Sybaris Bistro

Overpriced. Menu items are always odd. Went for brunch and the omelette or fritata I ordered was very very salty. Someone probably made a mistake. Waitstaff didn’t care. They act as if they are too good for their customers, but the food doesn’t warrant that kind of attitude.

Update the owners were kind enough to invite us back for dinner… one word describes the evening «Outstanding» Jesse is an excellent server, excellent service. My wife had the steel head, I had the rib steak. The steak was melt in your mouth good. Very nice evening thanks again Matt and Janil we will be back soon.

You could’ve knocked me over with a feather the first time I ate at Sybaris. Gourmet Food? In Albany?
Sybaris stands alone in the Willamette Valley and is one of the best restaurants in the state. I have eaten here twice, and would jump in my car in Portland and meet anyone at Sybaris for dinner without a second thought.
Fresh, local, amazing food thoughtfully combined Matt and the menu changes seasonally. Last time I was there I had corn ice cream with frosted flakes in it… sounds crazy, and it was. CRAZY GOOD!
I loved that you could see big wheels in the corner, as the owner’s daughters will come in to work with them sometimes. It’s a local run family business with exceptional service and amazing food. Don’t hesitate to make your reservations, because they do fill up fast.
Gah…now I need to plan my next road trip south…

Came here for a private event on a Sunday.
We had a party of about 50 people. The tables were all set up with appetizers and the hostess took our drink orders and served them very quick for a party of that size.
On the table was (liver) pâté (I believe) with vegetables and plenty of bread and butter. Just that part was already delicious, I couldn’t wait to try the next courses.
Next we were served a roasted tomato soup which was amazzzzzing. I don’t like tomato soup, but after eating this one I literally crave it now.
Next came the main course, spinach and cream cheese stuffed pork. With garlic mashed potato and asparagus. I’m not a pork lover so I didn’t really enjoy that, but from what everyone else said it was delicious. Also the sides were very good.
Then we were served crepes and fresh fruit platter for the final course, along with coffee and tea. It was a very filling dinner and very good! I would love to try the regular menu there as well.

I cannot comment on anything about this restaurant other than the horrific customer service. I have walked in the restaurant twice and requested a table (for just one person). On the first occasion I was told no tables were available. On both occasions the restaurant was less than ¹⁄₃ full. On the first occasion, I happened to walk by an hour after I was turned away and it was still at less than ¹⁄₃ capacity. On the second occasion they began the same run around «Well…, let me see. I know we don’t look full, but…» She didn’t have a chance to finish her lame excuse. Me and my money stormed out (past all the employees standing on the front sidewalk having a smoke break). You’d think I was a homeless begger asking for a free meal at this place.
I went back about 45 minutes after I stormed out to see how busy the restaurant was. Indeed, it wasn’t at ¹⁄₃ capacity. The manager, Jessie, had the gall to track me down and YELL at me RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT for telling lies in my review. He actually told me VERBATIM «I prefer that you never come back!!!» Classy joint.

If there were ten stars Sybaris would get them all. This beautiful restaurant has been one of the highlights of downtown Albany for the past 14 years. We didn’t have reservations but the waiter quickly accommodated us outside. It was clear from the other patrons, the attention to detail that this was going to be a good experience. Our waiter was a professional as he took as much pride in doing his job well as anyone I have ever seen. Knowledgeable, attentive, friendly, and since I am old enough to be his grandmother I can say.handsome. We started with the tomato plate appetizer which was out of this world with fresh flavor. Next we had the role reversal scampi… tiny shrimp on a cloud of garlic… hard to explain but it was great too. Then our main courses. One Chinook salmon with new potato curry and cucumber raita. Because we were in such a classy place I had to stop my friend from licking her plate. I feasted on the zig zag steak with dynamite potatoes and they were. It was beautiful, tender, fresh and delicious. The waiter spent a bit of time with us explaining the history of the building, the commitment of the chef to fresh ingredients, support of local farmers and fishermen and the success to their longevity. Then it didn’t take much coercing for us to order dessert; the Liberace 2014. If there is gelato in heaven please let it be these flavors. Well done Sybaris Bistro. You would be the envy of everyone in ancient Italy. Remember they close at 8pm and are only open for dinner.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. The food is always good, the staff is friendly and knowledgable. I like it best when I get my favorite table by the fire place, but I’m not going to whine when I don’t. The atmosphere in this place is awesome.

One of the best meals we have ever had! My husband read about Sybaris in one of the tourism brochures he picked up at PDX and we decided to make reservations and try it out during our honeymoon.
Service was excellent from the beginning — we arrived early and they were able to seat us right away. Our server was very detailed in describing the specials — everything sounded like a delicious must try dish. We started with romaine salad with chili dressing for 2. They mix the salad and plate it in front of you — it is 2 generous servings of salad. We both had pepper sprinkled on our salad. It was a tasty salad with a mild kick so there’s flavor but it doesn’t take over your taste buds — letting the main dish do that.
For the main dish, I ordered the halibut served over a white bean cake with a red pepper sauce drizzled around it served with roasted vegetables. It was incredible — I loved taking a bite of the halibut with a piece of the white bean cake and dipping it in the red pepper sauce — it tasted more and more delicious with every bite and though it filled me up, it didn’t take me over the edge — so I could save room for dessert. The wine pairing that was recommended with the halibut was an Albariño by Abacela in the Umpqua Valley — it was a treat to have a Spanish style wine like this from a winery in Oregon — it was slightly sweet like a Sauvignon Blanc and tasted great with the fish.
My husband got both appetizer specials as his main dish. He started with the halibut fish tacos in corn tortillas — the fish was grilled and there was a light cream sauce — it was refreshing because there was a little bit of lime in it. The second appetizer he had was the wild game cooked in a mole like sauce, wrapped in phyllo dough with a Gorgonzola cream on the side. He said the wild game appetizer was the best thing he has ever put into his mouth. He didn’t want to eat the last piece because he wanted to savor it for as long as possible. Of course he eventually ate the last piece and then we moved on to dessert.
My husband got the dessert special — a peach pie with autumn spices so that it tastes more like a pumpkin pie. I had the huckleberry crème brûlée. We loved both desserts — they were comforting without being heavy.
It is a quiet restaurant ideal for a special occasion, catching up with old friends, and experiencing local ingredients cooked and presented in a way that you will savor for a long time. Their menu does change often and they use as many local ingredients that they can.

GREAT food and atmosphere with a European style of service. I have never been disappointed in any meal I have ever eaten here.

This is a great restaurant. They make great food. The servers are extra nice and knowledgeable. Compared to other restaurants of its quality it is very affordable. It is in a cool building and has what every great restaurant needs: a fireplace.
Their desserts are also delicious.
Finally this is a fun restaurant– the chef that makes the menu likes to have a good time– he makes some pretty strange things, but unlike most places they actually taste good too.
Do call ahead because sometimes they are closed for events, so maybe if you’re still in the mood for some of their food you can get yourself invited to the event also!

So what makes a restaurant awesome? What makes you come back over and over even though the menu is different almost every time you visit? Here’s what it is: thought & care. The thought that goes into creating interesting, creative and innovative dishes. And the care to execute those dishes without shortcuts or compromise. Thinking of the customer in every way — from the textures, flavors, colors and smells; making sure the customer is comfortable and has a pleasant experience even if they are trying something they’ve never tried before. Caring about the final outcome to the point of hang-​drying bores leg in house and marinating cod for over a week when there are hundreds of cheaper and more convenient substitutes to that. Out of all the restaurants I’ve ever been to — Sybaris surprises me every time. It is an exciting and delicious bistro that I can’t talk up enough. Make a reservation. If you love excellent, great-​tasting food — I recommend this place for you. Check out their menu for this month:

This place is great. Every dish is a unique experience is good, local food. No, your Momma did not cook like this. I would try anything on the menu. Service was great. They could use bigger water glasses.

It just so happened that my birthday landed in a very busy week. So busy that I didn’t have any time to think about or plan what I wanted. While in Corvallis running errands — yes, on my birthday — my boyfriend remembered hearing about Sybaris on the radio and we decided to go for dinner. It’s in old town Albany on a very sweet block in a historic building of exposed brick. There’s a big fireplace inside and though the atmosphere was very cozy and romantically lit, it wasn’t really warm. I imagine the tall ceilings make it hard to heat. We weren’t cold but I did leave my scarf on.
I really like the layout of the place. It has a good sized waiting area with comfy sofas by the windows and a wall with coat hooks. The tables are spaced out nicely so that there’s plenty of privacy even as it feels quite intimate. Even the table nearest to the kitchen, where we sat, was a good one. The waiter was working the whole place by himself but really had it all under control. He spent a lot of time explaining the dishes and getting us what we needed. He was funny and charming and made us feel very special. This is a European type dining experience where everything is timed so that you have enough time to enjoy each course. I’d say it was two hours end to end.
We started with martinis and two appetizers — the gnocchi gratin and the cod cake. The menu changes every month so I was the first person to try the gnocchi! It was incredible. Gourmet comfort food. The cod cake was hot and crispy and really delicious. We didn’t leave a crumb. We nibbled on the lemony pepper bread and a chewy soda bread while we waited for our salad. It was a romaine salad for two with maple vinaigrette and croutons. I liked it but after a while I couldn’t taste anything but maple. Not my favorite dish; it could have used a bit more flavors, more complexity.
We had plenty of time to talk and let all that digest before the main course. My guy had the reformed lamb which was breaded and fried and ridiculously good. I mean, I had to refrain from demanding (for my birthday) that we trade dishes. I got the sable fish because I wanted seafood. The fish itself was incredibly tender and the smoked salmon beans were good too. But when taken all together — a bit of fish, a bit of beans, a bit of greens — it was fantastic. We were told that Matt doesn’t «test» his recipes, he just invents them and puts them on the menu, tweaking them as the month goes on. So, you’re part of the creation, which is pretty cool.
We were full and decided to skip dessert until Matt came out to change our minds. He went through the whole menu with us and we were sold on dessert and about to choose one when I mentioned that it was my birthday. Matt took off and returned with a special birthday dessert — a roasted apple crème brûlée. Good lord! I can’t describe the flavor but it was like nothing I’ve ever had. Despite how «full» we were, there was nothing left of the dessert!
It’s clear from the way Matt made the rounds to the tables that there are a lot of regulars at Sybaris. And it was pretty busy for an early weekday dinner so I imagine it gets very busy on the weekends. The music and ambiance are perfect, and with the ever-​changing menu it would be easy to be a regular here. The best part is that the prices are reasonable — our bill was $ 90. So, you don’t have to break the bank to have a memorable evening.

Meals there are excellent and creative if not for things I have seen already in many famous chefs cookbooks. I wish he had more imagination in trusting his cooking and realizing he is an amazing chef, instead of copying other peoples recipes a lot of the time. However, the food is amazing and done with the utmost care and perfection this side of Portland. I highly recommend you don’t go to one of the special dinners due to the need to cook every single tables dish at the same time. Much of the food comes out completely cold and done with a quick hand with speed over quality. I went here for a New Years Eve dinner and was highly disappointed in many of the dishes. A shame because I touted this place highly to my dinner companions. I can’t blame him and the kitchen though, cause trying to get the same dish out to 50+ people at the same time is not gonna work when you believe in quality food and don’t have heat lamps.

Oktoberfest meal tonight was almost as fun as being in Munich and absolutely as delicious. Thanks chef Matt and staff for a great job and community event.

We had a birthday dinner for a friend at Sybaris tonight. All of our food was wonderful, creative and delicious! Chef Matt and his crew never fail to impress. The service was top notch — overall it was a great experience.

Even though in Albany made great OSU Mom’s Weekend dinner spot. Food and service were outstanding. Fish pasta and shrimp sausage w/​gumbo sauce were the favs

This place can be very hit and miss. When it is a hit, they hit it out of the park. However, I have been there twice and on both occasions they missed at least one of the dishes. My wife had the pheasant recently and there was NO flavor, nor the garnish around it. They get five stars for the customer service though because they swept it away and whipped up some kebabs that rocked.
Numerous friends have reported the same… hit and miss. But, it IS in the top five best places in the town.

We had a terrific meal at this place, tonight. This is Albany, OR, a very small town not far from Salem. Who would have thunk it???
We started with appetizers. The Tomato Sampler was really good and very colorful. The Cream of Grilled Tomato was really rich and luscious.
I had the Pakastani Spiced local lamb. Wow, tasty and super tender — it was a beautiful rendition of lamb that I had never had before.
My wife had the Ratatouille and she loved it. Others in our party had the special for the day — Halibut Cheeks and the Roasted Halibut.
We had the Lemon-​Basil Crème Brullee and a Nectarine Tart w/​Sour Cherry Sorbet for shared desserts.
Everything was superb, including a glass of 2008 Angel Vine Zinfandel!
Our only regret is that they are so far from our home in Northern California! We would come back in a heartbeat, without a doubt!
The owners, Matt & Janel Bennett, make a great team — he in the kitchen and she out in front. We were warmly greeted and everything went well from there.
We were very impressed by the innovative menu and the use of the freshest local ingredients and deft hand in seasoning, cooking technique and plating/​presentation.
The menu changes monthly to reflect the current seasonal offerings in the local area. Everything is organic and sustainable.
And the prices are very reasonable considering he high quality of the cuisine we received.
That makes this place superb value package!
Jim

One of the absolutely best restaurants in the Albany/​Corvallis area. Owned by a local couple that truly know their food Matt & Janel, Sybaris is truly one of the best fresh Northwest cuisine restaurants with a menu that changes monthly using only hand-​selected local, fresh produce, seafood, and meats. My family from SF and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner last night — we started with the tomato sampler appetizer — these tomatoes were like fruits and melted in your mouth. The halibut on corn chowder was fresh, flaky and flavorful while the panfried sole (a staple of Julia Child) melted in my mouth. Our martinis were shaken and poured right there at the table to perfection. The homebaked bread was already waiting for us at the table (wheat and white) when we arrived with fresh whipped butter. For dessert we had the blueberry cobbler with the freshest berries and divine crust. Last but not least, did I mention the beautiful downtown atmosphere and the impeccable service? And, the best part was that the prices for this incredible dining experience were very reasonable.
Matt and Janel also own Clemenzas, First Burger and Boccerinis — all great places to eat and enjoy food.
#corvsmb