Alba Restaurant

Wow! The only thing to really say is AMAZING!!! They have an excellent libations menu, but I was not drinking this evening. The food and service were amazing and I can't wait to go back! I highly recommend patronizing Alba Restaurant!!!

We had a grand time with the restaurant week three course menu and choosing wine. Our service was timed perfectly between courses so we could savor every taste bite and wine. Every food item was delivered hot from the kitchen, presented beautifully. we were given time to enjoy this restaurant has a wonderful list of wine selections both by Glass and by bottle. Consistently good food fresh and seasoned appropriately. minimalist deco. Attentive but not hovering service .

Wow! Where to even begin with Alba! Hands down the best meal me and my boyfriend have ever had. We started with Alba’s Old Fashioned, the Gong Fu Spritz, and their fritters and had the duck breast and gnocchi as main courses. An amazing mix of unique flavors and the freshest tasting ingredients! To finish, we had the crème brûlée, wow…one of the best tasting desserts I’ve had during this trip to Iowa. Ash was our server and she was absolutely amazing. She is super knowledgeable and passionate about the menu and very attentive and is super friendly!

We came largely due to the review scores and comments. However, I have to say that I left a bit disappointed. Food: 3-star | Service: 4-star | Atmosphere: 4-star For service and atmosphere, nothing wrong and the host and waitress are super nice. But also nothing stands out from the service or the restaurant atmosphere that would deserve a 5-star. The hanging door decor is an interesting / unusual one. But it can also be kinda creepy (if you watch enough horror films...). Now on Food, they do make their own noodles (in house), which is really nice and their noodles do taste fresh. But the reason for 3-star is that the food tastes fairly *bland*. On one hand, I appreciate that they don't over-season or over-butter their food to make them heavy and unhealthy; but on the other hand, the taste of their dishes (from appetizers to main courses) is just very ... subtle. BTW, the two dishes we ordered are based on their recommendation (their specialty). As such, I cannot offer anything more than 3 stars, based on the food. If you've never been here, it might be worth a try; but I'm not sure I'll be back in the future though.

Lovely atmosphere, the food has somehow needs to be tweaked . Unfortunately I got food poisoning that night from something I ate.

We celebrated our anniversary last night at Alba and it was the best choice for dinner. My wife and I each had a steak, a side, a salad, and a dessert. Every person on the crew, from our waiter to the host ensured we had everything we needed, cleared plates, filled water, etc. All of the food was meticulous and delicious. I would highly recommend Alba for your next dinner choice.

While visiting from out of state, we were looking for a good dinner spot. My sister and her husband couldn't stop going on about how good the food is at Alba. The gnocchi was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. Everything was cooked to perfection! We also tried the hanger steak, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was so tender and delicious just on its own. I didn't think it could get any better. However, I paired it with their mushroom brandy sauce, which was so rich and flavorful that it just elevated the taste of the steak even more. Our server, Jade, was so kind and knowledgeable. She gave us some great insights into the menu. We'll definitely be visiting Alba again the next time we're in Des Moines!

Service was top notch. The cook on my NY Strip was excellent. I was slightly disappointed in the deviled eggs (thought they were under-seasoned), but sprouts and duck fat potatoes and truffle fries were very tasty. Potato pave and mushrooms were great add to steak sides. The tarragon risotto was good but perhaps slightly overcooked. Still good!! Finished it off with lava cake, which albeit small for the price, delicious.

Again on Nov. 21, '24 my wife and I visited restaurant Alba in Des Moines Iowa, It is located in the downtown, in the shadow of the golden dome of the state capital. The restaurant, once again, offered a wonderful experience. It is not a small hole in the wall restaurant, it has a good size upper dining area where we sat, and there is a large lower area to accommodate a larger crowd. THERE IS A TABLE IN THE KITCHEN as well!!!!!!Reservations are necessary for that experience. Although it serves high end offerings, there are more modestly priced offerings such as burgers for $18 made by the same chefs in the same kitchen. The diners are dressed casually like blue jeans and shorts in the summer and some come well dressed but the majority are dress-causal. The parking is, well......keep driving around the block until a spot opens up and it will. The staff are all well informed about the menu and will guide you if you have questions. The manager is on hand as well and will do anything to make your meal exactly to your wishes. This is an excellent restaurant, which is why it is ALWAYS busy, you get quality for your dollar. For an appetizer I had the new to the menu, duck empanadas, 3 to an order with a spicy sofrito base on the plate. Soffritto is Italian and is onion carrot and celery while sofrito contains tomato and hot spices and peppers and is Spanish, We ordered the Miso roasted butternut squash soup. It was perfection. My wife ordered the hand cut 8 ounce tenderloin. The very personable manager asked her to describe the steak degree she desired and it was cooked 100% to the degree she wanted. The Pave Potatoes are something you will find only rarely on any restaurant menu. It takes detailed technique and a day or two to create. Special and delicious. My scallops were made perfectly, garnished with spinach and wild mushroom slices. We were not able to consume any dessert. The tet et tet wine was perfect. Please go and be thrilled. Alba restaurant 524 E 6th St. Des Moines, Iowa

Food- Amazing food. Brussels sprouts are by far the best I have ever had. Scalps were good, probably would choose a different main next time. Sweetcorn bisque was refreshing. Desert was impeccable, and espresso was great Service- Amazing and attentive. Always brought new silverware when needed. Regularly filled water and drinks. Food came out with perfect timing, the courses were timed perfectly. Ambiance- Great candle light vibes. Nothing to complain about. Overall great. The reason for a 4 star is that the water was lukewarm. It is fine to not serve water with ice directly in the cup, but I think the water needs to be chilled before serving. The water was the only downfall of my experience, and that says something great about this restaurant.

Wonderful atmosphere and amazing food! Definitely recommend for a nice eclectic meal with quality food. The Brussel sprouts were cooked perfectly! Drinks were amazing!!

We made a reservation for the chef's table and enjoyed watching the meals being cooked in the kitchen. The bar is curved so it's appropriate to bring more than two people to. Even though we were a table for two, I imagine that you can interact with everyone in your group. Our food was great, the dessert was amazing. Our server kindly explained items on the menu we were unfamiliar with. The experience was wonderful.

We decided to come for some happy hour burgers and fries because we had heard great things and we did not leave disappointed. The Brussel sprouts appetizer came our fast and hot. Very delicious! The burgers were good but the buns were quite soggy and somehow dry at the same time though. Atmosphere on the bar side was okay, quite dim except for an exterior door with a window providing some light. The service was good, we were checked on a few times and they were attentive when needed! We would definitely come back for happy hour again but I'm eager to try their full menu items too.

We went for happy hour and sat at the bar. My burger was delicious and the BoGo beer was a nice addition. Great atmosphere and great food.

Alba has a great happy hour. You get a lot of food for your money and the food is good quality. Only thing I had an issue with was the buns were soggy from a mixture of the moisture from the heat but also a little greasy I think. I love the fries here-super fresh. Only wish I had some malt vinegar to go with (asked, they didn't have). Staff is nice and a great place to wind down after work at the bar. It was a bit stuffy inside but I assumed it was because we're in the weird in-between spring still trying to be winter and it was actually quite warm out. Will be back I'm sure.

It's been a while since we've been here, and even longer since I wrote a review. Good news is my new review will be a bit shorter as everything is just as good as it was 6 years ago! Now that we know where the front door is (north side), we walked in and got checked in by one of the servers. It was a Sunday night, again before a Civic Center show, and we stopped in about 4:45 -- with a reservation. I've suggested Yelp update the dining hours, which are 4-close every day. We each got a glass of wine and awaited our dinner. We coincidentally were in the mood for the same things we got in my last review. Again, the Halibut was great - it had a very tasty rhubarb sauce, along with the veggies. My wife got the chicken again, and it came with an array of carrots and risotto. We did save room for dessert - a slightly different one this time called Castella Cake. The cake was nice and fluffy with fresh strawberries. The Dried Meringue didn't add much for me, but I just flicked it off. Service was nicely paced and we were there about an hour with one drink each, and dessert. We could have been out more quickly if we didn't want to linger and enjoy the great food and service. Still highly recommended!

Visiting from out of state, looked up great places for dinner... found this gem. My uber driver also raved about it. Great service, great food and wonderful drinks. (They even make a sazerac correctly) very impressed. I'll be back! Thank you, Aislinn

Great food - Lamb empanadas were delicious and the beef stroganoff had homemade noodles!! Their parm fries were crunchy and perfectly cheesy.

Came here with a group. We had our own space for 12. Cool ambiance, not sure about the doors hung from the ceiling. The apps were very good, had the truffle fries, some croquette things and some other things, was ordered for the table. I ordered the osso bucco, very meaty, but needed salt. Risotto was also good. Others dishes looked great like the gnocchi. Had several desserts the lemo ice team was the best of all the think I. ate. They make their own ginger ale. Service was good.

WOW. We went here for restaurant week and I cannot complain one bit. Honestly one of the top restaurants I've been too. Very upscale and classy. We got to pick from the prix fixe menu. Brandon got the sweet corn soup (yum). I got the marinated beet which were super tangy and were from the yogurt. The ossobuco and gnocchi were amazing! I will say the herbs in the sauce on top of the ossobuco was a little much but definitely worked. If I went back I would probably get the gnocchi cause it was so good. We also got an array of desserts for the table including the s'mores crepe brûlée, corn bread pudding, and chocolate torte. I would recommend the first and thirds. The corn bread pudding was served in a jar that was hard to get the food out of. We also got the Pinot noir and sauv blanc which were perfect with the meal.

I came here during happy hour (4-6pm) during the week. Their menu had so many things that I wanted to try so I took advantage of its happy hour prices and ordered 3 appetizers. Their appetizers were the perfect size and made the perfect meal, plus 2 of them were off the happy hour menu and were $6 each. I ordered deviled eggs with beet tartar, brioche crumble, and onion cracker first. Then their Roasted Brussels sprouts with ricotta, turmeric aioli, and calabrian chili vinaigrette. I ended with a Roasted Delicata squash & burrata with spinach, arugula, pickled beets, toasted pepitas, blistered grapes. I ordered and aperol spritz and a Lambrusco to go with the meal. Service was delightful, they were cordial and waited for me to finish each plate prior to bringing me the best. My only critique was the ambiance. It was very dark in there, but these are just minor details compared to how amazing the food tasted.

To be fair, I don't know how accurate this review is of the restaurant experience here, since all we bought was a dessert to go! But in regards to a dessert to-go... I saw there was an icebox peach merengue cake on the summer menu and really wanted to try it. It was 10 dollars. Even in a cardboard box, the presentation was very pretty! The cake portion was delicious! Unfortunately there was only a few small mouthfuls of it. The shattered merengue was pretty bland, and the scoop of peach even more so. It was frozen completely solid and was difficult to eat. I will definitely come back at least once more to try a full menu since they have a lot of unique offerings! But I don't think I will try a frozen dessert again.

Great spot in the East Village, stopped in while in town on a Monday night, had the game (NFL-sound muted) on at the bar w/ background music that fits the vibe, which is authentically good. Highly recommend the Maryland Lump Crab app. Decent wine by the glass options as well. Excellent staff & service.

We went to Alba last night and had an incredible meal. The service was fantastic, and the menu was delicious and fresh. To start, we had the cream of asparagus soup and fritters that had prosciutto with aioli and pineapple. For our entrees, we had the prawns and gnocchi and the NY strip steak. Since the menu changes seasonally, we are looking forward to coming here every few months to try more of their offerings

Whenever people ask, "what's the best restaurant in the metro?" my answer is always Alba. Alba, with the doors like Monsters, inc. It's never Lucca. Keep it straight, or you'll be eating crunchy pasta while being condescendingly told it's al dente (I know what TF al dente is). This is the ditch I'll die in. Alba is the best restaurant in Des Moines. We've never had a mediocre meal at Alba. The sauces are always sublime. I try menu items at Alba that I'd never try anywhere else because I know it will be the best it can ever be. They can't make a bad meal. It sounds crazy, but the food is really that good. And when you're not feeling adventurous, they always have a great burger. You can't go wrong there.

Absolutely consistently high quality food and service. Enjoy the creativity displayed in the menu. Preparation and presentation always excellent.

A huge part of me thinks that I did not order the right items here, because according to the popular dishes mentioned in others' reviews and the structure of Alba's menu, their meat dishes are the highlights. My partner got the gnocchi and the sunchoke & potato bisque. She said the gnocchi was overcooked and therefore too soft, resembling mashed potatoes more than gnocchi. Having Brussel sprouts in gnocchi was also a combination that we had never seen before. My seasonal vegetables and Brussel sprouts were both amazing, and I managed to finish both of them. The so-called "small plates" were not small at all LOL because the vegetables themselves pretty much made me full. For the farmhouse burger, the ground beef tasted like it did not have any seasoning, so the sauce compensated for the lack of taste. According to my partner, the sunchoke & potato bisque was excellent. Finally, we were debating between the rum crème brûlée and the clafoutis, and went with clafoutis after our server recommended us such. The clafoutis looked very different from what we were used to, and contained a very little portion of cherries. However, it still tasted very good! I think if I was to return next time, I should try some of the dishes that they were known for more, which would allow me to enjoy the restaurant more. The place has very good decor. We sat by the window, which had bright lights, but most seats in the room were covered by darkness, which some people may enjoy. The restaurant is also located in a very nice neighborhood, East Village, so it is easy to explore other businesses like Raygun and Storyhouse Bookpub, etc. within vicinity!

This was a great dining experience. We wanted to go somewhere new and try some new things. Food was all 5star worthy, in my opinion! Definitely make it a place to go

I hate to leave negative reviews on places, especially locally owned, but I just can't get behind Alba. My wife and I have been there 4 times now and have yet to have an experience we feel is worth the price. Tonight I ordered a $45 filet mignon that was overcooked and came with no sides or plating. I have no problem with steakhouses prices, but if you're going to charge steakhouse prices you better be able to back it up. My wife had a burger which was pretty dry and disappointing. Caesar salad was absolutely loaded with dressing and was possibly the saltiest thing I've ever eaten in my life. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm just trying to tear Alba down, but we agreed we won't be coming back after tonight.

Hands down, this is the best restaurant meal I have ever had. With the food, the service and experience were worth the price. I recommend coming to Alba for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion.

Great food, great service, great setting. Garrett is a fantastic manager. All waitstaff followed his great modeling and were happy, helpful and so kindly served us. Fritters, Brussels, deviled eggs, sea bass, and the peach ice box dessert: yum yum yum! Sat outside: so pleasant!

Party of 7, food was amazing, staff was very attentive, service was top notch, can't wait to go back!

I took my husband there for his birthday with friends. I don't think the food was amazing in comparison to price I paid. It was nice to go to a new place but I don't think I'd go back. ‍

Went to Alba for a quick Mother's Day dinner. Super beautiful inside, love the ambience and energy there. Food was good. Unfortunately my 8 oz filet was cold. The gnocchi was delicious though. Wish I had traded my steak for that instead. My husband had the lamb which was also delicious and hot! Our server was very kind and our food came out fairly quickly! Coffee is superb!

The drinks, atmosphere, burgers, and service here are excellent! I've been here two times in a week! Mondays are burger night where you can get certain drinks and a variety of burgers for $6! It's an amazing deal! I got the California burger last Monday and it was really good. I've had several cocktails here that have all been good, including the Horse Feather and Manhattan Sour. On their regular menu, the Pork Belly appetizer and Beef Burger are excellent! Also, you definitely need to try the chorizo fries at least once! You're welcome in advance. I'm definitely a fan of Alba!

This is still the best restaurant to eat at in Des Moines. Everything we ordered was delicious. The mussels were great with a broth that was so flavorful. All of us ordered the New York Strip Stroganoff and it was honestly the best stroganoff I ever had. We ended the meal with a combination of desserts that we shared and the rum creme brulee and the lava cake with buttermilk ice cream were favorites, but they were all wonderful. The service is always excellent, the staff is friendly and so knowledgeable. Love this place!

Great location, great cocktails, and a really great place for dinner!! Tonight we decided to try alba after reading reviews we stumbled upon Alba. What a great place!! The cocktail I tried was "The Smoke Show" which is a great twist on the classic margarita. For starters/ Small Plates we tried the "Ancho Chicken Empanadas" which came out with a crema, pickeled red onion and smashed avocado. Those flavors together mad a great combination. We also tried the "Halibut Fish Sticks" which was a delicious take on the classic fish stick! We ate them so quickly because of how good they were!! For dinner we both tried the Gnocchi. It was offered in a full or half size... Knowing we both wanted to try their deserts, we opted for just a half size to spare room. The option for the gnocchi was either Chicken Confit or Prawns. We both got chicken... What a decadent dish, the cream sauce, the roasted veggies and the chicken all served with a fresh gnocchi... I cannot wait to come back and have this dish again! Luckily the waitress gave us a spoon, I nearly licked the bowl For desert we ordered the "Spiced Pear Clafoutis" which came out in a hot Skillet... it's a half inch cake with spiced pears baked into it, topped with a cranberry granola and a dollop of delicious vanilla ice cream. ... Delicious!! All In all, we will be back!!! Yumm!!

My rating is going to be a bit in the between because I haven't tried many of their dishes. However, the staff was super friendly and helpful so I can definitely recommend this place for anyone who is looking for a simple dine in place in downtown Des Moines. I did have some appetizers and a salad. To be honest, the cost of the dishes are quite expensive but I guess if you're looking for experience and don't mind spending money-- this is the place to go.

The food was absolutely delicious. My coworkers loved the place as well. If I ever return I will be sure to return.

Great food. Great staff. We got lucky and we were there for 1/2 price wine bottles! Highly recommend.

This was my first restaurant meal since pre-COVID and wow, was it a good one! We got a bunch of appetizers to share and the halibut beignets were especially weird but delicious--good for sharing, I didn't want a ton but they were fun to try. For entrees, I had the halibut and it was kinda mind blowing. Perfectly buttery with lots of accompanying flavors and textures, all delightful. They had some non alcoholic drink options, which I always love. I was disappointed they didn't offer any bread as we waited. Well-trained staff and a nice ambience. Definitely DO NOT come here until you're fully immunized, as it was pretty crowded and obviously maskless (didn't dock stars for this because the state policies can't be blamed on the business).

Chive Potato Gnocchi is heavenly. Great selection of wine by glass. Also veggie sauté as a side or starter. Would come back just for that.

Came here many times since my last burger night and EVERY TIME had been amazing! Mason, the head chef, is a culinary mastermind! The things him and his team can create and EAT is amazing! The service is always great and the staff is so friendly and knowledgeable about, literally, everything Alba related- from wine to dessert! Also came here for Valentine's Day dinner and it was, no surprise, amaze. I can honestly say I dub them one of my favorite local restaurants! And I don't have many favorites!

First time trying Alba last night for a bachelorette dinner. No alcohol for our party of five, but the Bride enjoyed a very robust latte that she really liked and my Arnold Palmer was refilled 4 times. Bride and I did the Prix Fixe and we started out with the Caesar salad and mushroom soup. My soup was incredible! Super creamy and well-balanced and the textures were very complementary. For our main meal everyone ordered gnocchi. I didn't think it could be better than the mushroom soup, but it was to die for. The softest, fluffiest pillows of gnocchi with a delicious crema. The bride's prawn gnocchi were perfectly browned and mine were a lot lighter but still good. I would have loved if they were seared more golden like hers, but they were still incredible! We ended with three desserts and our favorite was The Scoop which was thick and tangy. The molten lava cake was more of a soft chocolate tart and I didn't really care for the ice cream trio. Overall, great food but maybe a little bit overpriced considering portion sizes and comparing to similar restaurants. It was a great experience and our server, Ashley, was super helpful with suggestions and attentive the whole night. If you plan on going make sure you include a 20% tip to treat your servers well!

Wonderful rhubarb salad. Add chicken! Gnocchi is flavorful and exquisite. Lamb just melts in your mouth. Beef stroganoff was the best beef stroganoff I ever did have. Great cocktails especially the Aperol spritz. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a really good fancy dinner. Is worth the price.

Atmosphere is pretty cool but the food was average. We ordered the Brussels sprouts. They were grilled nicely but a little on the salty side. We also had the warm Caesar salad but didn't quite understand why it was called warm Caesar because it tasted like a regular Caesar salad. We ordered a porterhouse that was supposedly a thing you could get from Iowa but they forgot to punch the order in so we cancelled it. It's too bad this didn't work out as we were excited to try the food as it was highly recommended.

Food and service were excellent! My friend and I did the prix fixe and the dessert was amazing. For entrees, she had the gnocchi and I had the chicken breast. Both were flavorful and delicious. Dessert was crème brûlée and bread pudding. Each were equally amazing!

Delightful ambience and meal was delicious. The price wasn't bad for what you got in quality. Appetizer, main dish and dessert for $50. Worth it. The crème brûlée was delightful with a hint of orange.

Ordered steak and fries, total was 40. Service was as expected, with nice interior. Food was okay, not much flavor or seasoning but nothing offensive about it. That being said for the price point it is definitely not worth it.

One of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines it has an intimate atmosphere in the bar and it's been my go-to place for some time. It has the same type of atmosphere in the bar area the Django used to have before they moved out of their place The owner is the ultimate farm-to-table person with always trying to have new innovative menu ideas. Jason has opened several restaurants in Des Moines and has been a behind-the-scene supporter for several chefs starting their own restaurant. I look forward to his upcoming creation in Beaverdale. Garrett the manager, is outstanding and he is committed to you having a wonderful time. Garrett has great knowledge of cocktails, wine and the menu, including special tips on how things are prepared in the ingredients of menu items. Tonight my companion and I both had the French onion soup which is an outstanding variation of the soup. It's a veal stock with onions that have been rendered down and removed. With fresh leeks being the onion if you will in the soup. It is outstanding Imagine it'll be available in January February March of the winter months. We then had the sauteed grilled scallops is the main course with butternut squash cubed and parsnip cubed in a cream type sauce it was wonderful. To top it off we had what we knew would be wonderful which is the molten lava chocolate dessert which I've had many times here and still is outstanding. If you've never been here before get down here for several different opportunities. They have a wonderful hamburger happy hour with gourmet burgers and gourmet fries causing six box on Mondays. Each year I also come during restaurant week I have been totally amazed at the flights offered. It's one of the Des Moines gems.

The service we received this evening was lacking. Our drinks took entirely too long, we ordered appetizers and our waiter left before we could order our meals. We had to flag someone down to retrieve our waiter to order our meals and get our drinks. The appetizers were not impressive in the slightest. We ordered the deviled eggs and the beignets. The dinner however was lovely. The gnocchi was incredible as was the baked chicken. Serving sizes could be slightly bigger on the baked chicken especially for the Iowan man you cater to. The atmosphere is nice but it is loud and it's hard to hear your date.

Tried Alba for the first time for a birthday celebration, and I'm torn about what to truly rate it. Because the food was great but the service was awful, some of the worst we've had in awhile. I believe the issue lied in the server specifically because the other server near our table could have run circles around our server. People who came in way after us were getting their food (very similar orders) long before we got ours, he only came back to check on us once leaving our drinks empty nearly the whole time we dined and plates not cleared. It was a disappointing experience. But the food- we ordered deviled eggs, potato beignets, and the lamb shank. The potato beignets were my favorite of the appetizers; crispy, flavorful and well made. The eggs were good but I didn't love the after taste, just a personal preference. And the lamb shank was amazing. Tender, and delectable; the creamy polenta was unique and a pleasant surprise.

I read a lot about Alba. Actually, I first read about Harbinger which led me back to Alba. Sometimes, you take a restaurant and the setting and its people produce a long lineage of incredible chefs. Think French Laundry, Charlie Palmer, etc... Sometimes, the Chef is just so bloody brilliant that when he moves on, the place loses its luster. Alba... I can't quite tell you which way Alba goes. I'm a picky foodie mofo who lives in the Bay Area and is willing to spend upwards of 30% of his income on good food and good wine. I thought the food at Alba was very solid. If I were working for the Michelin guide, however, there's no way in hell I'd ever give them a star. I'm sorry, Alba. You've sure as hell got potential but you need to polish that rough jewel... Service? Service was friendly and amiable when it was there. My server showed up every 25 minutes or so. Apparently, he apologized, I was behind a large party. Hmmm, I'm thinking, I guess they probably will bring a better tip, so fuck the guy dining solo. Sucks to be me... You know what, though, I've been at restaurants that get swamped. I get that. Think smart, though. If I order a drink and you know it's going to be a while until I get my food, bring me my goddamn drink, ok? It's no substitute for food but it sure makes it easier to pass the time. I started out with the beignets. I texted my wife a picture of the menu and she thought that would be a good bet. I certainly was intrigued... Porcini & Shitake Beignets. Sounds sexy, right? Yeah, it was tasty and as you can see from the picture I've posted, the presentation was very nice. Still, they're not beignets as much as mushroom croquettes. I expect fluff and airiness with my beignets. These morsels had hardly any crunch. I followed it up with a marinated hanger steak which showed up some 45 minutes later. It was good. The steak was medium rare, as they suggested it be served and there's really no complaint there. The steak was prepared correctly and the potato pave drew some admiration from yours truly. But $31? No offense, Des Moines, but that's what I pay for such a dish in the Bay Area, and I live in a house that's worth over a million bucks! (Well, I don't think it's worth more than $750k and that's why I'm renting said house, but that's a whole different story...) $31? Y'all aren't outraged with that price? When I finally got my entree, my waiter brought along some bread. Duuude... Why didn't you bring the bread, like, some 20 minutes ago? You do realize I was analyzing the wood in your beautifully polished table, aren't you? I could have been eating your housemade bread instead? Sheessshhhhh... I got a drink to start the evening. A cocktail, to be exact, called Mother of Necessity. That was a beautiful and absolutely stellar cocktail! Alba, you need to keep your bartender and give him or her a big fat raise. On the other hand, you may want to consider hiring a proper sommelier or, at least, hire one on a consultancy basis. You server boutique small wineries, I get that. If you're going to serve Shafer, though, you really ought to be serving their red wines like Relentless or One Point Five. Their Chardonnay's ok but... And I like the Los Olivos wine region. It's got some solid wine. But Stolpman, really? Beckmen, Hitching Post, Jonata, Zaca Mesa, I get... Sorry Stolpman but, ... really? I know I'm being harsh. I gave them 4 stars and I think they have potential but they need to polish up their game a little bit. And guys, if you want some help with beignets or with improving your game, feel free to DM me. My wife used to be Executive Pastry Chef at l'Auberge du Soleil and the Culinary Institute of America, both in Napa. She's available for consulting engagements.

Such a friendly staff. We came in a bit rushed to make a show and they accommodated us in every way. The lamb shank so tasty and cooked to perfection. Scallops seared perfect and plated so nicely. The gnocchi were pillows of tasty melt on your mouth. We shared a lava cake the was so rich with the perfect warm goodness in the center. You might ask why only four stars. The chicken the sauce was tasty chicken meat cook nicely. But the skin was not crispy and was rubbery and left on the plate. The drinks were also delicious. We will be back.

I always come here when I want an upscale meal at a great price. The food is classic, and never leaves me feeling hungry. Also, the kitchen staff is super young and enthusiastic about what they do, so it is cool to see them doing so well. Extremely impressed with this restaurant.

One of the best fine dining experiences I've had in Des Moines so far. We had gone on a Saturday evening at around 9ish. The place was 2/3rds full at the time. Our server was very good. He guided us through the menu and answered all of our questions. ( not that we're picky eaters) I went for the NY strip steak and my friend went for the Australian seabass. We loved both of them! They were delicious! As for the appetizers, we ordered the carrot masala bisque and the mushroom bruschetta. The carrot bisque was lovely! Another thing I'd like to add is that by the time we finished, it had started snowing pretty bad so we couldn't manage to get an Uber/Lyft back home. Just when we were worried that we'd have to walk back home, our server generously offered us a ride! I know this is more his kind heartedness than the restaurant, but I'd like to mention that too! Would definitely be going here again !!

We've been going to Alba for years, thanks in large part to the seasonality of its menu and the team's superb execution on that vision. When I'm asked about our favorite restaurants in the Des Moines metro, Alba is always on that list. The aforementioned seasonal menu keeps us going back to Alba on a regular basis. Despite its relatively small menu, Alba manages to offer items that pickier eaters will enjoy while also highlighting items for the slightly more adventurous eaters. One of our favorite items currently on the menu is the buffalo cauliflower. It's a great spot for business lunches, especially with the soup and salad combinations. It's also a solid pick for a night with friends or for a date. The cocktails are inventive and well-balanced, while the wine list offers a nice selection of options; we especially appreciate the Italian options that aren't regularly seen in Des Moines. In short, if you're looking for a great meal with some of the best service around, Alba's your spot!