Bard and Baker Board Game Cafe

Came here on a Saturday afternoon for a friend's birthday they have a HUGE selection of games and i was glad to find that all the components were present and cards sleeved for the games we chose to play. We had drinks and food, several of our party enjoyed the pizza bagels and i had the buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese which was good! The portions are more snack sized so you can try more than one item from their menu. There were a number of vegetarian options including the boba tea. The servers bring your drinks and food to the table for you so you wont miss a turn when playing games!

Excellent spot! Very unique place with a plethora of board games to play.

Came here during lunch. Highly recommend getting one of their sandwiches. Their ciabatta bread is homemade. In addition, their cocktails rock! I love that they put boba beads in some of them! Try the pisco pineapple punch! :)

But I don’t recommend getting their salads. There was no flavor and just felt like a boring salad that I can make at home.

A lovely little resturant/cafe with a fantastic atmosphere. Walking in I was hit with chill music, a comfy atmosphere, and I had a good chuckle at all the little stickers and trinkets they had lying around. The boardgame selection is also fantastic.

But my forte is the food. I ordered the "fancy mac" and an Oolong bubble tea. Both of which were very good! The bubble tea was fairly standard, and the fancy mac was extremely interesting. The choice of cheese curds, truffle oil, and cheezits was a bold one. I feel like it paid off at first, those first few bites were great, the cheese pulled from the plate for what seemed like meters, but I struggled to finish the meal by the end with the overwhelming flavors. Maybe hold back on either the truffle oil or the curds, together, they're fighting for room on my tounge.

Regardless, this place is fantastic. A great cafe.

We love this place! The food is delicious, the bubble tea is fantastic, and the selection of board games is top-notch. The staff are all so friendly and they do a great job fostering a welcoming & inclusive space. The special events are so much fun and the 'pixel to plate dinners' are well executed. There's nothing negative to say, this is a great business doing great things for the community!

Fun and games, literally. Fine atmosphere for sharing board game experiences with loved ones, friends, and even new acquaintances. The food was well enjoyed by our group, but order early. It could be a while before you get the food or drinks. All in all, a very good afternoon adventure.

It’s a capital region gem! I brought some friends here, and we played board games for hours. They have a great selection of games, and the food and drinks are good too :)

Sometimes you enter a new place and it just feels right, you know you have found something special. This is exactly how I felt when I first entered this place. The exterior is classy and inviting making it easily noticed from regular traffic. The interior is the perfect combo of modern and welcoming. The staff is so incredibly awesome. We arrived with 3 extra people even though our reservations were for 7, they just rolled with us no issue at all. A huge selection of games. A great light fare menu compliments the situation perfectly. Some of the best handicap access in the city. Parking is no issue with a parking garage across the street. Instantly a family favorite, we will be back often.

Tonight was my second time there and today I was there with others for my birthday and it was great. They have where if you reserve a table for 6-12 people at $10/ person, you have the reserved space, get to play the boardgames and you get a “share-a-bowl” per every 3 people in your party! And the workers are so nice!! I also love their teas and had an amazing buffalo cauliflower sandwich!

Discovered this gem & my husband & I have been coming weekly ever since! Amazing atmosphere/music, incredible selection of fun games, great price for all-day game passes if you come during the week ($5 vs $10 on the weekend). AWESOME food & drinks. Get the Mac & cheese! (Especially the Buffalo chicken). And the Thai tea! Their tapioca pearls are flavorful & a great consistency. The best I’ve had. For games, we def recommend Time Stories & Obscurio!! We’ve been playing a new Time Stories expansion every week. The staff are so friendly & helpful, & are always willing to give game suggestions. My husband & I shared a Mac & cheese yesterday instead of getting our own, & it was impossible not to notice that they purposefully loaded the bowl up more than normal, & put in a lot more chicken. They’re just very thoughtful.
We’ve brought family & friends here & can’t get enough. Good for all ages. You can also rent games to play at home, buy bags of delicious house blend coffee, and — randomly — you can purchase access to a printer. If I could give 10 stars out of 5 I would.
**pictured are the Buffalo chicken mac & fancy Mac, & strawberry & oolong bubble teas! Oh, & Obscurio!

Definitely one of the coolest gaming cases I've ever been to. Plenty of food options available for dietary restrictions too! So glad they're part of the Downtown Troy community.

Bard & Baker is truly a wonderful experience. amazing ambience, wonderful hospitality, clever menu, delectable food & drinks. the breakfast poutine (pictured) is one of the best things ive ever eaten in my life. the gaming aspect is just a bonus IMO. lovely place and lovely staff, the Albany one is great too, i have yet to have a less than great visit to either. i reccomend Bard & Baker to everyone. thank you so much!

Bard & Baker is already my new favorite place to hang out! Aside from their outstanding board game library they have a delicious menu with a variety of craft-quality café fare.

The coffee and tea lists are both varied and formidable. Lots of great choices.

The craft beer/cider/cocktail menu is top notch. I tried the caramel bourbon coffee and was blown away by the richness of flavors. Looking forward to the popcicle/prosecco cocktails as well!

The clean, bright, friendly atmosphere really captures both the energy of downtown Troy and the privacy for enjoying a game with friends or a quiet cup of comfort with your laptop.

Friendly, knowledgeable, approachable staff are the frosting on the cake, so to speak. I'll be spending a lot of time with them as this downtown treasure.

Do yourself a favor and stop by, even just for a quick snack or a drink.

This bakery is a whole vibe ! The engery, the ppl and atmosphere was everything ! Not only can you buy tasty treats , they also have game night where you can win prizes and chill out and enjoy music and have a good time with your peers . He was a very plenty person to talk and get info from pic below

An ideal spot for all kinds of small gatherings like hanging out with old friends or a cool first date spot. I love the assorted drink menu of beer, coffee, tea & wine plus shareable snacks. The overwhelming wall of games speaks for itself.

Bard and Baker is amazing! Charlotte and Bryan are lovely, the food and drinks are fantastic, and the board game selection is unparalleled. Definitely grab some bubble tea from here and stop in when you can for a game night!

One of the best boardgame cafes I've ever been to. Large spacious and airy open area, delicious and creative food and drink options and a huge game library to play for just $5! I wish I lived closer.

There is a lord of the ring meet up and cosplay event there it was really fun with good food and atmosphere their was great good drinks too.

My wife and I have gone to Sunday trivia night a couple of times now. Super fun! Food is good, particularly the poutine, but they also have an eclectic and interesting selection of beers and drinks available. But the games are the main draw! If you need a gaming group or want to just play a nerdy board game this is the place. Too bad the Albany location closed, that place was awesome.

Very cool and welcoming gaming cafe in downtown Troy. Staff was very friendly and the food was great. Will definitely visit again!

An amazing, unique gem of a place. Not only is it tons of fun to play board games from every era imaginable, their food is outstanding. I honestly can't pick a favorite, but the Phoenix Down sandwich is a big one. I'm the biggest fan of their sweeter fair - the butterscotch cookies are ridiculously good, and their drinks are awesome. I recommend the Greyskull for a unique flavor - I'd have never thought I'd want cinnamon in my coffee! I come here not nearly as often as I should. Food's great, staff is always kind despite their heavy workloads and these wacky times we live in. They make awesome cakes too and really made my birthday last year ultra special :) I can't recommend Bard & Baker enough, and I can't wait until my next visit!