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288 Lark Wine & Tap

4.4 (38 reviews)

288 Lark Wine & Tap Photos

Business Info

288 LARK WINE & TAP ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Happy hour specials
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - 288 Lark Wine & Tap

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Gina F.

This really is just a nice restaurant on Lark St. I have only been during COVID and each of the well spaced tables were booked. Says something about the staying power of a place that was closed for a while. Right now you actually eat in the Villa di Como side (same owner). The ambiance is nice, pretty elegant decor and the use of the building itself is lovely. Reminded us a little of Gotham Bar and Grill in Manhattan. Our server was knowledgeable and attentive. The wine list is decent although one would think they would have only Italian wines (hint). Who needs a California and Argentine wine when all of Italy is available. What did we eat.... I'm not a pizza fan but Leon is. He had the sausage version. The crust is doughier than a wood fired crust but had a nice chew and texture. I ended up eating more of it then I thought (blame the wine). The Buratta salad and the octopus really shouldn't be missed. We were sad that they ran out of the fennel. Boo. Settled for the citrus greens instead. It was flavorful but something I would make at home. We really enjoyed our Covid date night. We will be back, Leon needs a plate of pasta. That means more Octopus for me!!

Cannelini Beans were cooked in sweet onions, fresh lemon juice, herbs and olive oil. The dish was topped with a spicy red sauce.
Pauline L.

288 Wine & Tap in Albany had its soft opening during the final of June. There wasn't a lot of information available. The hours of operation weren't listed on the website. Whenever we walked by, the new business seemed to be closed. It felt as though we were trying to get into a "speakeasy," which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The result was an aura of mystery about the place and that piqued our interest. On Thursday evening, June 27th, my husband and I walked by the bar, which is located at 288 Lark Street. A woman seated by the door welcomed us in. The renovation work is beautiful. The space has a very on trend, yet intimate vibe. We decided to sit at the bar, where we were warmly greeted by Peter, the bartender. He was very helpful in making food and drink suggestions. The owner & executive chef Ali Celik also stopped to greet us. We started off by sharing a Prosciutto & Cantaloupe Appetizer. It's an Italian classic which my husband insisted we had to try. The portions were large. The food was very fresh. Next, we shared the Cannelini Beans, which were cooked in sweet onions, fresh lemon juice, herbs and olive oil. It was topped with a spicy sauce. We thought that dish was delicious as was the evening's special, Fruitti di Mare. The two shared appetizers and one entree left us feeling quite full. I had Prosecco on tap with my meal, which I enjoyed. My husband ordered a number of Vodka Absolute drinks. Here's where it gets messy. When we got the check, we discovered that he was charged $16 per drink. He said that anywhere else on or around Lark Street, he would have been charged $10 per drink. Since I go drinking with him sometimes, my experience bears that out. The wine menu has prices that are clearly listed, but there's nothing listed for the numerous beers on tap or for any cocktails. Buyer beware, if you want to order something that's not on the menu, be sure to ask for details so you won't feel as though you've been price gouged. Because of the drinks, the check came out to $138. 288 Wine & Tap bills itself as a bar and not a restaurant. It actually has a very limited food menu. It So what cuisine it is able to pump out is impressive, especially since the kitchen doesn't appear to be very large. As Mr. Celik points out on his website, he's no stranger to local dining industry. According to the Times Union, Mr. Celik owned Mercato's Pizzeria & Restaurant in Delmar for more than a decade until it was recently shuttered to focus on his new venture. 288 is a welcome addition to Lark Street. According to the staff, there are plans to eventually add a sports bar next door. It will be nice to see the vacant old buildings open for business again. The soft opening was a smart idea. It allows Mr. Celik and his staff some time to tweak their menu and operations. For starters, it would be helpful if the menu included a listing of beers and Prosecco on tap as well as a list of prices for high end cocktails. That additional information would spare patrons a lot fo guess work and unwanted surprises.

Cacio y pepe prepared my the chef at your seat.

Can't remember the last time I came back the very next night to the same restaurant, but last night was twice in two days for what I'd consider the best food and service in Albany. The chef/owner personally welcomes and checks on you, the bartender and wait staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the food/wine (specifically the shrimp scampi and imported Italian pasta) was amazing.

Spaghetti alla chitarra with smoked salmon, frutti di mare.

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4 years ago

Great cocktails and amazing food! Must try the octopus carpaccio and margarita pizza!

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Ali C.

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7 years ago

Delicious, but painfully slow and overpriced. Most of the dish was pasta, worth 99 cents. I won't be going back.

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Ask the Community - 288 Lark Wine & Tap

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What a delightful surprise! A couple of foodie friends and I decided to check out a couple spots in…read moreSaratoga and we landed on a new spot, Familiar Creature. We had read that it was the same people who run Hamlet and Ghost, so we wanted to check it out. The inside is gorgeous, bright and welcoming. Very cute wine bar vibes with excellent cocktails and a small, but mighty, menu. All of our cocktails were gorgeous and well crafted, even some great mocktails. The menu is Montreal inspired, which we noticed immediately, and loved. We just wanted to split a couple things to try, so we ordered the poutine with duck confit and the steak tartare. The Poutine was fabulous! They ultra crispy house made fries had such good flavor on their own, but were made incredible with the gravy, melty cheese curds and decadent duck. This dish was amazing. The steak tartare was also very good and fresh, the house made chips were also killer. Last but not least, the maple soft serve. Heavenly! Ultra creamy and smooth with a great depth of maple flavor. The caramel swirl and crunchy nibs on the top were so good. I am not a big sweets person, but I would order this again for sure. Delicious. This is a hidden gem and surprised us all! I can't believe I haven't heard more about this place. 10/10 recommend.

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Great food, the chef was warm and personable, Natasha is an incredibly efficient and friendly…read morebreakfast server, and Steven behind the bar makes incredible cocktails! Ambience is modern luxury, Highly Recommend

This is a very nice space, definitely a pleasant place to hang out. There's a large bar and open…read morespace seating, essentially within the bar. Menus are exclusively online. There was a "Notini" on the bar menu which I attempted to order and was told that despite it being on the menu, they don't have it. Likewise an Athletic NA beer I tried to order. They do have Heineken 0 which I consider worthless (doesn't taste anything like Heineken, or much of anything at all). I gave in and had a very nice Pinot Noir. My husband had an excellent Jack August bourbon (straight). We shared with our friends pork sticky buns and lobster mac and cheese. Actually, these were quite good The dinner entree menu is quite limited. Two of us had the salmon with quinoa. It was pretty good, though a bit dry and less tasty than described. Our other friend had a burger which he seemed to be satisfied with. My husband ordered steak, which was cooked perfectly but was frankly a lousy piece of meat. It was thin, dry, and chewy. Overall, we're unlikely to return for dinner, though it's a nice place for drinks and appetizers.

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The dining room from my seat with the bar behind the counter partition.
The dining room from my seat with the bar behind the counter partition.
B.Y.O. Egg Sandwich is served with iced coffee.
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Extra dirty gin martini.

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22 2nd St. Wine Co.

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Here's the story:…read more Went on a first date: went great. We stopped by a little wine bar. I picked out this super weird wine from the very back of the shelf and the owner couldn't tell us anything about it. Poured some drinks and it was so, so good- surprisingly so! Fast forward and it's that guys birthday a month later. I remembered the name of the wine and the image on the bottle, but that was it. I find it online. It's super hard to order. I get in contact with this beautiful company here, I email with Paula and talk to Shannon on the phone (they work here) and not only did they give me the kindest support and service, but they shipped the bottle of wine to me 9 states away in time for my guy's birthday! And it arrived early! I wish I could leave more stars- they deserve it. I am so grateful for the time, care, and quality they provided me. 8 states away or not, if there is a speciality bottle of wine, hell any wine, I need from now on- I'll be ordering it from here. Cannot recommend this team enough for going out of their way for me.

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I drove up from NYC just to have brunch with a dear friend. Now in all fairness while I enjoyed…read morethis restaurant it was just that much better because of the great company I was with. The space is large and spacious. We went for brunch and it appeared to be family friendly. It's a nice place to go after church or to catch up yet you can still have an afternoon cocktail. I ordered the biscuit and gravy and my friend had shrimp and grits. In addtion we had beignets and candied bacon for the table. The beignets are not New Orleans good but would never expect anything this good in Albany. My biscuit and gravy were good. The gravy was savory and the biscuit tasted homemade. It was a little to thick for the amount of gravy. However I would love to try the biscuit by itself with another entrée. The shrimp and grits are not Southern style they are New Orleans style. My friend felt they were ok. Now the candied bacon was a hard NO. It was heavily salted. You could not eat do to the level of salt. I am not sure if this was a fluck or how it's prepared. Unfortunately we returned to the kitchen and I never return anything even if I don't like it. However, our server Alexa was very helpful and provided overall good service. If you are close by you should check out. True rating 3.5

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288 Lark Wine & Tap - italian - Updated June 2026

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