Kismet Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in City of Albany

We were just looking for a quick bite off Route 90—nothing fancy, just something better than fast food. Totally by chance, we ended up at Kismet, a small Turkish/Greek place in Albany, and honestly, it completely surprised us - in a good way.

The menu hit that spot between cozy and exciting. I went with the Greek salad with grilled chicken, figuring it’d be solid, but it turned out to be really good—like, surprisingly fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, flavorful olives and grilled chicken that was juicy. I got some dill dressing (I think it was dill) on the side, it was bright and didn’t overpower the rest of the salad. (Dressing that overpowers the flavor of everything in the bowl is a pet peeve of mine.)

My wife ordered the lamb lunch bowl, (which I will get next time). It came with soft roasted eggplant, saffron rice, tomatoes, and a small side salad. Oh, and a healthy serving of lamb. Everything was super flavorful and felt homey, like a dish someone made with a lot of care.

We also had the hot Turkish tea, which they serve in traditional glass cups and saucers. It’s the kind of thing that makes you slow down and enjoy the moment. Turns out, someone on staff (owner?) blends the tea himself, and you can tell—it’s got a depth to it, warm and aromatic without being too heavy.

The whole vibe of the place was relaxed and friendly. Service was thoughtful but not in-your-face, and the space had a calm, inviting feel. Prices were totally reasonable, and we found parking easily.

It wasn’t a planned stop, but it ended up being one of those meals you keep thinking about. Will go back and yes, it’s one of those spots that makes getting off the highway...

Meeting friends for dinner on a Sunday in early June we wanted a restaurant that had some vegetarian options. We picked Kismet Mediterranean Grill and it was a great pick. We decided to sit outside even with it being a cool night. After looking at the menu for a few minutes we ordered two Meze Platters which you pick any four of the appetizers from the list of eight appetizers and also comes with fresh Pita. So we got to try all eight appetizers giving us a great selection to share. A few had a glass of wine with the appetizers.

For dinner I had the Moussaka, which came with a side of rice and a salad ($25) which was delicious and I took half home for the next night's dinner. My wife and one other had the Veggie Stew (eggplant potatoes, onion, peppers, green beans, tomatoes, feta cheese, with a side of rice and salad $20). Another friend had Grilled Salmon (29) and the other had the Braised Lamb Shank (30). For dessert we shared three Baklavas ($8) and two Blueberry Creme Brulee ($10). Four of us had Pistachio Espresso ($4) with our desserts. This gave us a great cross section of what is served at Kismet.

The service was as good as the food. The server was friendly and helpful with us picking out what to order. Everything came out quickly. Eating outside was on the noisy side with it being a busy intersection.

The restaurant has booths for four people and tables for two people which can be put together for groups of any size. For groups of over four I would make a reservation so they can pull tables together.

If you like Mediterranean Food, you will love Kismet for the food, atmosphere and...

We just ordered takeout from here never having eaten here before. Food was prepared in a timely manner and the service was great. None of our group enjoyed the food all that much, though. For $40, we got dolmas, tzatziki, cigar rolls, and falafel appetizers and the sizes were quite small for $40. The tzatziki was good. The cigar rolls were good but not overly flavorful. The most disappointing were the falafel (overcooked and dry) and dolmas (mushy and too much lemon). I get these all the time elsewhere and have never been disappointed by those two dishes.

For another $50 (great price by the way), We also got a 5 pack of gyro wraps. The lettuce was wilty and possibly spoiled and had an off flavor. The meat was good but overly salty which threw the rest of the wrap off. Overall, once picking out the lettuce, I did enjoy the wrap, though.

I usually have quite a low bar for this type of food and love almost everything I eat but was surprised by the quality here.

I did love the restaurant appearance and service. Very friendly and...