Booked the Meyer Den for a bridal shower dinner. There's just a small deposit and no minimums - which is amazing because not many restaurants will have that option - Definitely will recommend for large groups - especially since it'll keep you away from the other dinner guests and not ruin their experience along with yours. Called the restaurant multiple times prior to ask questions about my booking and each time the person answering the phone was friendly and answered all my of questions. The day of the event, everything was set up when we arrived. The den is located below the regular dining area, it had a bit of a dungeon vibe - but it' was cool. There was a small bar and a restroom downstairs conveniently located. Amy (I think her name was Amy, we've been to a lot of places that day and I might have gotten my waitresses mixed up by this point) was extremely friendly and gracious and answered all the questions that our party of 12 had about the menu. I was struggling with getting music to play via the wifi/bluetooth and she came out with her tablet and let me go to town with it on her Spotify (THANKS AGAIN). The menu is very American with Italian/French influence. I shared 2 apps with the bride (to be at the time): Ceviche - soooo good, I don't really know how to describe how good this was, it also came with chicharones on the side - fresh, citrusy, delicious Octopus - I don't think I was as impressed with this dish but it was still good, the octopus was slightly tough and the polenta was whatever for me. Entree: Duck Breast - I pretty much order this everywhere I can, especially French restaurants. The duck was a little too done for me - it was very much medium bordering medium well, however I think this was my own fault because I didn't specify medium rare... the top of the skin was very charred, which was odd for me but the flavors were very good. The carrots & hazelnut puree complimented the dish well. Overall - had a great time, everyone enjoyed their food and Amy took great care of us :) read more

I've had some great food and enjoy the wine selection but at our last visit, one of our party members got horribly sick from their meal.

I have nothing but great things to say ! Every time I come here the food is so thoughtfully prepared and composed and the service is excellent. Whenever I want something sophisticated tasting and Avvino is the place. The wine is a amazing too. I had a a great bottle of wine and the salmon. The fish was cooked to perfection and the wine was some of my favorite ever. I've been here one other time and ordered scallops and they were so yummy...I would say maybe a tad underdone but maybe that was my taste. Otherwise I highly recommend for a nice night out or date night. read more

Avvino - Grenache Wine - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Highly recommend! We love the Farmers Flatbread, octopus, and porkchops. The service is fantastic. So happy they offer curbside pickup of their entire menu. read more

Avvino - Fantastic food & curbside service. We had the porkchops! - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

I vaguely recall writing reviews in the past for the delectable dining experiences I've had here. I do see my pictures posted. Any seasonal fare and regular mean items are well executed and well portioned. I'll have to visit again to be able to provide more details....not bummed out about this! read more

Avvino - Nettle pasta w green veg, fabulous amount of peas, spring onion and asparagus - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Excellent place for foodies. We enjoyed our meal and look forward to our next visit.

We met a friend here at her suggestion. Everything from the wine suggestion, service and food was great.

I have had Avvino bookmarked on my Yelp for years now. It was my first suggestion when my husband and I needed a restuarant for Valentine's Day. At arrival, the restuarant looks on the smaller side. There is a beautiful cocktail bar when you first walk in. Then a very uniqe diningroom. There is a huge table and display in the middle where an assortment of miscellaneous plates for serving are. Just so unique. My husband started with a cocktail that he said was great. There is bread served and I don't think I have had better bread. It was a rosemary bread; so warm and buttery. My husband started with the ruben sliders and had no complaints! It is definitely is a dish that's made to be shared. For entrees I had the Black Pepper Pasta. It was very unique and yummy but a lot of black pepper if you are sensitive to that. My husband had the duck breast and ate the entire thing. He loved it. For dessert we got the special for the night; lemon blueberry crumb cake. It was incredible. We devoured it. I think the best part of the night was the environment. This may make me sound old but the lighting was bright enough to see the menu and take food pictures. Also, the restaurant was packed by the time we were half way through our meal but we could always hear each other and never felt like we were yelling. It is just a great place and we cannot wait to return. read more

Avvino - Black Pepper Cavatelli - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Wow! Truly a gem in Rochester. The Milk and Honey app was INCREDIBLE. I loved the texture of the Burrata with the roasted carrots + harissa spread. The lack of one star is for the duck breast. Flavor was so good but the texture was a bit too tough for me. The minted peas and potato w/the pickled mushrooms complemented it so well. The pork cheek in the sauce for the gnocchi melted in my mouth!! A little salty but tasted so good. Last but not least the bread pudding. Omg. Honestly my favorite out of all of them. The brandied blueberry was super strong which I enjoyed. So. Good. Definitely recommend!! read more

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Wow. Seriously. Best dining experience of my life. I brought my girlfriend here for our anniversary and we were absolutely blown away with the hospitality and knowledge of the staff. Our waitress Amy was hands down the greatest server I've ever had. She had an answer for every question and was very attentive throughout dinner. We told her we had no idea what to order so she said "do you trust me?" and we said yes. Best decision ever. Every dish she brought out was better than the last. Normally I'm a bit of a picky eater. I know what I like and I stick to it. But after meeting the owners Janine and Tim, I knew that I would be opened up to a while new world of possibility so I just said yes to everything that came at me. Every dish we ordered was a surprise and put together foods and flavors I didn't know existed. Overall, best dinner I've ever had! 10/10 five stars... two thumbs up... whatever floats your boat. Definitely going back soon. Go here asap!! read more

We were a fairly demanding table of 10 on a Wednesday night and they graciously accommodated all of our requests. All of the food was expertly cooked, plated, and delicious! Some of our favorite apps were the octopus, which was beautifully tender, and eggplant romesco, which was just spicy enough. For dinner some of the table's favorites were the gnocchi with pork cheek bolognese, lamb loin, and duck breast (cooked a perfect medium rare). Our server kept our water glasses full and the wine flowing. The smoothness of service really helped make our celebration wonderful. read more

Avvino - a large group of people sitting at a dinner table - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Since our experience with the Yelp event, I have been trying to go here for dinner. I finally was able to convince my friend to join me for a lovely dinner. The space is old school, even the location is old school. That's part of the reason I have not considered going to this place for a long time. Too old fashioned, too fancy, and I was wrong! Although the service and decor are old school, the food food and drinks are definitely not! The drink we had was delicious and modern, and the appetizers were super interesting. The bone marrow was perfectly cooked and so rich. We also asked for a shot of whiskey and we had a nice shot through the tasty bone marrow. We also got the egg dish (which changes constantly), it was different and I was on the fence about it, my friend loved it though, so it's a matter of personal taste. We ordered the octopus, because it's been on the menu for a long time. It was the best octopus I've ever had, but it was good. Tender with a nice char outside, it needed more seasoning. The mash that came with it was wonderful. For dinner I had the Duck, and my friend had the Korma. The Korma was truly amazing, bold flavors and great vegetables. I would have ordered if it if it wasn't for the beets. But my friend loves beets, and she ate the whole thing The duck was good, really well flavored and a great crust, but it was a bit chewy. We ordered cookies and monkey bread for dessert and both were great. We truly enjoy the coffee setup. All in all it was great food, in a great restaurant. Even though there were some misses, they were a lot of great hits! I will definitely visit again. read more

Had an excellent dinner with my husband. Everything was superb from the food to the environment to the service. I had the fillet and he had the haddock. Both were very flavourful and well presented with unique flavours and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend. We had the burrata as an appetizer which was also beautifully presented and had a great variety of different that did not over power each other. Would definitely go back. read more

Everything about this restaurant is amazing! From the ambiance to the well crafted menu. The drinks are strong and delicious. Customer service is A1 read more

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It's all great, just be ready to pay extra for it. Service, drinks and food are very good. Great space and can easily speak to each other

We are frequent guests at Avvino who live close enough to walk there. But more importantly, we bring our out of town family and friends here all the time to showcase the gourmet abilities of Rochester (believe it or not, downstaters think Roc has nothing to offer)! The menu is small but every dish is perfectly created and delicious. The menu also changes with the seasons. Definitely try the Roasted Bone Marrow and the Charred Octopus apps. We had to talk our friends into trying the marrow and they went home raving about it! Also the staff here are so friendly and polite. The crowd skews a bit older, and the staff are very patient with answering questions that only your gramma can think up and moving around the table to repeat specials for those hard of hearing. Also very delicious cocktails and desserts!!! Give it a try! read more

We had dinner last night and we shared a beet appetizer it was a nice presentation. I had the scallops and my partner had the char fish. Both were very nice. The only problem was the selection of white wine was limited and tried a couple of different ones but like Pinot Grigio and they don't have that available. Nice dinner. read more

Wow. Just wow. I was looking for a place my wife and I had not been to so we could celebrate our anniversary, and Yelp led me to Avvino. We are so glad it did. Mezcal palomas at the bar started things off right. We were led to our table about 20 minutes after our reservation time ,which was surprising, but the place was packed, even being a Tuesday night. The waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and specials. We ordered a bottle of red from the $50 bin because we like a surprise now and again and were rewarded with a 2013 French red that was fantastic. Charred octopus and ceviche were our apps, followed by tuna special for her and the duck breast for me. All were melt in your mouth amazing, robust with flavor and filling! We agreed this was the best meal we've ever had. Thanks for making our anniversary memorable! read more

Had a team event for my group and it was a hit! Great prices for as much as we had to eat and drink. We had quite a few appetizers and cocktails by the bar. Everything was delicious with excellent presentation. The cocktails were also very good. We'll definitely be back. read more

I'm not one to write reviews unless I feel blown away but, wow! This place was worth the review. Such a beautiful restaurant and great service. For starters we had the coconut shrimp and Ceviche both were delicious. I had the chicken and my boyfriend had the pork chop. Both of us really enjoyed our mains so much that we did not save room for desert. My boyfriend loves bread pudding and I am more meh about it ( prefer chocolate stuff) but he asked for it to go. They packed the ice cream In container and then packed that in a container of Ice to ensure it would not melt. Then on the bread pudding box they noted how to heat and packed all the sauces and creams on the side. It was extremely thoughtful and it's little things like that, that really set a place above another. The bread pudding was unbelievable!!! Amazing meal and service from start to finish. read more

Avvino - Chicken - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Avvino catered our wedding and it was better than I ever thought wedding food could be. The wedding was a month ago and I am still being approached by friends and family commenting about how amazing the food was. We even have two of our friends that are now using Avvino to cater their events because they enjoyed it so much! The owners Janine and Tim (also head chef) sat down with my (then) fiance and I and took the time to really understand what we wanted to do and came up with a completely customized menu based around what was fresh and local and the food that we liked the most. They met us at our destination before the wedding to work out logistics and the day of the wedding they went above and beyond anything I could have expected. My only regret is that I was too busy talking with everyone to sit down and really enjoy the food! I would not hesitate for a second to contact them about catering your event and I will most definitely be stopping by Avvino for dinner as often as possible! read more

Avvino - House-Smoked Pastrami Tacos! - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

I was very pleased to find this place. They do a wonderful job and the service is very thoughtful and professional. The restaurant has a small-ish parking lot so depending on the busyness of the place, it may be a challenge to find a parking spot. We arrived when is was the perfect number of patrons - not too busy and not too slow. We made a reservation using Yelp and arrived on time and no issue with sitting. The atmosphere is dim and quiet with tables rather close to each other. Even when being polite, you can overhear conversations at tables nearby. The wall decoration has stacked wine bottles and various artwork which fits nicely into the restaurants personality. There are some rather unique dishes and I am sure one can find something he or she likes. I centered on one of two options and went with the seafood item (special) over the duck. Great presentation/plating and the ingredients obviously were fresh. My one critique (and this is a large one) is that the food was overly spicy. I do not mind the heat, but it was overpowering the dish. It may have been victim to a heavy hand of cayenne pepper. It was rather difficult to finish. A real shame as if the heat was toned down a tad-bit; it would have been the perfect dish; minus 1-star on this review. I may try this place again, but it will set you back a few Washingtons. read more

This restaurant has it all ... superb food, delightful ambiance and attentive service. It's an upscale experience without the pretense. There's no point in dwelling on specific menu items. From salad to dessert, it's all excellent. Just get to Avvino and enjoy. read more

It's the wifey's  birthday week so we need a table for two please. For a while now we have been talking about going to Avvino for dinner and we finally found a great reason to. As you approach the door I noticed nice wooden decor with plants on top, made me think -- fancy! As you walk in you'll notice this restaurant is designed with dual purpose. You have the bar and stool environment on the entrance side and the dinning area in the other side pass the thick silk drapes. So if you find yourself waiting for a table, there's a great place to be patient . I highly recommend that you reserve a table ahead of time though, this place is popular-- and for great reasons. The entire facility has dim lighting and intimate. The sounds track all night was not disappointing with upbeat alternative music. Immediately you get greeted and walked to your table celebrity style. I have to say that I've never been to a place as efficient as Avvino. They timed every thing out perfectly. From the time you sit at your table to the time you check out -- it's the rhythm divine. Right away as you sit, water and this scrumptious little herbed bread they make in house(fyi if you have leftovers, ask for more bread to go) lands on your table. We ordered two cocktails, an appetizer for starters and two entree. Literally felt like there was a team of waiters for us because when our main waitress left with our orders, 3 minutes later another came with the cocktails. The Appetizer came shortly after, like perfectly timed air traffic. For the Appy we ordered coconut shrimp. The battered shrimp was fried on the darker side which gave it a slight char taste with the sweet coconut flavor while maintaining the shrimp juicy. With that said, adding the curry like sauce and the vinaigrette that is swirled under the shrimp-- you fly to a different atmosphere of wonderful tastes. It all works together. Now right when we finished with the appetizer, our table was delicately cleared and refreshed with another cocktail as ordered and wine. Our entree also came shortly after. The timing was impeccable. Since we were so hungry, this was such a good thing. FYI for drinks , I chose tequila mockingbird , so good I order two. Finally for main dish, I picked the ribeye with potato fingers, and wifey chose salmon with veggies. The steak was cooked to my desired medium rare, the meat was crispy on the surface and juicy and tender in the inside. The marbled fat outside was cooked to perfection. Some how the potato fingers had flaky crispy skin while soft in the middle and the garlic aioli was top notch-- drove all the flavors in together like a marching parade on 4th of July. The wifey made a wise choice with the salmon and veggies. The skin was crunchy and the fish brought its ocean of flavor to my palate and I was just going with the waves. It was soothing. Paired with the broccoli, cauliflower, curry like base sauce ext. was heavenly. Last, I'd say that my over all experience at Avvino was an amazing gift and a time to remember thanks to all the staff and owner. I highly recommended this place to everyone! read more

Wow just wow!! In town to visit my partner and we wanted somewhere special to celebrate our anniversary! With Rochesters small selection of upscale eateries we went with avvino which was an amazing decision. Terrific Service--as soon as we walked through the doors we were greeted by a friendly hostess who quickly seated us at a stunning table. The restaurant overall gives an intimate and elegant ambiance. Our waitress (we can't remember her name but was a pretty redhed) was an absolute gem who gave some terrific suggestions and was incredibly attentive. Definitely try the bone marrow and charred octopus. We also had their lamb shank and roasted duck entrees. And if you still have room for dessert try the s'mores brownie cake, wickedly good. If you want a special night out this is the place to go! Thank you so much for the amazing evening. read more

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This is probably one of my favorite places in Rochester. One of the cool things about Avvino is that they have a rotating seasonal menu. This means they are cooking with fresh ingredients that they can source at the time they are harvested. There are some staples that will blow you out of the water: i.e. the spinach fritters & fries, but there is always something new to try as well. I have been here for private events in their room downstairs as well as for regular dining and both have been top notch experiences. The wait staff is extremely knowledgable about the menu and give you educated suggestions based on what you are looking for. The atmosphere is dark and cozy without being stuffy or cramped. My favorite part is the mismatched dishes that line the middle of the dining room on a buffet. An elegant spot that is sure to tickle your tastebuds. read more

First, I have to thank my fellow Yelpers for raving about menu items that were way out my comfort zone! And to one of my daughters who suggested we go to Avvino for a Mothers Day dinner. I don't think I've ever had octopus, although I've enjoyed its baby brother calamari as long as it's disguised by breading and frying and then I'll only eat the curly parts and not the body. So a dish called charred octopus is quite a risk for me. It was tender and meaty and the squid ink crumble and polenta added contrasting textures and tastes. Delicious. I could have ended the meal there and been happy. Others enjoyed the loaded baked beet and salads, but I think I was the winner. For my entree I had snapper which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. My wife and daughter shared a huge steak, while our son-in law thought his organic chicken was great. My fish was served over a "stew" of veggies and potatoes and as noted by the waiter was a bit spicy with an Asian kick. The fish remained crisp despite what supported it and the portion was huge. The table wisely shared both the key lim pie and a bread pudding with ice cream and other delicious stuff. And we were happily stuffed too. Service was friendly and knowledgeable . The dinner was at a nice pace with delicious bread offered multiple times and water glasses kept filled. read more

Great food great service nice atmosphere - go try this place if you haven't you'll like it - yes good wine selection

We were given a gift certificate to Avvino and finally used it. I really love the decor and service. Menu was unique. We started with the Farmers Flatbread which was nice, and probably the best part of the meal, though there was only one tiny cherry tomato on each small piece. Would like to see more. The standard bread they serve is phenomenal. I could have eaten so much more of that! Would go back just for this. My partner enjoyed the ravioli, but did say it was quite salty. Someone at a nearby table also complained same dish was too salty and sent it back. I'm sensitive to salt so glad I didn't order that. I ordered the Nine-Gem Korma and thought it was nice. Flavorful, but quite spicy. Any spicier and I wouldn't have been able to eat it. Tofu has nice flavor and was prepared very well (not spongy). Overall a good meal and I would likely recommend restaurant to others and consider returning in the future. read more

First time there. Very interesting menu. I saw no common options except the steaks. I selected the pork chop, but the decision was difficult. The accompanying potatoes were wonderful. Service was very good. I will return. read more

Food, ambiance but especially service truly excellent. Be sure to consider the daily specials - all of which were really special.

Sadly meh Drinks - great Presentation- great We had the gnocchi, the duck and the tofu korma. All okay but we expected wow or pizazz or amazing for the five star prices. All under seasoned and nothing made us say wow read more

We ordered takeout from Avvino today. We had high expectations, but unfortunately, they came crashing down. First, a few highlights. The fries, although limp and soggy, tasted excellent. They even gave us ketchup! The bread was also tasty. The German chocolate cake was okay (only the cake part). The service was friendly too. The man we spoke to on the phone was very professional and courteous. However, there were several pitfalls. We ordered an item which they forgot to put on our ticket. We called them back and they apologized and offered to replace it for free. In addition, we discovered a large piece of STEEL WOOL in the pork chop! We are quite disappointed! Also, some pecans in the chocolate cake tasted STALE! Please get better pecans (just a friendly suggestion). read more

Avvino - Steel wool strand found in pork chop - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Definitely make reservations for this place because it gets busy. I came here on a Friday night with a few friends and we sat at a high top in the bar area. The bartender was also our server and man was he good at his job - shoutout to Big Ben the Beerdrinkers friend! He knew everything about the drink and food menus and his recommendations were on point. The menu can be a bit overwhelming because they have some unique options, but Ben explained everything perfectly and helped us make some excellent choices. My boyfriend got the duck which was cooked to perfection. So crispy and delicious. I got the halbut, which was also good (but I liked the duck better). This place is definitely a hidden gem! Hesitant to share this review because I want to keep this place all to myself, but I think everyone deserves to know how great this place is! read more

We dined here on a Friday night at 6:30 and the place was completely dead. It didn't start to pick up until about 8 when we left but then really picked up. So you probably won't need reservations before 8pm. We enjoyed cocktails before ordering and our waitress was very patient with us. They brought us two dinner rolls that were so light and fluffy and buttery- delicious that we inhaled those and immediately asked for more. They again only brought out two more which felt kind of chintzy. These rolls were the star of this show IMO and I always appreciate good bread at a restaurant. And unlimited bread at that. Don't worry Restaurants-- No one is coming to only eat your bread. We will order other food and beverages so don't be stingy! Lol To start, I ordered the Frisée salad. I was expecting a normal green salad but was very surprised at how unique the salad was. It was a more crispy type of cole slaw type lettuce? I don't know exactly what it was. And then the dressing was made up of the runny yolk of an egg, which would sound unappealing to me normally, but was actually quite good. The salad is not large so you can share or enjoy on your own. For entrees, I ordered the lamb and my husband ordered the corned beef pho soup. My husband kept mentioning that the corned beef was a little strange for the dish but otherwise, he thought it was fresh and flavorful. I tasted it and personally didn't mind the corned beef. I felt it gave the pho some flavor I usually find lacking. However, I have to be honest. My lamb dish tasted EXACTLY like Chinese Beef and Broccoli. (Notice a theme here??) Even the brown sauce on the lamb and broccoli tasted Asian. It would have been ok tasting if it was a Beef and Broccoli dish, but I ordered lamb and expected a sumptuous, well cut, flavorful piece of meat. Especially for $35. So when the waitress asked how my meal was, I said, "Fine." She was perceptive enough to follow up and ask if I wanted something else instead. I told her the dish wasn't bad, just not what I expected. At the end of the meal, I gave her my honest opinion. I was impressed with how she handled it. She mentioned it was a new dish and the chef always appreciated feedback. Then she took off the charge for my drink to make up for it, which I thought was a nice gesture. All in all, I will probably give this place a second chance and try something else since it's right around the corner. Hopefully next time will be better. read more

Avvino - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

Diverse menu with flavorful food. Friendly wait staff and bartender. Owned by an awesome husband and wife team. Great decor in warm atmosphere. Stop in for elegant dinner or fun snack at the bar! Enjoy read more

Visiting Rochester from San Diego we visited Avvino's with our daughter and her partner. This was really an outstanding experience. Avvino's is very unassuming from the outside, just in a strip plaza. They have a menu that changes every month and daily specials. The food pairings were unusual but absolutely delicious. I also can't say enough about the service - knowledgeable, courteous, friendly. Pricing is on par with other top notch restaurants - higher that what you find frequently in Rochester, but not unusual for a similar experience in a larger metro area. I have bookmarked Avvino's for a repeat visit - albeit in a summer month. read more

Had the best charred octopus here! Every dish we have tried so far has been full of flavor and cooked to perfection!

The food and wine options have to be some of the best in Rochester. Self-described as "fiercely seasonal", the food boasted many in-season ingredients paired with anytime staples. In addition, the menu offers a variety of global fare, including curries, pho, and Muhammara. We loved the house made pasta, personally feeling that a homemade cavatelli is hard to beat. Can't wait to go back! read more

Amazing Food Great Drinks Comfortable atmosphere Always good service We come as a family and have all our business meetings in a special room downstairs Great Neighborhood restaurant read more