REVIEW: NeoVista’s CAFE 66 opens on State Street, Albany
From the NeoVista Hospitality team behind Izakaya Kinko, The Vault, 60 State + Jack’s Oyster House, comes the latest downtown Albany offering with the opening of their upscale, all-day Bakery 66. Not only is it an ideal addition to downtown, this stylishly designed bakery-cafe is a hit.
Cafe 66, Albany
66 State Street, Albany, NYI cafe66ny.com | IG: @cafe66state
We like it for: Breakfast, coffee drinks, lunch, take out pastries, fresh bread, working from the café or sitting outside on State St.
Must try: Laminated pastries, freshly baked bread,
Vibe: It feels as if Cafe 66 has borrowed from the Dominque Ansel playbook with streamlines modern interior, beautifully presented pastries and desserts under glass, plush egg-yolk orange furniture, illuminated stairs, orange shelving, an oversized communal table for group projects and stylish tables for remote work.
Sound: —
When NeoVista announced an ambitious set of restaurant plans for downtown Albany, two stood out: Obviously, the long-awaited reopening of Jack’s Oyster House and a new bakery-cafe concept just up the hill at 66 State. And it’s superb. The original 1890s heavy gold-brass double doors anchor the entrance to the historic four-story building which has more recently been converted into upscale apartments. At street level, the bakery has dining tables to the left dining with a massive square pastry display case anchoring the center of the room—perfect for walking all four sides while you choose your treat. Order coffees, smoothies and sandwiches at the counter, select freshly baked loaves from a bread rack on the far side of the room, or grab a bouquet of flowers from a wall stand.
The team is in full view and that team is behind the pastries, desserts and breads served at Jack’s Oyster House + next door at 60 State. CIA graduate Faith Santos is behind the laminated pastries, Starla Oster, formerly pastry chef at dps Brasserie, is behind desserts, baker Joseph Schulte focuses on the bread program and Cat Siniak rounding out the team. Although, Chef Miles Murphy, formerly of The Delaware + Little City Luncheonette, is now sous chef at Izakaya Kinko and The Vault, you might spot him helping out in the open kitchen of the bakery. In all, with less than 2 weeks since opening, they seem well staffed and on track.
Take your order up the short flight of illuminated stairs to the adjoining cafe-lounge, perfect for remote working, co-working or gazing at the action of downtown Albany through storefront windows. There’s now also street seating with a few spherical tables nested with quarter-shaped chairs. There are more of these in front of Jack’s Oyster House now and we’re here for this change. Unlike most metropolitan cities, there’s no outdoor seating on State Street until you head down North Pearl to The Hollow or further to McGeary’s. So we love the idea of a bakery-cafe open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and only closed Sundays.
Parking: Street or municipal parking lots.
Nearby: Downtown Albany lies before you. Recommended close by: 1. Jack’s Oyster House (open all day with $1 oysters at the bar) 2. Viva Empanadas (excellent menu + bar open for lunch and dinner until 9 p.m. ) 3. Wellington’s Restaurant + Bar inside The Renaissance Hotel 4. The Pearl Street Diner (nothing fancy, exactly what you’d expect.) 5. Izakaya Kinko (next door to the bakery + open for dinner in the basement level of 60 State Street) 6. Emmanual Thai 7. The Hollow 8. dp Brasserie + Yono’s both inside the Hampton Inn. 9. McGeary’s Irish Bar (popular, casual) 10. The Olde English Pub at Quackenbush Square
Go a little further and you’ll hit the bars + restaurants of the Warehouse District: 1. Common Roots Brewery, 2. Druther’s Brewing, 3. Lost & Found, 4. Copper Crow, 5. Itameshi Japanese-Italian Fusion, 6. Tanpopo Ramen, 7. Wolff’s Biergarten, 8. Nine Pin Cider, 9. Lionheart on the Green, 10. Just A Bar.
