The Ginger Man

Ok. As it turns out, it was a perfect, outstanding dinner. Came later in the evening on a slow Monday, and the totally cool, personable staff seated us near the window in a great table. Had the cheese fondue dip for an appetizer and wiped it clean it was that tasty. Even the bread was fresh, delicious. Beer and wine selection was beyond superb. Food was cooked to perfection, flavorful, with in season vegetables and everything. Try the braised short rib. Literally, one of the best plates I’ve tasted in a long time. Did I mention how nice the wait staff was? It was later in the evening, sort of dark inside and the candles lit up the wood interior and made it extra cozy and sort of romantic.

Went to dinner here with a group of friends on a Saturday night. We made reservations even though we didn’t need to since it wasn’t packed. The parking lot is easy to miss, but there is a lot behind the restaurant if you can’t find street parking.
Started off with the bruschetta. The bread is toasted to a perfect crisp and well-​balanced with the creamy avocados on top. I would have liked it more if there was more balsamic drizzle on it, but it was still very good.
I ordered the goat cheese salad with a side of sweet potato fries. Now sweet potato fries are my weakness, and this place did not disappoint. It was perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The goat cheese salad also fantastic. I substituted the cider dressing with the honey thyme dressing, which was a great choice. The salad had a great balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. You can also never go wrong with panko crusted warm goat cheese.
Overall, the place has a great vibe with a great menu selection of flavorful dishes. The portions are bit smaller, but the flavors make up for it!

Cute place with friendly, attentive service. Had the warm goat cheese salad. It was excellent. Perfectly dressed & they didn’t skimp on anything. The goat cheese was amazingly crisp. My husband had the chicken sandwich, it was also very good. Nice piece of chicken. The aioli is what made it. The sweet potato fries were some of the best we’ve had… crisp on the outside, tender on the inside & not greasy at all.

Went to try it out. Heard a few good things and wanted to see if I agreed. I liked the place. I like that it was quite. Romantic. I had the mixed grill. Tons of food. My husband helped me finish it. He had the paella. Very good. We Had a great bottle of wine. Never felt rushed. I really like the food and service. Will go back!

I agree with the reviewer who is surprised by the raves. I think the food is okay, but nothing special. The atmosphere is pleasant and the service is competent. But the warm goat cheese salad has devolved over the years into a lot of dried fruit and lettuce. The place is getting tired, I think. It needs a fresh look.

Can’t get any fresher than this! All the seafood was fresh and delicious. In particular the apple butter wine mussels appetizer was off the hook delicious that my boyfriend wanted to drink the sauce. Lobster roll was super meaty and no additive flavors noted. Staff was super nice and friendly. Environment was dim and cozy with tea light candles at each table. Prices ranged 12 – 30 bucks for each food items. Prices definitely do not reflect quality, meaning I think I would have paid more money for what we ate! Good job ginger man!

Love this place! Romantic dinner date location with a wonderful ambience. Try the cheese fondue. It’s incredible. Also a great place for lunch.

Mehh. This place was okay. We wanted to stop by Albany on our way back home from Vermont. This was one of the places that was suggested to us and I was pretty disappointed that we went out of our way for couple of minutes to come eat here.
The place itself is really adorable and cute. It has dim cozy lighting and they have excellent service. However, the menu is limited and I was not happy with the food that we got. I ordered the French onion soup. This soup was way too salty for me to enjoy. I didn’t even finish half of it.
I also ordered the lobster roll. This was a mistake. The lobster came on a super hard bread with a fair amount of lobster. However, it was very small for 30 dollars. The bread was horrible. Also, the lobster roll had no flavor. It came with a container of melted butter. My lobster roll tasted like a stick of butter and I started to feel really sick after my meal. Way to buttery and greasy for my taste. It came with a choice of side. My boyfriend ordered the sweet potato fries and I got the regular fries. The sweet potato fries were the better choice.
Great ambiance and service, but food is not great. It was not worth the drive through Albany for this.

I would add a half a star to this review, it’s well earned. The atmosphere is relaxing and the staff attentive. Service was quick but not a feeling of drop and go, plenty of time given to linger. One disappointment was while the food had wonderful flavor it was luke warm
Coming out of the kitchen. I sent mine back twice to no avail. Next time I will make sure to emphasize hot !!! But will definitely return, and give it another chance.

Do you know the Ginger Man, the Ginger Man, the Ginger Man? I know the Ginger Man and I like his style. My favorite item at the GM is the turkey pilgrim sandwich (Thanksgiving on a plate), which I’ve had a couple of times. For $ 13 you get an enormous sandwich, chock full of goodness, and a side. I chose sweet potato fries, and they were hot, salty, and plentiful. I left so very stuffed, and so ready for the couch. Service was also friendly and prompt. It’s a little expensive here (my friend ordered a salad with grilled chicken, which set her back $ 19) but one could argue that you get what you pay for. I’ll be returning!

Friendly staff, great wine, and very good food specially seafood. They have a parking lot in the back which makes things easier. We had mac & cheese with lobster and paella and they were amazing. Definitely will go back!

We had the cheese and charcuterie plate and a Cesar salad. The plate was very good but the fruit seemed to be unwashed. The salad was excellent. The wait staff was fast and attentive. There were many local beers on tap but, they were were a little expensive.

On Albany for a business trip, we were so pleasantly surprised by the quality of both the food and wine at Ginger Man. They have some great wines for really reasonable prices, and the food was excellent. The waitress was very pleasant and knowledgable. If I ever find myself back in Albany, I will definitely be back!

Amazing food again. I would like to personally thank Sarah C. She remembered us and what we liked. Impeccable service!
This time we got the lobster mac & cheese and duck and ended with a butterscotch crème brûlée. I personally really the butterscotch special.

I had dinner at The Ginger Man on Tuesday evening and it was a very pleasant experience.
Before even entering the restaurant, I was informed by my dining partner that there was a parking lot in the back. I’ve been here before and parked on the street in the past, not realizing there was a designated parking area! I thought that was a nice bonus, and it takes away some of the stress of dining in Midtown if you’re a driver rather than walker or bus rider.
If you approach The Ginger Man from its Western Avenue entrance, the driveway leading up to the parking lot is very narrow, so I’m not sure you’ll want to traverse with a large SUV or similar. Just something you may want to consider.
The greatest assets of this restaurant, in my opinion, are the ambiance and the staff. From the front door to the long wooden bar, everything was decked out (cleverly, I might add) for Halloween. When you walk up to the façade of the building, there is a skeleton holding a leash with a little skeleton dog on it. The skeleton dog has a crow in his mouth… What fun! Also, there are tons of neat crows, skulls and kitschy Wicked Witch skirts with attached stockings hanging from the ceiling. I thought the spooky décor was very cool and festive without being overly cheesy.
Our waitress was definitely one of the highlights of The Ginger Man. She was sweet and attentive without hovering. One of the gentlemen I dined with really likes to catch up on personal news post drink order and pre-​appetizer order. Sometimes our chat sessions can last for half an hour, and I have found that the mark of great waitstaff is how sensitive they are timing their arrivals and departures with the cadence of our conversations. This waitress only asked us once if we were ready to order, and once she came back (no doubt keeping a watchful eye on our body language while dealing with her other tables) we were finally ready. I think that the waitstaff elevates The Ginger Man from just another halfway decent (and somewhat pricey) Albany Eatery to one that I’d recommend to others.
I ordered a Prosecco Pear cocktail, which contained (obviously) Prosecco, as well as pear juice and cardamom syrup. It was tasty.
For an appetizer I had the Calamari, which was very good and an ample enough portion to share (which I did.) I found the squid to be cooked to perfection and lightly fried — not overly greasy.
I ordered the Lobster Roll for an entrée, and I thought it was good, but nothing really special. The meat tasted fresh and the mini hoagy roll was a nice texture, but I thought there should have been a great deal more of the «lobster aioli». It was pretty dry, and thus I ended up forgoing some of the roll.
My dining companion ordered the Sesame Tuna, which he loved. I had a taste of it and thought it was excellent, too. Not only was the tuna nicely (barely) cooked, but the Vanilla Jasmine rice was definitely something special. It was sweet, nutty and vaguely spicy — an exciting array of flavors.
The dessert menu looked enticing; they always have a rotating selection of Cheesecake Machismo flavors (I’m a BIG fan of that place), as well as crème brûlée specials. I opted for the flourless chocolate cake, which was a bit disappointing. It was more like a brownie than the decadent chocolate torte I was hoping for. I mean, don’t get me wrong… The flavor was good. It was just something that I could have made myself.
One of my dining partners ordered a slice of the Caramel Pumpkin cheesecake. It was huge, and he really enjoyed it.
All in all, I would give The Ginger Man another shot because most of the stuff our table ordered was good… I think I just had a bad luck night in terms of my ordering choices. The ambiance is very cozy and the waitstaff rocks. I’ll probably return during the Christmas season, even if it’s just to see how they deck out the eatery for the holidays.

I have heard about this place for a long time. I’ve worked in the entire surrounding Capitol Region for almost fifteen years, and this restaurant has always made the word of mouth list of the impromptu «Who’s Who» of the area dining scene. After a long week, with a few extra bucks to spend on a decent meal with some great food and drink to accompany, this place was an easy choice after waiting so long to sample its goods.
With a certain level of speculation, having followed the story of an impending lawsuit due to alleged negligence by the previous owners to the purchasing party, I was concerned about how the transition may be effecting the business.
My dining partner and I were greeted at the door and seated promptly on a quiet, but decently occupied dining room with distinct but tasteful Halloween decorations to accompany the warm and comfortable feel of an established restaurant with a well defined identity.
We decided on having a cocktail to start, alongside a tuna ceviche topped with mango, red onion etc… When it arrived at the table, the dish priced at $ 13 on the menu was little more than five sashimi sized slices of decently fresh tuna in no way «cooked» in any sort of acid, so the flavor was at times only of tuna, unless either of us were lucky enough to get a few brinoise sized cuts of mango or unevenly diced pieces of red onion that looked the product of a dull chef knife in untrained hands. Points for the freshness of the fish and concept of the dish, minus a few for the lack of skill in execution and presentation more in line with sashimi than ceviche, which I expect to be almost bathed in fresh squeezed citrus than having an emulsified herb sauce drizzled haphazardly over the top.
Next we had the apple salad, with thinly sliced cured meat, manchego, Macintosh apple (an odd and disappointing choice considering the options in New York, a leading apple producer), arugula and maple vinaigrette with finely chopped walnuts. It was a great salad, and the apples fresh and not stored and waterlogged by lemon water, a pet peeve of mine.
For entrées we had a lamb Golumbki and market risotto. Both were «specials» and fit exactly what we expected. Both were delicious and our plates left clean. The lamb Golumbki tasted as it should have, with discernable rice, lamb, and well balanced tomato sauce stuffed inside braised cabbage. The mashed potatoes were perfectly chunky and well seasoned without being pasty or bland with perfect balance of cream and butter. The risotto was also equally well executed, and tasted exactly of its parts.
Drinks were good. I ordered a New York sour which was strong and a bit on the sweet side for my taste, losing some of the citrus sour body I more expected. The wine on the other hand, a tempranillo, was off. Offered by the glass, I should have asked when the bottle was opened, but it had an overwhelmingly buttery egg taste that carried a bit of cork taint. I drank between sips of water so it didn’t interfere with my entrée. I was there to dine and enjoy the experience, not complain. My guest enjoyed his glass of white as a perfect pairing with his risotto. I believe it was a grenache gris.
Service was attentive and friendly. Silverware was properly refreshed between courses, and the waitress seemed well verse in proper coursing and types of dining, and was open without adding pressure to make higher sales.
All in all I was glad to have tried this place, and any restaurant no matter how great comes with its criticisms but deserves credit where credit is due. For that reason, I submit that this experience was worthy of four stars. Dinner for two with two cocktails and two glasses of wine came to $ 118 before tax and tip. And ceviche misstep and tainted wine aside, I was happy to spend it.

One of my favorites in Albany. A warm and inviting space that is a treat from lunch to happy hour and all the way through to a late dinner, The Ginger Man serves up a reliable menu of continental fare and comfort food. I am happy to say that despite recent turnover in the kitchen and an impending ownership change, things are still working well at this standby.
For me, it is a regular stop for a proper dinner at 10pm, after most of the other restaurants in town have closed. The specials board is always worth attention, but longstanding menu favorites, especially the lobster mac and cheese, offer satisfying comfort food options. Newer additions, like ricotta gnocchi in a well-​balance ragu is a new favorite. For lunch, the Turkey Pilgrim sandwich (think «thanksgiving sandwich») is a must.
It’s also a nice spot for wine, cocktails and appetizers at the bar. Try the cheese fondue, or opt for a plate of assorted cheeses and charcuterie. The wine list is manageable, but broad enough to cover most styles. The draft list is very good, with a few high-​end macros buttressed with 6 or so rotating craft brews, and some others (Zombie Killer, Nine Pin, founders) taking a more permanent residence Bottled beers are well curated to match the tastes on the menu (e.g. Orval, Petrus).
Warm and attentive staff provide great service and it’s a great option regardless if you are out on a date, meeting a small group of friends, or want to grab a solo dinner. Private lots behind the restaurant make parking a snap.

My wife and I decided to have an early dinner on a Friday night at the Ginger Man. We arrived at 5:30 or so (we’d made reservations for 6:00). They’ve got a couple of private parking lots behind the restaurant, and we had no trouble getting a spot. We walked around to the front door, and were greeted and seated promptly.
It’s a nice looking establishment. There are a few outdoor tables, but we went with a table for two inside, mostly for that nice air conditioning (it was really hot and humid this week!!). Our table was against a wall that was decorated with sketched portraits of famous authors. We were sitting right beneath Oscar Wilde.
Our server was friendly, and was there when we needed him. He wasn’t overbearing, but at the same time, he never took too long when it came to checking on us.
I grabbed a pint of Newcastle, and my wife got herself a New York Sour, which was quite delicious.
For an appetizer, we went with the cheese and charcuterie plate (we selected prosciutto, Boursin cheese, and Manchester cheese). It was beautifully presented, and quite delicious. Along with the breads, the plate also contained raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, pears, apples, pickles, and mustard, all of which really rounded out our selection of cheeses nicely.
My wife went with the pan-​seared halibut for her entrée. It was also beautifully presented. My NY prime rib was a little less visually appealing, but delicious nonetheless.
For dessert, we went with the double chocolate ice cream. There was a subtle nuttiness to it, which I loved.
I expected it to be a little more hopping by the time we left at around 6:45. We’ve been to this place with friends and co-​workers for happy hour before, and I remember it being a lot more crowded each time.
Don’t think twice getting about dinner here. It was great. I suppose it was a little pricey, but we don’t get out all that often, so no big deal. If I had to do it over again, I may have gone with my second choice, the less expensive Riccota Gnocchi. I guess I’m just not a huge prime rib guy.

I love it here. Came for my anniversary and dropped some cash right off the when we ordered a fancy bottle of chianti. Way more than we normally spend on wine. Enjoyed the fried artichokes and cheese fondu (you don’t want to miss this. Forget the melting pot and come here!) I had the cauliflower steak vegetarian meal which I noticed isn’t on the menu as of my visit there again last week.
What I really like about this place is I had the exact same outstanding service when I went with my husband looking to spend a lot as I did when I went last week with my girlfriend and just ordered the soup of the day, club soda and a side salad. That’s a place you can count on. That’s a place you want to keep in your mind to visit again and again. Shows a great respect for all customers.
Have to also say I LOVE the small patio they have out front. And it’s great they have parking behind the place so you don’t have to worry about finding something on the street… Although i walk here from my house it makes it easier for folks who don’t live in albany to come and meet you here for great wine, small bites or a full fancy and celebratory meal.
Downfalls? I think the inside could use a little TLC for the price and the chairs outside could be nicer to match the kind of food they are serving.

When I think of The Ginger Man, I immediately am reminded of comfort food. Their French onion soup comes out piping hot and oozes with cheese. Yum. Their burgers are deliciously juicy. I also enjoy their paella, though I wish the seafood to rice ratio was more balanced. Though the seafood is fresh and the shrimp in the paella is nice and plump.
Really cozy atmosphere and friendly service. One of my faves for lunch or dinner. Oh and they have Nine Pin Cider on draft!