Café Alma — Restaurant in Cincinnati

The Kosher restaurant that Jews in Cincinnati have been waiting for!! There are so many wonderful things about Cafe Alma, I hope I list them all.

When you walk in, you have this farm to table feel. The ambience is warm. It is clean and gives you a sense of home. It didn't feel like a restaurant or cafe...it felt like I was sitting around the kitchen table with my kids.

The service there is unmatched. Idk if Yair and Lannie are really good at reading people or know how to train their staff well. Either way the staff is so friendly. Smiles all around. You can tell they actually like doing their job. They are not just there for a check. They make you feel like family. It is a testament the ownership, management, and leadership.

The food. OMG. The bagels are soft, the croissants are flaky soft and just a hint of sweetness that will leave you begging for another. Besides having a Bagel and croissant I had the make your omelette. I went for Mozzarella, mushroom and Spinach. (Was travelling so I avoided the jalapeno) the omelette was fluffy with a hint of salt. Perfect taste. The vegetables inside were cooked to perfection and blended so well.

The real testament to Yair (the chef) skill is his French toast. At other restaurants My kids always order french toast or eggs and they hardly eat. Not the case at Cafe Alama.

They devoured the French toast with fruit and whip cream. We had to order another plate. They devoured that and still wanted more!

The coffee. I had a mocha Latte with Almond milk. It was a perfect Amalgam of tastes. The coffee taste was light and didn't over power the mocha. The mocha taste was just right so it didn't dominate the coffee flavor. Honestly haven't had a latte that good since being in Israel. If you truly like coffee and want to experience middle east coffee and break away from Starbucks, this is the place.

The cherry on top of it all is something that I felt could make a place stand apart, but I've never seen done. The toilet paper. It's real toilet paper! Not that single ply at other places. This goes to show how the owners have literally thought of every last detail to make this a true home feel.

1000 Percent recommend you not just try Cafe Alma, but make it your...

Tuna poke bowl was super fresh and vibrant, tuna has a very fresh yet spicy taste, coated in sesame, the toppings in the bowl were all fresh and great textures, could definitely use a bit more sauce because of the heavy amount of rice , but it’s 5/5 for me. Spice still stays on your tongue, even the edemame was roasted and seasoned well. We also got the rainbow veggie hummus, all of the vegetables still had great texture, nothing was overcooked which to me is a big deal. Hummus is definitely the best I’ve ever had. Extremely flavorful and the furthest from bland. My mom had the salmon picatta and the salmon was excellently seasoned and cooked with a wonderful sear, her rice with tomatoes was also very good, didn’t get a chance to try the rose water pistachio waffle, but my sister loves it . I also got a fresh sesame bagel, i forgot to ask for it toasted but that would’ve made it even better, generous side of cream cheese. Lastly we had a mimosa flight which was great, and I tried the lavender orange latte, definitely flavorful , not sure if I’d get it again but it was full of flavor (more toward a cherry note than anything) . Overall I’m not sure why some of these ratings are 3 stars or lower. Our experience was wonderful for the most part! If nothing else, this would be a great place to get some veggie hummus to go . The challah bread is also very good. Not dried out. Flavors were on point for everything and to me, seemed very authentic even though some reviews say otherwise. Definitely give this...

This is not an authentic jewish cousin.

while my overall experience had some strong positives, the food left me a bit divided.

Starting with the good: the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The interior design is tasteful without trying too hard, and their summer terrace is absolutely lovely — a perfect spot for a relaxed outdoor meal. The hospitality really stood out; service was attentive and kind, which I always appreciate.

Now, about the food. I ordered a bowl — a bit on the healthy side, which worked for me since I'm currently counting calories. Surprisingly, it still tasted pretty good, and I appreciated that they offer lighter alternatives.

However, the SHAKSHOUKA was a letdown!!! The portion was quite small for the pricw, and the flavor profile leaned heavily on what tasted like prepackaged North African spice blends — a bit artificial and not quite what I was hoping for in a dish that's usually vibrant and comforting. I love jewish shakshuka and turkish menemen, and had expectations! Will NOT order shakshouka here next time. The side bread didn’t help either — it was dry and bland, which made me skeptical about their other bread offerings.

I’m tempted to give the place another try — maybe I just caught an off moment. The setting and service definitely deserve a second chance.

But!!! If the food doesn’t improve on round two, I might just stick to the...