Every time I'm in Troy I NEED to come to this place! The people inside are always so friendly and…read moredown for a polite chat! Their lobster bisque is to die for, and they always have some kind of seasonal tea that catches my eye. They even have options for accommodating allergies or diet preferences! The music and decor is also super cozy and it makes me feel like I'm in a warm modern loft! Overall a 10/10!

Lovely place for afternoon tea! The 3 tier tea for $24 comes with choice of sandwich, salad or…read moresoup, and scone. The tea is not included. There is so much variety of teas from all over the world. You can smell the teas from the selection before choosing. Love the presentation and the teacups! The same afternoon tea in NYC would've cost double. Will definitely be back at one of their 4 locations upstate! Absolute joy. The server was also very nice and attentive!

It's been so long since I've visited the Daily Grind. I really cannot say why I stopped going. It…read moreis a local gem that has served the area for decades. The breakfasts and coffee are solid. The staff is helpful and courteous. I showed up for breakfast recently. I ordered the Chorizo. Two eggs, two chorizo sausages with pepper jack cheese and spicy mayo on a sandwich roll. It was as good as I remembered. I also enjoyed the coffee included in the $11.45 price. I took the meal upstairs where there's additional seating. I ate it while seated inside the picture window, which is a good place to the activity along Lark St. The eatery is as eclectic as ever. There are signs and artwork on the walls from different eras that don't go together. The place is old and perhaps a bit musty. Still this place had so much history with the area and its mismatched decor is a part of its charm. Change may be good. But in the case of the Daily Grind, I'm happy to still be able to get a delicious meal at a reasonable price from a nice staff after all of these years. Comfort food at its best.

Still thinking about this sandwich!! Daily Grind is definitely going to be my new go to spot for a…read morebreakfast sandwich and coffee! It's no wonder why they are so popular and also one of the oldest cafes in Albany and still doing so well today! The cafe is a cute spot, with stool seating indoor and some tables outside. It's a bit unassuming but the bustle of the place definitely reflects how popular it is. They have so many options of sandwiches and to create your own and it is delicious!! The rolls were perfect and not tough at all, the sandwiches were so well done, I highly recommend the Lark street, the eggplant was so crispy and yum! They have fun specialty lattes and coffee as well. The girls working were welcoming and nice. While there was a bit of a wait, it's worth it and the do have an order ahead option too.

I absolutely hate their new location it is not warm it is not cozy the ceiling is too high all the…read moreseats are bunched together there's no privacy it's not comfy it's not cuddly it doesn't give me that warm feeling. The service was the same it was perfect. The mocha latte was what I ordered. The chicken sandwich I suppose it was okay it just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe put some dividers in and drop the ceiling and make it a little more Cozier lighting. But the new location is the pitts. I was cold and I hate being cold. Also the ceiling is too high maybe lower where the seating is and not where the stages or the doors are and also put in some dividers so it feels like smaller rooms to give it that little privacy that can be moved to different areas when you have shows.

The books, the peaceful and joyful vibe of the decor, and the friendliness of the staff at Mocha…read moreLisa's Cafe supersede the consistently long wait for one's order. The environment and the joy is why I give this cafe 4 stars. It is such a nice place to read, write, study, or play a game of cards, that I absolutely think one should come if they are not on any time schedule. If you are in a rush, do not do it. Why stress yourself? I already knew about the wait, so I was prepared. The family next to me was nonplussed. They were not aware. My chai was delicious. My egg wrap was ok. I prefer the egg to be cooked differently, so that was definitely a me thing. I will order something else next time. I have been to all three sites in the CP mall and I am impressed at how well they maintained the aesthetic of the second site.

Classic, all-American breakfast. Everything we had was well-prepared and tasty ... omelets,…read morepancakes, breakfast hash. The servers were BUSY and quite professional. One note: the chips used for nachos could have been better. Overall: we will definitely come back.

We went here today (Sunday April 12) with friends from out of state for my birthday breakfast. We…read morewaited about 15 minutes to be sat, which wasn't a big deal. Since that, it went downhill. The server took our drink and food order. I didn't get my coffee without asking twice for it, even though they brought 2 iced lattes that another member of our party ordered. Then we watched for 20 minutes as people that came in multiple parties after us got their food and we had nothing. Then she brought 3 out of 4 meals. My girlfriend ordered the special Raspberry Nutella French Toast. It came with strawberries and we were told, "we're out of raspberries so we substituted strawberries." That is total BS. How about telling us you are out of raspberries and asking if we want something else. My girlfriend can't really eat strawberries since they make her break out. Even worse is I STILL didn't have my food. Server said, "yours is coming, but I didn't want these to get cold." After the rest of my party was halfway done with their breakfast and I still didn't have mine, I asked for a manager. I was told there is no manager there...another load of BS. Server came back and I told her I didn't want my food at this point. She said, "okay, I'll just bring the bill." Are you f'ing kidding me??? You expect us to pay for this crap?? Needless to say, I will NEVER be back to this $hithole. Service is horrible and they will not let you complain to a manager. No manager is there on a busy weekend day? I find that hard to believe. Stay away from this place if you actually want to eat a meal and not just watch everyone around you eat. If you do decide to go, make sure not to sit in Tara's section.

This was a great brunch spot with the feel of a modern diner…read more I'd been seeing this place pop up online for a while, so we decided to give it a try. We stopped in on Friday (July 3rd), and despite the restaurant being packed, we only waited about 5-10 minutes for a table. While we waited, I ordered the Iced Chocolate on Cloud, which was refreshing and a fun twist on an iced coffee drink. I ordered the Breakfast Burrito, and my fiancée ordered the Little City Slam. Even with how busy the restaurant was, the service was friendly, attentive, and efficient. The Breakfast Burrito was excellent. It featured a "new school American cheese" that melted beautifully throughout the burrito, adding a rich, creamy flavor. It also came with a jalapeño aioli that paired perfectly with the dish. As someone who loves spicy food, I wouldn't have minded a bit more heat, but it was still packed with flavor. The eggs were cooked well, and the home fries were crispy on the outside while staying tender inside. The sourdough toast was also very good. My only minor critique is that I would have liked it to proof a little longer for a more pronounced sourdough flavor. Overall, this was a fantastic breakfast spot. The food was flavorful, the service was excellent despite the crowd, and the short wait was well worth it. I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu.

Food is incredible. Drinks and desserts, too. All homemade…read more Drinks took a little bit each time, including coffee fills, but it's such a nice atmosphere, it was a nice paced brunch. Overall, very enjoyable meal. And I'll be going back.

Wow! I can't believe it took me so long to get here. I haven't enjoyed a meal this much in a while…read more I don't get over here much, but I think I will be back soon to try more of this menu. The restaurant is gorgeous, in a former bank, they have a parking lot and a small patio. We loved the dark and moody vibe of the place. I was very excited to try some of this chefs work after drooling over the menu for weeks. We were welcomed by Vince, who was super friendly and knowledgeable on the menu. He provided great service through the whole meal. We started with martinis, they have a great cocktail program. I ordered a dirty martini with blue cheese olives and it was perfect, and strong. We also opted to try the Oyster Shooter, how fun! It was an oyster served with a little shot of gin with cucumber. The shot was sweeter than I expected, but I simply had to try it. We probably didn't need an appetizer, but luckily the Bao buns were the perfect size for two. The Korean fried chicken was crisp and moist and coated with a thick sweet and spicy sauce. It definitely had some heat, but it was a nice heat. The peanuts and cilantro paired great with the buns. Besides the menu, they had a number of specials for the evening, so keep your options open. We did decide to stick to the menu though. I ordered the signature duck and my sister ordered the porcini ravioli. The duck dish was stunning, I couldn't take enough photos of it, and the taste blew me away. The duck was so crispy and tender, the fatty flavor reminds you of a holiday. The carrot puree, potatoes, greens and cherries added complexity and balance to the plate. I never finish my dinner, and I ate every morsel on this plate. The porcini ravioli was no different, it was incredible. The thick creamy sauce had so much flavor we were trying to guess what was in it. It was so rich and dreamy and the additional of walnuts was a fun crunch. If you love mushrooms, get this. We loved this meal, and I will rave about it. I am coming back for the pork belly dish, soon.

The food here never disappoints. Every dish I've ever tried here is fresh, locally sourced if…read morepossible and well prepared. Service is also top notch.

An update. Today's breakfast at about 9am: Coffee Moca Cold…read moreBrew & Veggie Omelette Bagel. Service was fast. Served in seconds. Bagel was already made. See photos. Industrial chic decor with some new plants. Cold brew was more coffee than I needed and the Moca gave it a bit of a gritty texture. FYI. I ate half of the bagel for breakfast and the other half for lunch. My $18 meal went a long way. My daughter, who joined me for breakfast noticed there is a condiments counter complete with pickled vegetables and hot banana peppers. I added them into my bagel sandwich which really gave it a kick.

Awesome coffee and a nice spot to eat or get some work done!…read more I stopped by on a weekday and decided on the Pistachio Iced Latte, which they serve in a can. It's a fun way to grab and go before walking downtown. The coffee was delicious and not too sweet. They have breakfast sandwiches and pastries that I need to return for. They have a large open air seating area too. The staff was friendly and it's a welcome new coffee shop downtown!

My recent experience at Finn's was exemplary from beginning to end…read more I stopped by Finn's with a colleague for dinner. The exterior and the surrounding neighborhood doesn't really give a good indication of the goodness you'll find inside Finn's. Immediately upon entering, I was met with a lovely and bustling dining room. My colleague and I sat comfortably at a high top table. We began our experience with cocktails I got one of their specialty cocktails (it was a rye cocktail--I don't exactly recall the name of it). It was spirit forward and delicious. For my dinner, I got their chicken schnitzel. It was hands down the best chicken schnitzel of my life. It comes piled with a perfectly dressed caesar salad and topped with trout roe. My good gracious--I'll be dreaming of this dish. It was perfection. Our server was so kind and just wonderful throughout our experience. Can't really say enough--wonderful from beginning to end! Get to it!

Finns is in a very interesting area. When our uber first pulled in, we were unsure if we were in…read morethe correct spot. It's a bit chilly inside the small restaurant area. Bring a sweater in the winter time. The staff is fantastic. We went as a party of 8. The menu is small and absolutely delicious. We ordered most of the apps as a table and each ordered an entree and dessert One of the best meals of my life. Get the chicken schnitzel if you can. You won't regret it.