Got in right when they opened. Staff was friendly. We ordered multiple dishes at once to share and they brought them out as they thought appropriates. Everything was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend trying multiple things as the dishes are designed to share.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Chicken
Leslie Stafford
The food was really good. My family and I enjoyed everything we ordered, cocktails too. We will definitely be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Emily Ann
Interesting small seasonal menu, really good cocktails. One of the best meals I’ve had in Cleveland.
Jen W.
ALEA has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland. It feels like there is a lot of heart that goes into everything behind the scenes and from the time you make a reso to the time you leave.
The design, atmosphere, service, food, wine, taste, presentation, quality, and attention to detail is an unmatched art form that I’ve personally experienced during my limited time in Cleveland.
I’m so grateful ALEA exists as a Clevelander, natural wine and food lover, and as someone who has lived on the Mediterranean Sea and some other places.
Home becomes a lot of places when you move around and the wine (so good!) and food (so good!) and service (so good!) and slow style reminds me of living in the Mediterranean and the lifestyle there which ultimately reminds me that home isn’t always a place but a feeling and taste.
ALEA is a restaurant that I am more than happy, grateful, and lucky to return to!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathryn Fairman
The hearth fired bread with miso butter and honey was amazing. I loved the hamachu crudo it was light and refreshing. The burratta was creamy and perfect with the speck and cantelope. The Persian cucumber was too salty in my opinion, with too little mango to go along with it. The courgette salata was delicious the perfect blend of salty antelope. The ribs were charred deep with a delicious rub. We did not order the ssam for two but every time it was served the restaurant was filled with an unpleasant smell. The desserts however were disappointing. We ordered both. The toasted coconut on top of the pannacotta was pleasant to look at but an unpleasant texture. The cocoa butter tart was both an unpleasant texture and flavor. As an end of the meal it was disappointing and really dampened the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tuna Crudo
Ruben Nazario
Wow! Alea is must if you are ever in Cleveland. It rivals any Michelin-starred restaurant in NY, Chicago, or LA but without the pretension or high prices. We tried six dishes and two desserts, all of which were extraordinary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christine Bennett
We found this place by accident, but it turned out to be the best meal of our vacation! We started with cocktails: I couldn't decide, so I had to try 2 and they were both fabulous: well crafted and flavorful (not syrupy and sweet)! We ordered several small plates - roasted beets, grilled cabbage, hamachi crudo and marinated olives. All were delicious! The service was fantastic - we sat at the bar and the bartender answered all our questions and made suggestions.
Wheelchair accessibility: There were no steps to enter and the layout of the restaurant would make it easy to wheel a chair up to any table.
Our first time here, visiting from out of town. The menu had a variety of great choices, and we were told changes regularly based on sourcing. We tried several dishes including the roasted beet salad, grilled cabbage and hamachi crudo, all were good choices. The service was very good, and took the time to explain the menu. I'd strongly recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adrianna Tondi
The food was amazing. All fresh and prepared right in front of you. We got the chicken wings, which might be the best wings I've ever had. We also got the sweet potato and the fish, which were incredible. We finished off with the cocoa butter tart, which was my favorite.
Parking: Small parking lot next to the restaurant but it probably has about 12 spaces.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brad Carmony
So confused with the 5 star reviews. Food was ok, not memorable. The server seemed utterly disinterested in being there. Oysters took 30 minutes to arrive and had clearly been sitting for at least 20. Beets came 4 minutes later, then a 45 minute wait for the beef. Server literally dropped food without a word and walked away. Hard pass.
Went for a special occasion so had special expectations. And Alea delivered. We sat at the bar bc the cook and prep area is open, so beside food we got a show watching everything be prepared. We also got a full experience of the open wood-fueled flame used in many of the preparations. Everything was delicious. The seared cabbage salad and the whole snapper were particularly delicious. But the real surprise was the desert..the banana panna cotta. Neither of us are desert people but the special occasion called or a sweet finish. But this was not too sweet and the sesame brittle added a savory element that was just so delicious.
Would definitely go back. (Not a big place at all so either make rezzies or go with a small number and sit at the counter.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DJ. Sammy.D
Great place for date night. Sitting at the bar gives you a front row seat to extraordinary food prep.. I tried to take pics as they prepared without them getting annoyed with me, but everything looked so amazing I wanted to take pics to share here.The menu is not standard, think the likes of Zhug but with more than tapas, some pretty fascinating meals.Definitely a recommended stop in your foodie journey of Cleveland
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Rosenthal
Great atmosphereLike that they use local sourcing.The gin in martini takes some getting used to.Steak tasted great, but chewier than I prefer.They tryvery hard and go the extra mile with many, many ingredients in the dishes.Sit at food bar with open hearth kitchen. Lovely. Great date spot.Wish I lived closer to this neighborhood gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Reynaldo Olivo
Best restaurant in Cleveland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare
Helen Sun
The kind of place you pick (in advance, with reservations) for a special meal. Seasonal menu ensures that you'll have even more reason to return, and also can't get too attached to any dish. This is intimate, intentional dining and given the small quarters, you'll be best served messaging ahead to get a reservation unless you arrive exactly at opening time or have lots of time to kill.Ambiance is dim but warmly industrial. Lots of stone and greenery. In my opinion, the open kitchen concept makes the bar seating the best in the house since you get to watch the chefs cook and plate most dishes. The menu is short and for two people, we were very satisfied with a cocktail each, two apps, two entrees, and a dessert. If you have a lot of food restrictions, this might not be the place for you, but a good number of vegetarian options are offered with each menu rotation.Cocktails come quickly and go down smoothly. For the rest - think of it as a dining experience. No, food does not come quickly, but you can literally watch each dish being made to order. Also, dishes are much more inventive than what they seem at first glance. "Potato Salad" incorporated smoked fish, roe, and twirls of cucumber - nothing like what you'd find at a picnic. Panna Cotta might seem like a cop out dessert and some variation is routinely on the menu, but I was still dreaming about its silky texture and perfect blend of tart and vanilla weeks later. Long story short - these people care about food, like to have fun with it, and want to feed you tasty, pretty things.
Got in right when they opened. Staff was friendly. We ordered multiple dishes at once to share and they brought them out as they thought appropriates. Everything was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend trying multiple things as the dishes are designed to share.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roasted Chicken
The food was really good. My family and I enjoyed everything we ordered, cocktails too. We will definitely be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Interesting small seasonal menu, really good cocktails. One of the best meals I’ve had in Cleveland.
ALEA has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland. It feels like there is a lot of heart that goes into everything behind the scenes and from the time you make a reso to the time you leave.
The design, atmosphere, service, food, wine, taste, presentation, quality, and attention to detail is an unmatched art form that I’ve personally experienced during my limited time in Cleveland.
I’m so grateful ALEA exists as a Clevelander, natural wine and food lover, and as someone who has lived on the Mediterranean Sea and some other places.
Home becomes a lot of places when you move around and the wine (so good!) and food (so good!) and service (so good!) and slow style reminds me of living in the Mediterranean and the lifestyle there which ultimately reminds me that home isn’t always a place but a feeling and taste.
ALEA is a restaurant that I am more than happy, grateful, and lucky to return to!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The hearth fired bread with miso butter and honey was amazing. I loved the hamachu crudo it was light and refreshing. The burratta was creamy and perfect with the speck and cantelope. The Persian cucumber was too salty in my opinion, with too little mango to go along with it. The courgette salata was delicious the perfect blend of salty antelope.
The ribs were charred deep with a delicious rub.
We did not order the ssam for two but every time it was served the restaurant was filled with an unpleasant smell.
The desserts however were disappointing. We ordered both. The toasted coconut on top of the pannacotta was pleasant to look at but an unpleasant texture. The cocoa butter tart was both an unpleasant texture and flavor. As an end of the meal it was disappointing and really dampened the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tuna Crudo
Wow! Alea is must if you are ever in Cleveland. It rivals any Michelin-starred restaurant in NY, Chicago, or LA but without the pretension or high prices. We tried six dishes and two desserts, all of which were extraordinary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We found this place by accident, but it turned out to be the best meal of our vacation! We started with cocktails: I couldn't decide, so I had to try 2 and they were both fabulous: well crafted and flavorful (not syrupy and sweet)! We ordered several small plates - roasted beets, grilled cabbage, hamachi crudo and marinated olives. All were delicious! The service was fantastic - we sat at the bar and the bartender answered all our questions and made suggestions.
Wheelchair accessibility: There were no steps to enter and the layout of the restaurant would make it easy to wheel a chair up to any table.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beet Salad & Oranges, Grilled Cabbage Salad
Our first time here, visiting from out of town. The menu had a variety of great choices, and we were told changes regularly based on sourcing. We tried several dishes including the roasted beet salad, grilled cabbage and hamachi crudo, all were good choices. The service was very good, and took the time to explain the menu. I'd strongly recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was amazing. All fresh and prepared right in front of you. We got the chicken wings, which might be the best wings I've ever had. We also got the sweet potato and the fish, which were incredible. We finished off with the cocoa butter tart, which was my favorite.
Parking: Small parking lot next to the restaurant but it probably has about 12 spaces.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So confused with the 5 star reviews. Food was ok, not memorable. The server seemed utterly disinterested in being there. Oysters took 30 minutes to arrive and had clearly been sitting for at least 20. Beets came 4 minutes later, then a 45 minute wait for the beef. Server literally dropped food without a word and walked away. Hard pass.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Went for a special occasion so had special expectations. And Alea delivered. We sat at the bar bc the cook and prep area is open, so beside food we got a show watching everything be prepared. We also got a full experience of the open wood-fueled flame used in many of the preparations. Everything was delicious. The seared cabbage salad and the whole snapper were particularly delicious. But the real surprise was the desert..the banana panna cotta. Neither of us are desert people but the special occasion called or a sweet finish. But this was not too sweet and the sesame brittle added a savory element that was just so delicious.
Would definitely go back. (Not a big place at all so either make rezzies or go with a small number and sit at the counter.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place for date night. Sitting at the bar gives you a front row seat to extraordinary food prep.. I tried to take pics as they prepared without them getting annoyed with me, but everything looked so amazing I wanted to take pics to share here.The menu is not standard, think the likes of Zhug but with more than tapas, some pretty fascinating meals.Definitely a recommended stop in your foodie journey of Cleveland
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great atmosphereLike that they use local sourcing.The gin in martini takes some getting used to.Steak tasted great, but chewier than I prefer.They tryvery hard and go the extra mile with many, many ingredients in the dishes.Sit at food bar with open hearth kitchen. Lovely. Great date spot.Wish I lived closer to this neighborhood gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Best restaurant in Cleveland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare
The kind of place you pick (in advance, with reservations) for a special meal. Seasonal menu ensures that you'll have even more reason to return, and also can't get too attached to any dish. This is intimate, intentional dining and given the small quarters, you'll be best served messaging ahead to get a reservation unless you arrive exactly at opening time or have lots of time to kill.Ambiance is dim but warmly industrial. Lots of stone and greenery. In my opinion, the open kitchen concept makes the bar seating the best in the house since you get to watch the chefs cook and plate most dishes. The menu is short and for two people, we were very satisfied with a cocktail each, two apps, two entrees, and a dessert. If you have a lot of food restrictions, this might not be the place for you, but a good number of vegetarian options are offered with each menu rotation.Cocktails come quickly and go down smoothly. For the rest - think of it as a dining experience. No, food does not come quickly, but you can literally watch each dish being made to order. Also, dishes are much more inventive than what they seem at first glance. "Potato Salad" incorporated smoked fish, roe, and twirls of cucumber - nothing like what you'd find at a picnic. Panna Cotta might seem like a cop out dessert and some variation is routinely on the menu, but I was still dreaming about its silky texture and perfect blend of tart and vanilla weeks later. Long story short - these people care about food, like to have fun with it, and want to feed you tasty, pretty things.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare, Potato Salad
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