Cecil's Wine & Whiskey Bar - Restaurant

This is my second time eating here. The food and service has been excellent both times. The braised short rib was so tender and full of flavor. The Nutella brookie sundae was a perfect sweet dessert finish.

For the record, add a .5 to the food rating. Near perfect each time I've been there. Bar fully stocked. Service is friendly and accurate. Owner introduced himself. That's always a good vibe. I hope you give them a chance and you enjoy it as much as I did.

Sad to say that Cecil's did not meet our expectations. Decided to go with my boyfriend to check it out after looking at pictures of the food on Google. We ordered the scallops, pork tournadoes and a glass of wine. The food was tasty, but not very filling as they did not come with any carb or grain as a side. The scallops were served with a tasty puree but definitely would have been more satisfying if served over rice or pasta. They also did not offer any complimentary bread, which would have filled our stomachs a little more as well. Our bill altogether was about $97 including tip and tax, and for that price point in Rochester I would expect to be blown away by the quality and service, or at the very least full. The atmosphere was nice, it was a bit dark and minimalist, but nicely decorated. The service was okay. We could have dealt with a little more checking in by the wait staff but our waiter was very polite nonetheless. I'm giving three stars because our food was really good, but I just don't think I can justify going back to Cecil's for dinner when I can spend the same amount of money at other restaurants on park Ave and eat like a queen. I would however go back to grab drinks and maybe a few appetizers.

A Hidden Gem – Cecil’s Delivers on Every Level Cecil’s has a warm, welcoming vibe and rich atmosphere that make it perfect for a cozy date night, dinner with friends, or just stopping in for a cocktail and dessert. We had the mussels, wings, calamari, mushroom pizza & cookie dessert (desserts are created by the former owner of Caramel Bakery- and tasted as impressive as they look) each dish was packed with flavor and perfectly prepared. Their cocktails are just as impressive—the peach bellini is truly one of a kind: light, refreshing, and unforgettable. The entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and goes out of their way to make every guest feel welcome. You can tell they truly care about creating a memorable experience from start to finish. Highly recommend Cecil’s—one of the best spots in town!

The food was very flavorful delicious especially the short rib. The bun for the burger was dense and dry which was unfortunate because the burger itself was amazing. The wings were very good and the charcuterie board delicious. The service was attentive and knowledgeable. We had a very difficult time talking as the music was way too loud and left with sore voices and ringing ears.

We used Cecil’s for our wedding desserts and were thrilled. We did dessert minis for the guests (peanut butter mousse cups, flourless chocolate torte and cannolis were the most popular) and a 6in cutting cake for us. Everything was beautiful and delicious!!

This is a new spot and a must check out! They treated my family so wonderfully for a birthday dinner - the service is truly top notch. The menu was creative takes on some traditional dishes and everything was truly so delicious. We loved that they have an in house sommelier who made great wine recommendations for our meals! Also can make accommodations for dietary restrictions! For the birthday they made the birthday girl feel so special with a dessert and champagne toast! We are already planning our next time back to Cecils.

We ordered a variety of different pop tart mini's (they are still great in size), and cake truffles as our wedding desserts. OH MY GOODNESS, they were and still are amazing. Our guest raved over the pop tart flavors and the richness of the cake truffles. Everything was absolutely worth the value in size. Let me also mention the gem of a guy that assisted my mother and I to carry out our pastry boxes to the car in the pouring rain storm, outstanding service. We love coming here in general for late night dessert dates and can't wait to continue coming here in the future!

We went to Cecil's on Park on a Saturday night with another couple and were seated immediately -- a great start! The interior is dark and cozy, cute but not over the top, with fun canvas photos of celebrities on the walls. We were greeted right away by the sommelier, who walked us through the wine specials and selections on the menu -- such a nice touch! We ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and they offered to decant it, which we really appreciated. For appetizers, we had the fried burrata, lamb lollipops, and the charred Caesar salad. I'm still dreaming about that Caesar -- the char on the lettuce adds this smoky, crisp crunch, and they nailed the balance of parmesan and dressing. I'd go back just for that salad! The burrata was tasty but basically a dressed-up mozzarella stick, and the lamb lollipops were perfectly cooked medium-rare, super tender, and full of flavor. Just a heads-up -- they're coated in a Korean BBQ sauce with Napa cabbage slaw, orange sesame vinaigrette, and scallions, so you have to be into that BBQ flavor profile (which we loved!). We also tried the three-cheese risotto as a side. It was good, though a bit more onion-forward than cheesy. For mains, we had the 5x5 burger, pork tournedos, and the short rib -- all were excellent and cooked perfectly. No complaints at all. The guys had Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, both well made. Overall, the food was fantastic, service attentive, and the vibe relaxed but refined. We'll definitely be back -- and I'm 100% ordering that charred Caesar again!

Cecil's had gotten my attention while I had been looking for places to dine in Rochester, due to the small but slowly growing number of excellent reviews on Yelp. On a Friday evening, when other dinner plans did not work out, I was able to get a reservation at Cecil's for just 2 hours from the time I made it. I looked forward to writing what would be their 4th review. It was a very enjoyable evening, though there were a few speed bumps. I think word has gotten out about this place, and that night, they were experiencing growing pains. It was pretty obvious they were short on wait staff for the primary dinner hours. That could have been for several reasons. Someone might not have come in, or they did not anticipate quite so many dinner customers. It happens. But what also did happen was the right thing - everyone in the restaurant worked together to get things done. We did experience some delays initially for initial service and drinks, and various staff members came by regularly to double-check our orders and to make sure everything was fine, but everything that needed to get done got done, without mistakes. Our food still came out quickly. As for the food and drink, it was definitely worth it. 2oz. whiskey pours are reasonably priced, so I got one. The other drink we ordered, a Negroni variant, was delicious. This same level of quality flavors continued through dinner, with the bourbon BBQ grilled wings appetizer, and our dinners, cider brined salmon and a risotto. My only complaint for the dinner was that the croutons in my Cecil Salad were rock hard. We passed on dessert, but the items on that dessert menu looked decadent. I think last night at the restaurant was a test for them, and they passed.

Terrific meal. the salads were so fresh and crispy and the lamb lollipops were savory and just perfect. One more cool thing is the wine and cocktail menu is so creative and has some unexpected delights. We passed on desert this time but next time we will save room. The vibe is such a welcoming upscale feeling that made our date extra special. 5 stars!

The decor and vibe is super cute! The drinks were great. And the food was amazing! Our table got the calamari and the focaccia to share. I loved the flavor of the calamari. I got the shrimp arancini and berry salad and both were so delicious. I love that they give the option of a side salad. Others at the table got the short rib and the risotto and all were raved about. Highly recommend this restaurant! Great addition to park! And I love that you can still get caramel bakery desserts!

Visited with a group of friends for drinks to celebrate a birthday and had a great experience! The wait staff was wonderful, the desserts we tried were amazing and they have a great drink menu!