The Grill at Strathallan

See Gone, But Not Forgotten

Billing itself as Rochester's "first four diamond restaurant", The Grill at Strathallan was indeed often touted as one of the finest upscale eating establishments in town. It was located at the Strathallan Hotel.

It closed in February 2012.
Replaced by Char Steak & Lounge on November 6, 2012.

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Reviews/comments: "Upscale, 5 star dining. I ate there once. The food in my opinion was over priced. A better dinner can be had elsewhere for much less. For a couple drinks, they have a huge HUGE wine list and a very upscale look. You also don't have to worry about it being crowded, especially on a week night." - MatthewVanHook

2007-05-24 18:46:08   I had one of the best nights of my life here. Food is good. Service is outstanding. Experience is worth the price. —JocelynRose

2007-08-30 11:07:08   I have eaten at the Strathallen many times and I have never had an amazing meal. The meal has never been horrid, but nothing that said "wow." If you go,be sure to request the encyclopedia of wine. You could spend a half hour trying to find the perfect wine to pair with your food from this huge list. —MrRochester

2008-02-24 17:55:16   We had a very good experience at The Grill. The ambiance is not their strongest point but it's nice and there's plenty of room between the tables; the low lighting with a few bright spots can bother some though. The wine list is the largest in Rochester, with over 1,100 entries and focus on California, French and Italian wines; very good prices for both newer and older vintages. The food is standard North American fare: they have very good products from local farms also. The desserts are probably their weak point. Entrees ranges from $21 to $32, while appetizers are in $12-$16 range. The service was very good and attentive but not stiff or formal. Please check my full review. —AndreaCogliati

2008-03-26 01:05:58   An amazing dining experience! Request Mark as your server and order the Cranberry Tenderloin. I loved me evening there; I'll be back soon... —MarkPotter

2008-09-11 10:31:03   We recently had dinner at the Grill and enjoyed it very much. We had heard mixed reviews and didn't know what to expect. But we were pleasantly surprised. As with all hotel restaurants in Rochester the ambiance leaves much to be desired with the drop ceilings and an unexciting entrance. We sat down and ordered cocktails while looking over the menu. We decided to start with the calamari and the crab cake. These are ordinary dishes but we always hope for something executed with originality. The calamari had been perfectly lightly fried and then tossed with garlic, white wine, and capers. It was delicious. Maybe a touch too many capers and a little on the heavy side but very flavorful. The crab and lobster cakes were our favorite dish of the evening. The cake itself was done well but the red cabbage slaw with a touch of blue cheese was outstanding with it. The touch of smoke and the tang of the blue cheese was the gratifying surprise of the evening.

For dinner we had the duck breast done medium rare. It was cooked perfectly and very good. The quinoa that came was it was delicious and the nuttiness went so well the sweetness of the sauce. We also had the tuna which was good, just cooked a touch more that we would have preferred. But again the flavors were spot on.

Our server suggested a glass of merlot and also a glass of a South American blend to go with our dishes. Both were excellent for house wines. We will go again, preferably on a night when they have jazz playing and fun bar crowd to people watch. —jazzycat

2008-10-10 13:22:07   The ambiance was cozy. Server was professional and polite. Lobster and Crabcake appetizer was wonderful but too much raddichio almost overpowered the plate with bitterness. Entrees were put together well, creative and tasty. Wine list was impressive. —NightlifeCher

2009-02-10 19:44:59   The bar at the grill is an excellent hideaway spot in the city. I love the bartenders they are always friendly and attentive and the wine list is one of the best Ive found in the city! I recommend this place for anyone looking for something different than the same old roch bar! —EllaBella

2009-09-30 12:40:17   Dinner was disappointing. Only 3 tables were occupied when we arrived, but it took over 30 minutes just to get our appetizer. When we finished our appetizer, our server completely cleared our table (bread, silverware, bread plates) and then asked us if we wanted to look at the desert menu. We had to tell him that we hadn't received our entres. We were there almost 2-1/2 hours - service was horrible and food was average at best. We won't be returning. —SueZee

2010-04-11 11:56:14   We dined last evening for a special occasion, and while it was a very good meal the Grill is no longer the superior experience it was 3-5+ years ago. The boullibase was more like "seafood marinara", thick and tomatoey with no hint of saffron evident. The crispy sweet potato and spinach salad was excellent, although the sweet potatoes were definately not "baked" as our server indicated when asked. The seared scallops were the best dish of the evening, with the seafood cooked perfectly and a delightful marriage of flavors. The only criticism here would be that the squash puree was a bit skimpy on this plate. Both the braised pork belly and the asparagas risotto were excellent by themselves, although this seemed a somewhat odd pairing. A less refined starch could have been served with the rustic pork as a better match. This plate came with a small green salad (reminiscent of the spinach and sweet potato salad) instead of the jicama salad indicated on the menu. As always at the Grill the wines were excellent, with a generous pour for the $8 price. Service was timely, but a bit casual for a fine dining location. The ambiance was disturbed as staff set and reset tables for indecisive patrons, diners were busy on their cell phones and a child wandered around the room early in our dinner. The jazz from the lounge was a nice touch as we were finishing up. —JGerek

2010-10-05 13:30:02   I have had two meals there in the banquet room catered by the hotel in the last two years. Both of them make me want to avoid the restaurant. —ScottLaRock

2010-11-01 19:46:49   Had dinner in the banquet room and found it to be very good. —ThomasPawlik

2011-02-19 14:16:33   I've never eaten a meal here, but the weekend jazz is really great (and free!). The drinks are surprisingly affordable for a hotel bar, and the atmosphere is nice. —BAC

2011-05-26 13:15:23   I've had lunch here twice, both times it was very mediocre. The last time, I had a vegetable panini, which was served with bacon on it. I'm a vegetarian and bacon was clearly not listed in the description of the sandwich. It was supposed to come with a "green onion remoulade" but came with mayo instead. After taking the bacon off, it was pretty tasty, but those seem like pretty significant errors. The side salad was fine, but was swimming in dressing. Order yours on the side! Our server was nice, but was completely clueless. She initially told us they only have two kinds of salad dressing, which obviously is not true (we asked about others and she said "oh yeah, we have that"). She brought the bill before we were finished eating, and then lurked a few feet away until we got out money to pay. Aside from our group, there was only one other couple there— not sure what her hurry was. I might try dinner there sometime, but never again for lunch. —Fern

2012-02-03 07:44:16   Have they closed? They took the menu down from the website, and are no longer accessible through Open Table for online reservations. —MerCDotes

2012-02-17 18:22:55   "Our restaurant is closed while undergoing renovations starting February 1, 2012 with anticipated completion during the summer of 2012. Visit this site again soon to see photos of the work in progress and additional details about our new hotel as they become available." - posted on their website as of 17Feb —MarkJackson