Grappa ‘72 Ristorante

If you walked into the kitchen of Grappa’72 I bet you would find a gorilla instead of a trained chef. We were so disappointed by the lack of flavor and artful presentation. The sauces were non descript, over black peppered, sloppily plated. The bread was like eating a piece of hard candy. The pâté served with bread fell off the bread when we bit into it. My chicken parm was soggy and pasta was drenched in sauce. The Caesar salad was bitter because the fresh garlic wasn’t tempered, so all you could taste was the bitterness of the garlic throughout. it tasted pre made and it just came out of the frig. The parm was not good parm and definitely not reggiano. The dishes were way over priced for the quality and portion. The cook did not have a sense of flavor or presentation sensitivity.
We went to Grappa because of the best of and ratings. These ratings are not honest. This restaurant sucks and is not on the same level as Capriccio’s. We felt like we were duped.
They will self implode and will not be in business much longer or be able to sustain the false reputation it has for good food much longer. Either the clients will wake up or the owner will have to do some serious revamping to be able to compete with the restaurants that rightfully deserve the high ratings.

This is a fantastic restaurant!!! I have been here multiple times and never been disappointed. The wait staff is excellent — efficient, professional, consistent; the chef and management staff are wonderful. They always make a point of touching base with the customer and make you feel special.
The food is phenomenal! Personally I love salmon and have had it at many, many restaurants throughout the Capital District. There is not even a close second to the way Grappy prepares their salmon entrée. It is amazing; I’ve never tasted better.

Went here for New Year’s Eve with the in-​laws this year. I keep seeing the commercial so we decided to give it a try. Service was so so. The server had no clue on who’s meal was who’s. I got the chicken saltamboca and my wife got the chicken Parmesan. Not bad but nothing great. We both thought it was average and a little over priced. Pasta was a little too al dente for everyone’s liking. Chicken was nothing new or to remember. Again it was not bad but nothing special. I would recommend deraymonds down the rd. For the money.

Been to a few Italian places in Albany, and was minimally impressed, especially since I expected to be wowed by italian in NY. Alas, someone told me about this place, and I must agree, it is fantastic Italian. Myself and all the guests truly enjoyed their plates. They were spectacular. About the only downfall was the size of the restaurant. It obviously does very well, as it was packed, and loud. Not really any place to have a quiet conversation, other than the bar, which is nice.

Fantastic food and professional service. We had the specials — penne with wild boar sausage and shrimp, and chicken with artichoke hearts and kalamata olives in a thyme Marsala sauce, plated with spinach risotto. My primo was house made burrata caprese salad. Fantastico!

The food was fantastic, but the service was crazy slow. It took like over 40 minutes from when we ordered to when we received our food. Barely worth the wait.

Loved everything we got! Love Brian the bartender! Had the Bolognese so awsome… also the ribeye… the service is awsome… just stopped in and sat at the bar… my new go to

My family and I celebrated my step mom’s 90^th birthday at Grappa ’72 Ristorante on Saturday, 10÷24÷15. Grappa is a very good Italian restaurant. It is a pleasant space but it is a little too dark. What is appealing about dining by searchlight when fuel prices, inflation adjusted, are near historical lows? And… what Italian restaurant does not serve baked clams as a regular menu item? Despite these minor critiques, the positives of Grappa overwhelm and outweigh the negatives. My escargot special was good but my Osso Bucco was excellent, a very meaty veal shank over perfectly cooked risotto in a brown sauce. At $ 29.99, it was a steal. My family enjoyed the Pasta Fagiole (FAH…ZOOL), Salmon and Chicken Parm. My Expresso Martinis were delicious, among the best I ever had. And last, but not least, our waitress, Corey, was pleasant, responsive and attentive.
Although my sample size is small, my sense is that Grappa ’72 Ristorante is one of the best Italian restaurants in the Capital Region.

I wish I lived in Albany so I could frequent this place.
My husband and I were on basically a business trip in Albany for the night. We wanted to try somewhere good and stumbled across this place via TripAdvisor. After reading the reviews there and on Unilocal,we decided to give it a go, and I’m so glad we’re there.
First off, the restaurant is located at the end of a shopping center. The shopping center itself is very outdated, but Grappa ’72 wasn’t. It has a super cute patio with a very romantic atmosphere inside and even a live Jazz band in the bar! Very classy and nice.
From the hostess to our waitress, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful and made the best suggestions. We started with the calamari and with the suggestion of the waitress, decided to also add a side of marinara for dipping purposes. The calamari itself was good, not chewy, however, the star of the dish were the sauces. That yogurt sauce it came with was heavenly, and the marinara sauce is probably one of the best I’ve ever had.
We also decided to split a caesar salad, and I’m really glad we split it, because it was just right the right amount for the both of us. You guys, I know it’s just a caesar salad, but this was the BEST one I’ve ever had. That dressing…*dies* So, so good.
Now, entrees. The portions here are HUGE, so I highly recommend splitting a plate with someone unless you’re starving. My husband ordered the chicken parmesan, and couldn’t finish more than a third of it, though he gave it his best try and said it was the best he’s had!
I ordered the Uncle Anthony’s Pasta and wowsas, so much food. Delicious, but I didn’t even make a dent in it.
Since we’re foodies, we decided to order the cheesecake to-​go, and I’m so glad we did. It was superb, truly delicious. This you might not want to share.
From the atmosphere to the exceptional service and the even better food, I highly recommend this place. I don’t know when we’ll be back in the area, but if we are, we’ll definitely come here!

Luscious food, outstanding service (ask for Tyler), elegant surroundings, live music: the recipe for a perfect dinner with friends. I had pan-​seared salmon topped with a mango salsa, which was the best I’ve ever tasted. We saved room for warm chocolate cake and delightfully light carrot cake. Both were devoured. Make reservations even on a weekday. Sip, dine, and enjoy!

Went here tonight. .our waitress Corey is superb, I had the vitello alla 72 23.99 Jody had the veal parm 21.00.we started with a very nice bottle of luiano classic chianti 33.00. The app recommended by Corey butternut ravioli with amaretto 13.00 wow sweet and creamy… ok let me just say the food is consistently tremendous as well the spot on service. Yes pricey but no one for my money does it better than Grappa 72

Fantastic Caprese Salad and, fresh bread. Fantastic Jazz.
So far, we have been here almost 2 hours and still have not received our entrees… It’s a good thing we are enjoying friends and here for the Lee Shaw Trio
The entrees were very good. I had the Halibut special. Yum

You would never know that at the back of a ho-​hum strip mall on Central Ave. sits this wonderful restaurant. My wife is Italian and says this was the best she’s had in Albany. The sauce on the Pollo alla Saltimbocca was magical and my wife said the same about the Vitello alla ’72 she ordered. Service and ambiance were also excellent. I will definitely be back and look very forward to it.

Sometimes I find myself more surprised than expected and that just says «don’t judge a book by its cover!» I was brought to this Italian restaurant located in a strip mall on Central to have lunch and little did I know that this place is an actual gem. If you can get past the fact it is in a strip mall and don’t care for the view albeit the large patio (tempting!) you’ll find the interior quite fancy.
The ambience is casually upscale and not what I expected coming from the exterior. We were greeted and brought warm and toasty bread with an amazing olive tapenade. I could fill myself up with that bread but wouldn’t be able to enjoy the rest of the meal if I had done so. We shared an appetizer– Cozze: PEI mussels in a spicy tomato feta broth. Wowza! The mussels were so flavorful and the feta kicked it up a notch. Best part was being able to soak up the broth with the bread so nothing went to waste. I had the Bisteca e Fritte: flat iron steak with hand cut fries. With caramazlied onions atop the cut of steak, the meat was extremely well executed and had a medium warm pink center, although I usually prefer the center to be cool red. The hand cut fries were crisp but I doubted they were actually hand cut. I’m not sure if I’d get the Bisteca again but rather have a risotto or a pasta as they seem more interesting. My friend had the Bolognese: classic meat sauce with shaved parmigiano… which truly was meaty and saucy. To finish off our meal we shared the Crème Brulee. I love this dessert when done well and Grappa 72 really makes a good one. It was a solid choice and the torching job was more than adequate with a medium layer of sugar. The consistency was also very even throughout the custardy goodness!
BONUS: I found out Grappa 72 has live music some nights and the musicians are posted on their website’s calendar.

We saw this restaurant my husband and I looking for a place to eat. The restaurant is a beautiful place with a nice ambiance. The hostess and the waitstaff was really friendly and attentive. There was a lot of people there. The food was kinda slow given the fact that the kitchen was back up. I had the roast chicken and it was dry. My husband had the seafood risotto which the seafood was good but the rice was overcooked. The rice in my opinion should be rich and creamy but it wasn’t. My husband and I don’t think we will be returning here if we are up in Albany.

This was a delightful treat! The mussels melted in our mouths. Their bread is true Italian. I didn’t think it existed anymore. The perfectly hard crust with the soft chewy center– perfection. Linguini and clans were «D.» Service was excellent.

This rating comes from a table survey I did to gain our dinner group’s honest opinions of our experience at Grappa ’72. Our rating is a solid 3.5 stars, with each category added up and divided to give the most unbiased rating possible.
The group’s consensus was that we would be thrilled to see the restaurant improve on the areas where our votes were a bit lower. Constructive criticism is helpful as long as suggestions for improvement are also offered, so that’s what I tried to do here.
It was a lovely experience for the most part, and I do recommend this restaurant. I’ll update if/​when we go back in the future.
5 Stars: Service.
I’ve never had my glass of water refilled so many times during a meal! Our waitress was personable and friendly, and the secondary serving staff was also great. Food came out at the perfect pace, relaxed yet not dragged out.
3 Stars: Ambiance.
The overall mood and décor was lovely. There was a surprisingly high level of noise in the dining room; so loud, in fact, that our table struggled to hold a conversation. We often lapsed into awkward silence as a result.
Suggestion: Soft wall hangings or acoustic foam hidden on walls or ceiling tiles might do wonders, if they’re allowed by code.
2 Stars: Caesar salad.
This salad should be called «Extreme Garlic Lover’s Caesar Salad». That’s honest feedback; it actually became unpleasant to continue eating once we were ¾ done with the salads. Even though we all like garlic, we found ourselves trying to wash the taste from our mouths with bread while we waited for dinner.
Suggestion: the menu should clearly warn how strong the garlic dressing is.
5 Stars: Vongole, clams and fettuccine.
Superbly done. Everyone who tasted this LOVED it. If you like clams or white wine butter sauce I highly recommend this dish. Super, super delicious.
3 Stars: Chicken Parm.
Everyone liked it, although no raves like the vongole earned. The three of us who ordered it all thought there was an off-​putting flavor we couldn’t put our fingers on. I personally thought it was a hint of olives (cutlets possibly fried in strongly-​flavored olive oil?), while my husband thought that maybe the sauce was too sweet. Still good, and I’ll probably try other menu items before coming back to this dish.
4 Stars: Risotto with scallops
Rice was perfectly cooked, scallops were perfectly cooked, and the consistency of the dish as a whole was just right. The small caveat was there was a little «oomph» missing; I needed to add a fair amount of salt and pepper, then it was perfect.
4.5 Stars: Crème brûlée.
The custard was absolutely delicious, and the dessert is made in-​house. The sugar topping was good yet a tad undertorched. A little extra toasting and it would easily be a 5-​star dessert. So, so tasty: definitely try it.
2 Stars: Paying the bill.
When we tried to pay, our poor waitress told us she couldn’t run 3 separate credit cards. She apologized and said the system is very old and ended up having to re-​run our bills separately. We felt like terribly rude diners; had we known, we would have asked for separate bills at the beginning instead of turning a simple task into an ordeal.
Suggestion: it might be good to inform groups about this limitation at the time of ordering.
Thanks for reading; hope this review makes your experience at Grappa ’72 even better than ours!

Good date spot. The ambiance is very dark and classy. I was surprised however that many of the dishes came with mashed potatoes and a vegetable rather than pasta since it seems to be an Italian restaurant and there was no indication on the menu. Prices are higher than average and the entrees don’t come with a salad.

Very good food, service and ambiance.
I’ve been to Grappa a number of times with my family, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed each meal we’ve had here. On recent outings, we’e enjoyed the following appetizers:
–wild mushroom ravioli with pesto: delicious! freshly made ravioli filled with flavorful mushrooms and walnuts, a favorite of everyone at the table
–fried calamari: perfectly cooked, very generous portion (enough for 2 — 3)
–grilled portobello with goat cheese: very tasty, with the tangy goat cheese serving as a good counterpoint to the grilled, meaty flavor of the portobello
–fennel & orange salad: crisp and refreshing
–cheese plate: good selections, and again a very generous portion
I’d get any of those again, particularly the mushroom ravioli, which I would only share under duress ;-)
For entrees, I can recommend the following:
–grilled veal chop: perfect! nicely grilled exterior, pink and juicy inside, flavorful & well-​seasoned
–pasta mediterraneo: very good, a lighter seafood pasta dish featuring shrimp, olives, tomato & artichoke
–veal 72: also very good, medallions in a delicious sauce
The wine list is reasonably priced (most bottles $ 20 — $ 60), with some nice selections from Italy & the U.S.
Service has always been friendly, professional, and accommodating of special requests. Ambiance is elegant, with low lighting and plenty of space between tables. Good for two, but also fine for larger groups. On most nights there’s an acoustic jazz band playing, which I’ve very much enjoyed.

They Had Me on The Bread!
Who knew Albany had awesome Italian fare?
Stopped by here for a late dinner around 9pm on a Friday night. This local joint has an upscale vibe. There was also a live band playing some tunes. Our waiter was ridiculously nice and accommodating our every need.
The warm bread was amazingly fresh. Crispy crunchy on the outside and doughy yeasty carbiness on the inside. I couldn’t stop gorging on the bread with the delicious olive tapenade.
I decided to go with the usually mundane penne a la vodka with chicken. The pasta was perfectly cooked al dente. The sauce was delicious, the grilled chicken was fresh and the portions were ginormous. Definitely worthy of a pre-​marathon carba-​thon.
My other half chose the porchetta with tiny potatoes, and Broccoli Rabe. How can you go wrong with some good old hog. They give you two huge slabs of porchetta. The porchetta was good but it was slightly salty. However, the dainty buttery potatoes and the Broccoli Rabe balanced the saltiness of the porchetta. Among these potatoes they even threw in some purple ones, which was a pleasant surprise which added some class to the dish.
Oh, and I almost forgot about the calamari. The portions again were generous, and the Greek Tzatziki yogurt sauce that accompanied the appetizer really took it to another level.
Grappa 72 had good service until the very last step out the door. As we were leaving this fine establishment, the manager was in the middle of dinner in the dining area, but he took the time to swallow his food and say goodnight!
I never knew Albany had such bangin’ bread and awesome Italian food! This place is definitely worth a visit if you are an out of towner.