Branca Midtown

Branca Midtown is a modern Italian restaurant located on the ground floor of Tower 280 at 280 E. Broad St. in downtown Rochester, NY. The name "Branca" — Italian for "branch" — reflects the kitchen's approach of drawing from traditional Italian cooking while incorporating contemporary techniques. The restaurant opened in 2016 as the building's first retail tenant when the former Midtown Plaza tower was redeveloped into a mixed-use residential and commercial property by Buckingham Properties. It is part of a Rochester restaurant group that also operates Velvet Belly, The Revelry, Ziggy's, Bitter Honey, and Patron Saint Steak.

Branca Midtown serves lunch Wednesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, with the kitchen opening at 5:00 p.m. The menu centers on handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, and seasonal Italian dishes. Pasta, pizza dough, and fresh cheese are all prepared in-house daily. The bar program features reimagined classic cocktails alongside a wine list that leans Italian but includes selections from other regions.

Dining options include indoor seating, a patio, and takeout via online ordering. The restaurant also hosts private events and accepts reservations through Resy.

Branca Midtown has operated in downtown Rochester for nearly a decade, establishing itself as a fixture in the city's ongoing downtown revival. The kitchen's daily from-scratch preparation — covering everything from pasta to cheese — sets the tone for a menu built around ingredient-driven Italian cooking with a modern sensibility. The restaurant occupies space inside a building with significant local history: Tower 280 was originally constructed in 1962 as part of the Midtown Plaza shopping center, and visitors today can view the restored Clock of Nations installation in the building's lobby.

Branca Midtown sits at street level in Tower 280, at the corner of East Broad Street and South Clinton Avenue in Rochester's downtown core. The building is steps from the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and within walking distance of Parcel 5, the city's downtown event lawn. For lunch guests, parking validation is available at the Midtown Underground Garage with entrances on East Broad Street and Clinton Avenue. Dinner guests can use free valet parking on Elm Street, a nearby visitor lot that is free after 5:00 p.m., or metered street parking that becomes free after 6:00 p.m.