Nestled just above Vegar Bar, Loft205 offers a cozy speakeasy atmosphere, but unfortunately, my recent visit left much to be desired. The food, although promising, arrived cold, which significantly dampened the overall experience.The small whiskey bar had a charming vibe, but the lack of warmth in the dishes overshadowed its allure. While the waitress was pleasant, she was new, not properly unsupported, and not yet knowledgeable about the liquor selection or menu offerings.Additionally, during my visit to Loft205, I observed a concerning practice by the busboy. He was removing paper from straws and repackaging them into a box without wearing gloves. Not only was this unhygienic, but it also raised questions about the cleanliness standards of the establishment.Although the drinks were poorly crafted, they were undeniably strong. While we enjoyed the bang bang shrimp, we found the portion size of five medium shrimp for $15 to be slightly overpriced.Despite the atmospheric potential, Loft205 fell short of delivering a memorable dining experience due to the cold food and inexperienced service. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed to elevate the overall quality in the future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Jumbo Bang-Bang Shrimp
Melisa Rodriguez
Saw them online and decided to give them a try. The reason I gave them a 3 out a 5 start rating is because the food and waiters were awesome but one of the down falls were that their alcoholic beverages were made poorly. You can taste the cheap liquor/wine. Like the vibe is there but If your food and drinks are going to be as expensive as they are, the least you can do is use alcohol that can match in quality. Also, in my reservation notes I had also mentioned that we were going their for an anniversary celebration. I mentioned that it was a surprise and if we could’ve gotten some sort of desert at the end but not one person brought it up or asked me anything about it, nor was it presented at the end of our meal. I think they use local stuff which is cool, support small businesses but can we make sure it actually taste good, doesn’t just look aesthetically pleasing for socials and that you guys pay closer attention to your online reservations.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodles with Shrimp, Pork Belly Bao
Clinton Mathai
Great food, love the gnocchi and bao buns. Great cocktails and fun atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodles with Shrimp
Michael Albert
The food is delicious, and customer service was A1. I highly recommend checking it out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Belly Bao
Liam S
Always great food and cocktails. One of my favorite dinner spots in Albany.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
June Holla
Vibe was dope &
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Short Ribs, Meatballs
michael curry
Amazing, all around perfect!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
L P.
This is a very cool spot. The atmosphere can't be beat- it's somewhat of a "hidden gem" being tucked away on the second floor of building overlooking Lark St. Food has been phenomenal each time I've gone. Everything is packed with flavor and has a unique touch. Chicken fried rice, the short rib, and the meatball appetizer are a few of my personal favorites but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Would highly recommend this place to anyone coming to Albany and I can't wait to go back
Gina Lindeman
One of my favorite places ? ❤️ you can't go wrong with the beef short ribs, pesto gnocchi, charcuterie board, rigatoni, or the loaded potato soup ? everything is absolutely delicious!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Eric B.
Overrated. Not a great experience. Meat entrees over a vegan bar called "Bar Vegan?" Sort of hilarious... food's all right, but a lot of trashy patrons on the night I was there; a hard pass.
This place is priced like a luxury car, but rides like a cheap Honda.
Justin C.
This spot just isn't for me, but it might fit your vibe more. The Loft upstairs comes across (to me) as more of an intimate date spot verse a go hang out and have a drink spot. There is nothing wrong with that, it just isn't going to give you what you need if you want to just chill at the bar. Based on some of the reviews, I think i'm lucky at the time of day (615ish) as the music was not loud, and it was not overly crowded, as some reviews mention rather loud music etc. That was not the case while I was there. There is an okay whiskey selection if you're looking for some good stuff.
Amanda M.
Great ambience with bumpin' music, dark sexy atmosphere and on top of that, good food and drinks. We came hungry, decided to go tapas-style and got the escargot, rice balls, charcuterie plate and pork buns to share. All were tasty. Staff were attentive. Will definitely be back to try more of the cocktails.
Zaid Al-Moghrabi
Jade and Sarah were absolutely fantastic. Made our visit so worthwhile and their service was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area!
alejandro
Had great experience with jade! She is a very talented bartender. Will be back soon again!
Nestled just above Vegar Bar, Loft205 offers a cozy speakeasy atmosphere, but unfortunately, my recent visit left much to be desired. The food, although promising, arrived cold, which significantly dampened the overall experience.The small whiskey bar had a charming vibe, but the lack of warmth in the dishes overshadowed its allure. While the waitress was pleasant, she was new, not properly unsupported, and not yet knowledgeable about the liquor selection or menu offerings.Additionally, during my visit to Loft205, I observed a concerning practice by the busboy. He was removing paper from straws and repackaging them into a box without wearing gloves. Not only was this unhygienic, but it also raised questions about the cleanliness standards of the establishment.Although the drinks were poorly crafted, they were undeniably strong. While we enjoyed the bang bang shrimp, we found the portion size of five medium shrimp for $15 to be slightly overpriced.Despite the atmospheric potential, Loft205 fell short of delivering a memorable dining experience due to the cold food and inexperienced service. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed to elevate the overall quality in the future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Jumbo Bang-Bang Shrimp
Saw them online and decided to give them a try. The reason I gave them a 3 out a 5 start rating is because the food and waiters were awesome but one of the down falls were that their alcoholic beverages were made poorly. You can taste the cheap liquor/wine. Like the vibe is there but If your food and drinks are going to be as expensive as they are, the least you can do is use alcohol that can match in quality. Also, in my reservation notes I had also mentioned that we were going their for an anniversary celebration. I mentioned that it was a surprise and if we could’ve gotten some sort of desert at the end but not one person brought it up or asked me anything about it, nor was it presented at the end of our meal. I think they use local stuff which is cool, support small businesses but can we make sure it actually taste good, doesn’t just look aesthetically pleasing for socials and that you guys pay closer attention to your online reservations.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodles with Shrimp, Pork Belly Bao
Great food, love the gnocchi and bao buns. Great cocktails and fun atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodles with Shrimp
The food is delicious, and customer service was A1. I highly recommend checking it out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Belly Bao
Always great food and cocktails. One of my favorite dinner spots in Albany.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vibe was dope &
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Short Ribs, Meatballs
Amazing, all around perfect!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a very cool spot. The atmosphere can't be beat- it's somewhat of a "hidden gem" being tucked away on the second floor of building overlooking Lark St. Food has been phenomenal each time I've gone. Everything is packed with flavor and has a unique touch. Chicken fried rice, the short rib, and the meatball appetizer are a few of my personal favorites but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Would highly recommend this place to anyone coming to Albany and I can't wait to go back
One of my favorite places ? ❤️ you can't go wrong with the beef short ribs, pesto gnocchi, charcuterie board, rigatoni, or the loaded potato soup ? everything is absolutely delicious!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Overrated. Not a great experience. Meat entrees over a vegan bar called "Bar Vegan?" Sort of hilarious... food's all right, but a lot of trashy patrons on the night I was there; a hard pass.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is priced like a luxury car, but rides like a cheap Honda.
This spot just isn't for me, but it might fit your vibe more. The Loft upstairs comes across (to me) as more of an intimate date spot verse a go hang out and have a drink spot. There is nothing wrong with that, it just isn't going to give you what you need if you want to just chill at the bar. Based on some of the reviews, I think i'm lucky at the time of day (615ish) as the music was not loud, and it was not overly crowded, as some reviews mention rather loud music etc. That was not the case while I was there. There is an okay whiskey selection if you're looking for some good stuff.
Great ambience with bumpin' music, dark sexy atmosphere and on top of that, good food and drinks. We came hungry, decided to go tapas-style and got the escargot, rice balls, charcuterie plate and pork buns to share. All were tasty. Staff were attentive. Will definitely be back to try more of the cocktails.
Jade and Sarah were absolutely fantastic. Made our visit so worthwhile and their service was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area!
Had great experience with jade! She is a very talented bartender. Will be back soon again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5