Center city restaurant in the suburbs. Alba is a trendy modern Italian restaurant and bar. The suckling pig is a must get!

Went again last night this restaurant never disappoints me so any negative reviews can take a hike. I work in the business and not only does the visit start up front with Anna the hostess who is friendly and courteous but the rest just follows suit. Every time I visit I guess Im appreciated because I feel the same we are visited with a taste of a complimentary app from the Chef and I say THANK YOU. I can't stop with all the brushetta's they are always seasonal and delicious. My fav dish is the Papperadelle with Wild Boar, it is always delicious. Dessert all the seasonal bread puddings are a winner as well. The service is educated and knowledgeable always efficient. So in closing we all have opinions but when you walk into a restaurant feel comfortable and respected and leave happy with a wonderful meal and a great taste of what you came for, you win, they win and Im a Restaurant Alba fan, keep up the great work you all are appreciated. read more

Excellent food and ambience. We enjoy both the restaurant and the bar. Servers are attentive and polite. when I read some of the negative reviews I think people are so self entitled. Honestly, can you wait a few minutes if a waiter can't get to you immediately? Let's all try to be a little kinder and more generous, especially to people who are living on tips or trying to make a go at running a restaurant in what is a very competitive business. read more

Pricey, but well worth it! Excellent food and very warm atmosphere. If you are looking for a romantic spot, this is it.

Been to Alba 2-3 times over the years. Excellent cuisine, atmosphere, and service. Only gripe is the value, and it's not bad; just a bit over priced overall. read more

Amazing food at a great price; ask for Sean if you want great service.

I agree with other reviewers that this place doesn't meet the hype. Went for birthday dinner with my husband. We decided to try the chef tasting menu which was listed as available Mon-Thurs and was available with wine pairing. It was pricey, but special occasion, etc. We told the waitress that we wanted to try the chef tasting and she replied "Let me see if the chef is doing that tonight." She was gone almost five minutes before returning and saying "I checked with the chef, he said he would be able to do that for you." Huh? Like I was asking for something off-menu? Odd. The food was ok....the highlight was the grilled octopus. The rabbit anglioti was a bit flavorless and a tad dry. Portions were pretty tiny and did not substantiate the cost of the tasting. Everything was just 'ok" except the wine pairings...excellent and a great value compared with the cost of the food. Probably would not return, except maybe to the lovely bar for the excellent wine and maybe try something from the bar menu. read more

Disappointing. Can't comment on food due to the fact that despite making reservations for 8:30 PM and arriving reasonably early, we were not seated after 15 minutes of waiting. 2 other tables who arrived after us were seated. We were never checked on or offered any explanation. It's a shame because this was booked as a birthday dinner but I'll take my business where I'm not taken for granted. read more

The rabbit tortellini were magnificent. Great food.

I took my wife here to celebrate on a Saturday night. She was in the mood for pasta, so we ordered three pasta dishes instead of appetizers. All three were delicious, and consumed quickly! We were already stuffed by the time our lamb and salmon arrived, but we tried a few bites of each anyways. Both were delicious and expertly cooked. The only drawbacks are the prices, but the food is great for fine night out. read more

Until recently, I had only really considered the great resteraunts in the Philadelphia area to be in Center City. We'll all that has changed with recent farm to table small intimate resteraunts popping up all over the Philadelphia suburbs. Last night, I had the opportunity to dine at Alba in Malvern. It was nothing short of amazing. Every dish was incredible. From the steak tartare served on a crusty artisan bread with a sunny side up egg served on top, to the wild boar sauce over pasta, the pumpkin ravioli, the grilled octopus served w Favre beans, to the fire grilled heart of romain lettuce, & the porter house steak served with grilled Brussels sprouts & potatoes. Chef Sean Weinberg has created a completely amazing dining experience. We drove an hour to get here, if this resteraunt is not on your radar...you better add, as this is a must go. I only wish I lived closer....so I could go back sooner. read more

Beautiful restaurant. Delicious and creative foods. Owners are very warm and friendly and love to support local area businesses. A nice addition to Malvern. read more

Update. Food still great. Bartenders are terrible. They are more like waitresses and waiters who get to tend bar. Terrible service a the bar. read more

Been here three times and very happy with each visit! Bruschetta is my favorite and I really could just go and eat that all night! Never had anything bad and the service is always nice. read more

Had dinner Saturday night. The appetizer was quail, I had the suckling pig and hubby had a wild boar pasta. Both were delicious. We also had desert. It was real food, home made with attention to detail. We also order a great bottle of wine for about $30. Would definitely go back. One of the best restaurants on the mainline. Waiter was excellent. read more

I live in the South End of Boston, a Mecca for fine dining, and I was wowed by this place. I could go on but why bother. Check it out for yourself. Ambiance, fantastic service, and extraordinary food. read more

Food as it SHOULD be. Simple, local ingredients cooked with care and imagination. Well worth the price. Hidden gem in Malvern Boro. I have my bar (Flying Pig) and my restaurant (Alba). Wish I had the budget to eat there more often. read more

Great food, nice bar menu w varied options. Atmosphere is not stuffy so it's easy to have a fun night out. Bartender is legendary.

Just had a wonderful meal at Alba. Love the burrata, the beet salad, and the rainbow trout. Unfortunatley we had a sour ending to a wonderful meal. We had just taken care of the bill and the owner came over and pretty much told us they needed our table. Unbelievable. It was not crowded, and we were not over staying our welcome. Just very rude. It's a friday night and lots of tables available. There were other four tops open. I just dont get get it. Not sure any of us want to go back there again with that treatment... read more

Top notch food. Always fresh and unique. I have eaten here many times and never left without having a good meal. Bar menu is very good as well. read more

My wife and I and a friend visited Alba after having not been here in a long time. Needless to say, the food was perfect and probably the best meal we have had in a very long time. The service was excellent. We shared the Bruschetta as an appetizer, which was superb. I highly recommend getting all five selections and sharing them. My entrée included a local grass fed beef rib eye which was cooked to perfection and tasted superb. My wife had the Salmon, which was on the verge of being a tiny bit dry, but was still excellent. Our guest had the scallops. Perfect. Great pre-dinner bar with a good selection of fresh homemade cocktails and a great overall wine selection. read more

My favorite restaurant when visiting Philadelphia. Highly recommend. Service is a plus! The Branzino was crazy deelish and the octopus was out of this world! read more

Had reservations---waited 20 minutes for table which was empty when we arrived. Manhattans seemed to be watered down. Two of four dinners were poor to unsatisfactory. Never got itemized bill----total was $275 for four. Service was slow and ordinary. Noisy and crowded. Wrote letter requesting explanation---no response. Not likely to return. read more

Any time I am torn between multiple entrees, I get excited for dinner. Alba has great variety, delicious food and excellent service. My wife loves the bruchetta, its the perfect appetizer. We will be back and I would recommend Alba to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, unique menus with flawless delivery. read more

Excellent Menu and Food. The have a great variety of superb dishes. The wine selection is good. The bar is quaint and has a relaxing atmosphere. The service is great from the bartenders to the servers. read more

I did not see the review posted by Alex in April, but he was correct. Arrogance is the reason not to go. We went on a snowy, cold night with early 6:30 reservations. We were shown to a table by the kitchen door with side-by-side seats. When I told them that the table was better suited for lovers [I was with a buddy], I asked for another table. There were several open. I was told they were reserved and if we wanted to eat it would have to be at the bar. I was still in a friendly mood and asked to speak to the owner and was told the person I was dealing with was the owner. She then said she couldn't deal with this and asked us to leave and we kindly obliged. NEVER AGAIN. It would have been so easy to accomodate us at another table [it was a snowy cold night with cancelatons most likely]-- but if they don't value customers than we have a lot of other choices, and we can warn others on YELP. Go elsewhere until owners learn why they should treat customers with respect. read more

huge fan, sooo good, contemplating going back to five stars. the servers were so nice. the tapas were so delicious-not kidding the steak tapa-omg you cannot go wrong. they were so understanding when i spilt my whole plate onto the ground. its dark atmosphere, yet you can sit amongst an type of light, to tables in really dark areas near the band, to dim tables, and then light-but can't really see the stage. the pricing is not that bad, i mean we ordered a whole bottle sooo and i think still got out under 60-i hope, being as it may i left my credit card so i did not sign for it-my friend did..regardless-worth it. don't pass the parking lot, they do have a lot so don't trouble yourself with parking. i really don't have any complaints other than the tables are super small but oh well. we went on a jazz night and the guy song his heart out playing jazz, it is what it is. really good wine thou, and outdoor seating-with heat lamps, really cool and different ambiance. theres not usually a wait and you sit yourself sometimes which is really nice. i like it here, defiantly going to go back. its not like a young hopping bar, its more for a group of friends or a boyfriend and girlfriend to go have some appetizers and wine. read more

Our experience at Alba was not pleasant. We were visiting an elderly relative in the area and wanted to take her to dinner. We asked her to choose the restaurant. She chose Alba and made the reservations . I found out later that they required a charge card number from her when she made that reservation. ( I am assuming we would have had to pay a penalty if we were unable to keep our reservation.) We asked two other relatives to join us. When we arrived at the restaurant we were shown to a table right near the front door. It was a small table for 4 with a chair placed at the end for the fifth person. While putting in our order for drinks we were informed that we had to order our complete meal at that time. When we said we would like to order our food after we received our drinks the waiter told us it was not acceptable. If we were not hosting three other people my husband and i would have left the restaurant and gone someplace else to eat. The service was awful. At one point after flagging down the waiter to order a bottle of wine for the table he brought back another bottle which he had substituted for the one we had ordered.. He did not think that was worth mentioning to us. It was not until my husband said something to him he told us they were out of what we ordered so he brought us something else. At $145.00 a bottle we felt it was worth mentioning! When we received our bill, we realized why the waiter had no need to bother with our table. The five of us sitting at the small table at the front door were considered a group at that restaurant. They tacked on a 20% gratuity on our bill because we were a party of Five!! That explained the waiters attitude. He was getting his tip for over $100.00 regardless of the service he provided. Alba is not an experience I will be repeating. read more

Alba is amazing! Just go, don't think about it. The five of us dined a few weeks ago and had a competition on who ordered the best meal. Fyi, this is my first review on Yelp, so you know Chef Sean moves the needle for me to write this. I can write pages, but I will try to be brief. If there is one thing my family knows is great Italian food. Born and raised and Brooklyn, I would be so bold to say that I have eaten in every worthy Italian restaurant in the five boroughs and have a list of top ten that spans the US and Europe. Alba is up there with my top favs with the likes of Il Forno (Providence), Mozza (LA) and a few of my NYC spots--Torrisi, Parm, Bread, Gaia, Laconda Verde, Gemma and Il Gattorpardo. (NYC). Our experience was perfect starting with a pleasant call with Tom for a reservation. When you go, you can't miss the sampling of five bruschettes. The only downside is they are large and filling so pace yourself. Our group had five different secondis, so I tried them all. It was clear that there's no fooling around in the kitchen with fresh local food sources. As I thing about it tonight, I am not sure which dish I will order when I go back later in the week. Maybe I will order the trout. Buon appetito. read more

Alba is a great restaurant in the area. It quickly became one of my parents' favorite spots, and when I was home for the holidays I went there twice in two weeks with them. The food was great both times; however, on my second visit, the service was extremely disappointing and insulting. My parents decided to bring their own wine, knowing that there was a $20 corkage fee per bottle (an outrageous fee for any restaurant, especially one in Malvern. I have lived in Washington, DC and Manhattan and rarely have seen such a steep fee). Throughout our meal we had 3 bottles of our own wine and declined to be brought new glasses for each bottle, despite the fact that they were three different bottles. The waitress was extremely slow and inattentive for most of the night. She never refilled our glasses for us and we had to flag her down to open each bottle of wine. She also failed to mention that there was a $20 corkage fee per bottle. My parents were aware of the fee, but as a courtesy the waitress should not assume that people are aware of the steep charges. Throughout the meal my parents repeatedly engaged the waitress in conversation about the restaurant and her background etc, because it was my parents' fourth time at the restaurant in a month and she had served them before. When it came time for the check, she not only charged them $20 for each bottle of wine (which is fine, that is the policy and we expected and were willing to pay it) but had the audacity to charge automatic gratuity on our party of 5 people when that policy is not listed anywhere. I think it is unbelievably rude to treat repeat customers like this, and assume that they would not tip an appropriate amount on their bill. I know my parents would have tipped her on the entire bill regardless, but in my opinion she didn't deserve an automatic 18% tip on a bill including $60 of corkage fees, considering we never changed glasses and she never poured the wine for us. That night we left the restaurant feeling extremely insulted and with a bad taste in our mouth. The food is good, but they should show more of an interest and respect in how they treat their customers if they want to retain frequent patronage. read more

My fiance and I had a wedding to plan in the area all while being based in Boston, MA - so we relied on the help of family to find a great, nearby spot for our rehearsal dinner. Restaurant Alba was really the only choice, and Sean & Kelly did not disappoint. The food was incredible, the wine choices superb, and the service impeccable. Sean even gave us a list of restaurants to visit on our honeymoon in Italy (we did, and they were the real deal - just like Restaurant Alba). We went back for dinner last week while in town for Thanksgiving and again had one of the best meals ever: suckling pig, rack of lamb, trout - all delicious. The rabbit raviolini were also amazing. Each time we visit (and we will always come back when we are in the area) we try something new and surprising and walk away wishing we had an authentic Italian restaurant like this near our home in Boston. We look forward to the wine bar opening soon! read more

Latest visit to Alba shows a restaurant " sailing " on its reputation but getting tired and needing updating. Apparently if you are in the suburbs, with one successful "Leban" review, its okay to have the same menu for two years without considering some basic updates on your cuisine- The meats prepared in their wood- burning ovens are to die for- don"t get me wrong- but that is not enough to justify the cost for two-$150. for two drinks, one app, and dinner. The servers are also declining in their ability to interact with customers- a definite front of the house problem. There needs to be a rethink about where this restaurant is going- not enough innovation of kitchen plating, and no attention to the fine arts of dining that make their prices worth paying instead of going downtown. I have dined in this establishment ten times in the past two years- the latest was my wifes birthday ( even with advanced noticed, their idea was to mash a candle on the edge of the desert plate, What? Sorry, I will not be back read more