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  • Restaurant Alba

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Restaurant Alba
Restaurant Alba

Restaurant Alba Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.restaurantalba.com
  • Email: info@restaurantalba.com
  • Phone: (610) 644-4009
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Tuesday - Friday: 12:00pm - 2:00pm



    Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 9:45pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
  • Executive Chef: Sean Weinberg
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: Private parties up to 60 guests can be accomodated. Customized tasting menus are available for wine dinners or special events. Please contact the restaurant for details.
  • Private Party Contact: Kelly Weinberg (610) 644-4009
  • Special Events & Promotions: Please go to our website to sign up on our mailing list to receive newsletters about upcoming events. We do a variety of events such as winemaker dinners, farmer dinners, wine tastings,as well as off-site farm dinners.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Warren Avenue
  • Public Transit: The SEPTA R5 line stops at the Malvern train station directly behind the restaurant. Please check schedule as not all trains stop in Malvern.
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: Parking is available on the street, directly behind the restaurant in the Malvern train station SEPTA lot & within a block in the municipal lot on S. Warren Avenue.
A word from Restaurant Alba
A casually elegant restaurant featuring hand crafted locally grown artisan foods simply prepared & cooked over a wood-burning grill. The seasonal menu is comprised of foods sourced from over a dozen local farms. Recent accolades include top honors in food & service from Zagat Guide 2008, 2009, 2010… & 2011 & "3 Bells - Excellent" from food critic Craig LaBan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Private parties can be accommodated. In addition, customized tasting menus are available for your wine dinner or special event. Leave time to enjoy a cocktail or craft beer at our bar or perhaps something from our extensive wine list. An additional lighter fare menu is available in our bar area as well. Reservations are only accepted in the dining room, the bar seating is walk-in only.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerItalian
Diner Reviews
  • "WE had the worst table in the restaurant right by the service door. Food was marginal. Poor menu. Will not go back."
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "We have been trying to get to Alba for years, only to find that we were too late to get a reservation. Well, we finally got in, and we had a fantastic meal. We will return!"
    Dined on 4/7/2014
  • "If you are looking for a restaurant that has a little bit of everything then this is your place, the addition of a side bar to go along with the main restaurant just makes this place even better than it already was...the wait staff is tremendous and the owners are always making sure that your experience is a good one. Why would you need to go anywhere else was the statement of the people from out of town that went with us on this past time at Alba."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Great dinner as usual. Would recommend to anyone. A favorite spot with great service."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "We were seated right away . The octopus appetizer was perfectly prepared and plenty for two. The fish special was delicious as was the trout. Service was impeccable . My daughter and I had a great dining experience."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "Nice ambience; well rounded menu and wine list; tables a bit too close for privacy"
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "Great food. Newer bar makes dining room pretty noisy but it's better than driving downtown. Just need to watch the glasses of wine and special appetizers or your bill will soar. Over $350 with tip for 4 people."
    Dined on 3/28/2014
  • "Food was delicious, management and wait staff excellent and considerate, quiet music in background was pleasant and allowed easily heard conversation."
    Dined on 3/28/2014
  • "Always awesome. ALWAYS have the bruschetta with ricotta and honey!"
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "I go to Alba frequently for lunch and always love it; so it was a treat to have dinner. The salmon with smashed avocado was outstanding. My brother had the trout dinner and loved it."
    Dined on 3/24/2014
  • "Returned to Alba for my husbands birthday dinner. We both enjoyed the antipasto appetizer and the Bronzino entree. Both were delicious. We were surprised to find the dress code more casual than we remembered, however, we shall return with friends to enjoy it again."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "Delicious Mediterranean fare, wonderful team, and a warm inviting room with a view of the kitchen, all come together for a great and relaxed dining experience."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "Booked Reservation thru Open Table at no points and then I received an email from Open Table after the Receipt of Reservation that Alba was a 1000 point reservation for the date and time that we selected?? Answer please..."
    Dined on 3/19/2014
  • "Wild Boar Ragu was the absolute most amazing pasta sauce I have ever had!"
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "Restaurant Alba is a small "boutique" restaurant. There are too many tables in a small space. The waitress kept knocking into one of my dining partners as she passed through...without any apology. I dined with three others and one dish came out 5 minutes after the others. We politely waited and then ate our meals at room temperature. The food was fair and overpriced for small portions. The wine list is limited by the glass and the Chardonnay choices were disappointing. I don't think I will be returning to dine there in the near future as there are better options on the main line to choose from."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "We found our lunch experience to be delightful. The food was great, service very attentive, and the noise level permitted us to have a good conversation without distracting noise levels. We look forward to visiting Alba soon again."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "Dined with my wife and had an incredible experience! Food, especially the housemade pastas and desserts are truly world class, executed by a chef who trained in Italy. Can't wait to go back! And the server, whose name I can't remember (he had a funny nickname like Doodle or Diddle) recommended 2 very good Northern Italian wines (Kerner and Lagrein) that I had never before enjoyed, but definitely will again. Thank you Alba!"
    Dined on 12/13/2013
  • "It was our first time eating at Alba after numerous recommendation's from friends, and the experience was spectacular. I had a small surprise dinner for my wife's birthday and the staff was very accommodating. They use unique ingredients and everything was delicious. Although the price is a bit expensive, I highly reccomend giving Alba a try."
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "LAMB OSSO BUCCO somewhat chewy and with a gravy that was too sweet, overpowered the Lamb."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "We had heard great things about Alba and were looking forward to a great experience. Our expectations were maybe too high, but we were not impressed. The food was pretty good, but nothing really extra special. We had a wobbly table, which continued to wobble even after the waiter "fixed" it. We were in and out in about one hour, which seemed too fast for the occasion. We ordered wine by the glass and found the pour to be pretty stingy. The section of the restaurant were we were seated was very dark and did not have a lot of ambience. All in all, good food but we won't go back anytime soon."
    Dined on 2/27/2014
  • "Excellent, creative food with great appetizers and entrees which change daily. Usual variety of meat and fish selections but with a difference ... like rabbit which my guest had in a pasta dish that was excellent. I had a whole bronzini that was also terrifc as was the chef selection antipasto which changes every day."
    Dined on 2/26/2014
  • "All the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Constant conversations in the background, typical of smaller venues. Dishes are nicely prepared and presented. Comparable food to many downtown Philly restaurants without the travel from the suburbs."
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "The food was so-so and, worse, served luke-warm. The noise level was so intrusive we couldn't even hear our waitress."
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "I have eaten at Alba ~8 times over the past 3 years. The last two times were only mediocre. The food is good (not great) but the attitude has become quite pretentious. Asking for any type of substitution (e.g. no starch but extra vegetables) is met with "The chef cannot do that" response. I find this type of attitude to be disrespectful to the customer who, after all, is the consumer. With all of the good restaurant choices in area, we will not be going to Alba in the near future."
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "Fantastic food and awesome service. Wine list is nice but overpriced"
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "I went on a business lunch here and it was a perfect setting. The tables were sufficiently separated so that we could have decent conversation without being overheard by or listening to other diners. The food was fantastic and the service friendly and attentive without being intrusive. Try the roast pork sandwich - or "porchetta." Delicious, even as a leftovers. Looks like it would be a good place for a date night, too!"
    Dined on 1/14/2014
  • "The bruschette was amazing! We got all five and, while it looks like a ton of food, it was perfect for 3 people to share. The veal sweetbreads were perfectly cooked and delicious. The ribeye was outstanding and also perfectly cooked. Our server suggested wines by the glass that paired very well with the foods we ordered."
    Dined on 2/12/2014
  • "My husband and I have been many times. We introduced another new friend and he was blown away. He will definitely be back and Hubby and I will also continue to patronize this wonderful restaurant! They never disappoint."
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "The house made burrata with grilled bread is best around. The reaturant was almost full on a Tuesday night which proves great food and ambience. My husband had to squab and sausage hand cut pasta Ragu and it was delicious. I had the delicious salmon with smashed avocado and grilled onions not only was it low-carb but it was delicious., I did not feel like I was cheating myself."
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "Not somewhere we would dine frequently because of the prices but a great place for a special night out."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "You need to make a reservation in advance, especially on the weekend because people are coming from 30 miles away to this Malvern gem. The menu is unique, healthy and delicious. The wine list is superbly tailored for special wines from Stan the man from Pittsburgh. We had to get two bottles!"
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "Although Alba has enjoyed a great following and foodie reputation we had a very bad experience on Saturday night. In hinesight, I should have know with an early reservation, 6:30pm, we would have been hustled out of their by 8:20pm in order to set the next guests. I know the economics of running a restaurant byut our waiter did everything he could to give us the bums rush. My stomach was so topsy turvy by the anxiety he created that I didn't enjoy the meal at all. Too bad for all around. We won't return."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "We were 4 ladies. The food was wonderful, one soup and salad, one big salad, one ravioli and one fish and chips. Fish and chips could have been a little crispier but still very good with malt vinegar. Service was great, we were not rushed at all. We had a bottle of wine and beer, cocktails are after 4:00. All in all we will go back often because of the innovative menu, service and general enjoyment."
    Dined on 1/30/2014
  • "Listening to the doctors at the next table brag about their Porsches and Maseratis and then start to whine about Medicare reimbursement rates (using unnaturally raised voices) rather made our bruschetta a little less palatable. Dinner, however was wonderful. Thanks for a great birthday."
    Dined on 1/25/2014
  • "Alba is always top-notch. The food is consistently fantastic, highly highly recommended."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "Although overall I enjoyed this meal I thought the menu tried too hard and thus was a bit pretentious. There wasn't a good choice for vegetarians."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "My wife and I were there on Friday at an early seating. The All the food was great and we found the drinks and wines very good too. Our waitress did an outstanding job. The only negative we found was that they expected the table back after two hours if your reservation was between 5 and 7. We most frequently go early. This was fine for the two of us and we did not feel rushed. However I don't think it would have been as enjoyable if we were with another couple as we tend to linger longer under those circumstances."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "My dinner was sweetbreads for a starter (which we split) and they were deep fat fried and they were okay. Nothing special. Then I had braised beef cheeks which were good but it was just very expensive pot roast. Nothing I could not have cooked at home on a week night. My wife had pecan encrusted trout which she said was excellent. No dessert - 2 drinks and and a glass of wine $140 I think the menu is limited and the place is too expensive."
    Dined on 1/23/2014
  • "I met a friend for dinner at Restaurant Alba on a Thursday night after work. We had reservations for 7:30 p.m. and it was already well-packed and lively when we arrived. Our server (don't remember his name) was attentive and well-versed in the menu and wine selections. We ordered one of the seasonal bruschetta (ricotta cheese with honey and sea salt) to share and I had the antipasta of the day while my friend had the beet salad. All outstanding! We both chose a pasta as our main course so as to leave room for dessert--something I always forget to do! We both thoroughly enjoyed our pasta as well. With a wonderful bottle of white wine during dinner and then coffee/dessert to top it all of, it was a wonderful night!"
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "A Tuesday night at 7pm. Service was very slow. Sorry, can't go back"
    Dined on 1/14/2014
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