The Alexander dining room with vaulted ceiling, set tables, and warm natural light

Our Story

A Victorian mansion on Rochester's Alexander Street

The Alexander — red brick Victorian mansion with ivy climbing the turret, cone-topped roof, script signage, and the pergola out front against a clear blue sky
Since the 1880s

A Rochester Landmark

The building at 282 Alexander Street has stood since the 1880s — a Victorian mansion in Rochester's East End, on the former Restaurant Row between Park Avenue and East Avenue. The building once housed the former restaurant, Rio Bamba — a place generations of Rochesterians went for a birthday, an anniversary, a night that mattered.

When the Swan Family took the keys, the original character stayed. The Alexander has maintained the classic elegance of the original Victorian-era mansion. What changed was the careful curation of the menu and the cocktail program that the space deserves.

The Alexander entrance beneath the pergola — wooden door with the script logo, wrought-iron lanterns lit, and red flowers softly blurred in the foreground
The Alexander lower-level lounge — vaulted ceilings, carved-wood settee with green cushions, built-in hutch, and banquette tables set beneath an archway
Under the Swan Family

Same Address, New Chapter

The Alexander is what happens when you take a building that was already beloved and give it a reason to be loved again. Seasonal menus from the kitchen. A bar program built around craft, not shortcuts. Event spaces that feel like rooms in someone's home — because they were.

We didn't build this place. Rochester did, a long time ago. We just made sure the next 140 years have something worth toasting to.

Kale caesar salad plated beside an amber craft cocktail in a coupe glass — dark wood table, soft background of books and a vase of sunflowers
From the Kitchen

Kitchen & Bar

The kitchen builds seasonal menus from regional and international sources, leaning on local farms when the season allows — thoughtfully prepared, never overwrought. Our bar program celebrates the craft, from house-made syrups to carefully curated wines.

View Our Menus

Part of the Swan Family

The Alexander is one of seven restaurants in the Swan Family. Each kitchen runs its own concept — Italian at Vern's, Mexican at Dorado, French at Roux, and so on. Learn more at swanfamilyofrestaurants.com.

Learn More About Swan Family

Find Us

282 Alexander Street, Rochester, NY 14607

Located in Rochester's East End, steps from downtown hotels, the Eastman Theatre, and the vibrant East & Alexander neighborhood.

We have a 35-space lot on-site, plus free street parking.
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The Alexander entrance — wooden door framed by trailing greenery, ornate iron lantern, and brick stoop with stone steps leading up beneath the script signage

Our house was curated just for you and yours.

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