THE PANDEMIC FLOPPED OUR ITALY PLAN, BUT WE MADE OUR ANNIVERSARY A MEMORABLE ONE WITH A EUROPEAN MEAL AT ALBA, JW MARRIOTT HOTEL BENGALURU

 Good food and great memories make us all happy, and that too when it’s a romantic dinner at one of the cities poshest places which serves food with little pockets of whimsy, the experience truly warms the heart like nothing else. It stays in your memory forever. It’s like hearing your favorite song in the radio in morning which keeps lingering inside you for quite some time. That kind of an exotic feeling is what my anniversary dinner was all about at Alba, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru.

It was our tenth anniversary and like every other couple, we had also planned a trip to Italy. We had imagined a lot about the celebrations, to gaze at the Grand Canal, Venetian Island hopping, indulge in pizzas, taking a Gondola ride, just wander and get lost in the good vibes of Venice. But, with the pandemic in place and all the travel restrictions, we had no other choice to cancel the plan. We didn’t want to add to the ongoing chaos. But we made it to that, me and the husband took the decision to check out the cities most wanted and most loved European restaurant Alba. We’ve heard so much about this place and its food that’s gold class. We felt an intimate dinner experience that will give us a glimpse of Italy and other European places will make us not miss the trip and that was truly a great decision we made.

Designed to resemble an amphitheater with an interactive kitchen, the ambience of Alba is theatrical and dramatic, elevating the overall dining experience. The décor comprises of Italian marble interiors and pearl chandeliers, spaghetti machines with freshly made spaghetti hung, exquisite wine collections creating a classic and timeless fine dining experience.

The moment we entered Alba, we were taken to our private dining space and we fell in love with the space at the first sight itself. The cascading white drapes, the chandelier which was quite a state of an art installation, the golden velvety seater and us amidst it, was how our anniversary celebration got its glow. We were welcomed with a cute bouquet and a glass of bubbly to start off the evening. While we were sipping it slowly, the team was curating our four-course dinner.

We started off with Beet-soaked quinoa and frozen sea buckthorn sorbet which was clearly an astonishing one. Then came in another salad, Fresh burrata cheese with asparagus puree in the base and dressed with dill oil. The salads not only burst with freshness and flavour, was quite a visual treat too. Then came the pizza in all its infinite glory. We had ordered for two flavours in one. We had prawn adorning half the pizza and chicken the other side. This cheesy goodness was much needed.

Anniversary celebrations didn’t feel slim at all, there was the Vol-Au-Vent, a French blessing (that’s how I call) with creamy mushroom as the filling and not to forget the Australian Lamb Duo that was presented like a MasterChef dish deserves a special shoutout coz it was just fabulous. Overall, the dinner was prepped with exotic produces and that made us feel really special.

Then came the time to fix the sweet tooth. Since we felt it difficult to choose the desserts as almost all the desserts in the menu looked tempting, the chefs there made it simple by putting in the entire dessert menu as a nice dessert platter. Sorbets, bombolini, cheesecake and tiramisu, the platter almost felt like “Holi in a plate”. Yum!

While we were thoroughly enjoying all the components of the best date night ever, we went through our memory lane, how we met, the happier times, the ups and downs of all the years we had spent together, heart to heart talks about our future with lots of travel plans and during all this, the team made sure that we had a memorable culinary journey and they also ensured they gave us the required space.  Such a beautiful evening it was.  

And... Oh! Did I mention to you guys that the team is really efficient at making these special moments stand still for you. From food that’s plated like a piece of art to discovering a bit of Europe, Alba is not just a luxury restaurant, but a beautiful experience that’s not to be missed. Bookmark the place guys for all your special occasions and fill your memory box with beautiful moments for a lifetime.