We had dinner there last Saturday night. The specials were outstanding. Our server was very attentive and took care of us. Very nice atmosphere. read more

My friend has been telling me to check out this place so I ended up at this restaurant at Village gate on a Saturday night when another restaurant had a wait for seating. We were seated right away for a late dinner. Wide selection on menu of Italian/Greek dishes and bar menu had mainly pizza and other appetizers. Waiter told us the owner used to be the Head chef at Tournedos and then decided to start his own restaurant. I went with the appetizer sampler of the vegetarian meatball, arancini ball and shrimp and a side of their polenta fries with pesto aioli. My friend went with their steak with frites. My friend said her dish was fabulous, flavor was right on point and the steak was tender. I felt my appetizer sample was just okay but I loved the polenta fries. Would come back to try other things on their menu for sure! Service was great and enjoyed the atmosphere. read more

Polizzi's - Steak with frites - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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From the moment we walked in, it was a win! Service was very nice and timely. The calamari appetizer was perfection! The entre's were absolutely great. I had the pork chop special and it was great!! Desserts are a must here! Our first visit did not disappoint at all. read more

What an amazing Resturant. Great food, great attentive service and the outdoor seating was perfect. My significant other had the filets, I had the veal Marsala. Both cooked to perfection. The appetizers were amazing as well. We ordered the saganaki and the shrimp. Don't miss out on this gem for it blows away the rest of the eatery's in that surrounding area! read more

.this is a 5 star restaraunt, absolutely wonderful, have tried most of the dishes and love them all,couldnt recommend it more,wish it was closer to where we live. read more

First time here and we had a larger group (8 people) celebrating my friends birthday. We started with a bunch of apps, all were amazing! The sausage sampler had all of us wishing we could purchase the blueberry chipotle sausage to take home. It was probably one of the top sausages I've had, served with delicious Dijon mustard, roasted red peppers & crostini. The flaming saga Ali was also delicious, cheesy & lemony, almost as good as the Greek fest! For meals I ordered the Tuscan chicken pasta - so huge and delicious! Very flavorful and honestly, tasted even better the next day as my lunch! It reheats very well. I did order mine without peas, so you can omit ingredients if anything doesn't fit your taste! My husband (the Greek) has moussaka and said it was one of the best he has had! I won't tell his family For dessert I HAD to get the baklava with the house made baklava ice cream - and wow, what a huge, delicious treat! I ate it all, no regrets! Overall a wonderful experience, great cocktail menu & cozy atmosphere! We will be back! read more

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usually we go to Lentos for our Birthday dinners. Lentos is closed on Monday and someone suggested this restaurant. we are pescatarians. if we were vegetarians, we would have starved. we ordered two fish dishes. both were unremarkable. i am not comparing this restaurant to big-city restaurants such as Boston and Chicago. Good fish should not be overcooked and should be devoid of a fishy smess, especially Cod and Wolffish. Perhaps the Sous Chef was cooking tonight. we could not finish the meal as it was unpalatable. we left our food partially-eaten and left the restaurant vowing never to come again. the service was very good and it is not the servers fault when food that is expensive and not cooked properly was served. on a positive note, their Saganaki appetizer was palatable. Noise levels are high in the restaurant and it is difficult to have a conversation i would caution vegetarians or pescatarians from frequenting this restaurant. It, definitely, has several meat dishes and it appears that the rave-reviews I have seen about this restaurant are probably from dedicated carnivores. read more

I reserved a table for two at 7pm for myself and my fiance, whose birthday it was. This was our first trip to this restaurant. We arrived about 15 minutes early but we're seated immediately. We were given a booth which was nice. Our server came over almost immediately to ask if we'd like bottles of either spring water or mineral water. Here name was Kara, I believe, and she was fairly attentive throughout our experience. She quickly brought some bread, which was fresh and crusty, along with some dipping oil. We placed both our appetizer and entree order, along with drinks when she came back to check on us, in a timely manner. For appetizers, I had the saganaki, which was done traditionally and my fiance had the calamari done Greek style, with olives, roasted red peppers, peperoncini and feta. The calamari was tender and the size was almost entree sized which worked out well as we shared that. I recommend the Greek syle calamari, as it ups the flavor profile very nicely. For entrees, she had the Tuscan Chicken Pasta, a medley of grilled chicken over penne pasta, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, peas, cannelloni beans, tomatoes and garlic. It looked good and she said she enjoyed it very much. I had the Osso Buco and a small Caesar salad. It was a non traditional approach to Osso Buco, using braised, bonesless beef short ribs, instead of beef or veal shank, but I found it to be tender and flavorful, though I missed the bone and the marrow that usually accompanies the shank cut. I thought the Demi Glace could have been a tad thicker, but the flavor profile was spot on. For dessert, my fiance had the creme brulee, which she liked and said was creamy and enjoyed the fresh berries as a garnish. They did bring it with a lit candle, for her birthday. I had the Baklava. The flavor and construction was excellent, but it could have been a bit fresher, probably because we had dinner closer to the end of the day. If there was a down side to our dining experience, it might have been the noise level. Because of the high ceilings, it was a bit hard to hear our server and each other, until later when the crowd thinned out. However, the service and food wete excellent and it didn't detract much from an enjoyable meal. The prices on menu items were more than reasonable, and even with a generous tip it came out to a little less than $200. We look forward to returning to try other menu items and recommend this restaurant highly. read more

First time visit. Never knew Polizzi's existed before this! Menu online looked awesome. It didn't disappoint. We started with the Greek Calimari which was sooooo tender! Loved the peppers! My dish was the Braciola. Don't remember if the Cavatini was made in house but mouth feel says yes. What a crowd pleaser visually! The pork melted in my mouth. And the egg inside was genius! Added so much to the dish I did not expect. The bride had the Iron Skillet Cod. Big, tall piece of perfectly cooked fish. And the chorizo did not overpower the fish. It added a smokey southwest touch to the fish. All servings were very generous. Plenty for leftovers. With 2 big glasses of well recommended wine, dessert and the food mentioned, Bill came to less than $100. I'm going back soon for those lamb chops!!! read more

I was really disappointed with this place. I hated their pasta sauce, it tasted fishy and was also too sweet for my liking. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan and thought it was awful. The eggplant was cut super thick and not nicely breaded. The ambiance is nice but for high priced Italian food, I was extremely disappointed. I would not return or recommend this restaurant. read more

Food, service, and ambience are outstanding. The restaurant is comfortable, the food is amazing, and the prices are reasonable. There are many appetizers, which could be used to compose a tapas style meal entirely. The menu has a large selection of special salads, in full and half sizes, many entrées, daily specials, and a long dessert menu. A nice selection of wine by the glass, craft draft beers,, and bottled beers. There is also an impressive list of craft cocktails. We really love it here. read more

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Great food and service. My cod was delicious!! Will be back. My friend enjoyed her shrimp dish.

Polizzi's is consistently top notch. The cod was delicious! The osso bucco style short ribs were very good, as well.

Food is house made, from apps through desserts. Service is tops. Irene gave us beautiful service. "Want the last two branzinos we have today? Let me get those in for you." She was always there when we needed her but never hovering. We had the sausage sampler as an app. Really nice. The bread was good. The Aperol spritz makes for a great aperatif. We had the braised short ribs (divine), the moussaka (tremendous) and the 2 branzinos (perfectly-cooked). Finished with great desserts: grand marnier cheesecake, creme brûlée (perfect), and baclava (the best). We'll be back. Again and again. We have the whole menu to eat through read more

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I wanted to like this place more. Besides the tables being a little tight, the overall ambience is classy and the service is great. However, the food is lacking direction. I was hoping for dishes that accentuated the fresh Greek and Italian flavors the menu boasts. In return, everything tastes like it's catered to American tastes- drowned in creamy French sauces. I don't think Bechamel belongs on Moussaka. As good as each ingredient sounds, the end result is outside of my preferences. read more

Polizzi's wanted to seat us at the bar when I made a reservation for 4 for DINNer! The owner was SO RUDE ! Kept pointing out that is was MY fault for not specifically asking for the dining room! He went so far as to follow me out of the restaurant to further point out how is was MY fault for not noticing that the resercation was at the bar! Who makes a reservation at a bar (not a table) for dinner! There was no apology for having a confusing website! No have a drink at the bar while you figure out where to have dinner! He even charged one of my party for the drink she couldn't even drink since we had to leave! I will NEVER set foot in that establishment again! Not that the owner cares! read more

Great atmosphere, been at this location before when it was the gatehouse. They were able to take reservations and sat us right away. The booths are comfortable and have an extensive menu to pick from. First time I went I wish I got something else but ended up getting the Tuscan chicken pasta, it was good but wished it was a little more flavorful. The second time I went I got the mushroom risotto, I was nervous cause I'm usually a huge fan of mushrooms. This item was too heavy on that flavor but it was balanced out perfectly so I didn't feel like it was too much mushroom. Highly recommend a date night here read more

My lady and I tried Polizzi's last night. Had early reservations which were honored with no problem. Nice ambiance in the restaurant with a view of the Village Gate courtyard. Our server was with us promptly and was very pleasant. We ordered drinks then our meals. I had a lamb chop (3) dish with fresh green beans and mashed potatoes and my wife ordered the Mousassca (sic) . Both meals were delicious. Unusual for us we decided to order dessert. A cannoli for her and baclava with vanilla bean ice cream for me. Both were excellent! Service was attentive without being intrusive or rushed. We left feeling very full and satisfied. Highly recommend! read more

Got take out from here and it was delicious! The hostess was very nice and welcoming when I walked in. The restaurant is really pretty and cozy inside. I got the warm burrata and the Greco salad with grilled chicken. Everything was so tasty and high quality. I will definitely be back and would like to dine in. Only thing is it's hard to find but I found a sign that pointed to the location. read more

Polizzi's - Greco salad with grilled chicken - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Tradition trumps trends. Gotta get the sausages. Chef Tom's got it right. Yelp doesn't like haïkus so I'm extending this review with these words. read more

Polizzi's - Veal deal. - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place is outstanding. Everything I've had there has been delicious and the service has been exemplary. It's my go-to whenever I want a great dining experience. read more

So much fun we are on the patio and the food was amazing. There were eight of us in our group and everyone was pleased!

Busy, popular Sat night destination. Great drinks, service and well prepared food. Make a reservation to ensure seating. Patio seating for good weather. read more

Polizzi's is definitely a great place for good drinks and great food! We stopped in after having to long of a wait and The Gate house. But I'm certainly glad we did change our plans. We sat at the bar but the hostess was willing to give us a table that was reserved but the party wasn't coming for a couple hours. Seems small but many places wouldn't risk it, so I appreciated the effort. The staff is very friendly and engaging and follow COVID protocols. My wife got a glass of Riesling(dry) that she enjoyed. Ordered the Fairport Fizz which feature fairport s very own iron smoke whisky. That's was very delicious and well balanced. I also got a black cherry hard cider after that which is very good as well. They also make FRESH BREAD for each customer! The cod dish my wife ordered was by far the best fish dish I've tried in a long time from a restaurant. It came with some green and yellow bell peppers and small pieces of sausage in a cast iron skillet with rice on the side. A complete dinner. The steak was cooked to perfection. I asked for medium and it was a perfect medium as you can see from the pictures. Came with fires and green beans which went perfect with the steak. We order a dessert that I couldn't really pronounce but remember that it was house made as are all of their desserts and it was delicious. Polizzi's is on more of the pricey end with almost all the entrees being between $20-$35. These meals come with sides. I'm not sure if you can substitute them for anything but I'm sure they can accommodate your needs if you have any special needs. Polizzi's is worth the visit if you got some extra cash to spend on a date or night out with your significant other. read more

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My friend and I came here on a Tuesday night, and we figured it wouldn't be very busy.  Well, apparently there was a show that night, so it was packed!  We sat at the bar because they didn't have any tables.  You can order the full menu at the bar, so that was fine. I arrived at about 6:03, and happy hour was until 6:00, but the bartender still let me order at the happy hour price.  I was very appreciative of that, and some restaurants are really crazy about their happy hour end time, so I really liked that.  I got a sparkling rose that was really good,  And the bartender that waited on us all night was very nice and attentive. I really wanted to try the Saganaki (flaming cheese) appetizer, so we started with that.  It was cool to see, but it's not on fire for long, so be sure you take a picture quickly!  They put it out with lemon juice, and it was pretty tasty.  It was ok, but if I went back, I probably wouldn't get it again. They bring bread to the table with your meal, and that was really good, and it was warm.  The olive oil dipping mixture was also pretty good.   The next cocktail I got was the Fairport Fizz, and I wish I hadn't.  I wanted to get one of their cocktails, and it just had a very strong taste of whiskey.  It was my fault for ordering it, but I would pass on it.  The flavors didn't go together well for me. As my entree I got the vegetable napolean with no mushrooms (just because I really don't like mushrooms).  I had seen good reviews of it on Yelp, which is really why I ordered it, but I was disappointed.  It was pretty much just a pile of vegetables with some cheese and a hash brown on top.  It all tasted ok, but $19 for it was absurd.  It came with polenta fries, which I probably would have gotten a side of regardless of what I ordered.  They have a unique taste, and the pesto aioli that comes with them is incredible!  That pesto was actually my favorite part of the meal!  So I would definitely try the polenta fries. My friend was also not especially thrilled with her meal.  If this restaurant was not so pricey, I may have rated it higher, but my total bill was $50 for so-so food.  I wish I had ordered something else as my entree.  They have a vegetarian arancini on the bar menu, or I would have gotten two sides as my meal.  I may have liked that better, but for the cost, I don't know that I'd go back to try it again. read more

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Tried Polizzi's tonight for the first time. Four of us had an excellent meal and dinning experience! Had the cod and the osso bocco short ribs Meal came out hot and fresh. Our Server Eileen was good, and helpful in food and dessert selection Nice ambience for a Friday night out after a long week. Menu had a diverse selection of meals. Lots of Apps and a few specials to go along. We don't often order dessert and coffee out but we did. The coffee was luscious and the Butterscotch Bundino was really really good. Place was clean and owners are on site (and cooking). Couldn't really see any negatives at all. Give this place a try. You will be glad you did. Peace read more

Polizzi's - Butterscotch Budino - excellent!! - Italian Near Me - Rochester, New York

Polizzi's has done it again! This time excellent food during covid pandemic. They're offering to go food and also FAMILY style to go!!! Tonight a few family members and I got the family style artichoke French as well as the family style chicken Parmesan dinner over penne with salad and bread. The chicken Parm was probably the best I've had. The crunchy coating was so flavorful and chef Tom's red sauce is so delicious. For dessert I had the budino. I highly recommend this dessert. It's only $5 and not something you see in every restaurant around. Once you try it you'll be addicted. They also have a nice to-go wine selection at inexpensive prices. No need to run to the liquor store to pair a wine with dinner! read more

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Wifey and I stopped in to check out Polizzi's after seeing a movie. I think we ate too much popcorn because we didn't want to gorge on full dinners. We ordered 3 appetizers to share and a drink- not our usual night out but it was a good way to try some of their food. Wifey nixed the sausage sample app I wanted to try- so we went with the Calamari Frito Greek Style, Carpaccio Surf & Turf , and Athenian Brousketa. The Calamari was awesome and a lot to eat. Nice fresh flavors and a bunch o' squid. The Surf & Turf tasted great- Ahi tuna and Pepper encrusted Beef Tenderloin. However- it cost the most and was the least amount of food. But that's the one Wifey really wanted- so... The Brousketa was a Greek take on bruschetta- very good as well. So overall the food was good- though we never had an entree! Atmosphere was busy but not loud. I give it 4 stars! read more

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My S.O. and I came to Polizzi's at 8:00 on a Tuesday night, and it was quiet. It is located in Village Gate, which is a cute and trendy area in the Neighborhood of the Arts. We were seated promptly, and were informed that select bottles of wine were half off that night (I believe this is a regular thing on certain days of the week?). A staff member described each of the wines in detail, and since we couldn't decide, they offered a sample of the two we were considering, which was awesome! We went with the Berringer (a dark red), as we were planning on having steak. For an appetizer, we got the Greek style fried calamari, which was pretty good. I am a huge fan of banana peppers, and when I asked for some extra on the side, our waiter brought out a nicely sized dish of extra for me. As for my entree, I got the special, which was a steak with green beans and mashed potatoes. My boyfriend got the rib-eye but substituted the potatoes rosti for mashed potatoes. I personally thought his steak was a bit better than mine--although mine was good, there wasn't anything special about it. Same for the green beans. The creaminess and flavor of the mashed potatoes was what balanced the meal out. The best part of the meal was the squash--I forget which kind it is and I'm not sure if it is a regular staple on the menu, but I've included a picture of it. This was some of the best squash I've ever had in my life, and was really exquisite when paired with the steak. Overall, Polizzi's has really excellent service and pretty good food. I'd like to come back to try a pasta entrée. read more

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Food was good, the vegetarian meatballs were especially great, in texture and flavor. Everything else was alright to us, the red sauce we didn't love. Service was ok. read more

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To me, this restaurant is a hidden gem. I did have a challenge finding it. But once I found it, had a handcrafted cocktail and the pork chop special, I knew it was the place for me. Everyone was very nice. I did not have a reservation so I sat at the bar. To some it might be strange to have a pork chop at a restaurant, but it was delicious and awesome. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. The whole experience was great. I will be going back. read more

The best food ever I ordered the pork chop ( not listed on menu) Best I ever had. Servers name was Joe and he did a great job. Resturant was clean and nice. Price was not cheep but I would have paid $100.00 for that pork chop. First time there but we will be back Highly recommended. read more

Ate dinner there on 4/4 with wife & sister. They split a salad and each had osso buco, some of which they took home. I had the tournedos of beef and split a glass of cabernet with my sister. Everything was absolutely delicious and prepared to perfection. Although our server, Mary, had only been there a couple of weeks, she did a great job. We also each had a fabulous dessert: one creme brulee, one fried ice cream, one chocolate-espresso pots de creme and decaf coffee. Total with tip was just under $200. Highly recommended if the money doesn't faze you. read more

Good tasty food, decent wine and liquor selection and very friendly service. It's not too large and it's got a nice outdoor area for summer dining read more

We are always looking for new restaurants to experience, glad we tried this one. The ambiance was very warming. the service was excellent. The menu is sure to satisfy everybody's appetite. I ordered the pork chop on the advice of our very knowledgeable server. It was by far the best chop I ever had. Excellent flavor and fork tender. I wife got the short rib osso bucco and got a rave review. The pricing on everything is reasonable for what you get. Can't wait to return, there is so much more we want to try. read more

This was an excellent meal experience for a self-care date night. I had a side of the mushroom risotto with a side of grilled shrimp, perfection! For a lil something sweet, I had the creme brulet, more perfection! Server was nice. read more

Food was delicious. The staff was very attentive.including bringing a desert with a candle for the birthday boy!

I really do enjoy the atmosphere here. It's a beautiful space perfect for a date night or girls night out. There were several parties there on the weeknight I visited dining prior to a show downtown. The happy hour is good. They offer several wines and beers much less inexpensive than on the regular menu. The food was very mediocre. I found that although there was a very large portion of the pork Osso Buccoi ordered, it was very one note and very bland. The pricing is very high and for this reason I most likely would not return. read more

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Went for dinner after a Saturday afternoon play at GEVA --- "Young Frankenstein", which was a hoot! ...Got there before our 6PM reservation, so sat at the bar for some libations: even though I managed to disparage the barkeep's favorite sports teams [Yankees, Cowboys, & Notre Dame], he still made excellent drinks without spitting in them. :-) Dinner was great with excellent/attentive service. Delicious appetizers --- Saganaki [which I forgot to cry "OPA" when they flamed it table-side] and a Fried Green Tomato/Mozzarella sticks combo platter. A roasted pear salad for 2 followed which was to die for, and I had the prosciutto wrapped salmon [done to my liking, a little rare], while the little lady had the steak frites....Her meat was cooked just as ordered [MR/Medium Rare], but she felt the meat was a bit tough....However, the Creme Brulee and Butterscotch Budino we had for desserts more than made up for it. All in all a lovely time! read more

The food is delicious and fresh. The bread is outstanding and so are the desserts. I fantasize about Polizzi's