The Olde English Pub

Incredibly friendly staff and the bar staff are always ready with a drink recommendation. Great selection of beer and ciders. Top shelf scotch and whiskeys. Its the closest pub in America I have ever seen to the real thing in the UK. Small but homey outdoor beer garden for those nice summer days. Updated food menu is great! Much improved over the last menu. Need more ESB on tap!

There was an English style tavern named Canterybury Ales where I grew up in Huntington, New York (Long Island to be more specific). I remember going there for any occasion I could find; birthdays, dates, random bar hopping nights, you name it. I just always loved the antiquity and maturity such a place inspired, and best of all, a retreat from the young 20-something bar crowd. Unfortunately, they closed a few years before I moved, so I was left to live the remainder of my Long Island life without an authentic venue for my fish & chips, and drinking desires. Recently I moved to Albany and found this place randomly after looking for places to explore on Google Maps after replacing a burnt break light bulb (as it also turns out, my problems are electrical, if anyone knows of a good mechanic please comment ;) ). Within the two weeks I had lived in Albany I could not find anything which piqued my culinary interests, so I figured, why not (also any good recommendations on pizza....). When I walked towards the entrance, I was exuberant to see that the location proudly is the only bar in the United States which serves Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout on tap. I LOVE SAMUEL SMITH OATMEAL STOUT and was unaware I could get it on tap anywhere, so kudos to setting the authentic English tavern experience with authentic English beer. The interior is exactly what I had hoped for. Old style wood decorations, pictures of British people and settings, and the music seemed to be primarily from the UK, although I didn't really check through Spotify. The dining area was beautiful and I was able to secure myself a nice corner stall overlooking the park plaza below. Service was good, especially by Albany standards, and the fish & chips where excellent. Of note were the fresh made tartar sauce, the surprisingly savory coleslaw, and the mottled glass which I was served with my Samuel Smith. Dessert, which was a lemon and blueberry bread pudding (I was trying to keep it as authentically English as possible), was amazing. Overall, I am glad I was able to find this little hole in the wall of downtown Albany. Although I have fond memories of my old English pub back home, Olde English Pub, exceeded my desire for nostalgia.