It appears that Lemoncello revamped their menu at least twice over the last few years. After our initial visit in 2010, we stayed away for awhile because it looked to have become a little too pricey, but checking their website recently, it appeared that they lowered prices a bit on at least some items and/or added some less-expensive items. So, we went last night. We called about a half-hour beforehand and asked for a reservation on the patio, and they said sure and took our information. Yet, when we arrived, we were told that the patio was full, and that they had no idea how long a wait it would be, but that they reserved a seat for us in the atrium. The atrium (an enclosed area in which two of the walls consisted of large windows) was nice, but it wasn't what we had thought we were getting--we had wanted to sit outdoors, because the weather was (for once) perfect, and there was also a live band out there, which could barely be heard in the atrium. So, we felt deceived about our seating arrangement. They should have told us when we called that there would be a long wait for the patio and given us the option of either waiting or selecting an alternate seating arrangement. We were even more annoyed when a couple walked in 5 minutes after us and were ushered out to the patio. Beyond this, the rest of our experience was pretty good. Our waitress was very young and wasn't able to answer questions we had about the food and drink menu, but she very nicely went and asked her coworkers or manager for us, even bringing a sample of an uncommon wine we'd never seen before. The food was delivered in a timely fashion, our bread was refilled when we needed more to sop up the sauces, and our dishes (stuffed eggplant over penne and homemade gnocchi in vodka sauce) were piping hot and quite tasty. The gnocchi also featured pancetta and peas, an unexpected bonus. There was a ton of sauce for the proportion of pasta, but we saw that as a good thing in terms of leftovers (just add more pasta!). Dessert, a cannoli cake, was a big hit as well. We'll probably go back, but will be very specific when we call for reservations that we want to sit on the actual patio, not the faux-patio aka atrium.
Review Source:This is the kind of Italian place that every town has... usually noted as the best place for Italian food in the neighborhood. Always a solid 3 stars; never particularly outstanding, but the food's never terrible either.
The first time I went to Lemoncello I sat at the bar and sucked down a few Peroni's. It's the only draft beer at the place, so it takes the guesswork out of what to order. I happen to like Peroni, so that worked for me.
The second time I went, tonight, I tried the food. I went with an old staple; chicken parmigiana. It was perfectly fine, served over penne pasta in a pomodoro sauce. The side salad it came with had one tiny tomato and a ton of lettuce. The house dressing was good, so the course was enjoyable despite the fact that the salad was just half a head of lettuce. The desserts were great, though. Cannoli cake, molten chocolate cate, creme brulee... you name it. The classics!
The cons dropped this from a 3.5 to a 3. There was lipstick on my glass which was a little revolting. The waitress seemed surprised to see it, and offered to comp an extra dessert. Problem with that was that we already had 3 between the 5 of us, so we declined a fourth. They didn't comp anything else off the menu, but I wasn't really looking for a handout so I didn't care.
The other con was that there was a heater keeping the outside room warm. The heater, though, was beating down on my back. It was so hot and there was absolutely no escape from it. Probably had the shittiest seat in the restaurant.
I'd come back for a decent, quiet, classic Italian dinner, sure.
Edit: The owner reached out to me via Yelp and apologized for the lipstick on the glasses. It means a lot in way of customer service. Will give this place another whirl in the future and update my review accordingly.
Lemoncello is a beautiful restaurant with decent food and several awkward flaws. If some things are worked out this place could be a local hangout for myself and many others in the East Rochester area.
My food was actually very good as I got the Steak Milanese which was perfectly cooked and laying on top of a very creamy and delicious risotto. The main course was preceded by an uninspired salad that was basically mixed greens with one tomato and a strangely sweet lemon dressing. The taste was a bit off-putting but got better by the bite. For dessert we shared the creme brule, molten cake, and a semi-frozen cannoli cake. They were passable but nothing special.
Unfortunately the dinner being decent did not outweigh the negatives at Lemoncello. First, my friend had a dried lipstick stain on his drink glass that was downright disgusting. We were seated outside and were right next to a space heater that made quite a racket and left us either overheated or freezing depending on if it was powered on or not.
Like I mentioned before, Lemoncello has some flaws but if it can iron some kinks out maybe it can turn my lukewarm reaction into a positive one. Only time will tell.
Great Service. We loved Jenn, she was terrific.
Food was pretty good, pizza wasn't the best so I would probably stick with the entrees but the Chicken Parmigiana was pretty good. Â The bruschetta was also good, tasted like it was missing something... couldn't quite pinpoint what, but it was.
I wouldn't consider the menu to be all Italian, there were definitely things on their menu that I've never seen an Italian restaurant carry.
All in all, not bad at all. Â It is a bit pricey and the portions are the same as anywhere else. Â For the prices... I'd probably go somewhere else but the place is gorgeous inside and the staff seemed on top of things.
My one BIG complaint is this... we ordered dessert. Â We ordered the "homemade" chocolate lava cake. Â Not only did it taste refrigerator burnt but the chocolate did not "lava" out of the cake, it was still stiff. Â I noticed an aroma coming from the cake and as soon as I lifted the cake to my nose I realized it had been microwaved and too long for that matter. Â It was a little stiff and not very good. Â Very disappointed in that, especially for an $8 dessert.
A good Italian cafe/restaurant (much better in the summer when the patio is open) that has recently suffered from a drop in service. When I first went to Lemoncello a few years ago, the place was all about the service, but recently I found it to be lacking in efficiency, friendliness and attention to detail.
The restaurant is a beauty and the back room is expertly designed. It's very lush and full of various textures that make you want to sit down and have a cocktail. The menu is varied, but honestly, needs to go back to include paninis in the dinner menu and needs to scale back on the higher-end Italian stuff. East Rochester especially already has its good share of quality Italian restaurants in a mid-price range. Lemoncello looks a little more hip inside and should try to change its menu to reflect this. Most of the entrees are around $15-$17 and while the penne puttanesca I had wasn't terrible (just not worth that price in comparison to other places you can spend your money in Rochester), it paled in comparison to the paninis. The appetizers need to be in the $6-$10 range and it would be nice to see more creative olive oil and pesto-based dishes on the menu at more reasonable prices. Nix the pizza. Everyone in Rochester is doing the pizza.
What is unique that should bring you out to Lemoncello? The menu not so much. But the lovely patio-garden on a summer's day for a refreshing cocktail and lunch with some friends while en route to Eastview Mall or the beauty salon sounds like the right ticket.
Strong drinks. Very good mixology happening here. Can't go wrong.
Food was excellent but slightly reserved as if the chef was being held back.
Service is  blunder. Asked to wait at the bar while table was prepared for 10 minutes which gave us the impression they were very busy which is understandable. But upon seating we discovered the dinning area was more than half empty. Why the game? Don't waste our time by pumping up a lie. Bread was delivered with the appetizers as it was an after thought. Seems like we waited forever for our food.
Bathrooms were spotless! Although the host was walking around with a bit of toilet paper stuck to his shoe, we had a good laugh over that.
Live music in the bar is refreshing and nice. However the music blasting the main dining area is horrible contrast and paced in a hurry-up-and-get-out pace. I felt like my chewing was synchronized to the beat.
I'll go back when it nice outside to give this another shot.
I recently had dinner here and loved it. I don't order arancini often because they're never "quite right", but Lemoncello's arancini are the best I've ever had. The stuffing was delicious, and I loved their red sauce too. The stuffed eggplant entree was a great blend of flavors, and their desserts were terrific too. We enjoyed the cake that tastes like Baci candy, and a ricotta cheesecake with caramel sauce. My friends also enjoyed their entrees - the manicotti, and one of that night's seafood specials.
I like the layout of the place. It has multiple seating areas, including a patio for the summer and it's very comfy. The service was top-notch too.
Unfortunately, we had a 50-minute wait for a table (even with reservations and arriving 10 minutes early) because there was entertainment that night. We wanted to sit right in the room with the singer, but folks were not leaving so our wait for a table was very long. The staff were very kind about it, but it was disappointing since we had specified where we wanted to sit when making the reservations. We also had an issue with both our bar bill and dinner tab... it happens, right?
That said, the food's the thing and I will go back, hopefully soon. That was a delicious meal.
Lemoncello's is a wonderful little restaurant and bar conveniently located in the center of East Rochester. They have also been highly rated by patrons on Urban Spoon and offer a diverse variety of authentic homemade Italian dishes and pizza along with rabbit, ribs, duck and fish at moderate prices
We had Chicken French and Chicken Parmesan and both were excellent. Both provided generous portions with enough for lunch the next day. Â The lemon cheese and red sauces were both very rich and flavorful.
Dinners come with a nice side salad and fresh warm bread. Wait staff is very friendly and attentive and appear to enjoy working there (always a good sign). They offer a variety of wine, mixed drinks and wonderful-looking homemade desserts.
Live music is playing 2-3 nights each week.
Lemoncello's provides a great value of diverse menu options, high quality food and attentive, friendly service at reasonable prices.
I was not a fan of Lemoncello. Perhaps it was the poor customer service (a big no-no for me as a former waitress). Our waiter was MIA and seemed more interested in socializing than serving us. Or maybe because the food was bland - my dish, the Mediterranean chicken, was not seasoned at all. Either way, I had a poor first experience and because of that I can't say I'll be back.
Review Source:Forget the Italian. Â Yes, they have Italian food on the menu but it's the twists like the pappardelle with Venetian duck ragu, cremini mushroom and pancetta stuffed trout, and the butternut squash lasagna (possibly, the richest, smoothest, and most decadent I have ever tasted) that make this place a winner. Â The pizza is good, but stick to the traditional entrees.
We hadn't been to Lemoncello in about a year. Â I definitely won't make that mistake again. Â Stuffed pears with pancetta crisps? Â Outstanding.
And it's also reasonably priced. Â I hate to say it, but a better buy and better food than Bisto 135 next door.
The outdoor patio draws a crowd in the summer but they have great music and a warm ambience in the winter months as well.
Sorry to report an unsatisfactory dining experience here. We were a group of 20 seated at two tables in the back room. One table got their food first; the other table got theirs about 40 minutes later! No plates for the bread. One diner never got his side of vegetables; Two diners said their salmon was just "eh;" We called to speak to the manager--he apologized and offered free lemoncello shots, w/o thinking that not everyone enjoys alcohol; I would've liked to have been offered drinks or desserts comped. Very noisy--hard to carry on a conversation; live music [amplified-?] in such a small space doesn't help. Server delivered wrong food to wrong diner--why don't they make a note when they're taking the order?--isn't that waitering 101-? Lots of confusion when the check came, b/c restaurant not willing to print out separate checks--some want to pay cash, others w/card. Also resent that 20% gratuity automatically added--I wanted to leave a 10% tip to accurately reflect the quality of service. I and my companions will, unfortunately, not be returning to dine at this restaurant, which is too bad since we like to hunt out and patronize non-chain local establishments. I think that we might have been better served at, god forbid, an Olive Garden!
Our group met six weeks ago at Pomodoro's--excellent food, service; no prob w/sep. checks.
Food was remarkably good, service was remarkably bad. Â Our waiter was distant and aloof but more importantly it took forever to get our main courses. But worse than that, there was a good 10-15 minutes between my wife' dish getting on the table and the rest of our group being served. No apologies, no excuses, just deal with it. Â
Alas, we have come to expect these mixed dining experiences in Rochester.
I love the decor and ambiance, however I ordered the Borsettini and it was the worst thing I ever had at a restaurant. Â I go out to new places a lot and I loved my first visit, I was very dissapointed the second time, and I sent my dish back and ordered something else. Â They wanted to charge me for both, because "it was not the kitchens fault" said the owner. Â I was appalled, I explained tactfully that the dish was so un edible and urged him to try it so see how bad it was. Â It tasted like sweet burnt almonds, it was honestly so bad I spit it out!
I vote 5 stars on decor but on customer service and some of the menu items NO stars!! Its to bad because it has a lot of potential, I think the owner needs to brush up on his guest satisfaction skills.
Love lemoncello for the desserts, the ambiance, the coffee. On the weekends you may find a salsa band or a table of old school italians enjoying themselves by the bar. Â This is a perfect date place or to have a girls night. One cannot come to Lemoncello without indulging in their gelato. Â I love that this cafe/lounge is in Rochester because for those past their early 20s, it's nice to have a casual, low key and trendy place to enjoy the weekends.
Review Source:If you are looking for excellent, reasonably priced Italian food and you are not in Italy, go here. The paninis are best around. The pasta sauces are unique and tasty. The service is friendly and quick. I didn't try the desserts, but the look incredible.
PS - skip the pizzas. Too cheesy and not enough sauce for my taste.
I wrote this on Google Reviews as well, but I wanted to place a review of this place on Yelp as well. Â This place has grown so much since it first opened and its only been open for 3-4 months! You can tell the owners really take pride in their cafe, since everytime you go back you can see changes they've made to it. Now that they've changed the wine glasses, the drink prices are very reasonable. They have a decent selection of wines by the glass and offer beer/liquor as well. They have excellent desserts which seem to change all the time as well as great gelato in the front. The cafe/lounge is really 2 places in one which allows something for everyone. The front is great if you want a small meal or ice cream. (We've brought our nephews here for gelato.) The back is nice if you want to enjoy the outside air with some wine or small plates/ dessert. I think their small plate list is fantastic, and their desserts/gelato are excellent. They do live music a lot and currently they have a huge tvs everywhere to show all the world cup games in the lounge area. That being said you can come here and easily not even see the sporting events if you choose not too. Its by no means a sports bar and the tvs are placed in a tasteful manner. Â Everytime we've gone we've always seen at least one of the owners whom always has greeted us nicely. Â They have so much wait staff ready to help you that I don't see how you could have bad service here. Its always packed at night and I hope it does well. Its a pretty unique place in the Rochester, NY area.
Review Source:
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