Love the menu options. Food quality, drink choices, service were all great. I'd give it 5 stars if the portions were a little larger and the noise level were a little lower. Sat at the bar and it was extremely loud. Had the rabbit pasta dish, and it was wonderful. A little piece of bread would have been nice to be able to sop up the sauce. There were several things on the menu I'd like to go back and try in the future. read more

Overall good but missed for me on some points. Found myself seated at a table so small it was not really usable for dining while staring at an open table across the room, eventually got moved. We were comp'd our first drinks and that was appreciated. Was looking forward to the tasting menu because we wanted to see the chef at his best but were politely declined. A few items were sold out and i prefer that because i like it fresh. The initial time from sit down to begin eating was a bit long because it was very busy. Was not offered bread, that is not ok. Hint: Came to eat and spend, if those two things aren't happening then somebody is not paying attention. When the bread came it was very good. Salads were excellent and assembled with care but could have been colder. Not too many ingredients should come out at room temperature. The entrees were both fish and done well but mine had way too much sauce. They have skill on the grill and you notice a nice smoky flavor. At the end of course the table was not scraped clean, didnt care for that lack of detail. At some point someone turned on motown music and while im a fan, that didn't fit the atmosphere. The staff is attentive and very courteous. So this is my third time here and im left wondering what they are trying to be both behind the kitchen and at the table. Is it main line casual, local bar with kitchen chops, upscale suburban, i have no idea. I have had some good meals here and plan to return. Expected more. read more

I ate here for a third time in the last two years when traveling to the area. I really enjoy their food. I can eat healthy and avoid my allergens, but never compromise on a GREAT culinary experience. The food is fabulous and the atmosphere is nice. Each time I come to the area I will stop for dinner if I am able. I enjoyed the octopus appetizer and my companion had the soup of the day. I ate, and found divine, the trout. You can't go wrong here. We had wonderful service as well. read more

I have been to Alba twice. The first time we went and sat at the bar. We are off their bar menu, and everything was delicious. The second time we went and ate in their dining area. My girlfriend and I both got different pastas, and both were very well made. The service was excellent. The pricing is not bad for the quality of food you receive. I highly recommend Alba for anyone in the Malvern area. read more

The service is excellent. The food is unfortunately boring, overpriced and almost tapas sized. The good thing about the limited portion size is you don't have to consume so much of the boring food. By boring I don't mean the food lacked taste, there was plenty of salt to go around. A $40+ meal for one without any drinks is not that expensive for the area but that money can buy you a much better meal elsewhere. read more

Really disappointed with our recent dinner here. Food was delicious but nothing else was acceptable. They are stingy with their wine pour and I suspect they have heard this before because they bring the wine to the table in a tiny carafe supposedly to demonstrate they measured the portion. Makes you feel like the amount is calculated so don't bother commenting on the stingy pour. They should consider using small wine glasses if they want to continue the pouring so light. Our waiter refused to ask the chef to filet the Bronzino instead of serving it with the head, not always appealing to everyone. Service was mediocre at best but a 20% gratuity was automatically added without any discussion. Surprising when you only have 4 guests. Maybe we caught them on a bad night but we were really disappointed!! read more

The absolute best restaurant in chester county. The food is fresh, unique, and perfectly prepared. I had the 14 oz ribeye which was seared to perfection and melted in my mouth. The atmosphere is so relaxing and a great way to spend a couple hours with friends. read more

Still fantastic & still my favorite Main Line restaurant. They just switched to their Spring menu- try the chicken gauzette! Request Anisa, she's the best!! read more

Sorry to say, not worth the money. My husband asked for a romantic table and we were escorted to the smallest round table that we could barely scoot under. The hostess said it was "the couple's table." Meanwhile another couple right next to us was at a generous rectangular four-top. Service was very good. Drinks were not good. My husband's seemed to be missing some of the advertised ingredients. My $14 martini tasted like it had sweet vermouth. The meal was average. Dessert tasted like bland microwaved bread pudding. Not awful but way overrated and over priced. read more

Wonderful restaurant! A dinner out before People's Light theatre production so we had to manage the time. We arrived early purposefully and Alberto, our waiter, once made aware magnificently helped us to keep to schedule. So many restaurants are good about that until delivering dessert, coffee and the check and then it is a frantic and tense departure no matter how early you arrived. Alberto says he loves his job as a waiter and it showed. He was perfect. Amongst the 3 diners, we had hangar steak, lamb and the fresh fish of the day(Dorzac?), a fish similar to sea bass. The beet salad and kale soup were A+-among the best we have had. All 3 entrees were excellent and exceeded our normal expectations which are high! Desserts-chocolate torte and apple crisp also exceptional. Really attractive, lively environment. It feels like a new favorite restaurant. We can't wait to return. read more

We were in town for a wedding, staying at the Desmond Hotel Malvern. In our room was a magazine about various favorite restaurants in the area and Restaurant Alba was listed with a picture of the Cinghiale Pappardelle. This was one of my favorite dishes when we visited Tuscany, so we thought we would have to try Alba. It didn't disappoint at all! The service was great and friendly, ambiance very quiet (until a group of ladies showed up). We started with a Tuscan bean and corn soup for me and a beet salad for my husband. Both were delicious! The soup was such a great seller that night, they actually ran out, which was just too bad for those who missed out on it. I ordered the Cinghiale and my husband got the Cannelloni of Wyebrook Farm Braised Beef Shank, Spinach & Ricotta Cheese. Suffice it to say that the dishwashers had little to wash when we finished our meal! We had to ask for a bit more bread to sop up the remaining sauce so there was nothing left. Both dishes reminded us of what we loved about the food in Tuscany. It actually tastes of the earth...fresh, delicately spiced and restrained. Not the stereotypical Italian that over-garlics everything. Not that we had any room left for dessert, but it was such a good meal, we had to try some sweets to see if they got that right too! Damn, they did!! I had the Chocolate Blue Ribbon and my husband had a peach torte. Ridiculous flavor and taste! My only regret is that we don't live in the area and can't return weekly to Alba. It was that good. Don't miss this gem of a place and be prepared to throw your diet out the window! read more

What a delilightful find! On a recent visit to see my family in the Philadelphia area I had lunch at Restaurant Alba. I spent the rest of my visit telling all my friends and family that they should go! Great food, great ambiance, just wonderful! Any of the dishes are great but the daily specials are really special. They even have their own fisherman! Go Go Go you wont be disappointed! read more

What a wonderful date night! Fantastic service, environment and food quality that's unmatched in the area. Highly recommend this beautiful place read more

Poor ambience - Check Apathetic waiter - Check Overpriced menu ($12 burger and $3 up charge for cheese / $9 IPA) - Check Average food execution - Check Hair in food - Check (GROSS) This was my second experience. The first visit had all of the above except for the hair. I doubt the third time will be a charm here. There are plenty of quality restaurants in the Main Line area, but a poor dining experience is always disappointing. read more

Hands down Alba is my favorite restaurant in Malvern! Any special occasion should be celebrated here! My husband and I don't get to go often, as it is quite pricey, but our past visits have always been delicious and top notch that the memories hold me over until my next visit. The service, food, ambiance, and entire package is five stars for sure! My husband still dreams about the bread pudding we had during a particular visit in February of 2015. The menu does change depending on the season. For an intimate and different happy hour experience they are the place to go. read more

I am in the food business and this place is amazing. Fresh local high quality meal and what I consider reasonable prices. Innovative menu and I have been recommending to my guests in California who travel to Malvern. Service was fantastic! read more

Food was quite good but really disappointed in how rushed we were. We specifically asked them not to fire our main course until we told them to. We had been there for 45 minutes and already had knocked out 2 courses so we were running well ahead of the 2 hours to get out window that we were forewarned about when making and confirming reservations. For $200 for a party of two I would expect that our request regarding food would be granted (or at least for the server to be apologetic when showing up with the food before our request to fire it). It's a bummer I won't be going back because the food was good... read more

Class Act from begining to end. Great food, presentation, offerings, pleasantly warm decor, smart service...all around exactly what dining is all about! read more

Love eating here! Food is fantastic. The staff is friendly and the mood is energetic. Anytime we have a chance to go out without the kids we come here great restaurant! read more

I ate at Alba twice in September. I like the food here and the ambience although it can be a bit noisy on a crowded night. My first meal was the flat iron steak which had a nice flavor but was quite chewy. I do have braces making chewing difficult so it could have been more me than the food. For my second meal I ordered the Viking scallops with spinach cream and roasted pepper panzenella and it it was divine. The scallops were moist and sweet and the texture and flavor of the panzenella complimented them so well. My husband has ordered the grilled octopus on both occasions and that is proof that he enjoyed. I would give Alba 5 stars if they had a bigger bar. There is no place to sit if you need to wait for a table. read more

This place is a little gem for a really good intimate dinner and a great happy hour. Specifically the short breads were out of this world and the crostini starters were great for some options before digging into dinner. The food is fresh and the kitchen is visible from the main dining room, which is always a plus! Monday's they have very good drink and food deals for happy hour. read more

Went for my birthday, we got there early and they seated us anyway in a cozy spot. We had a waitress in training along with her trainer. Both were extremely nice and they knew the ingredients of each dish i asked about. We were offered a complimentary Amuse Bouche which was almost like a thin potato leek soup accompanied by warm bread. Both were very good. For an appetizer we had the Antipasto which was just incredible and really gave us a taste of what the chef had to offer. My favorite item from this was a simple bruschetta with goat cheese and diced honeycrisp apples. So simple yet a wonderful palate-pleaser. Also included was a golden-fried fish with a honey-based sauce, fried risotta ball stuffed with lamb, shrimp over a bean puree, sopressata with pickled veggies. These might not be the exact ingredients but i'm trying to give you an idea. Either way, it was awesome. The only downside was it was $30 for a two-person portion which is expensive but it really was good. For dinner i had duck breast over a risotto with an incredible sauce. The duck was perfect, not fried or crispy, but tender and juicy. The best duck breast i have ever had. If this is on the menu when we go back, i will get it again, without hesitation. My wife had pumpkin ravioli which was excellent. The sauce wasn't thick and gooey and you could taste the homemade pasta. She loved it. I had two Anchor Steam Porters with dinner, thought the beer selection was decent as well. I never eat dessert but we splurged. I had a wonderful huckleberry and apple torte that was piping hot and not too sweet or heavy. MY wife ate my ice cream while she had some chocolate brownie peanut butter thing that she loved but i didnt touch bc that's just too sweet for me. Coffee was actually good too. All said, the waitresses were excellent and very friendly, even bringing out my dessert with a birthday candle. The food was excellent and i can not wait to go back and bring some friends. My only con might be the price of the 2-person antipasto at $30. While i am glad i got it, seems to me $20 would be more on pace. read more

Really glad I finally made it there, but won't be back. The food is pretty solid, it reaches beyond what 99% of Main Line menus strive to be and typically executes. Some of the dishes are more pedestrian than the descriptions and almost all of them leave you feeling a bit ripped off. The prices are astronomical on some of the dishes. The bar looked great, decor was solid and service was better than expected. But the food was not quite as good as hoped and followed up with a gigantic bill. I would rather hit Nectar or Panorama, but for those wanting to keep it close to Malvern, it's a great option. read more

This is the place I love to visit when in the mood for a romantic, cozy intimate dinner with my favorite person. The food, always fresh, original and delicious, is the main attraction, of course, but the ambience is also a big plus. No matter what we order, we are always delighted. Service is excellent, too. The staff seems to know exactly when to step over and take our order without being intrusive, and the food is presented with grace and sensitivity. Parking can be a little bit challenging if the weather is bad. And it's sometimes tough to get a reservation--especially on notice of less than a few days. But neither is enough to discourage us. Big thumbs up. read more

Situated in the heart of Malvern, steps from its small train station, Alba is a true gem. Offering a changing seasonal menu with some permanent crowd favorites, the food at Alba is a real treat. Being that I've only dined at Alba on two occasions (Fall and Summer) I have yet to see the full variety in its selection. However, on those two occasions I did manage to sample quite a bit of their offerings and was not left disappointed. Alba caters to a large audience, with dishes that are exotic to home favorites. The full bar offers a variety of house drinks, and it's own small menu of bar snacks sure to please the casual diners. I must say, the strongly recommended "Citriolo" sure hit the spot on the hot summer day sitting on their pleasant small patio out back. I fully recommend Alba to anyone passing by, or to residents new and old in the area. read more

Im not usually a fan of reviews but I really felt the need to leave such a great restaurant a review. My girlfriend and I live less than a mile away and never go in for dinner but we decided to this past friday. We were seated outside on the deck (which I didnt know existed). For starters we got the grilled octopus and grilled asparagus, both were cooked well and amazing. Entrees we got a prime rim that was a special for the night and the trout. Once again had so much flavor and was so good. We had a few drinks, laughs with the table next to us. Our server was amazing. The manager touched our table, more places need to do this. Coming from someone who has managed in the restaurant business Alba is on point from all aspects. If you are in town or live near by do yourself a favor and go for dinner. We will be back atleast once a month for our date nights. read more

I went to this place because it was near my apartment and seemed low key. Okay, my expectations weren't too high. But wow, once I walked in, I was a convert. To start with, they were just building the fire in the kitchen for the night - using wood! Then I was told that the chef prepared dinner based on local produce he could find that day. My expectations rose and were met. This place is just great. It is quaint and a good date place. It isn't big and is quiet but the food - man the food. I think I shed a tear when my meal was done. It was so unique and good. I recommend this place to everyone. You will like it. read more

This restaurant will never get my business again. I've tried it two times. The first time was with another couple: the service was good but the food for the price was mediocre. For the second attempt at a visit, my husband booked it for my 50th birthday. Our table was not ready at our reserved time which was perfectly acceptable so we went to wait in the bar area. It became increasingly obvious that we were forgotten as numerous other patrons came in and were seated without reservations in front of us. When we confronted the host desk, there was no apology and no attempt to seat us or make any special accommodations. We ended up having to leave with no table after an almost hour wait. Very upsetting for a restaurant of this supposed caliber to not uphold the highest level of service as well as ruining my birthday evening. read more

Most of the evening was great. I mistakenly ordered the rabbit pasta dish. The food itself was delicious. The presentation was not. One small bowl appeared. No under plate...nothing of color...not even a parsley flake...just a small cereal bowl of rabbit pasta in a brodo...delicious but I was left feeling like I hadn't had enough to eat...would have been nice to have a slice of bread..or some thing else...definitely need to work on the presentation here. read more

Great food. Great wine. Knowledgable staff. The grass fed ribeye was so fatty I could not believe it was grass fed but super tasty.

This is a terrific restaurant. The food and the service were excellent. It was much better than expected, especially the pasta. Even tho it is a long ride from the city i will return soon. read more

The olive oil used for dipping the bread was so good. It tasted fresh. Our waitress was kind enough to tell us the brand but I've forgotten since... unfortunately. Everything we ate was very good and I would love to come back someday! read more

If you want to celebrate any special moment, please look elsewhere. Food was mediocre but the service was exceptionally pathetic. We were there for a friends birthday and our server didn't even wish her. There was no smile on her face and we got the feeling that we were not welcome there. Guess what, it worked Miss Lexi. I wonder what it was as you got your 20% tip anyway. My 2 cents - try to smile and make your guest feel welcome even if they don't look like you. read more

Great menu, amazing service, great food, awesome experience. I share this sentiment every time I eat here, I figured it's time to share it !

Florina was our waitress. I am normally an annoyance to wait staff, or they just ignore my requests. Florina (I called her Joy), really paid attention and with a smile. Everyone loved their food. I was a little worried that I wouldn't find anything on the menu.... But I had the rib eye with potatoes. The language on the menu might scare away a steak lover.... But it was awesome. Have no fear. If you haven't been.... Put it on the schedule. If you aren't familiar with Malvern.... Have a pre-dinner drink one block away at The Flying Pig. Solid. read more

Excellent meal and service. Very eclectic, don't be fooled this is not an Italian Reasturant

This place is one of the best on the Main Line. You often have to head into Center City to get this quality meal and atmosphere. The food is fantastic and the menu changes enough to keep with the flavors of the season. I've had the pork a couple times and would highly recommend. Also, the pasta dishes are of such high quality...the pasta all seems homemade and fresh. The wine list is solid with a great selection of Italian wines...the ambience is good, as well. Really dig the open view into the kitchen and the bustling bar area with a TV to grab a prosecco while waiting. It's usually not easy to snag reservations on the weekend unless you're booking a few days ahead. read more

One of the best restaurants in Malvern. The service was superb. Almost everything on the menu is delicious. I got the goat and it surpassed my expectations. Their drink menu is great also. Highly recommend trying all the menu items and the especially appetizers--the octopus. read more

Restaurant Alba - New American Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

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Once again, another excellent meal! This place just never disappoints. We brought another couple who had never been to Alba. I recommended the Pappardelle, Wild Boar Ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano to them. The whole way home all they talked about how much they enjoyed it their meals and when were we all going back. I enjoyed the Wood Grilled Pennsylvania Trout. (delicious) If you live in the area and haven't tried this place, you should. You won't be disappointed. read more

Visited Alba for the first time, by taking a client there for lunch. The food and service were great. The beet salad was very fresh and the burger was excellent, perfectly cooked and well seasoned. I will be returning, perhaps next time to try dinner. read more