We’ve been dining at Alba for over 9 years ever since we moved to West Chester, and tonight was NOTHING like we’ve previously experienced. To start the night my dirty martini was watered down with little flavor: sent back (which I never do) and was re-made to still be less than favorable. For appetizers, the octopus was delicious but the plating on our whipped ricotta and honey/ sea salt bruschetta was nothing more than “toast on a plate.” We were excited to try the rabbit stuffed gnocchi, but once served it was basically a dough-ball with maybe an eighth of a tsp of rabbit inside. For entrees: my husband ordered the chicken parm (which wasn’t bad.) I on the other-hand ordered the diver sea scallops over risotto. Our waiter warned us the dish was risotto heavy with only 2 scallops which was fine— however the risotto texture was comparable to dry rice. At this point we sent the scallop dish back and asked for the check.
Alba has always been a “go to” for us but after tonight it seems like it’s NOT same restaurant we once loved.
The only win- win tonight was Frank- their sommelier— he’s truly amazing and will recommend a wine to pair with your entree to accentuate all flavors without overpowering.
Tonights dining was VERY disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Alison M
My husband and I ate dinner here New Year’s Eve. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. The service was outstanding, as were the menu and the drinks. Excellent spot for a date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MysticMatrix
Tonight was my first time and the food & drinks did not disappoint! Even with a limited diet, they were able to accommodate my requests. Thank you. I will be back 🙂
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia Graf
A most amazing restaurant with excellent food and service. We had a small wedding celebration and the owners accommodated us with an early seating as they were booked and a complimentary toast of champagne. The service and food were excellent. Alba is truly a gem from start to finish and a extraordinary addition to Chester County eating experience. Thank you for making this experience memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeff Sacks
Food was good but felt rushed from the moment we sat down
Jessica Sloan
We stopped into Alba for dinner and had a lovely experience! To start, we had the local lettuces and the ricotta toast. Both had great flavor and were the perfect appetizers. For our mains, we had the bucatini, tagliatelle and the spaghetti & meatballs. 10/10 - no notes. And if you’re pondering dessert - look no further than the brownie!!! So good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren OToole
Service is tremendous...it's so cosy and beautiful inside...the food is the best you will ever have honestly...Alba is just the GOAT!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C. Latyak (The Terra Kitchen)
this establishment has become a QUICK favorite of mine. the atmosphere was beyond cozy and the service from all staff members was nothing short of welcoming and patient (especially Emaan). what drew me most to this location was their “farm to table” aspect. locally sourced food, seasonal produce and flavors- and an emphasis on grass fed/humanely raised protein options (score!!). as the final touch to making this restaurant a new weekly visit was the fact that they make there OWN pasta with wheat from Italy (no bloat!), fry their foods in BEEF TALLOW and cook their dishes using olive oil. if you are sensitive/aware to PUFAS— this place is a great, genuinely healthy option to eat/indulge! thank you Restaurant Alba, i appreciate your commitment to quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C. Latyak
this establishment has become a QUICK favorite of mine. the atmosphere was beyond cozy and the service from all staff members was nothing short of welcoming and patient (especially Emaan). what drew me most to this location was their “farm to table” aspect. locally sourced food, seasonal produce and flavors- and an emphasis on grass fed/humanely raised protein options (score!!). as the final touch to making this restaurant a new weekly visit was the fact that they make there OWN pasta with wheat from Italy (no bloat!), fry their foods in BEEF TALLOW and cook their dishes using olive oil. if you are sensitive/aware to PUFAS— this place is a great, genuinely healthy option to eat/indulge! thank you Restaurant Alba, i appreciate your commitment to quality.
Very high quality food. Excellent attention to details of presentation. Blending of flavors was very good. Wine list is outstanding. Frank the sommelier was extremely helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shakir Haidar
Restaurant Alba Restaurant Alba delivers a refined dining experience with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and beautifully presented dishes. The menu blends modern American cuisine with subtle international influences, offering flavorful and creative options. The ambiance is elegant yet inviting, perfect for special occasions or a nice night out. Service is attentive and knowledgeable, adding to the overall enjoyable experience. Highly recommended for those seeking quality and a touch of sophistication.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Whitmore
What a great experience! Our server, Frank, was superb. Our food was absolutely delicious. I had the octopus app and rigatoni entree. The ambiance was wonderful except for the loud cell phone video playing table of 8 next to us. Not Alba's fault. Northern Italian food at it's best!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nora
The hostess called us to let us know that our first anniversary dinner would have a time limit on it of 2 hours and that was enough time for us...Having worked in food service for decades I have to say her rudeness and lack of polite service will prevent us from coming back as well as me no longer recommending Alba to my residents in Malvern. We instead went to the General Warren and had a fantastic 3 hour dinner!
Edited to add: I work 5 mins down the road and was leaving work early for this reservation as I told the woman on the phone. The continued rudeness and arrogance of whoever is responding on behalf of Alba is noted below...perhaps a lesson in how to manage the floor and respond to customers is in order; vergogno!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Izzy Weinberg
Great people, very accommodating and polite. Delicious food obviously
Our favorite restaurant! ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We’ve been dining at Alba for over 9 years ever since we moved to West Chester, and tonight was NOTHING like we’ve previously experienced. To start the night my dirty martini was watered down with little flavor: sent back (which I never do) and was re-made to still be less than favorable. For appetizers, the octopus was delicious but the plating on our whipped ricotta and honey/ sea salt bruschetta was nothing more than “toast on a plate.” We were excited to try the rabbit stuffed gnocchi, but once served it was basically a dough-ball with maybe an eighth of a tsp of rabbit inside. For entrees: my husband ordered the chicken parm (which wasn’t bad.) I on the other-hand ordered the diver sea scallops over risotto. Our waiter warned us the dish was risotto heavy with only 2 scallops which was fine— however the risotto texture was comparable to dry rice. At this point we sent the scallop dish back and asked for the check.
Alba has always been a “go to” for us but after tonight it seems like it’s NOT same restaurant we once loved.
The only win- win tonight was Frank- their sommelier— he’s truly amazing and will recommend a wine to pair with your entree to accentuate all flavors without overpowering.
Tonights dining was VERY disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
My husband and I ate dinner here New Year’s Eve. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. The service was outstanding, as were the menu and the drinks. Excellent spot for a date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tonight was my first time and the food & drinks did not disappoint! Even with a limited diet, they were able to accommodate my requests. Thank you. I will be back 🙂
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A most amazing restaurant with excellent food and service. We had a small wedding celebration and the owners accommodated us with an early seating as they were booked and a complimentary toast of champagne. The service and food were excellent. Alba is truly a gem from start to finish and a extraordinary addition to Chester County eating experience. Thank you for making this experience memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good but felt rushed from the moment we sat down
We stopped into Alba for dinner and had a lovely experience! To start, we had the local lettuces and the ricotta toast. Both had great flavor and were the perfect appetizers. For our mains, we had the bucatini, tagliatelle and the spaghetti & meatballs. 10/10 - no notes. And if you’re pondering dessert - look no further than the brownie!!! So good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service is tremendous...it's so cosy and beautiful inside...the food is the best you will ever have honestly...Alba is just the GOAT!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
this establishment has become a QUICK favorite of mine. the atmosphere was beyond cozy and the service from all staff members was nothing short of welcoming and patient (especially Emaan). what drew me most to this location was their “farm to table” aspect. locally sourced food, seasonal produce and flavors- and an emphasis on grass fed/humanely raised protein options (score!!). as the final touch to making this restaurant a new weekly visit was the fact that they make there OWN pasta with wheat from Italy (no bloat!), fry their foods in BEEF TALLOW and cook their dishes using olive oil. if you are sensitive/aware to PUFAS— this place is a great, genuinely healthy option to eat/indulge!
thank you Restaurant Alba, i appreciate your commitment to quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
this establishment has become a QUICK favorite of mine. the atmosphere was beyond cozy and the service from all staff members was nothing short of welcoming and patient (especially Emaan). what drew me most to this location was their “farm to table” aspect. locally sourced food, seasonal produce and flavors- and an emphasis on grass fed/humanely raised protein options (score!!). as the final touch to making this restaurant a new weekly visit was the fact that they make there OWN pasta with wheat from Italy (no bloat!), fry their foods in BEEF TALLOW and cook their dishes using olive oil. if you are sensitive/aware to PUFAS— this place is a great, genuinely healthy option to eat/indulge!
thank you Restaurant Alba, i appreciate your commitment to quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Very high quality food. Excellent attention to details of presentation. Blending of flavors was very good. Wine list is outstanding. Frank the sommelier was extremely helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurant Alba
Restaurant Alba delivers a refined dining experience with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and beautifully presented dishes. The menu blends modern American cuisine with subtle international influences, offering flavorful and creative options. The ambiance is elegant yet inviting, perfect for special occasions or a nice night out. Service is attentive and knowledgeable, adding to the overall enjoyable experience. Highly recommended for those seeking quality and a touch of sophistication.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a great experience! Our server, Frank, was superb. Our food was absolutely delicious. I had the octopus app and rigatoni entree. The ambiance was wonderful except for the loud cell phone video playing table of 8 next to us. Not Alba's fault. Northern Italian food at it's best!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The hostess called us to let us know that our first anniversary dinner would have a time limit on it of 2 hours and that was enough time for us...Having worked in food service for decades I have to say her rudeness and lack of polite service will prevent us from coming back as well as me no longer recommending Alba to my residents in Malvern. We instead went to the General Warren and had a fantastic 3 hour dinner!
Edited to add: I work 5 mins down the road and was leaving work early for this reservation as I told the woman on the phone. The continued rudeness and arrogance of whoever is responding on behalf of Alba is noted below...perhaps a lesson in how to manage the floor and respond to customers is in order; vergogno!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great people, very accommodating and polite. Delicious food obviously
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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