Caffe Italia

Everything was delicious ! The waiter was Great! ! Can't wait to go back . The music was in the bar…read moreand they were Awesome

I was in Albany for my doctoral hooding ceremony and subsequent graduation, when I was left…read morewondering where to take my family for dinner afterwards. I was promised that Grappa 72 would exceed my expectations. As an Italian-American AND a foodie, it's hard to wow me at an Italian venue. I can honestly say that this place was all that I was promised and more. What we ordered to share: crispy arancini (special app that day), eggplant parm, fried calamari. I am a red sauce snob, and all three of these delivered on presentation, quality, and overall flavor. Entrees we ordered included: halibut (entree special and my choice), pappardelle loaded with shrimp and chicken (also a special), pork osso bucco (stole the show!). We ended with individual desserts, and their Italian cheesecake was smooth and creamy. Service was reflective of high-end dining, yet the check for six people was moderate to affordable. Considering the quality, quantity, and overall experience, this is a place I need to get back to. Now I need to find an excuse to be in the Capitol Region so I can go back!

Tiramisu

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Zio Anthonys Pasta

Villa di Como Ristorante

4.4(90 reviews)

7.0 mi

This is not a typical American Italian restaurant! Villa di Como's chef, Ali, created absolutely…read moredelicious meals for us when we were there this past Friday. We highly recommend this experience to people who appreciate an authentic Italian dining experience. Fresh ingredients, fantastic service, and Ali's craft is truly a gem to be enjoyed. Ali's warm hospitality topped off the night with a taste of his limonchello; a real treat!

$300 to eat on a plastic tablecloth on Valentine's Day, not even a candle on the table. I'm…read moreembarrassed I suggested the spot to my date. The experience felt stingy and rushed. I'm sad because I loved this spot and I'm disappointed the quality has gone down so drastically. Portions were very small and the food didn't taste special or interesting. The octopus came out room temp and had been sitting out. Entres lukewarm. The drinks were by far the best part of the meal and it took half an hour to get them. Service was all over the place but they get a pass because it's Valentine's Day. Do yourself a favor and try Rosanna's instead.

Villa di Como Ristorante dining room

Carbonara and Vodka

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Interior bar

Cafe Capriccio

4.0(265 reviews)

7.7 mi

•$$$

Came here with coworkers for a business dinner, and from the outside you'd never expect how great…read moreit is inside. The restaurant itself is smaller and broken up into different rooms, which actually makes for a really nice, more intimate dining experience. The service was top notch. The staff and our waitress were incredibly attentive very professional and always right there when you needed something without being overbearing. As for the food, everything we had was excellent. I ordered the duck, and having it prepared in different ways including as a sausage was honestly amazing. The eggplant appetizer was on another level, and the grilled octopus was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. I also had an espresso martini, which was made really well. To top it all off, the pistachio cake for dessert was the perfect finish. Overall, this place is truly top notch great food, great service, and a great experience all around. Definitely worth checking out.

Delicious Italian food, great ambience, and welcoming staff. Also enjoyed the wine we had! Would…read morerecommend!

Cozy dining room vibe

Vodka sauce with sausages

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Empty table #1

D'Raymonds

3.6(356 reviews)

5.9 mi

Excellent food and service! Lindsay was our server, she was great! very busy but she was there to…read moretake care of us. will ho again for sure!

Favorite restaurant in world. Please get the chicken Frangelico! It's the best dish on the menuread more

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Scaloppe Alla Francesa.

Rosanna’s

4.3(113 reviews)

7.2 mi

Wow! I've wanted to try Rosanna's for some time now and I regret waiting so long. This is like one…read moreof those local best kept secret spots. I was able to book a reservation online for the same day. Of note, when you have the option of Main Floor or First Floor & Bar, just realize the Main Floor is up a flight of stairs. I'm not sure if there is a separate entrance but my wife was on crutches and she managed to get up the first three into the restaurant from outside but I don't think dining on the main floor would have been an option for us. Our server, Mike, was awesome and full of energy and enthusiasm. He offered suggestions and answered questions about details of the dishes. We were pleasantly surprised with how many menu items were marked v - vegan and v* - can be prepared vegan. This is great for us because it's another place in Albany that we will be able to go out to dinner with friends and everyone will be able.to find something to enjoy. The fried Artichokes are a must if you're looking for a starter. We were eyeing up the Fennel salad or vegan Caesar salad but opted to move on to main entrees. On this night they were out of the Gnocchi Cacio-Pepe which personally, I am not a gnocchi fan to start and Mike told us they were substituting a buccatini pasta instead... this had my attention! I went for his suggestion and chose the Arrabbiata instead which was delicious. My wife enjoyed her Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto. We skipped dessert for this evening but there were vegan Gelato and cookie options for dessert as well. From start to finish it was such an enjoyable experience in this cozy corner restaurant which offers outdoor dining in the summer in the heart of Albany. We will totally be back with friends for another delicious meal at Rosanna's, the hidden gem in downtown Albany!

I am very surprised by all of the five star reviews. Our party of three had burger/fries, chicken…read moredish, tortellini, and garlic bread. No drinks. We all had water to drink. The burger/fries and chicken dish were average. The tortellini and garlic bread were below average. Tortellini tasted like it was just frozen and undercooked and then served warm, not hot. The garlic bread...how do you mess up garlic bread. It was $7 and it was literally two pieces that were the size of my pointer finger, and one of the pieces was burnt. I would have been embarrassed to serve it as complimentary, let alone charge for it. The three meals plus the two mini pieces of garlic bread came to $110 including tip. It was overpriced for the quality of the food. I would say at the most this should have been an $80 meal including tip. I would have given a 3 star review if that had been the price. I live in a pricey area and I'm not picky. I believe this is the only time I've given a restaurant anything below 4 stars. The place was clean and I like that they bring a glass bottle of water to the table.

View out window

Mushroom Bolognese

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Bongiorno signature drink

Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse

3.6(373 reviews)

3.3 mi

Dinner at Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse. Greeted by a friendly hostess and shown to a booth, Our…read morewaitress soon appeared to take our drink orders - 2 ice water with lemons-and then we took a look at the menu. It's actually a fairly brief menu which I prefer. Appetizers : New England clam chowder for herself and a shrimp cocktail with 4 very large shrimp for myself. Entrees : A ravioli dish for my wife and a NY strip steak - medium rare of course for me. Both meals were 1st rate. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, almost too attentive probably due to my movie star good looks and charming personality. We passed on dessert and asked for the check. $98 and change. While the food was good we've had equally as good food at other places for less money, $120 with tip. I doubt we will be back.

My family and a group of friends traveled to Albany to enjoy a weekend away while betting on the…read moreponies at Saratoga Race course. We have stayed in Albany at the same hotel for several years and have gotten familiar with some of the restaurants in the immediate area. We ventured a couple miles away from our hotel on Wolf Road to try Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse this year. We had a reservation for8 and were seated promptly. The decor was a bit dated, but nothing to complain about. The service was good and everyone but myself got Italian pasta dishes and all said the same thing "it was ok". Seeing as the name of the place is a cut of steak, I decided to go with the Delmonico signature steak, cooked medium rare. The cut of steak I received would embarrass me if I tried serving it to a friend. The amount of edible meat was no larger than a credit card, the rest fat and grizzle. It was tough to tell if the cook temp was as requested because there wasn't enough edible to tell. When our waitress came to see if we needed to-go boxes, she knew enough not to bother with me, as there was just a plate of junk left. Luckily, without me even asking, she took my steak off the bill, which was really nice because I wasn't going to make a big stink and complain. She just knew the steak was not up to par. It's tuff to criticize this restaurant because all the other guests were satisfied, but not wowed, however, ordering the signature dish and having it be absolutely disappointing is unforgivable.

Mozzarella

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Happy

Jacob & Anthony's Italian

3.5(171 reviews)

2.8 mi

We had never been here so decided to give it a try. The food was wonderful!…read moreI had rigatoni in marinara sauce with meatballs. This was a large portion. My wife had a balsamic wrap. Also large. The pasta dish was great. Perfectly prepared. The wrap was outstanding and loaded with delectable contents. Lastly, we had a chocolate mousse chocolate cake which was sinfully fantastic! The service was very very friendly- but- very very slow. The restaurant was not overly busy because we arrived fairly early. We highly recommend this restaurant but expect to spend some time there unless this visit was unusual.

Food was fantastic…read more Seating was a little discombobulated we asked for a table they told us all the tables were reserved. They gave us a high top. The high top chair was coming apart on the bottom screw is missing. The bag was actually coming off. Our server, a polite young man was over and beyond friendly and very attentive to everything we needed We will be coming back again and again Inside was very nice and pleasurable to look at just the seating was the issue

Chocolate Mousse Cake

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Arancini

Ralph's Tavern

3.6(368 reviews)

3.9 mi

I didn't love the hot turkey sandwich with gravy. It was a lot of bread. It was deli turkey and…read morethere was no side of cranberry which I think should be standard. I opted for the side of mashed potatoes and gravy instead of fries. The mashed potatoes were cold but they corrected that quickly. The service was fantastic. My dinner mates got a hot meatball torpedo, which looked really good and he said it was really good. The other got a white pizza which was also good! A busy local staple, it was buzzing! We had chicken wings as an appetizer and they're always great here!

Service at bat was great and attentive Richie was awesome. Good recommendations and the drink was…read moreyummy. I had the homemade mozz sticks. So good and the raz sauce was perfect. I had the francese too and ing so good so much chicken and tons of sauce and pasta. Great flavor. Nice and lemony and creamy. Fresh bread. With and I opted for veggie soup. Delish Great spot to chat with locals too

Dining

Wrinkled tomatoes, on a salad with flipped over Italian dressing

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Bar

Lanie's Cafe

3.9(356 reviews)

5.8 mi

The food is always amazing....We usually do not make it past the nacho platter however I am so…read morehappy to see a half portion on the menu now...still enough to share with the table! Also gave us the opportunity to try other dishes. My eggplant wrap was perhaps the BEST sandwich I have ever eaten! Fabulous service and atmosphere as well. One of our favorite places :)

Ambiance, outdated and eh.... Signature Tangerini cocktail…read moremy wife and friend always order no longer available. Plus it's the only restaurant on the east coast where they don't have Angus burgers on the menu. The extremely dry fish fry plate I had to order instead with rubber mac'n cheese had been dead for many hours. It's really hard to get a descent meal there anymore.

Waiting area

Bacon, cheddar, chipotle burger!

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Door entrance

Nicole's Restaurant

4.0(140 reviews)

6.6 mi

•$$$

Visited Albany on the way back from a wedding in Vermont and needed a good hearty meal after a long…read moreweekend of fun! No reservation, and a smaller restaurant we tried on a whim and were offered two seats at the bar promptly and decided to stick around. Immediately upon entering Nicole's, the atmosphere takes you to a small Italian restaurant scene depicted in many a movie. Dimly lit, but not dark, fragrances of perfume overpowered by garlic, tomato, and all the fresh seasonings and herbs in their dishes, and many many happy customers with big plates of pasta, bread, and red wine on the table. After receiving our app of fried artichokes, which came with a wonderful dipping sauce, and a side order of meatballs that melted in our mouths, but were not soft, or squishy we decided we did only needed one meal after a long day of travel. One of my go-tos when trying a new to me Italian spot is always the clam sauce, and this one hit it out of the park. I highly recommend Nicole's, and looking forward to returning again in August for my next visit to the area.

A really perfect experience. The ambiance of Nicole's is romantic, intimate but not too crowded…read more Perfect for date night or girls night out. Highly recommend starting with the short rib and burrata flatbread. The pear martini is a very refreshing sipper cocktail. For my entree I had the chicken Marsala which was prepared wonderfully, great balance of sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and pasta. Enough to bring some home without being a huge portion for no reason. Highly recommend a visit here!

Linguine Clam Sauce served with linguine pasta, white wine and garlic fumé! Excellent!

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Paper plane

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Anthony C.

2 years ago

Caffe Italia stands out as the crown jewel of Italian American cuisine in Albany, NY. This exceptional eatery has clearly earned its reputation as the go-to destination for those seeking an authentic and memorable Italian dining experience. The menu at Caffe Italia is a testament to the rich culinary traditions of Italy, expertly adapted with local, seasonal ingredients. Each dish showcases the kitchen's commitment to quality and authenticity. From perfectly al dente pasta dishes to succulent meat and seafood entrees, every plate that leaves the kitchen is a work of art, both visually and in terms of flavor. What truly sets Caffe Italia apart is their attention to detail. From the freshly baked bread served at the beginning of the meal to the expertly crafted desserts that provide a sweet finale, every element of the dining experience is carefully considered and executed. The service at Caffe Italia matches the quality of the food. The staff are knowledgeable about the menu and wine list, offering helpful suggestions and ensuring that each guest feels well cared for throughout their visit. While Caffe Italia may be on the pricier side compared to some other Italian restaurants in Albany, the quality of the food, the level of service, and the overall dining experience more than justify the cost. It's the kind of place that turns first-time visitors into regulars, and regulars into passionate advocates. You can count me in that group if it hasn't already been made abundantly clear. In a city with no shortage of dining options, Caffe Italia has firmly established itself as Albany's premier destination for Italian cuisine. Whether you're a longtime fan of Italian food or new to the cuisine, a meal at Caffe Italia is sure to be a memorable experience that will have you planning your next visit before you've even finished dessert. read more

Salvador H.

3 years ago

My absolute favorite place to satisfy my craving for Italian dishes. They do everything great-from the service to the food & drinks! The service was impressive and well-coordinated. The cozy and warm family-style atmosphere reminded me so much of my mom's kitchen... right down to the footed coffee mugs. I absolutely love this place and am wishing them all good things. You can feel the sense of pride and love their meals and their service. read more

Robert C.

107

7 years ago

Caffe Italia is one of best Italian restaurants I have been to, ever. I used to travel often for work and have been to most of the best Italian restaurants in the country. The food was outstanding and the service even better! This is one restaurant you don't want to miss if you are ever in the Albany area! read more

Kate J.

10 years ago

Holy deliciousness! The Veal Oscar is to die for. It's a small place that hasn't been updated for years but doesn't necessarily need it. The food and service are excellent. There is something about a career server that really makes a difference. I can't stop raving to everyone about this place. read more

John H.

8 months ago

Great place. We have our Christmas party here each year and the food and service are terrific. They have a great bar and make wonderful martinis. I get he sea bass everytime I go and it never disappoints. read more

E J.

2 years ago

Does anyone know if this restaurant is still open? Or have they closed their doors for good? No one answers the phone when I call. Their website is down. And they don't accept messages on Facebook. read more

Zack M.

7 years ago

Great little romantic spot. Enjoy coming here for special occasions with my girlfriend. Delicious sea bass dishes and amazing rice balls when they are on the menu! read more

Matthew M.

11 years ago

best authentic Italian food here in upstate. I definitely recommend the chicken antica!!! it will blow your mind!!!!

I-Fang H.

346

9 years ago

One of the Italian resturant I ever had. Everything is great and great services as well.

Doyle F.

12 years ago

UNBELIEVABLE food. Gotta go! Best authentic Italian food in Albany

Jarid V.

14 years ago

Solid Italian fare in a romantic setting. Service top notch.

Jay B.

14 years ago

Very nice atmosphere and old world Italian food.

Mike L.

9 years ago

Fabulous! Food is out of this world!

Vickey L.

357

10 years ago

homemade lemon cake. the end.

mia d.

15 years ago

So good! So, so so good.

Caffe Italia - italian - Updated September 2026

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