Went to Branca Midtown Saturday night with my girlfriend and had a really good experience. The vibe is one of the best parts -- lively, modern, and just a fun atmosphere for a night out. We started with the calamari, which was easily a 10/10. For mains, we got the gnocchi (8.5/10) and the saffron linguine (7/10). The linguine was a bit too spicy for her, but the seafood itself was cooked really well. Service was great -- super friendly and always on top of refilling our water without us needing to ask. Overall, a really solid spot with great energy. I'd definitely come back. p.s. they have complimentary valet parking for its guests read more

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Branca has this trendy, upscale vibe that is fun for a place that is well-known for pizza. The midtown plaza location is very centrally located, and there's a parking garage basically directly underneath it. The outdoor seating is very nice, especially in the early evening during golden hour. Service was good. The pizza came out pretty quickly and was pretty good. The crust didn't have much flavor and was a nice chewy texture, while the toppings stole the show. read more

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BRANCA is a really nice addition to the Midtown Italian scene. First off, shoutout to being able to book a table on Resy, which is especially clutch if want to use your Amex card benefits! Booking was easy and smooth. The ambience is lovely. Big, open space with plenty of seating, a lively but not chaotic vibe, and a genuinely nice bar that makes you want to arrive early just for a drink and then accidentally stay all night. Service was a little slow, but honestly it was a busy shift and didn't feel neglectful, just popular-restaurant problems. Food-wise, overall very good. We started with the charred broccolini. It definitely has a pronounced charred flavor that might be an acquired taste, but I actually liked it a lot. Nice crunch, bold flavor, and not boring green vegetable energy. Always nice to find ways to elevate vegetables! We also had a pizza from their daily specials. Very cheesy, wood-fired, and with a great crust. For mains, we ordered the gnocchi and rigatoni. Both had excellent sauces, but the gnocchi really stood out. That sauce was doing the most, in a very good way. We added a side of chicken cutlets, which were well seasoned and nicely cooked, though they could've used a touch more salt. Still solid, about a 7/10. To be fair, Rochester has a lot of Italian restaurants, and chicken cutlets are a highly competitive menu item. Overall, good food, pleasant atmosphere, and a slightly pricier menu, but honestly not much different from Tony D's or Lucano these days. Italian restaurants everywhere seem to be slowly inching their prices up, so this felt pretty on par. Would definitely go back, especially for the gnocchi, pizza specials, and a drink at the bar read more

Food was delicious, company was even better. The service was prompt, friendly and efficient. The ambiance felt cozy but not too homelike. My only downside was the noise. I wish they had some sound buffers. I will still be going back for dinner again. Maybe request a table in the back? read more

Branca Midtown - Chocolate dome - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

Our family recently dined here as a larger party for my mom's birthday. We requested more space to accommodate a larger party and also an area with more room. The GM emailed me personally and had everything set up. We were fortunate enough to have the same server, Dhalia, and the service was excellent. There were no problems adding additional guests the day of. Most of our party enjoyed their food. Most importantly my mom had a memorable birthday celebration. read more

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Made a reservation for 7:15 on a Friday and we were seated immediately upon arrival. Everything on the menu looked delicious so we had pizza and pasta to share. The margharita pizza had excellent char and cheese and was my favorite with the pepperoni with hot honey a close second. I also had the orichette which was missing a little something, but still tasty. I also ordered the NA espresso martini which was the perfect blend of espresso and mixer. Another plus here is the free valet! A Great spot for an upscale dinner with friends read more

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Food was alright. Service was a lot quicker than the 1st time I was there. And good overall atmosphere for a casual dinner or a group dinner. read more

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Amazing ambience, and service Make sure to reserve in advance The food is phenomenal Definitely worth the price read more

What I like is this place is a great place to meet friends or have a chic romantic evening. The location is wonderful, in the Midtown Plaza shopping center, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It's worth checking the menu in advance if you want to choose something you like. But the atmosphere makes up for these minor flaws. read more

I have been here twice for business lunches. It has been fairly busy both times. The food is pretty good. They used to have a sandwich that I loved. It was off the menu this time so I got a pizza. The pizzas are big and we shared them. I don't prefer a thin crust, but it was fine. They are pretty good at getting you in and out on your lunch hour. I'd definitely go again, and I'm sure I will. read more

Restaurant is very simple and clean but is in a great location! Recommend to dine outside on their patio if you get the chance when the weather is lovely! Service was great! Staff is very knowledgeable about the menu and makes great recommendations! The food was great, only got to take a couple of photos before we started devouring. Pizzas are delicious, the Pepperoni Honey is a big fave! Goes great with some drinks. Chicken Milanese was a great portion and didn't feel so heavy. One of their drinks, The Cleanse, is super delicious! Literally taste like candy with some nutrients. Great place for lunch and dinner and a place to share with friends. read more

Branca Midtown - Chicken Milanese - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

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The food was great and fast service! I will be back there pretty soon. Keep up the great work.

This upscale sophisticated restaurant located in the Midtown Downtown Rochester offers a variety of Italian options. Our large group tried the appetizers, salads, pastas and pizzas. I had the Charred Broccolini Salad $14. It was chopped in smaller pieces with a variety of ingredients. It was very flavorful, healthy and delicious. Our server was very friendly and efficient. read more

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Was good, big bowl though calamari was good. Good service. Pretty good lighting. Kinda in a weird area would probably be nice in the summer.

Very limited Menu. I think pizza is probably the best thing to order. I had the Cod with an order of butternut squash - both very dry. Very loud - unable to carry on a conversation without yelling. We would not ever go back again. read more

Normally when I leave reviews, I love to leave pictures... this place was so good, I couldn't resist eating right away and completely forgot to. This is by far the best quality dinner my partner and I have had in the Rochester area in a long time. I had the gnocchi (add italian sausage) and he had the Orecchiette. Both dishes had spectacular flavor, the perfect balance of spicy and savory, and you could tell the team there puts time and attention into each dish they push out of their kitchen. If you're looking for an upscale-casual date night destination in the heart of ROC, this place is THE spot! read more

Extremely beautiful and welcoming. Cute and Chic! The food was amazing, the steak just melts right in your mouth. The dishes had wonderful flavors and amazing price. Definitely recommend, reservations is best. Will be going back again! read more

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I had sky high expectations for Branca and they fell short. The Pizza wasn't what I hoped it would be. It looked much better than it tasted. We also tried the honey pepperoni pizza and it was mediocre, I could barely taste the honey. Which is why I was so disappointed because everyone raves about that dish. Cocktails are good here. The music is a little loud and night clubby. Service is always pretty good and fast. Overall it's a good spot, but nothing I would rave about. Pizza reputation is a bit overrated in my opin. read more

Branca Midtown - Margarita Dinner and Gnocchi Dinner - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

Love the food. From start to finish dinner was amazing. Staff were extremely friendly. Great spot for a nice romantic dinner.

Food was all so delicious. We had the most amazing waitress who helped with all our questions and pick the tastiest meals! Manager even stopped and chatted with us. This is definitely a place to get a casual drink or sit down for a nice meal. read more

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I love this downtown location and it's design fits well the very modern direction downtown Rochester is taking. The restaurant is an open floor dining and bar experience. High ceilings and the seating is well spaced. Our server, Rebecca made me and my niece feel very welcome. She right away told of the nightly specials and, she asked something I've never heard a server ask, "Do you have any allergies?" Love the thoughtfulness of it. (We did btw) I ordered the Pesto pizza and it was delicious! A nice amount of burrato and basil pesto sauce with artichokes, cheese with a sprinkling of pine nuts. My niece had the Smoked Crab Dip appetizer ( smoked blue crab, mascarpone, bread crumbs and panuzzo) which she loved! For her entree she had the Pepperoni & Honey pizza. This consisted of mozzarella, red pepper, cup and char pepperoni, San Marzano tomato and honey. She said it was really very good, she almost ate the whole pie! For dessert we shredded the plate of Zeppole (fried dough) and it's three tasting sauces (custard creme, tart cherry/rasberry sauce and chocolate). I had a cup of coffee which was freshly and hot. I also had a separate order to go and that was the Sausage pizza (garlic oil, caramelized onions, fontina, provolone and mozzarella cheeses with salsa verde). My husband said it was good. A compliment as hes supper picky about pizza! Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience starting with our lovely server, Rebecca, along with her thoughtfulness, took a minute from her busyness to take several pictures for us, to the ambiance of Branca and finally a nod to our great meal. We will definitely be coming back again! read more

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First time at Branca and won't return anytime soon. The good. Our servers were very friendly and we loved the atmosphere. The food, not so much. The meatballs had way too much salt. My wife's rigatoni was so spicy it was barely edible. My entree was the spinach pasta...incredibly bland. Very disappointing. read more

We visited about a year after they first opened and it was a lovely visit. Great ambiance, Smokey cocktails, lovely decor and waitstaff was attentive but not overly. Looking forward to returning! read more

Ambiance of the restaurant was different with a mixture of some guests dressed up and others in sweatpants. The food was decent. Tried the calamari that was unseasoned but was decent in portion size. The Chicken Milanese was a 3.5/5. The mushroom pizza was 5/5. Service was slower, if you're looking for a quick bite to eat, this is not the restaurant. Overall, restaurant was average. I can see it as being a good place to meet up with coworkers for drinks and food after work. read more

Branca Midtown - Chicken Milanese - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

The ambiance was great. It was very elegant, clean, staff were polite and our waiter was so nice. Today is my birthday and at the end of the meal he brought me vanilla ice cream with a candle. However the food was extremely disappointing. We started with the ricotta and crostini. The ricotta had no flavor and tasted like plain cream cheese. It would have been so much better if it was seasoned. Even if it was just blended with garlic. I wanted to try the meatballs because I'm half Sicilian and they were just ok. Not much flavor to them at all. My boyfriend got the ribeye. It was a big size but it wasn't cooked the way he asked, it was seasoned very little so that was just ok. The purée spinach underneath was disgusting. I love spinach but that was not good at all. I got the Chicken Milanese. I don't know if the oil they fried it in was bad or the breading was stale but I took 4 bites and couldn't get past the horrible taste. We definitely won't be coming back. The 2 stars was for our wonderful waiter and the ambiance. read more

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The food was delicious traditional Italian. I got the spicy rigatoni and it was delicious. It took a little bit to get the food but expected since it was busy. Appetizers were delicious, drinks amazing. The cutest place ever:) read more

I seriously loved this hip and pretty little spot. We came in last minute with no reservation and were able to sit at the bar. Service from the bartender was excellent, as were the cocktails, the wine selection, and the truly excellent food. Would love to come back and definitely want to check out their sister restaurant that's opening across the way. Manager checked in on us a couple of times as well. Great service and overall experience read more

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We tried Branca Midtown for the first time yesterday where we had booked the private dining room for a retirement party. This is a great idea if you're looking for a smaller place to gather with a group of friends and have some privacy. We were able to use pocket doors to close our room off from the rest of the restaurant which was probably good as we were loud! Having never been it was a bit tricky to find - GPS takes you to 280 Broad St. which is a high-rise building and you walk through the lobby if you would glance to your left about halfway down you will see Branch but there is not clear signage inside the lobby anywhere Beautiful marble bar it was quiet when we arrived but by the time we left it was very busy throughout the bar and restaurant. Decent amount of outdoor seating although construction is going on right next to you. The food was pretty good although the pizza was very salty and the Caesar salad had a very strong anchovy flavor. Loved the shaved brussels sprouts salad would love to know more about what was in that - our hostess had pre-ordered everything so we never did see a menu to check ingredients. Not much in the way of options for anyone who is gluten free- maybe they are more accommodating if you're not part of a private function but when a member of our party inquired there wasn't really anything offered for her. Cocktails were fabulous! read more

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Nice restaurant in midtown with views of the city and park. Had a client meeting here and ordered the brocollini salad with grilled shrimp which was tasty. Main dish was a pepperoni pizza with honey which I have never heard of or tried before. It was really a good balance with the spiciness of the pepperoni and sweetness of the honey . read more

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This place had quick and helpful servers! And this ricotta dip was absolutely fantastic!! Been thinking about this dip all week and will be going back to get more. read more

Branca Midtown - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

The food was outstanding, and the service was outstanding as well friendly, clean, and a nice environment. Great for celebration, dinner and anniversary, or just over all in general. I recommend making a reservation of course. read more

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Ymmmmm ask for Justin and you'll be in excellent hands! Everything was superb. I personally loved the pappardelle - and a New York City snob, this place did not disappoint whatsoever! Great for groups. Also for drinks, I recommend the hazel eyes! They are so accommodating, hands down better than Good Luck! read more

Everything we ordered was good. Tasty. Portions just right. Both our cocktail and wine were perfect complements. Dessert, which came with a side of the Rochester skyline, was a nice touch. Service struck the perfect balance. Place was a hive of activity, but lighting and spacing made it perfect for a special dinner for two. All told, we loved it. read more

Branca Midtown - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

Cute place downtown Rochester. Limited menu, but great cocktails and other beverages. Service was acceptable. Parking was ok, but hard to find if unfamiliar with the area. read more

I've been to this Branca a few times now and I'm finally ready to write this review. I've found that you really can't go wrong with most of the menu. I've gotten the ricotta appetizer the last two times because it's amazing. If you eat dairy, get it. It's delicious ricotta drizzled with a little olive oil and served with warm toast. It's what they serve you when you get to wherever your heaven is. I've tried the gnocchi, the steak, and the pappardelle. My personal favorite was the pappardelle, the slow cooked pork and whatever that dreamy sauce is, is just so good. The saffron noodles are a perfect texture. I will be craving this for a while. I've had the gnocchi before and it was very good, to quote a friend who was with me, "it's like eating little pillowy clouds." If you like pillowy cloud texture, I suppose the gnocchi is for you! Service was excellent two of the three visits. This latest time included. They got busy quickly so come early if you want to snag a table without a reservation. Oh and the ambiance and views of the city here are really nice. Enjoy! read more

Branca Midtown - The ricotta appetizer. The picture just doesn't do it justice. It's amazing. - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

I had dinner or attempted to last night. I had a reservation at 8:00 and sat down at about 8:15. ordered a round of drinks and took 10 mins to get them then followed by ordering our appetizers and dinner. the appetizers came out at a decent time and our second round of drinks another 15 mins. then we waited until 9:45 before we were able to find our waitress telling her to just pack up our food. we waited almost 2 hours to not even try our dinner because it took so unreasonably long for it to even be mentioned that it was close to being done for us. we were offered free shots which was nice but for each of us to pay $102 to not even try our dinner hot at the restaurant is unreasonable and should be unacceptable. I finally was able to try my pasta dish today and it ended up being absolutely disgusting. I'm extremely disappointed with how the dinner ended up and with the food. For a Rochester restaurant where you walk out and take a left or right and it's a dark alley way to your car it should have been not so overpriced and or more enjoyable food. read more

Get the ricotta app. Literally the most delicious ricotta I've ever had! This is the cutest place in Rochester and the food was amazing. Our service was perfect on our weeknight dinner and I want to come back next time I'm in the area! Their cocktails were also top notch. Love this spot! read more

Branca Midtown - Ricotta Dinner - Pizza Near Me - Rochester, New York

I ordered the Rigatoni that was coated in a spicy vodka sauce and added shrimp on top. It was excellent!

Trendy restaurant downtown that has nice selection of food and drinks. Service was excellent as staff all helped each other very often. Tad pricey but worth the visit. Can be a bit hard to enter if not familiar with location! read more

I think I would give this place 3.5-4ish stars. We made a reservation here for a weekday night online. We were immediately seated and given menus. It did take a bit for dinner to come out but our servers were very nice. Overall the food was okay. The artichoke pizza I got was pretty bland and dry and the steak dinner was not too filling for the price. I think the food is a little pricey for the quality and amount of food. read more