Alma de Cuba

I just recently had dinner at Alma de Cuba and can't wait to go back. dining companion and I had ceviche for the 1st time and it was amazing. we had the sampler of 3 different varieties, our fave was the crab and lobster w/ coconut milk. it was amazing. the service was excellent, when ceviche came the server took the time to explain each one and the recommended order to eat them for optimal taste. our entrees - chilean sea bass and the salmon were so fresh and perfectly seasoned. the ambience was very intoxicating and of course the mojitos were very tasty. lastly, you must try the chocolate cigar - very inventive and very yummy. overall, a very classy and satisfying dining experience. Pros: the food, service, and ambience Cons: parking more

The best part of my visit was the soup. It was obsolutely delicious. I feel that the prices were reasonable with the exception of the drinks. I had the plantiains and chicken which was very juicy and filling and my friend had the same in addition to her bacon wrapped figs. Those looked so good, but I don't eat pork, or beef or shellfish for that matter. I want to def. go back for their Cuban cigar dessert, because we were too full to eat anything else. The ambiance is a plus. We sat upstairs, but I wanted to be downstairs. Pros: Soup and dessert more

Was visiting from NY, and actually had a friend recommend this place! Was very happy with everything! The tuna plate was AMAZING! perfectly cooked tuna presented like lollipops, which was wonderful. The projected photos on the walls set a nice mood to this place. My partner ordered the seared scallops and liked it! Generally the plates seemed a little over salted but I would still go back. Server was great, nice and informative. They're doing something right at this place! Pros: food, ambience, service. fine dining but not pretentious Cons: too much salt in the dishes more

We went during restaurant week. It was nice the food was tender and tasty. My favorite was ceviche, which I never tried before. Also the braised lamb shank was delicious. The mojitos were nice, but it always kills me to pay $10-14 for a drink. Pros: Nice atmosphere. Good Food. Cons: Expensive Drinks and Parking. more

I've been walking by this place several times a year for 5 years, and finally made a reservation for dinner. While drinks were very expensive ($32 for 2), the dinner was incredible. I had the Sancocho de Pollo to start and the Vaca Frita. The food was incredible, just be sure to make reservations! Pros: food, ambience Cons: HIGH drink prices more

you walk by it all the time but you never really see it until you go there to eat. i went there for... more

you walk by it all the time but you never really see it until you go there to eat. i went there for restaurant week and it was awesome. loved every... more

We went there on a Friday night to celebrate my best friend's birthday. We had heard and read so many good things about this place that we were excited and looking forward to our dining experience. We were seated very promptly (we had reservations) in the upstairs dining room. The ambiance was nice but a little too loud as it was hard to have a conversation. We ordered a variety of appetizers, the ceviche's and the octopus were very good, but the rest (calamari salad and sweet corn empanada) were rather plain and uninspired. The calamari where chewy and greasy. For our entrees we ordered the pork roast (Lechon Asado), the seafood special of the day (Sea Bass in a plum sauce), and the beef tenderloin. My husband, a cuban food connoiseur, was very dissapointed with the pork- it was dry, greasy, and looked like it had been cooked the day before and then reheated. The fish dish was a total disaster: the fish was bland and rather sweet , the plum sauce was unpleasant to the palate and clashed with the side dish, another sweet concoction of vegetables and fruit. It was so bad, that I barely touched my dinner. The only decent dish was the beef tenderloin. We also had to return a bottle of wine because it was awful. Needles to say, after the dinner experience no one wanted to stay for dessert. We paid over $300 for 5 people for one of the worst dinner experiences in my recent memory. We will not go back again. Pros: service Cons: lousy food, expensive, overated more

Excellent food. Loved every bite. I had the portabello and cheviche. more

Excellent food. Loved every bite. I had the portabello and cheviche. more

Mojitos, ceviche, Whole Fish ..... excellent combination of flavors with the ambience to match. The staff was friendly and the experience is highly recommended more

Wonderful place that stimulates the mind and body! The music and decor gets you into the Latin mood as the scent of the dishes make your mouth water! I started with the Alma Sampler wich consists of Oysters Rodriguez (crispy), Smoked Marlin (a bit spicy), and Royal Palm Dates wrapped with bacon and cheese ( a nice balance of sweet and salty). A classic mojito is just the drink while you await the arrival of your entree. The roast pork (Lechon Asado) was perfectly crisp and still juicy with a tart orange sauce and plantains, the Chilean sea bass was buttery soft served with green rice and fried plaintains (they seem to use a lot of that). Dessert was interesting with a pumpkin cheese cake topped with a pepper whipped cream and cranberry compote (reminds you of Thanksgiving), and the lemon olive oil sorbet that came with the carrot cake was inventive! Pros: inventive menu, free tapas during happy hour Cons: a bit pricey more

My recent dinner at Alma de Cuba was utterly delicious. I started with a mango mojito that was light, refreshing and perfectly concocted. The rainbow ceviche was excellent, great flavors, the smoked marlin was fantastic, could have eaten that all night. I loved my sweet corn encrusted scallops, sweet corn and scallops are a winning combination in my mind and this dish was perfectly executed. My companion has the crispy pork which had great flavor as well. For dessert I had the chocolate cigar which was such a great rich chocolate dessert, my companion had the tapioca pudding, which I really enjoyed, despite probably being the last dessert I would ever order, it was made with real tapioca and was a great light dessert. The service was great, our table was ready on time, our server was so pleasant and knowledgeable. The restaurant also has a really great atmosphere. I cannot wait to go back! more

If people knew how much cheaper this food cost in any other latin restaurant they would feel ripped off.... Pros: Ambience Cons: Super Pricey... more

We headed to Alma de Cuba for dinner this weekend and had to sit in the bar, as we didn?t have a reservation. Disregarding the smokiness of the bar area, the drinks and meal were absolutely phenomenal!!!!! I didn?t know much about Cuban food, but the dishes we tried were expertly prepared and presented. We enjoyed it so much that we returned two days later! It is highly recommended. more

Alma de Cuba has it all -- a first floor bar which makes *great* cachaca and mojitos, a cool lounge-like atmosphere in the back, a cozy third floor filled with family-style tables, and very tasty ropas viejas. Pricey, but hey, you will definitely impress a girl at this place. Pros: ambience, food, cachacas Cons: price more

The ambience and food are both great. The service is middling to good. It would have been a great place if it had been better priced. However, you really pay here. We had a $16.99 wine for $65. Most of the food was really delicious, but still, when you end up paying $125 per person, you wonder if there are other places that are better value for money. We are glad we went once, and had a good time. I just don't think we will be rushing back - there are so many other great places in Philly in that price range. Pros: Great ambience and food Cons: Very pricey more

What a surpise this restaurant was! I've never been too excited about the Nuevo Latino style cuisine, so I never made it a point to visit this restaurant. After some urging from respected foodies, I decided to give it a try. Wow...how did I miss this for five years? First, the enviroment was incredible. Seductive low lighting, beautiful well dressed sophisticated clientelle, a bar area with relaxing lounge style furniture. The music was sensual and created a great vibe. The service was spectacular and I rarely am impressed by service. Everyone was professional, knowledgable, made great recomendations and I never had to ask for a thing. Every upward glance brought acknowledgment from the staff without being intrusive. While I love mojito's, theirs are incredible. They actually make them correctly with sugar, mint and lime, vs. the short cuts of syrups most places use. The cocktail server made a few other cocktail selections that indicated their commitment to quality and freshness at the bar as well as the kitchen. The food was simply amazing. I was expecting the usual bastardization of latin food. They were very true to authentic food with many dishes classically prepared. It's obvious the ingredients are of the highest quality and the preperation was perfect. I expected over use of hot chili's and garlic as many fusion latino places do, but everything was flavorful without being spicy. The bread is simply incredible. The only knock on the food was one dessert with a spicy (fully disclosed) tone. For dessert it's just the sweets for me, please. This is certainly one of my favorite finds. I'd like to keep it a secret, but that wouldn't be fair to a restaurant that just simply "get's it" all right. The only negative, the bathrooms are hard to find and the street exposure doesn't suggest there is something special inside. Pros: Sensual enviroment, great service and food. Well worth the cost. Cons: A hike to the bathrooms. more

I went here on a sat. night and it was very crowded. The food was good but not worth the $150 check for 2 people. more

My boyfriend and I went last night for his birthday and had a wonderful evening. Now, it was MIDWEEK so it was not crowded - and that helped. ur server, Daniel was terrific, funny and explained the menu very well. We started with 2 kinds of ceviche, the oxtail empanadas (YUM!) and a wonderful chicken-coconut soup. My boyfriend at the pork (Lechon) which I don't eat - but he enjoyed it. The fried plantain side dish was scrumptious. GREAT. The only con - the restaurant is a lttle dark and the ladies room smelled AWFUL! more