Athos was truly one of the best Greek restaurants I've tried. The restaurant is tastefully decorated, the food is amazing, and the staff is beyond professional and went out of their way to make our meal feel special. They even took time to recognize my fiancé was celebrating something and brought us some baklava! I recommend this place to anyone looking for somewhere to eat in the Albany area. read more

Had lunch there today with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We chatted for quite a while. Food was really tasty. Service was friendly and attentive, without being intrusive. I look forward returning for dinner! read more

I don't know why the high reviews . But this is my first time coming to this restaurant . Every single dish lacked salt. The restaurant is beautiful but the food was not good. Would not come back. read more

We ate there last evening and it was out of this world. The service was outstanding, and the food was beyond delicious. Thank you for a wonderful evening of dining. We will be back. read more

This was the best Greek restaurant I've ever experienced bar-none. They had a great overall selection and, for me what was really important, was a lot of seafood choices. The vegetables were brilliantly prepared and tasted fresh and flavorful. The waitstaff was so friendly and helpful. And finally, the owner of Athos, Ali, personally greeted us on our way out and we had a fantastic long conversation about his family and the restaurant (not just a quick 'hey thanks for coming in' that one usually hears). We fully enjoyed our experience at Athos, we will be making frequent return visits, and we encourage anyone who likes Greek cuisine to do the same. Try it--you won't be disappointed. read more

New owners have kicked this up a notch, they've recently got their liquor license and it was pretty busy on the Sunday night we went. Never felt rushed and the owners came out to introduce themselves and make sure we were enjoying our meal. Everything was delicious. To finish our meal we split a Kunefe dessert... truly amazing! read more

As always, the food is just fantastic. The prices did go up slightly since covid, but it is more than worth it. We just love ordering from here! read more

This restaurant was my first dine-in experience during the pandemic. I have done pick-up several times and the food has always been delicious, so I figured I'd pop in. My experience was incredible. The staff made me feel extremely comfortable in many ways. The food and drinks were delicious. The atmosphere was clean and safe. Special shout out to Terry and Christopher who are extremely knowledgeable in their fields and educated me on various aspects of dining. It was great speaking with them. Thank you Athos,I will be back soon. read more

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It was our first time and can't wait to go again. The food was all so delicious and so filling. We had the pleasure of meeting the new owners Ali and Fratz (my apologies if misspelled) and they were so grateful and thankful to have us dine with them and we felt so at home. Our meal started with pita bread and a delicious pepper spread, then Avgolemono Soup, Saganaki, Lamb Sliders, Pastitsio and Oregano Fries. We finished the experience with a most scrumptious dessert call Kunefe. It was an overall most excellent experience. read more

Great food. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly wait staff. Of your looking for Greek food in the Capital Region, look no further. Everything is freshly cooked and delicious. read more

Athos - Greek Near Me - Albany, New York

This restaurant was recommended to us by friends who gave a great review. We tried it tonight after a day of shopping at the mall & it didn't disappoint. The service from start to finish was top notch in this authentic Greek Restaurant. The food from the complimentary pita bread & red pepper spread, to our appetizers of Butternut Squash Soup & the Feta/olives plate, to our main courses Braised Short Ribs for me & the appetizer big enough for a main Octopus for my wife were all amazing. We will be going back & bringing friends. All this for less then $100 including tip. Be back soon! read more

Really great experience! The appetizers, tapas style plates and desserts here are beyond good, can fill up on them and don't really need an entree. Many uniquely tasty vegetarian options. Anything with heir homemade puff pastry shell is a must get. Goes amazingly well with their house wines and even the specialty mocktails to create a pretty unforgettable experience. And it's good for kids..who loved the glass floor showing off their wine cellar. read more

Athos is by far our favorite restaurant and bar. No matter if we pop in for tavern fare and drink or dinner with friends they are always on top of their game. Service and staff is terrific, bar keep( Terry) is tremendous and food is superb. A big hug thanks to this team Athos. Also a big thanks for helping us get by with take out during this rough time. read more

Delicious Greek food in the capital region. Top notch service and great food. Highly recommend this restaurant if you're in Albany

Great to-go order pickup during Covid time. Food was super yummy- we really enjoyed! We will be ordering again!

Not a fan. We visited last night as a larger party, and we were underwhelmed. I had heard great reviews, and was expecting an excellent meal, but my specific dish was barely edible. To be fair, the appetizers were good. We shared the lamb chop lollipops appetizer that was excellent, as was the spanikopita and tirokafteri. They gave us pita and dipping sauces (hummus, tzatziki and eggplant), which were okay, but the pita was a little too crunchy and the sauces didn't have much flavor. However, my main dish, the chicken souvlaki, was terrible. The chicken was dry and overcooked, almost to the point that it was hard to chew. The rice and potatoes were so salty that I actually didn't eat them. I ultimately barely touched my main course because it was so unpleasant. The rest of our party had a variety of dishes, and while no one found his or hers to be as distasteful as mine, no one was raving about them, either. Also, the service was *slow*. The hostess and wait staff were perfectly pleasant, and they brought our appetizers quickly, but the main dishes kept us waiting easily an hour. The restaurant was not full (even during prime time on a Saturday night), and we couldn't understand why the meals took so long. Overall, the place was pleasant enough, but the pleasant atmosphere doesn't outweigh mediocre food. For similar cuisine, I *much* prefer the Hidden Cafe in Delmar. read more

We came for Valentines Day (We've been a number of times before because, not only is the food divine, but their bourbon drinks are consistently yummy. We arrived this year and, due to traffic issues COMPLETELY beyond their control, they were running behind. So they not only are super kind in explaining what turned out to be a 15 minute delay in our reservation (because they fit in earlier Valentines Day reservations delayed by earlier mentioned traffic accident-win for everyone!), the manager asked us what drinks we wanted, delivered them to us and put them on the house. Why they get a super service star! And. Seriously. The food here is divine. Saganaki...red pepper dip, insanely fresh fish...brilliant veggies. Did I mention the great drinks? A brilliant choice for any occasion. read more

Tonight we dined at Athos after losing our beloved friend, husband and uncle. They made us comfortable and helped us order wine, appetizers, dips and wonderful classic Greek food! As usual when we left there we had our stomachs full and our spirits renewed. The waitstaff was exceptionally attentive tonight! Thank you for everything! We'll see you soon!!! read more

Maybe my expectations were a little too high. I heard great things about Athos, and the menu looked appealing, and I was looking for someplace we hadn't been yet to make reservations for an anniversary dinner. I wanted someplace special, a little formal, but not pretentious. Athos seemed to fit the bill. And the food WAS really good. The service WAS great. But for me, on this special occasion, Athos missed the mark on a couple things. The decor was very nice... dim lighting, candles on each table, and chandeliers. But they crammed us into one of those two-seater tables alongside multiple other two-seaters... so close that I could have easily reached out and stolen pita bread from the couples on either side of us, simultaneously. I felt like I should eat dinner with my purse in my lap because placing it on the bench beside me was encroaching on other peoples' space. Why do some restaurants cram parties of two in like sardines, particularly when those are the very people probably seeking some privacy? Like, can we all agree that if I hear my neighbors chewing, our tables are probably too close? Of course, the larger 4-person tables were all nicely spaced in the center of the dining room. Also, IMHO, I don't think this is a restaurant intended for little kids. First and foremost, I think it's rude on the part of the customers to bring a baby to a restaurant such as this. And maybe I'll get some slack here, but if your child isn't old enough to wipe themselves, and can't yet grasp the concept of "inside voice", then maybe you should reconsider bringing them to a restaurant with a wine cellar and a dinner bill that easily surpasses $50 per person. Athos has created a lovely atmosphere here, so Athos should also make an effort to preserve that atmosphere for those who hired a babysitter and are looking to have an adult night out without their tykes in tow... Yet, Athos encourages mini patrons by supplying high chairs. Perhaps I should take some responsibility for not paying more attention to the existence of a Kids Menu on their website, but I thought "Kids" meant 10-year-olds. However, all the children here on this particular evening -- and there were several -- were under the age of 3. So, yeah, they were a bit loud and definitely detracted from the ambiance. I wish I could say that I'm eager to come back. Because, again, the food was really good. Maybe I could have tolerated the cramped table OR all the little people, but the combination of both really put a damper on the experience for me. So, at this price point, there are a lot of other places I'd rather go. read more

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My family has been going here for years! The food is always amazing. We never leave disappointed. The staff is so polite and goes above and beyond to make sure you enjoy your meal. read more

Food was amazing. Service was not. Waited for waitstaff who offered water, delivered it and didn't return for a while. Then returned and wanted our dinner order. Never asked for a bar order? We did order wine and our dinners. Then waited again. The wine was finally delivered along with pita bread which was to die for. Food took a very long time. We ate. Dishes were cleared. No coffee or dessert was offered. Then we sat. And we sat. And we waited. Finally my friend asked a waiter to get our bill. He found our waitstaff who was "very busy with a table of 20." Needless to say, our tip reflected our service. read more

We had a reservation for 7:15 with the intention of making a 9:45 movie. There were 3 of us and we were not seated until 7:35. We had 3 drinks from the bar. We ordered 6 drinks at the table, a bottle of wine, 3 appetizers, a salad and 3 entrees. The appetizers that were intended to be shared came out slowly with gaps in between each one. The Octopus was over cooked, the choose 3 dips platter was bland and the lamb/beef patties were just okay. We were still team Athos even though the appetizers were a total meh. It wasn't that crowded, there were empty tables. At 8:45 the waiter said they were backed up and our food would be delayed. The 8:45 notification was already delayed. At 9:00 I asked the waiter what the ETA was on the entrees because we had a movie to catch at 9:45. He said he would check, came back and said it would be another 8 minutes. Even at this point we weren't annoyed. Yes, we probably wouldn't make our movie, but that happens and we were anticipating a good meal.. Approximately 8-10 minutes later the entrees arrived. Chicken Souvlaki so over cooked that it was absolutely inedible. This from someone that rejoices in overcooked meat of any kind. Branzino that was as dry as sandpaper and the only saving grace.. a braised lamb dish. We tried to eat the entrees but despite our best efforts they could not be eaten. We told the waiter and they removed 2 of the dishes off of our bill. That was the least they could do. The dinner was ruined, we missed the movie and the bill totaled $150 for drinks and appetizers for 3. We tipped the waiter on the total including the refunded entrees because we aren't jerks. We loved, loved, loved Athos every time we have eaten here previously. But this was the deal breaker. It was absurd to delay serving a meal under the guise of fresh preparation only to serve entrees that were so overcooked they were inedible. Clearly they were sitting somewhere cooking to death without being served. The additional insult was taking up 2 hours 45 minutes of our time for a meal that was a total fail and ruined our evening's plans. You would have thought that a single table returning 2/3 entrees would have prompted a manager to speak to the customer, either to apologize or verify the issue to bring that information back to the kitchen. But that didn't happen, and based on quite a few other reviews complaining of the exact issue we experienced it isn't an isolated experience and it hasn't been corrected. Mezzanote, Cafe Italia, Sage Bistro and D'Raymonds are all in the same price range and are better bets for consistent quality. read more

Athos - $25 for the Dryest most choke-able chicken ever served. - Greek Near Me - Albany, New York

It's a really pretty place inside and comfortable. I kept it simple on this trip and ordered Tatziki with pita to start me off on this Greek adventure. It was tasty overall but lacking some flavor and was very creamy. For my entree I ordered chicken souvlaki salad and this is where we take a turn for the Mediterranean Sea and go overboard. The chicken was rubbery and had minimal flavor. It was going to be charbroiled but had no flavor of being grilled which was very disappointing. Overall, I can't say I would order this meal again but it's possible I would come back and try something else. read more

A decent Greek restaurant marred severely by a few menu items I find particularly objectionable. Rabbit isn't really a delicacy but a pet, served as a meal. I think the menu would be 3-4 stars and experience greatly enhanced if they stopped serving that item. I question some food choices, accept others as many do, but rabbit crosses the line. Third most popular pet in the world behind cat and dog. Some very good pasta dishes, very good desert, and fresh tasting fish. But the experience is ruined if you sit within site of someone eating rabbit. Sorry, I find it in poor taste for a restaurant. read more

Food was good. But took forever. Yes we were a party of 10, but almost an hour and a half is still a very long time. And two dishes were chicken fingers for two kids. And after dinner, water for tea was brought in individual teapots, but barely warm. They did take something off the check, however. read more

Really mediocre especially for the price. Deserts are outright terrible. It feels like a lot of restaurants upstate get higher reviews because of novelty especially sushi and in this case Greek. read more

Loved it! Awesome food, great service! A whole fish was de-boned at our table by Jay who expertly and willingly showed how it's done. The entire staff is very friendly. Ask for JAY when you go there! read more

Athos - Awesome food and service! A whole fish was de-boned at our table by Jay, who expertly showed how it's done. - Greek Near Me - Albany, New York

Fantastic!!! Food, drinks, service and atmosphere were top notch! Nesha and Kemena were outstanding!!!

I WISH i could leave zero stars. HORRIBLE food and definitely not worth the price. I ordered chicken Souvlaki here and it tasted like airplane food. I am disgusted by this place. Hope they can improve in the future. read more

Ethos Pathos and Athos the Holy Trinity Take your family, take your wife, your girlfriend your daughter. This place impresses from start to finish. Knowledgeable well trained personable staff guides even an old Italian man through this authentic Greek Menu that is sure to delight. Get adventurous, check out the catch of the day, served head included, or try what was the best Octopus I've had in years. Try something you never thought you would, because chances are, they NAIL IT. If you have disliked every Salmon dish you've ever had, Athos will make you love Salmon. Food is prepared perfectly and with a smile. (Sometimes even cooked right at your table.) If you think you "don't like Greek food," You're wrong. This place is everything and will be your favorite just as it is mine. This is a review of a SINGLE EXPERIENCE. read more

The Grekolimano, was delicious, the shrimp were huge and cooked perfectly! My Husband had the Lamb Youvets, it was also delicious, great meal for the winter. I ate half of the lamb shank, because it was such a large portion :) Great dinning experience and atmosphere!!! read more

My fiancé and I have been here enough that we've ordered nearly everything on the menu, and have never been disappointed. The appetizers are phenomenal. Even though we know were going to leave full, we always order at least the dolmathes and keftedakia. My fiancé says the latter one is his favorite app from anywhere. The best thing about the entrees is that they are not overthought. Most are seasoned with lemon and a little oil, but still delicious. They've told me they want the ingredients to speak for themselves, and they do. While everything is good, id recommend the swordfish souvlaki, whole market fish, and Macedonian lamb. Ample vegan options too if thats a concern. Atmosphere allows for a nice and quiet dinner. Great for dates or a catch-up with an old friend. Fridays they have a live band in the bar area. I must note that last night our server wasn't good. She was impatient taking our orders, and then repeatedly forgot to bring us items (our drinks, sugar for tea, spoons). And at the end she charged us for a tzatziki sauce that we never even asked for! While i thought it was worth it to share, it seemed like she was just having a bad day. Assuming that the unusually poor service is an isolated occurrence, Athos still gets 5 stars. read more

It was so good, we ate the garnish. Two of the best meals I have had in the past year have been -- I kid you not -- in Albany. Which is kind of weird -- and not just because Albany is not the first place you think of when you hear the words "fine dining" -- but because we rarely come to Albany. We only stop by to eat on our way from Vermont to places west, like Syracuse or Geneva, NY. It's all thanks to Yelp, really. So the first excellent meal was at Provence -- a lovely French restaurant, which I have reviewed elsewhere. But our meal at Athos was just as good -- and cheaper -- and the service was outstanding. The staff was friendly and personal, our waitress (Heather!) well-informed and diligent, and the service was quick as can be. The place was empty when we got their at 6:23 and suddenly packed by 6:32, but the service never suffered or seemed bogged down. I am going to be honest with you: we never got past the appetizer menu. We couldn't decide on which ones to order, so we ordered 4 of them in lieu of main dishes. I believe your meal comes with pita wedges (warm and house-made) and a nice red-pepper dip. But you should totally splurge on the option to order 3 of several dips ("pikilia") for about 10$. I loved the yellow pea dip, which had an unexpected but pleasant hint of the sea (anchovies, maybe?) with just the right amount of lemon. But it paled in comparison to the garlic-potato-almond dip, which had an amazingly light texture but deep taste...and just the right amount of lemon. But neither could really compete with the smoked eggplant dip, which I am craving so much right now that I am near tears...complex, smokey, garlicky, and, of course, with just the right amount of lemon. We also ordered the spanakopita ($7), which was one of the nicest I've ever had, though I could have done with a bit more filling. It's all about the spinach, but lots of folks forget that. Not at Athos! The spinach shines through, nicely complimented (but not overwhelmed) by the other flavors of feta, leeks, and a hint of dill. The pastry was nice and flaky with just the right crunch. The calamari ($8) was pretty good (I still measure every calamari dish against the York Harbor Inn, and alas, they all fall short...) -- tender meat, lightly breaded, pan fried, and not at all greasy. But what really made the dish was the amazing "spiced tomato sauce," which seems like an understatement. It had a rich complexity I could not put my finger on. There was a hint of some after-taste in the back of my mouth that reminded me of a high-quality honey. I even sent a staff member to ask the cooks, but they said no honey was used. Whatever. It was delicious. Even though it is just a side dish, I highly recommend the simple but satisfying steamed seasonal greens for $5. Lovely! We ordered this instead of the salad, and we got a heaping plate of nutricious yet delicious greens -- kale? spinach? who knows? who cares? I felt healthier for it. Finally, we ordered the marinated quail ($12), which was excellent, but nevertheless the least favorite of our appetizers. The menu says it is char grilled, but it was so crispy and moist my husband was swearing it was deep-fried! The meat was flavorful and not even the tiniest bit overcooked. The lemon-herb sauce on the underlying arugula was the perfect foil for each crispy bite of that tiny bird. Sadly, we found the baklava very disappointing -- the pastry was mushy and stale, the filling heavy and overwhelming. Which made us sad, since it was actually the main reason we choose Athos. But right around then, Chris -- who was playing host but I suspect may be more than that -- came around and asked us how our meal was. So we told him about the source of our grief, and he immediately offered to take it off the bill or replace it with a different desert. He recommended the baklava cheesecake, and it was very good. Not the best cheesecake-of-my-dreams cheesecake, but very good. Four apps, a side of greens, a desert, a beer, and a coffee...we were stuffed, and all for 71$ (Note, most main dishes range from 18-24$ with a few dishes for 28-32$.) A final comment to those concerned about the dress code. Yes, most people were dressed nicely -- men in button downs and women in nice pants and blouses. But a few were dressed for an outing to Walmart, or, like us, for a long road trip -- and the staff was wonderful to us all. The ambience definitely suggests it is a place for a special occasion, but don't be intimidated. It is also a great road-side stop for your long-distance travels. We are definitely coming back the next time we have to drive to upstate New York. Oh, and because every other review mentioned it, I must, too: the glass floor looking into the wine cellar is pretty cool. read more

At a time when so many restaurants have been forced to close, can't keep enough staff to stay open, or are not up their usual standards for one reason or the next, it was so refreshing to spend a few hours at Athos, a spot we visit a few times each year since it is so close by. We sat at the bar on a Friday evening and Terry took such good care of us. Terry is one of the best bartenders around; he knows his wines and was able to recommend a couple of Greek wines that I thoroughly enjoyed! He is professional, personable, and very knowledgeable. We also ordered a couple of Greek appetizers to share (spanakopita, eggplant rola, citrus shrimp), and everything was delicious! Athos is doing such a great job keeping their standards high during the challenges of the pandemic. We highly recommend! read more

I was here for dinner on a Tuesday night with a very large group of 18. The service excelled throughout our entire night. They were attentive to our needs by getting our drinks, refilling our waters and splitting the bill. In terms of food, I got the chicken souvlaki and everything was good except the chicken. The rice pilaf, roasted bell peppers and veggies were fantastic, especially with the side of tzatziki but the chicken was a little on the bland side. It had a more natural flavor that was plain. If you're etching for a well seasoned meat appetizer, I would recommend the kedtedakia. It's a mix of beef and lamb formed into a meatball and it's so good. The dolmades are another excellent appetizer choice. read more

Wow. I might not have considered Athos if I hadn't seen Jae L's review. I was really impressed by what I ate. If I lived close by, I'd be a regular. I visited on a Tuesday night--it's hard to imagine why Athos isn't packed. As it was, I had a lot of attention from my waiter. He was enthusiastic about many of the dishes on the menu and, truth to tell, I wish there were about 10 people with me because I wanted to try everything. I settled for a number of appetizers--to which he remarked, "That's what we do in Greece--order a lot of appetizers and everybody shares." I didn't have anybody to share with, but I enjoyed what I ate. The octopus was excellent: very well charred, drizzled with EVOO and lemon juice, served on a bed of arugula. Octopus can often be tough. Not at Athos: theirs was very tender. I'm not embarrassed to say that I scarfed it up, ate the arugula, and wiped the plate with Athos's excellent pita bread. Next, the Seftalia, which is ground pork mixed with onion, parsley, and seasonings, wrapped in bacon, and grilled. Again, perfectly charred and perfectly cooked, still slightly rare in the middle, well-seasoned. I could eat Seftalia for dinner twice a week and look forward to my next bite. I also ordered horta, which in Greece is typically made from wild greens. My waiter told me that the horta at Athos was made from wild greens, but what I was served appeared to me to be mostly kale. Still, it was tender and tasty and it did appear that there were wild greens mixed in. My final taste was gigante beans, stewed in a light tomato sauce with onion, carrots, and celery. Again, the beans were perfectly cooked, tender, and tasty. I enjoyed them, though they had the least character of the dishes I tried. I drank two different wines: a white and a light red described as a Greek pinot noir. So Athos? If I lived close by, I'd be there a couple nights a week. Wonderful food: from now on, my go-to restaurant in the Albany area. read more

I will be perfectly honest that I have not been here for a meal. I did, however, get an unreal craving for Baklava one evening, and that brought me to the front door of Athos. Their Baklava is TDF (To.Die.For) - homemade by the owner; it's krispy, sweet, and dripping with honey. I will follow up this with a complete review when I venture there for a full meal! read more

Definitely one of the nicer restaurants in the Capital Region. The quality of the dishes, however, is mediocre compared to their relatively high prices. I suggest you avoid ALL shrimp-based items on the menu. They are terrible, small and mostly overcooked. The fish-based dishes seem much better but expect $$$. I didn't see anything special or unusual on the menu; it seemed like your basic Greek menu. Fresh baked pita bread with olive spread was the best part of the meal. This is not being sarcastic--it really was excellent. The atmosphere is very nice and classy casual. Live Greek music on Greek Nights is a nice touch, even though the band was not very good. The server was very nice, service was attentive, but was mistake-prone. Got two major things wrong. She should try writing things down next time. The most annoying thing we experienced was the diners at nearby tables gushing over how great everything is and how "it's the best I've ever tasted." A "very good" would have sufficed, because nothing we had (and we had $150+ of food) was the "best". Still, Athos is a nice place to take someone out on a date or celebrate a special occasion. God only knows Albany needs more of them. For that, I give it three stars instead of two. read more

This place really is all that and a bag of chips. We could not find one thing wrong with the place! Great service, great wine list, wonderful food, good atmosphere. Our waitress was a pleasure and not overbearing. The pita and red pepper dipping sauce was delicious. I would love to get a tub of this stuff to take home as a snack. I could wax poetic about the quality of the food, but I think any of the 5 star ratings below sum it up perfectly. We had the spanakopita, moussaka, rabbit stephatho, and baklava cheese cake. My fiance could not stop talking about how wonderful the sauce was on the rabbit, and he can be picky. I was in heaven with my moussaka. Everything was wonderful from start to finish. We'll DEFINITELY be back again. read more

We stopped by Athos while on business in Albany recently. They were having a 3-course meal special so myself and another of my colleagues got that. We also got the feta plate to start. Everything we ate was very good. Unfortunately I can't remember the exact dishes, but I do remember feeling full, satisfied, and wanting more - so I think that's a pretty good thing. The atmosphere is a little fancier, so don't wear a t-shirt and jeans. Our server was very attentive and did a great job as well! read more