Velvet Belly

This was so fun. What a great date night. We tried four different cocktails, shishito peppers, the poke bowl, and the steak frites. All had wonderful and distinct flavors. Some I didn’t love but understood. Tried the ice cream cake for dessert. Definitely a fun place. A bit on the expensive side. Bar tender was out of this world and she made some great choices for us. Parking was easy. Decor is fun.

From the moment I walked into Velvet Belly, I knew I was going to love it. I had a reservation but told the host I was happy to sit and wait at the bar. The bartender was incredibly friendly and handed me a drink menu right away. I ordered the Shark Bait cocktail and it was not only delicious, but beautifully presented, I actually had to send a picture of it to my friends. Since it was my first time there, I spent a little time just taking in the atmosphere. The only way I can describe the space is sexy and romantic. The ambiance really sets the mood for a fun night out. There were couples on dates, groups of friends catching up, and the whole room just had this lively but intimate energy. My sister arrived for her birthday dinner and the manager, Alexander, introduced himself and showed

What a great dining experience. The food is obviously seafood focused and they did a great job with that. We had a few appetizers that were delicious. Then I had the nigiri which was exceptionally good. The drinks were awesome. The highlight was our waitress Sara. She was a sweetheart and really made great suggestions for us. Final thought they have excellent Tequila options that are not common in Rochester!

Excellent food and service! Rochester has so many restaurants and we tend to keep going back to our favorites. We've overlooked this one and were recently shown the error of our ways. A chef friend mentioned how great the happy hour menu is so we had to find out for ourselves. The creative craft cocktail menu is impressive and the one we selected was divine. I had a glass of the house pour rosé from Provénce which was delicious and a split of Môet Champagne which was offered at a special price with a dozen oysters. We feasted on dollar oysters, spicy edamame, a yellowtail roll, raw fish "nachos" and a couple of yellowtail "tacos" which are a sort of deconstructed sushi, the fish wrapped in a nori "shell". Dessert was a sublime olive oil pistachio cake with burnt honey ice cream and orange

We came in for my birthday and were absolutely blown away! The service was incredible, truly just the kindest group of people, and the vibes were perfect. We were a group of 6 and ordered a ton, everything was delicious. Our top picks were the tuna crispy rice, oysters (duh), the shrimp tempura roll, and the key lime pie for dessert. I can't reiterate enough how absolutely perfect everything was. We will 100% be back!