This restaurant had very cute decor and food that was delicious and was executed well. They were able to handle a part of 12 on same-day notice and there weren't any order mistakes. They were also very helpful when I wanted to surprise my aunt with a cake and candle for her birthday. I loved the hand-crafted pappardelle pasta with a beef and vegetable sauce. Yum!

Food was great. Everyone in our party loved our entrees. The dessert was great too with a daily cheesecake, daily ice cream, and a few other options. The only negative was the mushroom soup appetizer, it was very boring.

Just such a great place. Cozy and stylish atmosphere. I had the absolute best scallops ever and the service is exceptional. If I could give 6 stars I would. Thinking about it don't just go.

Rooney's really is a hidden gem in Rochester. If you haven't dined here yet, you MUST make it a point to visit soon. After calling all over town last minute for a reservation for New Year's eve, every restaurant was booked up. Rooney's was able to fit us in and I'm so happy nobody else could because our meal was PHENOMENAL! The service, atmosphere, food, and presentation was all on-point. I am very impressed and I will be back to dine again very soon!

Convenient location not far from thruway exit. Easy parking available. Fun classy atmosphere. Owner and staff are friendly and professional. Food is interesting and tasty. Good beer selection. Great event venue. Will plan to return.

A Rochester staple for high-end dining that actually doesn't break the bank. The food preparation was spot-on and the presentation was excellent. Service was excellent as well, as one would expect from such a highly regarded restaurant.

First time going to Rooneys tonight. The low lighting is intimate. The brick wall and wooden finishes were stately with tasteful paintings. There is a small menu which is great becuase everything we had was delicious - the escargot was to die for, tenderloin cooked perfectly, and mushroom polenta was seasoned perfectly. The staff and service were impeccable - attentive and not overbearing. Portion size was great and price is on par with other fine dining establishments in Rochester. Can’t wait to go back!

Every time we dine at Rooneys it is a perfect experience! Service and food are exceptional!!!

We hosted a dinner for 32 here last night and everything was wonderful. How worried with us on the menu ahead of time. The food was amazing! And the staff were terrific!! Just an all around wonderful experience!

Delicious food from appetizer to dessert! The service was exceptional. You will spend more than at your average restaurant but this one is far above average in quality. Nothing but accolades for our time spent at Rooney's!

My wife and I just had our Anniversary dinner at Rooney’s.We we’re immediately seated and greeted by our servers.They we’re attentive and professional making suggestions as they took our orders.I had the panko crusted Crab cake and my wife had the Butternut squash soup as our appetizers.DELICIOUS! We both dined on Caesar salads also delicious and fresh! We both chose the Angus NY strip steaks as our main course. OH MY GOD! Those steaks were prepared to perfection! Seasoned and cooked to mouth watering perfection with roasted fingerling potatoes on the side.Definitely well worth the money.Thank You Rooney’s for a Great anniversary dinner!

Very old fashioned but such a wonderful place! Very romantic for those nice night out. The environment is just so welcoming, there's a coat closet in the front, a bar on the side, and plenty of seats for dining. For having such a nice place, the parking lot is a bit limited. I found one of the last spots in the lot but the restaurant wasn't packed at all. They could easy have another 15-20 guests in the restaurant... but where would they park? The menu is small but the choices are very delicious. The steak, scallops, and cheesecake are definitely worth trying!! Prices are on the higher side but for the quality of food and the service, it is fairly priced. Overall, great service and food. More than happy with my visit!

Always wins "The most romantic restaurant" with good reason. Food's excellent. Love the bread. Always attentive but not obtrusive service. Pricey, but worth it for special occasions, or any day you want an exceptional meal. Watch for the April/May French chef week.

Some of the best scallops I’ve ever had. This place does not disappoint! It’s somewhat small and tight on the tables but that adds to the vibe for us. Well done, as usual.

Interior is "older elegant". It carries with it an architectural charm I appreciated. The menu is sufficiently varied both in the appetizer category as well as the entree category. Plus there is thought put into the food preparation and platting. There were 5 (and a half 🙂) of us and we all had different starters and main courses. No one had any real complaints about their food. The baby really enjoyed the bread. I did too! I had rack of lamb. The meat was done quite fine. If I had to say anything, the eggplant copinada could have used a little more seasoning. Portion size was quite sufficient in the main dishes. I'd say the starter sizes approached large. All in all...good stuff !

We went to Rooney's for our 6th year Anniversary and we loved it. The restaurant was small but quaint. The atmosphere and seating was perfect. The servers were amazing and thoughtful. Now, the food, it was delicious. As expected for a 5 Star restaurant, the portions are small, but we were filled.

Do you miss waiters who know their menu inside and out and who really know food? Do you miss excellent service with attention to detail? Do you miss great flavors? Well then, Rooney's is your place! We entertained clients there Monday evening and everything was excellent! Three of us had the Faroe Island salmon- delicious!

Never disappoints. Perfect martinis. The best lobster bisque. Beef tenderloin cooked as ordered. Friendly and attentive service.

Just celebrated my 30th birthday there with my fiance and the service and food was great, it was awesome, it was LIT. I will definitely return :-).

Rooney's is by far Rochester's best restaurant! The menu is not huge, but the combination of flavors is sure to please even the pickiest of palates. Enjoy!

Another fantastic dinner at our favorite restaurant, Rooney's! We love everything about Rooney's. The bar and restaurant are done in beautiful old woods and brick, with a fireplace in one corner. Super cozy and elegant. I don't know anywhere else in Rochester that has a menu that is so diverse in it's offerings. And, absolutely everything is served beautifully and tastes even better. Thank's for a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner this year. Your restaurant was beautifully decorated and all of the staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Our food and drinks were delicious and we had a fantastic evening. Thanks again and we'll see you soon!

Service and Good food are the two things I want when dining out. Rooney's more than meets those expectations. Beautiful decor, nice, low-key atmosphere and wonderful staff. Probably not a restaurant where you would take small active children. Desserts are delicious, be sure to have some. The price is expensive, but well worth the cost.

Impeccable service. Meal (steak) was perfectly cooked. Creme brulee was served split. Didn't see that coming. Intimate atmosphere is perfect for date night ❤️ Accessibility could be improved upon.

Upon entering was greeted immediately by Alex who was very accommodating. Cocktail at the bar then seated in a quaint corner. Atmosphere feels very romantic with linen and lace table covering. Premium service, attention to detail. Honorable mention to food presentation as well as temperature appropriate. Rochester's little gem! Don't pass it by!

Everything about this place was excellent. Food was prepared perfectly and portions are just right. Service was impeccable. Ambiance and location are superb. Would recommend to anyone.

We've been coming to this charming restaurant for 30 years and have loved every meal!

Excellent food and service ,dessert was cheesecake, crust was kinda stale

Brought my family here tonight and we loved every single dish.my father who can't eat much due to his stomach condition ate almost every single thing and that's really good. The waiting staff was very friendly! My family and I had an amazing time I would recommend this place 10/10 times. We ordered the crab cakes , escargot, jumbo shrimp, rack of lambs , tenderloin , and a seafood pasta dish. Even the salads were delicious. Great job to the chefs and me and my family will definitely be back!! I love places where cooks love to cook and you could tell this is that kind of place. Great job!!!

I was visiting the area, and my date suggested this place, was she right! Excellent escargot for an appetizer, the pastry and the sauce, mmm!, and scallops for dinner over risotto were perfectly prepared, also the coffee was of the most quality.... The service was very professional, they served you seamlessly through the night. Excellent place for a great night!

Food was excellent. Nice choices of seafood, beef and they even had a duck selection. Great selection of wine from around the world. Service was outstanding. Very friendly and on top of things. Atmosphere was good. Nice brick interior and the fireplace was a nice touch.

We absolutely love Rooney’s! It is so classy and the atmosphere is perfect for a romantic dinner. The wait staff is amazing and we especially enjoy when Alex is our waiter. He is always so entertaining and welcoming. The food has always been fantastic!! We’ve never been disappointed or bored with the menu. Highly recommend the crème brûlée. And we will be continuing to dine here and recommend to friends.

This place is probably the last classy gem in Rochester! We arrived in Rochester on a Monday evening and Rooney's was one of only a few nice restaurants open. We got to the restaurant at 8:40pm. We essentially had the whole place to ourselves. The staff was excellent and treated us with the best service. We enjoyed the crab cake, salmon and duck entrees. Everything was fresh, seasonal and well-seasoned, which speaks volumes because I'm quite the well-traveled foodie. I appreciated the old school, traditional charm and atmosphere. Nice ambience. I wish more places in Rochester actually cared enough to execute the level of class, service and kindness as Rooney's.

Visiting the area. Staff were attentive and helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. Salmon ratatouille was fabulous. Crab cake was delectable. Restaurant was loud with a crowd but quieted later on. It's a bit pricey. Absolutely worth it, but be prepared.

Rooney's is a Rochester hidden gem. An absolute win for a date night. Service is fantastic and food is superb.

Food was amazing. The salmon was cooked perfectly and was incredibly moist. The calamari appetizer was unique (because it wasn't deep fried) and had us reminiscing for weeks. Our greatest compliments to the chef! Service was decent, however drinks were not regularly filled and a manager seemed non-existent (as a previous poster stated it is typical for a place like this to have a manager present and walking around), however only the drinks not being filled truly bothered us. Would definitely go back!

Girlfriend and I went to Rooney’s last night for Valentine’s Day. Every thing we ordered was cooked perfectly and delicious. We had the plantain crusted shrimp with mango salsa, salads, and beef tenderloins with potatoes and brussel sprouts. Excellent service. Can’t wait to go back!

Without hyperbole, this is the finest restaurant I have ever been to, and I say this as a resident of New York City. I am certain I will not find better crab cakes anywhere on earth. Rooney's is a must-visit stop.

Our dinner service was one of the best dining experiences we've had in years. Servers provided time for conversation and were prompt on any needs we had (drinks, clearing). Our entrees came out after just the right amount of time from our appetizers and the meals were fantastic! For the experience the pricing was well worth it, and will likely become one of our top choices for special occasions.

The had a nice atmosphere as we had a table near the window. My friend went for just a squash soup as she wasn't overly hungry. I went with the pan-seared breast of duck which is pommagranate glaze, honey roasted chestnuts and sweet potato puree. The duck was very tasty and my friend enjoyed the soup. We both thought the prices were a bit high for how much you got but it was good for a nice treat.

Rooney's is a hidden gem in the city! The atmosphere was cozy and relaxing. Our meals were some of the best we have ever had! The calamari was cooked perfectly and nicely seasoned. We also enjoyed the mixed grill and wood grilled beef tenderloin. Everything was melt in your mouth perfect right down to the vegetables. The staff delightfull as well! We both highly recommend and will definitely be back again!

Hands down one of the best fine dining restaurant in Rochester! The drinks are fantastic, the quality of food is suberp and the service and ambience is impeccable!!!

Amazing restaurant with amazing food. Our waiter recommended the escargot to me and my boyfriend and we both loved it. Really flavorful and unique, if you're willing to try new things. My entree was also cooked to perfection. The staff was always checking up on us and were very polite. I would 10/10 recommend coming here - just make sure you're dressed nicely though as this is a more upscale restaurant!

Wonderful great wine a 2006, find that vintage on most lists (nope), fantastic apps, excellent fresh salads fish stew was WOW and the wood fired fillet was perfect. The presentation you can see a sample here. Go enjoy.

Rooney's continues to be my go-to restaurant for special occasions. Best crab cakes I've ever had, delicious food overall. Owner Joe is always so gracious and servers are actually professionals. Love the ambience as well, including the music (jazz). <3 <3 <3

Rooney’s is excellent. This is an old school establishment that takes their food and service seriously. Make sure you dress nicely or else you’ll stick out. Waitstaff is polite and prompt. Food is amazing and portion sizes aren’t too big. You won’t walk out feeling stuffed, just satisfied and very happy.

All the five star reviews are correct. This place is a gem. Service and food are five star outstanding. The vibe feels like an old mafia movie. The rack of lamb is to die for.

We went here for a special occasion. The food is on the pricy side, but it was worth it.

Everything was perfect from the moment we entered. The staff is incredibly friendly and professional. The bar area is separate from the dining room and welcomes you with polished wood and well-stocked shelves. The dining room has an old world appeal with a fireplace and exposed brick that is warm and inviting. The food was excellent with just the right portion size. Our entire experience was enjoyable. We have already made recommendations to friends and can't wait to go back.

Delicious food and excellent service. This is a fairly expensive restaurant but definitely fine dining

I love coming to Rooney's! The service is always excellent, the food is always excellent and it feels cozy and not at all pretentious like so many other places. I've had the duck and scallops escargot and plantain shrimp. The duck is consistently cooked perfectly and the scallop portion was very sizable for the price. The escargot is so creamy and savory! I love it here. Consistently great service and food. Not much else necessary to say!

Enjoyed Rooney's "French Week". Service was excellent & attentive. Food was delicious - had the tenderloin and pan roasted duck. Finished with a creme brulle.

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Would definitely go back.

B Relevant

We just went for our Celebration of 49 magnificent married years together! Always a wonderful experience at Rooney's! Some patrons and guests get louder(er) but no blaring music to try and talk over. You sit opposite each other, as a couple, and you can't always hear, or those around you will hear every thing you say too. But, for the most part it's well worth it. In our 25 years +as patrons, we've bever had a truly bad experience, for which we're very thankfull and that keeps us coming back, primarily for special occasions or, just a meal of pure enjoyment at times. It's pricey but, it's not a chain restaurant either and the service is always phenomenal. Drinks, appetizers, salad, and main courses came to 188. For two but we soared

Rollin Charles Phillips

We found the restsurant to be a step back in time.The food is outstanding , service is excellent w The late 19th century atmosphere is charming.

Richard Spencer

This charming restaurant does it right. Right sized portions, delicious food, beautiful presentation, and best of all, great espresso served with the best flourless chocolate cake we'd ever had! Couldn't be happier.

margaret delaney

This is hands down the best restaurant in Rochester! The cocktails are amazing, the service is perfect, the atmosphere is pleasant. Then there's the food- so well presented and so tasty! If you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion, romantic night out or just because, this is it! I highly recommend.

Carolynn O'Connell

First time and it was amazing - food was flavorfull, perfectly cooked and hot! Service was outstanding, very attentive but not intrusive. Only disappointment was that we were seated in the bar area, not the dining room. We were 2nd party arriving and I would have asked for a table in the DR. We will definitely be back.

Daniel Talany

We have been celebrating my wife’s birthday (January 1) every year since the mid 1990’s. It is the highlight of our year as the food and service are great and no restaurant in town offers the ambiance. The lamb is one of our favorites, but we have never had a meal that didn’t have us saying “wow” every time. Seating by the warmth embrace of the fire place and sipping a fine wine makes any visit here a winner! Can’t wait until we can come here again.

Barbara Boyce

What a wonderful tucked away place for fine dining! Love the antique ambiance and service. Nice to have specially prepared food. A Rochester neighborhood I can't believe I've never explored! Make your reservation!

Ashley Bui

What a gem of a place!!!! Food was delicious!!!!! We had a beautiful dinner and looking forward to go back! Teres major, rack of lamb, shrimps, escargot, and the crème brulee ooohhhh lala AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

+1

Jim Deaton

We are in Rochester for the PGA Championship. I scoped out restaurant options to seek a venue enjoyable, elegant ambiance and good service. Rooney's came highly recommended by locals. In fact the manager at Tournedos Steakhouse said Rooney's was a favorite. Rooney's was a bright star. With excellent service provided by Alec, cocktails created superbly and a diversified menu with selections where anyone could be pleased, Rooney's was a gem. A hidden gem. The building is of old style history and we could hear each other talk! At our table was a former Rochester resident who had never dined who said that Rooney's is now on his must list.

+1

Ray Rivera

Great little spot that's intimate and delicious. Very low-key with excellent service. I can't wait to go back.

+1

Angelo

We went here looking for a classy fancy dinner. We definitely were not disappointed! From the wait staff to the food, everything was great! Food was prepared perfectly and the flavor was on point. Can't wait to dine here again

Vlad Loenko

You’d never expect that down a beaten path you’d find one of the best hidden gems in Rochester! A cozy, comfy spot with an incredible staff and food. The menu was small (always a great sign) and we got crab cake, escargot, salmon and Duck breast. Blown AWAY! Both chefs have been there for decades and take extreme pride in their hard work. We assumed there was a saucier (turns out there isn’t, and it’s just the handiwork of the extremely talented chefs!) because of how well the flavors came together. Will 100% be back and highly excited to share our experience.

J. K. Langkans

Glad to be back in a familiar setting. All the waitstaff, including our server Alex, remain top notch; you won't get a better dining experience anywhere else in Rochester! There wasn't a cellphone in sight--guests were focused on their companions and on their plates. The first dish is the Plantain Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, mango salsa and curry butter. The second dish is the Fire Grilled C.A.B - N.Y. Strip Steak, roasted fingerling potatoes, fresh asparagus, rosemary aioli.

Kevin Houck

This is an amazing place. Everything we had was delicious. I had a wagyu NY strip steak. Omg melted in your mouth. My girl had a Rack of Lamb. It's more upscale restaurant, but for what you pay the flavors of everything is well worth it.

Mary O'Brien

The food was really, really good. They have a professional waitstaff (Not just someone bring your food and waiting for a tip) with real knowledge about what they are serving and recommending. An all around very nice experience.

Christine Agrez

So glad we took a chance on a new place. I had the butternut squash and sage soup, Ceasar salad and chicken roulade- very delicious except the potatoes under which were flavorless, but I didn't need them anyway. Hubby had slow roasted salmon and a Caesar salad. We enjoyed our time here and having the wait staff take excellent care of us, including our server who knew a touch of sign language to try to communicate with my husband. We'll be back sometime for sure.

i am always finding new places for my lady and i to try, we are coming up on her birthday and i have close to run out. I brought her here a year ago and was less then impressed. I distinctly recall because the parking was a little shady. The staff were rather cold and self absorbed, I had requested a private table with a romantic touch. I got a booth toward the front with nothing romantic. (although the men in the place seemed to enjoy my ladies legs) The price was not an issue but if I buy a Lamborghini I do not expect a Vespa . The meal was a Vespa. It was a beautiful eve but that had little to do with the restaurant - i might be tempted to try the place again and hopefully amend my review

beet salad and rack of lamb were wonderful. cooked to a perfect medium rare as ordered. wine list is extensive. we had a white Bordeaux that was delish. the staff was very kind and earned every penny of their state-mandated raise. (thank god, they were starving before..) i think the only issue i had was a manager never came by to see how everything was. at a place this pricey, it's really important to take the time to make sure your guests are happy and your staff is performing perfectly. otherwise, we enjoyed our meals very much and plan to come back.

Came here on a Monday! Got the November Menu. Went with the pumpkin soup, Caesar salad, and the faroe island salmon. All very good. Finished off with the apple and raisin dessert. Highly recommend. Would come back again!

Went to dinner for a family get-together, group of 11. The restaurant isn't very spacious, but they accommodated our needs. The wait staff was very attentive, and the food was good. I had a Kansas City Strip Steak, an decent cut of meat with an interesting (and delicious) house sauce.

This is a good restaurant housed in a cute house with several rooms with appealing art. Service is very professional. Be warned, however, that the actual menu has less than one half the options shown on the website and prices are generally 10-30% higher. Also, they did not offer bread “because they don’t have a pastry chef”, as if the couldn’t go buy it from a bakery?

Tucked in a quiet Rochester neighborhood, this restaurant was a great find. A cozy atmosphere with great staff, and delicious food. There were six in our party and some of us had steak, while others had seafood. We shared several desserts (which included GF options) and enjoyed good wine. We hope to go again the next time we visit Rochester.

The atmosphere was great, the staff were amazingly skilled and accommodating. The cocktails were also spot on. Our group felt that the food fell short of the standered that the rest of the place set. It was good, but for those prices, there are places in Rochester where the food is amazing. We ordered several types of meat. They were either fatty for lacking in flavor. The exception was the mashed potatoes; they were delicious!

Rebecca Procyshyn

Service was great. The food tasted good, but it was served room temp. The butter didnt even melt on the potatos.

Rooney's is still a great place for a very nice meal in a quiet, relaxed setting where you can hold a conversation without having to shout, and especially if you can be seated next to the fireplace. However, it is clear the place is becoming dated. The decor is looking old - from the rickety bar stool to the wooden panels - and the menu is limited. This is the second time out of three recent visits when we were informed that there were no specials. The pre-dinner cocktail my wife received was made using pineapple "juice" poured from a can - really?! - which showed a lack of sophistication, and the bottle of red wine was presented to me very cold, as if it it were chilled to the temperature one would cool a white wine. I was very disappointed as it impacted the flavor of what I know is a robust Chianti wine. That said, the quality of the food was excellent, as always. Time management put more effort into updating the restaurant given the competition locally.

For a high priced restaurant it is not very clean. There are noticeable cob webs and stains on cushions/pillows throughout restaurant. Food is well cooked and there is good selection, but would expect a bit higher quality decoration as well as cleanliness from a high end priced restaurant. Parking is atrocious as this is located in a house in a less than desirable neighborhood.

The area is a little bit sketchy. The place looks romantic, rustic. The waiters are so friendly. They do their own bread, which is so delicious. The garlic in the ceasar salad is a bit strong. The orange salad is tasty, especially with the walnuts in it. Sirloin steak was perfect, so tender, cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were ok, not that awesome

My wife asked to have something besides the cream sauce that came with the food. The waiter had a edge to his voice and seemed annoyed that we asked to change something and didn't suggest anything else that could be done. He said the sauce comes on the plate under the food. You can order something else. I asked if it could be put in a small dish and he finally said yes. That being said the good was very good when it came.

Ambiance and service are great. Food was okay, my CAB Kansas NY strip was not flavorful and a bit undercooked and under seasoned. I buttered it and added salt and pepper. I feel Longhorn steakhouse serves better cuts cooked better for less (don't mind spending money if it's worth it). Just my 2 cents. Rest of table ordered duck, grouper and salads and apps which were pretty good, but nothing special. Expected more.

Food was decent, but overpriced. Service was hit or miss - one gentleman was nice, but our server (night of Sept 18) was rude, no pleasantries, not even a smile! I would expect much better service for this sort of establishment. Spend your money elsewhere.

Overall, this place was good. Nice and cozy atmosphere and well cooked food. My main complaint is that the service was incredibly slow. We had a reservation, but a group who walked in after us was almost seated first before a hostess stepped in saying the table was for us. In addition, tables near us were served before our order was even taken... We were there for an hour before anyone took our food order. I sadly felt like it was intentional treatment, as I was there with my girlfriend and we are both in our 20s. Not sure if they felt we wouldn't tip or had another problem with us or something, but we were dressed nicely, celebrating our anniversary and ready to splurge... We told ourselves the couple being served first must know the owner or something like that, and didn't say anything. Next, while the food was good, it was a little unimaginative. Protein with mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots. It was a little too salty as well. Lastly, the place seemed very crowded and felt weird since there is a pandemic. The tables are absolutely not 6 feet apart. In conclusion, this is an old school fine eatery that feels a little stuck in the past. I'm not sure if I would go back again.

My family has always saved Rooney's for the most special occasions because the food was superb and the atmosphere special. After a break of about 5 years, we returned to Rooney's to celebrate a family member's milestone birthday. Both the host and the waiter, who have been employed by the restaurant for many years, were, as in the past, very cordial, friendly, and considerate (he put a candle in the desert of my family member's desert when he learned that it was their birthday! thank you!). However, I was very disappointed with both the food and atmosphere. I remember Rooney's as a refined, fine-dining experience. When we arrived around 7, the volume in the room was deafening! People laughing, talking very loudly. If I had closed my eyes, I could have been one of the "hipster" restaurants - like Nosh! But as the night went on and the restaurant cleared out, it became a bit quieter and more enjoyable. The more serious issue that I have is with the food preparation. I'd describe all of our meals as just o.k. The sauces were tasty, but there were major faux pas, especially for a retaurant of this calibur. One family member ordered his steak "medium rare." This is a person who usually cooks steak rare at home but decided to play it a bit safer. The meal was delivered with the steak cooked very well done - there was literally almost no pink!! That is just unacceptable. My duck was so chewy that I had to remove some of it from my mouth because I could not swallow it. I'm not sure about the other meals because we did not comment on our food much - we were there to celebrate so we focused on the positives. I think the meals were tasty but the meats and fish cooked poorly. Another person at the table said that their scallops were probably overcooked. I feel I need to write this because we were very much looking forward to going to Rooney's. It was my family member's favorite place, and they chose it to celebrate this special birthday. I simply think that the chef (or wherever they are getting their direction) needs to pay more attention. We did have a good time ultimately - the desserts were pretty good. But the experience wasn't as special as we expected.

Claire Hardie

I was so excited to try this place, my boyfriend and I were driving past it all the time and finally looked it up to see that it had great reviews. I'm not sure if these reviews are old or what happened but, the space is cute on the outside but extremely outdated inside. There was no music playing causing it to be very quiet and awkward, the servers seemed just as outdated as the building. We had a mushroom pate special which was fine, the crab cake was I think my favorite item by far. The shrimp were not bad but needed more sauce and I enjoyed the puff pastry and sauce on the escargot but we're convinced the kitchen is not using salt here. The beet salad was fine and had a ton of beets in each bite which was good, and we had the scallops and the fish stew for entrees. Fish stew was not good at all, fish was way over-cooked and it was in some tomato water basically. Scallops were cooked perfectly but on a subpar carrot puree and some quinoa which had varying temperatures that made for weird bites and disappointment. We also had I think the worst martinis I've ever had and really left wondering where the heck they're keeping the salt and why they don't use it.

HungryHungryVince

I recall visiting this restaurant several years ago and I was blown away. Returning to celebrate my birthday a days ago, it was just okay. We started with a couple of the appetizers. The plantain-crusted shrimp were great. I loved the presentaion, and the flavours were spot on. I found the price of $15 for three shrimp is a bit steep but it was a good tasting and good-looking appetizer. Also placed an order in for the crab cake. The crab cake was absolutely delicious, but I wasn't too fond of the white sauce it came with. It tasted like a mayonnaise-based sauce and I'm not sure if it went well with the crab cake. This also ran about $15 for one single crab cake which I also found a bit steep. For mains, I ordered the rack of lamb. This is one of the most tender lamb dishes I've had anywhere. I found the accompanying sauteed spinach overly salty and the potato gratin a bit underdone. The lamb which I requested medium-rare, was more towards the rare side (which was fine). At $45 for this entree, I expected everything to be spot on, but some aspects missed the mark for me. The girlfriend opted in for the duck breast. I sampled a bit and this was absolutely delicious. A absolutely stunning dish. The flavors were spot on and the puree with the duck were perfect. We both agreed the brussel sprouts were a bit underdone (still crunchy) and some bits had a hard kick of spicy. I want to make clear this is no fault of the restaurant, but the restaurant got quite loud. The dining room is on the smaller side but it was beyond my tolerance. It was rather difficult to hear my girlfriend or ignore the level of noise. I'm on the fence on whether I would return. Even taking the noise level out from my decision, one bottle of still water, two glasses of wine, two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert came to slightly under $200 including tax. I expect things to be near perfect for that price-point which I've found at other restaurants.

I was very dissatisfied withe the meals. I ordered a rack of lamb which was very good. You got no vegetables as a side. All I had was barley with one piece of a small piece of mushroom for a cost of$40.00. The other meal had salmon and 2 startches mashed sweet potatoes and lemon couscous. No vegetables. There was no option to get them. The salad was really small. The waiter gave us the wrong bill also.

When restaurants ensure a sub par experience by cramming paying customers in a “let’s stick a table here”, heavily trafficked walkway, they’re obviously going for their own bottom line by sacrificing the diner’s comfort. We were hoping the food would over ride the abysmal environment. Not so. Expensive evening of irrigation.

We went to Rooney's because a french chef was there for a week or so. We were so disappointed. We ordered sweetbreads--- a dish we had had years ago. They were tough!!! Sweetbreads should be fork tender and succulent. Wish we had stayed home

Alan Korus

I have not been to Rooney’s for at least 6 years. I was looking forward to finally returning to one of the best restaurants in Rochester. Rooney’s has always had an amazing reputation for the highest quality food and a superb ambiance. With that said, there has been a dramatic change since I was last there and unfortunately not for the better. I am not going into detail regarding issues that occurred except for one. During our dining experience, my daughter ordered the Yellow Fin Tuna appetizer. It did not taste quite right so she did not finish the plate. Right or wrong when something doesn’t meet expectations, we do not complain, and we do not send the dish back to the kitchen. I decided to write this review because my daughter was violently ill similar to food poisoning symptoms the day after. I can not confirm 100 percent that the Yellow Fin Tuna made her sick but it is a strong possibility because it had a very fishy taste. She had to go to Urgent Care for evaluation and the doctor’s opinion was food poisoning. Fortunately, the symptoms resolved within 24 hours. The restaurant was notified; as of this writing I did not receive a response from management.