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The Eastman

4.2 (30 reviews)
Closed • Closed

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Sunil A.

The Eastman is an absolutely lovely addition to the Rochester scene and quite frankly my favorite spot. While there is a hint of the old time speakeasy in finding the place (it's really not that tricky) walking down the stairs and into the beautiful bar is just absolutely lovely. It's dark, and low lit, and the ambience is chill with a hint of hush hush and just visually so appealing. This level detail isn't just left for the eyes, the drinks here are very well made. Every single one I've had the pleasure of trying has been well balanced, flavorful, and yet somehow appropriately spirit forward. And the barstaff who puts these delectable mixtures together are absolutely well versed, knowledgable, and willing to adjust any of their drinks to your own personal tastes. Of course, the prices run a little higher, but I found them to be typical of what we see, but in this case I think the experience is well worth the cost. You're getting impeccable aesthetics, fantastic service, and wonderful drinks and it's so hard to find places that meet all three anymore. I will absolutely be coming back and highly recommend.

Northern Lights $18
Melanie M.

Group of 9 - short wait and delicious drinks! I got the Northern Lights - sweet and not strong, so you can drink several!

Ashlyn F.

The ambiance is unbeatable and the unique drink options are top tier with amazing service

Tanya C.

We stopped by the Eastman on a date night and absolutely loved it. The speakeasy vibe, nice and knowledgeable waitstaff and bartenders. Love the atmosphere. Drinks were delicious and they even took what we liked and gave suggestions. Highly recommend!

Lisa R.

We had an amazing time last night. The service, the vibe, the cocktails were all beyond fabulous! Thank you for a fun holiday night out.

Queen of hearts/some type of old fashioned
Gaston N.

The Eastman is a really cool small chill spot. This is more date night than hang with friends I would say though just because of the size of the spot and the size of the tables. The bartenders were nice and the drinks were well made. We had to wait a little bit before we got in and there's not really a good waiting area so that was the only thing I didn't like but if you're in Rochester for a date night you should definitely go!

a glass of tea and a knife on a table
Amy W.

The Eastman is a fantastic addition to the already bustling downtown Rochester area. We came to specifically check out this new Speakeasy with plans to move on to Park 600. Well we were having so much fun that we never left! This speakeasy is located under the coffee shop. We were a bit confused because we thought the entrance was in the coffee shop. But it isn't. It's located on the street east of main street. When you arrive, you are greeted and they will seat you. We got there around 6:30 and it was already packed. Expect about a 30 min wait for a seat. Even at the bar. They do not serve food so, don't come hungry. They have a ton of very unique cocktails but are happy to make whatever you request. The mixologists were fantastic! They love their jobs and you could tell they were having fun. Also very informative and knowledgeable! The drinks were pricey. They ranged around $15-20 each. They did have complimentary popcorn and we ordered a charcuterie board. It was small but it did the trick for us. Just a note: they do not have WiFi and you'll be lucky if you get cellular service down there. This was a choice they made to keep people off their phones and in the moment. If you're addicted to your phone, this may be tough for you! We had an amazing time!! I can't wait to go back!

Our table
Jennifer B.

We were tipped off to this new bar opening at Lagniappe. The entrance is located off the alley east of main and south of fourth. Waiting room was full of people, but there was a server grabbing drinks. When you enter, look around. This is a true speakeasy. Tin ceilings, wood details, hidden doors, beautiful music. What a fantastic addition to downtown Rochester! Amer, the owner, was graciously floating about on opening. He is humble and kind to say the least. Looking forward to supporting his newest venture. Jenna, our server, was a friendly spit fire. She was busy as hell, but showed up with a smile and a sense of humor. Attentive with water, drink suggestions too. Drink menu was large and a little hard to navigate based on their headings. Would love to see it based on spirit, or classics... we all found good choices. I ordered But Did You Die. It was a riff on an Aperol Spritz. So many others I'd like to try. We'll be back. Congrats on opening night!!!

a woman sitting at a table with a plate of food and a drink
Tracy F.

I am only giving this 3 stars because of the prices. The prices are typical for Rochester and Detroit which I can't stand paying $18 per drink. Same for the very very small charcuterie tray. We got there at 5pm on a Wednesday and got a table. By 6 it was standing room only. It opens at 5 so you can't get there any earlier. The drinks were fine. It's hard to tell what you are going to get with exotic descriptions. That's not unlike any other unique cocktail concoctions. So if you don't like it, it was $18. I suppose you can send it back if you absolutely don't like it but otherwise meh. Cute atmosphere, service was good at that time. Glad I went to see what it's about but certainly don't need to make a point of getting back.

Cocktails! French 75, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, and ?

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Ask the Community - The Eastman

Review Highlights - The Eastman

“Great way to start a date night, completely fooled my boyfriend while walking in he didn't expect it to be a cocktail bar at all.”

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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The Hemmingway Room - Key Lime Pie looks better than it tasted. Less whipped cream, more lime flavor would be better.

The Hemmingway Room

3.9(66 reviews)
0.2 mi•Downtown Rochester

We saw this place after leaving Too-Ra-Loo and decided to make a trip back to Rochester to check it…read moreout. What we learned is that The Hemmingway Room host 6-8 week pop ups. Right now it's Hanana Nights and the menu is Cuban. We ordered cocktails while we decided on dinner. My wife ordered Hotel Nacional and I got Call Your Mother. The drinks were served in fun cups and were absolutely delicious. We started out with an order of empanadas. They were crispy and full of tender meat. For dinner I ordered the pork shank and my wife the pineapple burger. She liked the burger, but stole most of my plantains and rice! The pork was delicious. Cooked to a perfect tenderness that fell off the bone. It was super flavorful and, while I didn't get much of the rice or plantains due to my wife, they were excellent. I would love for Havana Nights become a permanent restaurant, but look forward to whatever Hemmingway does next!

My wife and I went to Hemmingways for a date night. She'd been there twice before for events and…read morekept wanting me to experience the place too. We had a nice table which started quiet and proceeded to get louder and more vibrant as the night went on. Service was fine and fast throughout. She had the Smoky Maintain which was strong enough for her to ask for an extra splash of pineapple juice. I had an Amaretto Sour which was nicely presented and tested good enough. It wasn't as strong as hers though. She ordered their Salmon Bowl which had both teriyaki and boom boom sauce; tasted good and was an ample size. My steak and frites came. The steak itself needed a little more seasoning and could have been larger but the truffle fries were top shelf. The chimichuri sauce was good too. The key lime pie for dessert presented well, but it packed the tartness one wants. There was too much whipped cream and not enough lime. That was the only real disappointment. Everything else was pretty great. A 4.6 rounds to 5.

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The Hemmingway Room
The Hemmingway Room - Steak & Frites. Small, a little cooler than I hoped and needed seasoning. W/ the chimichurri, still delicious. The fries were great.

Steak & Frites. Small, a little cooler than I hoped and needed seasoning. W/ the chimichurri, still delicious. The fries were great.

The Hemmingway Room

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Royal Park Hotel - Guest Room

Royal Park Hotel

3.5(173 reviews)
0.3 mi
•$$$

High tea has a limited selection of teas to choose from. I like that Royal Park Hotel has this…read moreevery weekend.

Disappointing Experience -- "Pet Friendly" Comes With Major Fine Print…read more As a Rochester resident, this experience was especially disappointing. My husband and I are currently renovating our home and booked the Royal Park Hotel while in town for business and personal reasons. We planned to bring our small, well-behaved, 10-year-old dog. After booking online, I called because there was no option to add a pet. Cynthia confirmed they allow dogs and explained the policy. Most rules were reasonable, but two immediately stood out: a strict no-barking policy and dogs MUST be crated whenever the owner leaves the room. We have traveled extensively with our dog and stayed at upscale hotels including the Amway Grand Plaza, The Drake, Hilton properties, and others without issue. Our dog has never been crate trained. I completely understand requiring a dog to be secured when housekeeping enters, but requiring us to cage our 10-year-old dog simply to leave for dinner seems excessive. The no-barking rule also lacks reasonable nuance. Obviously, no guest should be allowed to leave a dog barking continuously and disturbing others. But an occasional bark? Do we also have a no-child-crying policy? There's a difference between normal occasional noise and an actual disturbance. Our dog isn't even a barker, and we travel with a dog camera to monitor her. Then there's the $150 pet fee, which is one of the highest we've encountered. For $150, I'd expect a genuinely pet-friendly experience--not simply permission to have a dog while imposing unusually restrictive rules. I went to the hotel in person hoping common sense and reasonable discretion might prevail. Deanna at the front desk reiterated that it was policy, while a manager beside her confirmed the same. There was seemingly no willingness to discuss an alternative. So we cancelled our reservation and booked The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham instead. What a difference. The Townsend charges a $50 pet fee, provides dog beds and bowls, and does NOT require our dog to be crated when we leave the room. That's what I consider pet friendly. Something else happened while I was at Royal Park that further illustrated my concerns. An older gentleman was attempting to check in early. He was told that even if his room was already ready, he would be charged a $75 early check-in fee. Ironically, I made our same-day Townsend reservation around noon. They had a room available, welcomed us immediately, and charged no early check-in fee. That's hospitality. If a room isn't ready, obviously a guest should wait until check-in. But if it's cleaned, available, and ready, charging $75 just to hand someone the key a few hours early feels like nickel-and-diming rather than luxury hospitality. Perhaps Royal Park should reassess its $150 pet fee, mandatory crating policy, barking policy, and $75 early check-in fee against comparable luxury hotels and current industry standards. This is particularly disappointing because my husband and I got married at the Royal Park last year and spent tens of thousands of dollars there. Unfortunately, even during our wedding experience, we often felt policies took precedence over hospitality. At times, it felt like constantly being reminded of what we could and couldn't do rather than being treated like valued guests. After this experience, I genuinely regret choosing Royal Park for our wedding. It's also surprising for a hotel in Rochester, an incredibly dog-friendly community. Leader Dogs for the Blind is headquartered right here in Rochester Hills. Nobody is asking the hotel to tolerate destructive animals, aggressive behavior, incessant barking, or irresponsible owners. Address an actual problem when one occurs. Charge for damage. Address legitimate noise complaints. That's completely reasonable. But don't treat every well-behaved dog as a problem before one exists and then charge guests $150 for the privilege. Royal Park has unfortunately lost our business. I will no longer recommend it to friends, neighbors, or visitors--particularly those traveling with pets. The Royal Park markets itself as a luxury hotel. Luxury hospitality should involve discretion, common sense, flexibility, and making guests feel welcomed--not simply repeating, "It's policy." Policies are important. Hospitality is knowing how to apply them with common sense.

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Royal Park Hotel - Michigan Amenity Basket

Michigan Amenity Basket

Royal Park Hotel - Romance Package

Romance Package

Royal Park Hotel - Meeting Room

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Meeting Room

Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar - Espresso martini and some other amazing cocktail

Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar

3.8(113 reviews)
0.1 mi•Downtown Rochester

This is a beautiful, newer, restaurant located in a renovated church across the street from their…read moresister restaurant, Rochester Brunch House. The front is well maintained and welcomes you through the door to a gorgeously decorated dining room and bar. Seating is somewhat limited (it's a small space) but we got there during a slower period so we were sat right away. The brunch menu has a good variety and I opted for the Avocado Croast (the "toast" was a croissant) and a drip coffee. Beware that the drip coffee gets only one free refill. I asked during ordering because there are some places that don't give any free refills. Hubby ordered the Huevos Rancheros served in a bowl. The food came out beautifully and was very fresh. If I wanted to nitpick, I'd say they are keeping the roasted potatoes in a steamer which is making their crispy outer layer somewhat soggy but they still tasted good. They should revisit how they are keeping them warm or crisp them quickly before serving. The avocado toast didn't have a lot of avocado but it was still good. They should consider adding some sea salt to top it off - it would enhance the overall flavor. The service was good - I think our server wasn't comfortable in this job. That was okay for us as she warmed up to us after a while. All in all, a nice experience for our first time there. I'd like to return to try other menu items in the future.

After trying the Rochester Brunch House (RBH) the day before, my wife noticed Saint 1881 was…read moreserving brunch, so we gave it a try. We thought it looked very similar to RBH, but after talking to our server she explained it was owned by the same owner. Like its sister restaurant it is a restored church with high ceilings and chandeliers, with an elegant yet comfortable feel. It's larger and a little more upscale than RBH with much more outside seating at the front entrance, near the street, and at the side (where we sat). Looks more suited for cocktails and wine, than food forward. The brunch menu is scaled down from RBH, but similar. I ordered the Chicken Omelette (omelette version of the Chicken Scramble at RBH, which I enjoyed the day before). It was noticeably smaller and less flavorful, but still was ok, though priced the same. Be prepared as a cup of coffee is $5. Yikes! We sat outside just after opening and hoping to have a beautiful relaxing breakfast. However, they seemed to have chosen a club like playlist from some pretty loud outdoor speakers, which felt very out of place, Maybe it was purposeful to get people revved up, but still, just felt off. Our server was warm, friendly and said some very kind things about the owner. She even told us how the restaurant got its name. Apparently there was a huge fire which destroyed several churches in the area and in 1881 this church was the first to be rebuilt. Saint 1881 pays homage to their roots. Very nice tribute. Our food took a little longer than expected since we were the only customers at the time, but not overly excessive. Between the beautiful outside seating, friendly service, interesting history, we will be back - maybe for cocktails or a nice glass of wine.

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Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar - Interior view

Interior view

Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar
Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar

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The Eastman - speakeasies - Updated October 2026

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