I wanted a sweet treat while out and about with a friend of mine and we ended up here this evening. I must say I'm licking myself for not taking pictures of the display full of Italian cookies! My friend and I both got a small cup of gelato. I sampled the cookie butter flavor and it was amazing! I opted for two flavors in my bowl so I ended up with cookie butter and cake batter and it was soooo good! I was surprised they had been open for 16 years when I inquired. Before leaving I decided I could get a few cookies to go to bring home for my parents. The woman who served us was very personable and i learned she loved in Rocky Mount NC for 18 years! We bonded over the fact there is no good, authentic Italian food in the south. It was a cute atmosphere with amazing prices! I was sooo surprised to learn that they had a full menu bc the dessert displays were exceptional! Thanks for an awesome experience! read more

Oriens Cafe - Cake batter and cookie butter gelato! - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Oriens Cafe is one of my favorite places to meet friends. I've been going here for over a decade for lunch, dinner, gelato, and baked goods. Order at the counter and your food will be brought to you at your indoor or outdoor table. There is a discount if paying in cash. Sometimes the service can be slow if they are busy - there is usually one person working, occasionally two. There is a large menu of Italian-American classics including pasta, salads, sandwiches, and meals like eggplant Parmesan. Portions are generous for the price. Don't forget the full case of cookies, cake slices, and arancini, all of which can be boxed up to go. read more

Just came for the gelato! Very cute cafe with many gelato flavors. I got the raspberry which was perfectly sweet and tart. I recommend bringing cash. They had a ton of Italian cookies for sale too. It was midday mid week and there was only one employee I could see working but she was kind throughout our interaction. read more

Oriens Cafe - Raspberry gelato - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Love the vibe. Great atmosphere and decor. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating. Beautiful pastry selection. The small printed menus are on the counter next to the register - there are no large menus on the wall. The pastry pricing seemed not obvious. I really like being able to decide what I want and know how much it will cost without having to ask for clarification. There is not much space for standing if there is a line. The pastries themselves I was a bit disappointed with flavor-wise. Of the variety I tried, the cannolis are what I would get again, for the great filling texture. I loved my veggie sandwich. My dining partner who got a Buffalo flatbread said it was good. Someone else in my party got the bruschetta sandwich and was disappointed - it was very dry and just not much going on there. The bread is very tasty and fresh but overly toasted to a "probably going to hurt the roof of your mouth and your jaw muscles by the end of the sandwich" level. (I get that baguettes traditionally have that very hard crust, but for a sandwich it would be much easier to eat if it were softer!) read more

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Hidden gem with a cute cafe atmosphere and variety of options: deserts, wines, gelato, appetizers, and sandwiches. My wife and I tried the Rum Baba, Orange Ricotta Cake, cannolis made to order, and the bruschetta pizza (appetizer style). The cannoli was fresh, which is miles ahead of most other places in Rochester, but had a thin consistency to the cream and could have used a little more ricotta. Will be coming back to this place. read more

Oriens Cafe - Rum Baba and Orange Ricotta Cake - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Perfect after dinner or date night spot! Amazing gelato, great pastry selection as well as soups and Italian entrees and pizza. Not a full serve restaurant - you order at the counter and they bring it to your table. Outside seating is nice on a balmy night. read more

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bought a cheese cake and fruit tart. cheese cake was great, fruit tart was like rubber.

I am consistently underwhelmed when I come here. I come for the gelato but always end up hungry enough to try ordering a sandwich. The last time I was there, the bread so was hard it tore up the roof of my mouth and tasted awful. The sandwiches are also pretty pricey for what they are - a regular sandwich with no extra bells or whistles. 2 stars because the gelato is good when it's not sold out. read more

Best TRUE Sicilian cookies and gelato. A must go-to for both whenever I'm in Rochester. Been going there for more than ten years. Have a friend buy them for me when I'm not in the área. read more

I ordered the menu item "manicotti with meat sauce". What I got was manicotti stuffed with meat, no ricotta and plain sauce. I would not have ordered this if the menu read, manicotti stuffed with meat because I wanted manicotti stuffed with ricotta with meat sauce. Please change your menu to reflect this!!! And sorry but your pastries are not as good as Gruttadaria's read more

I STRONGLY advise you to not go this restaurant. All of the food is frozen and microwaved. Nothing is dated so you don't know how old any of the food is. Everything is dirty and extremely unorganized. The owner does not care about food safety or customer satisfaction, all he cares about is making a quick buck. He will serve you food that has been sitting out for hours, he does not care. The service is bad because it is understaffed and the manager (the owners daughter) doesn't do anything to help with customers and is almost never there. They waste money in so many spaces that they don't put enough people on shift and everyone is overworked. The turnover rate is so bad they don't provide you work clothes/shirts. There is MOLD in the coffee airpots- DO NOT DRINK THE DRIP COFFEE. They let containers of food touch the floors and garbage cans. One of the pastry cases does not work and is constantly at least 50 degrees which is not food safe. I could go on and on. Coming from a previous employee, please do not go here. read more

The food is good and the worker was nice. They have a large pastry selection and the worker was great at answering any questions we had. read more

Oriens Cafe - ziti alfredo and french dip sandwich - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

My husband and I went here for a quick meal/lunch. We each ordered a sandwich and we're delighted by the fresh bread and ingredients! Tasteful and delicious! They also have cookies and gelato. read more

This is a very quaint little place. Small but plenty of seating inside and out. The food is pretty typical for a cafe. Small portions for dinner and salads are extra. The desserts are amazing! So much to choose from Italian desserts and cookies are wonderful. The service was good. Not a place to have a big dinner if your really hungry, but good enough for a lunch or a small bite to eat. We like the place more for the variety of desserts and pastries. read more

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What a great this cafe was! We stopped in for their tri color rainbow Italian cookies. The whole display case was filled with Italian goodies, I would love to come back and try some more! There was a decent amount of space here, great for a small group. And service was very friendly. read more

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Small but cute cafe. Super friendly staff. Hands down THE BEST gelato in Rochester. The arancini and cannolis are also to die for!

Did you say Festival of Fatness? Yes, please. I had one of those cartoccis (I said it Car Tah Chee-cause I'm cultured, yo. I don't know if that's how you say it.) it's the conical thing with the cream filling and the cinnamon sugar on the outside. Um yeah, I was so eager to eat it I didn't get a photo of it. I did ask if they were serving their breakfast sandwiches but apparently they don't do that at NOON when they open at 11AM. After I was done visiting with my friend I decided to get some dessert for my parents which turned into DESSERTS. At noon the case was pretty picked over but at 2 pm it seemed to be replenished. I got one of those sfogliatella thingers that everyone recommends getting. Good call. It was soooo tasty. It's like a crispy croissant filled with a cannoli/cheesecake cream hybrid. I also got rum cake, orange ricotta cake, cookies and cream cake, Italian cheesecake and hazelnut chocolate cake, I didn't eat them all, I could don't get me wrong but I shared. There have been no complaints about any of them. They are following Covid guidelines. I JUST ATE MY PIECE OF HAZELNUT CAKE THEY HAVE AND IT IS ONE OF THE BEST CAKES I HAVE EVER HAD! (Yes, I'm shouting it's that good!) read more

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Only came for the gelato which was really really really good. The woman behind the counter was so helpful and lets you taste options before deciding a flavor. I tried the dark chocolate and banana. They were both oh so good. The banana actually tasted really good. Not fake tasting. read more

I hate giving them 3 stars, because I do enjoy the food. The service however, is not great. The female owner (manager?) will see you standing right in front of her, and completely ignore you. This has happened on multiple occasions. I usually get the buffalo chicken salad, which is actually ridiculously expensive, at almost $20. read more

Oriens is the perfect place for a delicious meal! Every item on their menu is fresh and prepared to perfection. Whenever I am asked for a recommendation for 'great Italian food," Orien's is at the top of the list! The atmosphere is great and we love enjoying the outdoor seating during the nice weather too! read more

Delicious desserts. Great selection. The ambience is nice and quiet. First time visited, but won't be our last. They also offers sandwiches and pasta dishes. We will give this a try next time. read more

There aren't many places that are a dedicated gelato restaurant. There are so many flavors that you can't find one you don't like. The service is amazing as well. I went there with my grandma and they were extremely patient and kind to her. Finally, the entire ambiance of the place is so welcoming and calm I don't know why you wouldn't go here! read more

love love love Orien's and there desserts I cannot get enough of there Gelato and there pastries and of course there Italian food! I am craving it now and have no vehicle right now ugh never close love your cafe and all Laura and Bob Baker Hilton NY read more

I went to Orien's for lunch with a friend and enjoyed it! I had the meatball sandwich and it was delish. They also have gelato and a ton of yummy looking Italian desserts! Everyone was very friendly and the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely recommend giving this cafe a try. read more

It's a small seating area, although there is seating outside. Plenty of parking.Not many choices for foods but the chicken French is delicious. They also have e a sandwich which my boyfriend they have Galotto (sp?) The people working are pleasant. I am not sure of the hours but they are not open late. read more

I love there ice cream here but my mom said she HATES the coffee there and there prices are high.

If I lived nearby I'd be here almost every day. Best espresso I've had outside Italy. Authentic environment and good service. A little pricey but that's due to inflation caused by our irresponsible leaders. read more

I had the chicken bruschetta sandwich and hubby had the Philly cheesesteak. He said his was bland and a bit dry but he loved the bread. I had Chicken bruschetta sandwich. The chicken was cooked perfectly but it was bland. I couldn't taste the bruschetta or the mozzarella which was a bit disappointing. We got some gelato for dessert and it was good but didn't blow me away. The cannoli gelato was flavorful but the cheesecake didn't taste like cheesecake. I would go back but will order something different read more

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I will get right to the point... this place is dirty. If you are in the restaurant just take a minute and look behind the counters, you will see dirty rags on the floor and table. Everything is unorganized, dirty windows and all the tables have old shabby looking artificial flowers. Nothing you would see in Italy! It is an embarrassment to Italians everywhere! We should have known when we first walked in that they sold cheetos next to Italian cookies. Shame!!! Then lets talk about the "gelato" tasteless. If this is something you enjoy, you apparently have never experienced the real thing. I am not being cynical, just truthful. read more

Just stopped in for two desserts. After viewing the choices in the case, I decided on a creme brûlée and a chocolate raspberry tart. They were both tasty and reasonably priced for an indulgence at around $4 each. The fillings were both pudding-like and filling. Personally, I like lighter mousse fillings, but I've got to remember these are Italian not French! Anyway, they were both enjoyed. The place was packed early afternoon; all women! I didn't ask if this was a club or just the usual clientele, but it seemed strange. Obviously, it's a very popular place. Service was prompt and friendly at the dessert counter. I would stop again if in the neighborhood and hungry for sweets. read more

EspressOMG! To die for grub, service with a smile, even got a fork!!! I WILL be coming back. Great spot

The moment you walk in .. you know it's got a whole lotta love :))) Being greeted with an enthusiastic smile / knowledgeable/ and kind hostess .. to the homemade fresh and hot food yum ! Then the gelato - WoW soooo good !!! Love the atmosphere here read more

I don't tend to like Scottish guys named Angus... or-ians for that matter. My dislike for them is why they named this place "Or-Ians" because they fully agree. Scotsmen are not welcome here, and if you are Scottish, then don't even think about trying to order a wee gelato for yer lassie. It's nay ginnie happen, lad. Aye. What to get: Tiramisu Gelato, Italian Cheesecake, all their amazing cakes and Cannoli What else: all the Gelato is fantastic, as are most of the cakes And what else: do not wear a Kilt to this place. You'll be sorry aye I brought Starlight here on a nice summer's day, and we loved it so much that I brought all my other - less pretty - girls here, over the course of a few years. What we discovered was that Oriens is second-to-none when it comes to desserts - especially the amazing array of fairly-priced and utterly delicious cakes they sell here. But back to the real point of the review. Starlight. She waited outside like a good tiny little miniature jungle cat girl, while I went inside, sampled a bunch of flavours and picked out Tiramisu Gelato for us. We both absolutely adored it. Starlight hasn't had Gelato before, but she licked this particular flavour so enthusiastically, that I'll have to bring her back sometime soon. The employees were interested in Starlight but nobody petted her. She's okay with that. She was too busy slurping Tiramisu. Then the second time I came here, I was with a girl. She ordered a ton of stuff... Choc Hazelnut and Salted Caramel Gelato, Cheesecake Gelato, Stracciatella and Lemon Gelato, all of the above were fantastic, especially the sinful tasting Cheesecake flavour. She also got a Cannoli (she's in love with them) and an Italian Cheesecake. We sat inside (right inside the glass from where me and little Starlight had sat some weeks earlier), and shared all of these delicacies while we listened to the owner girl hiring new employees and conducting interviews, one after the other. Best... Italian... Cheesecake... *ever*. So sinful, so creamy, so delicious. I don't even like sweet treats like this, but it was utterly wonderful. Could not have enjoyed it more. Cannoli was basically on the same level. Spectacular. If this were the Oreo's Cafe then it really wouldn't be Italian, would it? I dunno why I've never been a fan of Oreo. Maybe it was that song they did... Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore... Oreo Speedwagon. Meanwhile the older owner guy was serving us, and I have to say, his customer service skills are somewhere between a 2 and 3 out of ten. He's not too friendly, he rushes you, and he gets his younger female employees on edge by moaning at them and barking at them in front of other customers. He needs to cut this out because it made us feel uncomfortable while ordering. He also contradicted a woman that was ordering and chided her for asking whether the gelato was fresh today, as if it was the stupiderestest question he ever heard. I've had a few other iffy customer service experiences since then, but also some good ones. And I don't like repo men. They're always pressuring you to pay them in cash... Or-liens. Other than that, this is clearly a five-star place. It has a cute bathroom, a nice interior, tons of lovely places to sit outside, the Cannoli is amazing, some of the best I've had outside NYC, the Italian Cheesecake is even better - it's off-the-charts good - and the Gelato is nearly authentic and absolutely wonderful - you will love it. Service aside, I couldn't ask for any more from this place whatsoever. And those cakes... what can I say. Spectacular. I wonder if it would be as good if it were in Louisiana? I don't know, but I'd like to find out. They should open a location on Bourbon St in New Oriens. read more

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I am so upset I did not know this was near my house sooner. I love cafes. The environment, food, staff. They always have the same welcoming feel. I was out for work when my co-worker suggested here for lunch. When you first enter, the case of pastries hits you right in the face. They have everything and anything you can think of when it comes to Italian desserts. I wanted to buy one of everything. They also have a huge case of gelato. I wanted to try everything there also! Their menu for food is almost as long as their pastries choices. For lunch, I got the eggplant parm sandwich. You could tell the sauce was homemade. I bet the bread was as well. It was warm and gooey and delicious. I love that they cut it into four pieces too. Not too messy. Next time I go, and I'm not at work, I will get pastries and gelato to go. read more

Oriens Cafe - Eggplant Parm Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Very good food and amazing Italian pastries. Owner cold be more considerate when restaurant is crowded. And help his help! A nice outdoor space when weather is good. Set up is crowded. Could be reconfigured to lessen confusion. read more

My 5 stars is ONLY for dessert, NOT dinner!! Their gelato is phenomenal and they always have a huge selection to choose from including Spumoni. They also have a large selection of bakery items and italian cookies. But for dinner I would rate a 1, bad food and service! read more

I had Ziti with red meat sauce, and it was excellent. For dessert I had dark chocolate gelato and raspberry gelato 50/50 in a cup. It was delicious. So we bought some cookies to enjoy on the way home. In my estimation, it would be reasonable to buy a home in this neighborhood just in order to be nearby. If I lived there, I'd go every day and get a different flavor of their gelato, and when I finished, I'd do it again. And again. And again! Excellent food menu, off the hook gelatos, and fine bakery goods. This place is a winner all around! read more

Oriens Cafe - Orien's gelato packed half dark chocolate and half raspberry. Get it - you will not regret it. - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

I have been going to Oriens for years and I was so disappointed when taking a friend to lunch. The girl taking out order was not so friendly which is not normal for this place. She brought out our sandwiches and one of the tops of my sandwich fell off. She never said a word about it just placed it in front of me. My friend didn't get her side of dressing for her sandwich and she asked for dressing on the side and got the dressing on the salad. Her coffee was cold. My server never came back so I saw another waitress and told her what happened. Jayda was very sweet and apologized and quickly took care of the situation. She's a keeper. The food is good but not a good experience. read more

Excellent food friendly fast service and amazing prices. Love the tiramisu's and mousse's

I had the shrimp and scallops risotto, was very good but a tad stingy on the shellfish. My son had a philky cheesesteak which was hugh! Most of been good or he was starving because he finished it. We also got gelato afterwards and I usually don't like gelato but this place has very good gelato! Will go back next tine for desserts n more gelato. They have arancini as well but we were so full it has to wait til next visit read more

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