Alma Restaurant — Restaurant in Sliema

When I read “crispy pork belly” on the menu, I expect crispy pork belly, not something chewy, tough, and gummy. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we got. To make matters worse, the waitress insisted that’s how they serve it, which makes me think she confused it with another pork dish. I clarified what we had ordered, but the explanation still didn’t make sense. The fried chicken didn’t help either. It was bland and tasteless. The only real highlights from the All You Can Eat Menu were the spring rolls and tempura prawns, which were actually really good!

If you’re a sushi lover, do yourself a favor and go to a proper sushi restaurant. This is not the place for it. What they do well are the ribs, ribeye, and a few other a la carte dishes - those are definitely worth trying. But seriously, avoid the All You Can Eat menu at all costs.

Overall, it’s a really nice spot for groups. just stick to the items they actually know how to do well.

Update after Management’s reply below:

I’d like to correct a few inaccuracies mentioned in the owner’s response. We did not have any discussion with the servers or management on Friday. The only exchange was when I mentioned that the “crispy pork belly” was anything but crispy, and the waitress insisted that’s how it’s served. I then suggested they remove the word crispy from the menu. Nothing was resolved as she kept referring to another item in the menu, and the matter ended there. No one from management came to our table.

Our experience overall was fine but certainly not “great,” and we definitely did not “applaud” the sushi - they must be confusing us with another table. The sushi was fresh (as it should be, of course!), but it was quite underwhelming in flavour and execution.

The complimentary drink mentioned was offered at the very end (as many restaurants do these days) and was unrelated to our remark about the Bang Bang Pork Noodles. Three of us declined since we had already ordered two bottles of Blanc de Cheval and desserts, while one person accepted and had a coffee.

Finally, Management suggesting we try the a la carte sushi menu next time if the All You Can Eat option wasn’t to our liking essentially confirms that the buffet sushi isn’t held to the same standard. My review and suggestion to avoid the All You Can Eat Menu simply reflects an honest experience so future diners can set realistic...

It's a joke to advertise all you can eat sushi but then tell customers that only a la carte is available because they are serving too many customers. We were sat down since tables were available, so no excuse that the place was fully booked. I've frequented other food spots which serve a sushi buffet and never was i turned away because I did not book beforehand.

Utterly disappointing! Don't promise something you cannot deliver.

Addendum: (Since I am unable to reply to the owner's comment) No where does it state that it is on a booking basis only or that there are limited spots in your many ads. Futhermore, why are you still saying that it was fully booked when you had a number of empty tables available and sat us down. And it could be that the other tables were booked, but you sat us down so clearly you had space for us, thus making your argument invalid. The only option we were offered was a la carte. So you expected us to order around 6 rolls of sushi between two (as we would have done so anyway with the all you can eat) and pay 70-80 euros +, instead of 50 euros. What a joke. Your reply is just proof of your abysmal customer service. Had you at the very least apologised as the owner (and not the waitress as she obviously has no authority to do much), I would've been inclined to give it a second chance but now I will be taking my money elsewhere. . . No One ever told us that the sushi from the a la carte menu was not available so own up to your mistakes and stop being so defensive. Once...

We visited Alma as a group of three and chose the all-you-can-eat menu.

Before our dinner, the restaurant called to confirm the table and whether we preferred all-you-can-eat or à la carte.

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by a waitress who remembered our seating preference. She seated us as far away as possible, just like we asked.

Menus were ready on the table and in hand.

The waiter clearly explained how the all-you-can-eat menu worked.

Happy hour was on until 8:00 pm, so we enjoyed a buy one, get one free offer on cocktails.

We arrived around 7:15 pm. It was quiet and relaxing at first. By 9:30 pm, the restaurant was quite full, but we could still talk easily.

Music was at the right volume, not too loud.

The food was delicious. Sushi was well presented and fresh.

The waiters were very kind. They gave us time to pause between rounds of sushi whenever we needed.

The toilets were very clean, which added to the overall positive experience.

The website mentioned a two-hour table limit, but the waitress told us we could stay and eat until closing time at 10:30 pm.

We had a relaxed, pleasant dinner without feeling rushed.

The staff took great care of us from start to finish.

We were also aware that we had free parking at the Sliema Multi-Storey Car Park, about a five-minute walk away, which was a real blessing since parking in Sliema can be quite difficult.

We will definitely...