This place was such a great find. Up in Geneva for a race and it was a perfect pre race meal. I had the gnocchi and braised short ribs and it was excellent. Service was great and well worth the price. read more

Great food, great service and great atmosphere. Modern menu with lots of good options for a date night.

This was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. Best meal of the trip / I've had in a while. When I return I will be going there and when anyone tells me they're going to the finger lakes I'll be recommending they stop here. Cocktails were so good too. read more

Ports Cafe - Short rib gnocchi - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

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AWESOME experience! Cute restaurant, super friendly staff, and AMAZING FOOD! Make a reservation. Had a drink at the bar while we waited. Awesome ambiance inside, it was too hot to sit outside. Our waitress was awesome. Wish I remembered her name. Food was sooooo good! Everyone enjoyed their entree and said it was the best they've had in a WHILE! read more

Mixed experience here but absolutely will not return and I would not recommend this restaurant either. Our steak was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were some of the best that I've had. The chef is truly top notch. Unfortunately the service was detestable at best. We arrived and were seated promptly in a small area with 6 tables. Our server had 3 tables and another server had three tables. Although we arrived first the other three tables had finished eating before our order was taken. We ordered drinks and our server informed us that they were out of Tito's, but could make the drink with another vodka, she did not tell us there was an up charge for this nice vodka, that was a surprise on the bill. We were there for a little over two hours, and while we were there we seen two tables walk out (assuming due to the wait) and one gentleman walked across the room screaming for his check because he had been forgotten. Either the restaurant needs to hire adequate staff or the staff need to prioritize better with transparency. read more

Ports Cafe - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

The ambiance was welcoming, warm, and comfortable. The wait staff was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and attentive without crowding or rushing. I ordered the Pork Rib Chop from the specials menu. It was appealing to the eye upon arrival and looked like a hearty dose of comfort food. Unfortunately, the first bite revealed that too much salt had been used and therefore overpowered the dish. It got to the point that I just gave up, although I tried a fair amount before throwing in the towel. It was too late in the evening and I didn't want to return it even to try another dish. I've had positive experiences in the past and would give them another chance if they communicate this information to the kitchen staff. read more

Staff was less than attentive. Short rib gnocchi was outstanding. Tuna special was less than average. Tuna had a fishy taste, which fresh does not. It was also bland. Loud but not overbearing. read more

For the bar alone...just a wonderful chill joint on the side of Route 14. I had a duck breast w wild rice that was quite good. A lot of the folks here seem to be Rochester exiles or just Rochester folks on vacation. The price point is probably in the zone...the only other true semi-fine dining spot is Geneva On the Lake, Edgars (meh..at Belhurst) and the FLX Table (kind of a scam of the art of plated cuisine...at Manhattan price points). Probably would be nice with a deck outside...but you are facing a parking lot with Route 14 before you can see the Seneca Lake across the road... The lighting in the bar is nice.. very cozy spot. read more

Normally our go to place visiting the area. Not sure what happened today. The French fries with rosemary and garlic which I ordered many times before was under seasoned. What was more annoying was the waitress' response. When I complained she asked,"well, did you taste it?" Not the proper response from a trained server at a nice place like this. Later on when I asked, we were told the head chef was out and the appetizer chef stepped into that position. That makes sense now. read more

Ports Cafe - Garlic and Rosemary fries but really just regular French fries. - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

I have been there three times since being introduced to Ports just this summer alone. The first time we were brought with neighbors, the second time we went alone and the latest time we brought new friends, who claim that "this is our new favorite place, and the only place we want to go from now on." I feel the same way. The first time I had the pork chop, the second time i ordered the gnocchis. And this last time I had the Thai chicken/shrimp. Of the three, the last entree was my favorite. We shared the amazing fried calamari. Each one in our party had a salad. One beet salad and 3 fresh peach salads. All were amazing. Once again we decided to share. This time it was desserts. We ordered the chocolate cake, the lemon blueberry cheesecake, and the seasonal crisp with ice cream. The crisp was my favorite. I so wish I had taken pics of everything to share with you all. Just go there and enjoy everything for yourself. Go hungry! I highly recommend Ports Cafe. read more

Believe it or not, driving around visiting taprooms and sightseeing can build an appetite. It appeared from a scan of the internet that the nearby Ports Cafe was quite popular and a peak at the menu on their web page solidified our effort to call for a last minute, early reservation. Yes, we can be there in thirty minutes we said. The atmosphere is very casual. There are three dining areas in good weather - outside, the bar/lounge, and a small dining room with about seven tables holding maybe two dozen customers. The latter was where we were seated. The only negatives for our experience I will get out of the way right now. The air conditioning can be quite cold, and the noise level can be very high with the room full. It was easier to hear some of the people talking at other tables than it was to hear my wife sitting across the table. Reviews of this restaurant are filled with beautiful pictures of food, just as I will also attempt to do. Since the eyes are the first to partake in a plate of food put in front of you, and the nose is the second, it is apparent that the kitchen has insight into seeing that you are won over from the absolute beginning. Since we were in the area to taste some local brews, I started with a pint of Lieutenant Dan IPA ($7) from Warhorse, right there in Geneva. My wife chose to take another path and had a Moscow Mule ($9). Both were enjoyable. We shared two appetizers, Wagyu Tartare ($14) and a Calamari Salad ($12). The wagyu was served with house made ruffle chips, French herbs, tarragon aioli, and fried capers. A pleasure to look at and a great mix of flavors and texture. The calamari were cooked perfectly and served on top of a roasted tomato-basil couscous, with baby greens, and a lemon vinaigrette. Another tasty and attractive dish. For our main courses my wife chose the Monkfish ($25) while I went with a Smoked Duck Breast ($28). The monkfish was wrapped in pancetta and served on top of bucatini along with roasted heirloom tomatoes, and basil. A slice of garlic bread was served on the side. The fish was moist and flakey and the pasta was al dente. Again, a successful blend of flavors on a picture perfect plate. The duck breast had just the slightest smoke flavor, but it was cooked a moist medium-rare with a delicious crispy skin. A black cherry-port au jus was an excellent alternative to the all too frequent syrupy sweet fruit sauces you encounter elsewhere and ginger-cardamom wild rice helped to further set the dish apart from others that I've had. A nice mix of fresh garden vegetables completed the attractive plating. With so many successes in our choices up to this point, there was no way we were going to leave without first testing the kitchen's hand at desserts. A Chocolate Torte ($7) with chocolate ganache and raspberry coulis was absolutely decadent. My wife is fortunate that she brought me along to help finish it. But I was only able to help her out after polishing off a Butterscotch Custard ($7). Some of the bourbon-butterscotch sauce was actually served on top and alongside the custard with roasted, chopped almonds. The trip was worth it just for that dessert. I wish I could give an additional half-star. Service was friendly and informative about each dish that we inquired about. Possibly a little too informative as the entire Specials menu was read to us even though we had been given copies when we were seated. It's easy to understand the popularity of Ports Cafe. Hopefully you enjoy the photos. read more

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Too many delicious options to choose from. Their daily specials is practically an entire additional menu! Prompt service, upscale ambiance. Great place for a date night. read more

Ports Cafe - Peach salad with goat cheese and balsamic - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

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Probably one of the better restaurants near Seneca Lake. Cute place looking over the lake and has a homey vibe to it. The quality of the food was exceptional and the service was great. The monkfish pan-roast with octopus, shrimp and fennel was excellent. The fish was all perfectly poached in a flavorful seafood broth and they didn't try to over season everything, leaving the seafood to stand on its own with a lovely pop from the braised fennel!. Highly recommend! read more

Ports Cafe - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

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Small Portions Food nicely presented. Just be prepared to stop on the way home to get something to eat. Had scallops and flank steak...5 small slices of flank and 2 scallops. Yikes. Soup was good. Friend got gnocchi in short rib sauce. 9 gnocchi. Yikes. read more

Great wait staff. Good food. Small portions. Expensive. $39 for Shepherd's pie? C'mon! Be prepared to get a crappy table in the back room facing a wall because you don't get a table in the main nice room unless your in their inner circle, even with reservations way in advance and asking to be seated up there. At least you'll know where the bathrooms and emergency exits are on the way back to the table they'll be taking you to. read more

This restaurant isn't what it used to to be. Last night was not our first time going there and we were looking forward to our dinner, but we were soon disappointed. The food took very long to come out and the portions were half of what they use to be. But the worst part was the food was flavorless, very bland, from the mussels appetizer to the seafood entree we had. The other couple with us also said there salad had no flavor, so it just want us. When we asked to speak to the manager she didn't bother coming to the table, we had to look for her, another disappointment since at first she said she doesn't have time to listen to us. Then when she finally did it was just oh well I don't really care. We will never be back and I will never again recommend this restaurant. read more

Excellent place for dinner. Service was great and food was outstanding!! Definitely recommend this place. read more

Service is 4.5/5 Ambiance 4.5/5 Food is 4/5 Mussels: absolutely delicious & mouth watering dipping sauce. Both times I've ordered it I've also ordered a small homemade sourdough loaf to sop up the leftover sauce-- this dish alone made me come back a second time, just a tad too salty 5/5 Scallops on top of farro: a bit too much vinegar that overpowers the dish, 3/5 Bang bang shrimp (shrimp lettuce cups): diced up veggies give it a good crunch, but a bit heavy on the diced red onions, 4/5 Curried cauliflower with mango: a bit too sweet but otherwise wonderfully spiced 3.5/5 Calamari: perfectly fried, but a bit too salty 4/5 Short rib with gnocchi: sauce was too salty, short rib & gnocchi were perfectly cooked 3.5/5 Scallops & steak: steak was tough, the 2 scallops were perfectly seared, mashed potato was nicely seasoned, veggies were perfectly cooked, 3.5/5 Reservations are highly encouraged as this place is always packed. Definitely try this restaurant out if you're in the Finger Lakes region. read more

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We will never try another restaurant in Geneva -"Ports cafe " is that good. A gourmet dinner always! Had Grilled peach salad matched with a peach Bellini - it was perfect. Husband had Bella salad with grilled portabella's and sun dried tomatoes - very nice. Fried calamari and shrimp had a good aioli delicious. Special for night shrimp stuff cod wonderful. Flank steak and scallops very good. Drinks and crafts beers added to the a great dinner, read more

Ports Cafe - Bacon wrapped dates with black currant plum jam (left) King crab stuffed mushrooms with fondue sauce (right) - New American Near Me - Geneva, New York

Great food! Was a fun date night. Quick service! We would have gone back if we had been in the area longer.

Loved everything about this place! Made a res for 7:30 with my girlfriend for our 4 year anniversary. Seated promptly, waitress was very nice and helpful with the menu. We shared the sourdough bread app. I tried their shrimp with bbq kimchi potstickers on special- amazing, never had anything like it before. Girlfriend got the pesto burrata app and she loved that too! For dinner I had a swordfish filet with spring onion couscous and mixed veg. Not the type of guy going out of my way to eat veggies but I would for those- seasoning was unlike anything I've ever had and was delicious. Girlfriend got the braised beef gnocchi and they were some of the best I've had too. For dessert we shared their cheesecake with a blueberry compote and that was perfect too. 10/10, had an awesome experience and will definitely be going back, haven't stopped talking about it since we left yesterday. read more

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Overpriced. Over-peppered. Overcooked. Too expensive for what you get, especially given they overcooked my protein and put two tiny scallops on soggy bread for some reason in their special. read more

We made a reservation over the phone but when we showed up they did not have our reservation. The hostess asked us to wait around and she would fit us in. Everything worked out great. We were seated at a nice booth. Service was excellent and the food was the best we had in the finger Lakes region. We would have gone here again on our trip if it was a little closer to where we were staying. I would highly recommend read more

This was the first time we have gone to Ports Cafe and we enjoyed our stay very much. First, our server, I think her name was Tina, was excellent. Starting with her having memorized the whole menu and finishing with great, and expedient service and, she was extremely nice. The food was excellent, and since I hade a bird's eye view to the kitchen from our table, I must say that the wait staff and cooks/chef were the model of efficiency. Our visit was this past Friday and it was totally "packed" and therefore it was very loud with all the guest talking. So, my only critique would have to be that the acoustics did not absorb the sound very well and consequently it was hard to converse and hear one another across the table. Perhaps this could somehow be fixed. Otherwise, absolutely no complaints, the experience of being there was great. Irmgard D. read more

The food was amazing! I had the shrimp and monkfish scampi and my husband had the prime sirloin. Everything was cooked perfectly l. Service on the other hand was absolutely lacking. Took 30 mins to get wine and we were never checked in on how things were after we got our meal. Would return but hope for better service read more

Loved our anniversary dinner at this lovely place near the top of Seneca Lake. There's not a ton of fine dining options in the area but this was a good one. The burrata app was a crazy combination of sweet and savory. Strawberry compote, corn cake and creamy burrata. Never had anything like it. The flank steak and scallops were great. Wife would have loved 1 more scallop. The stuffed pork chop was out of this world and our meal was capped off with a decadent slice of peanut butter pie. Our server, Noah was attentive. Great experience. read more

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First time visiting Ports Cafe on Seneca Lake and it was an extremely memorable experience that needs to be shared. The atmosphere is modern and homey. Their menu selection was impeccable. In addition to their standard menu, they had a separate specials menu with a plethora of options. Our server Kevin was very knowledgeable and accommodating to us. We loved this place so much we returned the next night to try different menu items. However, if you like shrimp the shrimp boil is out of this world!!!! We will be returning whenever in the area! read more

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Amazing! Highly recommend. Went there for birthday dinner. Seated in lovely fireplace room, with fire burning on a cold snowy night. Perfect ambience. Large selection of wines and cocktails. Wait staff was efficient but not intrusive. They went over the specials, favorites, desserts and answered our questions to help us decide on our entree choices. Food was DELICIOUS! Husband had char-grilled Atlantic salmon, sautéed spinach chutney and basmati rice. I chose braised short ribs in a tomato-wine ragout, served with house made ricotta gnocchi and grilled focaccia. Both were cooked perfectly. And those short ribs just melted in your mouth!! For my birthday dessert, we shared the chocolate fudge torte which had dark chocolate ganache, raspberry coulis and fresh raspberries on top. Perfect ending to a fabulous meal. We will be back soon . read more

We were on vacation to visit wineries and stumbled upon this small gem of a restaurant. They specialize in a wife range of cuisines with an American interpretation. Steaks, seafood, Italian, Thai all were on the menu. Our server Andrew was a charmer. His knowledge of the menu helped us make informed choices on our diner and salad selections. He always had a smile on his face and made sure my drink glass was never empty. Our food was served quickly and piping hot. We were both pleased with our choices, and the portion sizes were perfect. We will be sure to visit this place again on our next visit to town. read more

first time Two years ago we had a fantastic dinner but last week when I went back for my 30 years Anniversary they served me ribs , super chewy worst ribs ever . When they plated they cut the ribs individually and there already I noticed the some pieces were super chewy and reason is that they most likely had only half rack ready and they cooked the other half fast in the oven at high heat , my wife instead ordered pappardelle with mushrooms but they overload the dish with spices and rosemary and oregano . Worst pasta ever . Don't know maybe they have a new chef But my suggestion is to fix the issues befor is too late . read more

This place is a gem! I had dinner here with my family. They have a special menu that changes every day. I got the duck confit-- it was perfect. For dessert I had the creme brûlée bourbon and pecan flavor-- magnifique! The place is also by the water and has a nice view. Service was great. Overall excellent experience. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Love the food and service. You have to try the Brussels. Place is very loud but very worth it.

It's a little on the noisy side (if you're dining indoors, a bit on the expensive side, and (in our case) very much on the slow side. But let's get to the details: No reservations, no eating at this place. Packed full on a Thursday night. However, because we had them, we were seated immediately. Then we waited, and waited. Between 10 and 15 minutes. We finally had to ask to be waited on when our server appeared, apologized, provided an excuse and took our drink order. So with a 7pm reservation, we were served at 8pm! The server was extremely professional and knowledgeable. I had bourbon with a large (round) ice cube, and it was a generous serving. My wife and I split a very good, but not particularly notable Caesar salad. I had the gnocchi with short rib in a marinara sauce. That was an outstanding meal. Everything about it was quite notable. The delicious and fork tender boneless short rib, the wonderfully light gnocchi and the very tasty marinara. Oh, and like the salad, it came with a very good piece of focaccia bread. My wife's brisket with lobster fritter was equally amazing. If I lived nearby I would definitely return (forgiving the lengthy service at least once). read more

We have been very pleased with Ports but recently been disappointed when told we could not order a bottle of wine and an appetizer without ordering our full meal! So we hurried up to decide on main courses. We got served wine, appetizers, salad and main course and finished in 45 Min! We dragged it out to 60 min by ordering a coffee but VERY disappointed in being rushed through an otherwise enjoyable meal. If I wanted FAST FOOD there are a lot of other places to go and not spend $200. I don't mind paying for good food, which it certainly was, we just don't like being rushed! I repeat I HAVE NEVER BERN TOLD I COULD NOT ORDER AN APPETIZER WHILE REVIEWING THE MENU AT ANY OTHER QUALITY RESTAURANT. FOOd ABSOLUTELY F I RST CLASS 5 STARS Customer service less than ONE STAR B EWARE read more

The staff was very friendly and eager to offer suggestions from their menu. Carolyn was our waitress, she went above and beyond to make sure our visit was perfect. Cocktail list had a variety of drinks, and the specials menu was super long and unique. I ordered the swordfish, it was the best I've ever had. My husband ordered seafood fra Diavolo and he was so happy with the dish. Excellent ambiance, staff, and food! read more

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Summary: Ports Cafe is a cafe situated within the view of the lake in Geneva. They feature a normal menu along with a lengthy (over a dozen!) specials a day. Cost: About what you'd expect for local ingredients at a slightly upscale restaurant. Entrees are advertised at $14 - $26. Taste: I had a chicken fajita and the portion was huge and delicious. The diners I was with got a spread of things including a Strawberry Salad, BBQ Ribs, Tandoori Chicken, and a Steak. Oh yeah, and they had a delicious Sea Food Chowder. My fiancee said the ribs were better than Bone Appetit and Dinosaur BBQ. Atmosphere: It's a very nice place. Decorated tastefully, quaint, and an overall great wait staff. Overall: I've only been there once but we plan on going back. Everything was fantastic and the whole experience was great. read more

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Best restaurant in Geneva. NEVER order off the standard menu, always off the daily specials. Love that they serve FLX wine. Inviting space, though a little loud when busy (and it's always busy-best to make a reservation. read more

We arrived before it started to get packed. The wine selection was okay, and the mussels were fantastic. Main course.....gnocchi was very good but what was supposed to be homemade meatballs with penne was very disappointing. The meatball was soft and didn't have any flavor and it seemed like they just tossed the pasta in some sauce. Can't say I'd come back here because the main course might fail again and that's the most important part of the meal read more

Was told this was a must eat while here in the area. Made reservations in advance and could only at 8pm. We weee excited to celebrate my moms 75th. Walked in place was packed. Atmosphere seems cool. Finally got sat at 820. Got water right away. Didn't get to order drinks (plus food) until 850. Then didn't gets our drinks until 910. Service was extremely slow. But the server was very nice. Food came and for a party of 9 we all had little of every thing. I had the lamb. It was cooked perfect but was very small portion for the price. Wife had the shrimp sauté she said it was ok. Not everything is cooked in it so it was a little unexpected. Others had the salmon and they said it was good. Ribs were also a hit. Others had halibut which was a great size and they loved the taste. We also enjoyed the corn chowder. We finally got to leave around 1030. If it wasn't for the slow service and slow attention to our table I would have given a much higher review. read more

We are visitors in town and had dinner there twice in a week. Food and service are good especially their mussel dish. However, chef need to provide better accommodation for gluten free needs. Why is gluten free pasta and bread or crackers not available at all?? Eating the sumptuous mussel and gravy without bread is such a missed opportunity! read more