Caffe Italia in Albany

Great food, great service, and most consistency in Capital Region.

Went here last week for our anniversary dinner. The place is very small (can only fit around 8 tables) but very quaint. We were seated in a small cubical near the window. Although a bit of a tight fit, we enjoyed having the window view. Our server, who informed us that she was also one of the owners was very friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed buying a bottle of wine and some appetizers to start. We had the meatballs and clams casino. The meatballs and their homemade sauce (which they sell jars of there) was fabulous. It tasted as homemade and fresh as my grandfather used to make. The clam casinos were good, but nothing that stood out. We both decided to go with the chicken parm which you could cut with a butter knife. We were served very large portions that became lunch the next day as well. Dessert is what moved this review from a 4 star to a 5 star. Their lemon ricotta cheesecake was the best dessert I think I ever had. It was creamy, rich and fresh. I enjoyed it more with every bite. I would come back just for that alone- it is a must try if you are here. We are frequent flyers of NYC little italy, and while this food matches the quality you get down there, the ricotta cheesecake is top notch and even better than I have had before. We will be coming back.

I had the pleasure of dining at Caffe Italia this evening. Haute cuisine. Salad with gorgonzola dressing was tasty and the chicken cacciatore special blew my mind. I'm relatively new to Albany but have tried a number of Italian restaurants and the food here is by far the best. Service was excellent too. Michael was my waiter and he was friendly, attentive, precisely what every customer hopes for. Other staff also came to my table and brought me bread or asked me how the food tasted. This is not a place where you sit and wait for hours unattended (see Cafe Capriccio). The staff also seemed to take pride in hearing that the food was delicious, which I appreciate. They're enjoying what they do and care about it. I will be coming back to this restaurant very soon and look forward to working through the menu. Well done!