An Italian Gem in Felixstowe: Alba Chiara


As this is my first review I’m going to be quite blunt and let you all know that I am completely obsessed with food. If I’m not making food, I’m talking about food, and if I’m not talking about it you can be fairly certain I’m thinking about it. And because of this (possibly borderline disturbing) passion, I enjoy discovering new places to eat and will only review and promote places I genuinely feel are worthy of attention. Alba Chiara is such a place.
 
This unassuming Italian restaurant is situated along the beach front at the foot of Convalescent Hill. The decor is simple but pleasant, with some nice views of the seafront.
 
The owners are a husband and wife team whose passion for good food is clearly shared by their staff who are not only friendly and attentive, but highly knowledgeable about the menu, really understanding the food being served and able to answer even the most detailed questions (and trust me, I ask lots of questions).
 
The menu has a good variety of items, utilising wonderful Italian produce and ingredients. They are able to accommodate vegan and gluten free diets well, and everything on the menu is reasonably priced.
 
We started with the Salumi e Formaggi board; a selection of cheeses, cold meats and a focaccia made from their signature Pinsa dough with garlic and fresh rosemary. Everything was delicious; my personal favourites were the Parma ham and the Taleggio cheese, both were outstanding in their flavours and textures. The star of the show, however, is the Pinsa bread. Pinsa is a type of bread dough made with soy, rice and wheat flour, which then goes through a 3 day proving process and, once stretched by hand, is cooked in two stages. This results in a bread with incredible flavour and a wonderfully crispy, chewy texture.
 
For mains we tried the Margherita Pinsa and the vegan, gluten free pasta. What was impressive was the vegan option was created with as much interest as the rest of the menu, rather than being an afterthought like many vegan options at restaurants.
 
For dessert we had the tiramisu and a lemon meringue pie. The tiramisu was exactly as it should be: simple but tasty. The lemon meringue pie is made by one of the owners and is easily the best I’ve ever eaten, served with a lemon and raspberry gel that was so good it almost could be a dessert on its own.
 
As anyone who truly enjoys food knows, excellent food doesn’t just taste good: it smells and feels good too. And eating it not only fills you up, but provides a feeling of being truly satisfied. Alba Chiara’s food achieves this whilst providing a casual yet cosy and relaxing environment to experience it in. The owner mentioned some customers drive hours to eat there, and it’s easy to understand why. I look forward to returning and I hope to see you all there.