Grappa Italian Nouveau

Grappa Italian Nouveau is a contemporary Italian restaurant located in College Town, the mixed-use development at the gateway to the University of Rochester campus in Rochester, NY. Operating under Del Monte Hotels, the restaurant takes a modern approach to traditional Italian cooking under the direction of Executive Chef William Hughes. The dining room features a casual-elegant atmosphere with an indoor fireplace, an open kitchen, and an outdoor patio for seasonal dining. A private dining room called the Camera Piccola accommodates seated dinners for up to 20 guests or cocktail receptions for up to 30.

Grappa serves lunch on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and dinner nightly from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., with a daily happy hour Monday through Saturday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The menu spans small plates, salads, handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and dinner entrées. Notable dishes include:

• Hand-rolled gnocchi with pomodoro and sausage
• Duck rigatoni with confit duck, squash, and gorgonzola
• Shrimp fettuccini in tomato-sherry butter
• Salmon cioppino with grilled salmon and clams
• Calamari fritti with rosemary agrodolce
• Pizzas ranging from a classic margherita to funghi bianchi and sausage mercato

The restaurant also accommodates vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free dietary needs. The bar program includes signature cocktails, an extensive whiskey selection, Italian grappas, and wines by the glass. Curbside pickup and gift cards are available, and reservations can be made through OpenTable.

Grappa is known for its Italian Nouveau concept — a menu that pairs familiar Italian foundations like hand-rolled pastas and wood-fired pizzas with modern preparations such as duck confit rigatoni and pan-seared mahi mahi with citrus-chili glaze. The restaurant's setting inside College Town places it in a walkable, university-adjacent district, making it a regular choice for both campus-connected diners and visitors to the nearby University of Rochester Medical Center. The Camera Piccola private dining room and weekday lunch service distinguish it from many Rochester Italian restaurants that operate dinner-only.

Grappa sits at 30 Celebration Drive within College Town, the 312,000-square-foot mixed-use development that opened in 2014 at the front entrance to the University of Rochester's River Campus and Medical Center. The complex, now owned by the University through Meliora Development Company, includes a Barnes & Noble bookstore, CVS Pharmacy, the Hilton Garden Inn, Mount Hope Lofts apartments, and several other restaurants and shops. Free parking is available in the College Town parking garage, and the Mt. Hope neighborhood location provides easy access from Elmwood Avenue and Mt. Hope Avenue.