Best Restaurants for Afternoon Tea in Albany

Always a pleasure and an impeccable experience at The Rotunda. From the drinks arriving before the meal (so many places get this incorrect), to the consommé, to the popovers with strawberry butter, to the large portions of entrees, everything about this place is perfect. My mom and I split the burger (as usual) and it was great. They’ve moved from it being a single thick burger to two smaller patties. The pickles are beyond delicious. I left being like, this is where I want to have every birthday for the rest of my life.

Julia’s is a hidden gem. The building is beautiful and the restaurant is spacious and relatively quiet. You can hear the people at your table speak and this is a major plus, given most restaurants are loud and noisy. The waitress was excellent and the man who helped us pick the wine to go with our meal was above and beyond helpful. We will be back!! I highly recommend having a meal here

Had to ask for tea and coffee repeatedly. Otherwise wonderful

We enjoyed an absolutely beautiful Christmas dinner at Laurel Court. Highlights included the live Christmas jazz trio that so beautifully captured the mood of the families celebrating together, awesome dessert selection (wow!), and huge, artful charcuterie and vegetable displays. We loved the assortment of dim sum favorites, and the carving stations, along with yummy salads, breads, soups (lobster bisque!), and other side dishes. We appreciated the family-friendly menu as well, with the table of children's favorites, which were a big hit with our 5 year old and 1 year old. The staff were so friendly and helpful, and everything was first class. After our dinner, we visited the Fairmont Gingerbread House, and took in the gorgeous Christmas decor of the hotel. Altogether it was an excellent Christmas day, and we thank all the staff at the Fairmont who worked on the holiday to give us this magical experience. Thank you!

We had Christmas tea and it was lovely...just a little on the pricey side. :)