Velvet Belly

4.5 ( 339 reviews )
Checking... 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM See Hours
$50–100
3 Rochester Public Market, Rochester, NY 14609, United States
+1 585-413-0825

Velvet Belly, located in the heart of Rochester's Public Market, has quickly cemented itself as a culinary jewel. Diners rave about the exceptional dining experience that melds a sophisticated atmosphere with an inventive menu. The creative cocktails, including the playful matcha made in heaven and shark bait, are as unique as they are flavorful, appealing to those with a penchant for innovative mixes.

Patrons like Kathleen Lentine and Greg Guevara highlight the restaurant's meticulous attention to detail, whether it’s the immaculate preparation of fresh beef tartare or the diverse seafood offerings. The spirit of the restaurant shines through in the precision of the wait staff and the artistry of the chefs.

For those with a sweet tooth, the salted caramel tiramisu is not to be missed, often hailed as one of the best desserts around. Each visit promises a delightful adventure for the senses, making Velvet Belly a must-visit destination for both casual diners and devoted food enthusiasts. In summary, this restaurant not only meets but exceeds expectations, ensuring memorable moments for every guest.

Amenities and More

  • Accessibility
    • Has wheelchair-accessible car park
    • Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
    • Has wheelchair-accessible seating
    • Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
  • Service options
    • Has outdoor seating
    • Offers takeaway
    • Serves dine-in
    • No delivery
  • Highlights
    • Has fast service
    • Has great beer selection
    • Serves great cocktails
    • Serves great dessert
    • Has great wine list
  • Popular for
    • Popular for lunch
    • Popular for dinner
    • Good for solo dining
  • Offerings
    • Serves alcohol
    • Serves beer
    • Serves cocktails
    • Serves coffee
    • Serves healthy options
    • Serves small plates
    • Serves spirits
    • Serves vegetarian dishes
    • Serves wine
  • Dining options
    • Serves lunch
    • Serves dinner
    • Serves dessert
    • Has seating
  • Amenities
    • Has bar on site
    • Has toilet
    • Has Wi-Fi
    • Free Wi-Fi
  • Atmosphere
    • Casual
    • Trendy
    • Upmarket
  • Crowd
    • Good for groups
    • Popular with tourists
  • Planning
    • Dinner reservations recommended
    • Accepts reservations
  • Payments
    • Accepts credit cards
    • Accepts debit cards
    • Accepts NFC mobile payments
    • Credit cards
  • Parking
    • Free parking lot
    • Plenty of parking

Reviews For Velvet Belly

Kathleen Lentine
Jun 21,2025
Velvet Belly provides one of the finest dining experiences in Rochester, hands down. From the refined bar (complete with upscale liquor and ?magical tinctures) and talented bartenders (who pour a very decent drink!), to the precise wait staff, to the unbelievably talented chef, you are guaranteed to have an outstanding meal. Seafood and sushi, burgers and roast duck, you will appreciate the attention to detail and perfection in every dish. Oh, and save room for dessert - incomparable assortment.
Greg guevara
May 31,2025
This is by far my favorite and most frequented restaurant in the ROC. I'm a major foodie and not afraid to spend a couple Benjamin's for a hedonistic culinary experience and this restaurant never fails to deliver. The beef tar tar when served fresh and hot is the best in the city. Make sure you get the rotating stew on a day when they use swordfish it's divine. The SFG is the most unique sushi roll I have tasted with the use of a warm miso cream. Lastly there cocktail concepts are a fav because I'm huge into Japanese culture and tequila and their cocktail menu always has a beautiful mixture of Japanese ingredients with a tequila base and their all amazing. 10/10 bring your girl, your mom, or your homie and dig in.
MD062010
May 25,2025
Recently had the pleasure of dinning at Velvet Belly. The service was incredible. The general manager, Doug, went above and beyond to ensure we had a wonderful time. The appetizers were incredible- especially the calamari and smoked whitefish croquettes. Each cocktail we had were not only unique, they were perfectly balanced, and extremely well executed- the matcha made in heaven and shark bait were our favorites. The atmosphere is sophisticated, clean, and low-key upscale. Hands down, one of the top dinning experiences in Rochester.
Vanessa Behlau
May 6,2025
What an experience! I had such a great time I went back twice in one week! Your taste buds will be dancing whether you order just a cocktail or a meal. The salted caramel tirimisu is hands down top 5 of all time desserts!
Chamodhi Polgampola
Apr 27,2025
This is a place where food is worth the money. All the dishes we tried were flavorful. Their prices are reasonable for seafood and the portion sizes are just the right amount. We tried sushi nacho, which is one of the best nachos I’ve had! Lobster roll was delicious, so was the grilled fish dish (specialty of the day). Tried both cocktails and non alcoholic drinks, everything was amazing. Servers are very nice and will explain if you have any questions about food. Great service! We will definitely come back.
mike Beard
Apr 15,2025
Didn't get any pics of my food...but the v6 burger is what i got! It was awesome! Not macs with just ground beef either... and u can definitely taste it! Also had a shark bite drink which was spicy yet good and strong! Nicole was our waitress! She was the bomb.com! Will be back sooner than later! Located in the public market! Which was super surprising.
Fatma Sula
Apr 9,2025
Visited for the second time last week and the unagi bowl was the star of the show once again. Everything was delicious, but definitely expensive for the serving sizes provided. However, I will definitely continue to buy that unagi bowl whenever I go again in the future. Me and my friend are obsessed with it! The tiramisu was also very delicious. Again, I would've expected a bigger slice for the price (13), but I enjoyed it quite a lot nonetheless. The service on both visits has been wonderful, the servers are very polite and do a great job managing all the tables in a steady and timely manner. Overall, this is a spot I would love to visit frequently but unfortunately can only justify dropping by a handful of times a year at best due to the small serving sizes and expensive prices. It's a great place, but not the best option if you're very hungry and on a tight budget.
Rochester Tips
Apr 6,2025
Food came out relatively quick and servers were great! Each dish is very unique and flavorful. The sushi wasn’t too special compared to everything else on the menu, but definitely fresh.

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