Albany is the 338th largest city in the US. Jacob Alejandro would be right at home in some of the…read morelargest cities! The vibe is impeccable, truly comfortable and well designed! The staff were professional, pleasant, and coffee/tea focused! My wife enjoyed a black tea chai latte and I loved the reserve pour over coffee experience! I order pour over pretty much every time it's available at a coffee shop. Jacob Alejandro's pour over service is pretty much ceremonial! They serve it on a tray. The tray has the "pitcher", a glass for service, and a glass of palate cleansing jade tea in the middle. (I did have to ask what the jade tea was) The palate cleanse was the perfect start. The Costa Rican coffee was heavenly, one of those drinking experiences where even my amateur palate was engaged. It was truly nice to sit for a while and enjoy a great cup of coffee at Jacob Alejandro! Yes, they would fit in a larger city but smaller cities deserve great coffee also!

After going on a lovely walk through Albany's Washington Park on Easter Sunday, I noticed some…read moreactivity across the street at Jacob Alejandro. I was so surprised. Could they really be open on Easter Sunday? It seemed too good to be true. A great cup of caffeine was just what I needed at that very moment. So my friend and I crossed Madison Avenue and peeked into the tinted windows. Not only were they open, but the place was bustling. The inside of Jacob Alejandro is elegant and beautifully decorated. Furniture, plants, music and wall art are arranged to set moods. It feels more like a club than a coffee house. The baristas are super friendly, helpful and patient. As I tried to make up my mind on what to order, they offered suggestions. I wound up with matcha. I think my friend had some kind of latte. I remember both beverages were delicious. They were made to be savored slowly. We took in our surroundings and it was very relaxing. We'll visit again. Thanks Jacob Alejandro for a nice experience.

Best espresso I've had in Albany, and if you order for here, they'll plate it with sparkling water…read more Sweet! There's a big ordering and waiting area, so even when it's busy there's plenty of space. Local art on the walls, a variety of seating options downstairs, and one relatively clean restroom. Upstairs is the computer lounge, theoretically, except that the advertised WiFi doesn't work. There is no network with that name. Friendly baristas, some food options, although not a lot for vegetarians. Great location close to the park.

New location. Bigger location just across from where it was originally. Huge upstairs to do…read morecomputer work. Seasonal coffees available. There's a large seating area downstairs. I had a Seasonal latte and bagel and egg. Fair prices. They have a rewards system now so be sure to sign up. Employees were nice and explained the different Seasonal drinks. The new location is nice but I feel it might be to big and actually prefer the smaller orginal location.

Checked out their new location in Troy and the space is beautiful and much more open than their…read moreprevious spot! I had the hibiscus iced tea with lemon mint syrup and it was delicious and not too sweet, perfect for a hot day! Definitely one of the best coffee spots in the Capital Region.

First time visit, the decor is moody with a deep hunter green hue covering 98% of the space…read moreincluding the ceiling and golden hardware highlights. The sitting space if I'm being honest is kind of tight with chairs backed up against the display divider for the line/counter ordering area. The benches up against the wall opposite counter are beautiful and force good posture. There were also some window spots I'd definitely aim for next time. The counter person was delightful no complaints. Explained the drinks and didn't rush us. We came later morning on Saturday, most of the bakery items were sold out. But what we got was amazing, a nice mixture of scones, perfection. I appreciated the mixture of small morsels, it included flavors that I would not have tried otherwise. I got a cream brûlée latte as suggested classic with a hint of sweetness, standard with double shot of espresso. My wife got a mocha variety definitely much richer. The art on top was also a nice highlight. As other reviews mentioned prices were not listed but this is definitely a specialty place so expect a higher price than a pump your own coffee express station. But also I rather give my money to a local place than a huge mass marketed place thats serving half the quality.

Professor Java's was one of the first businesses I reviewed on Yelp. But shame on me for not…read morefollowing up when their Wolf Rd. site closed. I didn't realize they had reopened until I saw them next to the relocated Penzey's. Hooray! Two things I miss from the old location are the ability to buy coffee beans, and the more eclectic layout. No worries about the beans these days. Their new site is a much more regular layout, but it's more than adequately compensated by a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere, with more space behind the counter to prepare foods. And that counter holds a lot of other confections as well. Their regular coffee is a bit mild, but there's so many other options if you want to vary your coffee's strength and flavor. I liked the variety of teas available too (mostly hot, but some iced). Service is attentive, and your orders come out quickly. This remains a great alternative to other fast food options along Wolf Rd.

Class is in session!…read more I needed to find my morning Java fix while in Albany and Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary was just the spot for my coffee education. Walking in, this spot is a mad scientist lab. Large roasters are front and center, this isn't a classroom but a coffee laboratory! Nice folks behind the counter greeted me each morning as I placed my order. The roast on their coffee had me coming back daily. You might say it was my (pinkie to lip) Coffee Sanctuary?? Professor Java? You earned that title, I enjoyed my daily visits.

Solid bagel shop. From a Brooklyn Ahjumma…read more Line moves quick, thankfully, but always a line. That always means, they have good offerings. We came early, around 9am... and on a weekday. Long line - lots of regulars, lots of workers picking up a bagel before heading to work. We dropped off our son for college move in and picked up bagels for breakfast. Got 3 bagels - plain toasted, w/ cream cheese; plain toasted with avocado, egg & cheese; sausage egg and cheese. All very solid. Bagels were soft inside and chewy, with crispy outside. Just like the city. Wish there were more seatings, it can get packed easily and with the line, can be overwhelming. The smell will be infused to your clothes. Ah well, smelling like a toasted bagel, not the worse scent. lol

They have a great system in place for taking and making orders- for as busy as they are and as long…read moreas the line gets, line moves quick and the orders are unbelievably fast. One of the best bagels I've ever had! Do not miss this turkey BLT on everything.

Love their seasonal/rotating coffee options! Coconut brews for the summer. Everyone is always so…read morefriendly and orders come up quickly!

I could have worked here all day. I love the relaxed decor with plants everywhere. My almond…read morecroissant was very good. My chai with almond milk was a bit too watery for me, but it tasted fine. I loom forward to returning and tasting their coffee.

Brunch in Albany was a new experience for me. I decided to try this spot out and was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The atmosphere is very modern, with all the bells and whistles. The color scheme is amazing, and the service is second to none. They move efficiently throughout the restaurant; they don't have just one person assigned to each table but use a group approach, and you can order at the table with the app, which is cool. Bartender Benny was great! The food, I'll say, was fair. I do believe the prices don't fully reflect the quality, but the overall feel is great. The champagne machine is a great touch, so that was unique. This is a very upscale brunch, but it's worth the hype for the decor. Parking is not the easiest, but it's worth it.

Its a very high-toned place. The whole interior and exterior is extravagant looking and cozy. The…read moremain issue I had was that the tables were sticky and not clean. When we received out food the syrup was spilt by the server but they never refilled it for us. We also were given silverware and not napkins which to me feels a little odd. Our drinks arrival time was Staggered as well so we were not able to enjoy our drinks at the same time lest they become cold or no longer desirable. Despite all this both the food and drink were very good.

I thought that the Alias coffee was fairly new. It's tricky but I'll explain it, the business has…read morebeen in existence since 2020 but the kication is new. Alias Coffee partnered with 518 Craft and Primobotanica to open up in a shared space in downtown Troy, NY initially during covid. With good coffee and service, I'm sure they will have a successful future. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do taste it so as part of the yelp experience, community CO was thoughtful enough to partner with a small and upcoming local coffee shop on National coffee day and get us in for a cup of coffee. I asked the Barsita to make me the best drink from the available choices and was given a Cappuccino, which I took a sip and handed it to my dad. My dad did say the coffee was good and from my tasting experience, the coffee was smooth and had a bitter after taste (like a few people I know like it that way) and the taske kept lingering fir an hour. Go get your coffee, this is in a neighborhood that requires revitalization, there have been some good initiatives and us as a community can help support them.

Having moved from their downtown location to a redeveloping neighborhood, Alias holds a lot of…read morepromise. I enjoyed an attractive cortado and am looking forward to tasting a locally made cranberry orange walnut breakfast cookie that I brought home to share with my wife. Did I mention that the cookie is gluten free? Future plans for the coffee shop include rehabbing the backroom to provide a great place to relax while enjoying your coffee concoction. Service is friendly and street parking is easy; there is even a bus stop across the street.