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Rella

4.6 (97 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 3 months ago

Rella Photos

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RELLA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Classy

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Recommended Reviews - Rella

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Entry
Kristen H.

Amazing... I felt like I was in a big city! All the seating is at the bar... You are able to make a reservation. We had at the corner, which was nice because we could face each other sort of. The food is all shareable and portions are generous Service is low pressure but smooth Drinks were great We chatted with a couple next to us and ordered more food based on their recommendation. You will not be disappointed!

Oysters at Rella
Jessy G.

Really cool ambience in here. Great food. We went at 9:15 at night on a Saturday and had the whole place to ourselves. If you're not going late, you need reservations, it's very small. We got oysters and risotto. The sausage risotto was incredible!! We split it between two of us and ate the whole thing. The cocktails were beautiful and delish too. Highly Recommend this place. Even if you don't like seafood they had some good options.

Andrew D.

First off, the Shrimp Sliders are excellent. They feature sweet and tangy rock shrimp on a fresh buttery roll. You would be remiss to go without a try. The rest of dishes are solid. And I'll be honest, I have not had the oysters so I can't speak to them. The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired, with some clashing decor, but the service was friendly and timely. Definitely worth a stop if you like seafood!

Oysters
Kathryn T.

Their food was very good! They are perfect for appetizers! I love the way how they did with sauce for both appetizers. Absolutely delicious! The service was friendly and enjoyable!

Incredible
Megan C.

Echoing the thoughts of my fellow reviewers and Rochesterians that have been lucky enough to enjoy this beautiful haven's food, vibe, hospitality, and ambiance. Whatever you hope to get out of a perfect dining experience, you can come to Rella to find it. It's no shock that the team that brought us Rocco is also delivering in a big way in this new venture - the commitment to incredibly well-crafted food and humanized service is as apparent here as it is at it's sister restaurant. Let's start with the food! It's just...flawless? Everything that came out somehow topped the thing before it. My dining partner and I were there to get AFTER it, and we did just that. 6 oysters, sliders, chowder, risotto, and a bottle of prosecco later, we were stunned by the thoughtfulness of each dish. The chowder is the most surprising and delightful! Packed with flavor, a nice kick, and made to order. The slider rolls are next level. The prices are all VERY reasonable and the experience left us feeling like ~ballers~ without a huge hit to the wallet. Everything here is exposed and curated to fit their "open kitchen" (the restaurant IS the kitchen and the kitchen IS the restaurant so does that still count as open kitchen...?) You see it all happening as it is happening! The space if beautifully appointed with vintage flair and the kind of individuality that gives you a glimpse into the spirit of the person who put it together. Special vibes and a lot to look at! My last piece of advice on making the most of this experience is to save room for dessert! We tried a bite of Chef's cornbread ice cream and I almost passed out. Next level creamy/flavor goodness. I will never go anywhere else for delicious seafood again, and I can't wait to continue supporting this intimate and beautiful space for years to come. Open for takeout and dine in! Make a reservation!

Clam
Wenqi Z.

Service: Incredible service! The waitress put our information down for walk-ins and called us when spots opened up. She was also patient and welcoming, and very willing to give recommendations & explanations about the different dishes Ambience: The restaurant was pretty small and the decor felt romantic and intimate. Perfect for a date night. Only issue is that due to the space limitation, you can be a bit too close to people sitting next to you and it wasn't the most comfortable. Food: the bread rolls was very delicious! However the rest were just okay. I ordered the clam pot roast and the clam wasn't thoroughly cleaned. There were sand particles in some of the clams. The taste of the pot roast was also just okay. The spaghetti my sister ordered was a bit better and the shrimp was really fresh. Still it wasn't among the best I've had.

New menu after original chef left
Marissa N.

I'm not gonna lie I miss the old Rella with the original chef's creative menu. I thought I'd give the new Rella a try. The food was good and well prepared but the creativity and energy of the experience were missing. Instead of rock shrimp sliders there are now smoked salmon sliders, the rolls were denser. There was an absence of creative salads. We did get the shrimp louis which was a salad but the wedge of iceberg was not awe worthy. The oysters are still good as ever. We ordered the chocolate pie which wasn't completely set in the center but had nice flavor.

Shrimp spaghetti-o's
Carolyn N.

The first time I went here, and let me tell you I was not disappointed at all! In this tiny 18-seat restaurant, the food can and will blow you away. Everyone knows that seafood is only good when it's fresh and stored properly. No soaking in water nonsense, you store it properly so it doesn't lose its flavor. Rella was absolutely doing it correctly. Everything was seasoned perfectly, the dressings and the sauces were made to compliment the seafood, not fight with it and not overwhelm it. I was so obsessed with the oysters that I bookended my entire meal with them. A few at the beginning and a few at the end. Everyone should come here at one point or another, and try as much of the menu as possible. Everything was very reasonably priced considering the quality and I will be returning again and again.

Lea H.

Little local spot that I found out about from friends. No reservations, no website, and no sign on the window. A rotating seafood based menu, wine and beer (no cocktails) and a 15 seat bar setup. We got there right at 5pm, when they opened, and grabbed two seats. We tried several menu items and we were happy with everything. Sometimes, with seafood in the Roc, portion sizes are disappointing for the price. Not so here, we found the portions generous and filling. They also had a few dessert options not on the menu. And we split a flan with cornbread ice cream (which was strangely yummy). I will say, get here early if you want a seat! And come with an empty stomach!

Oysters!
Aimee F.

We had a really good time at Rella! You CAN make a reservation, although I think most people in the community don't realize this! We made a reservation which was very helpful since they have very little seating (just at the bar where you can see in to the kitchen). The menu is very small and I think, changes frequently. The food was really really good. Sort of like upscale bar food. Our favorites were the oysters (and oysters with tuna), the shrimp louie salad, and the egg salad sandwiches with smoked salmon. I know it doesn't sound special, but it is very elevated. My one complaint is that I don't feel like that they are great with allergies. The waiter didn't seem to know 100% or feel like he needed to ask the chefs, which would have been helpful. I will say though everything we got was really good and the experience was really unique!

Mussels
Marie M.

This is a very small venue with bar seating only. You should definitely make reservations to ensure a seat. Finding the number for reservations is a little difficult but you end up calling Rocco's which is next door. The chowder was the best I've ever had! Filled with huge chunks of seafood and amazing flavor. We ordered 3 plates for the 2 of us and each one was delicious.

Seafood Salad Fra Diavalo
Hannah L.

I've never had a dining experience quite like this before! I was in town to celebrate my friend's birthday and she really wanted to come here for dinner; she raves about how good it is so we decided to give it a go. Normally, seafood is not my first choice but I ventured out of my comfort zone with the Portuguese clam chowder and the seafood salad fra diavalo. Both were excellent. The flavor profiles of both were out of this world, I would never normally order either of these things but the way in which they were prepared made me so happy I gave them a shot. My friend ordered some vegetarian-friendly options: the butternut squash salad and the accompaniments that came with the salmon dish (veggies, curry potato salad, and yogurt sauce). I snagged a bite of each and, again, they were delicious. Just something to note: they currently do not take reservations and since it is exclusively bar-style seating, they seat everyone on the list at once and do a full service. We weren't able to get in right when they opened at 5 but snagged a spot in their 6:30 service. I don't know if the three services a night are exclusive to weekends, but I might suggest coming when they're less busy during the week to ensure you get a taste of all the deliciousness!

Anuk B.

This place was absolutely delicious and one of my new favorite restaurants in Rochester. We sat outside in the grassy area around the restaurant. The waiter was incredibly nice and gave us a free tequila shot at one point! We got the rock shrimp sliders, the oysters, and the baby octopus. The sliders especially were so tasty, and everything was light yet filling. The oysters were so flavorful as well. I would 100% recommend this restaurant to anyone in Rochester

"Spaghettios" shrimp pasta - so good

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9 months ago

Rochesters gem of a seafood stop. Small but exquisite. Totally worth the trip, I loved it and the staff

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Great Food in a super casual setting. Seating at bar and eating food made in front of you, well done

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7 years ago

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1 year ago

shrimp sliders a1. very unique ambiance, see the food as it is made. best seafood in Rochester in my very humble opinion. let's get it

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Apogee Wine Bar

Apogee Wine Bar

(72 reviews)

$$

Park Avenue

Apogee is a fantastic gem of a place in a quiet spot on Park Ave, far from the crowds and traffic…read moreand heavily perfumed masses. It feels like a hidden locals-only joint where you can grab a glass of your fave from a thoughtfully curated list of delicious options, and settle in with your better half, besties or a group of friends and just chill. We've been to Apogee a number of times before and 'after' covid, in colder months when we've been lucky to snag a window table, and in warmer times, like tonight, when we can sit outside and enjoy the flickering fireflies along with our sparkling rosè. Besides the pleasant atmosphere, Apogee has a beautifully appointed interior space, clean bathrooms, and a menu with cheese plates, cake, and more wines than you could taste in a summer. All of that plus super knowledgable 'bar tenders' (more like wine sommeliers) who can take your possibly clumsy description of what you think you want and offer up several perfect options, and you have the makings of a very pleasant evening. Book mark this place and plan to spend at least an hour enjoying an outside table!

Apogee was our baby shower venue. While people don't normally associate wine bar with baby shower,…read morewe made it work and Apogee was the perfect venue that met all of our needs. As a special events venue, Apogee was flexible with outside food and also with decorations. There was no additional venue rental/site fee, just a minimum spend amount (which we were confident that we would exceed). The venue is cozy and intimate, but has high ceilings so it did not feel claustrophobic at all, even with 30+ guests at one point. I'm a wine snob myself, so I was a bit skeptical initially when I saw their wine list. Most of the wines they serve retail for $10-20. They do have some bottles that are more expensive (retail ~$30). However, after tasting some of their entry level wines (Ancient Peaks Zinfandel & Gouguenheim Malbec), my worries vanished. Everything I tasted was excellent and drank better than their actual price point. Steve was a great host. He was laid back, but still friendly and attentive to all of our guests. He made sure everybody's drink needs were satisfied. He was also flexible with letting us in the venue early to set up and also staying late to clean up. I also liked the fact that they allowed us to bring our own wine, for a $15 per bottle corkage fee, which is fair. Anyways, Apogee is a great venue for a small party. They are flexible and reasonable. I would definitely recommend them as a wine bar and for hosting a private event (especially on a Sunday).

Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen - Gnocci

Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar and Kitchen

(97 reviews)

Neighborhood of the Arts

We've been meaning to try out Carnegie Cellars for a long time and 3 of us finally went in…read moretonight. The experience was amazing! The menu is different than other places, it goes from small to large plates and you order what you want and if you want more- keep ordering. My daughter got a flight of white wines and I got one of their beers, which was an interesting hazy IPA called Baby Kittens. Our waiter Philip was very knowledgeable on the wine selection and helped with the food order. We started out with the Flour City bread, which was toasted and had a dip of whipped ricotta with butternut squash - excellent! Next, we had the salt and pepper squid - their version of a fried calamari appetizer - also excellent with a nice little spice that snuck up on you a little bit. We followed that with the farm salad, which had a great cranberry vinaigrette. Then we had mussels which were over a jasmine rice that had a great sauce with it. The last dinner item we had was the butternut squash ravioli - so tasty! The table next to us got the fries, which was a huge mound of french fries with Parmesan cheese and I think something else on it. It was a lot of food. The waiter suggested their desserts, which was a choice of a huge slice of carrot cake or a skillet baked chocolate chip cookie or brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. We got the latter and it was excellent. The atmosphere was very subdued and great for a date or just a fun night out. I highly recommend visiting Carnegie Cellars!

We liked this place a lot. The food was mostly well portioned. The preparation, flavor, texture,…read moretemperature were on point. The service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the wine selection. Parking could be a challenge, seating is varied at tables, bar and all along the full length windows.

Rella - seafood - Updated May 2026

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