Dano’s On Seneca

I just had a great thanksgiving dinner here at Dano’s. It was about as good as it gets. I had a pancake with beet cured gravlax, and it took salmon to different levels. I also enjoyed their bread, and it was marvelous.
The Entrée I had was the traditional turkey dinner, and I loved it. It tasted as good as home cooking. The stuffing was very divine, and it was the absolute perfect texture, and it was amazing. What my favorite part about it though, was the cranberry chutney. I absolutely LOVE chutney, and this was by far, the best chutney I’ve ever had. It went well with the turkey and gravy.
The dessert was very rich, but it was great. I had chocolate tart, with figs. I loved the combonation of the fig and chocolate, and my mouth loved it. The whipped cream was divine as well. Dano’s does a great job with all of their food.
What my favorite part was eating with my family, and we were able to see out the window, with a great view of Seneca lake. The sunset was gorgeous, and I would love to come and eat out on the patio during summer time. That would be heavenly.
⁵⁄₅ stars. Everything was great.

What a great find! And it was totally opposite of some of the reviews I read on Unilocal of this place! Its definitely a classy place — high end all the way around. Its also great that its open on a Sunday between lunch and dinner, and had a good number of customers even at that off time.
There was no one rude at all — everyone was nice.
The food itself was wonderful. It was top notch. And the prices were reasonable for this quality of food.
The tomato soup was just amazing — the best I have had in my life! The fish schnitzel was cooked to perfection. The potato salad was unusual but great. the pork sandwich great.
The only slight negative is that I thought from reading the reviews this was on a deck overlooking the lake … when the lake is ¼ mile or further away. Nonetheless a great experience.

We ate here based on Unilocal reviews and some blog searching. It had very nice décor and a pretty outdoor deck. Overall the food was underwhelming for the price. The pork was under seasoned. Chicken was well-​cooked. There was a lot of variety for appetizers but we were underwhelmed by the sunflower seed spread which mostly tasted like cream cheese with a green color. 3.5 stars

A really nice surprise! A friend recommended the restaurant to us a few days ago and from the moment you park you know it is going to be a great experience. The food is prepared by the owner himself who came to talk to us, a very jovial man. The service is wonderful and the view is unbeatable, highly recommended.

The food here was very good. Try the scoops of heaven called deliciousness. Make sure to spread with care as you have to pay for more of the delicious bread. I found that to be a tad off-​putting, but I understand how it goes with bread.
The menu boosts local distilled liquor which I love, love, love! This gives you the opportunity to try them if you do not get to the distilleries (not that this means to miss them). While the service was friendly and excellent, they are slower than Christmas coming to a preschool child (that means it takes some time to get your stuff). The desserts were over the top great. If you love Austrian/​German type food, this is the place for you. If you have never tried it, this is the place for you!
Oh, yeah, kick@ss view of the lake!

Great spot for Hungarian fare!!! With an amazing view of Seneca Lake! Loved the Farmers platter, veggies, potatoes and Bockwurst!

We recently came for lunch during the week. I don’t think I have ever been to a restaurant that was so great in some areas and so bad in others. I read the 5 Star reviews as well as the 1 Stars and I understand where both are coming from. The style and aesthetics of the place are awesome. The food is awesome. However there was only one server working and the front of house manager was also taking some tables, including ours. Tables that had the full time server were happy. People with ours were unhappy. We almost walked out because we were being so ignored. But when we got our food, we stopped dwelling on the service and enjoyed it. If we had sat at a different table this might have been a 5. All they need to do is hire more good servers.

Fantastic cuisine. Sometimes slow service. Energetic and knowledgeable staff. Overall strong recommendation for a unique, authentic take on Austrian food, best Fingerlakes dining wine selection in the area. Great views of Lake Seneca.
FANTASTIC AND FUN EXPERIENCE.

After a full weekend of wine tasting, ending our trip with a meal on the terrace at Dano’s was the perfect way to cap off our Finger Lakes vacation. We found our way to this unique restaurant after a recommendation from our Watkins Glen hotel and we were so glad we decided to make a reservation. The location is beautiful– overlooking the lake and a panoramic vista. The food was delicious– German/​Austrian/​Hungarian specialties which our favorites were the schnitzel, the breads and spreads and the desserts. (Don’t pass up the seasonal bread pudding– wow!) And our server Nicky was so attentive and friendly — by the end of the meal she was practically family! Thanks to Dano’s for the amazing meal– we’ll be back!

Dano’s really surprised me. On the outset it has every indication that it would be a proper restaurant; it has a beautiful sign out front, gorgeous architecture, nice web presence, unique theme and a tasteful interior. In reality, I was shocked at the negative front of house experience we had with each touch point; from the hostess, to our server to, who I think may have been, a manager. It is rare I leave an extreme review for one element of the experience, except the service here was awful enough to eclipse everything else.
Dano’s is on the east side of Seneca Lake. It is an Austrian restaurant. Very modern and beautiful interiors; high ceilings, red stained concrete floors, oversized abstract paintings, muted floor to ceiling wall colors and rusti-​modern wood tables. Another thoughtful element about this restaurant is that somebody thought to add acoustic boards around the walls so the noise is under control. The restaurant also has a covered though open air patio which faces the lake.
The food was very good. If you are willing to take a bet on the service, everything else is worthwhile including the atmosphere and the fare. The Viennese bento box was a great way to sample salads, a cheese spread, a wurst, and pork shank. The schnitzel was a bit undercooked and tough due to the rareness. We sent this back to be cooked longer. The restaurant offers a variety of Finger Lakes wines by the glass and bottle. If you missed a winery, there’s a chance you’ll have a second chance here. This restaurant also offers desserts, but we were so frustrated with our experience that we jetted after entrees.
{rant fest} Now, about the service. The service here felt unaware, unprofessional and unapologetic — like the guests deserve this and apologizing for long waits, lack of service, ignoring customers, etc. was too much for the staff at Dano’s. The server took 10 minutes to stop by our table to greet us and take our drink orders. The hostess filled water glasses of the guests she seated after us after staring at our table, despite our waiter never having come by. Our waiter was speed running anxiously from back to front, sweating profusely and sniffling which was a bit gross and created a negative energy. We couldn’t flag down our (or ANY) waiter verbally or by eye contact or by waiving as all of them completely ignored our table. We had to stand up and tell the hostess that we needed a waiter. We had to send back our veal schnitzel as it was too raw and tough. Our server was rude about the meat being too underdone. He brought the plate back from the kitchen and then disappeared again, not noticing he didn’t bring new utensils. We waived and said excuse me and he still did not return. At this point the manager (?) got involved and we expressed our complete frustration at the lack of attention to our table to have to go as far as standing up ourselves, and she said, «Well, I’m here now.» A simple, «I’m so sorry, our…» would have diffused the situation, but instead she decided to fight on, and say something like, «If you made a reservation, then we could have planned for you better.» To which we laughed!!! What a complete fool! You mean, if only we didn’t come here, to your HALF full restaurant, we would have saved ourselves the hassle of fighting with unprofessional serve staff? Heck yeah!!! {/​end rant fest}
I have no idea how there is such a discrepancy, but if that sort of thing happened at any professional restaurant with trained staff, there would be all kinds of apologies and visits from managers. Since this restaurant has «foot in mouth» troubles, I’ve decided to draft appropriate lines any of Dano’s staff could tuck away into their repertoire for use with customers next time they face adversity!
{rant fest 2} «Mam, I’m so sorry, we are understaffed today for the holiday and are only able to take reservations. Would you like to have a seat at the bar and enjoy a glass on us while a table becomes free?»
«Mam, thanks for going out of your way to dine at Dano’s on your holiday. We don’t have a table right now for you, but would you like to have a seat here and enjoy a drink or an appetizer? It will only be another 10 – 15 minutes.»
«Mam, welcome to Dano’s! Here’s a couple menus. Please take a look at our extensive list of wines from the Finger Lakes region. I recommend the Damiani Bollicini. I will be back in a few minutes to take your order.»
«Mam, I’m so sorry for the delay. We are very understaffed here today due to the holiday. Thank you so much for your patience! Can I answer any questions for you?»
«Mam, I’m so sorry I did not see or hear you call for me. What can I get for you?»
«Mam, I’m so sorry your schnitzel is underprepared and unpalatable. I’ll get that back to the kitchen and back to you right away.»
«Mam, thanks for your patience today. Can we treat you to a dessert on the house?»
{/​end rant fest 2}

Very rude restaurant owner. If you have a cellphone in your possession, it’s better if you don’t bring it because the owner will yell at you for having it. The food I could say was average. But very poor service.

This was the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors even during a heavy rain storm that passed through. The deck faces the lake and the service could not be friendlier. Our server even helped us move our table in farther when the rain started.
Drinks wise I thoroughly enjoyed both the finger lakes gin Negroni which was well poured and balanced, and the gin, grapefruit Austrian topped with white pepper and lemon rind and a dash of angostura bitters was refreshing and delicious.
As for food, I adored the braised red cabbage side that had a good dose of vinegar, the cucumber dill salad which was lightly peppered and surprisingly flavorful and subtle, and of the dips I tried, the seasonal white bean veggie dip was flavorful and light, and the horseradish walnut dip was creamier but quite tasty with just a light amount of zing.

Authentic and excellent Austrian food. It’s set up as a heuriger which is an Austrian version of a Tapas bar. The food is spot on. You are able to create your own experience here and you will not be disappointed with whatever you order.
The ambiance and views are amazing. Eat outdoors on the covered patio and enjoy the breathtaking views of grape plantations and Seneca lake.
Local wine and handcrafted cocktails round out this awesome experience. You need to make this a destination spot for dinner or lunch on one of your ventures to Seneca Lake!

To dine here is to experience something beautiful in life.
Attending with a group of friends who couldn’t wait to share this gem, the array of foods delighted us at every pass. The staff was knowledgable and made sure we had everything for an enjoyable evening.
The beautiful view of the lake, the astounding range of flavors… I wanted the night to go on and never end!

I love german food. And this place knocks it out of the park. The food and the beverage list is unbelievable. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

Dano’s was a lovely surprise — who would’ve thought one would find excellent Austrian food in the finger lakes? Particularly good was the goulash, the tapenade spread, the very fresh salad, and a pickle plate.
The famed view of the sunset over Seneca Lake is also memorable, although on a chilly evening we sat inside and watched it through the window (where our main view momentarily was all the people at the outside tables standing up and vying for the best cameraphone sunset photo).
Good food, pleasant staff, and a great bottle of wine from a winery as local as you can get (Lamoreaux Landing) made for a memorable experience and another Finger Lakes place we must return to.

So, when our group of 14 was informed that we’d be wrapping up our wine tasting tour with Austrian food, I was a bit suspect. In my mind, I envisioned some sort of Bavarian, heavy animal protein laden food that would weigh the palate post delightful white wine tasting. Well, my first world ignorance was quickly righted upon entering this delightful establishment.
Modern yet cozy. Sparse yet warm. Hip yet comfortable. Dano’s is nothing like what I imagined it to be. With a group of 14, we already had a reservation with «Chef’s Table» as our menu of choice. The «Chef’s Table» is comprised of the most popular items on the menu, which is in such abundance that I will refrain from posting my dissertation-​length review and only focus on the highlights.
Served family style, we began with a selection of Roasted Red Pepper, Pumpkin Seed Oil and Horseradish Walnut spreads with baskets of bread. All equally delish, especially if served as a sandwich spread at a gourmet sandwich shop. The spreads were followed by a selection of appetizers. The stand outs were the Celery Root Remoulade, Salsify, Eggplant something-​or-​other and Large Bean Salad. At this point in the meal, I’m considering becoming a vegetarian again. Flavor, texture, balance… all being satiated at this point alone.
Take a break to enjoy your wine outdoors while watching the sun set and return to the table to press on. Wiener Schnitzel. Yes please. Seasoned mashed potatoes. Licked the bowl. Braised Sauerkraut with Bacon. No brainer. Had a taste of the rest (sausages, chicken, pork shank) but kept going back for the others.
And while you may not have room for dessert, just say YES to the strudel (apple/​quince). My mates also loved the bread pudding, but it’s a texture thing with me. Regardless, I love fresh whipped cream, so spoonfuls of that delightful fluffy filled in the cracks.
Perfectly timed delivery of food. Delightful two hour dining experience. Lovely atmosphere. Appreciate the family dining delivery of foods.
I apologize Austrians. Thank you for creating a comfort food category that also tingles the senses.
PS — Get the champagne with a splash of St. Germaine. SO delightful.

Mostly a good experience here and definitely a great meal. A few drawbacks stop this from being a 5-​star experience.
The food is ranging from average German/​Austrian cuisine to fantastic. As another reviewer put it, the «average» would be quite commonly found in any mid-​grade restaurant in Germany or Austria. However, you’re in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and this type of food is a pretty rare find. Of the things we had, I’d say the wiener schnitzel, liptauer, horseradish walnut spread, horseradish beet salad, and breads were average. The sauerkraut was out of the world, and the desserts were very very good. I challenge anyone to find or make sauerkraut like they are doing at Dano’s without going to NYC or some other major foodie city.
So the food was good, and our server was also very nice. Good on all that stuff.
The portions do fall on small side, and the prices fall on the high side. This is a combo that a lot of times makes people feel like it’s not worth the price, which is a theme you can read in many reviews. My wife and I left stuffed, but it cost $ 70-​$ 80 (including beer/​wine) to get stuffed.
So, I’d recommend going here if you want to experience cuisine unique to the region with a nice view of the lake, and don’t mind it being spendy.

The Good:
Dano’s is a family-​owned, chef-​driven, classy and modern restaurant near lots of wineries (get some local wine!) and overlooking beautiful Seneca Lake. It is a modern, upscale, American-​oriented version of a heuriger, which is an Austrian wine-​tavern for gathering and sharing — get wine and appetizers, go on a date and share, or bring a group and share the beautiful food, beautiful restaurant and beautiful view.
We loved the garden right out front where they grow their own herbs! Gorgeous view. Classy atmosphere, classical music. Beautiful, modern, clean, spacious, open restaurant. High ceilings with glass all around for an amazing view the lake, of robins on the perfect lawn, and beautiful open patio. Fresh flowers on each table, clean & modern architecture, simple and classy but unpretentious. Lovely interior design with clean lines. You don’t have to dress fancy, but do look nice. The wife of the chef, who is the manager/​doer of everything painted the modern art above the window-​walls. Hearty, simple, share-​able, well-​done Austrian (not new American!) food. Awesome charcuterie — excellent pâté, homemade sausage, and even homemade quince paste from their own quince trees!!! Recommend the charcuterie — get it to munch on while you enjoy the view and the wine!
The Bad:
Slow service, heavy food. So take your time and bring friends!
Slow service — sit back and enjoy your wine, the atmosphere and the view. Heavy food– Goulash was so heavy and dark I got full just LOOKING at it. Seafood wrapped in cabbage was lovely but again, intensely filling somehow. Come very hungry or bring a group! Waitress was unable to make wine recommendations and had to get her mom every time, so we had to wait a lot, which we didn’t mind because we had wine to drink, delicious charcuterie to munch on, the view of the lake and the lawn was lovely.
The Food:
Charcuterie was amazing, a trip here wouldn’t be complete without their house-​cured meats, FANTASTIC cheese, variety of spreads and pâté. Get it!
The bread basket was $ 3 for a large variety of local (but not homemade) breads (they only make the focaccia). The breads were decent but don’t fill up on them, dinner will be heavy! Also $ 3 per scoop of spreads, which are delicious and homemade, but expensive. Our entrees were tasty but extremely heavy, I could barely eat more than a bite! Espresso after dinner was lovely but came one at at time, and no sugar cubes, just packets.
The Service: Our server Sophia is the daughter of the owners — her dad is the chef and her mother was working as well. It was only Sophia and her mother running the entire restaurant, which was empty when we arrived but nearly filled up, and although service slowed down during that rush, they did a good job considering it was just the two of them. Her mom’s wine recommendations were spot-​on and went fantastic with our charcuterie and entrees. Sophia was professional (with the exception of wine knowledge) if decidedly impersonal. But she checked on us, didn’t make mistakes, served every table and got the job done. Her mother helped run food and bus tables, she was very efficient. We enjoyed ourselves a lot, we spent several hours there and weren’t rushed or neglected.
Overall: A truly lovely experience in a beautiful building with a beautiful view and wonderful food. Recommended if you take your time, share food, get appetizers and wine –don’t just get entrees and leave — enjoy yourself and relax, they won’t rush you. Overall it was a beautiful experience, mostly for the wine and charcuterie! I enjoyed myself immensely despite the heavy entrees and would love to go back.
Tip: The food is Viennese, as in from Vienna, Austria, a country in Europe bordering Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungry and Bosnia. The guy at the table next to us called it «Vietnamese» and sounded like an idiot, don’t do that!

We stopped by for an afternoon snacks after going around wine tasting on the west side of the lake. We needed a break before starting the east side wine tasting.
This is a cute little place in the middle of nowhere (that’s what it felt like to us). The interior is modern and sleek. Outside seating with a view of Seneca lake is a plus. The menu confused us a bit at first, but we managed to order ourselves plenty to snack; 3 scoops of spreads (Liptauer, Roasted bell pepper, and horseradish walnut) with a basket of varieties of bread and one smoked Hungarian sausage.
Yes, the food is a bit pricey. I thought of it as .okay, I paid for the view! The spreads were okay… Roasted bell pepper was my favorite out of the three, some bread was pretty good. Sausage was delicious and complimented well with mustard seed sauce. The only complaint was our waiter took forever to give us a check and the restaurant wasn’t even busy at the time.
I wish I got to try their entrees, but we weren’t super hungry. If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely swing by!