ALBA London - Italian Restaurant Knightsbridge — Restaurant in London

Had a lovely lunch at Alba Restaurant in Knightsbridge with my wife, and everything about the experience was exceptional. From the welcoming atmosphere to the open kitchen concept, this restaurant delivers both in taste and experience.

We began with a couple of starters that set the tone beautifully. The Pizza Margherita Della Nonna with Buffalo Mozzarella and Homemade Datterini Sauce was an absolute delight. You can instantly understand why it’s one of their most requested dishes. The crust was light yet crisp, the buffalo mozzarella was creamy and indulgent, and the Datterini tomato sauce added a naturally sweet and rich depth that elevated this classic pizza to something truly special.

My wife opted for the Courgette Flowers with Buffalo and Anchovies, and she absolutely loved it. The delicate courgette blossoms were fried to a golden crisp while retaining their light texture, stuffed with smooth buffalo cheese, and accented by a subtle hit of anchovy saltiness. A beautifully balanced and elegant dish.

I had the Catalana with Marinated Tomatoes and Prawns – a standout starter. The prawns were fresh, plump, and marinated perfectly. Each bite was bursting with flavour, and the sweetness of the tomatoes worked in harmony with the delicate seafood. It was vibrant, zesty, and a total joy to eat.

For the mains, my wife chose the Alba Tagliatelle with Black Truffle and Butter Sauce. The moment the dish arrived, the aroma of truffle was intoxicating. The fresh pasta was cooked to perfection, silky, rich, and coated in a luxurious butter sauce that enhanced the earthy truffle without overpowering it. She said it was one of the best pasta dishes she’s ever had, and I agree!

I opted for the Filetto di Bosco, a halal fillet of beef served with black truffle. Cooked exactly to my liking, the fillet was tender, juicy, and full of robust woodland flavour, enhanced by the unmistakable richness of the truffle. It’s always a bonus to find top-quality halal options, and this dish did not disappoint. Elegant presentation and even better taste.

We ended our meal with two desserts that were the perfect finale. The Pistachio Tiramisu was a modern take on the Italian classic, a creamy, nutty, and not overly sweet, with layers of pistachio cream adding a lovely twist. Absolutely sublime.

As a surprise treat, we were served the Grand Gelato Ferrero Rocher, prepared tableside. It was everything you’d want from a showstopper dessert – indulgent, creamy gelato infused with the familiar taste of Ferrero Rocher, topped with crunchy hazelnut pieces. A fun and theatrical way to end a memorable meal.

The mocktails were refreshing and well-balanced, a perfect accompaniment throughout our lunch.

Special thanks to Humza for his excellent service, attentive, knowledgeable, and warm throughout. We also loved chatting with the chefs in the open kitchen. It’s such a unique touch to see them in action and appreciate the craft and care going into each dish.

Would we return? 100% yes. Alba is a gem in Knightsbridge, with amazing food, warm service, and a setting that combines elegance with comfort. Highly...

Let’s start with the good stuff. Great location, fantastic modern interior design, we felt like we were in a top end restaurant in Dubai.

Now the not so great bit.

Food. Because we had a table of 8 we had to order our food in advance! I thought this was strange, 8 people is not a huge table and other than lower end restaurants during the Christmas period I’ve never been asked to do this before in any top restaurant. Red flag ignored!

Across the board we all felt the food was well below average.

The pizza was dry and bland no better than a Tesco pizza you get in a box to cook at home.

I had crab ravioli to start, it had a strange taste that I couldn’t really identify, the pasta was poorly cooked making it quite rubbery.

My main was the most expensive Dover Sole I’ve ever purchased, it was over cooked and tasteless. So disappointing!

My son had the Veal Milanese which was extremely dry and tough.

The jumbo tiger prawn were the most expensive prawns I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. This restaurant made Zuma look cheap by comparison.. I wish I’d gone there.

Regarding the food, I could go on but I’m finding it quite depressing thinking about it.. not to mention, I was up at 5am on the toilet with stomach cramps.

Last but not least, the wine list is ridiculous, there was very few choices for red wine under £2000 (yes, thousand). I chose a Brunello for £175 which was out of stock. Even in central Knightsbridge, we only saw one other table drinking red wine! I would have purchased at least 3 bottles of red but couldn’t. If they don’t change that wine menu very soon they will miss out on a huge amount of revenue! Unless I’m the only person booking this restaurant that isn’t a billionaire.

The head Chef, if he’s still there in 6 months I’d be astonished. The investors behind this business need to make some tough decisions fast.

A special occasion ruined. So many great restaurants in London.. do not make the mistake of...

Upon arrival to the restaurant my friend and I wanted to take some photos as it was a special occasion for us, we were stared down by the door staff and security guards given dirty looks the whole time. My booking was 9pm but at 8.58 we were told to go up to our booking, very odd as you’d think we were late or something. As we got upstairs because we were taking photos that the staff clearly didn’t like even though it wasn’t in the main entrance but the lobby downstairs we were shoved into a dark corner in the back of the restaurant away from the other members of public and ambience. Still being watched and stared at I took a picture of myself and a waiter immediately came over to tell me I cannot take pictures of the restaurant with my flash on which I was not doing. Another waiter came over and explained the menu to us like we had never eaten at a restaurant before and told my friend he can tell by the look of her that she doesn’t like raw fish? Not sure if this was a stereotype but we did not ask for his input so wasn’t sure why he was telling her what to get and what not to. He then offered me Aperol spritz which was the cheapest cocktail on the menu; again acting as if I’ve never been anywhere before. We are frequent restaurant goers and have probably dined at every fine day every establishment in the city for the past 12 years. We left shortly after being made to feel so out of place, judged and discriminated the entire time and no I wouldn’t not recommend this restaurant or treatment to anyone. Very pretentious, there’s so much better places to dine with a better vibe and Brilliant service in the area for...