
Best restaurants for 11 cuisines in Albany
America is often described as a melting pot, a place where different cultures have come together over the centuries to form new customs while maintaining the ones their ancestors have long held dear. For many cultures, a major part of their identity is food.
Walk down any main street in the United States and you're likely to see the cuisines of many countries—despite being nowhere near each other on the globe—sitting side by side. You could start in Egypt with some falafel, get a taste of Taiwan with a cup of bubble tea next door, pick up a side of fries at an old-fashioned American diner down the block, and finish it off with sopaipillas from the Mexican restaurant in town.
Of course, we all have our favorite dishes—a juicy cheeseburger from a local pub, a savory bowl of tempura udon at a beloved Japanese restaurant, or some chicken tikka masala from your nearby Indian spot. But maybe you're looking to get out of your comfort zone a little, whether to try a different restaurant that serves your favorite food or to taste a new type of cuisine entirely.
To help point you in the right direction, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Albany area using data from Yelp for various cuisines: American, Chinese, Cuban, Greek, Indian/Pakistani, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese. Data is as of July 13, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 50 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Albany, were considered.
Read on to find out if your favorite restaurant made the cut and to get inspired for your next dinner out.
American: The Albany Ale & Oyster
- Rating: 4.5/5 (500 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 289 New Scotland Ave Albany, NY 12208
- Categories: American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
Chinese: JiBeiChuan Rice Noodles & Ramen
- Rating: 4.4/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 1704 Western Ave Albany, NY 12203
- Categories: Chinese, Noodles, Ramen
- Read more on Yelp
Cuban: Viva Empanadas
- Rating: 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 90 N Pearl St Albany, NY 12207
- Categories: Latin American, Empanadas, Cuban
- Read more on Yelp
Greek: Kismet Mediterranean Grill
- Rating: 4.4/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1116 Madison Ave Albany, NY 12208
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek, Turkish
- Read more on Yelp
Indian: Great Indian Kitchen Restaurant and Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1652 Western Ave Albany, NY 12203
- Categories: Indian, Buffets
- Read more on Yelp
Italian: Fiorello Importing & Luigi's Deli
- Rating: 4.8/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1182 Western Ave Albany, NY 12203
- Categories: Italian, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
Japanese: Poke N Ramen 518
- Rating: 4.7/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 131 Colonie Ctr Albany, NY 12205
- Categories: Ramen, Poke, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp
Korean: Seoul Korean BBQ
- Rating: 5.0/5 (3 reviews)
- Address: 1770 Central Ave Albany, NY 12205
- Categories: Barbeque, Korean
- Read more on Yelp
Mexican: Oaxaquena Triqui
- Rating: 4.5/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 68 N Lake Ave Albany, NY 12206
- Categories: Grocery, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
Thai: Suwun Thai Home Cooking
- Rating: 4.6/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 234 Western Ave Albany, NY 12203
- Categories: Thai, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
Vietnamese: Banh Mi 47
- Rating: 4.7/5 (73 reviews)
- Address: 74 N Pearl St Albany, NY 12207
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 284 metros.