Enter Vanni’s Jazz Lounge, a new Rochester speakeasy, jazz room, and craft cocktail bar, delivering a wonderland of style and vibrant musical nights to the late-night bar scene in the city. Located inside the Inn on Broadway in downtown Rochester, New York, off Broadway and East Avenue, the lounge is already bringing together visitors from all around the city and travelers from far and wide who came to explore the elevated vibes of the neighborhood.

While several more places are opening in the next few months, one new restaurant serving a popular Chinese ‘build-your-own’ dish called ‘Malatang’ is simmering some serious flavors. Mala Magic only recently opened its doors, but there is plenty of excitement coming from anyone who loves personalizing their hot pot with a simmering broth filled with fresh ingredients like broccoli, tofu, corn on the cob, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, quail eggs, lettuce, crab legs, fish, udon, and ramen noodles, and various meats.

If you love Karaoke, here is the most up-to-date list for the best Karaoke bars in Rochester, New York!

For years, people have complained about Rochester, New York’s lack of a late-night food scene. While this may have been true in previous years, I am here to share that there are numerous fantastic restaurants and to-go spots that cater to the night owls around the city, serving up dishes until the early morning. Rochester, New York has a great late-night food scene, you just need to know where to go!

The Sirens and Stilettos Cabaret unleashes a dazzling burlesque performance that amalgamates equal parts grit and glamour on a dark and intimate stage. This local troupe can be found rambling around the Upstate New York region, putting on fiery shows that are real crowd pleasers!

While the Chopped Cheese was born in NYC, it’s made its way upstate to delis across cities like Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo. The effects of this pilgrimage have paved the way for a new contender, one that pays homage to the classic sub but adds a new flair and uniqueness, and embraces the culture and heritage of Rochester, New York. It’s called the ROC Chopped Cheese, and it’s being chopped up at Starlight, a market & deli on South Avenue in the South Wedge.

Tropical Blendz Café & Juice Bar is an authentic space with a small outdoor patio that serves up delightful Caribbean plates. From Beef Patties to their delicious Jerk Chicken plate, you will experience an array of flavors and fragrances that only a good Jamaican dish can provide!

Rochester’s Pride march and celebration occur annually around the second or third weekend of July. For many residents and visitors to Roc Pride, there is a sense of bewilderment that seeks to answer the question, Why is Pride in July in Rochester, New York?

While there are many wineries worth mentioning across the Finger Lakes, there is one winery that is raising the bar and producing some phenomenal vintages both regionally and internationally. Living Roots is a local and internationally acclaimed winery with roots stemming from the Adelaide Hills region in South Australia, to their tasting rooms in Rochester, NY, and on Keuka Lake in the FLX.

Farmhouse Table Midtown’s happy hour game is magnificent. It runs from Wednesday to Friday, 5 pm to 8 pm. They feature a robust cocktail menu and serve dishes that bring the farm-to-table quality. If you’re a fan of bourbon, try the Boulevardier, think Negroni, but with bourbon rather than the traditional gin. However, the real star of the show is the Cubano Sliders on the happy hour menu. They are made with roasted and tender pork belly, Dijon mustard, dill pickles, and ham, all packed between fluffy-buttery and slightly crisp buns made in Roc.

Community is still very centric on Lyell Ave. Like most communities, food is the element that brings us together. It shapes our perspectives and shared heritage, and is passed on through the richness of ingredients across generations. In a big way, El Sazón Restaurant does all of these things. The space is ordinary, with tables, chairs, white walls, and a few trash cans that pile up quickly with empty plates and recycled bottles of Goya or cans of Tropi-Cola. However, like the old saying goes, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” In this case, the inside is the heart of the food prepared and served at this subtle eatery.

In many ways, Bar Bad Ending pays tribute to thirsty night owls and uplifts the fringes of the local music scene. It’s underrated but glorified, it is edgy but warm and welcoming because at its core, it is a community space where members gather over a few drinks, a few laughs, great food, and live to jam the night away.

Today, a real pairing of authenticity and modernity is being brought from kitchen to table at El Kapitan on Park Ave, a Modern Mexican Street Food restaurant in Downtown Roc. From the bright acidic citrus flavor of lime to the deep, rich, and complex sweetness and spices of Mole, El Kapitan is elevating the Mexican cuisine experience in Rochester, NY. Surely, the restaurant is delivering an experience that has been largely underrepresented to some degree, but has gained traction over the past few years with new kitchens opening up across the city.