VINIFERA New York - Geneva Flagship — Restaurant in City of Geneva

The most incredible (and only) speakeasy in the Finger Lakes.

After hours of driving, we knew we needed a cool spot to go to at night for some delicious wine. Of course, the Finger Lakes are KNOWN for wine so we're just thinking we're making reservations for a wine bar (with "speakeasy" vibes). Which that would've been totally cool with us.

After continuous back and forth, changing our reservations 50 million times, adding and taking people out, we finally made it to Vinifera on a Friday night and were super apologetic since we had to make yet another change.

The staff was absolutely incredible and accommodating, they made sure our party of 10 would be in the same room/table. The only "downfall" was that we'd have to share the room with another small party. Which was absolutely not a problem and we ended up being BFF'S with them by the end of the night.

We met the owner Jim - the most incredible human - and he took us down to the speakeasy (which passes right through a super secretive door in the back of the main room upstairs). Side note - the main room upstairs is a vibe on it's own btw and we would've been absolutely fine and happy there. It's an actual wine store and you can purchase all kind of local wines. Be sure to ask and get all the recommendations you want.

Not only did we get to enjoy an incredible time but we got a super cool VIP experience and learned the story and so much history about this place, the concept, the origin and what sparked the idea of creating it. That itself, was a treat.

On to the actual speakeasy experience. When you go downstairs (through that fun super cool super secretive door) - you're instantly transported to another era, another time. It's dark, it's velvety, chandeliers, spiderwebs (the aesthetic kind, idk if there were actually any but it fit the vibe in my head), Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, candles, curtains. There are two super cool rooms, one to the right (which is where our large party sat at) and one to the left - totally recommended for smaller groups, it's cozy, it's chill, you can interact and share with other guests too.

Just by this, I'm wowed. As if this wasn't enough, the drinks were absolutely incredible. I ended up ordering some kind of a smoked drink and they happily substituted the regular old fashioned for mezcal. What a dream. Everyone was happy with their drink orders, some ordered some off the menu things and they happily made them - even though they technically only serve what's on the menu. Wine flights are also available if you're in the wine vibe.

Bottom line: we loved this place SO much, we came back 2 night's later for our last night. We sat in the other room and absolutely loved and enjoyed it. I had a lavender drink and it was delish. This place is a GEM and you should absolutely check it out and support it if you're in the area. If you're not, well now you have a place I know you'll...

If you are looking for above and beyond level service and quality, look no further. Vinifera and their staff were so incredibly accommodating for my friends and I during our board game night. I was honestly very worried I would not find a spot that would fit well for our small gathering, but this place was perfection. Their communication about our event was stellar. Always timely in their emails to me. Helpful advice for catering. Even offered charcuterie and desserts - delicious warm cookies. Not to mention the amazing cocktails. Negroni after Negroni was ordered. Oh and their seasonal cocktails were a great hit. I believe all of our guests were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every detail they added for us. From the lighting to the curtains. Shoutout to Jim and staff! He provided seating for 10, to the extra tables for our pizza and games. And perfectly timed check-ins to see if we needed more drinks. If you are having a wedding in the area, I could see this being the perfect spot for a bachelor’s night or any sort of small to midsized event. Especially for guests that love a surprise. If I could give higher praise, I would. We will be coming back...

While we found the Vinifera venue and staff to be charming, we were extremely UNHAPPY with the pricing of wines! When you remain at Vinifera to have your wine, instead of taking it “to go”, there is an up-charge of almost double the price! The actual wine pricing total for us was around $60, but we ended up paying over $130. The specifics of these charges is not clearly written in the menu. So, after we had consumed our wine and enjoyed the great atmosphere we got our bill and were astounded! It is my hope that this pricing can be significantly lowered and then clearly written in the menu so I can highly recommend Vinifera. Until then, I will not be recommending the venue. I work in the wine industry and would love to encourage people to visit. I felt compelled to say something...