Service was exceptional! The owner and bartender took care of us very well. We ordered Palomas for…read morea cocktail and the owner ran out to get grapefruit juice. I insisted we would switch to margaritas but the owner insisted. We share a flavorful dish of chow mein with almost half a grilled jerk chicken atop. The chow mein had hearty peices of shrimp and pork and a savory flavor. After eating for what seemed like an eternity the two of us still didn't finish the plate. The flow of guests was high. Alot of take away orders and neighbor regulars popping in for a quick drink at the bar. I believe there was a dj booth and dance area in the back but we sat at a booth in the very front. It was a perfect balance of relaxed dining but still upbeat energy. Only negative is 4 parking spots so plan to street park in a busy area of schenectady.

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.

Greeted by lush greenery, and gently splashing fountain at the door- a few steps down into a wood…read moreand leather light filled cozy retreat. The greenery continues inside with plants adorning a large picture window. Every surface gleams and the place smells fresh and clean... The bathroom is impeccably spotless. Classy attention to detail is the order of the day at New Scotland spirits tasting room. Our bartender, Noah, was welcoming and knowledgeable and our drinks were delicious. We will definitely be back.

Fantastic all the way around. I'd spend every evening here if I could! Ambiance, great service, a…read moreterrific selection of wines to choose from, and a clean, well designed vibe.

This spot is straight outta my Pinterest board: specialty cocktails, fire pits, couches, dim…read morelighting, charcuterie, s'mores dip, a novelty wine wall experience. Fair warning, everything was good, but for the price tag it's really the experience you are paying for. Attended a party in one of their private rooms. Furniture is a little too big for the room, making it a little tight. Also wished they had a server solely dedicated to us because I didn't feel like our server came around enough. Overall, worth the trip at least once!

Good little local bar serving up a nice mix of beers on tap, plus a simple bar food menu w really…read moregreat wings. Nice staff. All around great joint.

Newly opened by new owner!!…read more great ambience Food is 3 stars Wine & Beer good I would describe this place as the neighborhood corner bar decorated with nostalgic pictures of the city of Schenectady. Food was average the fried broccoli and cheese $10 was frozen and mushy after frying just ok I didn't eat much... The boneless chicken wings $15. were good. Greek salad $13 was good with fresh cut up vegetables and of course the drinks were good A full glass of Riesling $9 and Sam Seasonal $14. Hopefully the menu will increase to maybe some sandwiches in the future. The best part was the happy go lucky server Lynne very pleasant to talk to and johnny on the spot when you needed something.

Stopped for the wing walk jack Daniels wings. Hello!!?! Amazing flavor and perfectly crispy. If…read morethey continue to offer this flavor we would def come back for more. It's a cool little spot. Just needs more sound maybe for the atmosphere and that would brighten up the mood. But great bartender and food.

First of all, it is necessary to make a distinction between Nico's Pizzeria and Nico's Rooftop…read moreTavern. They both share the same address and phone number, and possibly the same kitchen. But one is head and shoulders above the other... literally! And that would be the Tavern because it is on the floor above the Pizzeria, and of course, the Rooftop is still one more level up. If you're looking for pizza slices or maybe a pizza to-go, the pizzeria on the ground floor is your place. If you want a full bar, a menu including a variety of pub foods, table service, and maybe a DJ spinning sounds, head on up the narrow staircase to the 2nd floor. The open sky can be found above a dozen tables still one further level up on the roof of the building. Our party of five was happy to score one of those dozen tables on the roof. Not just because it was a beautiful warm evening, but because the music in the tavern below was so loud that we would not have been able to carry on a conversation. Our group was here to sample a planned menu that has carried us from tavern to tavern throughout the Capital Region for over two years - wings, mozzarella sticks with Melba sauce, pizza, and wash it all down with good beer. And that was where we met our first hurdle. Beer is not sold by the pitcher at Nico's. Our server asked if we were going have a bucket. Apparently, that was a special that evening. We inquired what was available on draft and as our server went through the underwhelming list of fifteen, we decided upon pints of Ithaca Flower Power IPA, primarily because it was the only craft beer on draft. Our first order of wings were ordered with a hot sauce and tasted very good. They were still hot when served, the chicken on the flats was juicy, but a bit dry on the drumsticks. The hot sauce was not too hot, the only significant problem was that two of the ten wings were missing. The mozzarella sticks were pretty basic. We've had both better and worse. The Melba sauce was decent, it had a nice flavor and a good viscosity. For our first pizza we got what we call our "Steve N." It is a New York style red sauce with mozzarella, ham, bacon, and jalapeños. It should be noted that their "small" 6 slice pizza is not that small if you are eating other things. The crust at the edge of the pizza is very thick. It has a good flavor and requires a fair amount of chewing. Overall, the toppings were adequate but did not extend more than halfway from the center of the pie toward the edges. It was otherwise an enjoyable pizza. While we were enjoying the "Steve N", we ordered another round of Flower Power, more wings with hot sauce and extra crispy, and one of their Sicilian Style pizzas. At this point we also informed our server that we had been shorted two wings in the first order. In order to maximize our opportunity to sample more pizza toppings, we asked that half the Sicilian have sausage, onions, and peppers, and the other half be their chicken parmigiana topping. It took quite a long time for this order to be received. Both the wings and the pizza must have sat for awhile before coming to our table because both were only warm. The Sicilian is a huge square pizza cut into 12 slices. The end crusts are even thicker than what we had on the New York style - especially the corner slices. I did not find the chicken parm to be very tasty. Too much cheese and not enough chicken. The mozzarella didn't taste like or have a consistency like I was expecting. It was almost creamy in texture. The sausage was nothing special, and the onions and peppers were likely added raw after the pizza was removed from the oven. Our server was pleasant and accommodating to our special requests. The unique draw of Nico's may be either the open sky rooftop dining, or the Mug Club that they describe on their web page. Some of the appetizer items are huge portions for a mere $6. Our group will continue onward.

I finally made it to Duke's and I wasn't disappointed! An impromptu night out led us to River's…read more Luckily, Duke's wasn't very busy that night. We were sat in the new seating area adjacent to the River and the view was gorgeous and I had excellent light for photos. Our server was very professional and kind. We started out with cocktails and I asked if they had blue cheese stuffed olives, and he said he would stuff some for me - score! They were delicious too. Hand stuffed is the way to go. I had a perfect dirty martini and my sister tried one of the signature cocktails. Both were great! They also had a pretty affordable wine list. We started with the complementary bread and ordered the tuna poke dish. The bread was good and the everything seasoned butter was fun. The tuna dish was pretty basic and good. We asked for some more wontons and it was no problem. Again, we really did have great service. My sister ordered the scallops over lobster risotto and I ordered a steak. The risotto was perfect and actually had a good amount of tender lobster. I am picky with risotto and they nailed it. I ordered the ribeye with mushrooms. It came out perfectly cooked, and was a good quality piece of meat. It was perfectly matched with the mushrooms. My sister ordered the sticky toffee cake and she enjoyed it, I am not too big on sweets. Overall, I would come back here. I thought it was a nice experience, good food, and the prices aren't crazy considering how much it costs to dine out these days.

I spent $130 on a meal that was extremely disappointing. We received four appetizers, and every one…read moreof them arrived cold. For what we paid, I expected much better quality and service. Even more concerning, I became sick afterward and was dealing with it for the next two days. I can't say with certainty that the food caused it, but the timing was certainly concerning and made an already poor experience much worse. For a $130 bill, I expected the food to be hot, fresh, and enjoyable. Unfortunately, this experience fell far short of that expectation. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback seriously. I had sent 2 emails, and have not heard anything.

It was by sheer fate that I found myself sitting in this coffee shop twice in two days. That never…read morehappens. Not even at my favorite coffee places. Sigh. But what brought me here wasn't the coffee, but rather the location. This is the coffee shop in the lobby of Proctor's. It's a great meeting spot in downtown Schenectady, because it's large, has comfortable seating, and free wifi. Of course, there's coffee. Which helps. And the coffee is just fine. They have a dark roast, and a house roast. The house is a blend of Ethiopian and Columbian beans. A medium costs $2.16 and it's unimpeachable. Better than the convenience store. Better than the national donut chain. Maybe that makes it even good. They also have a decaf and a flavored coffee. The very presence of flavored coffee gives me a sense of what kind of coffee shop Apostrophe is trying to be. And that's a shop for people who don't really like the taste of coffee. I'm a hard grader when it comes to coffee places. I really want all coffee shops to offer great coffee and well made espresso drinks. Perhaps, there is something at this shop that makes it a standout. But I've yet to find it. Given Apostrophe's convenient location, I'll most certainly be back. But it does seem like there's a lost opportunity to use this location inside Schenectady's great theater, to sell coffee that's as fine as its surroundings. Especially since the people who pass through during performances, surely enjoy the finer things in life.

Apostrophe has done some upgrades recently, in both the layout and the menu, and it's definitely an…read moreimprovement. The chilled food is no longer glacially frozen, and the prefab sandwiches have some flavor and haven't been stale. The coffee situation is still mezzo mezzo, and the hot options are a little hit or miss. All that said, we are back to patronizing it when at the Proctor's arcade and are feeling in the need of a pick me up and are too lazy to walk over to Jay Street, but I still wouldn't categorize it as a destination.

In from ATL on business, I've found myself at Da Joint twice in the past week. They have a nice…read moresetup with couches and comfy chairs to sit in. A handful of flat screens spread out around the place, and numerous tables are available if you are trying to use a laptop. Lots of variety in terms of hookah flavors and the service was very friendly.

They play fire Punjabi/desi music (even the new r&b releases)!…read moreThe person who works here was super chill - made us his special chai, gave us a board game, and kept us in the loop~ Never a bad idea to end the night with a laid back hookah lounge :)