Alba Los Angeles — Restaurant in West Hollywood

Exceptional! You don't often get service like this in LA! I'm going to start with the good because there was almost nothing bad though you'll see my nits are so minuscule it's silly to write this of a restaurant on their second night open From the get go, seating at the table was handled with white glove service. We were confused why we didn't get a food menu, but in reflection I loved that they get your drinks sorted before they bring it to you (great martini, btw). Once we ordered cocktails, our captain explained the menu and we were off to the races. Highlights: Rigatoni (something, I forget) from the bread section was delicious and unexpected Focaccia Della Casa was exceptional, not too greasy, so fluffy and the ricotta was perfectly sweetened Rigatoni Pesto so creamy and flavorful (pistachio, not basil) and rich when pistachio pestos often fall bland THE LAMB SCOTTADITO- truly the best lamb I've had in LA, maybe ever. Perfectly medium rare, a little heavy on the topping, but scraped off and added on sparingly it was divine White Beans were a perfect pairing with the lamb The wine suggested by Loris was divine, old world and the wine list is extensive, if expensive. Brian was a great waiter and Greg the GM came by to say hi. The service was impeccable. Everything came well timed, drinks before food like you want, no long stretches before courses, the only "hiccup" being they brought us a regular knife with the lamb and then when serving the lamb they swapped them for steak knifes (such a nit barely deserves mentioning). Flourless chocolate torta - light, fluffy yet rich, I don't love fruit with chocolate but the persimmon was a nice touch.

I'd say the only thing "missing" is a few more ingredients on the menu to know what you're getting. e.g. almost everything has the name of the dish and then like one ingredient below it, so you have to ask to know what's in it. The persimmon salad, e.g. is all persimmon where we were expecting a salad. Same with the Pistachio Pesto, which was creamy, and my husband didn't know a pesto could be made without basil, so he was bummed/didn't meet expectations. AGAIN SO MINOR this restaurant brings NYC quality to LA (desperately needed) and does it well. I hope it stays and can't wait to come back with the roof open and the menu changing with the season.

Didn't take photos because I was enjoying myself but A+ for...

It's not often you taste food so delicious you audibly swear.

Chef Adam has created such a diverse and impressive menu that I find it hard to suggest any one dish. Each course that came out was somehow even better than the last, and the Focaccia della Casa set the bar high at the very start. We also ordered the Squash Blossoms with lemon mousse to start, delectable and light, perfect for sharing. We followed that up with the Agnolotti, black truffle fonduta, a MUST TRY. I will be dreaming of this pasta until I get a chance to have it again. Finally, for our main, we both ordered the Branzino Al Forno. I wasn't sure how anything could top that pasta until I had the Branzino. A simple yet intricate dish that had a well-rounded flavor profile and cooked to perfection.

Aside from the food, the decor and general ambiance is beautiful but doesn't take itself too seriously. As polished as the decor is, it never feels stuffy or uptight. The lighting itself was next level that our photos looked professionally lit.

The staff at Alba are extremely knowledgeable, humorous, and friendly. Our reservation was right at open, so we were warmly greeted by Kevin as we entered. We were sat right away, and Carly poured us waters. She was very friendly, attentive, and welcoming. Baird, the captain, was knowledgeable of the menu and helped us to pick starters and entrees. We had a lot of questions, Carly and Baird were patient and humorous as we peppered them with questions about the menu and restaurant. Baird explained the menu, where their ingredients are sourced from, and how each dish is prepared. As we ate, Julian, the owner, stopped by to ensure we were enjoying our meal. The timing of each course was also perfect. We were able to sit with each dish, finishing each before the next was brought out, never rushed or waiting. A testament to the skill of the staff and chef.

The care put behind each dish is outstanding, on par with the service provided throughout. It was our first time at Alba, but certainly not our last. We will definitely need to go back to try the...

Well, obviously not a surprise that getting a reservation here really seemed like finding needle in a haystack, especially in its early days. It's getting better recently though I wouldn't say it's easy.

Gorgeous peach color with touch of greens here and there, just amusing view for the eyes.

We got both the appetizer, Focaccia and Raviolo, which all of us were impressed of. The focaccia was flawlessly baked with butter and olive oil per my guesstimate, making it having that salty hint, which they perfectly paired to sweetened whipped ricotta. The ravioli stuffed with mozzarella then cooked in brown butter sauce and balsamico, was another smart combination of flavors, and personally was my highlight of the dinner. Highly recommended if you're a mozzarella fan like me. If you fancied something fried, go for their Squash Blossoms, which did sound simple yet pretty nice coming with their porcini lemon mousse.

As for the pasta, first one we had was the rigatoni, which was cooked al dente in the smoky lemon sauce. The smokey flavor pretty much stood out, but the lemon was pretty subtle. Maybe preference, but the overall taste which was more into tangy, wasn't really my cup of tea. The second pasta dish, the Agnolotti, was probably one of their most popular as I could see almost all reviews about the place had this dish being featured. Hence no reason for not giving it a try, especially knowing I was a huge truffle lover. Not sure what's stuffed inside the agnolotti, but the mixture surely reminded me of squash / pumpkin / sweet potato; so picture sweet filling mixed with creamy flavorful truffle. It was pleasant yet was kinda heavy especially if you...