Came here for a date and was very impressed by food and service. Our server was adorable and knowledgeable. The food is fresh and high quality. 2nd visit was with friends. We dined at the beautiful bar and was impressed with Shannon. Dessert is worth every calorie. Don't be troubled by parking. read more

Alba - Bar - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Hands down, this is the best restaurant meal I have ever had. With the food, the service and experience were worth the price. I recommend coming to Alba for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion. read more

Great food. Great staff. We got lucky and we were there for 1/2 price wine bottles! Highly recommend.

Tried Alba for the first time for a birthday celebration, and I'm torn about what to truly rate it. Because the food was great but the service was awful, some of the worst we've had in awhile. I believe the issue lied in the server specifically because the other server near our table could have run circles around our server. People who came in way after us were getting their food (very similar orders) long before we got ours, he only came back to check on us once leaving our drinks empty nearly the whole time we dined and plates not cleared. It was a disappointing experience. But the food- we ordered deviled eggs, potato beignets, and the lamb shank. The potato beignets were my favorite of the appetizers; crispy, flavorful and well made. The eggs were good but I didn't love the after taste, just a personal preference. And the lamb shank was amazing. Tender, and delectable; the creamy polenta was unique and a pleasant surprise. read more

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Chive Potato Gnocchi is heavenly. Great selection of wine by glass. Also veggie sauté as a side or starter. Would come back just for that.

I read a lot about Alba. Actually, I first read about Harbinger which led me back to Alba. Sometimes, you take a restaurant and the setting and its people produce a long lineage of incredible chefs. Think French Laundry, Charlie Palmer, etc... Sometimes, the Chef is just so bloody brilliant that when he moves on, the place loses its luster. Alba... I can't quite tell you which way Alba goes. I'm a picky foodie mofo who lives in the Bay Area and is willing to spend upwards of 30% of his income on good food and good wine. I thought the food at Alba was very solid. If I were working for the Michelin guide, however, there's no way in hell I'd ever give them a star. I'm sorry, Alba. You've sure as hell got potential but you need to polish that rough jewel... Service? Service was friendly and amiable when it was there. My server showed up every 25 minutes or so. Apparently, he apologized, I was behind a large party. Hmmm, I'm thinking, I guess they probably will bring a better tip, so fuck the guy dining solo. Sucks to be me... You know what, though, I've been at restaurants that get swamped. I get that. Think smart, though. If I order a drink and you know it's going to be a while until I get my food, bring me my goddamn drink, ok? It's no substitute for food but it sure makes it easier to pass the time. I started out with the beignets. I texted my wife a picture of the menu and she thought that would be a good bet. I certainly was intrigued... Porcini & Shitake Beignets. Sounds sexy, right? Yeah, it was tasty and as you can see from the picture I've posted, the presentation was very nice. Still, they're not beignets as much as mushroom croquettes. I expect fluff and airiness with my beignets. These morsels had hardly any crunch. I followed it up with a marinated hanger steak which showed up some 45 minutes later. It was good. The steak was medium rare, as they suggested it be served and there's really no complaint there. The steak was prepared correctly and the potato pave drew some admiration from yours truly. But $31? No offense, Des Moines, but that's what I pay for such a dish in the Bay Area, and I live in a house that's worth over a million bucks! (Well, I don't think it's worth more than $750k and that's why I'm renting said house, but that's a whole different story...) $31? Y'all aren't outraged with that price? When I finally got my entree, my waiter brought along some bread. Duuude... Why didn't you bring the bread, like, some 20 minutes ago? You do realize I was analyzing the wood in your beautifully polished table, aren't you? I could have been eating your housemade bread instead? Sheessshhhhh... I got a drink to start the evening. A cocktail, to be exact, called Mother of Necessity. That was a beautiful and absolutely stellar cocktail! Alba, you need to keep your bartender and give him or her a big fat raise. On the other hand, you may want to consider hiring a proper sommelier or, at least, hire one on a consultancy basis. You server boutique small wineries, I get that. If you're going to serve Shafer, though, you really ought to be serving their red wines like Relentless or One Point Five. Their Chardonnay's ok but... And I like the Los Olivos wine region. It's got some solid wine. But Stolpman, really? Beckmen, Hitching Post, Jonata, Zaca Mesa, I get... Sorry Stolpman but, ... really? I know I'm being harsh. I gave them 4 stars and I think they have potential but they need to polish up their game a little bit. And guys, if you want some help with beignets or with improving your game, feel free to DM me. My wife used to be Executive Pastry Chef at l'Auberge du Soleil and the Culinary Institute of America, both in Napa. She's available for consulting engagements. read more

Party of 7, food was amazing, staff was very attentive, service was top notch, can't wait to go back!

I took my husband there for his birthday with friends. I don't think the food was amazing in comparison to price I paid. It was nice to go to a new place but I don't think I'd go back. ‍ read more

Great food, great service, great setting. Garrett is a fantastic manager. All waitstaff followed his great modeling and were happy, helpful and so kindly served us. Fritters, Brussels, deviled eggs, sea bass, and the peach ice box dessert: yum yum yum! Sat outside: so pleasant! read more

First time trying Alba last night for a bachelorette dinner. No alcohol for our party of five, but the Bride enjoyed a very robust latte that she really liked and my Arnold Palmer was refilled 4 times. Bride and I did the Prix Fixe and we started out with the Caesar salad and mushroom soup. My soup was incredible! Super creamy and well-balanced and the textures were very complementary. For our main meal everyone ordered gnocchi. I didn't think it could be better than the mushroom soup, but it was to die for. The softest, fluffiest pillows of gnocchi with a delicious crema. The bride's prawn gnocchi were perfectly browned and mine were a lot lighter but still good. I would have loved if they were seared more golden like hers, but they were still incredible! We ended with three desserts and our favorite was The Scoop which was thick and tangy. The molten lava cake was more of a soft chocolate tart and I didn't really care for the ice cream trio. Overall, great food but maybe a little bit overpriced considering portion sizes and comparing to similar restaurants. It was a great experience and our server, Ashley, was super helpful with suggestions and attentive the whole night. If you plan on going make sure you include a 20% tip to treat your servers well! read more

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One of the best fine dining experiences I've had in Des Moines so far. We had gone on a Saturday evening at around 9ish. The place was 2/3rds full at the time. Our server was very good. He guided us through the menu and answered all of our questions. ( not that we're picky eaters) I went for the NY strip steak and my friend went for the Australian seabass. We loved both of them! They were delicious! As for the appetizers, we ordered the carrot masala bisque and the mushroom bruschetta. The carrot bisque was lovely! Another thing I'd like to add is that by the time we finished, it had started snowing pretty bad so we couldn't manage to get an Uber/Lyft back home. Just when we were worried that we'd have to walk back home, our server generously offered us a ride! I know this is more his kind heartedness than the restaurant, but I'd like to mention that too! Would definitely be going here again !! read more

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Atmosphere is pretty cool but the food was average. We ordered the Brussels sprouts. They were grilled nicely but a little on the salty side. We also had the warm Caesar salad but didn't quite understand why it was called warm Caesar because it tasted like a regular Caesar salad. We ordered a porterhouse that was supposedly a thing you could get from Iowa but they forgot to punch the order in so we cancelled it. It's too bad this didn't work out as we were excited to try the food as it was highly recommended. read more

We've been going to Alba for years, thanks in large part to the seasonality of its menu and the team's superb execution on that vision. When I'm asked about our favorite restaurants in the Des Moines metro, Alba is always on that list. The aforementioned seasonal menu keeps us going back to Alba on a regular basis. Despite its relatively small menu, Alba manages to offer items that pickier eaters will enjoy while also highlighting items for the slightly more adventurous eaters. One of our favorite items currently on the menu is the buffalo cauliflower. It's a great spot for business lunches, especially with the soup and salad combinations. It's also a solid pick for a night with friends or for a date. The cocktails are inventive and well-balanced, while the wine list offers a nice selection of options; we especially appreciate the Italian options that aren't regularly seen in Des Moines. In short, if you're looking for a great meal with some of the best service around, Alba's your spot! read more

The Chef's table at Alba's was a great experience. Up close, personal and all the chef's were engaging and personable. Food was superb, ambiance excellent and mood is good. This is a "must" dining experience. read more

Alba - The Chef's table at Alba's was a great experience last night. Up close, personal and all the chef's were engaging and personal. - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Located in the East Village. on a corner next to a church. My wife told me she heard it was good from her boss so we had no idea what to expect. My first impression Walking up seeing the patrons in attendance was oh Business casual place for white haired couples and business people. And I'm thinking I just wanted a chill unpretentious place to take my wife on a date away from our kids and not spend a bunch of money and get a well prepared meal. Well, I was instantly reaffirmed I was in the right place once I walked in the door. Their open kitchen located near the bar allows the thick seasoned smells of sizzling meat floated straight into my nostrils! Almost like a fog of flavor I felt like one of those cartoons as I was floating to my table lured by smells. Wife ordered a martini, I a long island. She ordered the "beef burger"and fries. I ordered the braised brisket with carrot risotto. We like to split or meals so we eachget to try two things. That being said.... The food was prefect. I'd like to make it clear I'm a big man I like to eat. So when I go to pricier places I need to know I'll leave full. The amount of food was prefect. I could eaten more but the fact the food was so well made I left feeling like I didn't want to eat anymore and ruin the flavor in my mouth. Haha The braised brisket was fall apart and moist. The risotto was creamy and sweat. A little past aldente but yummy. Even the "fat" aka flavor booster on the brisket was melt in your mouth. The burger, my wife and I both said at the same time the bun was fluffy..... but dense. Not sure go that is possible.but it was good. The French fries we probably the best I've ever had. I would say this is closer to $$$ restraunt as the burger was $15 and brisket $28. The menu is simple and perfectly executed. Would definitely go on a date night again. read more

Alba - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The service we received this evening was lacking. Our drinks took entirely too long, we ordered appetizers and our waiter left before we could order our meals. We had to flag someone down to retrieve our waiter to order our meals and get our drinks. The appetizers were not impressive in the slightest. We ordered the deviled eggs and the beignets. The dinner however was lovely. The gnocchi was incredible as was the baked chicken. Serving sizes could be slightly bigger on the baked chicken especially for the Iowan man you cater to. The atmosphere is nice but it is loud and it's hard to hear your date. read more

Came here for restaurant week and the food was SO good. I have come here and few times before and the prices are a splurge for my husband and I but well worth it. The food is always so good and presented in a lovely way. The atmosphere is quiet and lends well to a good conversation. The service was great as well with great attention to detail. read more

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Came here for the first time for Valentines Day after hearing some locals rave about it. We reserved way in advance to make sure we could get in. Reservation was at 8 pm and did not get seated until 9:20. We were told someone took our reservation - AKA the hostess seated someone else mistaking them for us. Even though they are supposed to have a texting system when your table is ready... we were told as an apology a round of drinks would be taken off our check. It was not. The menu is prefixed for holidays - not expected - found out because we called that week to ask. Food was okay. I had the brisket - a bit dry - my partner had the osso buco - tough meat- Really disappointed in the quality. Like I said, it was good just not amazing. Lastly the price - I am originally from Chicago newly moved into the area. For this price we could have had a nice meal at a top quality steak or fine dining restaurant in the Loop. Again - only okay. I don't think we will be back. read more

Wonderful rhubarb salad. Add chicken! Gnocchi is flavorful and exquisite. Lamb just melts in your mouth. Beef stroganoff was the best beef stroganoff I ever did have. Great cocktails especially the Aperol spritz. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a really good fancy dinner. Is worth the price. read more

Food and service were excellent! My friend and I did the prix fixe and the dessert was amazing. For entrees, she had the gnocchi and I had the chicken breast. Both were flavorful and delicious. Dessert was crème brûlée and bread pudding. Each were equally amazing! read more

Delightful ambience and meal was delicious. The price wasn't bad for what you got in quality. Appetizer, main dish and dessert for $50. Worth it. The crème brûlée was delightful with a hint of orange. read more

Ordered steak and fries, total was 40. Service was as expected, with nice interior. Food was okay, not much flavor or seasoning but nothing offensive about it. That being said for the price point it is definitely not worth it. read more

Such a friendly staff. We came in a bit rushed to make a show and they accommodated us in every way. The lamb shank so tasty and cooked to perfection. Scallops seared perfect and plated so nicely. The gnocchi were pillows of tasty melt on your mouth. We shared a lava cake the was so rich with the perfect warm goodness in the center. You might ask why only four stars. The chicken the sauce was tasty chicken meat cook nicely. But the skin was not crispy and was rubbery and left on the plate. The drinks were also delicious. We will be back. read more

I always come here when I want an upscale meal at a great price. The food is classic, and never leaves me feeling hungry. Also, the kitchen staff is super young and enthusiastic about what they do, so it is cool to see them doing so well. Extremely impressed with this restaurant. read more

I want to focus on Alba at lunch. I've had excellent meals for dinner and at their bar. In recent months Alba has become my favorite place for lunch. They have a menu full of items at $11 and under. Alba a great menu of brunch items, savory entrees, burgers, sandwiched and appetizers. Recently I at eh Paella. It had a savory fried saffron croquette of rice, shrimp, potato, veggies, and chorizo. These aren't huge portions. With a salad they are perfect. I've also eaten the gnocchi, lamb ragu pasta, chorizo omelet. All of the items are made from fresh ingredients and of the highest quality. If you want a nice lunch, great atmosphere, and enjoy authentic food, Alba should be a regular stop. read more

Alba - Lunch Paella at Alba - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Hit the place on restaurant night. 28$ for three course meal. Tomato salad, duck, peach pudding. That salad was fire. The duck was lights out slapping. The peach pudding was jamming. The place was packed so we sat in the bar. The open kitchen was in the same room so it was smoky. Service was a little slow. I had plenty to eat and would recommend. Nice place. read more

Alba - Tomato Salad. - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Alba is, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant in Des Moines. The menu is seasonal and fantastic. I have never eaten anything that wasn't great, but I especially enjoy Monday night, which is burger night in the bar area. Very affordable gourmet burgers with fries (or upgrade to the veggies, you won't regret it). They also serve AMAZING cocktails, my personal favorite being the gin sling martini, but ask about the seasonal drinks; I've never had a bad one. Bartenders Katie & Shannon are the best! They're always willing to tweak a drink to your liking or recommend something you didn't even know you'd like. All in all, eat here. Burger night is amazing, but so is every other menu/night. There are no wrong choices to be made. read more

Alba - Great Americano! - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The knock on Alba among detractors tends to be service. Having read reviews before choosing Alba for a special occasion dinner, I think we were prepared for anything - from positive to negative. Overall, it was what exactly what we had in mind. In a good way. The best way I can describe our service was "efficient." Like an engineer had written the training manual and waited the tables. Our waiter was kind enough and answered all questions to our satisfaction but certainly didn't linger to try to earn personality points. Our drinks and food were managed in stealth mode, with us barely noticing refills and delivery - which was a good thing for an anniversary meal. I don't care how perfectly styled your hair is Mr. Waiter, we didn't come here to spend quality time with you. Bottom line: somewhat robotic but quick, attentive and accurate service that was what we needed. The food was great. Prosciutto & jalapeno fritters were a perfect start. The braised pork cheeks were a solid choice, though about as rich of an entree as I've had in a while. A little goes a long way. I'd definitely go back. read more

Alba - Braised Pork Cheeks. Chorizo & Jalapeno Potato Salad / BBQ Baked Lentils / Charred Zucchini Salad. - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Had a fantastic experience Friday night with a group of 6. Had the osso buco (pork), potato pave, stroganoff, gnocchi, burger and scallops. One in our party said best scallops she ever had. Desserts were fabulous. The clafoutis and molten chocolate cake are not to be missed. Our waiter Jake was attentive and accommodating. Made excellent drink suggestions. It was such a great experience. Truly. read more

Waited an hour for our food (we had a reservation, and the restaurant was pretty empty), but the food was honestly worth the wait. I (gluten free) got their roasted chicken with seared carrots and confit potatoes. Would absolutely recommend coming here... so long as you aren't coming in hungry. read more

The food and service here is outstanding. It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. I had the beef stroganoff and lava cake. Both were delicious. The restaurant is clean and has nice decor. The doors hanging from the ceiling is a really cool touch. I highly recommend trying this place. read more

Alba is great! I've been here a few times for their Monday hamburger/fries special and once for dinner. I've never had anything I didn't like here. Their fritters are amazing, I personally tend to favor the Albatross burger on Mondays, but they have a ton of options (some with a pork burger instead of beef), and they have an option to add an egg to any burger, which I think is pretty clever, as it's not an option most places. For dessert, I've tried the Salted Caramel Bread Pudding and ice cream. Let. Me. Tell. You. This was AMAZING. If i could eat their desserts everyday without going broke and getting really fat, I 10000% would. It sounds odd paired with burgers, but totally go for it if you have the extra notches on your belt and a couple extra bucks. Literally the only downside I can think of is the parking. It's the East Village, so parking is terrible anyway, but they're on kind of a weird intersection which makes it a little harder to navigate around. If you feel cool, ride your bike down there for lunch and check out the Bike Collective a few stores down afterwards. :) read more

Was happy with my decision to bring my work group of 10 to Alba for lunch. The Asian fusion obsession in Des Moines is perplexing but the "Chinese" chicken salad was a great example of it being done well. My board member who had the Thai burger wasn't as impressed with his entree though. The soup special was asparagus soup. It reminded me of broccoli & cheese but different and I enjoyed the creamy flavor. I wasn't happy with the slow service but the place was packed. I would come back here to try other dishes. read more

Alba - Aspargus soup was creamy veggie goodness - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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So I absolutely loved everything I ordered here. The food is some of the best, most fresh and inventive that I have had here in Des Moines. The one downside is for dinner, it is very expensive for the amount of food you are getting. I feel like the dinner menu would not be a good fit for a picky or non-adventurous eater given that there are a lot of things on the menu that most home cooks or chain restaurants don't use. However, the lunch menu has ample burger and sandwich options that more picky/tame eaters might be more familiar with. We went for dinner and started with the fennel and blood orange bruschetta. This dish was divine; it was so well balanced with its acidity from the blood orange, a certain "spiciness" from the fennel (more sweet, very mild licorice flavor when roasted), creaminess and salt from the goat cheese, sweetness from the dates, and bitter and peppery flavors from the greens in top. You only get 4 slices for $11, so while very delicious; it is expensive for a small portion. I ordered the chive potato gnocchi with prawns. This dish was also perfect. The sauce was creamy and delicious, gnocchi was light, airy, with a perfect sear, veggies (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes) brought good texture and a little bitterness to the dish, and the prawns were buttery and tender. I only had what seemed like 1 prawn cut into 4 small pieces though.., I wanted more! Same with the veggies. I was full after eating the dish, but there was definitely only enough for dinner and not for leftovers. Lunch is much more affordable (everything is around $10). Again, for the less adventurous (and adventurous), give their lunch menu a shot. For those that love fresh, inventive foods, if you are ok with the price for the smaller portions, definitely give their dinner a go. 5 stars for the food, but I really could only give it 4 stars in good conscience because of the small portions that did not match the price. read more

Alba - Burger - American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Really enjoyed the entrees and appetizers here. They have revamped some of the menu items and the food is more flavorful than I remember. Staff is nice, but it can get crowded and timely service can be tough. This Americano fusion approach pays off depending on the entree and my preference is to stick with the simpler choices. The app items I loved were the buffalo cauliflower and fritters. Alba definitely proves to be an enjoyable meal. read more

We are vegetarians and the Brussel sprouts here are to die for, so are the desserts. We love how considerate and attentive the staff is at Alba read more

Great meal! Our two bottles of red wine, Madrigal petite Shiraz before dinner and Penley Estate Shiraz with our meal were both full-bodied and flavorful. Bruschetta appetizer with lemon and fennel and mushroom beignets were unique and delicious! Burger nice sized and fries are fantastic! Gnocchi with prawns is rich and decadent. Chocolate blackberry trifle a nice small size to share and not feel guilty, perfect with cappuccinos! read more

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Four of us arrived on a Saturday night for a 6 PM reservation. We were seated efficiently and promptly and found the menus to be a little bit beyond our culinary lexicon. However our pleasant server answered many of our questions by thoroughly explaining ingredients and methods. We order the bruschetta as an appetizer for all to share and everyone loved the light salad greens on top of the fennel and the cheese. My wife ordered the burger and I ordered the pan-seared halibut. My halibut was absolutely delicious as was the asparagus that accompanied it. I was craving another half portion. My wife's burger which she ordered medium rare arrived a little bit beyond medium rare but she still enjoyed it and the house cut fries were very tasty and well seasoned. For dessert we ordered the chocolate lava cake and the orange cream creme Brûlée. The orange flavor was mild but unmistakable and I scraped out every bit of it. Her lava cake was good but not as good as the one she had at Flemings. Our guests also had their way with their meals and desserts. We all left quite satisfied and agreeing that Alba is a place we would strongly recommend to our friends. You can have confidence that you are not likely to be disappointed. read more

This is one of my top 5 restaurants in the world! The food is amazing. I'm making my way down the menu. All great choices and the desserts are awesome. read more

Possibly the worst steak I've ever had. 45$ for 6oz of burnt rubber. You like asparagus or mashed potatoes with steak? Sorry, they don't have em. 140$ of pure sadness and disappointment. read more