Rella Oysters — Restaurant in City of Rochester

Disclaimer: Though there is no indication of this on Google and no website stating it, you DO need a reservation. I saw a couple turned away at the door because they couldn't fit them on a Saturday night. Walking in I thought this place was cute, the limited seating at the bar only was interesting. I thought that this would be a fresh dining experience. I was very wrong. There were almost no options for people that are allergic or not into shellfish and at a seafood restaurant I would expect more than that, at least one fresh cooked fish option. We got the only non shellfish options of the night, the duck over salad greens and the smoked salmon sandwiches.

The duck was very clearly microwaved as it was quite dry and still cold in the middle. The salad had good dressing. The smoked salmon sandwiches were kind of a joke. I could look into the kitchen and see that the rolls were being stored on top of a toaster oven out in the open a few feet away from where clients were sitting (as it's a very small space). This was just a sandwich with a toasted roll and melted Gouda cheese, they opened up a package of smoked salmon, slapped it on the roll with some pickled veggies and called it a dish. It was served on top of some canned french's potato sticks. Nothing was fresh.

You can look into the kitchen and see everything that was happening and it's noteworthy how little space there is set aside to do the cooking, I didn't even see a stove, and there's none of the usual activity you would see happening in a busy kitchen. It appears to me that the reason for this is this restaurant doesn't cook fresh food. They serve cold shellfish and have a couple afterthought options outside of that which you can expect to be microwaved. If you're looking for cold shellfish maybe this place is great. But I was looking for a nice freshly cooked fish dinner so this place was a miss for me.

Also if you are worried about Covid, skip it, it's very close seating and no one in the kitchen wears masks or hairnets. Also the bathroom was out of toilet paper but I wouldn't have used it anyways because it was not very clean or even labeled...

Visited this restaurant yesterday for date night -- we were impressed across the board. Calling the food outstanding feels like it falls short of just how good it actually was -- we were just blown away. We ended up sharing all the food which was 2 small appetizers, 3 meals, and 2 desserts. We had a couple glasses of wine throughout the entire meal as well.

When we got there we told the waiter we were going to share each meal and he took it upon himself to just bring one thing out at a time. When we were finished with each dish he took it away and then a short time later our next one arrived. We thought that was awesome that he read the situation and adjusted. Everything is made to order, and we found the price very reasonable.

We found the atmosphere very laid back. The restaurant only seats around 16 people, so the amount of staff required is small. There was zero hustle-and-bustle going on, and the waiter was able to be very attentive to all of the patrons, and even had time to engage in short conversations as time allowed. Also there was awesome music playing in the background -- Bob Dylan and the like.

Couple suggestions if you're thinking about visiting -- first thing is stop thinking about visiting and do it, and then take the time to call and make a reservation because of their low capacity. We don't think...

Worth every one if it's five stars. The service was amazing and attentive with each server listening to us chat about our lives as they brought us each dish as it finished in the kitchen. The dishes themselves were full of flavor and the best that I've had of each of them.

I personally thought the oysters were the best I've had our of NYC and would be happy to have them every time I visit. The clam chowder was more buttery and less creamy than other versions but the butter and salt added to the in the shell clams and salmon in such a way that brought the dish from great to an experience. The shrimp sliders were fantastic, a perfect blend if shrimp, mayo, cucumber, celery, lemon, and dill to make a refreshing delightful treat. The seafood risotto was one of the cheesiest I've ever had having pesto dance on the plate with lobster, each happily holding their own combined with the parmesan.

I will absolutely be back every time I'm in Rochester. The service makes you feel like family and the food makes you feel like you've...