I've been dying to come here ever since I drove by a month ago. Finally! It's a nice, clean restaurant with great service! We started with some appetizers of cigar rolls and falafel. Mmmm delicious. The cigar rolls were so good we ordered another one. It comes with five rolls and a side of tahini. Crispy and fluffy with feta. The falafel comes halved and was crispy and delicious. Everyone pretty much tried everyone's dish because you just had to. I got the chicken shish. It came with a generous amount of char grilled juicy chicken chunks on a flat pita with a generous portion of yellow rice and a side salad. Dinner mate got the braised lamb shank and the other got the braised short ribs. They both came with generous sides. The asparagus was nice and tender. The short ribs just melted in my mouth. The chicken kavourma came fancy and just bursted with flavor with lots of chicken and vegetables. I didn't get to try the lamb because it got gobbled down so fast. The strawberry mimosa was delicious too. A must try in that row of restaurants on Madison. We got the best spot in the house, the window seat, where we saw people walking their dogs and lots of friendly people waving with their dogs and cars with dogs and cool cars driving by. Very entertaining for a seven year old. Baklava with ice cream for dessert. Amazing! They do not have a kids menu so if you have a picky eater, plan ahead! We did make a reservation for a party of five. read more

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I'd give it 10 stars I could. The hummus was incredible as was the rest of their dips. I got the donair and the meat was juicy and delicious. The server was really friendly and the food came out fast. The artwork was cool and the restaurant was very clean. read more

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I ordered takeout on my brief stay in Albany because they had great vegetarian options on the menu. Got the meze trio with babaganoush, dolma, and shakshuka - all fantastic in presentation and flavor. Toasted pita was lovely as well. Delivery was fast and the driver was so nice. Really impressed with this place. read more

I've been wanting to eat at Kismet for a long time but something always came up. The other day, I finally got there. I guess it was indeed kismet. I ordered the Chicken Kavourma which is quite popular, according to Kismet's website. The delicious aromas of herbs and spices wafted outside the restaurant when I arrived. I mentioned that to the staff as I entered and some seemed surprised. My meal was ready. I couldn't wait. The bill came out to $27 which seemed a bit pricey for a chicken dish. But I have to say the meal was wonderful. It was also very filling. I even had leftovers for the next day's lunch. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated. Considering it was the middle of the week, it drew a nice size crowd. read more

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Selection was pretty limited and all meat choice is a combination of mixed beef and lamb, not either or, which is weird. It made us felt like ordering hot dogs with unknown substance. It was already after 2:00 PM with a few empty tables. But the waitress seemed to be in a hurry cleaning up our table, while two of us were still working on the dishes! I guess that it's their break! read more

We were really impressed, especially with how the meat was seasoned. We ordered the lamb shish and the chicken shish and they were cooked and seasoned to perfection. We also ordered the mixed mazze platter. The waitress was also supper attentive and friendly. read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Mazze platter: cheese cigars ( highly recommend), Babaganoush, hummus (a little too runny though) and dolma. - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

Shrimp Kordovma (sp?) was so delicious, with mushrooms and buttery sauce. My dining partner didn't have as great an experience, however, because a restrictive IBS diet kept menu options to a very small range. I admired our waitstaff's ability to handle the entire dining room all alone. Another server would have helped quicken the pace of service. read more

our first time here was a few days ago. The food was cold and the service was non existent. It was a ghost town. Not a good option for food.

I ordered takeout directly on their website and hour before scheduled pickup. They did not begin to prepare it until I arrived.

Our stop at Madison Pourhouse was on a night the kitchen was closed. We ordered from Kismet a couple of doors west. My Beef/lamb Gyro was full of both meats. Tender, not spicy and a fluffy gyro with some fresh shredded iceberg was huge and tasty. Drizzling some of their hot sauce really added some extra flavor. It came with delicious fries. Daughter had a chicken kavorma and enjoyed it. The cigar rolls were crunchy but not really flavorful until we dipped it in the tzatziki. We picked up exactly at time they said and food was hot. read more

I am traveling in Albany, New York, and have found this gem. I have been her twice and will be returning again. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing. The service is attentive. And the food is fantastic. I have enjoyed their lentil soup, Greek salad, and baklava, especially. read more

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Did a DoorDash delivery of the Classic Gyro Plate while staying at a hotel in Albany. I was really very pleasantly surprised! TONS of meat and it was really cuts of meat, not the usually gyro mystery meat. Fantastic flavor too. Lots of rice to round it out and keep me from feeling hungry, and these salad was super yummy. Not that the salad was small, but it was good enough that I wish there was more. I really liked this meal and would order from them again if I am ever back in Albany. J.Ja read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Classic Gyro Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

While visiting the area, I wanted to try something I haven't had before with my son. This place had good reviews, so I decided to try. It was quite cold as the vent was right under our table, but the waitress was super nice and turned down the air to accommodate. I had the falafel gyro, and my son had the chicken. We split them to be able to try both. Both were really good. My son said he liked the chicken better, but I liked the falafel better. Both were good no matter what. We also had the gozleme appetizer, which we both really enjoyed. The only thing is that it was hard to find parking. There is a parking lot which was full and we had to park down the street on the street. Someone we were waiting for didn't come because there was no street parking near and the parking lot was full. read more

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On an inconspicuous street, at an unpretentious corner lot, sits Kismet, a crown jewel of a Turkish restaurant. The interior is tastefully decorated and pleasant. Service is exemplary- not stuffy or rushed, but friendly and Competent. The cuisine and the chef's preparation and presentation are worthy of a Michelin star (at lest in my opinion). I was impressed. read more

I wanted to try this place forever and it did not disappoint. I stopped in here with a friend on a Friday night and had an amazing dinner along with a few glasses of wine. Service was attentive and friendly and they allowed us to linger over our meal which I very much appreciated as I hadn't seen my friend for a while. We shared the baba ghanoush, which was excellent. She had a Gyro and I had the Spoon salad which was amazing. Portions were beautifully plated and huge. The restaurant is small but cozy and I believe it's family run. We had a great experience here! read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Spoon Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

I ordered delivery and my meal arrived earlier than anticipated, how exciting! I went for lighter menu items, the lentil soup and spoon salad. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful; this meal hit the spot. Eco-friendly packaging was used for the salad, which always scores points in my book. The reason this is not a 5 is because of the value. $8 for a cup of lentil soup and $14 for the salad was more than it should have been. The spoon salad is basically an israeli salad with walnuts. $14 for that is wild. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but $14 worth of israeli salad should be double the portion or half the price. The Lentil soup was only a tad overpriced, but the portion size helped. It probably should have been $6.50 instead of $8. Other pictures make it look like this place does high-end plating, which may add to the value when dining it. However, the value doesn't translate as well for delivery. read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Red Lentil Soup & Spoon Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

Went here for a Valentine's Lunch date. Atmosphere was good and the waitress was attentive! I got the lamb shish and my girlfriend got the chicken Mediterranean bowl. We devoured our plates, everything tasted great. Would come here again for another date! read more

We ordered a variety of dishes and everything was simply delicious - the best food we've had in a long time. The food was aesthetically presented and the service was perfect - attentive without being intrusive. Clean, beautiful ambiance. We are planning to make this restaurant a tradition. Must try the pistachio espresso!!! read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Pistachio espresso (no caffeine) - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

Love! My family and I came here for dinner on a Saturday night and it was easy to get a table. Very cute and cozy ambiance with little fairy lights in the window. We got the baba ghanoush appetizer to start - delicious! The pita was warm and tasted fresh and the baba ghanoush was flavorful. I ordered the chicken shish kebab for my main and was not disappointed. My only slight complaint was that the chicken was a little dry but it came with two dipping sauces that helped with that - tzatziki and something spicy, both delicious. The rice it came with was very tasty too, not bland at all. I also sampled the chicken kavourma, which was outstanding. That's what I'll order next time I come (and there will be a next time)! read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Chicken shish kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

I have been wanting to try this spot for a while. Everything was delicious and the service was great. The sangria was pretty good and a very generous portion. The cigar rolls were absolutely delicious. I mean anything with cheese and fried is great, but these were so flavorful and paired perfectly with the tzatziki dipping sauce. The chicken curry stayed super hot being served in the clay dish and had a good amount of spice! The lamb chops were also flavorful. The pistachio baklava was delicious, not to sweet and perfect with the ice cream. Will definitely come back! read more

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We've had two stellar experiences with Ray and the staff at Kismet Mediterranean Grill! The first one: staff seated us in one of the front window tables (a very fun spot, by the way) and we proceeded to thoroughly enjoy some of the great tasting menu items. Since we had just a little bit of room left after dinner, we asked Ray for a dessert recommendation. His suggestion -- the poached pears -- was simply exquisite. That taste sensation alone would have been worth the trip! The second one: the in-restaurant experience was so tasty, I quickly thought of Kismet to cater my wife's surprise retirement party. Ray and the team again rose to the occasion, and every aspect of the transaction was impeccable. From working with me to create a menu for all of our tastes, delivery to our site, support with setup and chafing dishes...and again fantastic, fresh and delicious food! Kismet is Simply the Best! read more

Delicious lamb meal with quiet, gracious service. Atmosphere is calm and inviting. DO NOT pass up the poached pear dessert. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

I had a wonderful evening at Kismet with a friend! The location is in a lovely location in Albany on Madison Ave. near a number of colleges. There is street parking and depending on the time of day you will have to pay to park. The layout of restaurant is spacious for a restaurant in a large city. The ambiance is so soothing and relaxing The service was terrific, very prompt and responsive I ordered the Shrimp Kavourma for my main course and the Loaded Mediterranean Fries as an appetizer to share with my friend. The Loaded Mediterranean Fries were absolutely delicious and so full of flavor. Crispy fries topped with tzatziki, grilled chicken and crumbled feta & parsley, served with hot sauce. You can't take a few bites you can't stop eating because it's so flavorful. The plates are simply lovely it's almost like you don't want to mess it up. The Shrimp Kavourma is a Stir-fried shrimp in garlic-lemon-butter sauce, along with seasonal vegetables & mushrooms. Cooked and served on a hot iron pan with rice and house salad read more

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This is our third time at this restaurant. We have never been disappointed with any of the entrées or the appetizers. Service is always great. It's a nice neighborhood restaurant and we travel from Saratoga to go there. We go again in a heartbeat. Don't skip this one it's really worth it read more

Excellent food, service, ambiance and reasonable prices. Good wine as well. Nice location. Definitely recommend!

I don't understand why Kismet isn't packed every day. The food is delicious Mediterranean. The service attentive. The room is cozy and not too noisy - you can hear each other. For lunch, I had the chicken bowl with yellow rice, seasoned chick peas, lettuce, tomato feta and tzatziki sauce. Fabulous! and I had enough to take home for another lunch. I liked it even more than their kebabs which I love. read more

We wandered in here by default: looking for brunch before the Historic Albany Christmas tour in Pine Hills, we were discouraged by long waits at other nearby restaurants. If this hadn't happened, we might not have tried Kismet, as we were looking for brunchier fare. Everything was excellent and we had a delightful waiter Sitting in the front window added to the cozy experience. The special coffee was an unexpected treat. read more

Surprisingly classy Mediterranean restaurant with friendly, accommodating service and delicious food. Iskender Kebob- The lamb was well complimented by the tomato sauce and yogurt. Unfortunately the pita bread became fairly soggy from the tomato sauce. I would have preferred the pita bread to be placed separately on the plate. The portion size was not bad but for $22, I would have liked some more lamb. Lamb and Chicken Gyro wrap- Overall well seasoned with a good variety of textures. The side sauces were delicious, especially the white sauce! Hummus with pita- homemade fresh hummus was delicious! There was not enough pita provided for the hummus so we asked for more pita. Unfortunately we were charged extra for more pita bread. This was not disclosed to us, which was a disappointment since the service was otherwise superb. The service was very attentive and our waters were satisfactorily refilled often. The food is fairly pricey for the amount given but I enjoyed the ambiance and the flavors were overall good. read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Lamb and chicken gyro - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

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This is just a great restaurant in the Capital District. It's conveniently located, has a wonderful atmosphere, great service, and delicious food and drinks. I've been coming here for many years now and I have never had a bad experience. read more

Excellent food and service! The new owner came to check on us and to let us know about some new dishes he is introducing, like the Lamb Shank and the Sour Cherry Baked Pear, both we were able to order. Everything was wonderful. I will return again and again. read more

Excellent service and good delicious. We made reservations for the day they have a belly dancer. We arrived earlier as o was reall hungry and the right away gave us a table and invited us to stay during the show. And the music and dance created a very nice ambiance. read more

First take out experience was grilled chicken kebabs and dry-yuck. Went back it was all juicy and military discount! Good service outdoors. Went back and chicken was dry and they gave us a baklava to compensate, no military discount. But the one lamb chop was seasoned and juicy. 5 stars because they are trying and acknowledge their errors! read more

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I've dined in at kismet a handful of times since they opened and I've also ordered family meals to go pre-and post pandemic. Although it's a lovely restaurant inside I truly think they shine at catering/family meals to go. In lieu of breaking my back fixing a meal for a special dinner party in my home I just call over to kismet and order food to go "served family style." Recently we did a chicken and veggie dish served with rice and salad for four, along with hummus and a fried appetizer that has feta dill deliciousness inside. The grape leaves are also a favorite. I can't wait to dine-in again when COVID-19 is a distant memory but in the meantime their food tastes just as good as take out. A few extra tips- If you are a big eater you might want to order extra. And if you like to drink I think I their pours are pretty slim. Generous wine pours can be found just down the road at The Point. I'd skip the wine here or get a full bottle over a glass. read more

This place was an absolute find. We were in the area and needed to grab a bite but didn't know where to go. Thanks, Yelp! I immediately scanned the menu for some kind of an appetizer sampler. Score: Meze Trio ($16) - we chose Babaganoush, Hummus and Sigara Boregi. These were served with a very generous portion of piping hot pita and I was in heaven. The Babaganoush was absolutely wonderful and I really liked the hummus. The fried phyllo dough stuffed with feta was decadent and delightful. The hot tea was perfect. My chicken gyro wrap ($8) was delicious. A few pieces of the grilled chicken - while very tasty - were a bit dry. My only other issue was that it was served on a teeny tiny plate...so it was hard not to make a mess all over the table (since the pita was stuffed silly). The chicken kavourma ($15) received great reviews (and yes...I tasted it...and concur). I loved the rice and the presentation. Speaking of presentation....everything is delivered with appearance in mind. I especially liked the way the appetizer sampler was plated. Artistic and colorful. Speaking of colorful - our server was a lot of fun and very good, He was managing the whole restaurant so I was a little concerned that the service might lapse...it didn't. We only had to wait a few extra minutes to get the check...but he really hustled. I would be here VERY frequently if I lived nearby. Best babaganoush in the area that I've had thus far. Yum. read more

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First off, the food was delicious!! The service was great. The restaurant itself is cozy. We ordered pita and hummus, and cigar rolls as apps. They were both delicious but the cigar rolls were by far our favorite. We had the mixed grill and the moussaka for dinner. Both were amazing, and great portions. We had tons take home. Can't wait to go back! read more

Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Mixed grill and moussaka - Mediterranean Near Me - Albany, New York

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Can't wait to return! I went here with a friend for a spur-of-the-moment, mid-week dinner, and had a fantastic time! First, the staff are very friendly. Also, it is nice to see more people of color working at this restaurant. I was also thrilled to see a female chef, diligently preparing meals in the kitchen. Our primary server was a beautiful Latina who was very efficient and kind. The decor was beautiful; the restaurant was spotless; and all the tables were physically distanced. There was also a warm, up-beat energy in the dining room. (We had planned to eat outside, but it got cold. The tables inside the restaurant were sufficiently distanced, so we felt safe dining indoors.) For dinner, I had the scrumptious lamb chops with rice and veggies .... and the tasty Tzatziki sauce, of course! My friend chose a flatbread dish that was delicious. With my dinner, I enjoyed a tall, cold glass of Pinot Grigio. My friend selected Moscato. If you don't drink alcohol, no worries! There are plenty of virgin options, including delicious Turkish coffee. It's hard to get a good lamb dish in the Capital Region, so I will definitely return for more--along with a bowl of red lentil soup, and a tall glass of wine or hot cup of Turkish coffee. Two thumbs up! read more

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Always amazes me with their food and service. The restaurant is very clean, consistent with food quality and has pleasant atmosphere. read more

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Great food well-executed. The crowd knows what they want and the restaurant delivers.

A quick stop in Albany and Kismet came up as a recommendation. We loved the personal service and fresh food. The Babaganoush app was so fresh and tasty! The chicken and lamb kabobs were nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly. Portions were generous. Kismet is a rare find. read more

It has potential. The food was well seasoned and seemed of good quality. The problem, most of it was cooked for far too long. Anything grilled had a strong burnt flavor that had to be scraped off if you wanted to taste the food. The lamb gyro slices were cooked till every drop of flavor had evaporated. The wait was also very long for everything. read more