Probably the best experience I've had out to dinner in Albany and I've lived there 21 years! Vibes, great. Service, great. Music, so good????? And the bill was very reasonable! Got parmesan fries and Pinot Grigio and it was the best combination while listening to the indie folk playlist they had which I had to Shazam like 12 times. Definitely returning!!!! read more

Dove + Deer - Garlic Parmesan fries and Pinot Grigio cured my winter storm blues. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

Although I still believe Dove + Deer is a great and welcome addition to the neighborhood, I've been left less than wowed with the meals I've eaten here. I do appreciate a focused menu, where the chef and his/her staff can really focus on a small number of items and make them shine. However, I've ordered the same dish (kale salad) on almost half of my visits because the menu just wasn't that interesting. All of our meals have been fine, good enough . . . OK, but when I'm dining out, and spending a little more than average, I hope the meal to be closer to great. Although the burger has gotten rave reviews on Yelp, I've tried it twice now, and I think it's an average burger, unmemorable. The patty is smallish and very lightly seasoned, and for those who enjoy the taste of the beef itself, this may be the burger for you. I don't. I prefer a bit of a heavier hand with the seasoning of my burgers. The special sauce is akin to that you'd find at the Golden Arches, and I prefer it without. The bun is the true flop. Although it's toasted, it's a bit too large for the patty and the bread is of the insubstantial kind (like your supermarket bulk bbq buns) such that it falls apart when the juices of the burger and sauce get to it. A sturdier bun would be a welcome upgrade. Fries were tasty (can switch for greens). A great disappointment was the chimichurrri steak ($22). Menu lists that it is served with roasted potatoes and charred romaine. Mine came with roasted cauliflower instead of romaine (which was a swap I preferred, but not one for which I was advised). The problem was the chimichurri. It lacked the freshness and brightness, the zip of vinegar or lemon, the vibrancy of fresh parsley, or the punch of garlic I've come to expect in my favorite relish. It had a similar flavor to steamed spinach -- a bit of a murkey, muddled flavor -- which, though not unpleasant, was unexpected. The roasted cauliflower was the best thing on the plate, and it was simple but well-seasoned. My husband has ordered a salmon special, which he enjoyed quite a bit, but it was served with bland couscous that felt like an afterthought. Proper seasoning and a little more attention to the side would have resulted in a really solid dish. The kale salad is a good one, but its quality and consistency has varied: on my first visit, it was served with 5-6 large, crunchy croutons and the lettuce was fresh and crisp. On my second visit, there were 2, yes 2, croutons (more were provided upon request, though); and the last time I ordered it, the salad was dressed way too far in advance and the kale was laden with the dressing and limp. As for the cocktail list, I do also wish there were more options -- perhaps a few classics in addition to the house specialties. I asked our server whether the bartenders could make a rum daiquiri -- I clarified that I did not mean the blended frozen tiki drink, but the classic cocktail made of rum, lime, simple syrup. The bartenders were not familiar with this cocktail, but offered to make it anyway. I chose wine instead; I didn't want to pay $10 for a drink the bartenders were unfamiliar with. I'm kind of surprised the bartenders were not versed in (what I thought was) a standard cocktail. Perhaps having a few more classic cocktail options on their list would ensure the bartenders were familiar with a broader range of mixed drinks. Otherwise, the beer list and wine list do the trick. Although there have been food misses, nothing has been poorly cooked or downright bad, rather it's been in need to refining and tweaking, with greater attention paid to some details (and the sides). Dove + Deer still earns a solid four stars from me because it's a great place for a drink or meal, for date night or gathering with friends. I intend to continue to try out menu options and I'm confident there will be greater consistency and success as the kitchen staff continue to get their footings and learn what works and what does not. I'll be sure to report back! read more

Absolute amazing food. We had the summer zucchini dish for a starter and were very impressed at how tasty the squash and zucchini was. The cocktails were also great. As well as our burger, pulled pork sandwich, fries, and my sister's steak was phenomenal !! read more

Dove + Deer - The Grocer cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

We went to Dove + Deer to celebrate a birthday. First thing we noticed was that the seating was very uncomfortable, a metal chair and a wooden bench. No cushions on either. We started by having some of their signature cocktails, both of which were something I would have received at a sports bar. We were both disappointed. We then ordered our food. The best thing we had was the appetizer of mussels. For our main meals we had the salmon and the ravioli. Both average at best. Overall experience was mediocre. read more

I loved Dove + Deer the first time I had their Center Square Burger (with egg & bacon) and knew I needed to go back with my team to feature them on MetroVenture. From the cocktails, to the atmosphere, to the friendly staff, we had a great time and if you're in the Lark Street area of Albany, it's a perfect little spot with enough room that they offer darts, if you're in the bar area! My favorite cocktail, if you were wondering was 'the Grocer' (which i included in my images). Search #MetroVentureALB on Instagram for a better taste of our entire Albany Experience. read more

See all

Have been coming here with my partner for about 3 years now. Always new interesting items on the menu. Low lighting, outside seating, and an overall great place for a chill date night. read more

Was here for the soft opening and couldn't be more pleased. This location on Dove and Madison has had its share of owners and iterations but, I think they've got it right this time. The design is clean, modern, but comfy. A little hip, but welcoming to all. Great craft cocktails- I had the Grocer.....delicious vodka cocktail. Companion had the Lot #12 - a terrific mezcal drink. For dinner I had the chimichurri steak- cooked perfectly (medium rare as requested) and ultra tender. companion had the broccoli sandwich. It was wonderful! read more

Went here for lunch on a weekday and it was so amazing to see the physical changes that transpired since the former tenant occupied the space. It was open, airy and welcoming. The staff greeted us immediately and sat us in a nice table in the main dining room. I tried the Upper House Greens and added chicken. It was filling and I really enjoyed the spiced nuts in the salad. My friend had the Capitol Press sandwich and it was delicious. The baguette was fresh and the pepper relish was a unique and tasty condiment. I hope they expand the lunch menu to include a few more items and it would be nice if a protein was included on the salads instead of extra. I'm looking forward to trying their drinks and dinner menu. read more

My husband and I had a delicious meal at Dove + Deer this past Friday night. Our server was lovely and gave us great recommendations. We sat outside and enjoyed the perfect spring evening. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Great beer selection and yummy food. read more

What a wonderful, first time experience here. As recent refugees from Manhattan we have enjoyed working our way through the Albany dining scene. This is a standout. From the COVID precautions, to the service, the cocktails and of course the food. We were thrilled with the overall experience. Got to meet Sara and Danielle as our servers , who both live on our street. They were attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and our new neighborhood. They provided great explanations about food temperatures and preparation (duck sous vid). Started with the famed Brussels, incredible. I typically don't like cheese in salad but the whipped feta in the watermelon salad was a stand out. Absolutely try the duck, tender, moist, yet the skin was perfectly rendered and crunchy. Leon enjoyed his burger and it looked good if that's your thing. Had 2 dessert (necessary): the gateaux basque and Black Forest Brownie, both worth the calories. The interior is quite lovely, right down to the bathrooms. I'm looking forward to dining here again and again. read more

See all

This place is my favorite ambience in Center Square. The drink selection is always excellent, the food has never disappointed, and the staff is always lovely. Great for happy hour with the office or date night with the boo. Really such a lovely space, indoors and outdoors. read more

For our first dining out...we had to come to dove and deer. We love this place so much!! Even w the limited menu, (we had the kung pao Brussel sprouts and beet hummus) and as vegans it's always nice to be able to come somewhere we can trust we will get delicious food! Bc we love Connor...But we were so happy w Sarah, who was such a delight and pleasant server. I can sympathize w having to wear a mask for an entire work shift. Despite that, she was so kind and helpful. Please stop by and enjoy!!! read more

See all

This place is nice. If you're in the mood for a great burger and a lovely cocktail - make your way over. The menu can be challenging at times, but they do switch things up every once in a while. It's a great option for al fresco dining in the summer. read more

This place is amazing. I came here for my birthday with a friend and we chose to sit outdoors. The atmosphere is so cute and I loved that there was a brick wall that made us feel secluded while also letting us enjoy the outside air. We ordered the Kung Pao brussels to share which were very good, if a little tart. I thought they were a refreshing take on brussels though. My friend ordered the crispy chicken sandwich which she also adored. Overall such a cute place and would definitely come here again. read more

I've been meaning to visit Dove and Deer ever since they opened in downtown Albany. I'm so glad I did! The ambiance is adorable inside. The drinks are so good, I got the grocer which was super yummy. The D+D burger came highly recommended so I had to get that. So good! Will definitely be back. read more

I have been at Dove + Deer twice and have fallen in love with the place. A quaint and cozy environment, perfect for dinner with friends or partner. The table seating does get filled up if you decide to come in on a busy night, but they do have side benches/bar seating for those who don't mind. The drink selection is diverse; has a nice selection of beer and wines and cocktails to choose from. The food menu also has a variety of options in additional to the specials they have to offer. The most recent time I went, I had the Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts to start (which were delicious, but a little too charred for my taste) and a steak for my entree (cooked to perfection). I also did get a chance to glance at the dessert menu (which included a chocolate chip cookie skillet), but was unfortunately too full to indulge. The service was also fantastic, with our waitress taking great care of our table even amongst the busy restaurant. Overall, fantastic place with fantastic food. A must visit if you are looking for a nice dinner out in Albany. read more

I waited at the entrance for quite a while for anyone to acknowledge me. Once they did they were very accommodating and I was offered a seat at the bar immediately. I chose to eAt at the bar as the restaurant was relatively busy. The bartenders were very kind however very unskilled. I was splashed with cocktails and or citrus and or whatever else multiple times while they were making drinks. It's quite easy to just turn around while shaking a drink as opposed to shaking it towards your guests. Again, very kind..... All and all.....Food was good. Service was lacking. read more

Very nice atmosphere inside, super cozy and well decorated. The food was so so, I got the fennel and sweet potato salad and the flavor was seriously lacking. It was a weird combo of hot and cold and pretty bland. I tried some of my friends fries, those were good. The cocktails were excellent. I would return again to try something else read more

I had a lovely drink outdoors here in the summer. Wait staff is awesome. Unfortunately, every time my friends and I drink or eat inside, we see mice. It's a bummer that such a fancy restaurant won't pay for a good exterminator. read more

Found this spot on short notice. The food was good and it was very relaxed. Just a weeknight. Happened to be in Albany and happened to have a great meal! Trashcan fries were good! Due to pandemic it was nice to easily get a table outside. read more

Wife's favorite. The kale ceaser is special and they have good rotating specials. Don't be scared to go big with steak and hope they still have the broccoli sandwich read more

A little disappointing, honestly. The renovation is amazing, especially when you consider the dump that used to be there. The food was lackluster. I don't remember what we ordered, but I do recall that they were out of one or two items on their relatively limited menu and the waitress was kind enough to replace one of our cocktails because it tasted a little off (apparently a few people had told them that on that night so they were not surprised). I wanted to like this place, I really did, and it's possible that I caught them on an off night but I don't think I would give them a second chance. read more

My friend and I came here as we are on a mission to find one new spot to try, every week. I think that plan is going to be disrupted as we will be back soon! The ambiance is amazing and so cozy. We shared a few small plates; whipped ricotta, wings, spicy kale Caesar salad, and the butternut squash ravioli. So hard to choose a favorite! I loved the Caesar, who doesn't love wings? And the whipped ricotta was served in a way I had never had it! So tasty! Perfect for friends, or a date night! read more

Dove + Deer - Menu! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

Easily one of the best new American restaurants in Albany - great menu especially love the Kung pao Brussels sprouts - great veggie options, wonderful welcoming ambience and servers. read more

I was in town for one night with my friend and we found this gem of a restaurant. All I can say is that it was perfect. Wonderful menu (selections & portions) and deliciously/beautifully made cocktails and beer selections. The food was perfectly portioned and delicious and had a flair of 'something new' to all of it. The service was top notch (thanks largely to Jeremy who was attentive and genuinely friendly). Highly recommend! read more

Awesome and friendly staff. Great food and drink. Whipped ricotta appetizer needs to stay on the menu!

Good for date night or just friends hanging out! Great food and service!! Cute outdoor section!

Great cocktails, loved their take on Utica greens. Chicken wings were okay... nice ambiance and friendly service. read more

See all

Nice atmosphere given the covid restrictions. It would have been better if not for the loud, obnoxious group next to us. The food was ok. The Hake had an odd taste with the green broth. Kinda tasted like sea water. The chicken sandwich was ok. The fries were the best part of the meal. For being presented as a higher class restaurant, we were a bit disappointed. It wasn't the best experience but we're willing to try again some time. If you're looking for a friendly neighborhood place I would recommend it however it definitely needs some work to be a great place. read more

WOW! What a great experience. On New Year's Eve the party I was with decided to order from Dove and Deer their New Years Eve special which included a huge ribeye, delicious mashed potatoes, a great dessert and much more. Unfortunately, despite the fact that we ordered our steak medium well (I prefer medium rare but the group I was with does not), our steak came rare to medium rare. The group I was with was disappointed (I still thought it was excellent steak haha). I called Dove and Deer to see what could be done. They fully reimbursed me and then some for the steak via gift card before I could even ask. I was very impressed with their dedication to customer service. Thank you Dove and Deer for everything. I can't wait to come back soon! read more

Came here with out of town guests on a Monday evening, we were the first diners and a few people at the bar. We were waiting for another guest to arrive, and our server Tai was awesome! Attentive without being overbearing while we had drinks at our table until our last person arrived. Ordered the Utica Greens, wings, and brussel sprouts for appetizers, all of them were fantastic! We asked for the two wing sauces to be put on the side because we couldn't decide on what sauce we wanted, both were great, chunky blue cheese seemed to be chef made, no Ken's Steakhouse crap here! As we were dining, more people arrived and the bar was hopping. For dinner I had the salmon which was prepared perfectly, hubs had the steak, guests had the steak and chicken. All of them were prepare perfectly and tasted amazing. The restaurant was clean and has a great ambiance. Again, our server Tai was awesome! All around a great experience and we will definitely be back when we are in downtown Albany again. read more

Dove + Deer is super cute! The atmosphere and style of the place is a nice surprise for downtown Albany. I recently visited with a friend and we got the Parmesan Fries ($6) for an appetizer to split - there are LOTS of fries on this plate so definitely something you can share - the aioli sauce is great, just wish there was more of it for the amount of fries and wish the fries had been crispier. For dinner I got the Bleeker Salad ($13) which was a decent size and pretty tasty, the menu is somewhat limited but gives enough variety. With dinner I had a glass of the Chianti ($9) which I thought was a little over priced. It was interesting that they brought the wine over in small little glass bottles and then poured it into your wine glass vs. just bringing over a filled wine glass. Overall, a great little place I would love to visit next time I am back in town! Ratings on the Morgan Scale: Overall Experience: 8/10 Food Price: 7/10 Drink Price: 6/10 read more

Love the renovation. LOVE the service. Enjoyed the simple menu with tiny twists to keep it interesting. And. can. we. talk. about. the. music?!?! LOVED the playlist. It was perfect for an early dinner / upbeat but groovy happy hour. Not too modern or too old. Several times me or my husband said "omg I love this song." We enjoyed the Utica greens, fried mozzarella w/ melba and marinara, chicken sandwich and pistachio puffs w/ ice cream for dessert (that's not the name. they are called something else but think fried dough). The standouts were the melba sauce with the fried mozzarella. Really exceptional melba. And the chicken sandwich if you can believe it. Its wonderful to see a place excel at something so simple as a chicken sandwich. They really did it right. Perfect juicy/crisp combo and we couldn't get enough of the special sauce. We upgraded our fries to be the parm fries w/ balsamic aioli. The fries were actually the only part of the meal that I found lackluster. They seemed wet? They were just off to me. I very much enjoyed the balsamic aioli though and would get that again. I would try the fries without the parm next time. I have to comment again on the service. Our waiter gave us the best service I've experienced in a really long time. I wish I could recall his name. It made our night. Note to the management - the bathrooms are delightful in their retro design but smelled too strong of air freshener. I would dial the air freshener back a bit. Its clean in there. It doesn't seem the heavy hand is needed - at least not at 6pm. read more

There's been lots of buzz about this place all summer. When a friend and I found out last minute that it was opening night, we had to come check it out. We didn't have a reservation for dinner and it looked to be pretty busy but we were seated right away. First impression: it's hip and cozy. There's a bar area on one side and a more intimate dining portion. Staff is very friendly and attentive. The restaurant was able to accommodate our dietary restrictions (the both of us are doing keto), which I really appreciated. Most importantly, the food was divine. We ordered the blackened chicken breast and the chimichurri steak - yum! And of course, lots of good wine to wash it down. I'd definitely come by again! read more

Dove + Deer - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

The hot new spot In the Capital Region! We don't make it out for date night that often, and ran into 5 people we know when we spontaneously dined here last week on a Wednesday. We ended up sitting with our friends. We split the spicy kale salad (not spicy) and Bleeker salad as starters and both were tasty. The chimichurii steak was tasty. We got the crispy chicken sandwich (not very crispy)which was mediocre. The bun wasn't my favorite and it was a bit dry (not the chicken but the sandwich). The decor is beautiful and super on trend (Chip and Jo-Jo would approve). The reason to check this place out though is the cocktails. I'd come back for the drink I had. I can't remember the name or find it online, but it had tequila in it and had a rosemary twig garnish. Next time we are ubering and making a night of it!! read more

First time visiting. A really tight menu that is refreshed regularly and executed well.

Really neat spot in the heart of downtown Albany Sat outside on the front street Great wine and appetizers - super treatment by the wait staff Would def recommend ! read more

This is a beautiful restaurant located near Lark street in a residential area. The restaurant was pretty busy given that it was a Saturday night but we had no problem getting seated right away. The menu was quite diverse with a variety of options and extremely reasonable prices. We started with a bottle of wine (delicious for the price!) and an order of the Burrata Plate. There was bread and a variety of fruits to go with the fresh burrata. My girlfriend ordered the asparagus mushroom risotto which was delicious. I ordered the blackened jerk chicken which was seasoned to perfection (definitely my favorite; would definitely order this again). But of course it didn't end there. We made sure to save room for the ultimate dessert: chocolate chip cookie skillet with vanilla ice cream. This was the night's hit. I know this dessert is hard to mess up but I tell you the fact that they offered this on their menu was enough for me. Overall we had a great experience at this restaurant. It's a nice somewhat upscale place (you don't need a blazer or anything) for a date night. We will be back! read more

Absolutely amazing! The cocktails and food were exceptional. I had "the Dewitt" for a cocktail and it was delicious. We had the brussel sprouts for an appetizer and I could eat them every day and never get sick of them. For dinner I had the pan seared chicken and my friend had the grilled cheese and soup. We split the cookie skillet for dessert. Only thing that stinks is the parking but that's not their fault! Just be prepared to have to look for a spot. read more

I've been known to be extremely picky about my foods. I don't even like going to new places because - what if ITS NOT GOOD? If you're like me, don't hesitate, get to Dove and Deer. The food is all amazing. So far my favorites are the Utica Greens (omg the sausage) and the Beet Hummus. My only critique would be plz add beans to the Utica Greens. I have seen several people order the cookie skillet and it smells and looks to die for. For cocktails definitely try the Grocer. The wine prices are crazy good and on top of all this it is BEAUTIFUL inside. Much needed addition to center square. read more