Alba Restaurant Knightsbridge: Amalfi Italian and Omakase
Alba is a coastal Italian restaurant with a Japanese omakase counter at 70 Brompton Road, directly opposite the main entrance to Harrods. Its idea is simple: the Amalfi Coast and Japan share a reverence for the sea, so raw Italian crudo and Japanese sashimi belong on the same table. It is open daily for lunch and dinner, it works for a quick set lunch or a long celebration, and it is one of the most useful addresses in Knightsbridge. Here is what to expect.
The room
Alba means sunrise in Italian, the hour when the Amalfi fishing boats come home, and the dining room is designed to feel like that light. Expect lemon yellows, olive greens and earthy terracotta, Venetian floors, an open kitchen and a fresh seafood display. Indoor and outdoor spaces run into each other, and parts of the restaurant look straight across Brompton Road at Harrods. For groups there is a private room for ten, a Harrods-view space for twelve to fourteen, a semi-private area for up to 55 and full venue hire for up to 150 guests.
The Italian menu
Italian Head Chef Cristian Ianni builds the menu around fresh seafood, handmade pasta and the generous cooking of southern Italy, drawing on recipes della nonna with a contemporary touch. The dishes to order are the lobster linguine, pink prawn carpaccio, crab ravioli, octopus alla Luciana and Amalfi tagliolini with red Mazara prawns. The Alba pizza, with fior di latte and soft-scrambled egg, and caviar if you want it, is the playful signature. In October the white Alba truffle arrives for its short season. On weekdays from noon to 4pm a set lunch offers two courses for £32 or three for £39.
The omakase counter
The Japanese side is led by Japanese Head Chef Takuya Kaneko. Alba's ten-seat omakase counter overlooks Harrods and serves dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday, with one sitting at 6.30pm and another at 8.30pm. There are two chef-curated tasting menus, nine courses at £95 or twelve at £150, built around the day's catch with ingredients such as Icelandic uni, bluefin otoro and Kristal and Beluga caviar. Nigiri, sashimi and small raw courses are served across the counter in full view. Everyone eats together from the start of the sitting, so arrive early. A Japanese à la carte menu also runs Tuesday to Saturday at lunch and dinner. Book via Alba's omakase page.
Lunch, groups and the rest of the menu
Beyond the signatures, the à la carte runs from antipasti and a raw bar through pasta, wood-fired pizza and mains to Grand Gelato served at the table. Meat eaters should look at the Filetto di Bosco with black truffle, and the Pizza Diavola is made with halal salami. The weekday set lunch is a sensible way in: starters such as burrata with heritage tomatoes, tuna tartare, aubergine parmigiana or beef carpaccio, with rhubarb panna cotta or gelato to finish. There are separate truffle, dessert and bar menus, and for the festive season Alba offers Italian set menus for groups and corporate parties, with private and semi-private spaces overlooking Harrods.
The wine
The list is built largely around Italy and France, from coastal whites by the glass to some of the rarest bottles in the world, including Masseto, Soldera and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. They are kept in a bespoke cellar at the heart of the restaurant, made by Chamber Furniture, and guests are welcome to explore it with the Head of Wine. Ask for a single glass at lunch or something special for an occasion.
Good to know
Alba opens from noon every day, until 11.30pm Monday to Thursday, midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10.30pm on Sunday. It uses halal-certified ingredients across its dishes but is not a halal-certified restaurant, so speak to the team about specific requirements. The nearest station is Knightsbridge, a couple of minutes' walk away. Reservations are on alba-ldn.uk or by phone on +44 (0)20 3985 4992, and our Alba venue page has more detail. After lunch, the V&A and Hyde Park are both within walking distance.
