The food is always delicious. The cafe has a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere. A great place for a brunch!

Best brunch place in Albany! Cafe Madison has a great menu - everything is delicious. They have many gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options. They change their specials menu frequently, often offering themes for special holidays or events (my favorite specials meal was the Cajun Omelette for Marci Agra's). The only drawback is the wait - if you decide to go to brunch later than 8:30 you're looking at a 30 minute to over an hour wait. But if you "get in line" via the app it's definitely worth it - closer to a 15 minute wait once you get there. read more

I brought my parents and my nephew )who was visiting from FL) here for breakfast on a Friday at 10am. A new venue for my folks... something besides the diner and the chains. They seated the 5 of us in the back booth. It was a bit noisy with the kitchen right there but cozy and private nonetheless. The service was wonderful. The food was very good and yes, we shared a stack of Raspberry Oatmeal pancakes . They are indeed what sets them apart from the others. The food was moderately priced but well worth it. $100 (including tip) for five. Frank Sinatra could be heard faintly in the background which added another layer of ambiance. A nice bistro setting. They offer a welcoming patio for the warmer months. Will return for sure. read more

Have been to Cafe Madison a few times and love the food! I've only been there for breakfast and have enjoyed each item I've ordered. The home fries are incredible! I've tried to re-create them at home, to no avail. Staff is always friendly and while there is sometimes a wait, it is completely worth it! read more

After reading the reviews, we decided to give this a try. We had to wait about 35 minutes. Luckily they had outdoor heaters as it was quite chilly outside. The locals waiting with us assured us it was worth the wait. They were not wrong! The hardest part was trying to decide what to choose. I had the banana bread French toast. OMG. It was amazing with the bananas and caramel sauce. The portion was enough to share with three people. I asked for a to-go container just to make room in my plate to eat. Hubby had the California avocado omelet. It too, was very good and flavorful. A nice surprise was their coffee was also good. The service was top notch, which was impressive given how busy they were. I would highly recommend this one. read more

Cafe Madison - Banana bread French toast with bananas and caramel sauce - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

Place was ok, but nothing great. A little too trendy hipster wanna be for me.. read more

Coffee and food was delicious! I love homemade bread. Try their homemade cinnamon swirl bread! WOW! They have very good breakfast menu. read more

Cafe Madison - Get the cinnamon swirl bread! Great hash browns with seasoning on it...yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

If you really do get to pick whatever you want as a last meal on death row, I would pick Café Madison's raspberry oatmeal pancakes. Dear God, they are that good! You can't get bored with their ever changing front page of specials that often follows a fun seasonal or pop culture theme. To date, my favorites are the GOT and Halloween themed specials. Word of caution to the newcomer, this place opens at 7:30am and is packed from 9:00am until close (2pm). So, you better be there early (especially if you are with a party of 3 or more) unless you want to stand in a long, crowded line in their small coridoor and starve. Honestly, this place would be an easy 5 stars if we were talking food alone - if they only had more room! Happy brunching! read more

Really great place ! A little tight but not too small. The food is delicious! I always come here for brunch whenever I come to Albany. Servers are nice. The waiting time for food is decent. Would definitely recommend ! read more

Cafe Madison - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

Excellent breakfast food and great servers who are always ready with great recommendations. The raspberry oatmeal pancakes are amazing. Serving sizes seemed to have dwindled over the past few years, but the food is still excellent. Of course, Cafe Madison is very, very small. Be prepared to wait hours for weekend brunch. I've experienced very overwhelmed hosts skipping over parties/ forgetting to seat parties, ignoring customers, etc. As others have mentioned, this can be extremely frustrating when there are over 2 or 3 empty tables of the 15 or so tables at CM. Gentle suggestion- if you have a party of 4 or more, do yourself and other patrons a favor and go somewhere that has more than 15 tables. read more

The wait is crazy, but if you can get there early, you're going to have a delectable brunch and/or breakfast. I usually go for a giant helping of pancakes (raspberry oatmeal or apple or blueberry) plus eggs and all of the sides, but their specials are generally good as well. To be honest, the wait will often dissuade us from considering going out for brunch there, but we make it on occasion and it's worth it. read more

Amazing brunch menu and everything was delicious. The chef has some creative specials that will surprise you,but they are well thought out and complementy. The staff are some of the best I've been served by in the Capital Region including some fine dining establishments. You should make your reservation through Yelp prior to arrival, but even if you have to wait ( and the food is definitely worth waiting for) you will be asked to sit next door in the pourhouse with complimentary coffee or a full bar at your disposal. read more

See all

Amazing service and great breakfast but the line was super long and they don't take reservations due to how busy they can get. Only got breakfast and tea. It taste like homemade but not out of this world. It was cozy and you can seat outside if available. read more

Great omelets, oatmeal raspberry pancakes. Go a random week day. Weekends is crowded. Coffee is just ok.

On a family visit to my nearby apartment, my partner and I along with my four adult children (and one in-law) and three grandchildren went to the Loudon Plaza location for a later morning weekday brunch. We all ordered different selections and several breakfast drinks. Everything was delicious! It was a slower time and our party of ten had excellent service. I ordered the raspberry oatmeal pancakes, not knowing it was one of their specialties. It was amazingly tasty! read more

This place is great for brunch or just somewhere to go out to eat. The employees are all friendly and professional. The food was delicious and the drinks are perfect. I'll definitely come back again. Also, definitely try the oatmeal raspberry pancake, it is so delicious! read more

The food here is excellent. You may have to wait awhile for a seat if you get there after 9 or so, as that is way before any of the hung over college kids wake up, but it is so worth it. We had 5 in our party, which made it a little cramped,as the place is small. The table had raspberry oatmeal pancakes, 2 super breakfasts, steak and eggs and the blueberry brie crepes. I had the pancakes which were awesome. Everyone else was raving, except for the friend with the crepes. They filling was lacking and it was supposed to have brie inside, but it didn't seem like there was any in one of the crepes. Also, a friend got a beer that was not in the slightest bit cold. Overall I would say it was really good and the service was nothing to complain about. Only reason I gave it four stars were because of the beer and crepe debacle. read more

Best omelette ever. The ingredients were fresh and fun (I made my own). They had such whimsical menu offerings for Father's Day brunch, such as Daddy O Cakes (pancakes with coffee and pecans!) and the Godfather Omelette. Prices were in the $8 to $15 range, and the bacon was perfectly crisp and tasty. My husband thinks the homefries (morning potatoes) were the best he's ever had. I saw pieces of rosemary here and there sprinkled among them. You'll most likely encounter a wait, but the food is worth it. The place is small with a few tables out front. We got there at 8:45am on a Sunday and waited 35 minutes. We waited with other various hungry folks on the sidewalks outside. Great setting on a tree-lined street near The College of St. Rose. read more

Finally made our way here! We totally loved the place, the service and the food. We ordered the eggs Benedict with avocado and Irish bacon and cheasapeck beni. It was just amazing, definitely going to come back for more. Thanks to Bill- he made this meal extra special! read more

Cafe Madison - Eggs Benedict ! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

The ambience is nice. Food looked amazingly nice with just looking at other people meal. Perfect place if u just come here by yourself. read more

Cafe Madison - Coffee with Bailey's Irish cream - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Busy busy busy! On the weekend get their early or wait 30-45 minutes. It's worth the wait! It's one of the few "worth the wait"breakfast places in Albany. Their drinks are always on point and breakfast never fails! read more

Love the basic breakfast so so muchThere's no brunch like what's offered homemade style here that comes with juice and free refill nice coffee. The price and environment are also perfect. I've had no idea how many times I've been here for a perfect starting mood of a day cost less than $10 read more

I came here wanting to love the place because of all the fabulous reviews I had read. The over all hype and expectation of it being amazing raised my standards when in reality it wasn't that good. As soon as we walked in we were told it would be half an hour wait... it wasn't until more than an hour later that we were finally seated. We ordered our food and when it finally came our first bite was everything but amazing. From the undercooked hard home fries to the overly sweet stuffed French toast. We were completely disappointed and unsatisfied and needless to say we aren't coming back. read more

After a whole semester of hard work, my classmate and I decided to celebrate by going to this lovely restaurant. The serve was exceptional -- to say the least. Our waiter, Topher, went above and beyond to ensure that our meal and drinks were delicious. He recommended the black bean burger, in which was very satisfying. The whole experience was incredible. Ask for Topher next time you go, you will leave laughing the rest of your afternoon. He's a very funny and personable guy. I highly recommend brunch-ing here! Best place in town. read more

Yummy! The corned beef hash breakfast is fantastic at either location. So happy they opened the second one.

Greatest Seafood Florentine ever created. The bread is always fresh and scrumptious. The wait is worth it 100%.

I really don't understand the draw to this restaurant. I've never had a mind blowing meal here and the servers always seem overwhelmed and like they can't keep up. I enjoy the atmosphere and the patio seating. I just wish I wasn't spending so much money to not enjoy my food and also have a Server who is half there. read more

Whenever my wife and I are celebrating a special occasion or are just feeling like we want some delicious breakfast, we head down to Cafe Madison. My wife loves the mimosas, french toast, and pancakes while I love the corned beef hash, omeletes, and the super breakfast. It's a popular place, so we try to get there early (before 10am on Sundays) to beat the rush. It's honestly worth the wait for us if there is one. read more

Quiet and quaint location with a great variety on the menu. I had the classic eggs Benedict with Irish bacon and it was delicious. Only problem is I wanted more (despite the fact that I was full). read more

Cafe Madison - Eggs Benedict with Irish Bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

They had a board game theme for brunch. I got the Yahtzee Beni and it was Amazing! Poached eggs with mac n cheese. So so good. The bacon bloody mary was one of the best I've ever had. read more

Cafe Madison - Bacon Bloody - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Albany, New York

Long wait times but the breakfast is amazing. Lots of great dessert pancake and waffle choices.

This should be short and sweet, how much can one regale you with a story of Brunch. My initial impression was one of woe, as the young tattooed hostess began her greeting with " it will be about an hour " , then moved on to the pleasantries of, hello and ,would you like a drink while you wait. Much to my surprise and glee it was under 30 minutes and I was staring at a menu. I was also listening to the harmonious tune my stomach was playing while day dreaming of food that was yet to come. In mere moments a large bearded lad had coffees poured ,and orders taken and life was looking up. My order {The Basic Breakfast } was done to perfection. The over easy eggs were cooked beautifully, the bacon was crisp the bread just lightly toasted. The potatoes were pleasantly seasoned and cooked to perfection. I was a happy camper, right up to the moment I saw the adjacent table receive their order LOL . Without warning the Green Monster reared his ugly head . The young lady had ordered the Farmhouse omelet with its wonderfully wafting aroma of Irish Bacon and Cheddar Cheese, her partner had a visibly striking Egg Frittata. I quickly looked to my lovely bride who was sated with her meal and once again began to relax and realize I was full, and didn't NEED to order a Second breakfast :-) As I watched my Daughter Gabby sipping on her Hot Cider I understood there was no need for Envy, I would just have to find my way back here again . It appears my days of driving Jersey City to Albany for Brunch are not behind me after all. So my recommendation would be to any passer by,stop in grab a chair and have brunch , After all Brunch isn't just for locals . read more

AMAZING FOOD! I've been coming here for years and it would get 10 stars if I was able to. Absolutely to die for food. It's a must go to when you're in Albany. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Can't say it enough! read more

A little dissapointed that this place didn't live up to the hype. I got the basic breakfast with ham. Everything was just ok. Maybe I'd try it again and get something more unique. read more

CHECK YOUR RECEIPT! When I eat in, I always tip. Always. But when I get takeout, I pay and leave. I have noticed that the math on my receipt doesn't add up. There is $2 unaccounted for, there's the price for the meal, the tax, and when I look at the amount, there is a $2 difference. I won't be coming back because that's so seedy. Besides my bacon is always undercooked, and the eggs always have ingredients from a different meal i.e garlic in scrambled eggs.... read more

Excellent brunch and good service. Had the pumpkin pancakes. Menu is varied and coffee is very good. Clean and affordable. I definitely will be back! read more

Excellent food and service. It is a bit small so it can be loud at times. They do a great brunch!!

Fun little spot with very friendly people. Really enjoyed the variety mimosas and their cappuccinos were delicious. I had the breakfast burrito. I subbed black beans for refried beans and added guacamole. Pretty good flavor, would have liked some more spices/sauces. My friend got the huevos rancheros, she liked it, but felt it lacked some spices/flavor and the cheese wasn't melted. She did like the beans in the dish and the eggs were cooked perfectly. All in all, a nice little spot for brunch. read more

The food here is great. They have a variety of vegan specialties which keeps me coming back. There are other foods that my daughter enjoys such as the California avocado omelette, among others. This is my favorite breakfast spot!! read more

This place was fantastic. My girlfriend and I loved it. Her oatmeal raspberry pancake was delicious. I had steak and eggs and they were made precisely as I asked them too. Waiter was very attentive. The place had a cozy vibe. Will definitely return next time I'm here. read more