Meet Alba, West Hollywood’s New Italian Import
A new Italian stunner has entered the chat in West Hollywood. For New Yorkers familiar with the High Line-adjacent Cucina Alba in Chelsea, Alba Los Angeles, on the tony side of Melrose, may look familiar, but it promises a similar experience through a distinctly L.A. lens.
Helmed by chef Adam Leonti, Alba toes the line between fine dining Italian and casually cool trattoria. “L.A. is littered with Italian restaurants,” says co-owner Julian Black. “But I think, given Adam’s background and skill set, no one, even in New York, is doing what he’s doing.”
Leonti is a baker by trade, and an accomplished Italian chef who trained under renowned Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri. “We’re not another red sauce joint. We’re not another southern Italian or coastal Italian restaurant. We are a restaurant where the menu is focused on the food that Adam loves, and it’s not regional, it’s not one specific idea. It’s meant to transport you to Italy,” Black says.
So, what makes this New York transplant stand out in a sea of Italian restaurants across Los Angeles? Here’s everything you need to know about Alba Los Angeles.
MORE FROM RESY
The design fits right in to the neighborhood
Melrose Place and the surrounding area have become one of the hottest dining centers of L.A. in recent years. With hotspots like the old-school classic Koi, along with Catch Steak, E.P. & L.P., and the newly opened Chez Mia, Alba fits right in with a see-and-be-seen crowd, elegant vibes, and strong beverage programs before a night out.
The space itself has an indoor/outdoor, ivy-laden design with 140 seats, a soaring retractable roof, a mezzanine for private dining, and two full bars. Pink and yellow pastels give off a little “White Lotus” Sicily feel, while dramatic red curtains frame the back-lit bar. “You’ll find a lot of the same design elements as New York, but on a much grander scale,” says Black. The restaurant is designed by GRT Architects, who built the original Cucina Alba, as well as restaurants like Don Angie in New York and Georgie in Dallas.
The menu is a blend of classic and not-so-classic Italian
“All of the classics will be there, but we’re gonna make it a little more L.A. friendly,” says Black. “You have the chicken [alla diavola] that everybody loves, and the orecchiette arrabbiata that everybody loves, but we switched out the sides and loaded them with some really cool vegetable selections. There’s going to be a heavier focus on lighter fare, a couple more salad options. And we’ll probably expand the crudo section a little bit after we get our sea legs,” he says.
For now, expect everything from seasonal market salads (think pink chicories with hazelnuts and dates) and hearty pasta to branzino with yellow pepper crema, lamb scottadito, and the aforementioned chicken alla diavola with bomba sauce. But there are some new twists, too, like the ravioli fornografia, oozing mozzarella and aged balsamic, with a puffed dough reminiscent of a savory canelé with a crispy, wafer-like bottom. Another standout is the agnolotti nestled in a creamy fonduta and topped with black truffle.
Leonti is known for his bread (he even wrote an entire book about it), and Alba Los Angeles will highlight his skills as a baker, with dishes like focaccia with whipped ricotta.
Wine connoisseurs, step right up (and everyone else, too)
Similar to the food menu, the cocktail program will mirror New York but will morph over time. The cocktails are Italian-leaning, with three or four different spritzes, and multiple different riffs on Negronis. There’s also a classic cocktail section. “If you want a martini, we’re going to give you an ice-cold martini that we pre-batch and pour tableside,” explains Black.
The wine program is where the restaurant truly shines, boasting over 4,000 bottles that are a mix of Italian, French, and American. “My goal is to have the best wine list in Los Angeles,” Black says. The list will have bottles ranging from $60 to $18,000, including some that beverage director Truman Flanders claims no one else in L.A. can offer.
“This restaurant will have extremely expensive bottles, but we’re going to price them to be a bit more obtainable for the average consumer,” says Flanders. “You might see La Tâche on the menu that would typically go for $8,000, but we’ll have it for $3,200. This is still expensive, but to the people that actually go and buy these styles of bottles, it’s a deal.”
But fear not — you can also get bottles like the Bibi Graetz Casamatta Vermentino, an incredible Tuscan wine for $80, or a Monteraponi Chianti for $125.
It’s meant to feel transportive
“The music gives Italian holiday vibes,” says Black. “It’s what you want to hear when you’re on vacation in Italy. The vibe generally is that we want people to walk in here and forget that they’re in West Hollywood.”
It’s likely you will. Alba is an outdoor restaurant that’s fully enclosed, hidden from the street but opening into a handsome palazzo. It feels like New York. It feels like L.A. It feels like Italy, all at once, and that’s exactly the point.
