Driving around trying to find parking we came across this cool tiled outdoor bar. We decided to…read morestop in and asked to eat outside. The food was great. Ordered the lobster rolls and the flaming cheese. I prefer the Connecticut style with no mayo and just butter, which is what I thought from the description on the menu, but it definitely was loaded with mayo. Not bad but not expected. Waitress was very nice and attentive. Music was a little loud outside at times. Overall, great experience. Will be back.

Christina our waitress was very good. Little menu and food was good. Cesar dressing was very fresh.read more

The Eastman is an absolutely lovely addition to the Rochester scene and quite frankly my favorite…read morespot. While there is a hint of the old time speakeasy in finding the place (it's really not that tricky) walking down the stairs and into the beautiful bar is just absolutely lovely. It's dark, and low lit, and the ambience is chill with a hint of hush hush and just visually so appealing. This level detail isn't just left for the eyes, the drinks here are very well made. Every single one I've had the pleasure of trying has been well balanced, flavorful, and yet somehow appropriately spirit forward. And the barstaff who puts these delectable mixtures together are absolutely well versed, knowledgable, and willing to adjust any of their drinks to your own personal tastes. Of course, the prices run a little higher, but I found them to be typical of what we see, but in this case I think the experience is well worth the cost. You're getting impeccable aesthetics, fantastic service, and wonderful drinks and it's so hard to find places that meet all three anymore. I will absolutely be coming back and highly recommend.

The Eastman is a cool, basement level speakeasy. The door is located in the back, but otherwise not…read morehard to find. This cocktail bar is small, low ceiling with low lighting, and simple decor. Their menu is a small book of interesting, and priced as such, cocktails. Each has a fun name. They do offer a small list of beer and wine, and obviously you can order a standard drink as well. They have a few snack offerings, but there is no full menu. A friend and I went at the right time, the late end of happy hour on a Friday, but before any crowd. We did not have a reservation, but they were quiet when we arrived and we were seated immediately. They do have a 90 minute table limit for busy nights. The service was fantastic all around. We both enjoyed our drinks and the atmosphere. This may be the best place in Rochester for a drink.

This is one of my most favorite places for cocktails & appetizers. My girls & I go every week for…read moretheir espresso martinis, sliders, fries, and Caesar salads. Saint 1881 is so consistent, has a great staff, and incredible atmosphere. I will never not recommend this place!

This is a beautiful, newer, restaurant located in a renovated church across the street from their…read moresister restaurant, Rochester Brunch House. The front is well maintained and welcomes you through the door to a gorgeously decorated dining room and bar. Seating is somewhat limited (it's a small space) but we got there during a slower period so we were sat right away. The brunch menu has a good variety and I opted for the Avocado Croast (the "toast" was a croissant) and a drip coffee. Beware that the drip coffee gets only one free refill. I asked during ordering because there are some places that don't give any free refills. Hubby ordered the Huevos Rancheros served in a bowl. The food came out beautifully and was very fresh. If I wanted to nitpick, I'd say they are keeping the roasted potatoes in a steamer which is making their crispy outer layer somewhat soggy but they still tasted good. They should revisit how they are keeping them warm or crisp them quickly before serving. The avocado toast didn't have a lot of avocado but it was still good. They should consider adding some sea salt to top it off - it would enhance the overall flavor. The service was good - I think our server wasn't comfortable in this job. That was okay for us as she warmed up to us after a while. All in all, a nice experience for our first time there. I'd like to return to try other menu items in the future.

We saw this place after leaving Too-Ra-Loo and decided to make a trip back to Rochester to check it…read moreout. What we learned is that The Hemmingway Room host 6-8 week pop ups. Right now it's Hanana Nights and the menu is Cuban. We ordered cocktails while we decided on dinner. My wife ordered Hotel Nacional and I got Call Your Mother. The drinks were served in fun cups and were absolutely delicious. We started out with an order of empanadas. They were crispy and full of tender meat. For dinner I ordered the pork shank and my wife the pineapple burger. She liked the burger, but stole most of my plantains and rice! The pork was delicious. Cooked to a perfect tenderness that fell off the bone. It was super flavorful and, while I didn't get much of the rice or plantains due to my wife, they were excellent. I would love for Havana Nights become a permanent restaurant, but look forward to whatever Hemmingway does next!

My wife and I went to Hemmingways for a date night. She'd been there twice before for events and…read morekept wanting me to experience the place too. We had a nice table which started quiet and proceeded to get louder and more vibrant as the night went on. Service was fine and fast throughout. She had the Smoky Maintain which was strong enough for her to ask for an extra splash of pineapple juice. I had an Amaretto Sour which was nicely presented and tested good enough. It wasn't as strong as hers though. She ordered their Salmon Bowl which had both teriyaki and boom boom sauce; tasted good and was an ample size. My steak and frites came. The steak itself needed a little more seasoning and could have been larger but the truffle fries were top shelf. The chimichuri sauce was good too. The key lime pie for dessert presented well, but it packed the tartness one wants. There was too much whipped cream and not enough lime. That was the only real disappointment. Everything else was pretty great. A 4.6 rounds to 5.

Happy Hour Tuesday was a Bargin and the food was well above average. 6 tacos, Trio appetizer, and a…read moremixed drink for $46. Service was great, drink was well balanced. Guacamole and cheese dip are highly recommended. The Freah Start was strong and balanced. Felt like we stumbled on a spot only locals know. Great experience!

The food is always good here! Would recommend the tacos. Especially the beef and shrimp!…read moreThe drinks are strong and the vibes are very chill. Very intimate space with only a couple tables, mostly bar top seats. Each of the employees is friendly, and we have never had to wait for table or food

Selection is good. Half the cigars are stale or moldy though. Humidor is too dry and cold. Drinks…read moreare probably its saving grace. Sucks because the one off 23 mile is much better, though not as big a selection. Needs some love and attention. I'm young but I know my cigars.

Have the waitress/bartender check on ALL customers throughout the lounge frequently NOT just the…read moreregulars at the bar which I was subjected to

This is such a cute place. It is decorated to be in a Jackson Pollock theme and it definitely hits…read morethe mark. I had made reservations for 4 people which is all that is allowed per their website when I made them. With friends dropping out last minute, it wasn't a problem for the restaurant. The coffee setup is so cute. Even without a handle on the coffee mug, it doesn't get too hot that you can't pick it up. I went with a huge spread for lunch partially because I couldn't decide and partially because it was just me and they had been expecting 4 people. The cones are so much fun. You can definitely make a meal out of them. I would probably do a meal of only them in a future visit. I also got fluffy pillows which so garlicky but oh so good. I would have them again but only if I were sharing with someone so I'm not tempted to eat them all. The wedge salad was good...a unique setup... The desert that I had was amazing. The white chocolate almond cake was so good and had such a good flavor. I could almost make a meal of just it. I would come back in the future

Was looking forward to a Tuesday night dinner with my daughter and son in law The Jackson. Service…read morestaff of slow and inattentive which meant for a long dinner with mediocre food other than the truffle fries. Burger did not provide much taste, salmon over sweet potatoes was bland to go along with under seasoned brussel sprouts. Food was VERY underwhelming and VERY overpriced. Would not visit again, nor would I recommend.

Excellent service. Food does not disappoint. We have been here several times. A go to for…read morerestaurants in Rochester. They have expanded the restaurant and patio. We sat outside. Very pleasant evening. The eggplant Parmesan is served with crispy spinach. So delicious. We ordered mussels and fresh figs with prosciutto and burrata. We split lobster pasta. Came in the shell and then she served it to us and took the shell away. I had the special veal Milanese. Wish that was a regular item!

Quaint little spot hidden in the corner of a strip mall. It is a little pricey but the service by…read moreKristi was spot on and the food excellent. We had the Sausage & Peppers, Linguine Nero alla Scoglio, Pollo Pugliese and Eggplant Parmegian - all were delicious and generous portions. For dessert we opted for the Vodka Espresso Martini - excellent!

We ate here on a Saturday afternoon to catch the football game. This is a fantastic spot with…read morefriendly waitstaff, a solid menu and great seating. There are tons of TV's, and it seems like they subscribe to all of the NFL, College Football and major sports. The food was slightly elevated above your typical bar food. I had spaghetti and meatballs, my son had a burger and my wife had a quesadilla. Everything was prepared really well, came out hot and the portions were enough for leftovers. Overall, this is a very solid choice for group outings, a date, sporting event or to put in the neighborhood rotation. It seems like a really solid option when the weather is nice, they open all of the roll up doors and it was really comfortable. Will definitely come here again soon.

To highlight, the music tonight was fantastic and Kyle K. did a great job providing the tunes…read moretonight. The songs were well sang and the vibe was pleasant. I personally liked the sweet potato fries as well, they were crisp and crunchy and not over oiled. However, the service couldn't have been more disappointing for us. There were easily 15-20 people on the floor at any given moment and it still took 25 minutes to get a soda while sitting right next to the soda machine. It was ironic because we had to watch like 5 wait staff scuttle away from our table while being seated because we would not be seeing anybody else to wait on us for 10 minutes. The bus boy showed the most friendliness and was on top of his job more than anybody else around. The corned beef egg rolls were just fine and the burgers were alright. The only reason I would return would be for the music.

High tea has a limited selection of teas to choose from. I like that Royal Park Hotel has this…read moreevery weekend.

Disappointing Experience -- "Pet Friendly" Comes With Major Fine Print…read more As a Rochester resident, this experience was especially disappointing. My husband and I are currently renovating our home and booked the Royal Park Hotel while in town for business and personal reasons. We planned to bring our small, well-behaved, 10-year-old dog. After booking online, I called because there was no option to add a pet. Cynthia confirmed they allow dogs and explained the policy. Most rules were reasonable, but two immediately stood out: a strict no-barking policy and dogs MUST be crated whenever the owner leaves the room. We have traveled extensively with our dog and stayed at upscale hotels including the Amway Grand Plaza, The Drake, Hilton properties, and others without issue. Our dog has never been crate trained. I completely understand requiring a dog to be secured when housekeeping enters, but requiring us to cage our 10-year-old dog simply to leave for dinner seems excessive. The no-barking rule also lacks reasonable nuance. Obviously, no guest should be allowed to leave a dog barking continuously and disturbing others. But an occasional bark? Do we also have a no-child-crying policy? There's a difference between normal occasional noise and an actual disturbance. Our dog isn't even a barker, and we travel with a dog camera to monitor her. Then there's the $150 pet fee, which is one of the highest we've encountered. For $150, I'd expect a genuinely pet-friendly experience--not simply permission to have a dog while imposing unusually restrictive rules. I went to the hotel in person hoping common sense and reasonable discretion might prevail. Deanna at the front desk reiterated that it was policy, while a manager beside her confirmed the same. There was seemingly no willingness to discuss an alternative. So we cancelled our reservation and booked The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham instead. What a difference. The Townsend charges a $50 pet fee, provides dog beds and bowls, and does NOT require our dog to be crated when we leave the room. That's what I consider pet friendly. Something else happened while I was at Royal Park that further illustrated my concerns. An older gentleman was attempting to check in early. He was told that even if his room was already ready, he would be charged a $75 early check-in fee. Ironically, I made our same-day Townsend reservation around noon. They had a room available, welcomed us immediately, and charged no early check-in fee. That's hospitality. If a room isn't ready, obviously a guest should wait until check-in. But if it's cleaned, available, and ready, charging $75 just to hand someone the key a few hours early feels like nickel-and-diming rather than luxury hospitality. Perhaps Royal Park should reassess its $150 pet fee, mandatory crating policy, barking policy, and $75 early check-in fee against comparable luxury hotels and current industry standards. This is particularly disappointing because my husband and I got married at the Royal Park last year and spent tens of thousands of dollars there. Unfortunately, even during our wedding experience, we often felt policies took precedence over hospitality. At times, it felt like constantly being reminded of what we could and couldn't do rather than being treated like valued guests. After this experience, I genuinely regret choosing Royal Park for our wedding. It's also surprising for a hotel in Rochester, an incredibly dog-friendly community. Leader Dogs for the Blind is headquartered right here in Rochester Hills. Nobody is asking the hotel to tolerate destructive animals, aggressive behavior, incessant barking, or irresponsible owners. Address an actual problem when one occurs. Charge for damage. Address legitimate noise complaints. That's completely reasonable. But don't treat every well-behaved dog as a problem before one exists and then charge guests $150 for the privilege. Royal Park has unfortunately lost our business. I will no longer recommend it to friends, neighbors, or visitors--particularly those traveling with pets. The Royal Park markets itself as a luxury hotel. Luxury hospitality should involve discretion, common sense, flexibility, and making guests feel welcomed--not simply repeating, "It's policy." Policies are important. Hospitality is knowing how to apply them with common sense.