The Finger Lakes region is a foodie’s dream. Canandaigua literally translates to “selected location” in Native American. Canandaigua Lake is one of the eleven Finger Lakes in New York, situated about 24 miles south of Rochester. Legend has it that the Seneca women and children were hidden on the island during the Sullivan Expedition against the Six Nations in 1779.
Let’s go eat.
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The Top Seven Restaurants in Canandaigua
Murphy’s Rule
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-412-6414759 South Main Street
Murphys Law Irish Pub, a stone’s throw from Canandaigua Lake, is a safe sanctuary to raise a glass, eat wonderful cuisine, relax, or get a bit boisterous. Sit at the bar, a table, or on the terrace. Check out their selection of over 100 beers from across the globe. They are also based in Rochester, New York.
Chicken wings and fish tacos are excellent appetizers. I turned the Barbecue Chicken Quesadilla appetizer into a dinner. The Irish Poutine, with crisp French fries topped with house corned beef, strong gravy, local cheese curd, and pickled red onion, or the Black Angus Beef Nachos, are also recommended.
Pico de gallo, seasoned Black Angus mince beef, cheddar ale sauce, jalapenos, onions, and sour cream top these nachos. If you like, you may substitute chicken with the beef.
Their Baked Mac & Cheese has a comforting flavour. There’s also soup, salad, sandwiches, and wraps. Order from the menu’s Burger Bar section.
Make Your Own Burger, OMurphy Burger, or The Angry Leprechaun with Cajun flavor, jalapeos, bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, and sriracha mayo are all options. Probably one of Canandaigua’s greatest restaurants.
Following that, stroll down the street to Abbotts for a frozen custard creamy delight. Their proprietary formula is a flavor you’ll remember.
Just Crepes
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-9090101 South Main Street
Simply Crepes had its start in South Durham, Quebec. The Proulx family farm specialized in dairy and maple syrup production, which is still at the heart of this family company today. It’s a hidden treasure among Canandaigua’s eateries.
Consider breakfast on the farm. Homemade crepes were loaded with brown sugar and the family’s own maple syrup and fried on buttered cast iron. The aroma of grandma’s cooking wafted around the household.
Handmade cuisine produced from full, natural ingredients. In this intriguing setting, savor wonderful meals.
Simply Crepes is a great place to go if you have a yearning for crepes, like I do. My favorite crepes are the sweet ones. Nutella Fruit Crepe with Nutella, fresh strawberries or sautéed bananas, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and vanilla bean ice cream is my favorite.
The Chicken and Waffles or Bangin Shrimp and Grits, prepared with crepe-battered shrimp tossed in apricot bourbon hot honey and topped with smoked Parmesan grit cake with maple sausage gravy and a burst of cherry pepper arugula salad, are also favorites on the Traditional Brunch menu.
Do you want to have breakfast? Try the Morning Crepe, which comes with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and your choice of applewood bacon, maple sausage, andouille sausage, or smoked ham. Alternatively, Crepe Madame, an egg-battered crepe topped with hardwood smoked ham, gruyere, cream sauce, fried egg, and bacon jam.
Good day
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-905-3951215 South Main Street
Bon Ami is Canandaigua’s only French Bistro, and it is guaranteed to satisfy. In a warm, lovely ambiance, enjoy a taste of Provence with classic French food matched with the appropriate wine. Make a reservation here if you’re in Canandaigua, New York.
Drink at the fully equipped bar before sitting down to a tasty hand-prepared supper. At this French cafe, the French Onion Soup is a terrific appetizer, or ask about the soup of the day.
Saumon an Iorange, covered with an orange relish and served with a vegetable and starch of the day, is one of the fantastic specialities that have been highlighted. Another recent option at this Canandaigua eatery was fried pork tenderloin with mixed green salad, lemon vinaigrette, and fresh Parmesan.
Have you tried escargot? The escargot is usually prepared in a garlic butter sauce and eaten out of their shell.
Their pastries are delicious, particularly the Chocolate Souffl. Other sweets that have been included include the Mixed Berry Tart, Cherry Cobbler, White Chocolate Blueberry Bread Pudding, and Crme Brle. Oh, my goodness!
While I stayed at the Oliver Phelps Bed & Breakfast, the innkeeper suggested Bon Ami to a couple celebrating their anniversary. We were all in agreement that this bed & breakfast and Bon Ami were fantastic experiences.
Nolans
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-905-0201726 South Main Street
Nolans on Canandaigua Lake is dedicated to providing high-quality meals and service. This degree of kindness offers an out-of-the-ordinary eating experience that justifiably places Nolans at the top of the list of restaurants in Canandaigua.
You’re guaranteed to discover a wine or beer to your liking. Wines from the Finger Lakes are exhibited alongside others, including California wines.
Fill your plate with an appetizer now that your glass is full. Coconut Shrimp was my option, with coconut-crusted shrimp topped with lemon-honey syrup and mango habanero aioli for dipping. Several people raved about the Bacon-wrapped Scallops. Four giant sea scallops wrapped in bacon and served with melted butter are included.
Nolans Seafood Chowder was my next dish. Other soup options include Soup du Jour and French Onion Crock. No matter which one you select, you can’t go wrong.
Choose one of their delicious salads topped with house-made dressings like as avocado ranch, tomato-basil vinaigrette, creamy gorgonzola, maple balsamic, Thousand Island, or Cajun ranch. You may also serve it with blackened salmon or filet mignon. That alone makes for a fantastic supper.
Consider the Pub Burger, Lobster Roll, or Captain Petes Fish & Chips as pub meal favorites.
What are you having for dinner? Chicken, veal, pasta, and shellfish are all options. I focused my attention on the meat. To be precise, the Delmonico Cowboy Cut. It’s their tastiest steak.
There will be no pie in the sky, just on your plate. Both key lime and peanut butter pies are delectable sweets. Don’t miss the Sweet Crème Brle, which is presented in an edible chocolate plate. Chocolate fans will adore this.
The Lake House’s Sand Bar
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-7800770 South Main Street
After a long day on the lake, unwind with a drink at this laid-back bar. Sit on a chair under the famed hanging boat, and the employees at The Lake House’s Sand Bar, one of the nicest restaurants in Canandaigua, will look after you.
Since beer and pretzels go together, choose the Four Cheese Crab Dip with giant lump crab served with freshly baked pretzels.
The world is your oyster, as Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor famously said. You can not only do anything and travel everywhere, but you can also enjoy Oysters by the Half Dozen at the Beach Bar.
Salt Baked Beets with goat cheese, ricotta cream, citrus supremes, micro greens, and candied nuts are a fascinating appetizer. These beets are unbeatable.
Dessert, in my view, is not a full experience. Growing up surrounded by my mother’s baked products and my father’s frozen custard shop sharpened my desire for sweets. My father used to make frozen bananas.
I was ecstatic to find a Frozen Banana on the dessert menu at the Beach Bar. The frozen banana was dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with cocoa nibs. Pittsford Farms Dairy Ice Cream is another nice and creamy dessert option that continues the ice cream theme.
The Salted Chocolate Brownie with dulce de leche strawberry compote is another popular treat. All of them will melt in your tongue and make you grin in this beautiful lake setting.
German Restaurant Rheinblick
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-905-0950224 South Main Street
Rheinblick German Restaurant serves generous quantities and the finest German beer. Without a passport, this is the closest you can get to German cuisine. Certainly one of Canandaigua’s must-try eateries.
Liebe geht durch den Magen translates as “love passes through the stomach.” Food and love go hand in hand, and each meal made here expresses this.
Below are some of the appetizers available. Kartoffelpuffer Applesauce-topped potato pancakes from Germany. Spundeks German cheese spread served with a warm pretzel bun, or Ksesptzle German egg noodles with melted cheeses and caramelized onions.
Of course, there’s Schnitzel, which may be made from chicken, veal, or pig.
Tenderized chicken, veal, and pork schnitzel, lightly breaded and sautéed in butter. Sptzle and vegetable garnish are served on the side. The Hunters Schnitzel comes with brown mushroom gravy and is the most popular Schnitzel in Germany. Corned beef, sauerkraut or red cabbage, melted Swiss cheese, and Rheinblick Lorelei dressing are used to make the Reuben Schnitzel (White or Red).
Enjoy these classic German dishes. Sauerbraten is a marinated beef roast in a sweet-sour red wine vinegar sauce, eaten with Sptzle and red cabbage. The Metzger is The Butcher’s Choice, and it includes two Bratwurst, two Bauernwurst, and a Hungarian Debreziner over Sauerkraut, all served with fresh mashed potatoes.
This is my personal fave. Rittersteak The Knights Steak is a delicious 12-ounce Ribeye served with German Potato Salad and your choice of caramelized onions or Kruterbutter (homemade herb butter).
The German delicacies are freshly prepared every day. Apfelstrudel Apple Strudel with whipped topping or Schwarzwlder Kirschtorte Black Forest Cake are two alternatives (my daughter-in-laws favorite). Linzer Torte was my decision; it’s a classic Austrian red raspberry torte, or get some Hot Love, which is Heisse Liebe in German. Warm raspberry sauce over vanilla ice cream.
This gastronomic experience will satisfy you at the Rheinblick German restaurant in Canandaigua, New York. A stroll around the lake is the ideal post-meal activity.
New York Cuisine
Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-7070800 South Main Street
New York Kitchen, one of the greatest restaurants in Canandaigua, takes you on a trip through the spectacular agricultural, craft beverage, and culinary arts. Visit the tasting room to taste and sample New York State wines, artisan brews, and ciders and broaden your horizons in the Empire State. There are additional classes offered. Examine the timetable.
Constellation Brands, Wegmans Food Stores, Rochester University of Technology, and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation joined together with a common passion and goal to introduce people from all over the globe to the culture and agriculture of this region.
Chefs collaborate directly with local farmers to offer high-quality farm-to-table meals with a New York State touch.
The restaurant will undoubtedly provide you with an amazing dining experience. Eggs Benedict, Build Your Own Omelet, and Brioche French Toast are all available for brunch, and are created with two pieces of fresh Brioche bread, browned butter, candied walnuts, and warm NYS maple syrup.
A Charcuterie Board featuring New York cheeses, regionally cured meats, local honeycomb, candied walnuts, roasted peppers, grain mustard, and crostini is available on the Caf Menu. The Baja Fish Tacos with cilantro lime crème, Napa slaw, pico de gallo, and crumbed cotija cheese are a wonderful pick.
Maybe a salad? The Roasted Beet Salad with roasted red and gold beets, arugula, First Light goat cheese, candied walnuts, and white balsamic is one of my favorites. Salad and pizza go great together.
Three Little Piggies, with red sauce, mozzarella, Genoa salami, pepperoni, and bacon, is one pizza option.
These sandwiches are impossible to mess up. A regional speciality is beef on Weck, which consists of sliced, slow-roasted beef, caramelized onions, creamy horseradish and au jus on a Weck bread.
The All New York Burger is a six-ounce New York Kitchen custom mix burger on a brioche bread with New York reserve cheddar, bacon, bibb lettuce, local tomato, and scallion aioli.
Don’t sell yourself short. Strawberry Shortcake is served with homemade shortcake biscuits, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. You will shout with joy. It is without a doubt one of the top breakfast establishments in Canandaigua.
Canandaigua Restaurants: Wrap Up
There is much to do and see in Canandaigua, NY. Investigate the Canandaigua Lake Wine Trail. Along the journey, enjoy award-winning vineyards, delicious cuisine, fantastic restaurants, shopping, sights, golf, hotels, and bed & breakfasts. I suggest Oliver Phelps Bed & Breakfast, Canandaigua’s original Bed & Breakfast.
Make a reservation for a dinner or sightseeing trip aboard the Canandaigua Lady, a Mississippi-style paddlewheel boat. Take a walk along the Canandaigua City Pier. Whichever you decide, you will have a good time here.
Visiting more places in the area? Check out our other tasty guides:
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