lento

i ate at lento once, about a week ago. the staff was overall friendly, but the waitress my wife and i dealt with had to run to the kitchen to ask if could take a vegetable off the dish i wanted. that seems odd to me. if you work there, you think they'd know what can and can't be done. and if everything is made fresh, how could the answer be no? the food was ok, but surely not worth the prices. there are many better choices out there for the cost.

disappointing. after all the hype, we were expecting to be "wowed" all four of us were disappointed in our meals, and the waiter was less than stellar. always willing to give places a second try, but for the money, i'd rather go to 2vine!

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.

have to say we were really looking forward to our meal here but were disappointed. had the burger - nothing special and very small. fries way under cooked. server was good but service was very slow.

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.

simply put: the most consistently delicious restaurant that i've been to in rochester

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.

great for health conscious, arrive early. as a man of a certain age i have developed myriad dietary restrictions: seeds, gluten, dairy... basically the only enjoyable foods in life, enter lento. an oasis of mediocre food, that, to someone with restrictions, tastes amazing. they usually have something interesting or different on the menu, which i enjoy. the only disappointing thing is they don't have the full menu as the night progresses, they sell out of items. they have the past three times i have dined there, and usually out of the only vegan or gluten free options on the menu forcing me to drink my calories and get a ride home. my car is still in that parking lot, i gotta get it.

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.

good food pricey. the food is very good with a creative approach. portions are small which is ok but the prices are on the high side. can not figure out why there would be a $2.00 up charge for an extra dry tanqueray martini. three dollars for a cup of tea is pricey. service was very good but the restaurant was not very full on a saturday night @ 6:30. that indicates a problem.

isn't anything special. visited there for our anniversary, and was disappointed by the ambiance, but more importantly the food. our meals were nothing special to talk about, especially compared to the pricing of their items.
will never go there again. we love 2vine hands down, in rochester.

apps and drinks were great and creative. entrees and dessert were overpriced and tasteless. if there is a next time i'll sit at the bar and make a meal out of the apps. wait staff was friendly but inexperienced. overall wish i chose a different restaraunt.

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.