NEW THEME NIGHT COMING SEPTEMBER 13TH!...ITALIAN NIGHT! OPEN MIC TO FOLLOW WITH THE CHARLIE SMITH BLUES BAND FEATURING DONNY RUSSO! - THE PATIO IS OPEN! - NEW "HAPPY HOUR" M-F 3-7PM "NIGHT-CAPPERS" 10-11PM -- 2 FOR 1 ALL Domestic & Import Drafts & Bottles! Includes ALL Wines, Specialty Cocktails & Martinis! $2 Wells $3 Well Cocktails & $4 Call Drinks! - Theme Nights are BACK! - Wednesdays are GERMAN NIGHT! - Sundays are MEXICAN NIGHT - FREE WIFI! NO COVER ENTERTAINMENT! FREE VALET PARKING AFTER 5PM! - ORDER ONLINE! WITH FREE DELIVERY FROM 11:00 A.M. UNTIL 3:00 P.M.

Our Story

The original diner that eventually became Quintessence was transported to Albany – classically styled brand new, shiny chrome bar stools and all – from New Jersey back in the 1940’s operating as the Morris Diner from 1948-1955, followed by Nedicks from 1956-1959, Morris Diner (2.0) 1960-1962, the UN Diner from 1963-1968, Nedicks (2.0) 1965-1975, The New Scotland Diner from 1976, Herm & Mary’s Diner from 1978-1981 until finally purchased by two gentlemen by the names of James Scalzo and Henry Junco who renamed it Quintessence. Jim Scalzo was the heart and soul of the restaurant and he operated it for 23 years. In 2004, Quintessence closed its doors and lay silent for 5 years until it was purchased and reopened under new management in August of 2009.

Jim Scalzo added the bar to the diner after he purchased it, and that bar is still there today. The ceiling, woodwork, the bar back and the upholstery in the booths are all brand new. The journey from a lonely, silent, abandoned diner to a rejuvenated, vibrant restaurant and nightclub has been a challenging, but exciting one. We knew we had a challenging project ahead of us in many ways. We are truly enjoying the challenge of not only providing our customers with a pleasant dining experience, but also building on their memories of the original Quintessence, good food, good people and great times.

Our cuisine is simple, classic, unique, and progressive. It’s simple and classic because we have hamburgers, pork chops with applesauce, club sandwiches, as well as your typical diner fare. We are unique in that we have taken a universally known dish—chicken teriyaki, and interpreted it in our own totally different way–this is actually the dish that we are famous for. We are progressive in that we offer vegetarian entrees such as our tofu omelettes and our garden burger. We are also in the process of developing more vegetarian dishes to not only accommodate the vast number of vegetarians out there, but also those who are just trying to eat healthier in general. We want to accommodate that niche.

We have maintained the original schedule of Saturday and Sunday brunch with live music and other live entertainment and events throughout the week. Three of the original Theme Nights (Mexican & German) have already been re-introduced.

New to the mix is Open Mic with the Charlie Smith Blues Band Featuring Donny Russo.

Wednesdays are all about JAZZ.  See the best Jazz performers the Capital Region has to offer!

Saturday and Sunday days we serve a sumptuous brunch with a classical guitarist on Sundays. Click here to see our Brunch menu for more details.  Sunday Night we have the most amazing Card Illusionist, Jason Ladanye performing tableside and at the bar from 6:30 to 11PM.  You will talk about his skills for weeks!

Thursday Nights are devoted to all of our area College Friends.  We like to call it Q University, where you can enroll at any time!  We alternate between DJ/Karaoke and an Internationally known DJ TruMastr Trimingham, who plays the best disco, funk, blues, house and mixes it all up the way you like it!

Saturday nights, we have either a DJ or live band.

Every Sunday night is Mexican Night and German Night is every Wednesday night.

Our newest addition is Italian Night which will kick off Monday, Sept. 13th and will continue every Monday from there.

Several new elements have also been added to enhance our guest’s experience.  Quintessence now offers FREE WiFi service to accommodate our many business people and students. FREE valet parking is now available every night beginning at 5pm.  In addition, Quintessence now has it’s own parking lot for our guest’s convenience, located just across from our building on Dana Avenue.   Most exciting of all, we are introducing our NEW ONLINE ORDERING with FREE DELIVERY Monday through Friday from 11AM to 3PM.  Now everyone can enjoy their Quintessence favorites without leaving their office!

We are looking intently at the future of this area; The New Scotland Avenue corridor is going through a lot of construction and rehabilitation. We’re on the ground floor of the neighborhood revitalization, and it’s very exciting to witness the growth and change every day. We feel very fortunate to be a part of it all.

On a final note, we would like to thank our friend, Jim Scalzo, for his support, time and invaluable knowledge. Most of all, we would like to thank him for his original vision. If not for that, Quintessence could not exist as it does today.