The best steak! Tender and cooked perfectly! Joe the bar tender and Mike, one of the chefs, make the whole experience like dinner with friends. read more

The food and service were excellent and reasonably priced. The owner came out and talked to our table. Super nice guy who knows how to cook. Bonus--it was not too loud like so many restaurants these days. read more

So happy to finally get here for dinner and it didn't disappoint. The dining area was warm and welcoming. My entree was the Osso buco braised short ribs. Delicious. The dessert selection was over the top. The sampler and creme brulee were amazing. Cocktails and fresh brewed coffee were the perfect additions to a wonderful meal. Our server Brian was polite, personable and professional. I can't wait to get back to Rochester to try more of the menu. read more

Came here with my family for a bday dinner and the service and good were great. I loved the Vegetable Napoleon entree and we all enjoyed the dessert sampler. Portions were generous, we all had delicious leftovers to bring home. I recommend this restaurant for a lively dinner out. read more

Cannot say enough good things about this place. The hostess was quick to seat us (and SO sweet), and the waiter was so helpful giving my boyfriend and I menu suggestions since this was our first time. From the bread to the entreés, every dish was phenomenal and the owner even came out at the end and introduced himself to us! Cannot wait to come back and give this place more of my business. A hidden gem in Rochester for sure! read more

First time diners tonight and we were very happy with our meals. Moussaka, Tuscan Chicken Pasta, Steak Frites, Shrimp Menelaus. Our server was very attentive and friendly. We will definitely go back again. read more

Last night we ordered eggplant parmigiana for 4 and it was excellent! Lots of food, excellent flavors, great bread. Highly recommend!

I wanted to try something new and go somewhere I haven't been yet. After deciding to village gate it up we peeked in the window and wanted to give it a try. Staff was very friendly and the food was great. I ended up ordering something I have never heard of but sounded great and it was. The food was delicious and for that, it isn't hard to give them 5 stars. read more

We went to Polizzi 's on St Patrick's day. We were four in our party. Service was fabulous. We had appitizers, salads, four different main courses. Every dish was fabulous. It is amazing how well Resturant runs for being open a short time. read more

Amazing! Our party wanted to try a variety of items on the menu and the staff was very accommodating in plating our dishes so we could enjoy them easily as 'family style'. The hostess and our server were super friendly, the wine selection had something for everyone and the restaurant was warm & inviting. Happy Polizzi's was recommended and will bring friends back! read more

I'd highly recommend this establishment to anybody. Food is delicious and drinks are incredible. Service is spectacular? Especially Anna! If you want A-1 service and a friendly face/conversation during your meal request her!! read more

Wonderful meal there last night. Great food and excellent service. The owner, Tom, always stops to inquire if all is well and to chat. One of my favorite go to places. read more

Another great find in Rochester! Came here by myself on a Tuesday night. Had the calamari Greek style, an interesting twist on a traditional appetizer, followed by an excellent salmon meunière, done in a Mediterranean way, with subtle tastes of lemon and herbs. They also have daily dishes which I will certainly try the next time I am around. read more

On a visit to Rochester, we happened upon Polizzi's which was around the corner from our Airbnb accommodation. This chef owned restaurant proved to be one of the highlights of our visit to the city. Brian, our server, was a delight. He was welcoming and fun. He helped us navigate the eclectic Italian/Greek focused menu with great aplomb. It as apparent that our food was prepared and presented thoughtfully. We chose to go Italian in ordering, and were not disappointed. The food was excellent. On our way out, the chef came out to greet us. This was a nice touch, and gave us the opportunity to personally thank him for an excellent dining experience. When in Rochester, I highly recommend taking the time to visit this lovely restaurant in the Neighborhood Of The Arts. You won't be disappointed. read more

Perfect from start to finish. Excellent service, stupendous food. Marvelous!

Always friendly, always good. Love the consistenacy and the intimacy of the space. And booths! Yes! Great deals and amazing specials. Perfect for a comforting meal. read more

My boyfriend and I had originally planned to eat dinner at the Gate House last weekend. We waited there for 30 minutes with no staff coming to take our drink order. Needless to say we walked out and stumbled upon Polizzi's next door. We were extremely impressed with their service right off the bat. The waiter immediately came over and took our drink and appetizer ordered. We ordered the Burrata cheese for an app and were very impressed. I ordered the steak frites and my boyfriend ordered the short rib entree. Both were delicious! The short rib in particular had amazing flavor and was very tender. My steak was cooked very well and was also delicious. We will definitely be returning and this is now our first choice in Village Gate plaza! read more

Met our friends for a nice weekday evening dinner.They had been here once before and it was our first visit.It was a quiet night possibly due to the inclement weather.The menu has a nice blend of Italian and Greek appetizers and entrees.Pam and I shared a flamed saganaki cheese appetizer.It was delicious with a lemony liqueur sauce to amp up the tastes.Our friends shared an arugula salad which they thoroughly enjoyed.I chose the spaghetti carbonara with chicken and broccoli.The pasta was Al dente and the creamy sauce was nice but a bit salty.Maybe too much pecorino Romano cheese.Pam had a Caesar salad and a side order of cauliflower au gratin which was great.The Caesar dressing was a little too tart almost a Greek dressing tanginess.One friend had the lamb kabob entree and the other had a dish called shrimp manuleus which she said was very good.We shared a creme brulee dessert and they had baklava.Both excellent.Our service was perfect.Timing was good.The bread is very good and the infused oil for dipping is very good.The owner stopped by our table for a quick chat.We will return. read more

Polizzi's is absolutely a new favorite of mine. Honestly, there wasn't a single thing that I didn't enjoy here. First of all, their cocktail menu is creative and offers something for everyone. Beers are reasonably priced - a modest selection ranging from $4-$6. Can't complain there! We started with salads instead of apps tonight, although many of the appetizers were extremely tempting. We both went for The Greco and it was fresh, light and definitely a pleasant start to the meal. Everything was fresh, the vegetables were sweet and the salad was altogether a very tasty treat. Coming in at $7 it was just right. For entrees, we tried the Pork Osso Buco and the Spaghetti Carbonara. Both were absolutely phenomenal. The pork was tender, moist and extremely tasty. It was served over a bed of pasta with a tomato based medley of chopped and sautéed veggies - absolutely delicious, incredibly tasty, and very filling (especially on a cold October night). The spaghetti was exactly the opposite, but in the best way possible. This entree was on the lighter side - still a healthy and filling portion - but it was a more delicate array of flavors. The savory pancetta was a perfect contrast to the chicken and broccoli, which were both married into the dish nicely. Overall, this was an absolutely pleasant dining experience - one of few I've had in Rochester. To set it all off, the location in the Village Gate is both comfortable and convenient. It's non-assuming, the music was tasteful (in the vein of Rodrigo y Gabriela), and there's plenty of room to spread out. read more

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Dined there this past weekend and I will say I was not disappointed! Food and service was absolutely amazing. We will definitely be back!

Excellent food. Finished mine and my fiancé's! Great apps. Great atmosphere. Great service.

Great food and atmosphere. There's a very large bar, great place to meet friends. Happy hour specials too!

Phenomenal new restaurant in village gate! Staff was wonderful but the food was even even more outstanding! Have gone twice and will be back. read more

My family and I came to Polizzis before seeing Hamilton tonight. Our waiter Joe C was very nice and helpful. The dishes we ordered were outstanding, specifically the Shrimp Menelaus. Overall, it was an excellent experience. We will definitely be back! read more

Let me start with "I Village Gate!" If you are visiting Rochester, you must visit this artsy, yummy, youthful, fun place that is Rochester! We had a choice of seating when we arrived for our reservation; either patio or inside. We ordered a bottle of Greek white wine which proved to be a challenge to "uncork." The bartender opened the bottle and glass exploded across the bar towards us, and the poor barmaid was mortified! I was expecting that maybe she would offer a drink "on the house," but no ...Surprising...Next was appetizers - we liked the flaming cheese and fig prosciutto Pizza. The chef came to chat with us; very nice. I opted for appetizers for dinner: seared tuna & tenderloin sliced & cauliflower mash. I enjoyed both. Was I "wowed!!," maybe not. But I wasn't disappointed by the experience and "quality" of the food and excellent service! I had a great birthday and I would go back read more

Took my wife here for her birthday. We will definitely be back. We started with the Greek calamari and a blueberry infused house made sausage. Both were excellent. The house made sausage was a special and let me tell you, I hope this becomes a permanent resident on the menu. My wife enjoyed a sesame crusted tuna and I the bouillabaisse. We finished with the baklava a la mode and it didn't last long. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. This is definitely a spot to check out if you want a great meal. Can't wait to go back. read more

Excellent food, large portions. We are outside in the courtyard, which has a European feel with the lights, sympatico service, and general level of buzz. Lots of fun. read more

Delicious food! Everything we've had so far has been amazing. Make sure you save room for dessert, as their homemade ice cream sandwiches are to die for. read more

Went for dinner last night. It was excellent! The staff very friendly. A little bit of a wait from the time we sat til we got cocktails but it was a wonderful night and nothing else mattered. Thanks Tom! read more

Delicious! We visited for the first time after hearing great reviews, and had an excellent meal. The veal marsala was the best I've had, anywhere. A beautifully cooked, hearty serving of veal atop one of the most flavorful, complex marsala sauce this side of Italy. Wow. And the cobia was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. The flan for dessert was perfect. Service was excellent - our waitress, Adrianne, was attentive, friendly, and had fantastic suggestions. We're definitely looking forward to going back! read more

Went here for the first time last week. Had a reservation for 5 of us. We were the only people there when we arrived, more parties came as the night went on. A glass of house wine at the bar was $9, which I thought was pricey. Seated outside, the tree we were under, shed on us all throughout the dinner, even landed in our food and water. We ordered 5 entrees and all were disappointing. Basically very little flavor in everyone's entree. I had the shrimp entree and it had an odd taste as though it was cooked in cheap wine?! My friend also had this and agreed....not good. No one else felt like anything we ordered had much flavor. Best thing I had was the bread. Need to up their game on flavor if they want to stay in business. Service was fine. read more

We were there last night and the meals were fabulous. There were four of us. We started with the calamari, which was one of the best we ever had. It was light and perfectly cooked and seasoned. Our entrées were wonderful: shrimp, osso bucco, moussaka, and veal! Save room for dessert. We loved our meals and we will be back! Good luck, Tom and Deb! read more

Returned to western NY from my home in Florida and I just had to see if all the fuss I was seeing about Polizzi's was true. It most certainly was. Chef Tom's experience as a premier culinary artist and executive chef makes this a destination dining experience. My parents and I enjoyed every aspect of our meal as every detail was attended to. I will definitely recommend to family and friends in the area and visit every time I return to western New York. read more

This is a gem of a restaurant! I have been there twice now and I cannot wait to go again. Let's begin with the location; nicely nestled in the back of Village Gate with a wonderful view of the courtyard (cannot wait for summer dining outdoors). Next, the ambiance: quiet, intimate, perfect for a first date or diamond anniversary. Next, the service: simply outstanding as evidenced by the 25% tips I have left my servers. Now, the menu: mouth-watering, yes; difficult to choose from, absolutely since everything looks great (and is thus far); satisfying beyond expectation. The desserts are a dream. I absolutely love the sampler. Nice touch. Clearly, Tom and Deb and company know what it takes to run a top notch restaurant. This establishment is quickly gaining ground as an upper tier restaurant in Rochester. I recommend it without any reservations whatsoever. read more