Top Finger Lakes Restaurants
Top 10 restaurants? Ontario County has such an abundance of exceptional restaurants that limiting the number to ten is simply impossible! Here is a list of personal favorites in no particular order. We apologize in advance for those we have left out!
#1. Where the specials are truly special.
Local, seasonal, and sensational seems to be the M.O. of this popular Seneca Lake restaurant, which has a relatively small standard menu, but a seemingly endless list of daily specials.
#2. One table. Many courses. Countless surprises.
If your best friends were an award-winning chef/sommelier and a top-drawer hospitality professional and they invited you to dinner at their home, the experience would be like this. Voted Best New Restaurant by USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice.
#3. Finger Lakes fresh.
Local Palate, Phelps
At Local Palate in Phelps, they are all about keeping it local. You'll find an array of artisan cheese and charcuterie, dairy, meat and produce to a solid fleet of locally loved craft beers and sodas sourced from Upstate New York. This neighborhood market-café with a casual vibe is a great place for catching up with friends.
#4. Hola, Mexico!
We are proud of living in the Finger Lakes and our local cuisine, but for those times when a tangy margarita and some spicy tamales are in order, Rio Tomatlan delivers that south of the border atmosphere and flavor.
#5. It’s the Empire state on your plate.
The second-floor restaurant at the New York Kitchen features foods, wines, spirits, and beers from farms, and food and beverage purveyors across New York State – a locavore paradise!
#6. Vintage chic, with a side of funk.
Start with a big friendly old purple house, add a flair for local foods and Finger Lakes wines and beers, pile on the culinary eclecticism, and you have the Roots experience. There is live music once a week, and you are right next door to Inspire Moore Winery.
#7. Where you're most likely to find the locals.
Eric's Office is where the locals can be found who know great food. Daily specials, classic favorites, and so much more.
#8. Classic fine dining.
Steak, seafood, pasta, and other upscale Euro-centric cuisine are at the heart of this quaint village restaurant. The English Garden patio is an especially charming venue for al fresco dining. Be sure to order dessert from Warfield's famous bakery.
#9. Best place to watch the sunset.
A longtime local favorite, Sand Bar has an updated look and menu, but keeps the character that has made it legend. The perfect casual hangout to watch the sunset while sipping a local wine or beer and enjoying upscale bar fare. Part of The Lake House on Canandaigua.