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74 State Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
74 State StAlbany, NY 12207
(518) 434-7410
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 11 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
15 reviews for 74 State Hotel
15 reviews in English
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Review from Katherine D.
Acton, MA
9/13/2010
We have eaten here twice. Once for dinner and once for brunch. It is a lovely restaurant with good service, nice menu choices and well-prepared food.
Our dinner was with a group of friends including one teenager. Everyone found something on the menu they enjoyed (including the teenager) despite our varying likes and dislikes. The pace of the meal was perfect. We didn't feel like we were being rushed nor did we feel like we were waiting too long for any of our courses. Everybody was pleased with their meal and most plates were empty at the end of the meal.
The atmosphere is quiet and unhurried. There is pleasant background music that does not interfere with conversation. Wait service is perfect; not too much or too little attention.
Our brunch was equally pleasant. Everyone found something to each on the menu including a very picky teenager (a different one). French toast, Buckwheat pancakes, to order omelettes, eggs Benedict but with salmon instead of Canadian bacon, paninis, etc. All well-prepared.
My only complaint about this place is the parking. You can get valet parking, but you have to walk inside and ask for it (there is no one on the street waiting). Or, you can park on the street which is free in the evening and on the weekend. -
Review from julie f.
Santa Cruz, CA
9/20/2011
I had good meals here, but that's the only nice thing I have to say about this hotel. salmon salad was delicious.
the room was nice looking, but my desk was covered in something sticky, the chair much too low to work comfortably at the desk, the mirror was literally broken and held together with masking tape (not a joke!), and there were hairs in my bed. I should have asked to change rooms, but who wants to ask to change rooms at 11:11 PM? instead, I went straight to yelp. I can't recommend this place!
the waitress was not pleasant. I had to wait forever for someone to seat me, and she set down a bowl of soup in front of me without otherwise acknowledging my existence, nor did she fill my water glass.
the price is right, but this hotel really doesn't have its act together. stay elsewhere! -
Review from Michelle B.
Albany, NY
4/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like many other Yelpers who have reviewed Marche, I came for restaurant week. Perhaps it should have occurred to me that there might be a reason people don't want to pay full price here. But hindsight is 20/20, and it wasn't my pick anyway; I was just along for the ride.
I should start by saying that I really, really wanted to love this meal. I hadn't considered coming here prior, but I had high hopes when I learned that they use farm fresh ingredients. Granted, my experience wasn't exactly *bad*, but I wasn't thrilled, either.
So, we had a 6:30 dinner reservation, but they mistakenly had us down as a party of two instead of four. We went upstairs and sat at the bar for about 30 minutes before our table was ready. A small inconvenience because I was so hungry, but the bar area is very nice.
The three course meal was $20.11 plus tax and gratuity, which is the standard for restaurant week. They had several options that sounded tasty. I went with the spinach and radish risotto for an appetizer, the grilled salmon as an entree and the strawberry banana bread pudding for dessert.
Service throughout the meal was very friendly and attentive. We weren't a very demanding group, but they checked on us a few times and came by frequently to replenish drinks.
I'm not sure if the portions were cut back for restaurant week (if so, I find that rather annoying), but lets just say I was not happy with the amount of food I was given. It's a good thing I was here with my lady-friends as opposed to my husband, because he might have been stuffing rolls in his pockets for later.
I didn't expect the appetizer to be large, of course; and actually the risotto was very tasty and probably my favorite part of the meal. The parsley pesto added a nice flavor.
But then the salmon came out, and I had a hard time finding it on the plate. I'm not sure it was even 4 ounces. Sure, maybe four ounces is the recommended portion for fish, but I happen to lead a moderately active lifestyle and I need an entree to contain more than just 200 calories. It was good, though; tender and well cooked. The carrots served with it were firm, which I like.
Dessert was probably the most generously sized of the three courses. It was a little on the dry side for my liking, but the flavor was okay.
So, I would probably give two and a half stars for the food (with flavor and portion both factored in); however, the good service, classy atmosphere and the fact that they serve fresh, local ingredients bumps it up to three. Still, Marche is not somewhere I'm rushing to go back to, especially considering that I had to eat more food when I got home after cleaning all three of my plates. If their portions were cut back for restaurant week, I'm not sure I'd want to pay more than double what I did even for slightly larger portions. -
Review from Jess P.
Santa Cruz, CA
Updated - 11/4/2010
There is so much more I want to write but for now I'm just going to say:
What kind of bartender doesn't know how to make a proper Manhattan? Eeek!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/20/2008
The boy and I took my little brother here last week to celebrate his recent graduation from high… Read more »
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Review from Rebecca G.
Albany, NY
2/7/2008
I have eaten at Marche twice, for lunch. I enjoyed both meals and have absolutely nothing negative to say about the place. If you know any of my reviews, then you know that this is quite an achievement.
The lunch menu is short and sweet. It's not culinary couture, but it's predictibly well-prepared. The bar area has a huge window overlooking State Street from the second floor.
The atmosphere is quiet, clean, and unpretentious. It's not somewhere to go to "be seen" or if you like chaos and dirt disguised as ambience. The waitstaff is friendly and responsive. Truly a gift in Albany. Go there.Listed in: Albany Restaurants Where I…
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Review from Lena L.
5/3/2010
I went for restaurant week so the meal was only $20.10. That being said, i'm assuming the portion sizes were smaller because of the price.
Scallop Ceviche in gazpacho was my appetizer and I found the scallop to be fresh and not fishy and the gazpacho had a nice spice to it.
The entree was salmon with risotto. The salmon was a little bit salty but had a nice crust on it. The inside was cooked perfectly medium rare. The risotto was a little bland but a good consistency.
Dessert was a trio of cheesecakes. Three cheesecakes about the size of a stick of gum. There was peanut butter, regular and a fruity one. The perfect bit of sweet to end the meal.
I enjoyed the fresh ingredients and found the service to be good too. I would return.Listed in: Best of Work Travel in Albany
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Review from Sun L.
Astoria, NY
8/9/2009
I went for restaurant week last year so the price was fixed at $20.09 for salad, main course, and dessert.
I got the duck for the main course and by the time I got to the middle of the duck it was raw. At first, I thought it their angle...you know fancy restuarants...raw food. I don't know. But then I realized it was just gross and I ate no more. The pre-raw portion of the duck was pretty good though. The sides that came with it, mash potatoes and vegtables were pretty bland. I could have made the same thing at home with instant mash potatoes.
The dessert was pretty horrible. It tasted like pre-packaged store bought dessert that they just heated up, which works at some restaurants but maybe Marche needs a new dessert guy.
If I had not paid the set price for restaurant week I would be pretty angry for the quality of food I got. -
Review from Steph L.
Schenectady, NY
3/21/2011
Let me start by saying we, maybe stupidly, went on Valentine's day. We had a reservation for 8, arrived at 7:50, sat down and had drinks while we waited until 8:50 for the first of our three-course prix fixe menu. That's a full hour before we saw anything but bread from the kitchen which ran out and wasn't refilled). TO THEIR CREDIT, and thanks to our waiter who knew they screwed up, they comped us a couple of drinks - so at least they knew there was a problem and attempted to fix it. Kudos.
My first course was very good, and gave me high hopes for the rest of the meal - potato leek soup with a soft egg and garlic creme fraiche. My date's was not - escargot which suffered from an abundance of fennel (it seemed) and a lack of toast to go with the pile of them.
Things took a turn for the worse in the main course - we both had a small game bird that was terribly overcooked (grey throughout) and heavily salted. Edible though.
The most egregious part of the meal, aside from waiting an hour for our food, was dessert. Described as warm chocolate cake with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. It was not warm, but rock-hard and the whipped cream had fallen, though the raspberry sauce was very tasty. I thought to myself 'How does a chef let this leave the kitchen? Seriously?'
We considered going back on a non-holiday, but for the price and the ruination of our first out-to-dinner V-Day, I'm not sure we'll bother - though that soup made me wonder what other gems I might find on their regular menu. -
Review from Matthew L.
Champaign, IL
7/15/2008
We had breakfast at Marche while staying at the hotel.
The ambience is simple American bistro, but the service and food are both 5 star. Totally recommended. You have to try the breakfast potatoes, a baked rosemary skewer of miniature potatoes...amazing. -
Review from Sarah A.
5/11/2009
We came here for their restuarant week menu on Saturday night. When we arrived we were told we would have to wait almost two hours for a table in the restaurant but we could sit at the bar, where they were also serving the RW menu. We made our way up to the bar (located on the second floor) and sat down at one of the large tables over looking State St. The decor of the bar is nice and the view definitely adds to the atmosphere. I was a bit put off to discover that the white linen table cloth had not been changed. There were several stains on it, I assume from those who had sat there previously. Also, there was a prominent stain on my napkin. Not very classy. We were also rather unimpressed with their wine list. While they had some nice wines, they did not have many options available for wines by the glass. Our favorite selection, a Malbec, was sold out. Also, most of the bottles were expensive, with several reds in the $50-60 range. I'd recommend they work on their wine list, adding more moderately priced bottles in the $30 range. We ended up ordering beers on draft. For an appetizer we ordered the hot spinach dip. It took awhile to arrive but was pretty tasty, although a bit heavy on the cream cheese. It was served with nacho chips but there were not enough chips to allow us to finish the dip. We had to order bread in order to finish it, which, incidentally, was not brought out to the table when we first arrived. I had their RW salad which included beets and goat cheese. It was okay, but nothing exceptional. For an entree we had the salmon which was nicely cooked but not especially flavorful. For dessert I had the profiteroles which were the highlight of the meal. As we were finishing our dessert, a jazz band set up and started performing in the corner. We also ordered some mixed drinks. I had a white Russian which was mixed well and generous on the alcohol. The band was nice, but it ended up being a little too loud for us to talk comfortably with each other so we left. Also, the service was a bit slow. I think part of this is because they need to bring the food up the stairs on a cart from the restaurant. Throughout the course of the meal we had three different waitresses. Also deserving of mention is a nice little section to the right of the bar with a fireplace and leather sofa and chairs. Looks like a good place to relax with a drink.
So, to sum it up:
Positives:
Nice atmosphere, nice view
Live jazz band
Profiteroles
White Russians
Negatives:
Dirty table linens
Expensive wine list
Slow, disordered service
I was satisfied with the food for the RW prices but I am not sure I'd return here to pay more. It was just not that exceptional. I would definitely, however, return for drinks, the view, and the jazz band. -
Review from Kate H.
Castleton-on-Hudson, NY
4/14/2010
Went for lunch with Mom, for some reason we were seated upstairs in the bar, not in the dining room. I don't know if this is their usual practice for lunches or if they had an event going on downstairs. We sat at a table near the window overlooking State St. Very nice on a sunny day. We each had a glass of wine, and shared the Croissant Melt and the Grilled Pizzette. Both dishes were very good and under $10 each but the wait was a little long. The bartender was also our waiter and she seemed to be fairly unfamiliar with both the wine list and the lunch menu. With the limited options for dining within walking distance of the capitol it's a pretty good place for a quiet sit-down lunch.
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Review from Michael J.
Austin, TX
5/15/2008
Normally when I visit Albany, I stay at the Crowne Plaza. This past time it was apparently booked up. I came in on the train from NYC, hopped a cab and told the driver where I was going to the Clarion, but he didn't know where it was. I narrowed it to "right by the Crowne Plaza" and he was still perplexed. When I gave him the address, 74 State, he said that's what the hotel was called in all their advertisement and he had never heard of it being called Clarion. No worries as he was able to get me there quickly and I got checked in.
The doorman was very nice and greeted me at the cab as one would expect from a business class hotel. The front desk personnel were very professional and friendly. The ambiance of the hotel lobby, although very small, was nice. It's not a mega-hotel like you might find on the Vegas strip or anything even close to that. It was more like a nice European 4 star hotel. I could hear a slight murmur of voices coming from the bar on the second floor. The restaurant, March was open although it didn't seen as though anyone was there.
I went to my third floor room to settle in, change out of business attire, and head to the bar for a nice, quick, and simple bar food dinner.
I changed into a pair of jeans and headed down the stairs (I could have taken the elevator but it's only one floor) to the bar. As soon as I opened the door from the stairwell, I felt like I shouldn't have changed into something so casual. The few people there were dressed in suit and tie type business attire. I felt like I had walked into a board room. Subsequent patrons were also similarly dressed so it seemed like the norm there. Not really what I expected in a bar. The one at Crowne Plaza is much more casual. I thought about just walking up there as it's only a very short block away, but opted to stay.
The barmaid was very nice and reasonably attentive given the number of people in the bar. She had to go downstairs to get iced tea for me, but it didn't delay her too long.
I had a chicken meatball satay for an appetizer and a salmon salad for dinner. Feeling like the old six pack has turned into a keg, I thought it better to keep to lighter fare. They had steaks, burgers, oysters on the half shell, and other foods you might expect. I may try them if I'm in the area again.
The food was quite good, but I'm not used to getting my appetizer and entree at the same time. The sauce with the chicken was tart and sweet, lending a nice touch to the flavors in the meatball mixture. Not being a fan of sauces which cover up bad food, I tried the first one without the sauce, and found it to be particularly good. The sauce however was a very nice augmentation to the flavor.
The salmon salad on the other hand was not quite up to the level of the appetizer. Not that the flavor was bad, but a few minor annoyances. There was a heavy vinaigrette on it which really masked the flavor of the greens. The salmon still had skin on it which would have been fine if it were a nice crispy skin. The citrus fruits in the salad seemed as if they had come from a can. Certainly not fresh, and in this combination, not refreshing. I would have thought they would have been able to provide some fresh citrus for a meal like this.
I ate it, as it wasn't bad, just not as good as I would have expected. Then I headed back up the stairs to my room. Again, it was just one floor and I could use the exercise. =-)
The room itself was interesting. As I entered, there was a full length mirror on the wall. A nice touch. Many hotels seem to forget about this. The bed was piled high with pillows and a big comforter. I was surprised the bed was so small. I think it was a double, although it may have been a queen. There was a work desk with a power plug in the lamp base, and free wireless Internet. This was very much appreciated as I'm really getting sick of hotels charging as much as $30 to connect (as it was one place I stayed in Vail several years ago). On the wall was what appeared to be a flat screen TV. It was hard to tell from across the room, but even from 12 or so feet away, it appeared to be quite small. I didn't measure it, but trust me, it seems like someone is playing a joke on you. They could certainly have spent some of the money from the bathroom on the TV and made a lot of people a lot happier.
Which brings me to the bathroom. It's huge. Nearly as deep as the main part of the room, and save the space for the hallway from the door, just as wide, it was a lot more space than needed. I'm not advocating a cruise ship sized bathroom, but something a little smaller. That being said, it was done up very well. The old style, but obviously new faucets were a nice touch. The shower was adjustable for temperature, but not water pressure. This is an annoyance for me which rears up in many hotels.
In the morning, I had breakfast in March. I'll write more in a different review. -
Review from Amanda G.
Albany, NY
4/13/2009
The husband and I have been to Marche about a half dozen times (for breakfast and dinner) and have generally had delightful food and good service.
For good Friday, I had made a reservation for the restaurant, and the dining manager called a few hours ahead to confirm our table. When we arrived, we learned that we were the only reservation for the night, and since it was a holiday, they had closed the restaurant, but had a table for us in the bar area. When we arrived in the bar area, we found our table nicely set and right by their giant picture windows, and the only other patrons were a couple at the bar.
We ordered a nice bottle of wine which was properly decanted, and then some of the small plates which were new to the dinner menu - the short rib empanadas and the crispy risotto balls. Both were excellent, and the empanadas actually had a little touch of unexpected heat to them. Yum. My husband also got the foie gras appetizer which was nicely seared and he enjoyed the french-toast like bread under it, which was a welcome change from the usual brioche.
My mom and husband also got the asparagus salads topped with fried egg, which they enjoyed, but didn't rave over (we're partial to the version at the Cella Bistro in Schenectady that has truffle oil and parmesan cheese), and I got the market salad which featured goat cheese, pecans, and a delicious beet vinaigrette.
For the entrée (like we were still hungry at that point!) the husband and I both ordered the chicken with chicken ravioli and pearl onions, which we both enjoyed (the ravioli in particular!), and my mom got the bouillabaise which she also liked (although she would have liked a little more broth with it). I dislike fish and shellfish, so none of the seafood was going home to my fridge, but the leftover chicken was nicely packaged up for us and made a fine snack on Saturday.
Really, the only unpleasant part of our meal came when what we will call the "loud family" sat right next to us and very boisterously ordered cocktails and appetizers and were later joined by more friends. Although that wasn't really the fault of the restaurant (the folks near us had every right to be there and weren't doing anything inappropriate beyond lacking some volume control), our server graciously offered us complimentary glasses of champagne at the end of our meal (which we enjoyed in the comfy couch area of the bar and away from the other patrons). Our server brought our bill to us there and informed us that he had taken our appetizers off our check as an apology for our dining experience not being what we had hoped for.
The consistently excellent food and service, even on slow nights, guarantee that we will be paying Marche many return visits. -
Review from Ruth H.
Oakland, CA
10/22/2010
Both the food and the service were very good, even though the restaurant itself was tied up with a private party, and I had to eat up in the Bar/Bistro. An adorable quail, perfectly stuffed and browned, with pickled beets and brussels sprouts as accents! very lovely.l
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Review from David K.
Hattiesburg, MS
5/9/2009
The reason my friends and I chose this place was because of all the high ratings on Yelp. We were seated quickly and we noticed that the atmosphere was great. The service was really good as well and I was really looking forward to the meal, but that's where it all went wrong. I had ordered a medium-well grilled NY strip, and what I got was a completely burnt steak on the outside. My first bite made we want to gag as I tasted nothing but burnt fat, and oil. It did not get much better as I found out that although the steak was burnt on the outside, the steak in the middle was rare and pretty much bloody. Needless to say I had a horrible experience at this place, and I would certainly not recommend it to anyone. We went to few restaurants that week and this was by far the worst. I would suggest V&R as a great alternative to this place.
