Alma Bistro, Cocina Latina is a Latin fusion restaurant in Norwalk, Connecticut, celebrated for its…read moreflavorful, authentic dishes with a modern twist, blending South American, European, and Asian influences. Popular menu items include birria tacos, octopus, shrimp ceviche, and steak chimichurri. My daughter and I visited here for her birthday, and we both love Latin cuisine. As we walked in, we were greeted warmly and shown to our seats immediately. It was a chilly day, and the restaurant felt cold inside as well. The staff tried to warm things up with space heaters, but they didn't quite do the trick. We ordered empanadas, birria tacos, hanger steak, and sweet plantains with crema and queso fresco. When the dishes arrived, they were lukewarm--a bit disappointing, considering how cold it was outside. The birria tacos were delicious, though again, they could have been hotter. The meat was tender and well-seasoned, but I would have liked it a bit crisper. The hanger steak was tender, and the Pico de Gallo was bursting with flavor, pairing perfectly with the steak. It was nicely seasoned and had a good-sized portion. The empanadas were tasty, with flavorful and plentiful meat. The plantains were extremely delicious. The crema and queso fresco helped bring the whole dish together beautifully. The customer service was friendly, but the food could have been hotter; still, the flavors and seasonings were spot-on.

Excellent food, service. Great happy hour deals. Huge portions. Love this place. Really great…read morefood.

Delicious food! I always order the pulpo à la parrilla, causa, and fish lomo saltado. Best Peruvian…read morefood around Norwalk/ Stamford area. I'm Peruvian!

Came in here late evening, so it was easy parking at the door…read more Great service here very friendly people. Seafood ceviche was good, the seafood are fresh (not overcooked like others) especially squid very fresh not rubbery We asked for Seafood fried rice it was good but salty for us. Loaded with squid mussels shrimp (missing crab .... wish they add it) Green sauce is good but prefer spicy, i guess they adjusted for people can't take the heat. Stir fried beef signature dish is best the fries absorbed all flavor, beef is juicy. ( I will just come back for this ) Seafood soup also yummy enough to share for 4. (Restroom is outside the restaurant)

Great remodel!! Great menu!! Service is amazing, still love the outdoor patio even though i miss…read morethe sand, that is the only thing i would bring back. There items are enhanced and better quality, and presented much better. Cant wait to go back.

I was passing by on Cinco de Mayo around lunch time and decided to pop in. I had been waiting for…read morethe renovations to finish so I was pretty excited. Sadly, just like the rest of the recent reviews I was quite disappointed by what I encountered. Everyone working was super friendly and attentive which was nice but I didn't recognize anyone working there. I didn't pay much attention to that but when the menu came it was greatly reduced and trying to be more "upscale". it felt odd as the main draw of Valencia for lunch was that it was fast, casual, affordable and delicious. I usually get the lunch combo that came with an aerpa, empanada, rice beans and ceviche but that wasn't on the menu that I saw. I ordered the street corn to start and got the bowl with a pernil arepa. The bowl was a large portion and everything was fresh. Taste wise things were pretty good but didn't blow me away. The pernil was only ok and that should have been the star of the show. I had to ask for aji and I was only given a small dish with some hot sauce as well. In the past your server would just hand over a bottle of aji and let you go to town. The food was decent, but not close to what I remember. The biggest let down was when the check came. I know things are expensive all over but lunch was $41 for some street corn, a jeujed up chipotle bowl and a coke. That seems wild. There was also a charge added for the kitchen which I get but it still feels odd to see additional service charges on an already expensive meal. As far as the renovations go it honestly didn't really seem like anything changed inside, maybe some fresh paint and tile? Unfortunately I will probably not return any time soon or even at all.

We went for a quick bite before an even at the music hall. The service was great. They sat us down…read morequickly and our food came out right away. We order the meat picadera. All the meats and chicken wells flavorful and tender. I definitely will come back and try a dinner meal.

My husband was craving Ecuadorian food, and since his mom lives all the way in Queens, NY and I…read morehaven't quite mastered those dishes yet. We decided to take a trip down to Norwalk after seeing the mouthwatering photos from El Idolo. The menu, especially the "specials," had some nostalgic favorites that caught my husband's eye. I was especially excited for the Bolón de Verde, my favorite Ecuadorian breakfast that's very similar to a Dominican mofongo. We ordered it as an appetizer, and wow -- not only was the portion size much larger than expected, but it was just as incredible as the ones I've had in Ecuador. My husband couldn't stop talking about the humitas -- one of his favorite childhood breakfast dishes -- so, of course, we had to order those too. I have to admit... I might actually like them more than tamales! Our main entrees did not disappoint. The portions were huge for the price, so we had plenty to take home. Somehow, we still saved room for dessert -- figs and cheese, a surprisingly amazing combo that ended the meal perfectly. To top it all off, our host was incredibly attentive and kind. She even saved us from getting a parking ticket when we completely missed the meter at the end of the awkwardly placed street. And the Ecuadorian music playing in the background? It made us feel like we were right at home with my husband's family -- complete with the classic tunes about heartbreak and betrayal! We'll definitely be back!

Food is great Service great…read moreAmbiance is good We go often Once we found our credit bill was less Than we thought The owner told us he never takes anything that doesn't belong to him We told our friends that had gone with us And they said when the charge had come it was less then they thought we thought that was terrific

I went last night and ordered two orders of crepes, which I thought would be normal crepes, what I…read morenever imagined was that they were mini crepes, smaller than my hand for $27 dollar 4 crepes that not even joining them complete a normal one, total disgust and disappointment, first and last time I go

Fantastic food and atmosphere in this place. The lunch specials were reasonably priced and had a…read moregood amount of seriously delicious food. The service was prompt and pleasant to interact with. Pastor tacos here are out of this world! Highly recommend!

We came in search of good, quality nachos and we found them! Piled high nachos with cheese…read more(cheddar) refried beans, shredded pork, sour cream and guacamole. Perfect! All tasted fresh, looked amazing, and the chips (which I did not verify were made in house but that's what I heard) were crunchy and did not get soggy! The meat was moist and tasty. We devoured them. Great menu options available from appetizers to entrees. Very reasonably priced. Margarita was strong and wonderful! The homemade beef empanada was so flavorful and crispy crunchy. Packed full of deliciously seasoned meat. The birra taco was so good and the sweet pork taco was divine! Festive yet cool and relaxed atmosphere. Staff was jovial, attentive and super. The only bummer was that there was no ball for the fossball table in the middle of the dining room. Bar and tables and multiple tvs to catch your favorite sport if that's your thing. The entire establishment was clean, inclluding the restrooms. On street parking. We loved it! We highly recommend and will be returning.

Easily one of the best spots for authentic Venezuelan food. We started with the sample appetizer…read moreplatter, which was a great way to try a variety of items. The fresh juices were delicious, and the Chicha Blanca was a unique treat (like a drinkable version of rice pudding). The arepas were fantastic with flavorful fillings. However, the highlight of the meal was definitely the Venezuelan-style hamburgers and hot dogs. They were absolutely massive, piled high with meat and toppings, and packed with flavor. The staff was incredibly kind, and there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating for the summer months.

Very fast service, although a little bit of pressure to order. I asked the waitress what her…read morefavorite was and she recommended the steak and cheese arepa fried. I also did the shredded beef and plantain and beans grilled. Steak and cheese arepa was the star, so crispy, juicy steak, cheese seared. I could eat it dinner every time. The other arepa was decent, it just had the mistake of going second, shredded beef felt slightly dry. It was al little pricier than expected, the steak was 14 and the shredded beef was 11. Will be back to try other dishes!

I love me some Colombian food and it was I was happy to stop by here. We have one in White Plains…read moreand I usually for bakery coffee and empanada run on a Sunday morning. I was here with my daughters after a full day at the aquarium.. we weren't really hungry but wanted to eat something before our drive home.. It was really busy when we got here(Saturday 3:30ish) there were no tables for us unless we waited 10min. We told her we could sit on the stools facing the street located on side wall bcuz we just wanted drinks and something to munch on. We ordered salchipapas and sweet plantain w smoothies (passion fruit and sourpsop) it was amazing! Smoothies on point. The wait staff was personable. The atmosphere is comfortable, clean, and just overall a good place to grab a yummy Spanish bite. Recommend

Be careful when paying here. After you place your card on the check tray, they take your receipt…read moreout of sight to add their own tip before processing the payment. This was my case, a gratuity had already been added to the receipt, but when they returned, they handed me the payment tablet with the tip screen open, making it appear as though I still needed to leave a tip. I didn't realize until later that I had tipped twice. If gratuity is being added, it should be clearly disclosed before asking customers to leave another tip. Transparency matters, and this experience left me feeling misled. Losing a customer over an extra $20 wasn't worth it. I won't be returning.

I found this place after seeking out Colombian food in Norwalk for the first time. I originally…read moretried to go to La Orquidea Bakery but they have gone out of business. It is a very fun and funky place. Totally authentic. When I called I couldn't even get anyone to answer any questions for me in English, so I instantly thought "Damn, their food is going to be GOOD!". And it was. I went in on a Sunday morning and I was surprised that the dining room was about half full and they had about 5 servers between the bar and the dining room. The other section of the store seemed devoted to hot food for take out and Colombian imports. I had a delicious guanabana smoothie and an awesome breakfast consisting of one huge arepa, rice, eggs, and and decent sized, perfectly cooked steak on top of it all for 8 bucks. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that they seemed unconcerned with giving me service or getting me my check in a timely manner. This might just be a cultural thing, but I didn't like how I kept getting passed off from one server to the next. Still, well worth it for the authentic food and lively atmosphere.

I LOVE this restaurant. All of the daily soups are delicious - and I swear, magical if you are…read moresick. I'll take a big serving and have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - take a shower, get a good night's sleep, and the next day? Better! The empanadas are soooo good. The chicken is awesome with rice and beans. Always fresh avocado. Plus the staff is really nice, especially the woman I call "the super cute waitress." :)