The 9 best coffee shops in Albany, NY

Good coffee in Albany clusters on a few stretches: Lark Street in Center Square, Madison Avenue near Washington Park, the downtown blocks around State and North Pearl streets, and Western Avenue by the University at Albany. This list is for Saratoga County readers in the capital for work, a state office visit or a show, and for Albany locals looking for a new regular.

Every pick is inside the City of Albany. Cafes with Albany mailing addresses in Stuyvesant Plaza and on outer Western Avenue sit in Guilderland or Colonie and were left off. The mix runs from three coffee roasters and an espresso bar with room to work to a bakery known for vegan bagels, Vietnamese phin coffee, an evening wine bar and a game store that opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays. We could verify nine, not ten, and chose not to pad the list. Breakfast spots are on our Albany breakfast list.

How we chose

We looked for independent coffee shops, espresso bars and bakery-cafes where coffee is a main reason to go, with a steady local reputation and staying power, and we mixed roasters, neighborhoods and price points. Each one was confirmed open in October 2026 from the shop’s own website or ordering page and, where available, a 2026 state health inspection, and every address was checked against state boundary maps to confirm it sits inside the city. Shops without a working page of their own were left off for now. Prices and hours come from the shops’ own menus and pages. Chains were left off. The list is unranked and in alphabetical order, and no business paid to be included.

Hours, prices and dates below come from each business or official source and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Banh Mi 47

For coffee the Vietnamese way, Banh Mi 47 on North Pearl Street brews through a phin filter, an airpot or an espresso machine and sweetens with condensed milk, according to the shop. A small cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee) is $3, and an iced espresso sữa đá is $5. Coffee service starts at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays, handy before a downtown meeting, but the shop closes on weekends.

Hours: Mon–Fri: coffee from 8:30 a.m., banh mi 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Sat–Sun

Address: 74 N. Pearl St., Suite 5, Albany, NY 12207

Why they made the list

• Banh mi come on a baguette baked fresh every day, according to the shop, and the Đặc Biệt special is $9.26.
• The ordering site sells 12-ounce bags of whole-bean coffee and phin filters for home brewing.
• Downtown Albany’s business improvement district says the banh mi are made fresh every day from family recipes.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Daily Grind

Coffee at The Daily Grind starts in the roastery: the family-owned Lark Street business roasts 25 pounds at a time on a restored 1905 Royal No. 5 roaster, according to the company. A hot latte is $4 on the online ordering menu, and beans sell by the pound, including the Black and Tan blend of light and dark roasts at $17. Breakfast runs all day, and commuters in a hurry can call ahead for pickup.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Dec. 25–26

Address: 204 Lark St., Albany, NY 12210

Why they made the list

• Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sumatra are the two most popular coffees at The Daily Grind, according to the company.
• The Daily Grind buys fair trade and organic coffees, according to the company.
• The Daily Grind says the business is family-owned and not part of any franchise.

More details are in our directory listing.

Iron Coffee Co.

Bold, strong coffee is the stated goal at Iron Coffee Co., the Madison Avenue outpost of a roaster that began with owner Mike Milliron’s home roaster in his garage, according to the company. House-roasted 12-ounce bags, including the Forge Blend, cost $17 in the online shop, a draw for home brewers. Plan a Tuesday-to-Saturday visit for a pour-over or latte, since the shop closes Sundays and Mondays.

Hours: Tue–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Sun–Mon

Address: 811 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12208

Why they made the list

• Milliron bought a home roaster in early 2016 and opened his first shop in Hoosick Falls within the year, according to the company.
• Iron Coffee roasts the beans daily at the company’s Hoosick Falls shop, according to the company, and the dairy comes from a creamery in Salem, N.Y.
• The online shop also lists single-origin bags from Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Sumatra.

More details are in our directory listing.

Jacob Alejandro

Horchata lattes made with Mexican canela and oat milk hint at the Latin American roots of Jacob Alejandro, whose co-founder Alejandro Griffin-Diaz trained baristas in Guatemala City, according to the company. The espresso comes from an outside specialty roaster, and the bakeshop’s conchas are $6 in the online store. Indoor and outdoor seating suits a long visit, the shop opens Sundays, and a natural wine bar takes over Thursday through Sunday evenings.

Hours: Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; JAJA wine bar in the same space Thu 5–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 5–11 p.m., Sun 3–7 p.m. (special hours posted on Instagram)

Address: 466 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12208

Why they made the list

• Griffin-Diaz won the Guatemala Latte Art Championships in 2010, according to the company.
• The Albany shop opened on Madison Avenue in 2023, WNYT reported in May 2026.
• The Troy shop placed second for best coffee shop (single location) in the Times Union’s 2026 readers’ poll.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Lost Gnome

Coffee, comics and trading card games share billing at The Lost Gnome, a Warehouse District cafe and game store on Erie Boulevard run by owners Michaela, Austin and Neal, according to the cafe. Gamers and early commuters both fit: Tuesday through Friday, the doors open at 6 a.m. for coffee and reopen in the late afternoon or evening for play. A free card show fills the third Sunday of each month.

Hours: Tue–Wed 6–10 a.m. and 5–8 p.m.; Thu–Fri 6–10 a.m. and 4–8 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun noon–6 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 21 Erie Blvd., Slip 12, Albany, NY 12204

Why they made the list

• A Mahjong Club meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, according to the cafe’s event calendar.
• Local delivery is available, according to the cafe.
• The kitchen closes 15 minutes before the cafe, according to the posted hours.

More details are in our directory listing.

Motor Oil Coffee

Speed has long been part of the pitch at Motor Oil Coffee on State Street, a brand the founders sold in April 2025 to Jermaine Carter, the company’s former president, the Daily Gazette reported. The company sells fair trade organic coffee in four roast levels, from light to super dark. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays, which suits a quick cup before a downtown appointment; the shop closes at 2 p.m. and on weekends.

Hours: Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Sat–Sun

Address: 136 State St., Albany, NY 12207

Why they made the list

• Motor Oil Coffee opened at 136 State St. in April 2023 as the company’s second location, WNYT reported.
• The coffees are locally sourced and fair trade certified organic, according to the company’s website.
• The company also sells the MOtini, an espresso martini mixer, according to the company’s website.

More details are in our directory listing.

Pearl’s Bagels & Bakery

Each batch of hand-rolled vegan bagels takes 16 hours at Pearl’s Bagels & Bakery, a scratch bakery and to-go cafe in Crestwood Plaza, according to the bakery. Espresso drinks use organic beans; a 12-ounce hot latte is $4.75 and a Challah Pocket is $4 on the posted menu. Early risers can stop in from 6 a.m., and the bakery takes no phone or online orders.

Hours: Wed–Sun 6 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Mon–Tue

Address: 16 Picotte Drive, Albany, NY 12208

Why they made the list

• Pearl’s placed third for best vegan/vegetarian restaurant (single location) in the Times Union’s 2026 Best of the Capital Region readers’ poll.
• The bagel recipe is vegan and blends Old New York and Montreal styles, according to the bakery.
• Sticky buns ($5) are sold Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, according to the menu.

More details are in our directory listing.

Stacks Espresso Bar

On Lark Street, Stacks Espresso Bar runs a cafe with plenty of room to work, a second-floor event space and a weekend brunch, according to the company. A cortado costs $4.19 on the fall 2026 drink menu, and the Beatrice toast with marinated beets, maple ricotta and roasted pistachios is $11.50. Laptop workers and Center Square neighbors both fit here. Order at the counter, since the cafe takes no phone orders.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–3 p.m.; weekend brunch Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Address: 275 Lark St., Albany, NY 12210

Why they made the list

• Stacks was founded in 2014 and also runs downtown cafes at 488 Broadway and 90 State St., according to the company.
• The 90 State St. cafe opened in May 2026 with a Slow Bar for pour-over brewing, Capitalize Albany reported.
• Fall 2026 seasonal syrups include curry caramel, ube and orange cardamom, for 93 cents extra.

More details are in our directory listing.

Uncommon Grounds

The signature Probat roaster for Uncommon Grounds sits in the company’s University Plaza cafe on Western Avenue, which opened in 1997 as the second location, according to the company. Coffee is roasted in small batches every day, and a one-pound bag of House Blend is $16 in the online shop. The full-scale bagel bakery here is where the company’s bagels started. Doors open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hours: Daily 6 a.m.–8 p.m.

Address: 1225 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203

Why they made the list

• Uncommon Grounds was founded in Saratoga Springs in 1992, the Daily Gazette reported in 2025.
• Bagels are made in house daily and cream cheese flavors are mixed in house, according to the cafe’s Albany menu.
• The online shop sells coffees from Africa, the Americas, India and Indonesia, plus blends, dark roasts and decaf, according to the company.

More details are in our directory listing.

Frequently asked questions

Which Albany coffee shops are open on Sundays?

Stacks Espresso Bar and The Daily Grind on Lark Street are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Uncommon Grounds in University Plaza is open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jacob Alejandro on Madison Avenue opens Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pearl’s Bagels & Bakery runs Wednesday through Sunday from 6 a.m., and The Lost Gnome opens Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Where can I get coffee near the state offices in downtown Albany on a weekday?

Motor Oil Coffee at 136 State St. opens at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays, and Banh Mi 47 at 74 N. Pearl St. starts coffee service at 8:30 a.m.; both close on weekends. Stacks Espresso Bar also runs downtown cafes at 488 Broadway and 90 State St.

Which Albany coffee shops roast their own beans?

The Daily Grind roasts 25 pounds at a time on a restored 1905 Royal No. 5 roaster, Iron Coffee Co. roasts at the company’s Hoosick Falls shop, and Uncommon Grounds roasts on a Probat roaster at the University Plaza cafe. All three sell bags of their coffee.

Last checked October 29, 2026. See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.