Service and atmosphere were very good but there was no value to the food and it lacked taste. $27 for pasta with 5 clams. I left and went to get a pizza because I was still hungry. Sorry not sorry.
D B
4.5 stars. Food was outstanding. Service was ok. Drinks were above average but not excellent.
Justin Williams
Alba continues to be one of the best restaurants around. The quality and consistency of the food is unmatched as well as the service and attention to detail. We come in multiple times a year for their seasonal menus (the brown butter pumpkin ravioli in the fall is a must!)…last Saturday we came in and were once again treated to an amazing dinner. There was a mix up with the reservation (not the restaurants fault) and not only did they call us to let us know, but they went above and beyond to accommodate us. Frank and Denise were our servers for the night and we couldn’t have asked for better service. Everything was paced to perfection and their recommendations were spot on. We had the pork pasta special for the night which had the right amount of heat and was garlicky/savory/cheesy in the best way possible. My wife's salmon was fresh, delicate, and delicious. The stand out for me was the fork tender braised lamb with polenta and sweet potatoes. Chef Sean and his team at Alba are some of the best out there and I cannot recommend them enough!
Ronald Krauser
Excellent in all respects.
Richard Pastor
Great food. Service was attentive and polished.
stacey washington
I always have a wonderful experience dining here. The food is superb, staff welcoming and atmosphere is casually sophisticated.
Highly recommend the intimate window seat if you can get it !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
William Crockett
Exceptional food. One of the best meals I have had that I can recall. This is a can't miss experience
Richard Gustafson
Just had one of the best meals in the greater Philly area. Shay made us two great martinis, and Sean ensured we had a great dinning experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Noll
Met the cook got a tour of the kitchen so nice there
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dr SUBBIO (SUBBIO)
Every time I leave Alba, I feel lucky that *somehow* a restaurant whose brilliant cuisine is befitting the most masterful chefs of the ‘big cities’ ended up in our quaint little burrow of Malvern. ????
As someone (who is Italian) who has 1) eaten at countless high-end restaurants in Philadelphia, and 2) apprenticed ("staged") under one of the best chefs/restaurants in Philly (Marc Vetri/Jeff Michaud/Osteria Ristorante), I can assure you dear reader, Alba is the best Italian dining you are going to find outside of Philly in any county (not just Chester)...and I would argue it is as good or better than many Italian restaurants in Philadelphia. Chef Sean is the real deal, he's trained under the likes of Thomas Keller, and he's been getting it done for a long time in Philly and way beyond. The guy can have a restaurant anywhere and be successful; he just happens to be killing it in Malvern. It shocks me this restaurant is not talked about more (which affirms my belief most people wouldn't know good food if it landed on their head; those people go to Limoncello). Alba is not awful, kitschy, over-the-top, "goomba" Italian food. It's creativity-meets-authentic. It's exceptionally-sourced ingredients. It's well-portioned, beautifully-executed dishes. It's house made pasta nirvana. I am not writing this as a personal friend of Sean or anything, I'm not delivering on any favors I owe to him or his restaurant. I'm just a guy who loves food and loves to cook, who's eaten at Alba dozens of times, who's just trying to save you from wasting your time and money anywhere else around Chester County. Go to Alba immediately. Cheers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vishnu Kasturi
Apparently if you are walking in after 8PM you need to make a reservation. As we were walking into the restaurant right at the door, a gentleman( I guess the manager) asked if we are here to eat and told us that the kitchen closed 15 mins ago. Kitchen closed at 8:15PM and we were entering at 830PM whereas the restaurant closes at 10PM. It’s strange that the kitchen closed 90mins before the close of the restaurant.
Service: 1
Varun Saxena
I recently had the pleasure of being assisted by Kevin at Alba, and I must say, his service was exceptional. From the moment I walked in, Kevin greeted me with a warm smile and a genuine eagerness to assist. His knowledge of the products and services offered by Alba was impressive, and he was able to answer all of my questions with ease.Not only was Kevin knowledgeable, but he also went above and beyond to ensure that I found exactly what I was looking for. He took the time to understand my needs and preferences, and then guided me through the options available, offering valuable insights along the way.What truly set Kevin apart was his professionalism and genuine care for the customer. He made me feel valued and respected throughout the entire process, and I left Alba feeling satisfied with my purchase and grateful for the outstanding service I received.In conclusion, I cannot recommend Kevin at Alba highly enough. If you're in need of assistance or guidance, look no further – Kevin is truly the best in the business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Spaghetti with Shrimp, Broccoli Rabe, Chocolate & Hazelnut Torte, Crepes, Wood Grilled Octopus Scallion Tonnato Gold Potatoes Pickled Onions Olives, Striped Bass, Whole Fish, Gelato, Butterscotch Budino Caramel Sea Salt Soft Whipped Cream, Black Sesame and Grape Desert, Grass Fed Flank Steak Tagliata Mushroom & Spinach Bread Pudding Marsala Sauce, Braised Beef Short Rib Mushrooms Anson Mills Polenta Arugula Horseradish Crème Fraiche, Wood Grilled Trout Escarole Pear Hazelnut Brown Butter, Cioppino, Beet Salad, Whipped Ricotta Honey & Sea Salt Bruschette, Chardonnay, Guinea Hen Agnolotti Dal Plin Brodo Parmigiano Reggiano, Winter Salad
Bindi Bindi
Food wasn't the best and it's not good value for what you get. It is very noisy. I ate at Alba years ago and boycotted it because of a bad experience. This time round was still not a good experience. Oh well, there are other restaurants out there that are better.
Service and atmosphere were very good but there was no value to the food and it lacked taste. $27 for pasta with 5 clams. I left and went to get a pizza because I was still hungry. Sorry not sorry.
4.5 stars. Food was outstanding. Service was ok. Drinks were above average but not excellent.
Alba continues to be one of the best restaurants around. The quality and consistency of the food is unmatched as well as the service and attention to detail. We come in multiple times a year for their seasonal menus (the brown butter pumpkin ravioli in the fall is a must!)…last Saturday we came in and were once again treated to an amazing dinner. There was a mix up with the reservation (not the restaurants fault) and not only did they call us to let us know, but they went above and beyond to accommodate us. Frank and Denise were our servers for the night and we couldn’t have asked for better service. Everything was paced to perfection and their recommendations were spot on. We had the pork pasta special for the night which had the right amount of heat and was garlicky/savory/cheesy in the best way possible. My wife's salmon was fresh, delicate, and delicious. The stand out for me was the fork tender braised lamb with polenta and sweet potatoes. Chef Sean and his team at Alba are some of the best out there and I cannot recommend them enough!
Excellent in all respects.
Great food. Service was attentive and polished.
I always have a wonderful experience dining here. The food is superb, staff welcoming and atmosphere is casually sophisticated.
Highly recommend the intimate window seat if you can get it !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Exceptional food. One of the best meals I have had that I can recall. This is a can't miss experience
Just had one of the best meals in the greater Philly area. Shay made us two great martinis, and Sean ensured we had a great dinning experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Met the cook got a tour of the kitchen so nice there
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every time I leave Alba, I feel lucky that *somehow* a restaurant whose brilliant cuisine is befitting the most masterful chefs of the ‘big cities’ ended up in our quaint little burrow of Malvern. ????
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
As someone (who is Italian) who has 1) eaten at countless high-end restaurants in Philadelphia, and 2) apprenticed ("staged") under one of the best chefs/restaurants in Philly (Marc Vetri/Jeff Michaud/Osteria Ristorante), I can assure you dear reader, Alba is the best Italian dining you are going to find outside of Philly in any county (not just Chester)...and I would argue it is as good or better than many Italian restaurants in Philadelphia. Chef Sean is the real deal, he's trained under the likes of Thomas Keller, and he's been getting it done for a long time in Philly and way beyond. The guy can have a restaurant anywhere and be successful; he just happens to be killing it in Malvern. It shocks me this restaurant is not talked about more (which affirms my belief most people wouldn't know good food if it landed on their head; those people go to Limoncello). Alba is not awful, kitschy, over-the-top, "goomba" Italian food. It's creativity-meets-authentic. It's exceptionally-sourced ingredients. It's well-portioned, beautifully-executed dishes. It's house made pasta nirvana. I am not writing this as a personal friend of Sean or anything, I'm not delivering on any favors I owe to him or his restaurant. I'm just a guy who loves food and loves to cook, who's eaten at Alba dozens of times, who's just trying to save you from wasting your time and money anywhere else around Chester County. Go to Alba immediately. Cheers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Apparently if you are walking in after 8PM you need to make a reservation. As we were walking into the restaurant right at the door, a gentleman( I guess the manager) asked if we are here to eat and told us that the kitchen closed 15 mins ago. Kitchen closed at 8:15PM and we were entering at 830PM whereas the restaurant closes at 10PM. It’s strange that the kitchen closed 90mins before the close of the restaurant.
Service: 1
I recently had the pleasure of being assisted by Kevin at Alba, and I must say, his service was exceptional. From the moment I walked in, Kevin greeted me with a warm smile and a genuine eagerness to assist. His knowledge of the products and services offered by Alba was impressive, and he was able to answer all of my questions with ease.Not only was Kevin knowledgeable, but he also went above and beyond to ensure that I found exactly what I was looking for. He took the time to understand my needs and preferences, and then guided me through the options available, offering valuable insights along the way.What truly set Kevin apart was his professionalism and genuine care for the customer. He made me feel valued and respected throughout the entire process, and I left Alba feeling satisfied with my purchase and grateful for the outstanding service I received.In conclusion, I cannot recommend Kevin at Alba highly enough. If you're in need of assistance or guidance, look no further – Kevin is truly the best in the business.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Spaghetti with Shrimp, Broccoli Rabe, Chocolate & Hazelnut Torte, Crepes, Wood Grilled Octopus Scallion Tonnato Gold Potatoes Pickled Onions Olives, Striped Bass, Whole Fish, Gelato, Butterscotch Budino Caramel Sea Salt Soft Whipped Cream, Black Sesame and Grape Desert, Grass Fed Flank Steak Tagliata Mushroom & Spinach Bread Pudding Marsala Sauce, Braised Beef Short Rib Mushrooms Anson Mills Polenta Arugula Horseradish Crème Fraiche, Wood Grilled Trout Escarole Pear Hazelnut Brown Butter, Cioppino, Beet Salad, Whipped Ricotta Honey & Sea Salt Bruschette, Chardonnay, Guinea Hen Agnolotti Dal Plin Brodo Parmigiano Reggiano, Winter Salad
Food wasn't the best and it's not good value for what you get. It is very noisy. I ate at Alba years ago and boycotted it because of a bad experience. This time round was still not a good experience. Oh well, there are other restaurants out there that are better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Everything is fantastic time & time again!
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