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Joined 3 years ago
We love this dining experience.
We have been here a number of times and each experience is different and excellent. The menu usually changes a little bit each time we are there so it is like always going to discover something new. We have NEVER been disappointed
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Joined 5 years ago
Class Act.
We both work in restaurants, that being said, this is a class act from the minute we were greeted @ the door
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Joined 5 years ago
Are Weekends Too Busy?.
We want Alba to be the great restaurant in Malvern that it strives to be. The puzzling thing is sometimes things come out of the kitchen that we don't expect. Swordfish shouldn't be dry. Veal Parmigiana does not need to be almost absent a sauce. This is not to say we have not had wonderful meals here. The tasting menu (Sunday to Thursday) has provided us one of our best meals ever in a restaurant. The antipasto is practically always amazing.
My sense is that things can get dicey in the kitchen on weekends-really Friday or Saturday. It's a shame, since we have friends who could only get here on these days and we are hesitant to take them on these evenings.
For the price of the meal, I can't afford to be taking my chances on its quality.
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Joined 5 years ago
Try too hard.
My boyfriend and I went to Alba to celebrate my 34th birthday. I really wanted to go here because I like to eat healthy and the organic/locally grown menu appealed to me. We were running late and completely forgot it was BYOB. The nearest liquor store was in Paoli so I had to forgo a class of wine on my birthday. Not the restaurant's fault since they do remind you when you make reservations it's BYOB. Unfortunately that set the tone for the meal. The food was just average. The menu was limited and there was nothing really basic which makes selection for my meat-and-potatoes boyfriend difficult. I feel they try too hard to be different with elaborately prepared dishes of rabbit and quail. The menu specifically indicates side dishes available upon request but when we asked our server he didn't offer any options other than what we saw as part of other dishes on the menu. No basic salads were on the menu (not even a soup) so we asked if there were any available and we got two dishes of a plain spring mix, with minimal dressing. The ambience was nice and our server pleasant. Overall though, from appetizers to dessert the only way I can categorize the cuisine is very different, but not necessarily in a good way. Food wasn't bad but it wasn't extremely good. Unfortunately we won't be going back to Alba.
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Joined 6 years ago
A Gem in the Town of Malvern!.
When you give a great review you should give a great rating. The fact that you had to drive out of the city to get to this gem of a restaurant should not change a Highly recommended rating to average. Everything about Restaurant Alba is appealing, from the dinning experiance to the dessert. The menu changes with the season and the choices and tastes are outstanding. You will want to come back! We have family members who visit us from all over who rave about this BYOB!
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Joined 7 years ago
Great food that you know is fresh and local....
I ate at Alba for a Slow Food event and I have to say the experience was amazing. The fresh local produce was used in every plate--everything was delectable. Some of the dishes that were particularly memorable were the slowly prepared duck confit atop a creamy, perfectly cooked pea risotto and the strawberry crostada with a dallop of minty fresh whipped cream. The ambiance is warm and slightly rustic and the wait staff and owner are very welcoming. It is evident that the husband and wife team owners and their employees take pride in everything that they serve. From my experience they proved that Alba is a restaurant well worth frequenting...
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