This place makes fantastic cocktails. t had a great vibe, music was a perfect volume. Every drink…read moreI had was delicious as was my husbands. They had a nice variety of different types of cocktails on the menu, but each one was carefully crafted by the bartender. I had both the watermelon basil margarita and the clean slice, which was a clarified cocktail. Both were delicious. As a snack we had the baked Brie which was a perfect snack, delicious and filling. The staff was very friendly and attentive.

Loved the cocktails. Loved the staff. Loved the vibe…read more It was calm, dark, and cozy. It was a really great spot to end my night out with my husband to chat and have a well made cocktail. We can't wait to go back!

Went to Thursday night "Love Island" airing... Was the only group of girls beside 1 other group, we…read morecould not hear the TV and there was a group in the back room loudly talking - we asked for closed captioning and an employee came over to touch the remote and did... nothing. I actually got up and grabbed the remote to put closed captioning on myself. Now the bar... When we walked in at 8:30p we waited till 8:45 to finally be greeted by the bartender as a training barback stared at us doing nothing for the entire time. The bartender had an undeserved, terrible attitude and spent over 10 minutes making a single specialty cocktail. Our second drink was treated similarly, though this time she demanded we leave the bar area we were standing at to move to the other side where her male coworker was making our last drink. It was so obviously direct disrespect and distaste for us as customers, I will not be returning. Oh, then last drink where my non-confrontational quiet friend got our third round - they served her vodka beverage from the same shaker as my mezcal drink and it tasted just like that, a mix of vodka and smoky tequila... no thanks. Bathrooms? No toilet paper. Drinks were actually delicious though, except for Kristen's third! Not busy enough to excuse this hospitality.

Glad to see Ilium continuing to grow in Troy. It's a fun spot with reliably good cocktails that…read morestrike the nice balance of being approachable and incentive. Staff are likeable staff are great and Ilium is always hosting all sorts of events.

Ended up here on a whim to try something new while in town, it was an excellent choice. The…read moreatmosphere was amazing with live music, esthetics were top tier, the food and drinks were impressively delicious, and the entire staff was courteous and professional. Will definitely add to my list of favorites in Troy!

For context, I rate products and businesses on a simple scale: 5 stars means I love it, 4 stars…read moremeans I like it, 3 stars is okay, 2 stars means I didn't like it, and 1 star means I hated it or think it's unsafe. The Roosevelt Room in Troy was a great experience from start to finish. I was honestly expecting a standalone building, but it is tucked into a strip mall near HVCC. That said, parking was easy and stress free, which is always a plus. This was our first visit as a party of four, and the service was superb. The attention to detail really stood out and was noticed immediately. Our waitress checked in at the right times, kept drinks filled, and made sure everything came out exactly as expected. Meals are made to order, so substitutions were no issue at all, and it was nice to see gluten free options available. When you walk in, you pass through a curtain and are immediately greeted by a coat attendant who takes your coats, which instantly gives the place an upscale feel. The ambiance is well done, with soft lighting and nice background music. It is on the smaller side and dimly lit, but that is clearly intentional. The menus actually light up, which was a unique and thoughtful touch that fits the atmosphere perfectly. We had reservations and were seated right away. It did not seem necessary on this particular evening, but I would definitely recommend them on a weekend given the size of the space. The food itself was excellent. Everything we ordered was very tasty, and the presentation across the board was impressive. Desserts are prepared by a pastry chef and were just as good as the rest of the meal. It is definitely on the pricey side, but that is to be expected for the level of service and atmosphere. This feels like a special occasion type of place, and in that context, it is worth every penny. We really enjoyed our night and would absolutely come back. There was also a sign mentioning live jazz on Fridays, which sounds like a great added touch. Overall, a very strong 5 stars.

This is a fabulous new whiskey bar in Troy! We went on a Friday evening and the bartenders were…read morewelcoming and very chatty. They make it easy to sample many whiskeys from their wonderful selection with 1 or 2 oz pours. They also have a nice list of wine, cocktails, and beer for those looking for a whiskey alternative. The bartender made me a Pickle Ricky and it was delicious. He checked in with me after I tried it to be sure that I liked it, which I appreciated. My husband sampled some whiskey and ordered a Paper Plane off the cocktail list, which he was very pleased with. This is definitely a cool spot for a date or to meet up with friends and we look forward to returning soon!

Loved supporting this black owned business! We came on a Saturday night and there was a DJ playing…read morea good mix of everything. Our mocktails were super tasty and tropical with a hint of guava! Bartenders were also friendly. There's some additional seating upstairs and in the back patio area.

4 of us had dinner Saturday night for the first time here . Food was really good double smash…read moreburger tuna steak and cob salad all top notch. Our server was super nice and the building is cool.

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!

Right place at the right time with the right people and although it was my first visit, they have a…read morerepeat customer now. Went for happy hour Friday night and had the best time. I was supposed to visit a year prior last summer and they were closed. As a predominantly plant based girlie, I looked forward to trying their food. Danielle was working the bar and mannnn is she a rockstar. She was fast, attentive, busy and still made the perfect drinks. My cauliflower bites were the perfect texture, and tasted like fresh cauliflower lightly breaded in rice flour and fried then dipped in the mango habanero sauce I chose. Amazing. My margarita was perfect as well. I'm a flower girlie as well and I LOVED the fresh flowers all around, and all the plants too! It's absolutely beautiful in there!! Next gorgeous day I'll sit out on the patio for outdoor dining as I love the privacy trees. And the fairy lights. Soooo cute!

4 Stars! Although…read moreI've been to Emry's Garden for different events, this was my first time actually coming for dinner--and what a fun night! I happened to see a notification on social media that they were doing $1 oysters and immediately jumped online and grabbed a 5:30 reservation! If you've never been to Emry's Garden, you're missing out on the cutest little space! It's absolutely beautiful, filled with greenery, quaint décor, and so many cozy touches. It has such a warm, inviting feeling the minute you walk in. They also had live music that night , so the patio was definitely bumping! We were seated right away and our drink order was taken quickly. We started with a dozen oysters and the Ahi tuna appetizer. The tuna was very similar to an ahi tuna nacho--and WOW! Absolutely delicious and something I will 100% be ordering again! We were a little disappointed that they didn't have mignonette for the oysters, but honestly, the oysters were still completely delicious! By the time we were ready to order another dozen, we were told they were sold out. But honestly, I wasn't surprised--the restaurant was packed and it seemed like every table was enjoying those $1 oysters! Our server was very sweet , although the service was a little slow. I'm guessing that had a lot to do with how busy the restaurant was that evening. Oyster lovers, take my advice: Order more than a dozen right away! We'll definitely be back, and next time we'll either come a little earlier or make sure we order enough oysters to satisfy the craving! Overall, such a fun evening in a beautiful setting. I'm hoping they continue the $1 oyster nights because we will absolutely be back! Emry's Garden, you've got yourself some repeat customers!

This is a relaxed, welcoming spot for a cocktail and good conversation. I've been here a few times…read moreand enjoyed discovering New York State spirits, well-made and satisfyingly substantial cocktails, and live music that adds to the atmosphere. What stands out most, though, is the sense of community. I've seen strangers come together to support someone who wasn't feeling well, and that moment really reflected the kindness and positive energy of the people who gather here. So stop on by, grab a drink, and enjoy the day.

This place is very nice -- welcoming, artsy, comfortable, small but personable. We live across the…read morestreet, and my husband and I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, it was not a great experience. The bartender served our drinks with no napkins and no lime. Details are key in a place like this. It was also loud, and it looked like a birthday party was happening. If that was the case, maybe the place should have closed to the public to accommodate that celebration. People were loud and drunk, and the birthday boy was saying vulgar things. We will not be coming back.

We came here for drinks after dinner downstairs at Emry's Garden. They do not take reservations but…read morethere was plenty of space indoors. The vibes resemble a den/ men's cave. Lots of paintings, mirrors, red velvet, arm chairs. The drinks menu is limited but the bartender can make anything. We got a variety of drinks, they were all good. The music isn't as loud, which makes for a nice evening if you want good conversation.

What a gem in Troy! Dark, warm, cozy, lively spot. Perfect ambiance for a night with family and…read morefriends or a great couples date night. To find a speakeasy with a full food menu is unusual. We arrived slightly after it opened and it was already toasty warm with music playing and we were greeted right away. You can sit wherever you want at the little tables or on the couches. Food was great, drinks were even better and the service was friendly and prompt. The music volume was perfect for talking without shouting. After we ate we took our drinks to the couches and the waitress brought over games without us even realizing there were games. Such a fun night, highly recommend this spot for a really great night out!

Boyfriend and I were in Albany NY for one night - he wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory, but the…read morewait is apparently typically long on a weekend night (I have no idea - never been there!) so we decided not to chance it, and uber'ed from our hotel to this restaurant, hoping it would be good. I'll be honest - my heart sank as we got there, I almost cried. The neighborhood is *sketch*. The outside of the restaurant didn't look like much - but I felt better once we got in. Beautifully decorated with great lighting, lounge-style atmosphere. Great Latin music. We sat on the bar side as it was less busy. Beautiful bar with lots of options! Bartender made us **amazing** margaritas... omg were they strong! Loved it! Since we had never been there before, we played it safe. First we went with a fried calamari appetizer - not the best, but not bad - but then it's not typically something you'd order at a Mexican food restaurant. Boyfriend had the street steak tacos as main - hold the cheese as he forgot his lactaid, lol - and I had the steak quesadilla. Delicious! We loved it. The steak was especially well seasoned, not overcooked and sides were yummy. We ended the evening with churros - definitely homemade and on par with the ones we love at El Mirador in NH. Boyfriend even took his life in his hands and had some of the ice cream, couldn't resist - it was that good! Overall, as Boyfriend put it - this is absolutely a hidden gem type of spot - service was spectacular, food was delicious and we would totally return! (**Seated next to us were two young women on an obvious first date - girl #1 showed up, then girl #2 showed up a few minutes later with a big bouquet of flowers... what a nice touch! We just wanted to put it out in the universe - we hope you guys make it, you were super cute :)**)

I wanted to give L'Roca five stars because it has so much going for it including a charming staff…read morebut on our particular visit, service was extremely slow. There's also an irony here, because this is the only Capital Region restaurant I've encountered that adds a service charge to the bill of between 15- 20 percent. I'm assuming this is a new practice because service charges-- which are common in cities like Miami-- are not mentioned in any of the previous Yelp reviews for L'Roca. This Latin-American restaurant has been open for about a year. When I looked online, the general explanation for service charges is that restaurants collect these fees to offset operational costs and management has the option to put a portion of the fees towards tips for staff but they don't have to. I asked the servers if that was true and they said yes. So for a meal that basically cost about $60, there was an addition service charge of over $12 and since it appears that only part of it will go towards tips, I paid an additional $10 in hopes that the staff could get a decent tip and with tax my whole meal cost over $90. That was a bit of a surprise. On the bright side, loved the light up menus and the food is great. My friend loved his steak and side dishes. I thought the fried green plantains were especially delicious. I liked the pigeon peas and stew,too. It was a Friday night and I'm glad they were busy but the wait for everything and anything was long. We were shown a table in the back because the seating in the front of the restaurant was almost full. I wasn't upset when it took a while for a server come back to take our orders. But there was also a wait of more than a half hour--perhaps as much as 40 minutes--before the food was served which was unfortunate because my friend was very hungry. The great sound system helped us pass the time. There's even a jukebox. With the dim lighting and the pretty decor, the back room had the feel of a nightclub. We ordered dessert to go but even getting the slice of very good tres leches cake took an additional fifteen minute wait. The kitchen may have been overwhelmed. The two or three servers were at times distracted. They got into conversations together and the bartender had to remind them that customers were waiting to be seated. I saw no apparent manager on duty. I would like to return because I hope the problems are an aberration. Other reviews indicate some service issues but nothing as we experienced. With talented chefs and a friendly staff, I wish them success. I also wish they'd lose the service charges and improve time management.

One of my favorite places to have a few drinks with friends and munch on some bar snacks. If you're…read morea fry connoisseur, this is your place. Perfect thickness, clean oil, and a perfect spice blend to finish. Every time I've ordered a Guinness, it's been perfectly poured as well. The atmosphere is also great, with the Hudson River on the deck, and then three different bar areas on the establishment - each with a slightly different vibe. Couldn't recommend coming here with your lads for some beers enough!

We came to Ryan's Wake on a Friday night around 5:30, perfect timing before it got crowded. We were…read morevisiting a student at RPI. We liked the free parking in the lot nearby. Our waitress was good, our drinks were out quickly, my soup came right after ordering it, and the rest of the food was timely. Clam chowder was delicious. I loved the poutine. My husband said the wings were fine, not great, and our shared large Caesar salad could have used more dressing, cheese, and croutons. The service slowed as the restaurant got busy, I needed more water for my meal, but overall the view was great and it was a decent meal.