Wellington's @ The Renaissance Hotel - Albany

Place was packed - we had reservations. Waited about 25 min for 3 gin and tonics. Got our entrees before our apps. Had to go ask bar for ketchup and then waited never came back to collect our bill, so also had to
Bring that to the bar. Wouldn’t go back.

The food is good, but the service is consistently weak. It does not appear to be a priority.

Bartender named Alanna was very surly and disrespectful to paying hotel guests on Thanksgiving night. She turned off the TV in the middle of the football game an hour before the scheduled closing time and got angry at guests who wanted it put back on. Not “I’m so sorry but we’re closing early” but slamming the door when we asked for the manager to put it back on. If you’re looking for a professional operation do not come here when she’s behind the bar.

* update after we were all moved to the lobby with no TV we heard the bar manager Sara laughing with the bartender and it echoed down the lobby when they said “we made $400 in tips today so we could give a f*** about them” meaning the 10 customers who were pushed out of the bar. These people should not be in the service industry at what is listed as the top hotel in the capital of New York. Very untrained in Marriott level service levels to the point of aggression against the very people who pay their salary- the customer.

We dine at this restaurant when we are in the area, and the service is consistently top notch. You can get seating at the bar, a cozy table in the corner, at the window for some people watching, or in the middle of the dining area, whichever you prefer. We tried the Meyer Lemon Ravioli, excellent, and the special Strip Steak with butternut squash/broccoli rabe, also excellent. It was a special occasion, and we had a very pleasant dining experience and look forward to our next visit.

Waaaaay to loud. No Music although they said is was broken. Apps over priced. Staff very nice.

Food and service are top notch! Not a huge space so can be noisy when the bar is full but we don't mind and always eat here when we are in town.

Went to an early dinner with friends. Nice place but food was over priced, and just ok. We shared roasted Brussel sprouts, and too many flavors were competing (mustard, hazel nuts, vinegar) that over all was muddled. My Cesar salad was oddly dry, my friend's short ribs were under seasoned... Overall I'd skip this place for the price.

Great Brunch with friends. Sad for us coffee machine was broken so no fancy coffee drinks. Food was super. Staff nice. All good

The food was great and the vibe was cool. Our server was very responsive and came to check several times. The cocktails were also excellent. We went on a Saturday evening and this was in the downtown business district, so the place wasn't crowded at all. I would recommend this for dates/special occasions.

Blah blah blah blah pleasant waitstaff, blah blah blah blah

The menu is quite limited and the food was average. I ordered the burrata salad expecting a creamy delight. The cheese was dry as was the grilled chicken on the salad, which came undressed. The appetizer plate with a variety of deli meats was generic and only came with 2 pieces of bread. I found the fried oysters to be rubbery. The best part of the meal was the cocktail and cheesecake!

The food was quite good. Unfortunately, it was a holiday weekend, we were seated in the lounge in swivel lounge seats and, because they were short staffed, the service was a bit disorganized. We would definitely like to try again when the real restaurant is open.

Wellingtons was recommend by a friend who visit Albany numerous times a year. Restaurant was empty for Sunday Brunch and Hostess sats us at the closest table to the entrance of the dining room where everyone would pass by as they enter & exit the restaurant - not sure why. We asked to relocated to other table; now she sat us right next to other diners when the restaurant was empty. Hostess seem to be annoyed by the simple request so we just took the second table. We thought about leaving and going to another restaurant, however we stayed since our server Olivia arrived quickly to greet us. Olivia was very informative about the menu, courteous, and attentive. Meals were served in a timely manner . Overall experience was OK; if there's next time maybe just drinks and apps at the bar.

We have visited this restaurant twice - once for brunch and again for dinner about 2 weeks later. The service is underwhelming. Our brunch entree arrived lukewarm. When we asked about the cut of lamb that would be served on the dinner menu, our server replied "it is a slice" - we had to ask if it was a rack or a chop and he still wasn't sure. The wine list is somewhat vague. It listed a bottle of red wine from a vineyard that produces cabernet and malbec. Again we had to ask and the server had to go ask. The next problem was the fired oysters ordered as an appetizer. Nice breading but the oysters were small and had been overcooked. The fried shrimp appetizer was nicely prepared and presented. The steaks we ordered were delmonico's but were overdone ( medium instead of rare as requested) and of a poor quality. The prices for the quality of service and food are not a match. We will probably not visit this restaurant again which is unfortunate as we do live locally and were hoping for a fine dining alternative in the city,

They don’t offer a kid’s menu for Sunday brunch but they were able to make accommodations for my two nephews.

The brunch sandwiches were great. We had the fried green tomato sandwich, smoked salmon sandwich, and pastrami hash sandwich were all great, served with crunchy fries.

Three of us ordered the lobster benedict, which were meh. The lobster was fresh but under seasoned. The egg was runny which was great. The most disappointing thing was
That one order had a mountain of lobster meat, and the other two had 2-3 pieces of lobster only. It was very apparent that all three lobster bennies were prepared together. I’m ok with that but the chef should have distributor lobster evenly.

Finally the brunch drinks were great. Strong drinks but well made with excellent taste.

Excellent service, food and ambiance

Good food, but ordered cappuccino it was not frothy seemed like regular coffee in a giant cup. Overall liked the beet salad appetizer and my brunch dish was very good. The waitress was very nice but seemed overwhelmed with serving many tables.

Arrived just before the tour group, and it was a bit loud while they were there. Otherwise, it was great. Had the duck and a very nice Bordeaux, and enjoyed it very much overall.

An empty restaurant and they seated us right next to the noisy bar. Uncomfortable seating. If you like pork belly, this is the place for you.

Very good restaurant. we went for a special occasion, we asked for the cheese and the meat board and an entrée. I would say, that the amount served was not too small not too big and it was good for the price. The drinks, Old Fashioned and Danger Manhattan cocktails were well prepared and on the money for the taste, not watery. The price is average for a hotel restaurant. We will go back.

$3.50 for seltzer water is ridiculous! Made a reservation and they tried to cram us between two other parties even though the place was empty. Asked for another table and then they put someone else right next to us. Not a place for any sort of private conversation.

Food was excellent but service was absolutely terrible. There were two waitresses working that day. When we first got there, the other waitress said, THANK GOD! I dont want to deal with that! when our waitress said she was going to take us (we had an infant with us). As for our own waitress, she didnt come back to check on us until most of our party was finished our meals (and she didnt bring us our food so she really only took our order and then disappeared) which was unfortunate because we didnt get the sauces that were supposed to come with the meal and no ketchup. When we asked for the sauces and ketchup, she only came back with the ketchup. I also had to go find her to get the bill. It wasn't even busy either. There were 4 medium sized parties and she was only taking care of our table. Will probably never return solely based on the poor service we received.

How great it is for Albany that this historic hotel and restaurant has been brought back to life. On the corner of State Street across the from the Capitol, the dining room and bar area provides a great view of the city's architecture and opportunity for people watching — and the ambience is fantastic. The food is excellent. Been here a few times and every meal has been superb. Went here most recently for Mother's Day and had a great experience. And Javi, our server, was top notch — which was refreshing since there is so much mediocrity when it comes to wait staff in there area.... If there are any downsides, the appetizers are somewhat pricey in relation to serving size. (Even so, they were excellent.) Also, the restaurant may want to invest in a few large tables. We had a part of five and they had to put together two small round tables, which was a bit awkward. Still, not a big deal. The Wellington is an asset to Albany. Great place for dinner, lunch and drinks. Go here.

Mother’s Day brunch, somewhat limited menu, but well done in terms of service, food quality and atmosphere. We would likely try dinner some evening.

Food was great! The restaurant was extremely loud at 6:00 pm. The bar borders the restaurant seating which made it difficult to hear each other. Not great for older diners with possible hearing issues.

This was our first time here and came for my birthday. Food was excellent, server was great. Enjoyed the free birthday dessert which was a nice surprise.

Dinner at the Wellington was very good. My wife was raving about the pork tenderloin and I enjoyed the chicken with potato pancake. Our server, Ray, was excellent.

Food terrific, but the service very slow. Suspect a problem in the kitchen that night

Delicious and beautifully presented. I ate every morsel ... couldn’t imagine leaving any or heating it up later.

We were going to a show at the Times UnionCenter and went for an early dinner. We were greeted right away and seated.
The waitress introduced herself and took our drink order. We never felt rushed. Each item that came out out was delicious and just the right temperature. The atmosphere was sophisticated but relaxed. We will be back soon!

It was the best dining experience of our “almost week” in Albany! Thank you!

Loved it here! We were not rushed at all and the food was fantastic. We'll be back!

We had a great dinner in a booth by a window looking out at State St. Recommend the duck and the pork

Came here for a birthday celebration with my parents, and proposed to my girlfriend at the same meal! The waitstaff were super helpful, and the food was fantastic, the night couldn’t have been more perfect.

We decided to have our Easter Brunch here. Located right in downtown with a beautiful view of the capital bldg. Large windows to view the goings on along State St.

We were seated along the wall with the views but also nicely secluded by sheer "curtains" from other tables beside ours.

The waitstaff is friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. Tiffany was our server who had a bubbly personality. She is perfect for the job.

The drink menu was substantial with plenty to offer from various red/white wines to cordials to speciality drinks. We all opted for a type of red wine by the glass.

The menu was a brunch menu, though in the smaller book of the above mentioned drink menu, we thought later, that maybe one could order off the menus in that as well. We meant to ask. Two of us opted for a type of breakfast entree. The apple pancake is a meal/dessert in all. The French toast is on the lighter side so my best friend order two eggs to go with it. I opted for lunch, a beet salad to start and Tuna Nicoise (ahi tuna) for my main. Presentation was outstanding! Food was delicious. Kudos to the chef.

Dessert off the brunch menu was only three choices, one being a dessert pancake. Since none of them appealed to us, we satisfied our sweet tooth craving in another establishment where we could have some ice cream.

I'd be back. Maybe not for date night,(he likes large portions) but definitely girls' night out.

Went on Easter Sunday, doesn't appear to be the regular time for customers as they seemed somewhat unorganized... tables are too small for two to have a relaxing meal as they seated us at a cocktail table initially, then we got seated next to the exit door....I requested a move to a more comfortable area and was told that they couldn't accommodate us. The waitress was excellent although our breakfast was" luke" warm. We didn't send back as we didn't want to wait for a redo. Anyways, we moved to the bar and finished our mimosas and the Manager came over and chatted and became much warmer toward us even providing us with a complimentary drink. The bar area is much nicer. I'm hoping they warm up the main seating area, even make it a little cleaner and updated. I would stop back another time although we had to pay $14 for parking! No accommodation to diners even almost with a $100 breakfast bill. Downtown Albany was our work location for over 35 years...it was nice to go back to remember the good times and relive some history again. I attend Cap Rep and the Times Union Center and always look for a restaurant to compliment our outings.

Easter Brunch

Our lunch at Wellington's at the Renaissance Hotel was outstanding. We had a very attentive wait staff and the food was excellent at a reasonable price. This not your usual hotel restaurant, very much an independent experience.

Food was definitely above average. However, the service was lackluster. Long periods of time with nobody coming, empty drinks, and it was not busy in the least. Overall, I was disappointed, particularly considering the cost.

What a surprise - a hotel with an outstanding restaurant? Doesn't usually happen.
Not sure why this doesn't have 5 stars.....every dish was perfectly prepared, flavorful and delivered timely and professionally.
The burrata with pesto, beets, nuts was perhaps the best burrata I've had in years.
My friend had the salmon with a tart raspberry vinegar......couldn't make it out entirely, over grits - delicious! I also ordered the brussel sprouts, also done perfectly.
Would absolutely recommend, along with a bloody mary we both had and enjoyed!