Found this place after looking for oysters in the area. They have $1 Oyster Thursdays!!! Amazing staff and solid drinks! Would highly recommend! read more

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I rarely leave reviews, so know that this is sincere. We visited The Vesper for the first time tonight and it was amazing. We sat at the bar (note: make a resy!) and had 18 delicious oysters, seafood cakes that were out of this world, and truly the best burger I have ever tasted. Service was friendly and fun - bar drinks were extra special - try the peachy bourbon one! Wow. We made a reservation for next week! read more

The Vesper - Seafood cakes, burger & Mac and Cheese - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Great place. Super friendly staff. Great menu that has something new and seasonal every time we visit. Love the food and drinks!

We came here to try a vesper. It was good. The food menu looked good but I didn't order a meal. The pickles were fresh and the fries were tasty. I'd come back for dinner. I thought that the food prices looked expensive for the ambiance. It would be a nice place for a work dinner or first date. read more

The Vesper - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

Have eaten here many times and every time gives me nothing to complain about. The service is always great. Servers are super friendly and knowledgeable. Food is always an adventure and the restaurant has pleasant surroundings with large windows to let in the light. Cocktails are creative and Thursday night Dollar oysters keep bringing me back. Can you tell I like the place?? Tucked away on a side street downtown but once you find it, you will always return. read more

Great service, good, and drinks! Right in the heart of Rochester NY this place is trendy with an old soul vibe. The dishes were prepared perfectly and presentation was superb! The vesper cocktail was reminiscent of speak easy classy drink. Cheers well done read more

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There isn't anything on the menu that wasn't done well, and I feel we tried too much because it all looked and sounded great. The service is always on point. You can count on friendly and professional service that always feels genuine. That isn't the common anymore. As for ambiance, the place feels relaxed and welcoming. Finally, "leave it to the bartender" cocktail creations is fun and tasty. We don't get here often enough, but another great visit. Very happy we found this place. read more

It was an interesting experience. Restaurant seems to be located on a very remote part of downtown that seems abandoned, with not much happening or traffic early evening. Parking was easy but very limited. After walking to the front door, I found it to be locked and decided to walk around the other side of the corner only to find a sign directing me back to the main entrance. I tried the door again, but it was latched. After attempting one final tug, someone finally open the door from the inside. Apparently one of the servers inside could see that I was having difficulty getting in and realized the door somehow locked itself. Two more workers from the restaurant came out to see if they could fix the latch issue. There was only about three other people in the restaurant eating at this point and one was at the bar. Although it was only a few minutes, I find it strange that they had three people outside working on the door while I stood waiting to get seated. After the door was fixed, two of the workers went back inside in the back of the restaurant while one remained at the front, but did not acknowledge me or even to thank me for bringing this door issue to their attention. I had to initiate the conversation and mentioned I was looking for a table. He was friendly enough and took me to a very small table in the corner so I asked to be moved to a larger table, especially since there were few in the restaurant at this point and I would likely be done before any crowd would come in. I started off with the grilled octopus, which was very good and definitely above average. It was not too chewy and grill just perfectly although the accompaniments took away some of the enjoyment. My second course was the tuna Tart, which had an ample portion of tuna that was fresh But also a lot of deep-fried homemade chips that were good, but maybe too many. The final dish was the fish of the day and was a white fish. It was different, but good, although the portion was a very small fillet. And drenched in a thick broth with potatoes. I'm glad I tried it, but not sure if I would have it again. The restaurant is good, but somehow seems to fall short from trying too hard to have an eclectic or trendy vibe and the prices don't seem to warrant the full experience read more

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We just left Vesper. The floors were sticky - eeewww! The corners we sat in had a side table with decor items that were covered in dust and cob webs. I stayed despite this lackluster first impression. I ordered the N. Y. Strip - medium rare. It comes with smashed potatoes and asparagus. When my meal arrived, it was barely warm. Clearly, it sat for a while before it was brought to me. The steak had the tiniest bit of pink. That is so far from medium rare. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. I liked him, he offered to take it back so they could remake it. I'm terrified to send food back because the same cook/chef that saw they overcooked my food and sent it out anyway, would be responsible to fix it. No, thank you. Such a shame, as the steak had an amazing sear and seasoning. read more

I love this adorable tucked away neighborhood bar. The martinis are phenomenal. The oysters were fresh. The bar banter was refreshing and pleasant. They had a steady steak of people coming and going during the hour I was there which says a lot. People would come in for a quick drink before heading to wherever their night was leading them. I'll certainly be back next time I'm in town read more

Place is small and intimate, great date night place. Parking is very limited so recommend ride share or if you're close to walk. And to also make a reservation, it looks like it can get busy out of no where or fill up quick. Service was great, staff is really friendly and very casual. Food was great! Lots of great choices, got the Game Set Matcha drink, delicious, lavender was not over powering. Ordered the Pork Belly and Charcuterie for appetizers both are excellent choices. Ordered the Duck, which was cooked perfectly, wished instead of noodles was on top of rice but flavors were all good. Ordered a side of Mac n cheese, ended up just taking it home but was still very delicious heating it up at home. read more

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We come here at least once a month for the Thursday dollar oysters. They always have a nice selection of those and they are very good quality. I think the best entree on the menu is the burger it is probably one of the best in the city. Cocktails are on point. Cozy environment nice soft lighting. Highly recommend. Parking is a little tight! read more

The Vesper was such a delight. Personally, I found the food and ambience of the gastropub to be perfect. The portions were excellent, the food was delicious, and it seems like a great place for a drink or date. -- I really enjoyed the mac and cheese in combination with the dijon pork belly! I felt like these flavors really complement each other. -- The Vesper is a dimly-lit gastropub with a large selection of drinks. I went for dinner, and though the food menu is a bit limited, I was extremely happy with the selection. The mac and cheese side was of a great size. It was some of the best I've had- not greasy, very cheesy, and light. I combined it with the acorn + pork dish and I found the pork belly was such a great topping for the mac and cheese! I liked it so much I packed it in a takeaway to bring home to my family to try. The acorn squash was very tender. Lastly, the squash + farro salad added freshness to my meal and I found the salad to be less crispy and more on the soggy side (which I prefer for warm salads). I enjoyed the squash and dressing. Post-meal, I was very happy since it was a reasonably priced (~$40 total), large meal and it was so delicious. The service was a bit slow on this Saturday night, but when we were checked-in on, all our needs were met. Food did take a bit longer (~15-20 minutes), but the interior was warm and cozy, so we didn't mind too much. It is eclectic in its decorations and lively/but not too loud. I can see it being a great date spot. Overall, I would recommend stopping by the Vesper to try their food (all of which was delicious) or to grab some drinks for a date. read more

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What a pleasant surprise! Suggested by our 40 something son and it did not disappoint. Had the 5 year old with us so chose to dine at 5p. Restaurant quickly got busy after that ! Full when we left. Menu is small but has a.great variety of food. We all had the charcuterie plate to share. It's awesome... nice variety. I had the duck.. not the usual breast; leg and thigh with a rice pilaf and broccolini. Delicious! Others had the mussels in coconut curry broth with fries; steamed buns with sausage and beef hulgogi with yellow rice. The little guy had Mac and cheese which he loved! Ambiance was pleasant.; bench is like a comfy couch with pillows! Great experience. My husband described it as a hidden gem. read more

Work took us to Rochester, New York. I actually posted quite a few of the places we went to, and this is the last of the series. The Vesper, we found via Yelp. And impressed, we were. We had Oysters (#wellfleet and #beausoliel). Seafood Cakes were delicious - #Crab + #Shrimp + #Mahi, #Remoulade.Highly recommended are the #Scallops and #Pork Belly - Grapefruit Supremes, Brussels Sproouts, Wasabi. I liked all the restaurants we visited, but I think I like The Vesper the most. And, I say again, far away from home as it is, Socal Weekend Walkarounds definitely recommends! Check out my Instagram and Facebook short on The Vesper https://fb.watch/oHLfXjojVG/?mibextid=Nif5oz read more

The Vesper - Scallop and Pork belly wins!!!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

The place was pretty cool. We were sat at a corner table with a comfy couch that wrapped around. The waiter was nice and very helpful. He suggested drinks and foods that he loved. We got the characuterie for an appetizer. It was good, I've never had sage cheese or some of the meats they had on it. We enjoyed all of it. I got the seafood crab cakes. They had a lot of flavor. It didn't have chunks of seafood which I wished it did. My boyfriend got the vesper burger 2.0 and that was so good. It was seasoned and cooked perfectly, the garlic aioli and bacon marmalade really took your taste buds to another level. The fries were crispy on the outside and seasoned. Everything we had was so good and we can't wait to go back. read more

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OMG! The seafood on the Trust Fund was so good. Some the best I have eaten. Only negative is parking is a little challenging. Not an issue with the restaurant. read more

Vesper has a really cool vibe to it with a very soothing atmosphere and friendly staff. My starting cocktail was the namesake Vesper made to specification as 007 described in Casino Royal, although slightly heavy handed on the Lillet. But I'm not complaining. Appetizers were excellent. Shrimp ceviche was fresh and bright with a kick from jalapeño, and served with house made tortilla chips. The tuna tartare was massive! Reminded me of a poke without all the additions. Really nice and shareable. Entrees. The Faroe Island salmon was good. Huge portion perfectly cooked. The dijon tarragon cream sauce was good, but completely covered the star of the dish. Less would be more in my opinion. The potato bacon hash didn't really do much to bring harmony to this one. The Vesper burger was good. Served with a bacon tomato onion jam and smoked Gouda. Cooked to order and paired with some excellent fries. Reasonable prices. Definitely recommend and will come back to explore other interesting menu items. read more

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By far the best $1 oyster special in Rochester (and I've been to them all!)!! regular dinners are so so, but go for drinks and oysters and you will not be dissapointed!! read more

I have been so many times and love it every time! Their ceviche is great and their sea bass is delicious. This time I had the Pieroggi and Sausage and it was solid. The sausage was the best part. read more

The Vesper - Piergies and Sausage - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

Food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. I had to call in to modify my reservation and the manager was quick to accommodate us without any issue. The drinks are super! read more

My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary and staying at an Air BnB above the bar next to The Vesper. This spot was perfect for grabbing a bite and some cocktails before our anniversary dinner, which was scheduled later that night. My boyfriend started the night out with a couple Negronis, which he enjoyed. I went with the Figueroa and the Trejo. Both were great in their own way. The Figueroa was a little sweet for my taste, but I still enjoyed the flavors. I like the setup of the place and the interior is charming and masculine. We also ordered the truffle fries, which hit the spot. read more

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We visited on a Saturday recently with reservations so we walked right in and to our table. No wait time for us and the tables were full. Parking stinks here. There's a section in front, but when it's full, you'll find street parking farther around the Geva lot. The lots behind the restaurant are gated and I believe restricted or requires payment. We ordered truffle fries, Asian-style wings, and the seafood small plate, The Trust Fund. The fries were tasty and the wings were sweet and tangy. The Trust Fund came with a martini, 4 oysters, tuna tartare, ceviche, some caviar and olives. It may be worth it compared to a la carte depending on the market price of the oysters. I enjoyed the tartare the most and must remind myself to use less sauce as it became too salty. My least favorite was the ceviche; I don't remember why, but I do remember we didn't finish it. I also think our server forgot the included martini because we had to ask for it and it came towards the end of our meal. The cocktails were good, food was split between good and okay, service was nice, and parking is hit or miss. read more

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Cold beer, good oysters, great service, and an absolutely outstanding burger! Good times!!

If you're looking for a cozy and cool vibe, to spend time at, Vesper is your spot! The menu has a variety of options - small plates to share or meals and everything is FRESH - made in their open concept kitchen. The real appeal aside from the atmosphere is their drinks. There are tons of alcoholic choices but I'm here to rave about their mocktails. While pregnant and nursing I have chosen to SPECIFICALLY go to Vesper for girls night or mamas night out due to the fact that although they are not on the menu, they will HAPPILY make you a mock tail of your choice or create something for you based off of what you like using fruit purée. And the best part is they are reasonably priced. read more

Dear Abigail, A huge thank you for handling such a large influx of people on Wednesday evening with aplomb. You and the kitchen staff were nothing short of amazing! The food (highly recommend the short rib) the drinks and the service were amazing despite being a bit understaffed for the size of the crowd! Big fan! HUGE! Will be back (with a smaller following) much thanks! P read more

Date night Everything we had was good or great. The fish cakes were a highlight. Brussel sprouts were great, until you get to the bottom of the bowl and there they are floating in grease. The gnocchi was delicious, could have used little salt, but the bread they came with it was fantastic. Great atmosphere, and really good service. Our one regret was coming for an early dinner. Seems like it would be really cool after dark. This was our first time, and we will definitely come back. read more

I loved the Vesper! I tried this place for the first time a few weeks ago and had a great experience. Elliot, the bartender and our server, was amazing. My bf and I decided to sit at the bar and given place mats and candles to set the ambiance. The Vesper has a dark moody vibe which I absolutely loved. It's a great place to go to for a date night. My bf and I tried several foods and drinks from the menu. The vesper wings and grilled cheese bites were amazing! I feel like we also tried several of the cocktails which were all great as well. For our meals, I had the vesper burger and my bf had the steak. The only reason I am giving four stars is because the steak had no flavor. I have no complaints about anything else. Everything else was delicious I will definitely be back to visit again for another date night! read more

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The Vesper is one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. The seafood is amazing, the service is on point, and it's great for date nights, friends' dinners, and groups. read more

The menu selection is 5 star, unique and masterfully prepared and served. We had the Bones and Baguette- a half long bone with the marrow broiled served with toasted baguette. The flavors are subtle and amazing. The tuna tartare was fresh and lightly seasoned to complement the tuna and light, crisp wontons. I highly recommend the beets and burrata but the other unique salads were hard to bypass. Now for the entrees: one could not have found a better birthday dinner for a seafood lover than the lobster French toast! If you're a lobster fan you have to order this dish, moist layers of French toast stuffed with langoustines and covered with lemony whipped cream and more langoustines. The Duck a l'orange was the best I've ever found, crisp orange skin with moist flavorful meat beneath. To top off the perfect birthday dinner our waitress brought out Aztec chocolate crème brûlée- a spicy dark chocolate delight! We went early, so parking was easy and the seating not too crowded. Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, and anticipated our needs. She spaced the food out and fostered a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere. The chef and sous staff have to be 5 star based on the dishes served. read more

Leaning towards a 3 1/2. Came here with a few friends. COVID rules is that we are sitting in tables at least 6 feet apart, there is sit down dining, and staff are wearing masks. We came in on a Thursday for their 1$ oysters and entrees. I thought their oysters (we got 2 dozen of Shooting stars) was ok. I love fresh raw oysters, but thought these just were sweet and fresh tasting as I've had before. I thought there was too many clam shell bits in the meat itself, making it difficult to eat. Also, the temperature of the oysters wasn't cold enough for my liking which I usually think of cool, sweet, and refreshing. We had started the meal off saying we could each eat a dozen, but wound up splitting 2 dozen among 6 people with no repeats. The entrees fared better! We thought the Cuban was just some rice, beans, and plantains but it's actually a good greasy Cuban sandwich. The packaging was a little bizarre; it comes wrapped in a yellow paper but looks edible, so I recommend checking for paper wrapping first. The sandwich was very greasy; I think the wrapping in paper soaked the bread with oil, so I think for presentation purposes, removing the paper would have helped the sandwich not have such an oil soaked presentation. In Miami, the bread is still crisp and fresh even with its 3 layers of porks and compounded by pressure. We also got the seafood cakes, which was more salty than I would have liked. Seafood is already salty as is, and I thought this was too much salt and not enough spices. Would recommend a worchester/vineger/cajun/mustard to add a little kick. The ceviche was better but still also could use more crispness. My overall impression was that everything was good but could use either a dash of crispness whether it be from the too oily cuban, not cold enough oysters, or seafood cakes that just seemed too salty/floury. Service was still kind and excellent and the atmosphere was otherwise great, with high ceilings, cozy and modern vibes. Drinks I heard were delicious from my friends at the table. read more

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Went to the vesper last night and it was so good! Food was delicious . Definitely try the seafood cakes. I would say the best way to tackle this place is getting a bunch of apps. The mac and cheese was yummy but it had ver little lobster. Drinks were awesome and vibe was cozy. read more

The Vesper - Mac and Cheese lobster - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Fancy spot! Love their drinks. It's a great spot for gatherings and celebrations. The service is neat too. Nice people who are gentle

My spouse had an evening with friends so I decided to take myself out. Puzzled for a while over where to go til I happened upon the listing for The Vesper. Some friends had recommended it so I said, "Why not!" So glad I did. Got there early on a Thursday - 5pm. Looked dark so I called from the car. "Yeah, we're open." "Should I make a reservation?" "When are you coming in?" "About one minute." (laughter), "No. See you soon." Food and service were great and the dining room was not at all noisy, a big plus for me. I'll be back! read more

The Vesper opens on Mondays. We arrived a little bit after 5 pm and there was already a few tables of people. The kitchen was out of wings so we got mussels instead. The coconut curry broth was dialed down so that it wasn't too strong. Interestingly, there came a side of fries with it?! I ordered a burger because I was craving for one. The bun to patty ratio was good and it wasn't too difficult to take a bite. It's not a small one so I was only able to finish half of it and took home the rest. The fries were nicely seasoned though I didn't indulge myself too much with them. I think the food menu is rather short and choices can look limited for some. I haven't tried their oyster night yet so I'll surely come back for that. read more

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Was in town for business and found this spot. And cannot wait to return. All of our food was delicious. Drinks on point. Our server was lovely and engaging. read more

My rating for this place would be 3.5 stars. The atmosphere is great but I found the food to mediocre. Parking is a bit of pain but we found a parking spot where we probably weren't able to park out front of the restaurant. We did ask the staff and they said the city puts up the signs and they said it was probably okay on a late Saturday night. We loved the atmosphere of the place and the vibe. Would definitely come back here for the drinks and fresh oysters, those were top notch. We just didn't find anything special about the charcuterie board or mussels. The mussels were small, sort of bland tasting and the curry broth wasn't as flavorful/sort of watery too. On the other hand, the Parmesan truffle fries that we ordered on the side were delicious. The charcuterie board had a great presentation but nothing about the board made me think it was gourmet and it sort of felt this board I could have done with regular deli meat or cheeses/nuts I got at home. Service was great though. Definitely think it's a great place to come back to for drinks, truffle fries and their oysters. Not so much their food though which is unfortunate. read more

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Interesting place. Slightly odd location, but parking was fine. Small place. Oysters were very fresh. Shared 4 plates between 2 of us. Creative and interesting menu. Scallop with coconut curry was our favorite. read more

I really hate to leave this review because I have loved The Vesper for years. Unfortunately, last night we had the worst experience. We had a reservation all was good there. However our waitress (who we haven't had before) was less than pleasant. This was surprising for the Vesper. She kept forgetting our drinks, brought out the wrong entree, and brought out our oysters halfway through our meal. The worst part was our entree PLEASE do not order the tuna manicotti. I had never seen something so disgusting. Cold Tuna salad stuffed in TWO cold shells with a undressed pile of lettuce for $38. We would have just sent it back it was so gross however our waitress didn't come back till we were done eating. Overall so disappointing. read more

It's been a while since we ventured back here, but we were so glad we did. On a Friday night, they were naturally busy, but we were able to wander in at 9pm and get a table for 4. It's probably not like that normally, but if you're in the area and need a cocktail, craft beer, or wine, stop in and give it a try. All of our food was perfection. It was filling, and well plated, and I was definitely envious of my friend's burger and Mac & cheese, even after my delicious wing. read more

The Vesper - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York