Wellington’s

I have been to the bar a couple times, they are amazing! George is the most fantastic bartender

I like the breakfast. I’ve had it twice now. Yes, it’s decadent. The view is great. I had the pancakes with local apples, which is great, and the corned beef, which is over the top. Service is attentive and polite. It’s a bit pricey, so good for a special occasion or in my case, for a «yay me» treat. They serve breakfast lunch and dinner, but now in my mind it’s a great special breakfast place.

Cool space. Excellent chef. Friendly waitstaff. Great bartender. Will definitely be back.

It’s a hotel bar. You have to enter through the hotel. The bar is visible from the lobby. The bathrooms are down the hall in the hotel. It’s hard to take the place seriously as its own destination when it’s clearly set up to serve hotel guests for their convenience.
The biggest benefit to the location is the view of the Capitol but the bar faces customers away from it. The location is somewhat irrelevant if I’m not looking at where I am. It makes being on that corner just less convenient rather than more awesome.
It wants to be Manhattan chic but it doesn’t have the drink selection to do that. The cocktails are certainly quality and they have the prices to match. I wouldn’t turn down an offer to have drinks there but the Speakeasy is just a few blocks away. There’s also the Hilton bar down State. So, don’t go out of your way to have a night out there… at least not yet.

Albany definitely needs this!
Love the atmosphere, the food and the drinks. Everything is well thought out and the hotel lobby is a page out of the NYC scene book. Complete with tablets for mobile check-​in so you can go about your business without ever speaking to a human being– in true post-​Y2K fashion.
We had dinner on a Friday night and the bar, restaurant and lounge were all bustling. Luckily we arrived with enough time to get our choice of lounge vs restaurant for our party of 6.
We started out with a round of drinks including the Philadelphia, El presidente, blackberry mojito and the maple bourbon smash and everyone liked their respective drinks. On the first round the Philadelphia was definitely the winner (although the second iteration didn’t live up to the first, not sure why).
We started out with the cheese plate and although the cheeses remained innominate, they were delicious! They came with generous portions for our party of 6 and no shortage of accoutrements. Definitely worth getting if you’re there for a drink and need something to soak it up.
On the night we came there was live jazz which perfectly complemented the mood. The prices were on the higher end– but I guess what you’d expect for the atmosphere. I opted for the duck ($ 21) which was good but I’ve had better. The rest of the party sampled the chicken ($ 24) and the short rib ($ 32) and everyone was pleased.
Definitely a great spot for drinks and an app or a a nicer dinner occasion. I highly recommend catching the live music if at all possible.
Bonus tip: you can play clue in one of their side rooms!

I came here for dinner last night since a friend was staying at the newly renovated Renaissance Hotel (which by the way is beautiful!). The hotel and restaurant atmosphere was awesome. It definitely has more of a lounge vibe than restaurant. We sat near the window which had a picture perfect view of the Capitol building. Side note: The windows both in the hotel rooms and restaurant as not well insulated, therefore it gets a bit chilly. The chairs were cozy but the table was not an appropriate size to comfortably eat dinner. It was way too small to have a dinner for two.
There is only one word to describe the service and it is AWKWARD. Our waitress was super awkward and not personable. I’m not sure if she was nervous, inexperienced, or not trained properly. Nonetheless, it was an awkward experience for all.
The food was good. Not mouth-​watering delicious, but decent.
I definitely will be back for a casual drink or two. The dinner menu is overrated and with the small tables, makes for an unpleasant dining experience. The 4 star review is strictly the atmosphere — I fell in love with the lounge, cozy-​feel.

My husband and I and another couple were walking on State Street back to our hotel from a wonderful concert at The Egg in downtown Albany. Buoyed
by the crisp Fall air, we stopped for a nightcap at Wellingtons. The restaurant/​bar space is artfully designed and intimate; and the blend of contemporary furnishings and details make a lovely contrast with the classic, elegant turn of the century building. The service was excellent and enthusiastic. All the staff we encountered were polite and welcoming. Why, then, was the room empty save for one other couple? I shall enlighten you: we ordered 7 drinks total and one cheese plate, and our bill came to $ 120, without tip ($ 24). For a couple of rounds and a snack this is quite high — this is Albany, not midtown Manhattan. The real complaint I have, however, is not the cost. The real complaint I have is that the pours from the bar were notably stingy. We actually said something to our server regarding the teensy weensy amount of alcohol in our glasses and she resourcefully sent the young, confident bartender over with shot glass in hand to explain his pouring system, wincingly measured and accurate that it is. Our waitress also helpfully noted that an extra ice cube makes it seem like there’s more in the glass… I’m not certain of the objective of this venue or what socioeconomic sector they wish to attract, but two couples like ourselves, middle aged and happy, enjoying a date night, with money to spend, generally expect their money’s worth — this is only fair and good business practice. Pretty place, we’ll not be back.

Recently open this amazing restaurant and lounge at Downtown Albany. Great environment, carefully selected decoration pieces and friendly service. Good options for snacks and dinner as well as the cocktails. Live jazz music. It is what Albany needs!

Trendy, up-​scale and hipster! What an exciting addition to the Albany area. It is named after the historic hotel that previously stood in its place.
The restaurant is quite impressive both on size and details that make it charming. The hallmarks the millennialist will love including Edison bulbs, dramatic oversized leather booths, hexagon tiles that look like grains of wood, the list goes on…
So let’s get down to the important things, the menu! At the recommendation of our waitress we started out with the Mac and cheese and the brussel sprouts. I also couldn’t help but order the endive, beet salad.
The Mac and cheese was warm, creamy and complimented by a little crunch on top and two delicious slices of pork on top. The brussel sprouts were phenomenal with a crunch from the nuts and perfectly cooked and seasoned. The endive salad was excellent with golden and red beets as well as feta all topped off by a dill citrus dressing.
For my entrée I ordered the duck confit with a pumpkin bread pudding that was to die for and root vegetables. Out of this world!
My husband had the salmon which included a chorizo served with grits and a jalapeño gastrique. What a combination of flavors.
We couldn’t help but close the meal with a chocolate pudding, crushed graham cracker dessert served in a mason jar with melted marshmallow. A little jar of heaven!
Ambiance is trendy but inviting. Great date night or place to go with another couple! Service was friendly and not pretentious like you might expect for a place like this. It wasn’t as polished as I would expect for a place like this and could use some improvement, but I would hope it improves as they get the restaurant up and running.