I love the place. Food is excellent. Prices are great. Drinks are exceptional. And the owner is "The Best ".

Love love LOVE vesper. The ever changing menu always keeps my favorites (truffle parm fries, the best in town!!) while mixing it up with seasonal treats. My husband and I feel like it's Rochesters best kept secret. Will be back again, and again! read more

Service was great, they accommodated our larger size party on a Saturday night. Can't wait to go back and try more food. read more

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

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Great atmosphere, friendly bartenders and servers. The Mules and the food were both excellent. Of course parking sucks, but our city braintrust doesn't get it. Definitely worth going to again. read more

Pros: best crab cakes in Rochester nice interior Cons: parking I wish the crab cakes were slightly larger read more

The Vesper - Best crab cakes in Rochester.. I wish they were slightly larger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

We were in Rochester on Monday night and wanted to find a nice restaurant for dinner. This was one of the few places open and it was absolutely perfect. The peach and buratta salad, scallops, and ahi tuna dishes were excellent and the perfect portion sizes. Even had room for the everything but the kitchen sink bread pudding dessert! Very delicious. read more

The Vesper - Seared Ahi Tuna - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

Delicious food, good atmosphere, great music! Ordered a fruit tart and got carrot cake but it ended up being AMAZING. Will return next time we are passing through. Open til 11 on a Thursday read more

The Vesper - Menu and bar shot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

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This place is a hidden gem, tucked in a back corner of the city. Went on a Tuesday, they a great taco Tuesday deal (2 tacos and a marg for $12). The food was very good. We ordered a variety of things. Tacos, burger, grilled cheese bites, sausage (which changes daily), and the corn fritters. The small plates are a perfect sharing/appetizer option. Burger was cooked perfectly. The service was also great. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. read more

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

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What happened to the Vesper I used to love? My boyfriend and I always thought about the amazing Vesper burger that made us fall in love with this restaurant so we decided to go and satisfy our burger craving and to get some awesome drinks. For apps we tried the ceviche this time and of course both got the Vesper burger. I also tried a new drink (on top of others I've had before) called the catalina wine mixer. For dessert I had the caramel bread pudding and my boyfriend had the brownie. The ceviche was bland and served a bit too warm for comfort. There was no brightness that you'd expect from a ceviche dish. It really tasted like...nothing. On the plus side, there were a lot of tortilla chips... The Vesper burger was the most disappointing. Gone were the nicely toasted buns I was used to. They now use this swirly bun that I don't think was even toasted. The fat slab of foie gras has shrunken into a small and thin piece of something.... Both of our burgers were cooked pretty rare (which we didn't mind), even though the outside was very charred and almost burnt (this we did mind). The fries were also not too crispy and missing the potato taste I loved. Our drinks saved the day. My catalina wine mixer was so good. It was refreshing with a slight hint of sweet. I was very happy with it. As for the desserts, the caramel bread pudding tasted fine. It had a harder texture than I remember from the last bread pudding I had here. Almost like it was reheated after being frozen....The brownie however, was delicious. It was moist and had such rich chocolatey flavor. I was pretty satisfied by our drinks and desserts, but I'm not sure I will be returning after such a disappointing food experience. read more

Nice setting, but disappointing food and bad service. It doesn't merit a second visit.

I've been here twice now and both times have been an awesome experience. It's off the beaten path a tiny bit, but well worth the visit. It's a very comfortable and cozy restaurant and the staff is very friendly. The first time I went there, my friend and I ate at a table. This time I ate at the bar with a few friends and I really enjoyed that. My friends and I enjoyed talking with the owner and the bartender. They have a great cocktail menu and a large selection of beer and wines. I had "The Gilroy" cocktail and had them topit off with Prosecco. It was delish! We had pierogies and a flat bread appetizer. The flat bread special was a cheesesteak made with NY strip and both were fantastic. The pierogies were atop caramelized onions, which I really dug. I had scallops for dinner and I've now come to the realization that I've rarely had scallops that were fresh or cooked properly because these scallops were insane! An all-around great place to dine! Give it a try! read more

Delicious oysters and a wide variety! The bar seats were entertaining and bar tender did a wonderful job with my drinks! Lobster roll was okay nothing to write home about but went down easy. read more

Where do you start with the high points? Is it the menu, the aesthetic, the location? Yes yes and yes. Menu: Solid but small (focused?) menu that covers a variety of current/creative apps, comfort food items (ie, top-3 grilled cheese sandwich of my life), legitimately and appropriately built seafood selections, (al dente scallops, mahi, and poke) at reasonable pricing. Aesthetic: fits a certain vibe that many like. Along the directly/dimly lit, candles, dark-finished bar, and exposed brick and beam interior. It says "come on in and stay for a while and we won't tell nobody". Love it. Location: I'm partial to the location as it's next corner down from our Rochester office. Fantastic little neighborhood tucked in from the Notable corner of Woodbury Ave (Fuego, GEVA, & The Strong West-East notable neighbors) and South Ave (Dinosaur BBQ, Rochester Public Library, and entrance to South Wedge, north to south). It's adjacent the South Ave and 490 east interchange... a spot that feels remote in a good way, but very accessible and plenty of close parking. Drinks: oh I almost forgot the drinks. Solid menu of cocktails that include local Iron Smoke Whiskey and a variety of fun themed drinks (ie "mother of dragons" etc). Creative and strong. 5-Stars! read more

There were moment of real greatness in my visit to the Vespers, and they were contrasted with moments of awful. I kept wishing for some in between space. As I reflect on my visit I think it was due in large part to the service. We ate at the bar (there was one occupied table at 7:00), and it seemed like the bartender had been enjoying her wares for a bit. It quickly felt like we were at odds, she was very short with us and didn't develop a rapport... at all. I will say that my companion and I organize a community event and were scouting for a place to bring around 50 people so we were searching for something very specific, so we were discussing the space when the bartender approached us. Moments of greatness... The chips and dip were outstanding. We had a bowl of house made chips severed with the most amazing onion dip I have ever had. The white bean dip was also flavorful and delicious! The beer and wine list were well curated and I enjoyed the wine special very much. There was a mix of spirits, wines and beers as well as a nice cocktail list. My friend ordered a craft cocktail, which was well made and very tasty. She had a hand made daiquiri (not fruity or frozen) which is hard to find. We had the grilled cheese bites with tomato soup and after tasting them separately I realized that the soup was delicious! It was light and flavorful with no heaviness that can come with tomato soup. Moments of awful... The above mentioned soup came with a grilled cheese that was odd in an indistinguishable way when dipped in the soup. It had a weirdly charred flavor that lacked the rich crispness that I look forward to with a grilled cheese. The charred flavor overpowered the cheese- which wasn't melted. We ordered the flourless chocolate cake for dessert, which came in a cast iron crock and was not nearly as dense as literally every other flourless chocolate cake I have ever eaten. This cake was topped with a layer of stale, maybe heated whipped cream crusted on top. When we asked our server if it was really flourless (because it was puffy and cake like) she said "I don't know why anyone would say their cake was flourless if it isn't." A better response may have been- "this isn't a traditional flourless cake, but the chef designed it based on... (fill in any explanation here). Honestly, a positive service experience could have changed this visit completely. An attentive server could have explained the menu choices to us or suggested menu items, or even chatted us up in a welcoming way. The minor difficulties with the food could have been smoothed over with charming conversation and savvy recommendations. read more

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Came here with my girlfriends mainly because of the $1 oysters on Thursday ! The atmosphere felt calm and relaxing. You can see the kitchen from where you are sitting throughout the restaurant. Our orders: 70 pieces of Oysters Mac and cheese Shrimp cocktail Shrimp Poboy Shrimp with angel hair The oysters were small to medium sized, they didn't give us a location of where they're from. It was decent for $1 a piece. Everything on the menu besides the larger entrees are like tapas, small dishes and sides. If your goal to get full, you probably will aim to get lots of small dishes. Overall our dinner was satisfying. Our server was attentive and helpful. We would definitely come back for oysters! read more

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I would go back. Friendly staff with suggestions about what to do in the city. Good food and drinks. I was visiting Rochester and this is where I started my night because the food looked the best online. read more

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

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If you are going to watch a show at Geva or are just in the area, I would definitely stop by The Vesper! We came for drinks and dinner on a Friday night. I ordered The Vesper martini to start and it was smooth and perfectly balanced. If you are in the mood for beer or wine, there was a great selection of both. For dinner, we ordered the mussels and frites, Cuban special and shrimp po boy. All 3 meals were absolutely delicious and plentiful. The service is top notch and it's a quaint setting where you can spend quality time with others. read more

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Great food and excellent service. Fun location and atmosphere. Highly recommend! Friendly staff in fun location!

My boyfriend and I were seated in the corner booth and immediately noticed the strong smell of urine. We notified our waitress as we thought someone had actually peed themselves in the booth. She seemed somewhat annoyed with this and said she would move us once a table opened up. About 10 minutes passes before another woman (manager? owner?) comes to the table and notifies us that the smell is NORMAL in this one spot, and is coming from the pipe right behind us in the wall. We found this to be an extremely odd explanation and strange to admit to customers. For future customers, I guess don't sit in the corner booth? It was about 45 minutes until we could be moved to the bar. No one seemed too apologetic or took anything off the bill. The food was pretty good, but not really worth the hassle (or the smell). read more

5 star experience to match their 5 star signature cocktail! In case you haven't heard, there is a new spot within walking distance for the Downtowners. This place is outstanding for the work lunch or happy hour crowd, but not limited to. They maintained the same set up as the old Nikko's. Dim lighting with plenty of tables but kinda tight on busy nites. The bar area is pretty inviting and comfortable. Perfect for a gastro-pub. On Thursdays they offer $1 Oysters all day from a different region every week. Perfect for opening up the appetite for a delicious lunch, dinner or a rendevouz over drinks. I don't believe many people know about their lunch hours. My girlfriend and I walked here from our work offices and were the only ones dining in. I loved every minute of it due to the attentiveness and speedy service of course. We split the shrimp po'boy and classic burger and both meals came with delicious hand cut fries. Man those fries. The dinner crowd is low key until after 6:30pm or so. At that point it is very tight and uncomfortable if you are not seated by in one of the booth tables. I recommend making reservations and asking to be seated in that area. menu items I've thoroughly enjoyed are the Vesper burger with foie gras and caramelized onions (DELISHIZ), the Pan Seared Scallops, Coconut Curry Mussels and Ceviche. Items that were just okay were the Cheese Stuffed Olives (small), the Vesper Wings and the Mac and Cheese. The most memorable item for me to date, besides their signature cocktail, is the...Chocolate.Covered.Bacon! I wish it was a permanently on the menu. Love the place, vibe and atmosphere. Many visits are on the horizon for this working girl. read more

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I really want to see The Vesper do well. I love the concept and the location and the service I've encountered, but with any new restaurant, there are tweaks to be had in order to be sustainable. If I could round up to 3.5 stars, The Vesper would earn that extra half star. I've been to The Vesper twice now, both times after events at Geva Theatre. The Vesper is perfect for post-show bites and sips. It's a quick walk from the theatre, and if there's no parking in that little lot in the front, the Washington Square garage is close enough that you won't even notice the walk. By virtue of the fact that they are open for dinner, The Vesper fills a much needed niche downtown. What to get: the grilled cheese bites. Seriously, do it. You might not even need the spoon to mop up the tomato soup since the grilled cheese bites are the perfect size. Unfortunately, The Vesper falls prey to the trend of restaurants focusing on a limited menu in order to present the fanciest, snootiest dishes. For those of you who don't eat pork or shellfish, you might have a tough time finding something to suit your needs. This may not be so difficult since the staff is incredibly engaging and friendly. Everyone has stopped to chat with us and I never get the feeling that the staff is just kissing up for a good tip. One of the days I found myself at The Vesper was on New Year's Eve, where the location next to the bridge makes it perfect to see the fireworks over the river. I was hesitant to mention this at first because I didn't want to give the location away, but the best thing to do with this knowledge is to share it with others. If the awning was retractable, we could have seen the entire show from the inside, but I digress. The location is fantastic for events and is just a nice place to kick back with a drink. If The Vesper wants to thrive, the menu needs to expand a little and take into account various dietary preferences. A little change can go a long way. I'd love to come back to The Vesper and order an actual dinner and get the full experience, maybe it would help kick this review up to a solid four stars. read more

The Vesper - Grilled cheese bites with tomato soup - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

Above anything else, I will return here for a dirty martini. After a long week, that drink cured all ails. Made with tanqueray gin and a subtle salty hint of olive juice, it was one of the smoothest martinis I've had in a while. We stayed for a few appetizers as well, sitting at the bar. The kitchen is open-style so we saw the happenings behind there. Most importantly the prep for the Mac and cheese side dish, which I regret not trying. It looked delicious as it was pulled from the broiler in a cast iron dish, bubbling, cheesy, and golden brown on top. The oysters were ok - it was $1 oyster night on Thursday. We had the Hollywood oysters from Virginia, which were the only oysters on the menu. They weren't served on ice and weren't super chilled so that made me a little wary as to their preparation. With raw seafood like that it should be super fresh and cold to ward off anything questionable. The scallops were the favorite dish for us, served with snap peas, mandarin orange for a citrus bite, and fennel, which was a refreshing combo paired with the subtlety seasoned seared scallops. The charcuterie board was also good - with meats, bleu cheese, a cheddar, and goat cheese. Everything but the sausage was tasty. The sausage was cold and flavorless (wish it had been warmed in a pan at least as it tasted incomplete). It also came with a couple crostini, which tasted stale and bland. We stuck to the cheese and salami combo dipping a few in the mustard. The presentation of it was a bit sloppy with disproportionate shaped slices - some thick, some thin. The bread can be improved, add a fruit or honey element, and adjust the portion sizes for a better presentation. I'll be back to try more and believe they're in the process of working out the kinks during their first few months being open. I'm glad to see something back in this spot downtown. read more

The Vesper - Scallops and charcuterie - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Get the shrimp pasta! Drinks were on point. Reasonable prices. Server was good. They make their own pickles which was very garlic-y and awesome! Came here during the day and then at night the same day because they were so good! read more

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Shaken, not stirred. Yes, it's named after Bond's favorite cocktail. No, it's not a theme-bar. Put your tux away. But all James Bond jokes aside, this is a great new addition to Rochester! There's a definite classy-rustic charm to this place. Great location downtown, with plentiful parking. We came in for drinks and possible appetizers, and we were probably a very difficult group to manage, but all of the staff were so accommodating! Willing to switch us to various tables. We ended up at a table next to the open kitchen which was perfect. All the food was outstanding. I was dining with a healthy bunch of Spaniards who eat their weight in seafood. After having the mussels, they proclaimed them "better than Victiore" (don't worry Victiore, we still love you for your beer & frittes). The superior shellfish is probably a testament to one of the partners (or owners? Or chef?). Either way he is French, and his muttes Ils parlent français. They were magnifique! The rest of the food- burgers, grilled cheese & tomato soup app (pictured), charcuterie (pictured) and the Po-boy, were all spot-on succulently delicious. You can't go wrong with anything. We didn't get to try the jar of homemade pickles, but we heard talk that they were life-changing, so a return trip is in the cards. And last but not least, the cocktails..... please, even if you are not a cocktail-person and you are immediately drawn to the intricate craft beer and wine menu, flip it over and at least peruse the cocktails, if for no other reason, the comments and descriptions. Definitely humorous, great conversation starter if you're on an Ok Cupid date. But if you are a cocktail person, you just landed a royal flush (last Bond reference, I promise). Surely, order a Sophie's Choice (pictured), however, be sure to challenge Joe to whip up something original. He's a master at bourbon mixology and can basically read minds when it comes to knowing what crazy creation of a libation you're craving! read more

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So, 4.5. Really really liked The Vesper. I was so sad when Nikko closed. And so excited to see a new place with a great bartender and a great chef at the helm. The atmosphere is more industrialized than nikko, but not in a forced way. Upscale city pub. The menu is so accessible. I could not fault a single cocktail. The Vesper, the Vapors, Catalina wine mixer, the manhattan - so well balanced, I was caught a little off guard. Try all of them and you won't be disappointed. We started with oysters and tipped bacon (covered with mole chocolate sauce) - freshly shucked and a great value. They're starting $1 oysters in Thursday nights beginning Sept 29th. The tipped bacon was perhaps the only lackluster dish I had all night; the bacon was slightly overlooked. I appreciated the thick cut bacon, but for a chocolate-covered variety, crisp and thin bacon might work better. Moving past this, the sausage of the day was andouille and accompanied by a generous assortment of bread, mustard and pickled. Delicious! I went with the Vesper burger as an entree - great value with a slab of foie gras and caramelized onions. The fries were great too. Loved the renovated bar, the open space, the great prices and the faultless drinks. I have a new favorite local downtown.... read more

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

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I've been looking forward to a new restaurant replacing Nikko's ever since it closed almost two years ago. Finally, The Vesper has taken it's place and I'm very happy with the a gastropub taking the place over Nikko's snooty bar/night club vibe. The Vesper is a laid back place that doesn't quite know what it's trying to be, but it still works. The aesthetic is modern/industrial/cozy/vintage. Like I said, it has all those things kind of hodge-podged together with exposed brick and air ducts mixed in with antique picture frames that surround kitchen utensils. It makes it seem like there are two different restaurants in one. The Vesper named after its signature drink that is a martini, shaken not stirred. Taken right out of the pages of James Bond's 'Casino Royale', it's a drink that's classic and modern at the same time. I loved it and it was decently priced; for $10 dollars it was certainly worth it for the amount of alcohol in it. The rest of the drink menu has good prices as well, they even had Pumpking for only $6 dollars a glass! The menu itself ranges from burgers to a bevy of seafood dishes. I tried the Shrimp Po Boy with Fries, with the chicken wings as an appetizer. The wings were salty but I'm a big fan of that; unlike my wife who thought they could have pulled back a little on that ingredient. The Po Boy was filled with Shrimp and very hearty. Coupled with the fries with a garlic mayo sauce, it really hit the spot and didn't leave much room for dessert. I would certainly head back to The Vesper for a drink and some dinner. I've been there twice now (I live in the area) and the owner has been fantastic to talk to, as well as the rest of the staff. Everyone is really excited to be open and they have been very attentive to their patrons needs and receptive to any feedback that you may give them. I'm glad that there's a new restaurant so close to home, and one that surpasses the previous tenants in my opinion. read more

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Great place to have drinks and a few snacks before or after a play at the nearby GeVa Theatre. It really a great place to have drinks and food in Rochester, period. We had the Gnocci with mushrooms gravy, Pasta with braised pork, and conch ceviche. They were all good, but the best was the ceviche. A little chewy (which is normal for conch), but really flavor. A really good summer snack. I also enjoyed the piña colada, three out of five stars! That's high praise, I was raised with really good piña coladas. The service was friendly and efficient. The bartender was very helpful. We were there earlier so they were not super busy, so I cannot judge how they are if they're busy. read more

This is the second time we tried to get in to the vesper and did get a bar spot. And I am not sure why it's so popular. The space has liquor boxes out in view and the open kitchen should be closed as it is nothing to look at and a little scary. Our drinks were ok . We ordered the charcuterie board and an octopus dish which both left a lot to be desired. Will not be back! The bartender was very nice but all alone and overwhelmed. read more

Wow!!! This place is really a hidden gem!!! The $1 oyster night (Thursdays) is worth the trip. Seems like there's at least a dozen different kind to choose from!! I haven had oysters like this since I visited the Bahamas!!! The burger, seafood cakes and truffle fries are also amazing!! The staff is very friendly and gives good suggestions when asked!!! I highly recommend oyster night but would go here on any night of the week!!! read more

I've been here four times and the food has been great. Tonight was the first night of the new fall menu. I had the black sea bass, which is even better than the grouper from the previous menu. The acorn squash with buratta was a surprise of flavors. The seafood cakes are also excellent. I started coming here because this is one of the few places that serves food late. Now it's becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. read more

This restaurant is great for get togethers! The food is great. The atmosphere is terrific and the service was great! Always a great place for company gatherings.. read more

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The vesper is definitely a go to if you want fresh seafood, a relaxed atmosphere, and great customer service!

My husband and I tried The Vesper for dinner last Friday and we were both disappointed. My husband had Buffalo Wings to start and The Vesper Burger as a main course. Unfortunately, they were both served at the same time (our server blamed it on the computer but she seemed kind of clueless and flustered in general). He said they were both just ok and noted the minuscule amount of Foie Gras on the burger. I started with the Cheese Stuffed Olives + Peppadews, which were pretty good, and then had the Shrimp Po-Boy. The number of tiny shrimp on the sandwich was laughable - I couldn't even taste them. The sandwich mostly consisted on slaw with wayyyy too much mayo in it. Not appealing. I also had The Gilroy cocktail. It had good flavor but was weak due to too much ice. For my second one I asked the server for less ice but she delivered one with just as much ice. When our server (I think her name was Hannah) asked how the food was, we both offered an unenthusiastic "Ok..." but she did not seem concerned or ask if there was something she could do to improve the meal. As I mentioned, she seemed pretty clueless and slow - maybe she was new there. This place is too expensive to be offering food that is just ok. I doubt we'll be back. read more

Really enjoyed my first time at the Vesper!! Atmosphere was comfortable and cozy but nice enough for a date night! I wanted to hang out there all night! We started out with their special flatbread of the day which was done really well, just enough crust & toppings for a nice shared app or a meal for one if you wanted. It was tasty & the quality was great. We had the frisée salad which tasted perfect but was really small in my opinion for the price it was like a side salad... I was expecting a little more substance. We had the vesper burger which was a really nice portion, juicy, flavorful and cooked perfectly. Also felt good to know everything on it was locally sourced. The fries were great, seasoned well, crispy outside soft inside. We finished with a delicious dessert & Fuego coffee which made me so happy to see the local support of other small businesses! I'll definitely go back to try more of the menu! read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday to have dinner and drinks. The drinks are kind of like classic drinks without all the bells and whistles that are common at places like Daily Refresher, Cheshire, etc. The food was very average, with tiny portions, for the high prices. We got a number of appetizers which were literally all very disappointing. The prices listed below are all from memory since the menu doesn't seem to be loading on their website right now. Sorry if they're slightly off by a few dollars. Corn fritters - came for free, not sure if this is standard or someone's mistake. The fritter itself was okay but the sauce was delicious. There were 2 fritters, each about the size of a lime for $7. Charcuterie platter - had only literally 6 small slices of meat and a few morsels of cheese, with 3 thin slices of bread. Not worth the $16. Grilled cheese bites - there was one tiny grilled cheese sandwich cut into 4 tiny strips with a small bowl of tomato soup/bisque for dipping. Since there were 10 of us I didn't get any to taste, but that was definitely not worth $7. Ceviche - don't. Just don't. Very fishy and not citrusy enough. Chips and dip - a handful of stale kettle chips and two small ramekins of dip for $6. Now for the main courses. Mussels and fries - $16 for a big bowl of mussels and a small portion of fries. The curry mussel sauce was actually very tasty which is the main reason this place didn't get less stars from me. Halibut - $24 for 3 Oz of overcooked halibut and a sad splattering of beans. See photo. Not worth it. Chicken - for $18 this chicken looks nice and I was told tasted good. Burger - an average burger for $13 or something, I can't remember. Not awesome but more edible than the halibut. This place is in a not too densely populated area, where that fusion confusion Japanese place called Niko used to be, with nice hipster ambiance with great classic drinks. The service was a little on the slow side but very courteous and mostly attentive. I would come again for drinks and the mussels but absolutely everything else was not worth the money. read more

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Came here while visiting my boyfriend and was pleasantly surprised. First, I was annoyed that the hostess said there were no available tables even though by the end of our meal there were plenty of them;however, we still enjoyed ourselves at the bar. We had the burger, crab cakes, and charcuterie board with drinks recommended by the amazing bartender. The hostess definitely could have accommodated us and found us seating at a table. For the food I would come again read more

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Looking for a cool place to have a date night and stumbled on the vesper. Right away I notice that it's tucked in an area of the city I've never been to. The area did give me nyc vibes for sure. Quick warning, parking is very slim. Be prepared to park away and walk a bit on busy nights. The scenery inside is quite nice. Chill, dim lighting, nice music, and comfortable seating arrangements. I did note that the waiting service was a bit too lax. All of my cocktails took a long time to arrive. Food wise , we started the evening with Asian style vesper chicken wings and parmesan truffle fries with garlic aioli on the side. This appetizer combo was a dynamic duo in my opinion. It was sweet, tangy, and savory. I paired the appetizer with the dark and stormy cocktail which was flavorful, but not too strong. For the main course, I wanted to get a taste of multiple seafood dishes. The trust fund looked like exactly what I was looking for. It comes with the Vesper Martini, Four Oysters, Tuna Tartare, Ceviche, 1/2oz Caviar + Stuffed Olives. My tummy was incredibly ready for this array of seafood to land on my table. While I waited I ordered the Singapore sling. Sounds fun so I said what the heck, let's try it. Honestly , it was ok. Not breath-taking, but it was refreshing. Finally the sea food platter has arrived. The presentation was very nice. The highlight of the whole assortment was the tuna tartar. The oysters did not seem 100% fresh. They were small and flat. The ceviche was not tasty at all, a bit bitter, and the shrimp was a bit rubbery. It was fun to have caviar for the first time, but it was a very small amount for two people. Thus the tuna takes the trophy by default . However, it's not the best tartar I had in the area . Towards the end I reminded the waitress of the vesper martini that comes with the sea food, and after a few minutes it made its way to the table. For short, it was "meh". Not really impressed. Overall my experience was not horrible, but I'm sure it could have been better. read more

Came here on a Friday night. We were seated right away and the place was half full. Despite that it took our waitress about five minutes to come by just to tell us she'd be right back to take our order. It was another 5-10 before she came back. At that point we were decided on drinks and food. We ordered the Catalina Wine Mixer and the Nakatomi tower to start. When our drinks came five minutes later they were great. After another 15, and the table next to us seated after us got their food, we got ours. I had the Beef on Weck appetizer and the Mac & cheese. My fiance got the Vesper Burger 2.0. The beef on weck appetizer was more of a pastry than a meat dish, but either way it was salty! So salty I could feel my heart struggling to beat. The Mac and cheese was fine. The burger was REALLY good as were the fries. Overall the food and drink are fine but the service blows. Our waitress had by our count two other tables but never even checked in with us. Not worth the price or admission. I'd recommend it for pre or post dinner cocktails. read more

Amazing food!! Cute cozy atmosphere, super friendly staff and food was top notch! Charcuterie board was AMAZING. Seafood cakes are a must-have and drinks were delicious. Highly recommend. read more

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

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Wow what an awesome little hideaway downtown. Ceviche is a must. Drink menu abundant draft and cocktails. Pressed coffee and flourless chocolate cake umm yes please. You will roll out of this place lol. Music was great also low volume great selection. read more

The Vesper - Lots of drink choices and menu food options - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rochester, New York