Cucina Alba

My experience dining at Cucina Alba was awful. The service was terrible, they were trying to rush us out of the restaurant the entire time when I was catching up with friends and celebrating my brithday. They kept pouring half glasses of wine in still half full glasses to ultimately charge us for 17 glasses which is pretty absurd (if we had actually consumed that much we probably wouldn't be able to stand! Ha we were totally fine). Then right before my birthday dessert was coming out the manager rudely came to our table to say we couldn't order anything else. I think because we had prepaid $700 through the Dorsia app and there was a guaranteed 20% so they had no reason to provide good service. Even when we got up to leave we asked the bartender what the problem was and he said we definitely didn't do anything wrong and was just as confused.

We absolutely loved this place!! Food was delicious, staff was so friendly and amazing! A great location too, the ambiance was so inviting, loved the dim lighting! We sat at the bar top and it was so fun to be immersed in what was going on behind the scenes in the kitchen as well!! Overall it was a 10/10 experience.
We got the Focaccia Della Casa to start,
Then had the lobster spaghetti and the linguine primavera

Beautiful interior, very warm.

Octopus and Artichoke were good, as they meet the expectations.
Escarole was meh.
Monte Bianco described as cauliflower souffle but it's really a dense, heavy cream flan. The opposite, not a fan.
Lasagna was really good, crispy on the edges and bottom which I like.
Ciuffolotti Trapanese - waiter said it's a pesto and tomato pasta? Couldn't see or taste pesto..
Romanesco side were simple and tasty.
Fennel Gratin was heavy.

One of my new favorite Italian spots in the city! Despite being so far off to the West side, it's worth the trek.


First thing you'll notice upon entering Alba, is how sleek and sceney the space is. The high ceilings and dim lit space adds a level of class that is missed by similarly styled Italian restaurants like Bad Roman.. which imo misses the mark. Ambiance aside, the food here is really really tasty.

Our server was excellent, she checked in often and never made us feel rushed. She was extremely helpful in guiding us through the menu and providing her recommendations. It was a deliciously fantastic meal to help kick off the Holiday season.

ANTIPASTI
- Pane E Formaggio (focaccia, whipped ricotta) :: the bread was beyond delicious, fluffy and nicely seasoned. A must get!

- Eggplant Parmigiana (ricotta) :: not my favorite dish of the night, but interesting flavor profile... lacked a little bit of salt

- Artichokes Alla Giudia (roasted lemon, garlic) :: damn good! One of the best dishes of the night, nicely roasted artichokes packed with flavor

INSALATE
- Autumn Chopped :: really interesting mix of veggies and fruit (squash, apples), but it works!! Great combination of sweet and savory, the dressing was also out of this world

PASTA
- Rigatoni w/ Seafood :: red sauce rigatoni with chunks of shrimp, mussels and clams all in a red sauce. Nicely sauced, not over the top which allows the flavor of the seafood to rise to the top. The pasta was also cooked perfectly al dente.

PRINCIPALI
- Halibut (gremolata butter) :: Great way to end the meal, nicely cooked, finely seasoned and paired with some sort of vinegar drenched squash side. Combined together it help balance the dish. Really nicely done!

DESSERT
- Chocolate / Hazelnut Gelato & Citrus Sorbet :: no better way to end such a savory meal than with some delicious gelato/sorbet. Great palate cleanser and the quality was top notch. Apparently they get this from "L'arte del Gelato" at Chelsea Market just a few blocks away.. so taking points away for not making in-house. Nonetheless, damn good

Alba transports guests to an urbanite's Italian holiday. A restaurant where the food, ambiance, service is fantastic. They can work on the pace of the food so you don't feel overwhelmed and rushed. But beyond that the vibes are on point. Worth checking out.

Cheers

Came shortly after opening on a Monday because my friend really wanted to get that elusive secret pizza. We didn't get the pizza. However that only meant that we got to try it some other things on the menu. Got the tuna tartare, focaccia and two pastas. If I had to come back to get one of those items again, it'd be the focaccia. I've never tasted focaccia with a crispy yet delicately thin crust that was soft and chewy. The creamed herbed ricotta that was served with the bread made it even better. I loved all the interior decoration, the natural light and the cream themed interior. One aspect that I didn't like was the fact that the menu was not very descriptive so it left me guessing what I was actually eating in my pasta. Service was friendly, Loved the uniforms.

This place was absolutely divine! Interior was pretty and food did not disappoint. My friend and I decided to share their Focaccia as an appetizer (we had the one with whipped ricotta) and honestly, we couldn't stop eating it (and wanted more)! As for entrées, we decided try their pastas and they both tasted amazing. Overall, service was good and everything came pretty fast with less wait time (despite the restaurant being full).

Would recommend, if you're in the area!

IMO, Cucina Alba lives up to the hype.

The aesthetics are gorgeous. The restaurant was really thoughtfully designed. It's very dopamine chic with bright oranges and shades of pink and nude. The tables are comfortable and it wasn't overly crowded.

We got there around 12pm for brunch on a Saturday. It was still quiet in the restaurant, but by the time we left at 2pm it was busy.

We started with a bottle of Prosecco, pane e formaggio, and crespelle (kind of like a cheese blintz). For my main, I got the mozzarella in carrozza which was DELICIOUS. It's basically a breaded and fried sandwich filled with a runny egg, mozzarella, and tomato jam. It was amazing and should be your brunch must order!

Overall, a really hip and swanky spot I'd love to return to for dinner. I saw everyone ordering the trofie pesto - I will need to try it on my next visit!

I have been to Cucina Alba 3 times now and each time has been better than the last. I would recommend having a reservation unless you come to the restaurant around opening or plan to sit at the bar. This is a very popular restaurant with a lot of traction on social media so it can be challenging to get a table. They also have a bar that is first come-first served so you might get lucky and be able to grab a seat there. The staff is super helpful and transparent about timing and getting you a table which was great for the times that I went without a reservation.

Beyond the service, the food is to die for! The agnolotti is my favorite dish on the menu that I have tried so far. The focaccia and whipped ricotta is a must from the appetizers. During my most recent visit, they had a orecchiette amatriciana with burrata special that was absolutely delicious. I have not had a bad dish at this restaurant and love to go before or after some time at Chelsea Piers Golf Club.

The restaurant has a warm color palette with creams and oranges. It is light with both indoor and outdoor seating. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the area or NYC.

This review is for a weekend dinner. Overall, I enjoyed this place: great ambiance and good food. Had a reservation for 4 people and the table wasn't ready so we had to stand awkwardly by the bar for 20-25 minutes.

This is a great spot for a date night, special occasion, or just a fun night with friends (though, I would not say this a party spot). Some fan favorites:

-Calabrian Tuna Tartare: not too spicy at all. Fresh and tasty.

-Panzanella: this was a surprising favorite. It's a must order.

-Agnolotti: perfect amount of richness and truffle-ness. A nice balance if you also get a red sauce pasta.

-Orecchiette: I'm not sure this is on the menu, but it's a must. It's a zesty red sauce pasta (no meat). The portion is HUGE - we split amongst 4 people. And the server literally uses giant scissors to cut the burrata and mix into the pasta.

Had a lovely evening at Cucina Alba - we had the truffle pasta, the Long Island duck, pane e formaggio, and the zucchini flowers. The Long Island duck and pane e formaggio were the highlights of the dinner. The bread was warm, fluffy, and delicious. The duck was a perfect medium rare and was delicious. The pasta was not what we expected. Expected a more truffle flavor but it was rather sweet from the onions. Our service was great.