New York’s Alba Moves West: A Fresh Dining Experience in Los Angeles

It seems like the next big wave of New York’s acclaimed restaurants is making its mark in Los Angeles. On February 6, Alba Cucina, the beloved Italian restaurant from New York, is set to open its doors in West Hollywood, California. Unlike its New York counterpart, the Los Angeles venue drops the word “cucina” from its name, now simply known as Alba. This move adds to the roster of distinguished New York eateries, such as Marea and Cipriani, that have recently ventured to California to expand their culinary footprint on the West Coast.

The Visionaries Behind Alba’s Westward Expansion

Cobi Levy and Julian Black, the partners behind Alba, initiated the project two years ago after seeing the potential in a West Hollywood space offered by Mark Birnbaum, a co-founder of Catch Hospitality Group. draw in by the prospect of Los Angeles’s vibrant outdoor dining scene and the opportunities presented by a larger dining area, they embarked on their journey. Despite Levy’s roots in San Francisco and Black’s in Los Angeles, adapting Alba Cucina’s signature “holiday Italian” menu to cater to Los Angeles diners was a calculative step.