ROUX

My second visit to Roux (my first was a special event) felt a lot like a trip to France.
We sat outside, had a leisurely early dinner, and people watched on Park Avenue while having lovely cocktails. There were some issues with our meal, but it was still a lovely afternoon, made lovelier by Roux.
On to the great:
Roux Tikki drinks. It’s basically bar tender’s choice where he makes you a drink based on your likes and dislikes. It is a risk, but the bar tenders at Roux delivered, and delivered well
The service, the only thing that ruined the illusion of being in Paris was the fact that the service was friendly and helpful, and patient. I felt really let down by our helpful, friendly server. Where’s the rude Frenchman cliché?!
The good:
Most of the food was good, traditional dishes made well. The deviled eggs and the croque madame were well executed and lovely.
The not so good.
The escargots were chewy, they were the least successful of the dishes we had. But the pricing was the biggest let down. I felt that the pricing was a bit too high for what we got.
Still I would go again, to enjoy the drinks, and to people watch. Maybe next time the waiter will ignore me, one can only hope.

I went here as a date on a Thursday night, and it was fantastic. I had known about this place for a while now, heard about it from friends and read a review in City Newspaper, and excited to see what the hype was about. Not only was the bar beautiful, but the top shelf liquor selection was great and I got to try Black Button’s lilac Gin both straight and in a mixed drink. Going on a week night was perfect, as the bar was calm and I was able to casually chat with the bartender, with whom I went to college. I have yet to try the food, but I will definitely be back sooner rather then later.

Roux has been on my list for quite some time, but now I will cross it off for good. It wasn’t a ‘bad: dining experience, but it was forgettable, bland and not worth its price. Very slow service and inattentive for being 1 of 3 small parties at the time of visit.
The cheese board was skimpy with 3 less than one ounce servings, 1 strawberry and 5 blueberries. The honey with it did not match the offering. Cocktails were $ 2 off for happy hour but I should have just gone with the steep wine… served in a crushed ice tall glass which greatly detracted from the taste.
The actual Frenchman dining next to us was literally offended by the «French» cuisine.
Nice décor and atmosphere.

If «you only get one chance to make a good first impression,» this was a massive fail. Waiter took the order without writing it down (always a bad sign) and steak frites came out in the form of a hamburger. I suggested that since my companion’s order would have to started anew, it might be a good idea to return my dinner to the kitchen as well. (I shouldn’t have had to ask.) We were then advised that steak frites was no longer available but that a cheaper cut could be served. An hour and 10 minutes after arriving, dinner was served. The «steak» had a fair amount of gristle but we were too exhausted to complain. Nice place, nice menu but gee!

When I miss Paris, I know I have a place to go. Love the wine and some of the dishes here. Quiet place. The staff aren’t as personable here as in other places but it’s a great place to catch up with an old friend.

The duck was excellent, the staff was helpful and friendly. Absinthe selection is on point.

This restaurant is one of my favorites in the city. Sometimes parking around Park Ave at busy hours can be a pain, but usually you can park relatively close to the restaurant. The atmosphere is very relaxing once inside, with low lights and unobtrusive servers. My one knock about this place is how small and cramped it can be.
I would highly recommend the cheese board. It’s served with a warm baguette, fruit and lavender honey. This is always my favorite part of coming here. The cheese is usually excellent and the honey, fruit and baguette are wonderful complements. The Steak Frites, Escargot and Bouillabaisse are all very good. The traditional French menu items tend to be very tasty. The only meal we didn’t love here was the Artichoke (yes, we ate it correctly!). It just didn’t have a «stand-​out» flavor. Their wine menu is quite good and you can usually choose nice pairings with your meal.
All in all, Roux is a fantastic and upper scale place to go if you’re looking for a good meal!

Ok first off we wanted to go somewhere local, it’s a Tuesday and my birthday. I made a reservation. Ok fine. Walked in. Only one other table that was busy. It was quite at 6pm (it got busy later) Took a few minutes to be seated. Said we could sit where we liked. So much for the reservations. But it’s a small place, but warm, airy and reminds you of an old school Parisian bistro. (I’ve been to Paris. This is not Paris… ok but it’s a cute place) They have a long bar in the back. Tables are small. It’s a bistro unless you get seats by the window the seats are banquet style.
This is a little bit of everything in a good way… It’s a small well curated menu, fish, chicken, beef, vegetarian. The usual French suspects for apps, wine list (the prices per bottle are actually pretty good) they do cocktails, they have beer and Absenthe. Yes the green stuff. We ordered the escargot it was tasty, the snails were tasty in the garlic, butter parsley sauce with the bread toasted perfectly. I got a glass of white Bordeaux it was lovely. We both got the «specials» I got the Parisian Gnocchi w/​seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, green beans, peas) in a bure Blanc sauce with a fresh hit of lemon juice and a shaving of Parmesan. Yum. This is not your Nona’s gnocchi seriously… It’s browned it’s different. The husband got the special Chicken Pot Pie w/​frisée salad. The top of the pot pie was a lovely golden brown and when you cracked into the puff pastry and tasted it it was flakey and buttery, the chicken and vegetables inside tasty. To end after we had told the server it was my birthday and he than asked «since it’s your birthday would you like desert» damn right I do. We shared the Flourless Chocolate Cake w/​Chantilly Cream. Ok. It’s my birthday I’m not looking to be comped or anything but you could not give a girl a break. I even made a reservation on Open Table and than called in to confirm. If you put on Open Table in the box to add «things we should know» than don’t bother. Whatever this always seems to be my issue. Sorry to complain. Birthdays should be fun not nit picky over that… I would come back w/​friends get a bunch of apps. Frites, Cheese Plates, Escargot & bottles of wine and chill. They don’t hover and you feel relaxed. I did see people come in with wine I guess you can BYOB I assume they have a corkage fee. I would check. That’s all for now. Street parking is all they have, during the summer you can sit outside and then do brunch. Give them a go…

I would say we had a good not great experience at Roux. Its wine list is short but replete with decent and affordable French wines. We had a tauteval red blend which was excellent. The cheese platter was to die for. I could have had two of them and skipped the entrée. Two of our party of four opted for the special which was beef bouginone (sp?). I chose the sole meunière which was dry and tasteless. The other thing that was tasteless was the cheeky lad who served our table. I would say he’s been getting by on his looks for too long. Aside from being a bit dense, he disappeared after serving our entrée. When he finally resurfaced, he served our dessert with appropriate flair. The crème brûlée was just okay. The evening would have been much better if I had stopped at the cheese plate.

The one thing that will keep me coming back is the cheeseboard. And a French rosé. My hankering for a trip to Roux is fueled by those two things. Perhaps it’s the warm, crusty bread they serve with it? Yes. Yes, that’s it. I also enjoyed the warm kale salad was hearty and delicious.
I like the vibe of the space, although not too much of a drastic change from the renovations. Subtle upgrades and lots of light make this a nice place for an afternoon visit for a glass of wine. It’s not a huge space, but can accommodate groups of 6+ comfortably (call ahead).
I’ll likely be back to try more on the menu as they updated some things. Fish is a speciality here and I hear the omelet is splendid.
**I will say how much I miss Cibon. I do. Those paninis stole my heart and I will miss them forever and ever.

Two thumbs up! The atmosphere is charming & the food was wonderfully authentic. It is a nice mix of everything you love & remember from France. I ordered the Croque Monsieur & husband had the steak frites. Both were good café quality. The chocolate torte for dessert was delicious! They had a nice selection of wines too.
We will definitely come back for another trip down memory lane.

Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon after having lunch nearby. The restaurant was empty besides two other patrons. We sat at the bar since we were simply seeking drinks. The drink menu was extensive even though they really didn’t have what we were looking for. We were hoping for some warm boozy drinks on the fall afternoon. My cousin ordered a Riesling while I had the Pumking. Pumking is by far one of my favorite pumpkin beers so I was happy with that even though I think it would have been better with a sugared rim. Nonetheless our bartender was great. He was friendly and attentive. I’d recommend Roux to others who were looking for a low key place for drinks on Park Ave.

Had dinner here with friends last night. Our reservation for 4 people was at 7 pm, and as soon as we put in our drink order the server informed us that they only had one serving left of the Friday night plat du jour — scallops — and one serving of the dinner special porch chop with potatoes and brussel sprouts. My husband immediately called dibs on the last pork chop, I ordered the steak frites, and our friends ordered the vegetarian plate (spaghetti squash, quinoa and roasted delicata) and the salmon. Everything tasted delicious!
My steak was cooked perfect for me (medium) and had an awesome parsley-​garlic butter on it; my fries were thin and crisp and really tasty — not a soggy one in the bunch. My steak was also served on a regular plate so maybe that helped the fries stay crisp.
My husband’s pork chop was thin but large with just the right amount of fat/​marbling, seasoned well with a mustard sauce on top; it was unfortunately a little dry, but the sauce and rind helped with that. The brussels were ‘al dente’ and nicely seasoned and the fingerling potatoes were a perfect portion and just mild enough to compliment the tang of the mustard.
The veggie plate our friend had was very nicely presented — small portions of the two kinds of squash bookending the tri-​colored quinoa. She liked it and found it to be too much — she took half home.
Our other friend had the salmon — he cleaned the plate so we know he thought it tasted great; but he is a big eater and was disappointed in the portion size — maybe it was 4 ounces? He asked for several loaves of baguette to fill the rest of his appetite, and our server obliged (and bread was free!)
We also had a house special salad with frisee, fried pork belly, yellow raisins and a lemony dressing — it was really delicious — and I would love to see that as a regular salad offered all the time…
Cocktails (loved the ‘Frenchie’ with sobieski, lemon, and lavender) and wine rounded out our meal — but no room for dessert — we’ll just have to go back!
I recommend making a reservation and getting there early if you want to take advantage of any nightly specials — and as the weather gets colder, parking on Park Ave will be tricky. But your meal will be worth it — food here is really well done!

I went to Roux on a Friday night, and everything was just okay. Not bad, not amazing, but okay. My friend and I had beverages, and dined outside.
I ordered the Poulet Bonne Femme, which was half of a roasted chicken with broth and mushrooms. The dish was delicious, but I am traditional in the way that I like to typically have a meat, veggie, and a starch. I feel like a little side of risotto would have gone a long way with it. The chicken was cooked to perfection.
My friend ordered the burger with the extra fixings, and seemed to enjoy it, because he inhaled it. No pictures, because it was too dark outside at the time.
The seating outside was a little tight. I wouldn’t recommend dining here in larger groups than four.
Roux is on the pricier side, and I think that because CiBon wasn’t too expensive, people kept walking in, looking at the menu, and then left. There wasn’t a host/​hostess that was seating people right away either, so that could have been a problem.
All in all, I don’t know how quick I will return, but if I do, it will be for brunch to try out their other menu.

We were not disappointed after having read the Unilocal reviews we were concerned about service and mini plates. Unfortunately it was dark enough that my pictures don’t do any dish justice. I’ll say this, we weren’t uncomfortably full, but we also weren’t unsatisfied. We sampled a few cocktails, all were delicious. Our service was friendly and helpful.
We ordered the mac and cheese, the sauce resembled a bechamel without much cheese flavor, it was creamy but thinner than appreciated.
Having read that their frites could be soggy we said please make them crisp, the top ones were but the rest were foiled by the vessel they were served in. I adore enamel ware but a deep enamel ware cup holds moisture and snoggers your fries.
A kale salad and lentils (warm, fall, hearty, tender, savory) were sampled.
The bouillabaisse was mostly pleasant, very fennel forward, I’ll croak before I get a dish in Rochester without one or two mussels tasting like a latrine. The shrimp and fish, however were nicely cooked.
Half chicken was gorgeous with drippings and mushrooms, we asked for additional bread to sop it up as the croutons in the dish were not sufficient.
7 hour lamb with carrots and beans was fall apart tender. Mildly lamby, the beans were well cooked and had a smokey quality.
For dessert we had the cardamom crème brulé, it was well done and the cardamom shone through.

We came here for our anniversary dinner. Made reservations online and mentioned our anniversary. I wasn’t expecting anything complimentary, but if a customer notes a special occasion while making a reservation, at least wish them a happy anniversary :(Otherwise, why even have that option there?
Anyway, we were not really wow-​ed by the whole experience. Cocktails were pretty good (so maybe we will come back from drinks only) but overall the food was just lacking.
The charcuterie plate was underwhelming. The server didn’t really explain what was on the plate, and just said «ok this is pork, this is cheese and this is mustard» and walked away. Fine, I didn’t really expect a detailed explanation of everything on the plate just because it was chef’s choice, but at least look a little more enthusiastic. The pickles lying there on the plate were pretty much as depressing as the rest of the plate.
We shared a pot of bouillabaisse, which was just ok. We suspected some of the seafood wasn’t fresh, because random bits tasted almost sour/​stale/​funny… The broth was not that impressive and was one dimensional.
Crème brûlée for dessert was ridiculously sweet and had a little too much burned sugar on the top– made it pretty bitter sweet and not in a good way.

Went here for my birthday dinner and sat outside. The atmosphere was nice outside, with people walking by and cute tables. There was absolutely no one at the restaurant at 5:30pm on a Tuesday.
Our food was very good, but not overwhelmingly unique or delicious, which is what I expected based on reviews and the Roux website. I thought that it was a little overpriced for having such generic dishes when we really wanted to experience French cuisine.
The wait staff was nice, but not overly attentive, considering we were the only people at the restaurant.
Honestly, trying this place once was good enough and we will probably not go back.

A beautiful night for dining outdoors so we decided to head over to Park Ave — not quite sure where we wanted to eat. When we saw empty tables outside on a Friday night at Roux we swooped in to try this newer place. It was early enough that we caught the end of happy hour so we tried the Aviation cocktail which was quite good.
I ordered the burger and it was juicy and flavorful though not quite medium rare. The pomme frites were unfortunately limp and not crispy as advertised. Our waitress did get us another order but with the same outcome — she did offer to take them back. A place that claims to be a French café really should learn how to make true pomme frites like in France. The salmon was very good though the portion was a bit small for $ 23.
Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Except for the frites the food was very good and the experience helped lead us to rate this a four.

We went for Mother’s Day Brunch –with a set brunch menu — but I will try Roux one more time for a regular dinner menu. The brunch menu was two courses. The food was good but I thought the serving sizes, for what we paid, was ridiculous. For the price of the brunch there should have been a third cheese plate course or something. I had the lemon lavender coffee cake and the bacon/​leek quiche with field green salad. It was good — but we all left still really hungry. It wasn’t a «brunch» — it was a small piece of pound cake with a sliver (and I mean sliver) of quiche and a little tiny salad. C’mon — We paid $ 30 a person for that?! We had one Belini each — I realize it was bottomless but we had no food in our stomach to keep boozing! I was disappointed, as it was mother’s day and also my birthday. I am a fanatic about Julia Child and French Cooking so I was really looking forward to this. Very disappointed. If you are going to charge people that don’t serve them something I can get at Jines.
I will give it one more go — because I truly adore french cooking — but then that’s it.

Nice and dimly lit and cozy which I love! We had the smoked salmon salad, the vegetables in broth, chocolate cake and the crème brûlée. It was all very tasty but typical French small portions. The crème brûlée was probably the best one I’ve ever had in Rochester! There are no sweet wines so the bartender made me a champagne and sweet liquor cocktail that was perfect for me Loved the atmosphere and reasonably priced.