The Cove Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in City of Canandaigua

I had high hopes for The Cove- after all it’s one of the newest places to dine and right on Canandaigua Lake. Sadly, our experience was one I won’t soon forget. The good?: Our party of 6 was sat promptly (a little early even). The end. The bad: Our waiter took our orders and it seemed he didn’t know the menu well- asking us multiple times for our orders and taking a full order (style of eggs, breakfast sides). Vanilla latte ordered, regular latte brought (actually a cappuccino but decided to roll with this in hopes the reminder of the meal would be great). Mimosa ordered, never arrived. Asked for a carafe of coffee for the table, never arrived. Yet the smaller tables around us seemed to be well catered too and received food/drinks quickly. We ordered truffle fries and French toast as appetizers for the table. Fries came. Then out came a plate of toast, we sent it back and again asked for the French toast. It did finally arrive. Then our meals started to come out. 2 omelette meals which should have the same sides and sauces were completely different. Eggs Benedict states it comes with herb potatoes arrived with, french fries. At this point the restaurant manager came over. Re-took the orders but again seemed very confused while doing this. He also made it known that our server had it all messed up. We waited again. 2 people ordered the fresh eggs- one sunny side up with sour dough and one over medium with gluten free bread (for a severe gluten allergy). There were in total 4 plates of fresh eggs brought out each one incorrect, missing food or both. We again waited 10+ minutes for our server or the manager to return, they avoided our table. Both were seen doing other things like attending to empty tables all the while our table sat without food. Our server came back and apologized stating it was his first day. At this point we went to the hotel front desk to see if a different manager could help us. There was no one else besides the restaurant manager we already were involved with. Another 10 minutes before he came out of the restaurant to speak with us. He was clearly irritated as evidenced by his immediate defensive interaction with us. He told us that the gluten free fresh eggs place eventually came but we had gotten up (so that’s the 5th plate of eggs out). He said he wouldn’t charge the two people who ordered fresh eggs and took my name down so another manager could call me to see if my meal would be compensated at a later time. He also again said it was our waiter who messed up the orders and blamed a language barrier. We said it was unfair to have a new server take on the whole restaurant (only one we saw) and the manager said he’s not new he’s one of our senior task force employees who can work anywhere in the hotel. Then our checks came. Nothing had been taken off, in fact additional meals and charges were present. We again discussed this with the manager who grabbed all our checks and told us he would just take care of it and waved us out the door. The food was nothing special, lacking in seasoning. Would not recommend and really hope they work on improving...

We made a reservation for a party of 6 after our friend's Bachelorette weekend. We ordered and the waiter seemed new, not fully understanding the menu. For example, we ordered a french toast for the table (in addition to our meals) so we could all try it. He returned with a plate of toast. When the food came out, there were multiple issues. One of us got fries with our eggs benedict (not on the menu), people who ordered the same thing got much different looking plates, and when we ordered gluten free bread for a gluten allergy, regular bread was brought out. We sent the gluten free plate back 3 times because the kitchen still could not get it right. The second time, it was given to the wrong person entirely. The waiter apologized and said it was his first day.

We got the manager's attention, who said he would check on it then proceeded to start cleaning and bussing tables while we still did not have our food, coffee, drinks, and sides we ordered. We were ignored for 10+ minutes. At this point, we went to the hotel front desk to try to find a solution to our many problems since we weren't getting it within the restaurant. The same restaurant manager then came over to talk to us, who was apparently the only manager available in a large upscale hotel on a holiday weekend. We explained our frustration again, and he blamed the waiter's language barrier, which I found unprofessional. We explained that our issues extended far beyond the waitstaff. Everything from the kitchen to the manager's lack of response was unlike anything we have experienced.

The manager offered to comp just the meals that were made incorrectly and said "yours was eventually made correctly but you had already left." He shifted accountability to waitstaff and denied being dismissive of us. He said he had other tables to wait on after we watched him cleaning and setting multiple empty tables before solving our many issues. When the checks came, the meals were not comped as promised. He then ended up comping the entire bill, probably to be finally done with us, which honestly should have been done from the start. Having some members of our party finish their meals before two of them had even come out correctly is outrageously bad service.

Couldn't give you a review of the food as I never ended up eating anything before leaving. Go literally anywhere else in Canandaigua. Not worth your...

Outstanding Experience at The Cove Restaurant – Canandaigua Lake Hotel

To kick off the New Year in style, our party of five had the privilege of dining at The Cove Restaurant at Canandaigua Lake Hotel, and the experience was nothing short of exceptional. For two of our guests, it was their first time dining here, and they left thoroughly impressed. From the moment we arrived, the welcoming staff set the tone for what would be a memorable meal.

Service: The service was impeccable—attentive yet unobtrusive. The Food and Beverage Manager and bartender went above and beyond to accommodate every one of our requests, ensuring that each guest felt valued and cared for.

Accommodation: The restaurant’s layout was thoughtfully designed, offering a comfortable and inviting setting even amidst the bustling energy of New Year’s Day. Despite the busy holiday atmosphere, and overabundant noise from an engagement party, our group had plenty of space out of the mainstream to enjoy our meal and conversation in a relaxed and slightly serene environment.

Food Quality: Although the menu primarily featured only breakfast items due to the occasion, the chef displayed remarkable flexibility by customizing a grilled shrimp on greens salad entrée for one of our senior guests. This thoughtful touch was greatly appreciated, and he thoroughly enjoyed the dish. Every other dish, from the perfectly prepared eggs benedict to various egg, breakfast potatoes and thick smoked bacon dishes were equally outstanding, showcasing fresh, high-quality ingredients and attention to detail.

Ambiance: The Cove truly captures the essence of Canandaigua Lake. With stunning views of the lake, warm lighting, and tasteful decor, the ambiance struck the perfect balance between upscale elegance and cozy charm. Decorated nicely and festive for holidays.

Final Thoughts: Dining at The Cove was an extraordinary way to start the New Year. The restaurant delivered on all fronts—stellar service, top-tier food, and an inviting atmosphere. For those in our party who were first-time guests, it was a wonderful introduction to what The Cove has to offer.

A heartfelt thank you to the team, especially the Melina Food and Beverage Manager and bartender, for making this occasion unforgettable. We can’t...