REVIEW: ALBANY ALE & OYSTER, Albany
Albany Ale & Oyster
289 New Scotland Ave, Albany Website: albanyaleandoyster.com | IG: @albanyaleandoyster
We like it for: Brunch, lunch, dinner, groups, solo dining, oyster bar, seats at the bar
Must try: Oysters at the retro oyster bar, reuben, kimchi lobster reuben, disco chips with creme fraiche and rainbow trout roe, moules frites, Prime rib French dip, lobster rolls
Vibe: Contemporary neighborhood bar with vintage touches, casual neighborhood bar, all day dining option. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. or noon on Sundays.
Sound: From Morrissey to The Smiths to Space Age Love Song by A Flock of Seagulls, a mellow playlist serves up a steady diet of 1980s New Wave.
About: When Albany Ale & Oyster moved from its original digs on New Scotland Ave where rough barn wood hid draft beer kegs and a beer bottle shop was upfront, we wondered if its new home in the former Restaurant Navona would change its personality. It has. While the menu is still packed with huge sandwiches and the best $1 oysters for miles around (only on Sunday), the interior has a slightly retro feel thanks to leafy wallpaper, tufted banquettes, booths and the glossy green tile and vintage sign over the oyster bar. Sit at turquoise chairs on the porch, at either bar if you’re dining solo or stroll to the back which can seat a crowd.
Parking: Huge rear parking lot.
What’s nearby? 1. The Fountain 2. Allen Street Pub 3. Suwun Thai 4. Restaurant 605 5. Graney’s Bar & Grill
Fresh Intel (October 2025): Owners Mia and Joe Hinners have a new project set to open in their old space in a few weeks. Mia will open Little City Luncheonette with Renee Matthews, GM for both businesses. I caught up with Mia and asked: What’s your inspiration for the new space and what can people expect to see on the menu?
“The inspiration for Little City Luncheonette stems from our love of hospitality and that nostalgic experience visiting a luncheonette or diner. As with Albany Ale and Oyster, we want to help to continue to uplift this neighborhood — it’s a love letter to our community. Luncheonettes at their core are community spaces and their appeal is that they are cozy, and unpretentious.
Little City will be just that with elevated comfort food , serving breakfast and lunch all day. A place for families to gather for breakfast and watch Saturday morning cartoons, to meet a friend and catch up enjoying a cup of coffee and a piece of pie, or to rub elbows with a stranger at the counter eating a patty melt and drinking milk shake or float.
There will even be a breakfast happy hour with specialty cocktails, wine and beer. You’ll see favorites like fluffy pancakes, Eggs Benedict, matzo ball soup, tuna salad and even meatloaf on the menu.
When will you open? “We hope to open the first week of November. Will be open 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily, using the space for private events and pop ups at night and eventually a Sunday dinner service.”
Is BMT Hospitality still connected to the businesses? “We’re still connected but building a separate brand.”