Lento has been one of my go-tos for special celebrations for many years. It's the only restaurant in Rochester I've found that pushes high-quality food, local ingredients and an always changing menu. Making reservations at 5pm, we were quickly seated at our requested location in the dining room. Due to being happy hour (5pm - 6pm), their oysters are $2 each. Choosing several, I found them enjoyable. Without any sauces, you can truly taste the pure oyster and all its flavours. A salad caught my eye; the Charred Spanish Octopus Salad was phenomenal. All the components worked beautifully together, and the octopus is one of the most tender octopus I've had anywhere. The Smoked Bluefish Salad was also phenomenal. Smokey bluefish served with a baguette and pickled red onions; this was a great starter. Only thing I wish they've done is toasted the slices of baguette. For mains, I opted in for their Pan Seared Wild Wolf Fish. This was cooked beautifully. The fish was tender, dense and moist. The side of blue crab, shiitake mushrooms & leek risotto with a lemon dill beurre blanc sauce was amazing. The sauce didn't overpower the natural taste of the fish and in fact elevated the entire dish. As for her, she opted in for the Potato Gnocchi. This was served with house-made pork sausage, chestnut mushrooms, tomato & Italian cheeses. A wonderful and rustic dish that's pure and taste like home. For dessert, we both ordered the Profiteroles. One with their house-made honey and pistachio ice cream and the other with their house-made strawberry sorbet. An excellent way to end and excellent meal. It's worth noting the service from Georgina and her helper Ally was impeccable. Georgina checked on us regularly, gave us great insight and was an overall pleasure. The quality of food, quality of service and overall atmosphere makes this one of my favourite restaurants. read more

Loved oyster night!! Drinks were delicious too. Took a while to get drinks. Oysters were well worth the wait though. Would go back! read more

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I'm redoing this review because this is one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. Their food is always so good and the flavors have so much depth and vibrancy. We've been back multiple times and we always get oysters but their other dishes are superb too. read more

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Update to previous review: as always, solid service, quiet and congenial atmosphere, oyster specials on Monday and Thursday are very much appreciated! This time tried the cocoa pappardelle with veal Shoulder - so darn good! The sauce was just the perfect amount of salt, the veal melts in your mouth Ended with a lemon olive oil cake which was moist and flavorful One of my favorite places in Rochester! read more

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Lento is some of the best service that I've ever had. The staff is very nice and personable, ensuring we made the right order and explaining all of the options. There is a great selection of wine, cocktails, and mocktails. The portions of the meals and apps are great, and everything was clearly made fresh. For dessert, the homemade ice cream was absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great meal. Would definitely recommend. Great service, meal portions, and variety of the menu. One of my favorites in Rochester read more

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Food and atmosphere are exceptional! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. We were very pleased with everything. The only small complaint is that I think the portion sizes should be a little bigger. read more

An amazing farm to table restaurant in ROC. Recommend reservation and arrive early so you start at their open seat bar. Cocktails and Mocktails are very well crafted, fun, and ingenious. Ambience: locals with friends, date, smaller families. Space is very inviting so you can have a great conversation and enjoy your food. On to the meal. Please order bread. They bake it in house and it is flavorful, artisan and comes with house butter that is tasty and light. Crab ravioli was an excellent appetizer for 2. They seve two big ragioli on top of a magical green garlic sauce and garnished with tiny croutons and black ink. Fantastic. Salmon was very tasty and was adeptly prepared on a bed of veggies. My haddock with risotto was simply delicious. Risotto was creamy but not heavy, haddock was so soft, like butter. Japanese mushrooms a d red shrimp made the whole plate a great balance of flavors and healthy ingredients. They also have a great wine selection from organic wineries. We had a Pinot Noir from Alsace and it was a great option for our menu. They can recommend pairing. Our server, Gabriella, was very friendly, knowledgeable of the menu, ingredients and origins of the food. She kept us well served, was kind and made us laugh. The greeter was also very friendly and gave us our table a few minutes before our original reservation. All in all, a delightful experience. We will be back! read more

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Their gluten free fish fry is amazing. I will definitely be back! The waiters were amazing.

Used to come here a lot and then somehow stopped, I cannot recall why. Went back after several years and realized this place is still awesome and I need to come back here more often! Enjoyed the octopus salad, the cheese plate, and profiteroles. read more

Farm to table experience. We went on $1 oyster night on Tuesday. Great food and excellent service! Nicely decorated place located at the Village Gate where many other shops and restaurants are. We had the beet salad, coconut shrimp curry soup and oysters. read more

Lento Restaurant - $1 oysters - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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My first time at Lento on a Tuesday, currently their $1 oyster night. Luckily, we did make a reservation because it's hopping. We had been told the oyster service can be slow do we ordered a few things to try and no regrets! The duck wings came with a nice dipping sauce were cooked perfectly. The oyster menu tells you where their selection comes from and you can mix and match up to 2 dozen at a time. Service was friendly. Bathroom was clean. Parking is the big village gate parking lot. read more

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Recommended by locals, this farm to table restaurant did not disappoint. Locally sourced fresh seasonal products are prevalent on the small but impressive menu which rotates frequently. Tonight they offered $2 fresh raw oysters from the east coast. The Connecticut Blue Points were excellent served over ice with homemade cocktail sauce and mignonette. I skipped the appetizer page, but the duck fat fries, steamed mussels, and tuna fried wontons are on my watchlist for next time. Sticking with the seafood theme, I opted for the halibut entree. It wasn't exactly a stunner in terms of presentation, but the flavors were on point. The fish was exceptionally flavorful and enhanced by a wonderful chive compound butter. However, it was slightly overcooked which made the texture a bit firm for my liking. The lemon/shrimp risotto that accompanied nearly stole the show! This should be an entree offered on it's own. They have a full array of expertly crafted cocktails and a unique wine list featuring selections from the finger lakes region. Dessert menu includes one of my favorites, affogato as well as a decent selection of digestifs. I would definitely come back to explore this menu further. read more

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Excellent food and service. We hadn't been in Rochester in years and were looking for a nice place to dine on a Friday night. The seafood centric farm to table concept was appealing, so we reserved a table, making sure to catch the happy hour. The space felt private but spacious. We started off with oysters and vegetarian poutine. The oysters were fantastic. I also loved my cocktail. Everything came out very quickly and the waiter was very conscientious regarding timing of the different dishes. The service was the best I ever had. The server was knowledgeable, making careful suggestions on drink and food. He was quick and present. The entrees we chose were monkfish and veal sausage tortellini. Everything was excellent. The dishes were well prepared with high quality ingredients. The shrimp and fish were perfectly cooked and tender. The flavors were well balanced and delicate. The portion size was not big but just enough to safe some space for dessert. I was glad to have chosen a three course. Overall we felt very well taken care of, liked the ambience and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I wish I could take advantage of $1 Oyster Tuesday's. read more

Lento Restaurant - Restaurant space. - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I usually come here on Tuesdays for $1 oysters. Reservations can be easily made online or via phone. The Lento's menu changes every so often which is nice. There is a mocktail and dessert menu as well. I love the duck liver pate and mussels. I got the gnocchi and pasta with pork and those were really delicious as well. The chocolate crème pot and pear and ice cream were amazing. I got the house made lemonade and man was it thirst quenching. Oysters are fresh and orders of 24 can be made at a time. Every time we get our oysters, we put the next 24 in. Our favorite are Blue Point and oysters from PEI. I recommend Lento's for good food, drinks, and atmosphere. read more

Lento Restaurant - Chocolate Crème Pot and Pear and ice cream - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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So much to love about Lento. For whatever reason, they always seat us in the same spot - top section in the back. Love this! And the service is so welcoming and attentive from drinks to wine throughout the entire meal. Lento staff know how to please. Start with the cheese board or the many salads. The condiments on the board and the breads are yummy good. And the salads- well try any! Last time I had the bolognese which was fabulous. Noodles cooked to perfection and the ample sauce was the perfect consistency with a hint of spice and sweetness. And if you start with the cheese board you might be too full for the toasted bread ( see photo) so you might want to exercise some restraint which is easier said than done in this place. Desert... yes! Just ask for extra spoons. Enjoy! read more

One of the best in town. Been eating here for years and always have a great meal and great service. Love the atmosphere too.

I always love the food here as it's thoughtfully sourced and expertly prepared. The panna cotta desert was amazing. read more

Loved the menu, I really really liked the options. The oyster selection was probably the best in the city. Correct me if I'm wrong on that please! Staff were great and the atmosphere of clientele was pleasant. I gotta sit by the windows next time, sitting in the back decor wise was...fine. I think this became my new oysters spot though and that's a huge win. read more

If I could give 10 stars I would... From start to finish this was the best dining experience that I've had in Rochester in quite a while. We arrived for an 8 PM reservation only to find out when we got there that the online reservation had never gone through from our end and they had no record of it. We were ready to leave and figure out some thing else when the manager worked some magic and got us a table for four. The concept for Lento is farm to table with most ingredients sourced locally or from a a fairly close distance. Our waitress (Alana sp?) was wonderful explaining the story of the restaurant to us and the fact that the chefs are the owners and shared what has sold out already and what was still available. We shared the calamari starter and two of us ordered the Icelandic wolf fish with clams and shrimp, one person ordered the corn rigatoni and another of the vegan eggplant Parmesan... Everything was fantastic! I wish I could eat here every night... To finish the meal we had coffee and sorbet. Highly recommend!! read more

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5/5 oysters, 3/5 for everything else. We came here for the $1 oyster night on Tuesday. We managed to come without a reservation and snagged a bar seat for a light meal (do not recommend doing this in general though). They're very very busy on Tuesdays, so don't expect top notch service (especially at the bar). The oysters were AMAZING. 6 different choices, takes awhile for them to get shucked (understandably so, so make sure to leave a big tip). Everything was tasty and this was hands down my favorite part of the evening. We ate about 30 of them, so tasty. As for the overall 3/5, it was for the rest of the menu. We tried one of the cocktails and it was honestly very disappointing. Served without ice/not that cold and overall sounded better than it tasted. We also tried the grilled octopus and duck fat fries. The fries were decent (SO was not too impressed), though plating was sloppy (it looked like a small pile of fries thrown onto a plate. The grilled octopus was a very generous portion and would have been delicious if it had not been burned on one side (very very bitter taste and blackened to a point of burnt, not just charred). They were so busy on Tuesday and we didn't want to be an imposition, again, because they were so busy, but it was very disappointing (I would rather not have to decide between asking for a remake versus having to deal with something and being unhappy). Overall, a great deal for the oyster night, but the rest of the menu unfortunately disappointed me. read more

Lento Restaurant - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I love Lento! Such great vibes and atmosphere. I used to go very frequently for their $5 cocktail happy hour on Thursdays, though I don't know whether or not this is still in place. I prefer sitting at the bar for apps, oysters, and drinks here rather than sitting for a full sit down meal. Their bar is stunning and the bar staff is always fantastic. The Village Gate location is of course a huge win. Their menu includes things like poutine, seafood, yummy and well priced salads, and a wide variety of American entrees from ravioli to chicken to duck. As I said, I am more of an apps and snack enjoyer here than the entrees. I find the prices are a bit high for what you get on the entree side of things. The cocktails are delightful and they have a fab wine list as well. I can't wait to get back to the bar here for a pre or post show drink ASAP! read more

The food and service were exceptional last night! We started with the baked brie a mushroom soup, oysters, and the traditional poutine. Two in the party had the duck confit which they thought was delicious. The accompaniment to that was a barley risotto which had a chewy texture. Two of us had pumpkin ravioli, which was out of this world and the last in our party had the ribeye steak with horseradish mashed potatoes that were delicious. They did allow a substitute for the brussels sprouts for broccoli. Our waitress was so lovely and really elevated our experience. The wine and cocktail list were on point. This was the best meal we had in Rochester this weekend! read more

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Went here tonight for dinner with my bride! We called ahead around 5pm to see if they had a table open for 2 around 6pm. They did but the patio was all booked for the evening. So we got a table inside. Parking is directly across the street in a lot. We were sat right away when we arrived around 5:55 pm. The menu is concise and offers several appetizers, salads, and about 7- 10 entrees. The wine list has several options including some from the finger lakes region, which was nice. A little pricey. Not sure why most restaurants have such a large markup on the wine. We got a dry resling from NY which was $40. Good choice! Our server brought out a plate of bread, which was a sourdough/focaccia bread which was unique and very tasty. We started with the calamari, which was Soo tender and fried to perfection. I recommend this if you go, one of the best plates of calamari we have ever gotten Both of us ordered the fish fry one with English style mushie peas and the other with Cole slaw. The peas almost had a pea nutty flavor, a great compliment to the fish and fries. Even though our fish and fries were a bit overdone and dark, could have been cooked a tad less. The flavor was great. We just peeled off the batter and ate the flaky fish. We finished the meal with Irish Coffee and she ordered the chocolate pot of creme, and I ordered the peaches on a fresh shortbread biscuit. Both were a nice ending to our meal. The service was very attentive and made for an enjoyable evening. It's casual dress, with ample room around the tables. Nice change, going out to a nice dinner without being stuffy! read more

Lento Restaurant - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I have been here 2x. The first time was a month ago, and i stopped in for their oyster night. Tried 2 desserts after, oh my goodness, so delicious. I had the lavender creme brulee and the chocolate pot de creme. I had to come back for the desserts again and this time I tried out some apps - brussel sprouts, duck fat fries and crispy tofu dumplings. Once again food was great and so was the service. I'll be back! read more

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Our server did not have a great attitude and was honestly a bit rude. Service was obnoxiously slow. I get that it's part of the $1 oyster night deal, but it was a bit excessive. However, the wine, prosecco, beers, apps, and salads we ordered were great, and the courtyard seating was lovely. I think the slow service would not have mattered so much if our server was more hospitable. read more

Food was pretty good. Octopus was grilled well with a wonderful char. Salad could have been leafier (subjective), over-indexed a bit on cabbage and fennel, and the beans dried it out. Vegetarian poutine had great flavor but appeared to have sit in the kitchen for a bit before being served, the cheese on top was solid and not very warm but was really fine. I enjoyed trying it as you don't see vegetarian poutine often--I'd order it again. Artisan bread was amazing, great spreads--a must order. Venison was well-liked as well. The host and server from the kitchen in particular were really kind, friendly and relaxed. Overall the service was very slow, unfortunately really notably so. We'd both return if we were in the area and if we saw new and unique items on the menu to try. We did also want to try the beet salad which looked really good. read more

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Lento provides farm-to-table, American fare at a high price point. I'm happy to see one of these places in Rochester.

Ok I give very few one star reviews....but this deserves only one star!! This was a horrible experience... I had such high hopes... We were seated promptly with our reservation and the waitress came over in a reasonable time. We then waited and waited and waited for our drinks...food and every thing else Drinks took literally over twenty minutes( at least ) and the food almost 90 minutes!!! I had to ask for the check. The bread and olive oil they placed on the table was odd.. a soggy -- moist bread-- a supposed focaccia bread ...not flavorful. It was really odd. Why a moist bread to be dipped in olive oil.....? The oysters were very good -- there are NO CRACKERS THOUGH( this is one of the reasons for at least a star) We selected the artichoke appetizer with egg batter and lemon...this was okay...too"eggy" .I would not order this again . We had ordered our entrees. 3 burgers and the grilled octopus salad One burger was okay...the vegan one. The other two real meat burgers -- one was overdone and the other was raw in the middle.. The waitress never asked how the guests would like this cooked. The sauce that came on the side was barbecue sauce --not ketchup. The fries were very good-- (another reason for the one star.) There are also no salt and pepper shakers on the table! Every time we potentially needed something the waitress was no where to be found or completely avoided any eye contact with our table. My grilled octopus salad was not pleasant -- the octopus was overdone, and presented as one large piece--- so not attractive and not tasty ---the beans and the salad was the "okay" part. We waited over 90 minutes for dinner to come out . I would not go here again-- except for the oysters and I will bring my own crackers. What is going on here in the kitchen and with the management??? read more

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I went here for an anniversary dinner, and while I really wanted to find it to be awesome, it was slightly underwhelming. First thing we got were oysters and duck liver mousse. Oysters were decent, duck liver mousse had an interesting taste, but good enough. I ordered the trout and my boyfriend ordered the ribeye. The trout was okay, the flavors were a bit all over the place but it still tasted good. The Brussels sprouts were really nice, but the potato side wasn't that good. The ribeye was huge so that's a plus! The taste was a bit average though. All in all I think it's a nice dinner, but for the price I was expecting a bit more, especially compared to some of the other Rochester restaurants around. I want to give it another try in the future! read more

Lento Restaurant - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

This review is a tribute to the service and our server last night (6/11) at Lento. Notable mention, there was a line at least 20 deep when I arrived waiting for the doors to open (they open at 5) and the host calmly greeted each and every guest with the same fresh and genuine smile as she had the guest prior. I had made an early reservation, and my seat preference was accommodated on the spot! Of course, I will touch on the food ... the excuse to have a delicious dinner at Lento was their $1 oysters, a Tuesday only staple. We did start with a sampling of the fresh oysters accompanied by a perfectly chilled dirty martini; at this time our server, Mikhail, suggested that we review the menu as the kitchen can tend to get backed up as this is one of the most popular nights at Lento, evident by the fact that almost every table was filled by 5:30. After the oysters arrived, Mikhail checked in on us, we took his advice, studied the menu and made our decisions. Following the oysters I wanted to enjoy an order of French fries with my martini, this is a must have for me. I then enjoyed a succulent pork chop that was cooked to absolute perfection atop hearty and flavorful grits. My friend had the pan seared salmon, which he thoroughly enjoyed! I love the fact that Lento will list their food suppliers, this shows a sense of pride in the chefs' sources and his dedication to serving truly the freshest fair available for the season. Overall, the meal was exactly as expected, delicious, fresh, and prepared with excellence, one cannot deny the mastery of this chef. Now, on to the service; Mikhail was a consummate professional and exhibited exemplary behavior in the art of hospitality. His quiet unassuming demeanor did not lend a hint as to what was in store for us from a service perspective. The elegance in which this young man performed his craft was absolute poetry. He knew exactly when to check in without hovering or leaving us hanging, and how to flow the stages of our meal with precise timing, He just instinctively knew which is quite impressive. This, my friends, is an art to be appreciated and coveted. All this to say, go to Lento, make a reservation and treat yourself to an exceptional meal, in a casual environment where the food is fresh and inspired, and the service and hospitality will no doubt be extraordinary, most assuredly if you have Mikhail as your server! Kudos to him! read more

Favor to supported in our experience the other night at Leto's we had a reservation for three and I'd like to start off by saying this is not a complaint on the taste of our dishes. I must say everything was delicious. I had the halibut with risotto, which was excellent our other party had the same plus oysters Unfortunately the third-party order a New York strip steak, medium rare and it came out medium well to well plus there was grizzle throughout the steak it was on edible., tough when we mentioned it to our server. Next thing we know I guess her boss came out and said the chef said it was medium, rare and 65 years old whatever happened to cooking it again I've never heard of somebody sticking up for what their chef said and not satisfying the customer after a few incredulous words to her. She offered to try another dish and my wife selected the grilled pork chop, which was she said excellent when it came out whatever happens to a customer is always right. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm waiting to hear from the manager. I emailed them to discuss this because as of now I probably will not go back just for that reason lentil is in the line of similar restaurants like Avino's, etc. for the prices they charge $50 for that strip steak. There are other restaurants just as good that I could spend my money and get better customer service read more

Came here for a Mom's night out with some friends. We were a table of nine and they were able to change our request for a larger group a couple of days in advance. Most of us just got appetizers and drinks. The truffle fries and atmosphere were great! read more

Lento is one of my go-tos when I want to impress visitors with a great meal in Rochester. The pasta dishes are always spot on and everything is really unique. I also like how they have one vegan option every time. I am dairy free so this makes it easy to order when I don't want to ask what is in a dish! The desserts are also great - even the ice cream is fresh and very creamy! They change the menu frequently too which makes me want to go even more! read more

I'm so happy $1 oyster night on Tuesday is back! My friends and I love hitting lento for $1 oyster night to hang out and chat. If you want to go on a Tuesday I highly recommend reservations. I made my reservations about 4 days in advance and even then all of the outdoor seating was already booked solid! So we ended up sitting inside which was a bit of a bummer. The cocktails are alway great ...this Tuesday I ordered the "upside-down town" and it tasted just like pineapple upside down cake without being too sweet !! (I'm sure it would be even better if enjoyed outside) I like oysters but always have to order a couple of other things too. We ordered oysters, mussels , calamari and Italian sausage. I wasn't the biggest fan of the mussels...something about them tasted off. The Italian sausage was good but not mind blowing and the calamari was awesome and very fresh. And of course the oysters were great, we got 5 of each type that was offered. The service was good and our server was friendly and very accommodating. Highly recommend for a midweek cocktail and oyster BUT make sure to get that reservation in early !!! read more

Lento Restaurant - Oysters - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

First date night out since COVID 19!!!! And my goodness was it excellent. We went for Tuesday's traditional $1 oysters and a few bites. The oysters didn't disappoint, we got 2 dozen and each one was so good. We then ordered the fish tacos, beet salad, and duck fat fries. It ended up being the perfect amount of food for the two of us. The fish tacos were perfectly paired with a tangy sauce and crispy veg. The fries had a perfect crunch to them, and the beet salad was lite and refreshing. We each had two glasses of wine. The staff in the restaurant wore masks and patrons where properly distances away from each other. All customers wore masks when up and walking around. We felt totally safe for the strange times we are living in. read more

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You have to go for $1 oyster nights! They have 6 different oysters to pick from (which I believe changes). And they are so delicious! $1 oysters is on Tuesday nights but it is highly recommended that you get a reservation as it is one of their busiest times. read more

I have dined at Lento a handful of times, and it never disappoints. Its locally sourced foods elevate the menu items, and I look forward to the variety of options that change with the seasons. Go here if you'd like a meal that favors quality over quantity. Portion sizes are just right, and the presentation demonstrates a level of care and attention to detail that you can't find at typical chain restaurants. You can't go wrong with the cocktails and entrees. We have also enlisted help from the sommelier on staff to pair unique wines with our entree selections. Lastly, even if you're stuffed do not pass up the desserts. I recommend the homemade ice cream or pot de creme. I've had these selections more than once, and they satisfy my sweet tooth every time. read more

Lento Restaurant - Profiteroles - puff pastries filled with your choice of ice cream, topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup - New American Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Great restaurant. Everything was 5 stars. From the produce they use to the service to the drinks. You can taste the freshness in the ingredients. The recipes are very original. The duck is outstanding, so is the vegetarian poutine. Would definitely strongly recommend. read more

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I attended a group Business Dinner at Lento. The service was very good. I loved the Mocktails as well as I stopped alcohol last year. The appetizers were very well presented and tasty. I ate the Calamari rings, well received. I don't recall what my entree was, yet the whole table had great reviews. Everyone was satisfied, and the waitress was always attentive and available. Lento is great for Personal and Business Dinners. I do plan to return with my family to enjoy a great experience read more

Went here with my fiancé for Valentines dinner date.. would've been better off staying home and cooking for ourselves. Service was slow, not professional, and on top of it, a server came and cleared the table with all the entrees before we even finished them. Food is alright. Small servings as any "fancy" restaurant but I wouldn't consider calling it that. read more