If you are exploring Rochester for the first time, you need to include Lento at Village Gate in your places to dine. An eclectic sort of place, there are culinary treats for anyone's pallet. Raw bar, Mediterranean, Italian, etc. AND it's farm-to-table (except the oysters & squid). The waitstaff are some of the most attentive to detail, considerate and accommodating. My wife is on a salt restricted diet and the chef provided a menu with recommendations and adjustments that he could do. If I was a Rochester native, this would be one of my regular stops.
Haven't eaten in the dining area, just the oyster bar. Oysters are spectacular. All fresh, shucked right before you. Atmoshere is a bit noisy, especially at peak time. Cozy, comfortable , friendly, knowlegable staff. Good wine selection. Definitely worth a second and third visit.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
Great food, drink list is worth a try. Staff is very friendly, service is good.
Awesome!. First time dining at Lento, and my first time eating duck as well, and it was awesome! The duck was so good, it tasted almost like prime rib, it was juicy and delicious! Also finished the meal with a fantastic dessert, the profiteroles with the coffee ice cream.
The service was attentive and pleasant, and be sure to try almost anything from the bar.
I highly recommend this restaurant.
Expensive but worth it. Love the ever changing menu. Unique items and lots of vegetarian choices. Food is cooked slow which is where the name lento came from, so don't be in a hurry! The bread they bring to table while you wait for food is really yummy .
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Can be hit or miss .. Like it but ... So, here is the deal .. I like Lento, I do .. I love the service, the Bartender makes one of the smoothest Dirty Martini's I have ever had .. I love the atmosphere, etc … etc … BUT .. The food is hit or miss. Case in point .. Last visit with two others, my entrée (Scallops with Risotto) was EXCELLENT; the taste was sophisticated and fresh .. However, very pricey. The next entrée (Brined Chicken) was GOOD; taste was nice and complimented the side nicely .. Good but still up there in price. The last was a Lobster Salad (not an entrée but ordered as one), this I am afraid was TRAGIC. We were ok with the limited lobster, but the field greens were that of a very small side salad and mostly stems. In addition, there were so many red onions, that the entire salad tasted like an onion. It really should have been light and fresh .. Instead, it was strong and very disappointing. I can only hope that they look at their price points and try to balance the entrée's out a bit more. I understand that this would be a huge challenge as the menu changes daily. I am sure I will go again, but always proceed with caution.
I can't say enough good things. For such complex dishes they were amazing, and even my 16 month old loved the sweet pea ravioli we got her. The duck fat fries just might be the best fries I've ever had, and my lamb was also delicious. I finished my meal with the affogato, which you can't go wrong with if you love ice cream and coffee. I also love they use local sodas, as I always love a small batch cola as opposed to the big brand names.
Dollar oyster night or any night at Lento is a good night! Reservations needed, the place rocks the town. Plan ahead so you can enjoy their menu of locally sourced cuisine!
I had there vegan garam masala. The other 2 dish pictured are their steel head trout with polenta and veggies and their scallop dish.
Atmosphere is cozy and staff is warm and welcoming! They even have a gluten free menu to accommodate!
Really nice place. Good food, great service. Food came out really quick. Amazing tasting food. It was a little on the pricy side, but I felt it was worth it.
The food was very good. The service was even better. Our server was very knowledgeable in the vegan dishes and was pleasant. The gentleman who sat us also held out my niece’s chair which was super nice. Excellent experience!
We had a delicious meal with great service. There was a $5 drink special as well as a nice selection of wines by the glass. I was nervous because the entry is not very grand —a little hidden, but once inside we felt welcome and the food was high end. We ate charcuterie, fingerling sweet potatoes (app), scallops, duck, trout and steak.
Good food, steak was a little thin, but had good flavor. Fried squash blossoms were amazing. Swordfish was very good. Even though steak was good, it was not $50 worth
Just stayed in the area one night and thrilled to find this treasure. The Village Gate Square is so charming! We enjoyed outdoor seating on a perfect night. The rosé and Prosecco were a lovely start. Enjoyed Virginia oysters, Lento Caesar salad, red & gold beet salad and chilled Spanish octopus salad. All delicious, flavorful and the perfect serving size. The surprise was the house rosemary focaccia - full of flavor! Dessert was ice cream w/ black button bourbon cream and chocolate sorbet - wonderfully rich! Jehenna was our waitress, she was very knowledgeable about the wines & the menu, we appreciated her recommendations and followed them - she steered us right. All other staff that came by to fill water, bring out or clear plates were equally professional, knowledgeable and polite. Wonderful evening!
We had an absolutely wonderful meal at Lento. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and the food was spectacular. Their commitment to fresh and local shines through their menu and the options are creative and balanced. The $5 cocktail list on Thursdays was full of lovely fresh ideas and their basil based bourbon drink (the name escapes me) was a showstopper for my husband. We will certainly return and look forward to trying more of the ever changing menu.
I had read some sub-par reviews regarding price and portion size but after dining here I must disagree. While not on the cheaper side of Rochester dining, neither of those grievances held up. I would never consider myself a raw bar connoisseur but he oysters and shrimp were delicious. I have to specifically mention the gnocchi and calamari, which were amazing. I've never had fried lemon slices and they added a whole new dimension to the calamari. A few minor complaints did not detract from our 5/5 experience.
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I cannot rave enough about Lento! I have been a huge fan of the restaurant. Anything you get is phenomenal and fresh. Dollar oyster night is a regular spot for us. It only made sense that we host my birthday here! Art and Zach were so accommodating. I felt confident in their decisions and also felt they let me make choices that worked for my family. Art met with me to look over the space then we communicated about food and a finalized menu closer to the date via email. He let me take a look at the menu. I wish I had captured the delicious cheese and fruit spread, the family style apps, and dishes. Everyone was so impressed! The price was more than reasonable for the generous portions and high quality food. The team worked hard to make this event special. The food, atmosphere, communication, and flexibility made this event easy peasy! I would do this all over again and highly recommend to anyone looking to have a special event.
April 2023: I’m coming back to update. The food and staff are phenomenal. I can’t say enough about the hospitality and experience we have. Lento is forever my favorite restaurant and a gem to Rochester. Such a deal for an excellent farm to table food experience that exceeds expectations. Their espresso machine looked pretty rad so I got a picture of that, too.
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