The Berlin 2 King Street, Troy, NY 12180

"We used to recommend this place to anyone who was in search of a quality cocktail bar. Unfortunately, it’s under new management and has gone downhill in that regard, so we can no longer recommend it. Let me explain: 1) The physical size of the food vs cocktail menu speaks volumes about where the priority is. This is odd because I’d think alcohol would net more profit. 2) There are no mocktails on the menu, and the cocktail menu is limited. There are a few mocktails on the downstairs menu but when asked about it, we were told that menu is just downstairs and couldn’t be made up here. Any well stocked bar and true mixologist can make anything on or off menu. This is true for any cocktail. Several guests in our party stuck with water as a result. In the staff’s defense they did offer to make one kind of mocktail, but please offer a menu that at minimum matches downstairs. 3) Service was very limited. We were told to order at the bar. When approaching the bar, we were told they would take orders at the table. They never checked on us if we wanted another round, so we didn’t order another. 4) Any true upscale cocktail bar will offer various spirits for tasting. There is no whiskey or scotch menu. 5) All our drinks were very strong, which is fine if all you’re looking for is a good bang for your alcohol buck. However, a good quality cocktail balances all ingredients. We felt the mixologist skills were several steps below what a place like this needs. Overall, it’s fine if you’re looking for a different place to order food and basic drinks, but don’t expect anything out of the ordinary. Which is unfortunate because this place used to be something special. This review is obviously written from the context of experiencing the “old Berlin”, so your mileage may vary."

"My husband and I had our first experience at The Berlin last evening on my daughter’s recommendation. Loved the ambiance and the jazz band was great.We sat at the bar which seats about 6. Two bartenders were on duty and our drink order was taken right away. While our cocktails were delicious, the service ended there. We had to literally flag down the bartenders who were three feet away for our food order and bill. We were considering a glass of wine with dinner but both of our “servers” were totally consumed with conversing with an acquaintance at the bar. I have been better served and felt more welcome at a bar that seats 20 with only one bartender . As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what happened when we left The Berlin and went to Brown’s for a nightcap! We liked it enough to try it again, in hopes of better service."

"Awesome spot with great ambience and excellent specialty cocktails. Bartenders were really nice"

"The drinks were great and so was the bartender. The host at the front was also very nice and welcoming. We had a great time and will definitely be going back! Highly recommend."