If you are exploring Rochester for the first time, you need to include Lento at Village Gate in your places to dine. An eclectic sort of place, there are culinary treats for anyone's pallet. Raw bar, Mediterranean, Italian, etc. AND it's farm-to-table (except the oysters & squid). The waitstaff are some of the most attentive to detail, considerate and accommodating. My wife is on a salt restricted diet and the chef provided a menu with recommendations and adjustments that he could do. If I was a Rochester native, this would be one of my regular stops.
Haven't eaten in the dining area, just the oyster bar. Oysters are spectacular. All fresh, shucked right before you. Atmoshere is a bit noisy, especially at peak time. Cozy, comfortable , friendly, knowlegable staff. Good wine selection. Definitely worth a second and third visit.
Great food and service. Excellent salads, mink fish was very good as was the ravioli. Love the wine list too. Lots of excellent NY State wines at a reasonable price. Look forward to returning especially for oyster special on Tuesdays
Great atmosphere outside on the patio when the weather is nice! We had some east coast oysters (a variety), the ravioli, cavatelli, stone crab claws, and a beet salad. The food was ok with minor disappointments (peas not really cooked in the ravioli dish, stone crab claws and oysters I suppose about as fresh as one could expect for upstate NY), but the service was FANTASTIC. Our waitress was awesome, and when she was busy, someone else would jump in. Food was delivered with lightning speed. Great overall!!
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the meal... Farm fresh food makes it even more special... Very accommodating on personalizing the risotto. I had the brick chicken and my friend the sea bass..both were incredibly delicious. The service was impeccable. Vincenzo is an excellent server ..I even let him choose my vodka for me..Frozen Falls..a local vodka... Great choice! Fantastic service made the experience even better. And oooooh the triple chocolate cake was divine..Will be back soon..
I haven't been out to eat in 7 months, I eat a very strict autoimmune paleo diet for health reasons. I was heading to Rochester for a concert with friends, they left the restaurant choice up to me. I Google and found Lento, I booked a reservation and upon that I emailed them and my restrictions. Upon our arrival, the chef came out to our table and thanked me for the email, he was lovely. He prepared a special striped sea bass with delicious veggies, it was a real luxury to have someone else make a meal for me. The only negative thing is I live 2.5 hrs away. Thank you chef Gabriel!!!
Excellent service and great food. Not inexpensive but it doesn't break the bank either. Love the fact most food is locallly sourced and the menu changes frequently. Highly suggest trying the craft cocktails at the bar. Awesome creations and Chaz is a great bartender.
We have been to Lento 5 or 6 times. Always fantastic. Great farm to table food. Great wait staff. And, of course, the oysters are to die for!
from the email contact before we drove from nj to rochester untill the walking out the door after eating everything was excellent. the servers, the staff in general all have a role and they play it perfect. excellent food... its also not easy to eat somewhere and NOT need to add salt or pepper, but the chefs here nailed every dish we had without needing extra seasonings.....
We love coming here. The menu is constantly changing and there's always something new to try. I highly recommend the poutine and try the ravioli if they're making it the night you go.
We had a wonderful experience tonight!! Zack was the perfect server, the food was fabulous, and the surroundings beautiful. Soooo glad we went there to celebrate my sister's birthday. It could not have been any better..... thank you!!!
Excellent food. Super friendly and attentive waitress. I would highly recommend this restaurant.
What a fabulous evening! Kirk, our server, did a great job guiding my husband and I through the menus and making recommendations on everything from cocktails, to oysters, to salad and appetizers and our dinner selections. The oysters were spot on. The salad, fresh, crisp and balanced. The small plates we shared were superbly executed. Such a wonderful dining experience!
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The play by play: It's quaint but comfortable and not too pretentious. The server is nice and well informed. I started with the seafood bar of course. Jonah crab was fresh but blah, there was also a white sauce that was unidentifiable and horrifying. However the shrimp were among the best I've ever eaten and were perfectly cooked, tender and luxurious. The oysters were outstanding and super fresh. I like mine small, tender and briny and she knew exactly which to recommend. I wasn't disappointed and I usually am. I also loved the black pepper minuet. Long wait to order my second course... But she was aware and very apologetic. Next up is the wild Alaskan salmon stuffed corn pasta pyramids and a hot tea service. The tea selection was minuscule and disappointing but she brought a full pot so that cheered me back up. The salmon pasta is unexpectedly simplistic and wonderful. It's not heavy at all and the favors are all in support of the high quality salmon. Dare I call a pasta dish refreshing? Well this is. There are at least 5 other items I'd love to taste but am already full so stop in and try them for me. Excellent dinner.
Great Food!. This was such a great place. Amazing food all from local farmers. Love the atmosphere. Definitely will continue to come back!
What a great restaurant! It was my boyfriend and I's first time there. We were greeted with a friendly hello and seated quickly. The bread and oil they brought out was great, as well as the flatbread appetizer. The cheeseburger entree was phenomenal. It was easy to tell that everything was fresh and local. Oh god and the fries and homemade ketchup hit the spot. The waiters were all very friendly and helpful and made us feel more than welcome. The prices weren't too steep either. I would definitely recommend.
We walked into Lento tonight without a reservation...expecting a very long wait. We were pleasantly surprised tone seated right away. Our waiter, Beau, was excellent!! Very knowledgeable, friendly and had perfect timing. The restaurant became very busy but we never felt rushed. We will definitely be going back. The farm to table food was excellent. We decided to share a few appetizers, oysters, soup and salad. My only regret was we weren't hungrier!! There were several dishes on the menu that looked very interesting, one more reason to go back again.
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What a fantastic birthday experience! Fresh, local, sustainable. This is an up-and-coming gem. The service was impeccable. The food was fantastic, a blend of inspiring flavors and textures. We started with the duck fat frites and the foie gras appetizers. The foie was a melt-in-the-mouth experience. The only con to this dish was the chestnut-like garnish on top. They were difficult to chew, and overshadowed the delicate texture of the foie gras. But the appetizer was amazing, nonetheless. The duck fat frites were divine, and served with an accompanying creamy version of aioli sauce. We then enjoyed two salads. The beet and goat cheese salad had a tangy vinaigrette, while the Gorgonzola and pear salad had fantastic flavor. We brought our own wine, a 2009 Duckhorn Cabernet; there is a $15 corking fee (no fee on Wednesdays). The pear salad's flavor was even more pronounced with our wine, and was a perfect combo. My husband had the duck breast as an entree, while I enjoyed the strip steak. They were perfectly cooked as requested (medium rare). Locally produced meats are amazing! And the bacon fat purée of potatoes with the strip steak can only be described as divine. For dessert, my husband had the homemade coffee ice cream. A must try! The culminating experience for me was my dessert: chocolate pot de creme. Our chef wrote Happy Birthday in the cocoa powder on the plate below the dessert: a thoughtful, beautifully artistic touch! The first bite of this dessert transported me back to France, where as an exchange student I first tried chocolate mousse. Pot de creme has the texture of a creme brûlée and pudding. Divine. The chef gave us complimentary digestifs for my birthday... Much appreciated! After a bottle of wine, I was unable to identify it... But tasted a lot like creme de cassis... Or a super sweet port.
Take this restaurant seriously, folks. It was not only the perfect birthday dinner, it provided my husband and I a level of ambiance we don't often enjoy with 4 young children at home. Lento is definitely on our list of date night restaurants, and clearly seems to embrace and glorify the local and sustainable movement.
Amazing Quality. My husband and I had an amazing experience the last time we went to Lento. My husband a carnivore, got the burger, and said it was the best he ever had. Me, a vegetarian got the pumpkin ravioli, which I've had at several restaurants but this was by far the best. I was also pleased that there were several vegetarian choices. Often when I go to restaurants there is only one vegetarian option, if any.
Great food, drink list is worth a try. Staff is very friendly, service is good.
Awesome!. First time dining at Lento, and my first time eating duck as well, and it was awesome! The duck was so good, it tasted almost like prime rib, it was juicy and delicious! Also finished the meal with a fantastic dessert, the profiteroles with the coffee ice cream.
The service was attentive and pleasant, and be sure to try almost anything from the bar.
I highly recommend this restaurant.
Expensive but worth it. Love the ever changing menu. Unique items and lots of vegetarian choices. Food is cooked slow which is where the name lento came from, so don't be in a hurry! The bread they bring to table while you wait for food is really yummy .
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Can be hit or miss .. Like it but ... So, here is the deal .. I like Lento, I do .. I love the service, the Bartender makes one of the smoothest Dirty Martini's I have ever had .. I love the atmosphere, etc … etc … BUT .. The food is hit or miss. Case in point .. Last visit with two others, my entrée (Scallops with Risotto) was EXCELLENT; the taste was sophisticated and fresh .. However, very pricey. The next entrée (Brined Chicken) was GOOD; taste was nice and complimented the side nicely .. Good but still up there in price. The last was a Lobster Salad (not an entrée but ordered as one), this I am afraid was TRAGIC. We were ok with the limited lobster, but the field greens were that of a very small side salad and mostly stems. In addition, there were so many red onions, that the entire salad tasted like an onion. It really should have been light and fresh .. Instead, it was strong and very disappointing. I can only hope that they look at their price points and try to balance the entrée's out a bit more. I understand that this would be a huge challenge as the menu changes daily. I am sure I will go again, but always proceed with caution.
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An amazing Valentine's Day meal. I am a recent vegetarian, and my confirmed carnivore husband took me to the best veggie restaurant he could find in Rochester: Lento. We were not disappointed; true, we are not used to high-class dining, and the prices were a bit steep, but the quality and experience was well worth the price. I was disappointed that they were out of the one vegetarian (actually vegan) main course that i had wanted, but this worked out well for me in the end as i just ordered a starter, 2 appetizers, and a salad----more than enough! Our meal began with some lovely fresh bread and peppered extra virgin olive oil for dipping. I had the 3 cheeses with grilled nut bread and it was amazing----the smoked mozzarella was not particularly to my taste, but the goat cheese and the brie were divine: flavors like i've never experienced before. My husband's duck liver pate was equally well enjoyed. My "main course" of goat cheese tart and chickpea-battered vegetables was very nice; the tart was very flavorful and moist, and served with fresh greens drizzled with balsamic vinegar----light and delicious. The chickpea-battered local vegetables were deceptive: they look like common bar fried snacks, but they were light as a feather without the slightest hint of greasiness or taste of "old oil" about them. The Asian-inspired dipping sauce served with them was delicious. My house salad was tender greens served with a balsamic vinegairette---not particularly avant garde, but pleasing. My husband had a duo of lamb with rice and his plate was cleaned at the end of the meal. We shared a decadent chocolate mousse cake after dinner----truly scrumptious, and a recommendation from our server. The service was attentive, friendly, not stuffy but not over-bearing, quick, and knowledgable. I would eat at Lento again in a heartbeat, if i could afford to! as it is, this will be our "special dinner" place.
By far our favorite restaurant in the city. Fresh foods and ideas, amazing drinks, and a knowledgable staff. They recently had a scotch tasting paired with 5 course meal which was fun and delicious. Can't get that type of meal anywhere in the city. Only negative is the wine list, but their drink options make up for it.
Lento is our favorite restaurant. When we lived in Rochester, we went whenever we had a special occasion to celebrate, and we never had a bad meal there. The wait staff is excellent and very knowledgeable, their menu is exciting and dynamic (it always changes, you can never get bored!) and the prices are amazingly reasonable for the quality of meal you receive. We recently got married in Rochester, and made the excellent choice of having Lento host our wedding reception. They did an incredible job, and it was the PERFECT place to have our reception. We have sinced moved away from Rochester, but we have made a pact to always get a meal at Lento whenever we are in town.
If you are in the mood for an amazing, seasonal meal, go to Lento!!!!
-jon and caty
Love Local...eat at Lento. Love Food, eat at Lento. Thank you so much for the bing cherry muttel. Cherry's marinated in simple sugar with peppercorn, clove and cinnamon stick, makes the drink even more intoxicating. I recently discovered Lento a few months ago, one of Rochester's best. You must visit, Art is thoughtful in his craft of food and breaths local. A must support, you will not be disappointed.
Super Fresh.. I'm a college student, so I love two for one Thursdays. Buy any one entree, get one vegetarian free, and the vegetarian options are always incredible and filling. The atmosphere is comforting and the service has always been friendly and inviting. I really respect the thought that goes into the food and the use of local/organic ingredients. Also, the menu never gets old with it's constant evolution.
Green with Serious Flavors. The food is local, seasonal, organic when available and everything is made in house. Definitely worth a trip, make a reservation and ask about special events!
Local. Seasonal. Sustainable. This is what Lento prides itself on and you can see it as soon as you walk in. They have huge chalkboards that feature the local places their meats and vegetables come from. Even their drinks use fresh ingredients, not typical flavored syrups that you might taste in most cocktails.
I've been meaning to try out Lento since it opened at Village Gate over the summer, and I finally made it there for the first time last week. The menu, which changes daily (an ambitious undertaking!), features a wide range of meat, fish, and vegetarian op
I can't say enough good things. For such complex dishes they were amazing, and even my 16 month old loved the sweet pea ravioli we got her. The duck fat fries just might be the best fries I've ever had, and my lamb was also delicious. I finished my meal with the affogato, which you can't go wrong with if you love ice cream and coffee. I also love they use local sodas, as I always love a small batch cola as opposed to the big brand names.
Dollar oyster night or any night at Lento is a good night! Reservations needed, the place rocks the town. Plan ahead so you can enjoy their menu of locally sourced cuisine!
I had there vegan garam masala. The other 2 dish pictured are their steel head trout with polenta and veggies and their scallop dish.
Atmosphere is cozy and staff is warm and welcoming! They even have a gluten free menu to accommodate!
Really nice place. Good food, great service. Food came out really quick. Amazing tasting food. It was a little on the pricy side, but I felt it was worth it.
The food was very good. The service was even better. Our server was very knowledgeable in the vegan dishes and was pleasant. The gentleman who sat us also held out my niece’s chair which was super nice. Excellent experience!
We had a delicious meal with great service. There was a $5 drink special as well as a nice selection of wines by the glass. I was nervous because the entry is not very grand —a little hidden, but once inside we felt welcome and the food was high end. We ate charcuterie, fingerling sweet potatoes (app), scallops, duck, trout and steak.
Good food, steak was a little thin, but had good flavor. Fried squash blossoms were amazing. Swordfish was very good. Even though steak was good, it was not $50 worth
Just stayed in the area one night and thrilled to find this treasure. The Village Gate Square is so charming! We enjoyed outdoor seating on a perfect night. The rosé and Prosecco were a lovely start. Enjoyed Virginia oysters, Lento Caesar salad, red & gold beet salad and chilled Spanish octopus salad. All delicious, flavorful and the perfect serving size. The surprise was the house rosemary focaccia - full of flavor! Dessert was ice cream w/ black button bourbon cream and chocolate sorbet - wonderfully rich! Jehenna was our waitress, she was very knowledgeable about the wines & the menu, we appreciated her recommendations and followed them - she steered us right. All other staff that came by to fill water, bring out or clear plates were equally professional, knowledgeable and polite. Wonderful evening!
We had an absolutely wonderful meal at Lento. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the food was spectacular. Their commitment to fresh and local shines through their menu and the options are creative and balanced. The $5 cocktail list on Thursdays was full of lovely fresh ideas and their basil based bourbon drink (the name escapes me) was a showstopper for my husband. We will certainly return and look forward to trying more of the ever changing menu.
I had read some sub-par reviews regarding price and portion size but after dining here I must disagree. While not on the cheaper side of Rochester dining, neither of those grievances held up. I would never consider myself a raw bar connoisseur but he oysters and shrimp were delicious. I have to specifically mention the gnocchi and calamari, which were amazing. I've never had fried lemon slices and they added a whole new dimension to the calamari. A few minor complaints did not detract from our 5/5 experience.
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I cannot rave enough about Lento! I have been a huge fan of the restaurant. Anything you get is phenomenal and fresh. Dollar oyster night is a regular spot for us. It only made sense that we host my birthday here! Art and Zach were so accommodating. I felt confident in their decisions and also felt they let me make choices that worked for my family. Art met with me to look over the space then we communicated about food and a finalized menu closer to the date via email. He let me take a look at the menu. I wish I had captured the delicious cheese and fruit spread, the family style apps, and dishes. Everyone was so impressed! The price was more than reasonable for the generous portions and high quality food. The team worked hard to make this event special. The food, atmosphere, communication, and flexibility made this event easy peasy! I would do this all over again and highly recommend to anyone looking to have a special event.
April 2023: I’m coming back to update. The food and staff are phenomenal. I can’t say enough about the hospitality and experience we have. Lento is forever my favorite restaurant and a gem to Rochester. Such a deal for an excellent farm to table food experience that exceeds expectations. Their espresso machine looked pretty rad so I got a picture of that, too.
From casual dining to enjoying the night on the town, Lento’s menu has something for everyone. The oysters are always a hit!!!
#supportinglocalbusiness
My husband & I used our gift certificate from my brother & sister-in-law & went to Lento Restaurant . We hadn’t been in a very long time & had forgotten how good it was! Staff was also very attentive.
They use produce & products from local , sustainable & organic farms & shops as well.
#culinaryheaven #RochesterNY #scallops #leeks #risotto #lambsausage
Fresh oysters on Tuesday Oyster Night. We came in a bit late but were seated quickly at a lovely outdoor space. There were six different kinds of oysters to choose from, and I love that when we got our plate, there were numbers on the flags to help us differentiate them. We ate the oysters with fresh lemon juice, cocktail sauce, and Mignonette. They were absolutely delicious!
The only complaint I have is with the duck liver mousse appetizer. It was a bit dry, similar to the texture of nut butter, and not served with enough bread. The bread wasn’t like a traditional baked baguette either. It was a bit soft and mushy. It would also be an improvement if the dish is served with more varieties of picked vegetables.
We had a delightful meal at Lento. I enjoyed the eggplant ricotta rollups on pasta and my friend loved her garam masala dish. The food was delicious. The service was friendly and attentive, but not too attentive (in an annoying way), and the food was great. We didn't order any drinks, but their cocktail/wine menu was extensive. I'll revisit if I'm in Rochester again!
We really enjoyed everything about our experience at Lento. The seasonal menu was comprised Locally sourced ingredients. Lots to choose from in terms of starters, drinks and entrees. The service was exceptional and informative. I had the pumpkin stuffed ravioli, suggested by our waiter, and my finance had a delicious burger with beef from Bolton farms. We started with some delicious variety of local cheeses and the smoked chicken wings. Finished our meal with a french press and local bourbon cream. Pricing was affordable. Laid back with great music and ambiance. We'll definitely be back!
Great food and drinks and all locally sourced. Only complaint is that it can be a bit pricey, which is to be expected give the quality.
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