Iron Gate is the perfect Albany brunch spot. The food is consistently excellent, and today was no…read moreexception. My son had a grilled cheese on sourdough with an ideal cheese pull, along with a terrific Tuscan chicken soup. I kept it simple and tried the the blueberry and peach sangria, which was refreshing and well balanced. The charm of the old home setting sets this place apart and makes the experience stand apart from other Albany restaurants. We love coming here and will definitely be back.

OMG! Such a great time! We went on Saturday in early January. I had always heard great things about…read moretheir Sunday brunches. I had tried to go previously on a sunday in the line was almost to the curb. It was dead of winter , so I decided to go someplace else. I'm so happy that I decided to go on a Saturday. They do call ahead reservations , which is great. We had a table of three, and we were seated with a minute of our time. The staff was very friendly, and the food was amazing. I was very pleased that this wasn't an affordable outing with the rising costs of everything. The three of us made a pack to return again and i'm looking forward to it soon.

New books bookstore(cookbooks/children and young adult choices/plus non-fiction and…read moreliterature(new&old) plus(depending on the day) coffee shop/cafe or bar/restaurant. If it sounds eclectic and usual, you're right - but rest assured all are executed with equal excellence. Some of the best bagels to be found in Greene county(with delicious flavored cream cheese or sandwich fillings). Friday's feature cocktail and one pot dinner might be my favorite time to be here.. Relaxed fine dining and fun and so close to the riverfront park in Coxsackie.

Lovely little place that has books and coffee! It's a bookstore cafe. Friendly staff and patrons…read more People talked with us, asked if we were local, etc. Cart outside with free books. Good coffee!

Had some really great breakfast here before heading back to the city! There's an assortment of…read morepastries (cinnamon roll, biscuit, scone, maple corn muffin, cookies) available as well as breakfast sandwiches, which come on their freshly made breads (which were excellent - had sourdough). On the sandwich, the sausage was a good level of thickness and quite flavorful. Would definitely come back. Note for the dog owners here - you can bring, but they need to stay on the porch (where there's some small tables and chairs to eat at)

Cute little cafe by the mountain. Inside vibes is somewhere I want to work from or sit with my…read morehipster beanie and book for four hours. My friends got the cinnamon buns which they highly enjoyed and I got their oatmeal cup for a quick bite, which was a good size, and came with some warmed dates in it for sweetness (but not too sweet). What we actually came here for, the beans. I got an iced almond milk latte + their maple syrup. It was good! Got it two days in a row. It wasn't a latte that I thought omg that's delicious, but it did the job and was enjoyable.

I enjoyed visiting their newest location, 677 Broadway in Downtown Albany. I ate a turkey club and…read morehad a cookie for dessert. The food is fresh and delicious. Staff friendly and smiling.

Mr Bumbles is a cute little breakfast place near the Hospitals on New Scotland in Albany. You order…read moreat the counter but they will bring the food to the table. We had breakfast egg sandwiches and coffee. I had a latte with honey and oatmilk which was tasty. The sandwiches are customizable with ingredients and breads and I had avocado which was fresh and good. The sandwiches come with a side dish and I got some fresh fruit. A good choice for a casual and easy light breakfast or lunch.

The staff is welcoming & efficient. The chicken salad sandwich on a…read more croissant was delicious! The Store has a warm, quaint, charming vibe, with the period wide board floors, old time cases brimming with pastries & salads & the long, inviting table to sit at with friends & neighbors. Love it!

I'm sad to write a less than positive review of the newly reopened Store at Five Corners under the…read morenew Bay State management. I ordered the turkey, Brie, apple, jelly sandwich on sourdough (it's the image on their website homepage). I'll let the photo of what I got speak for itself. I didn't open the sandwich at the cafe, which is why I didn't mention this in person. Front counter young woman was very nice, and the interior is very similar to what it was under the former management. I'm hopeful this is just opening jitters and that things will improve!

I went to The Starving Artist recently and honestly had a terrible time. I waited around 20 minutes…read morefor my food, and when it finally came out it was cold, like it had been sitting there forever. On top of that, I asked twice for my plain black iced coffee, and it didn't show up until after I finished eating, which kind of defeated the purpose of ordering it. It genuinely felt like the staff was more focused on chatting with each other than taking care of customers. The vibe from the employees was also not great. When I mentioned I was vegetarian, I got a reaction that felt really judgmental and dismissive, which made me uncomfortable. When I asked for the Wi-Fi, I got hit with a snarky, "Do you not see the sign?" while they pointed at something completely hidden. The whole thing came off as really passive-aggressive. Overall, the service felt rude and unwelcoming, the food was cold, and the drink situation was just annoying. I left feeling like I had spent money just to be treated poorly. I've actually given this place a few chances, because I do like the aesthetics, but the food and service are just not good. The food is bland, and I don't feel like paying $20 for something that tastes like cardboard. ALSO I ordered a kale salad and the kale wasn't even massaged. It was just straight up kale dressing and a few pumpkin seeds. This was $17 by the way.

The crepes at The Starving Artist Creperie are spectacular. It's what lures us back here when we…read morevacation in or drive through the area. Most recently my husband and I split a turkey club crepe, French onion crepe and seasonal strawberry rhubarb crepe. All brilliant. 2 years ago when we came through we had the French toast breakfast crepe (which included eggs and bacon inside it) which I still think about because it was delicious, but so confusing that those flavors were so good together. The little salad given with the lunch crepes is appreciated too. This spot is usually pretty busy. You order at the counter, take a number and sit. They have a fridge of tap water carafes you can grab for your table and they will bring the kitchen items out to you. Sometimes there's an in shop singer. It's a nice space with flowers, art and local interest items as decor. The only uncomfortable moment is it bottlenecks a lot by the order counter and can be crowded there.

Finally had a chance to pop into this cute little coffee shop for a wonderfully made latte and…read moreavocado toast. The dining space is bright and cheery with lots of plants on the floor and walls. Service was friendly & efficient!

Really love this place but they are literally never open. They treat this place like a hobby and…read morenot a real business. The inconsistent hours are so irksome and disruptive. And the reasoning for being closed is always "short handed". Why don't any of your staff stay? As a business owner myself, I'm literally shocked that this place has existed this long. Which sucks because where else can I get a vegan breakfast sandwich? (Also, the owner left a condescending response on my Google review so definitely doubling down)

I needed some cannolis and looked up online local bakeries…read more lake George was closed so while I was in Saratoga I searched and found Ms Londons Took the chance, in winter sometimes I worry bc it's sort of off-season but I stopped by and luckily they did have them! It was for a birthday I made cannoli cake but didn't want to make the actual cannolis to save time but wanted a higher quality version than price chopper I also got a latte and it was very good- nice and hot (some places they're kinda cooler) The service was great a woman with short brown hair helped me & made the latte. It was a very cute cafe /bakery and idk if they make their desserts but if they do- great job! Im happy either way and the birthday boy said the cannolis were perfect.

This was a 3.5 star experience. Yelp needs to get with the program here. Let's start with the…read moreambience, it's super cute inside! I loved it! Both the pecan pastry and the raspberry cheese danish were great! No complaints! Where this place falls right off the cliff is service. It's cold and rude. No if's ands or but's about it. And after my experience, I went and read all the reviews. This is a thing apparently. And to make it worse, the owner, instead of apologizing with humility and concern to the guests that keep him in business instead writes entitled zero accountability messages back to patrons after leaving bad reviews. Honestly that's immature and short sighted. The good will of the public doesn't last forever. But on the other hand, if you desperately miss the rudeness of Europe then this is truly the place for you!

I highly recommend their delicious pastries. I tried the chocolate chip cookie and apple tart and…read morethey were very good! Plan to go back soon for some more!

SLIM PICKINGS FOR A VEGAN: I wanted to try this restaurant with friends, and party of 4, (3…read moreomnivores and 1 vegan). After studying the menu online, I called and asked what they could serve for a vegan meal. A very polite young lady explained the possibilities: an excellent carrot dish and an excellent cauliflower dish. It's a collection of sides, not a coherent vegan meal with protein, carbohydrates and fats. Inexpensive beans would be simple and a vast improvement. I'm not coming to this restaurant with a party of 4, to watch my friends eat nice meals, and say it's great, while I eat excellent carrots. We went to another restaurant in Rhinebeck and had a delicious meal we all enjoyed.

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.