Saint 1881 Coffee & Cocktail Bar

Ambiance. Arrived for brunch which happens 8am-3pm Tu-Sa. This is an old church converted to a cocktail and coffee bar, hence a nod to the name. Decor and vibe was modern-retrofit aesthetics with much thoughtful details; beautiful natural light and chandelier lighting; white-grey-black colors; minimalist; marble and wrought iron tables; brick walls; high ceiling. Seats about 60 (?) inside and patio seating for warmer temps. Full bar and espresso set up. No dark roast (sad face), but Illy brand coffee was redeeming. Noticed detail of the purse hooks under bar. Temp was not too warm or too cold, finally.Service. Suspect's name was Jill. She was very friendly, knowledgeable, warm, accommodating, and attentive. Check was ready when inquired and not rushed to pay. It is sadly SO rare to experience excellent service especially in Michigan, and I have to always pause and note it when it happens. Products. Wonderful. Delightful. Marvelous. Had the Breakfast Burrito. Huge and shareworthy. Good flavors and textures; fluffy scramble, savory beans, potatoes, and yellow rice. Came with a salsa verde and chipotle aioli (not pico as menu listed nor warned by suspect). The side of Salad Greens was simple: mixed greens well dressed with simple vinaigrette.Of note. Metered lot and metered street parking. Loo was gorgeous. Loved the shared public double sink with huge mirror outside of the single private loo stalls. Details. BUT... yes, a B-U-T.... Have to advise about the music. It sets the mood for the occasion. OK, call me an old lady, but their music was TOO LOUD at 10am. And awful. Techno-rave music?! Seriously. Are we going for dance club moves? Jazz or even classical would have been most apropos when you are sipping an americano and trying to enjoy your breakfast. So, overall would come back but with ear plugs because the music was cacophonous and violently disagreeable this morning. Change my mind.

Located within an 1881 church, Saint 1881 brings well made cocktails and small plates to the heart of downtown Rochester in a unique, modern setting. We visited on a Thursday post-dinner, and it wasn't super busy. The service was pleasant, helpful, and very attentive, while not imposing. Cocktails were fab: of course we tried the spicy margarita, which is made with pineapple but can ask for it without. We also made an off-menu request, essentially a spicy grapefruit margarita, which was cheerfully made without hesitation. The charcuterie board was likely one of the best charcuterie boards I've had: the meats and accompanying accoutrements, from dates and candied pecans, to pickles, pickled capers, and marmalade we're outstanding. I would have liked a bit more variety on the cheese, but overall it was a nice addition to our cocktails. Other reviews have shared that the prices are high - however, for the cocktails I found them comparable to other types of upscale cocktail bars and restaurants in Rochester at ~$16 per cocktail. The small plates can definitely add up, though. We really enjoyed our visit to Saint 1881. Will have to come back and try some of their espresso cocktails too.

Overall the place was decorated very nicely (see pictures) but that and service was about it for positives for this restaurant. I came here with a group on a snowy Wednesday and when we arrived, the door was locked even though they said they were accepting customers. They then said that the kitchen was closed (no warning on website) and they were only doing drink service and they were closing 2.5 hours early. While I understand that restaurants must sell a certain amount of items per day to make ends meet, their hospitality was a little rude and overall I don't think I'll be coming back here.

Beautiful, but pretentious and expensive. No plant based options, so we only ordered drinks at the bar. The setting is beautifully designed, but you get attitude included in your expensive fair. This is Rochester not Birmingham.Service took forever even though we sat early afternoon at the bar. No one checked on us after we received our drinks and we had to flag a bartender for the bill when we were finished.Parking in Rochester is all paid now, but plentiful. Many people love this place, but I can't find a reason to go back.

i went here the night before my wedding for some apps and cocktails and i had the best experience! we sat outside which was beautiful and partly shaded the espresso martinis are PERFECT and the apps are interesting and soo not boring which i appreciate it's a gorgeous space, staff was super kind and helpful, definitely need to come back for brunch!

This place is unique. Beautiful. Delicious. Very expensive. Lovely for special occasions.The staff is talented ( especially the mixologists) and friendly. You can tell they enjoy their work.Highly recommend you try it out knowing that you'll easily spend $100 for a couple drinks and an appetizer.

This place is beautiful. The outdoor furniture is so peaceful and comfortable. The inside decor is amazing. I got a vanilla, caramel latte. I asked for it to be sweet but it wasn't. The coffee had a weird, strong aftertaste. Definitely won't get that again but I would love to come back and eat and try some other drinks. The customer service was good too. The lady that made my drink was super sweet. We had small talk, she was great. I wouldn't mind having her again next time I come.

Bottom line: you're paying for ambiance and aesthetic. Let's just call it what it is. Nothing wrong with it, I love a clean aesthetic but just know that going in.While I think Rochester was long overdue for a cutesy little place like this, it's unfortunate that the quality of the menu doesn't match the expectations or price point. While I did really enjoy my mocktail and my friends enjoyed their drinks, they said the Brussels were heavenly, and the aesthetic was photo worthy- it was loud and gets louder as the evening goes on if you're inside. The outside patio seemed calmer and looked nice but it's limited seating, so we were sat inside. The bathrooms were atrocious for 6pm on a weekday. No toilet paper, mainly because it was all on the floor, and the stalls looked like they had been ransacked. When I mentioned it to the staff nearby to let them know (I know how it goes on a busy night, you can't be everywhere) but it seemed like I was just annoying them by interrupting their group huddle chit chat. Our group left promptly after and don't think we'll be returning. When I learned it was owned and managed by the same group as RBH, it all kind of made sense as I never had a great experience there either.Go for the vibes and not much else and you'll probably have a great time but don't expect a better more elevated experience because of the look or price tag. It's a cool building with local history, it made for an okay girls night but isn't my new favorite go-to spot by any means.

Great food, great service. We went before the crowds arrived. It was a little pricy, but everything was delicious.

The effort in this restaurant is evident not only in the decor but also in the food and drinks. The barista is phenomenal, sweet, and patient. Based on her recommendation, I tried the banana foster cold brew, and I love this place.