Scrimshaw Restaurant

Great service! Amazing wine list, many options to choose from. Presentation of each dish was perfect. Starter rolls were delicious (I’m a sucker for good bread). I had the Mahi Mahi and it was cooked perfectly. We definitely plan to go back!

Yeah no. Omelette was a hot mess. Given free breakfast tickets as part of a group staying at the hotel, but was never informed this was limited to 3 lame options on the menu. I couldn’t even get a yogurt with fruit without paying out of pocket.

Went online this afternoon looking for a decent place to have a night out. Working so many hours — we don’t often get time to ourselves, so tonight was the night.
Walked in around 7:30 and the place was dead. 3 other tables filled and there rest were empty. The hostess was very sweet and professional. The ambiance of the restaurant is very geriatric. .. from the very dated décor down to the sweltering 74 degrees inside. After a glass of wine, I felt so warm it was like my Grandma’s house.
Our server was really nice. . but he too was dated. Excellent overall service, but missing the small details. Crumbs were not wiped between courses as is common in most fine dining areas. New utensils were not brought out for each course.. . My dirty salad fork became my dirty dinner fork. Nothing major to complain about — but I am a details kinda guy. I LOVE a great dining experience.
We split an appetizer of Calamari Tempura. The tempura batter was very good. The Calamari was on the rubbery side. Good, fresh calamari should be tender to chew, not rubbery. Either overcooked or Sysco Frozen. . not sure. Calamari Grade: B
We had the New England Clam Chowder and the French Onion Soup. My partner had the Chowder and said it was very good. Not sure how I would of taken it, as I am a very picky eater.. but maybe it was truly great.
The French Onion was better than most I have had in a restaurant but not better than had you made it at home. Very salty. And although the cheese was plentiful and nicely browned up. . it had the texture of cheese that had been frozen. You know, that plastic melt instead of a rough textured melt from cheese that I love. Soup Grade: C
Dinner came with a salad and I enjoyed it. The mandarin orange was tasty and the mild dressing did not overpower the vegetables. Not bad. B+ on the dinner salad.
Oh yea, the rolls. . «F» for Freezerburn
We shared the Chateaubriand for two.. . which is served Table-​side. But I have no idea why. The server wheels a cart to the table and carves up this petite piece of meat on a plate that was way too big, making it look pathetically smaller than it really was. Overall, the size was perfect for two. .but the full presentation of table-​side was over done. It was, however — cooked to perfection and quite tasty. A on the chateaubriand.
It was served with fingerling potatoes and vegetables. Rather than go into detail, I will just say FAIL on the sides and leave it at that.
The servers were really kind and did an above average job. The few other patrons were wheel chair and cane bound. . and the heat drove me insane.
Would I go back? Probably not. Simply because there are too many other places to try and this one did not hold up overall.

This place is delicious and the drinks are great. I like the classy atmosphere and the overall vibe. The prices are reasonable and the service is excellent. The staff are very patient, friendly, and helpful which is nice compared to other bars in the area. I wish they had live music though! That’s one thing I would add. I love the fireplaces and the lodge-​type vibe.

Stuffy hotel restaurant for the 50+ crowd that offers nothing new taste-​wise but delivers on service and overall experience.
No one dish stood out as «wow, this is good» to me. The salad was acceptable with cherry tomatoes and mandarin slices on all four corners of the plate with a white mayo-​like house dressing.
I’ve picked up better lobster bisque off the shelf at Zabar’s. It wasn’t good or bad just boring but did the trick. The free table rolls were very average and the butter was served cold! Who the heck wants cold butter? Please give me butter at room temperature or maybe at 60 or 65 degrees.
On to the entrees (I’ll try to make this quick).
She got the prime rib which was just OK. I got the lamb which was good. The mashed potato thingy served with the meal was very bland and the veggies were enjoyable.
As for dessert. My cappuccino was very average and she reported her tea was enjoyable. The crème brûlée was below average. The crème/​egg filling tasted as though it was purchased from SYSCO and squeezed into the ramekin and then sugar was browned on top. The filling lacked a fresh snappy flavor you’d typically find in a good crème brûlée. I’ve had well over 100 orders of crème brûlée in my life and this ranked in the bottom 20%.
Use a groupon if you go, like I did, otherwise it’s not worth the high prices.

Scrimshaw at The Desmond boasts that it is“the only AAA Four Diamond Award winning restaurant for four consecutive years in the Capital Region” I don’t really know what any of that means but when they offered a Groupon I figured I would give them a try. This isn’t an every Friday night type place. Its reserved more for special occasions.
The service was really good. They serve Saratoga water at no additional charge and give all the women roses after the meal. The food itself however could use a little improvement. For an appetizer I ordered the Coquilles St. Jacques which was the equivalent of one large scallop cut into thirds. It tasted good but could have been a little bit bigger for $ 10. The salad was nice mix of greens along with sliced almonds, mandarin oranges, and cranberries with a house dressing. For dinner I got the Veal Française. The veal was alright, nothing to rave about, but the potatoes were pretty bland. I guess this is ok when the majority of your clientele are over 50 but I expect a little more from a chef. Although they did give my girlfriend a free dessert of her choice for her birthday which was nice. Now if only the food could match the service and ambiance.

Decent food in a nice setting located inside the Desmond hotel and conf center. The Desmond is a pretty unique place in it self, with facades of colonial buildings outside and inside in a covered courtyard reenactment setting.
The highlight of our meal was the grilled scallop appetizer ($ 10) which included only 3 scallops but they were very large. Had the marlin, which was a bit tough but this is a difficult fish to cook well.
Prices are high, as one might expect at a higher end restaurant, but they do include a starch, veggie and nice salad with each dinner rather than socking you with ala carte pricing for every thing. Water was provided liberally throughout the meal — not tap water, but Saratoga bottled water — included at no extra charge. They also gave single red roses to the women diners at the end of the meal which is a nice touch.
Definitely a nice option for a special occasion dinner.

This restaurant, located in the Desmond Hotel & Conf Center, is high end. The menu features lots of fish and shellfish, which is enjoyed every time.
We have been over a dozen time over the years. While the menu changes on occasion, and has recently undergone some «renovations» with a new chef, it remains fairly classic and always good. The new chef is a welcome breath of fresh air, although personally the old was fine as well.
The poached sea bass and mahi mahi are favorites of ours. But then other times its the Chateaubriand for 2. The wine list, while not extensive, is well chosen and pairs well with the menu options. The dessert menu is great fun to peruse and if you have room for it you wont be disappointed.
Many of the staff have been here for many years, and they also remember you when you are back. I don’t know how they do it, probably some tracking system that would creep me out if I knew, but I like that they remember us.
This is a «special occasion» place, dress up is preferred here, I believe jacket is required, they have cloth tablecloths and real water glasses. You get the idea. A nice meal, and a higher price point.
Review 500 — This is a special place to us, we have had some really nice and fun meals here. Worthy of a milestone review.

Returned to Scrimshaw this past Saturday and lo and behold, NOTHING HAD CHANGED. Thank goodness and goodness is the key word. The place is just class personified. In my years here on earth, I have had the good fortune of dining at many fine establishments in different parts of the country, including New York City and none was ever finer than Schrimshaw. GO NOW. You will not be disappointed.

I was at the Desmond for a conference and grabbed a drink with one of my co-​workers both of the nights that I was there. I had a really bad martini one of the nights, but draft and bottle alcohol was fine. It was a nice place to have a drink in a really dead city.

My mammy picked this place out for her birthday. It is located in the Desmond Hotel, but it isn’t just a hotel restaurant. The food was very good and thoughtfully prepared and presented (I had scallops with some type of currant compote and roasted cauliflower and other veggies). The service was exceptional. Attentive without being overbearing and accommodating. This place could actually be a 4 star establishment but…
The ambiance is geared towards people over the age of 55. Its large dining room tables with heavy chairs and antique-​y things hanging off of some «interesting» wallpaper just felt stuffy. It is also extremely quiet here. The live piano player was lovely, but she was unamused when I asked her to play «Great Balls of Fire»…stuffy.

Great apps and good meals. Service (Pat was our waitress) was great as was the wine. I was served under cooked potatoes in my mashed potatoes and was offered au gratin as a replacement which were under cooked also. Dessert and drinks were great. We brought our two and a half year old and they were more than welcoming. One of the best places in Albany. Will be returning again for sure… hopefully potatoes will be better.

«Nice atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff. The menu is limited and pricey, but the food is good. Not seafood-​allergy friendly… I had 2 menu items to choose from, the rest was fish. Dessert was excellent.»

We stay the Desmond Hotel often on trips to Saratoga and we really look forward to a dinner at Scrimshaw — it’s the best thing about the Desmond. We went with a group of 8 with no reservations on a Friday night yet they accommodated us and provide outstanding service. The seafood is as good as it gets, the wine was terrific, and I loved the choice of beers on tap.