Provence

Delicious food. Great atmosphere. Wonderful wines. Fun to hang out by the car or dine in the back area. Specials available every weekday for happy hour.

My husband and I have been there twice now, and both times the food was divine! I’ve had their chicken dish & lobster mac & cheese, both were great! My only critique is it is a little overpriced, but it is worth treating yourself.

Love the food! This was my favorite place to eat when I used to live there.
The duck is to die for! Can’t wait to go back

There are numerous places in the Capital District that people consider going to when they want to celebrate a special occasion. Such was the dilemma for my wife’s office as it considered where to recognize a significant anniversary for the employer. It was agreed that the decision should be to dine somewhere that is considered a classic, is known for reliably serving good food, has a comfortable atmosphere that is not stuffy yet also not overly casual. Thus the final decision was to dine at Provence.
We were a party of six arriving at six. It was much less busy at both the bar and in the dining room than I would have expected on a Friday night. We were promptly seated at a round table that was perfect for our size group. Our drink orders were taken and delivered by our server quickly. While our group now preferred to take advantage of this assemblance of workers, spouses and friends to converse and laugh, the restaurant began to fill, a jazz group struck up familiar tunes at the bar, and our server politely tolerated our slow decision-​making as we reviewed the menu.
The evening’s special menu included a couple of featured cocktails. I tried the Spiked Cider Shandy which consisted of spiced rum, fresh lemonade, and apple cider. It was refreshing and could have been easily downed had I not chose to nurse it until dinner was served.
Provence offers a nice selection of both French and Mediterranean cuisine. For starters we shared Escargots a la Bourguignone ($ 12), Crab a la Creole ($ 16 reg./$ 9 sm.), and Lobster Macaroni & Cheese ($ 11).
The escargots were roasted in a garlic and herb butter. I found them delicious, my wife thought there was some raw garlic in hers that she didn’t like, at least one person chose not to even try one (I got to eat their share), and I didn’t notice any complaints from anyone else at the table.
The crab cakes were very large (tennis ball size?) and very crispy on the outside. There was a fair amount of binder holding everything together, so some comments around the table were that there was not enough large lump crab while others said they enjoyed the flavor, the crispiness of the cake, and the fact that the crab cakes were not greasy or oily. The dish also came with a small amount of arugula fennel salad and remoulade on the side. I don’t think anyone else chose to have any so I enjoyed it when the last serving came my way.
Everyone, not surprisingly, had their own opinion of what makes an excellent mac and cheese. Some thought this one with its «morsels» of lobster was average, others thought it needed a different mix of cheeses beyond the Vermont cheddar. I was happy with its savory herb crust, bits of bacon, and creaminess.
My wife’s evening’s Poisson special ($ 28) of striped bass was roasted with lemon pepper, and served with sweet bell pepper, and a cauliflower and bulgur wheat salad topped with pickled grape tomato and Meyer lemon peel. It sounded delicious and was delicious.
I was amazed to see the size of my evening’s Entrée special ($ 38) of veal chop. I thought I remembered the veal chops that our butcher sold to my Mom, when I was growing up, as being only slightly larger than a lamb chop. That was why we would much more frequently have pork chops in our house, so we would have more meat for the family. This chop, rubbed with Meyer lemon, was so large it almost concealed the truffle chanterelle and Parmesan risotto and the butternut squash purée on my plate. In any event, the chop was not only tender, it was super flavorful with a hint of spicing that reminded me of Indian flavors. I took half of it home and am looking forward to enjoying it the second time around.
Since the boss’s wife was sitting next to me, she offered me the opportunity to include a picture of her evening’s special Risotto ($ 24) with Tuscan spiced scallops, eggplant, and shiitake mushroom risotto finished with a lemon garlic butter sauce. She seemed to be very pleased with this dish and I have to assume the other diners were also happy with their choices since everyone ate everything on their plate.
I recall that two of us ordered dessert. I wanted something simple so I asked for the Chocolate Gelato ($ 6). Two small scoops were served on a thin edible wafer shell that covered the bottom of the bowl. It was rich, creamy and quite enjoyable. The boss ordered Beignets ($ 8). These were not like the ones I remember having in New Orleans. These were more like someone pimped your beignets by turning them into banana fritters with dolche de leche gelato. The portion was large enough that the dish made its round of the table for sampling and there was still a sizable portion remaining to be finished. It was sweet and tasty, but it just seemed like false advertising or bait and switch.
As a final note, they do not have any draft beers at Provence. During dinner I enjoyed a bottle of Ubu. Also, the excellent band that was playing was Jazz Connection.

While staying in Albany, we had the pleasure of having a most marvelous meal at the Provence restaurant. The ambiance was wonderful, the food outstanding. If you want a special place to take a friend, I highly recommend this restaurant.

A great place for lunch. The portobello mushroom sandwich is my favorite, especially with the French fries. FYI — the Croque Monsieur is NOT country ham, but regular deli ham. That has been my only disappointment.

My favorite place to come get steak, probably my favorite restaurant in all time in ALBany… love it

Most of my past experiences here have been above average. It’s a decent place with nice ambiance. And amazingly, they make a good Kobe burger, which I have had several times… Including a recent visit (Friday night) with my friends.
We had the pita chips and fried monchego cheese. I always enjoy the fried cheese… But take the pita chips off the menu. They were a joke. Burger was decent, as usual. And some of the best fries around.
So, why did I drop my rating down to one star? Because I was totally grossed out at what I saw that night. So much, that I will never ever be back.
We arrived around 8:45 pm. We took our time eating the apps (talking way too much) so our burgers didn’t come out until 9:40 ish. We are slow eaters, so we were about ¾ done with our burgers around 10:10pm. Then it happened…
We saw a mouse run across the floor. Ok ok ok it happens right? Sure. Gross but not the end of the world.
Then it was two mice. Then three then four.
Soon we had counted six on the floor around us. I’m a grown man and I felt like putting my feet up.
Mice are dirty. They poop everywhere (including in food). They carry filth and disease. This was not a lone mouse who lost his way. This was an infestation
Granted, we had eaten ¾ of our meal… But we couldn’t finish it. If they have 6 mice running around the floor during open hours… You know there are many many more in the kitchen where all the food is!!! And I have to assume that it’s very possible that these mice have compromised the food served.
Chef Ramsay would SHUT IT DOWN
We politely called over our server to let him know the situation. His response:
It’s an ongoing problem. The whole mall is having a problem.
Ok. Take this review to your landlord. Because it’s a problem and you’re going to loose customers. This has to be a health code violation.
Get it fixed!!!

Ate at Province with a large group of business associates on a Monday night. We arrived around 6:30 or so and were surprised that some of the menu selections were already completely out. That didn’t start our evening off very well. I must say the food overall was very good. I enjoyed the duck which I have only had a few times in my life. My other business associates enjoyed their meals for the most part. The waiter was a bit «pushy» on the wine, bringing out extra glasses and pouring wine before the person finished their first glass. The one big issue we had with Province was the mouse we saw running around near us. We brought this to the attention of our waiter who sorta laughed it off. We weren’t really amused at the site of a rodent and the fact he had been named by the wait staff. Nice to know the vermin have taken up residence and I assume pay rent. Please take care of the mouse!

The food was phenomenal, I’m always on the lookout for the best foie gras and lamb chops. These are ingredients that I don’t necessarily cook with in my normal routine, so when going out to eat especially at a French restaurant, duck, goose and lamb are staple dishes to order. The food again, was great. Our waiter, was also great. The reason why this review is getting three stars is because of kitchen– server non compliance. When we ordered our lamb chops, The food that was brought out was ribeye and ratatouille. This is not what we had specified. The waiter was apologetic and I offered to change our dish. (Glad he empathized.)
We in turn ordered a special– the poisson; halibut crusted with potato. It was truly the best halibut I have ever had. Even for our appetizers, the foie gras was butter in my mouth and sumptuous. I’m not too picky, I really would’ve overlooked the fact that they no longer had lamb chops and they were going to give us rib eye– but once it happened again with dessert I was a little annoyed.
The place is a fabulous and romantic date night. There was a singer and a pianist. Waiter was sweet, the ambiance was spectacular.
It’s a shame when a place has built up bountiful ambiance, a truly inventive and tasteful menu and great service but zero kitchen server compliance. It really makes you think if you would risk to come back again.

It’s about time to write that review after coming in a handful of times. The decision to give three stars was not easy, hence I needed to give it more chances and time, each time looking more closely. Located in Stuyvesant Plaza, most restaurants in the plaza are not as fancy as Provence. It hosts a fenced in patio overlooking the plaza and doesn’t give you much scenery facing the parking space, but you can’t really help that.
The cocktail lounge and bar on the right side of entrance welcomes you to what appears to be a fancy and sophisticated atmosphere, but also slightly past our time. It is an open kitchen and I enjoy that. Most evenings I’ve patronized this establishment a friendly hostess greets and seats the party as soon as possible with or without reservations. Beyond this initial meet and greet, their hospitality leaves much to be desired (4 times out of 5). The norm seems to be something like this:
You are welcomed in and seated with menus by the hostess. Your server takes anywhere between 5 to 8 minutes to acknowledge your presence and accepts drink requests. Drinks deliver in a few minutes and food orders are placed. Another 5 minutes pass before bread in a basket is delivered to table (good but not great pesto olive oil dip but poor, room temperature bread). Several minutes later food arrives. Food is devoured. Server checks in with table for additional needs /​servicing once during meal. Empty plates are removed from table. Check is promptly delivered thereafter and table guests are thanked for dining. In my opinion, this is where there is major room for improvement. First impressions are important and continuation of consistently good service (if not great) pulls in more guests and frequent returns. It just makes sense to live up to the quality of food they offer. Speaking of food, some of my impressions (I’ve only dined during dinner hours and not lunch) are:
Delicious soup du jours (borscht, curried carrot, creamy bacon leek), light and fresh salads (goat cheese, tarragon vinaigrette), juicy and tender steak frites (moist and cool red center, juicy cuts), impeccable canard (moist duck meat and slightly smoky flavor with crispy skin), mouthwatering bouillabaisse de provence (seafood stew with great saffron fennel broth), well executed pan seared salmon pistou (the pesto accentuated it), classic shrimp cocktail (very large chilled shrimps and good bite to it).
Provence also offers a happy hour menu with varying deals on apps and drinks M to F 3 to 7pm at the cocktail lounge or bar, participates in restaurant week 2x’s a year, and hosts special celebrations featuring a multi course menu with wine tastings. There are also private rooms for conferences and events in the back of the establishment. Provence has a lot potential. I’m willing to go for the food but if hospitality is not changed for good over time, I may have to say au revoir!

The first time we dined was very good. The second time was just okay but we thought it might be just an off night. We dined there last night for our anniversary and it was a bad experience. The food was not good, the server could not be bothered most of the time. He never checked back to see if our food was good or if we needed anything. The dessert was at least a day or two old and the fruit garnish was shriveled up. We will not return.
Angela B.

I really wanted to like this place but alas, it has failed me again. I have been here for both lunch and dinner. For the price, the food is just okay. On this visit, I had a chef salad which was $ 14. The salad mix was lifeless (I asked for the dressing on the side). The bread was hard although the dipping oil was yummy. Service was super slow. Always has been every time I come. Maybe I’ll give it another try; may I be I won’t.

I can’t remember the last time I ate somewhere and had a wonderful time from walking in the door to leaving. While the location, a strip mall may make you say ehh, and the online pics leaving a so so impression the Resturant is a delight. The food was an American version of french, but came out hot, quickly but not rushing you and was delish. Our waiter should be requested by everyone, sorry to the rest of the staff, but Richard was a gem. I had the small sized filet, requested this side of rare and it was perfect ! Scallops was our other dish and they were just as tasteful. Oh almost forgot the appetizer of oysters, cold and fresh. Cocktails were reasonably priced and not at all watered down.
Can’t wait to go again.

The service is wonderful and restaurant is very clean… The food is absolutely delicious

Here’s the thing — Every time I’ve been to Provence, the food is outstanding. But the hospitality truly leaves much to be desired. Like, a lot much.
Case in point: My most recent visit this past weekend to Provence with my family. My brother graduated, so we ended up hungry pretty early in the evening (We walked in at approx 4:05). The hostess informed us that the kitchen doesn’t start serving dinner until 4:30. No problem, we were in celebration mode and ready to knock back a few cold ones, so we headed to the bar.
The bartender also asked us if we were here for dinner (after we had just had that conversation with the hostess within earshot). He felt the need to repeat, again, that dinner wasn’t going to be served until 4:30. We asked if we could be seated before then and order drinks. He said no.
We ordered a round of drinks at the bar, and then watched the hostess’s friends come in and get seated immediately, even though dinner wasn’t being served. Even though we were just told we could not sit until 4:30.
At around 4:20, my dad asked the bartender about that table. The bartender blew us off, telling us not to worry, that they weren’t getting food until 4:30 either.
Okay…
So then we’re seated, the six of us in a completely empty restaurant, at a tiny table with three smaller tables squished together. Halfway through our meal the waiter even said, ‘I’m surprised we didn’t give you a booth.‘
Uh yeah, us too.
The food is truly the redeeming factor here. Their menu is inventive in flavors and the specials never disappoint. My sister’s short rib risotto was creamy and superb, and the mussels were made in a creamy, garlic tomato sauce that we all shamelessly ate spoonfuls of after the mussels were gone.
I won’t be returning to this place now that my brother no longer a student up at Albany, but heed my warning that if you want to eat the food at Provence, you’re going to have to put up with some hassle.

Best restaurant in Albany. Absolutely spectacular. Lobster Mac and Cheese is the best I have ever had. Their coffee drinks and specialty drinks are great as well. Excellent service. Been here one on one, as well as a group of 12, they accommodated both beautifully.

I have been to Provence a handful of times and I’m not sure that I’ll be returning in the future. Overall the food ranges from OK to very good. The prices and portions are, on average, reasonable. The atmosphere is nice but would be better if there was a low din from other diners (usually when I’ve been here there are only a couple of other tables filled… is business suffering or am I coming at off-​times? Maybe a bit of both?)
Last night wasn’t much different in the sense that there were only two other tables of diners near us, so I sort of felt like I had to whisper or my entire conversation would’ve been overheard. That wasn’t a huge deal, though. The issue that REALLY got to me was my meal: mussels in a shallot and white wine sauce. The mussels were GRITTY. So gritty, in fact, that I felt I was chewing on sand or bits of broken shell. It was an enormous turn off. Do they really not know that mussels should be soaked and well rinsed before being cooked? The nail in the coffin was the sauce, which was lacking in flavor. I was pretty disappointed. On the up side, my husband’s salmon over risotto was fabulous, the fries I ordered on the side of my mussels were hot and salty, and the tartelette appetizer was hot and flaky. Also, their complementary bread and pesto dipping sauce is amazing.
This place is OK but I think I’d rather try a new place than come back to a place that is just OK. I also know that if I have a hankering for mussels I should just go to Merry Monk!

Excellent food. Poor service. This may be due to the fact that they don’t have enough servers, but it’s definetely unacceptable. I’m just glad I didn’t come on a holiday.

Considering the restaurant’s reputation, cost and my past experiences at Provence, I had somewhat high expectations. We were seated within 10 minutes with no reservations, which was nice, however the meal took over two and a half hours! Our waiter only came by our table the bare minimum (he did seem busy, to be fair). When it seemed to be taking quite a while for our entrees to arrive he apologized and said he was going to grab them right away, but they didn’t arrive for another 20 minutes! When we asked where they were he said «I know I know, sorry» and walked away. They did come soon after, but that was not the type of service I expected from a restaurant like this. When I asked him to wrap the rest of my food he took it away and never brought it back. Oh well, I guess.
For some reason we decided as a group that we wanted to have brunch here as well the next day. I called the restaurant to for their hours and the voicemail said that on Sundays they are open from 11 – 3 for brunch. So we arrived at 11:15 to get a table for brunch… and the doors were locked! I called to see when they would be unlocking their doors and they said that they no longer serve brunch and do not open until 11:30 for lunch. They said they’d update the voicemail…
All this said, the food WAS delicious. I had no complaints there. Portions were good and everything tasted great. The specials they offered that night were appealing and we had a nice time listening to the piano player. He even played Happy Birthday for my Uncle! If it weren’t for the shoddy service I would have given 5 stars! If you’re easy going and patient when it comes to service this place will be fine.