Alba Ristorante

Enjoyed afternoon tea with three friends and it was an enjoyable experience. Flawless service, impeccable presentation and delicious food. Perfectly timed and attentive, but not intrusive, in a classic old world setting. We will return again.

Great food and presentation was flawless. Our waitress Alicia was perfection. Friendly and warm atmosphere

Alba Ristorante is a must-visit! Alba is a city in Italy, known for its white truffles.It's located in Hotel Granduca (a 5-star hotel) in Uptown Houston, created by the owner Giorgio Borlenghi. The restaurant is located to the right of valet service. There is self-parking on the left side of the hotel. This restaurant is a classic Italian place with divine sophistication, as it follows the theme throughout Hotel Granduca.Upon entrance, there is a private/large party dining table directly in front with about 9 tables to the right of the hostess. You are greeted and given a complimentary glass of Prosecco, which was delicious and chilled. I recommend making a reservation online, as there is limited seating. It's not packed yet though.FOOD:Complimentary amousse bouche to start the palate.Smoked Bison Carpaccio (4/5, Lightly smoked bison carpaccio, greens, Parmigiano shaving): Delicious. Light yet tasty with great flavors. I highly recommend this. The bison was very tender. At the top of this appetizer, there is a small concoction of vegetables (similar to what you find in shepherd's pie except without the meat). It fit very well with everything, including the light balsamic reduction.Foie Gras Torchone (3/5, Duck foie gras, date mousse, baba bread, pink peppercorn): I tried a bite of this. I wasn't too carried away. It was average for me. There was a bit of sweetness when mixed with everything, especially with the date mousse and slice of pear.Acquerello Risotto, Barolo, Ossobucco (5/5, 1-year aged rice, barolo wine reduction, veal ossobucco, local "Lira Rossa" cheese): I can say this was amazing! It's definitely the top 3 of the risotto dishes I've tried. You must order this. Tender ossobucco. Very rich in flavor that leaves you wanting for more.Duck Breast (3/5, Parsnips puree, mushroom, baby artichoke, raspberry sauce): My friend loves duck, but he wasn't impressed by this. He thought it was decent. I tried a bite of the breast, which is cooked to medium temperature. The parsnips puree adds a mildly sweet taste to this dish, which works.Chocolate Fondant (5/5, Salted caramel and vanilla ice cream): There was a hazelnut crisp at the top that melts into the glass when the warmly-heated salted caramel is poured into this dish. The brownie at the bottom was baked fresh, so this dessert takes a bit of time to prepare. It was heavenly, and I would definitely order again. Everything blended well together, and none of the ingredients were over-powering.Awesome service from the start to the end. Very intimate. Loved the whole dining experience. The chef will also walk around and chat with the guests. You are given a glass of Prosecco when you check in the front, and you are given its homemade hazelnut flavored chocolate at the end.Would I come back? Definitely yes.

The food was unbelievable. Every bite delicious! Service was attentive but not obtrusive or annoying. Everyone had a full understand of the food

Quick thoughts: tasty, perfectly priced, and personal. Yes, it is worth it.Full Review: THIS hidden gem of a restaurant is a must try in Houston. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by name (I don't know how?) and offered a complimentary sip of Prosecco. We were seated in a corner which felt private and intimate. You must know this about Alba-- the service is phenomenal. So personal, so expeditious, so professional. Each server thanked us by name for coming in and spending the evening with them. The only other similar service I have received in Houston would be State of Grace, but SOG still has the hustle and bustle of a neighborhood restaurant. Alba feels much more like private dining, as the chef came out to check on our meals... twice. We started with a lovely amousse bouche that was a delightful introduction to the chef's creativity. Then we enjoyed the foie grasse appetizer. This was a miss for me but a win for my date who truly loved it. The bread service was interesting and unique and complimented the meal. For entrees, we decided on the duck breast for me and the steak for my date. Both were cooked perfectly. I've eaten at the best steakhouses in the city and my steak has come out far undercooked or under seasoned. There is no reason why a patron should need to focus on the cook or seasoning of a steak when a steak costs over $70. Alba honored both of the meats and prepared them along modest side items. But dessert.... We had *three* separate courses for dessert. The first was a lovely surprise dessert for our celebration. I will not ruin the surprise, but it was delightful and entertaining. The second was the house specialty dessert. Although decadent, my date and I were fighting over the last piece. Finally, the house provides a parting gift for each patron that calms the palette. The negatives? The bar is not great. I ordered the house old fashioned and was not impressed. My date ordered a manhattan and also was dissappointed. The house recommended a good glass of wine and they swapped my old fashioned for a great dirty martini (although I've had better for the price). Overall, this place is one of the best in the city. Do not miss it if you are a foodie.

Came here to celebrate my birthday . We wanted something intimate and were not disappointed.5 stars for the food and ambiance. I can't recall exactly what I got but I I think it was the shrimp tagliatelle and my fiance got the acquerello risotto also rich and delicious . The ambiance was old school elegant.Service was the same. We had asked for our soup to be split - fair warning they did tell us it would be small portion but nonetheless when it came out the presentation was not compriomised .For my birthday they brought out this GORGOUS and delicious tiramisu dessert that was probably the best ive ever had Even though we were the last table there, they did not make us feel rushed. Oh also everyone got a home made ferrero Roche which was freaking delicious.I debated writing this because I want to keep this place to myself .. but here I am. Very excited to go back !

Amazing food with amazing service. Genuine Italian fine dining. Elegance is portrayed throughout the entire experience, from your appetizers to dessert. We were lucky to meet the chef/owner and his passion shows.Not a cheap place, but worth every penny.

Very nice dinner for a special occasion. The restaurant is located in the hotel and it's absolutely beautiful. We went for a birthday and the food was excellent. Their details are on point from coat check to each menu having a rubber stamp seal to know it's only yours. The desserts were incredible. I had scallops with truffle and beets which were cooked perfectly.

Recently had the pleasure of eating here, at a company function. What an amazing place, atmosphere was wonderful, service across the board was amazing and you were treated like royalty from when you walked up to when you walked out. An exceptional 5 Star establishment. I had tuna appetizer and it was great, followed up with main course of Beef Tenderloin, that was so tender you did not need a knife. And topped that off with a Hazelnut Bavaroise. 5 Star Service, 5 Star food, 5 Star flavor and overall an amzing place.

Please be aware: Alba is not open to the public since December of 2023. They do private events ONLY. This is unfortunate considering the chefs accolades and authenticity. Dining with this chef would have been a really amazing treat and a rare chance (For us that live in Houston) to experience true and fine Italian cuisine in a beautiful environment.