Location: Schenectady
Top Restaurants in Schenectady
Top Things to do in Schenectady
Top 10 restaurants in Schenectady, United States
Schenectady /skəˈnɛktədi/ is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135. The name "Schenectady" is derived from a Mohawk word skahnéhtati meaning "beyond the pines". The city was founded on the south side of the Mohawk River by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, many from the Albany area. They were prohibited from the fur trade by the Albany monopoly, which kept its control after the English takeover in 1664. Residents of the new village developed farms on strip plots along the river. Connected to the west via the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, the city developed rapidly in the 19th century as part of the Mohawk Valley trade, manufacturing and transportation corridor. By 1824 more people worked in manufacturing than agriculture or trade, and the city had a cotton mill, processing cotton from the Deep South. Numerous mills in New York had such ties with the South. Through the 19th century, nationally influential companies and industries developed in Schenectady, including General Electric and American Locomotive Company (ALCO), which were powers into the mid-20th century. The city was part of emerging technologies, with GE collaborating in the production of nuclear-powered submarines and, in the 21st century, working on other forms of renewable energy.
Things to do in Schenectady
1. The Lounge at Glen Sanders Mansion
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By David_F1206 - Canton of Bern, Switzerland
A nice looking place with enough space for a meeting dinner. Food is good but not at the level of expectation where finer cuisine is expected. Service is quick.
2. Tara Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 261 reviews
Reviewed By alanlubin - Clifton Park, New York
Moroccan fare.Only about ten small tables. Seating two or four but the food is excellent. Check out their website. When seated you will be given a small glass of honey tea. Wonderful courteous staff. Inexpensive. Check their website for hours. Lamb, eggplant ,chicken and eggplant entrees as well as Kati and pita pizzas.
3. Jumpin' Jack's Drive-in
Overall Ratings
4 based on 104 reviews
Reviewed By iamtheczar - Amesbury, Massachusetts
Local friends brought us here while visiting on a hot Summer night. Great ice cream and some unique flavors. My wife likes the Pistachio frozen yogurt, I enjoyed the Strawberry Vanilla twist. Love the authentic old-time drive in style. Don't make em like that any more.
4. Canali's Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 282 reviews
Reviewed By jewels6907 - Schenectady, NY
Delicious! Wonderful atmosphere. Great staff. Great place for a dinner party. The chicken marsala is hands down the best dish.
5. Ferrari's Ristorante
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 267 reviews
Reviewed By Guilderland23 - Albany, New York
Ferrari's restaurant is very Italian and the atmosphere reminds me of sunday dinners at my late Italian mother-inlaws home.All the wine and various home made pasta dishes you would require for a family meal are available.The table service and food was very good.My wife ,daughter,son-inlaw and grandkids enjoyed a relaxing dinner.My wife and daughter are vegetarians so they enjoyed the non meat offerings such as Minestra ,and rabe..I enjoyed the ravioli and veal dishes.
6. Johnny's
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 429 reviews
Reviewed By HenryBru - Rochester, New York
This was my second visit to Johnny’s and I was very impressed. The wine selection was awesome and our server was so friendly and offered plenty of recommendations. I had the lasagna and it was huge and tasty. For dessert I had the gelato cake and it was perfect! I would love to eat here again!
7. Blue Ribbon Restaurant & Bakery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 304 reviews
Vast menu, offering the best in traditional American fare, Italian, and Mediterranean dishes. Also well known for our Broiled Seafood selections, Hand-Breaded Fish w/ Macaroni and Cheese, Hand Breaded Fried Clam Strips, and signature Greek Dishes. A variety of specials are also made by our Chef daily. All soups, sauces, gravies, are made on premises daily. Full bakery also on premises featuring cakes, pies, flavored cheesecakes and other pastries. Winner of several first place awards for our Cheesecake, hence the name "Blue Ribbon"! Newly renovated state of the art kitchen. Recently remodeled exterior, including spacious lobby with automatic doorways for easy handicap accessibility. Ample parking. Four entryways provide easy access to premises. Total restaurant capacity 220. We can accomodate large parties. Reserveration not required but recommended for parties of 6 or more. Fast and friendly service is our forte, please come and see for yourself!
Reviewed By 518and2018
We eat here often and always get a great meal and have great service! Excellent food and desert, you won't be disappointed. A+We appreciate your business. Thank you for supporting us on a regular basis we are blessed to have such faithful customers. We will continue to provide you only the best in quality of food and service. Thank you for the review.
8. Aperitivo Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 228 reviews
In the center of downtown Schenectady, situated next to the historic Proctors Theater, lies Aperitivo Bistro, consistently named the best restaurant in downtown Schenectady. Italian for "small plates", Aperitivo Bistro is the ultimate Italian fusion style restaurant with menu selections ranging from small plates, perfect for sharing, specialty pizzas, and fabulous home made pasta dishes to larger traditional Italian selections. Come and enjoy the variety of flavors Aperitivo Bistro has to offer!
Reviewed By CelSue89 - Albany, New York
Let me start by saying that the food was very good- but the poor service out weighed the yummy food. When I gave my order to our server, told him that I was celiac, needed gluten free. He was unsure if the app that I asked about was GF, said that he would ask the kitchen. When he came back, he told me that it was and brought a basket of bread and put down a plate in front of each of us- I said "this is is not gluten free, right"- he said no (I asked b/c less that 2 mins ago made mention that I was GF). Our server asked if I would like GF bread with my app, I said sure. Bread never came. As soon as we were done with our apps our dinner came from another server, our server came over to the table right after that, still no bread- I said "don't bother bringing the bread"- He said "oh, I forgot". The topper was when we order the custard for dessert, one to share- our server brought it over and set it down between us, gave us 2 forks- (yes forks) and said "I couldn't find any spoons so I had to give you forks" and walked away. My son looked at me and was like - is this a joke? We waited for our server to come back to ask for spoons, he didn't so we grabbed another server who was walking by and asked her for 2 spoons, she said sure. She walked over to the server station, looked in the bin, it was empty so she proceeded to the kitchen, got 2 spoons and gave them to us. When our server brought us the check, I mentioned that one cannot eat custard with a fork- he said "well, I have never eaten that, so I didn't know" What??? Seemed like laziness to me but perhaps lack of training????
So although the food was good, I would not recommend this place to anyone due to service that we received.
9. Gershon's Deli & Caterers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
Reviewed By Marilyn P - Schenectady, New York
There are so few really good deli's in the Capital District. Gershon's stands head-to-shoulders above them all! No-one can beat their NY-style foods....the roast beef, the corned beef,the pastrami, the tongue, the potato knishes, the dill pickles, the cole slaw, the German potato salad, the liver pate, the rye bread, the lox, the bagels....the list goes on 'n on. When we crave an honest-to-goodness NY deli, this is our destination. Whether it's eat in or take out, Gershon's pleases the palate....and, the pocketbook.
10. Ambition Bistro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 119 reviews
Ambition is a funky urban bistro. We offer great foods, drinks and desserts in a very unique atmosphere of nostalgia Americana. We at Ambition love food, music and Hollywood and that's who we invite in and we invite you too!
Reviewed By ArtfulSerendipity - Saratoga Springs/Albany, New York
This is a small and interesting coffee shop/restaurant. My husband and I stopped here to have some lunch after going to Celtic Treasures, which is nearby.
I had the Turkey avocado sandwich. It was delicious, with very generous portions. The coffee was also excellent--and I'm a coffee snob.
The waitress was very friendly and attentive. It was a pleasurable experience, for a quick afternoon lunch.
