting. We celebrated a birthday which a 10 person party with two kids. Our waitress Taylor was beyond amazing our food came out quickly and fast. They even had a cute kids basket for the kids to pick out a toy. We will definitely be back. Thank you again Taylor for your amazing service, patience and bubbly personality.“

“Very good food and excellent customer service“

“Best ravioli in town! My family's been dining there since they opened thank you mark and Andrea for taking me there last Thursday! It was nice to see Lisa too,excellent waitress!“

“ALWAYS A GOOD MEAL AT Nick’s😋“

“great quality and customer service. outstanding bread and great place lunch or dinner.“

“leaving a review so the horrible lady that wants to claim my other review is fake because it was my first and she created lies about myself in her response…… sorry to be petty on your page but i did enjoy the food so i thought i could be petty and get the word out about the food!

i had dinner here last week for the first time and i ordered the greens and beans and the chicken parm, 2 classics. the greens and beans were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of flavor and the chicken was moist and the sauce was delish!
can’t wait to go back and try a few more items!“

“The best pizza I've ever tasted in Rochester and nearby areas. It's worth every penny. You can feel the good quality of the products.Definitely my new favorite pizza spot. Continue with the tremendous service and your good quality products.“

“We tried the Thai food this time and it was AWESOME!!! It’s our new favorite Thai restaurant in Rochester! Please give them a try…and if you don’t like Thai food, you have their traditional, tried & true Italian dishes!“

“First time there I had chicken French my wife had butternut squash raviolis special both dishes where amazing , Service was great please don’t change anything your restaurant is doing it GREAT Job

Dietary restrictions: They have all kinds of dishes on the menu please give it a try

Parking: Ample parking“

“Good location, cozy interior, with great food choices, reasonable prices & very nice staff. Highly recommend = 2 thumbs up/5 stars“

“The food and the friendly service is outstanding !“

“We recently celebrated our anniversary at Pane Vino. They provided us a very quaint seat overlooking the river. They have done a nice job masking the noise level of their beautiful interior that is full of character. We interacted with 4 staff that were all very personable, professional, and efficient. The food was all exceptional and the wine list very nice. We were impressed that the owner checked on us several times, he definitely cares and pays attention to detail. We plan to return here on our next visit to the area.“

“Great food and service. Always a fun night.“

“They catered our 100 person baby shower and the food was amazing. The price was great and so easy to order. They let me know exactly what we needed and were so kind and helpful. 100% recommend!!!!“

“In 2021, I had to manage our company picnic which included the meat choice. I live now in Greensboro, NY and knew of Calabresella and of Zweigle's hots, but the local 350 employees in this area, never had. This year since the hot's were so well received, that the employees asked in advanced for those again. They will not be disappointed“

“Wonderful food and service. Definitely a favorite!“

“We had a retirement party for.my sister 5/6/22.The service was top notch,the menu was bold and the kitchen put a nice spin on all they presented.THE OWNER STOPPED AND GREETED THE TABLE.WEwere able to bring in our special dessert's and they didn't push us out the door . Bravo from top to bottom.*****“

“Food was great. We enjoyed the very relaxing atmosphere without any televisions blaring in the background“

“Honestly one of the best restaurant experiences my friends and I have had, service drinks and atmosphere were all solid. But the FOOD was unreal. Everything across the table was amazing. Coming back for sure!“

“I personally have never appreciated Olive Garden’s lack of support and assistance the company poorly provides to their servers, but Ashley is an amazing addition to the team and they should be grateful that she is a part of their culture. Otherwise their atmosphere would be terrible. She is a positive light that only brings happiness and joy radiating only positivity throughout the restaurant. She voiced her opinion in an article appropriate manner about a topic that needs to be addressed and is too often neglected, and these businesses.“

“Food and service were great! Upstairs table area got VERY hot though and we had to ask our server to turn off a heater directly blowing on our table. They need to work on a way to better circulate the air from the ovens that clearly rises and makes upstairs super warm.“

“Love this place always great food and friendly people and atmosphere“

“Great food, we tried the cheesy garlic sticks, slices of cup n char, meatball sandwich, chicken parm sandwich, spaghetti with eggplant balls, and of course the homemade cookies. Everything was delicious, prepared fresh, all staff and the owner were extremely friendly. Great new spot! Can’t wait to come back and try the Utica greens and chicken rigggies!“

“10/10 pizza! And I had their eggplant sandwich with goat cheese and peppers. It was so so delicious. We cannot wait to come back!“

“Not much to rave or rant about, finally had a few hours alone with the wife so he grabbed some lunch at Olive garden kept it simple soup salad bread sticks service was great waitress was awesome We were set immediately food came out quick soup was pretty fresh salad not so much breadsticks was good so the only problem was the salad wasn't that good didn't seem fresh did everything else was great no complaints.“

“So excellent! From delicious pizza to anything else on menu. Especially the homemade marinara sauce. Hugh portions. The best service and awesome owner Jerry. Cozy and exceptionally clean restaurant. I give it 10 stars! Try chicken parm., enough for 2 people ❤️?????“

“This place... is special. I just had a fantastic meal and got a chance to chat with one of the partners and someone else working there. I wish I got their names, because they made me feel like I knew them forever and they were just wonderful. anyone should make it a point to head down there, try whatever they recommend, and have a chat!“

“I had Ciaccia’s cater a work event today with Boxed lunches to make it easier for those traveling. Boxed lunches isn’t something they typically do, but when I asked if they could, they did not hesitate to say yes! All I can say is they KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!! You could see the thought and time that was put into making these lunches and everyone was very impressed! Lots of compliments on the tastiness of the food and presentation of the boxes! Extremely happy as always with Ciaccia’s and their team! Highly recommend!!!!“

“We (son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter (18 months) had a great meal at Vern’s last night. We ordered several of their specials and we all enjoyed them. My granddaughter had several firsts, which added to our fun experience.“

“Best pizza in Rochester it’s my second time ordering from them and I will highly recommend it and the owner is so nice very welcoming. I ordered a white Bianca with pepperoni. “

“What a cute bar in this tiny airport! And the owner is a gem. We had a long wait for our flight that kept getting delayed and Giuliano (I think that’s his name?) was so friendly! He came to chat and get to know us, told us about the beers he has, and was just overall a warm and gentle guy.
We’ll stop by here anytime we fly out!

Great selection of beers you can’t get other places!“

“Highly recommend, went last night and the chicken French and veal parm was excellent!“

“The Sicilian pizza is amazing! Best we ever had! The owner is authentic and brings a piece of Sicily here! A must try! Thank you for a slice of Heaven“

“Love football Sundays at MicGinny's...Angie is the best bartender!! Love the place!!“