Alba Chiara in Suffolk Coastal

I love this place! Food is amazing and the staff are so friendly. The chef (owner) gave us tasters along the way as we sat near where the cooking takes place. We talked to him about cheese and he gave us different cheeses to try as well as other things on the menu. This is somewhere I will visit time and time again.

One of Felixstowe’s high spots. Always lovely food, friendly staff, sea views. Everything is thoughtful. Have never been disappointed here.

Food too oily. Not as good as it used to be.

Really enjoyed the order, lovely fresh good quality ingredients and cooked to perfection. I just wish I had ordered more Arancini as was delicious!

Good service, nice location, and whilst the arincini were good, the pasta main courses were very oily. Some dishes do produce more oil than others, but this was just too much. Shame because previous visits had been better.

Another visit to the Alba Chiara. We were a little bit disappointed with the menu. I fancied something meaty - but surprisingly there was not a main course bolognese or lasagne on the menu. There was not an offering of veal or calves liver or even a piece of fish. The dish with the duck breast was not available. I love this restaurant but don't always want to eat pizza. Thank you however for an otherwise enjoyable meal out with friends

Lovely little Italian restaurant on the seafront, great location and friendly service and atmosphere. Great choice on the menu.

20 mins from order to collection, Food boiling hot and great quality! Usually dine in but under the weather and it’s just as good as a takeaway!

We loved the food, it was delicious and authentic and good value. The pasta especially was very yummy 😋! Also pleased to see dogs allowed in and they request an optional donation for planting trees, which we appreciate and were happy to make. But, the music was dreadful. It was the type of music and volume you expect to hear in the spin class at your local gym… the irony being that you are consuming carbs not burning them. We suspect that other people of the age group that this restaurant will attract will feel the same. Please replace the music with some softer Italian music more appropriate for the environment you are trying to create and we will be back in a flash!

Alba Chiara - Italian restaurant Dinner, nice welcome, friendly and attentive staff. (Jess) Very helpful with menu choices and choice of Italian wines (supported by Tom). Restaurant in the seafront lovely atmosphere spacious and comfortable seating no feeling of being cramped. Music a mix of eighties British pop and only a couple of Italian tunes. Understandable given that the clientele was predominantly British. Starters - Rucola e pomodoro , fresh crisp not overly dressed with balsamic dressing, nice portion , perfect. Main dish - Risotto Gamberi Cozze e Zucchine , fresh mussels cooked to perfection nice tomato flavour sauce but slightly lacking in depth which was perfectly resolved with two teaspoons of parmejano. Meal piping hot and adequate Portion if you had a starter. Not long to wait. Desert - Affogato al cafe, the ice cream, espresso and I requested a shot of Amaretto Dis Ciirono well presented and served separately in a small dish. The Amaretto provided the perfect sweetness to round off the deep flavour of the espresso and the hint of almond was just enough to compliment the flavour of the vanilla ice cream and match the coffee flavour without loosing anything along the way. A perfect recommendation made by the knowledgeable (cocktail and bar supervisor and dining waiter, front desk customer support -Tom). The main server for my evening meal was professionally provided by Jess (friendly and very helpful with the menu choices) . Overall a wonderful dining experience. Highly recommended. Will definitely return on my next trip to Felixstowe. Complements to the proprietor Steffan and his entire team.

We arrived a few minutes late, but because there were guests who didn't show up, we were given a seat by the window. There is a beach right outside the window, and the sun is very bright, so you can feel the comfortable sea breeze through the window. Parked opposite was an old-fashioned ice cream green van that was round and looked like part of the scenery. The food was served quickly and the taste was one of the best Italian dishes I've had in the UK. We ordered the Pinsa with the same name as the restaurant and the fish Risotto from the Special, which was paired with a small plate of fried seafood appetizers and spicy olive oil, which was very fragrant. The craftsmanship of the after-dinner coffee is also good. The store environment is clean and comfortable. I will consider coming here again if I come to Filexstowe again.

Been prior, last year and the year before but have to say disappointed on the value for money and choice aspect and a bottle of "house" Red at £30 seemed over the top. I went on my Partner's birthday last year and was blown away. Less choice now than prior and could do with a few more great "standards" put back on the menu. In contrast our meals out at both Anatolia and Bombay Nites, - Turkish and Indian, were both much better value and far more choice. So though the food is very well cooked and staff great, I wouldn't re-visit.

A restaurant worthy of its reputation as the best Italian not only in Felixstowe, but perhaps the whole of Suffolk. We finally went there this evening and were not disappointed. An ideal location, interesting decor and well-situated booths for larger parties to look out to sea as they dine. The food was up there with the best Italian we have had, and we have dined at countless Italian restaurants globally. Just one small note: the panna cotta promoted itself as having an amaretto flavour, but this was completely lost in the strength of the three toppings. Either add more amaretto to compensate, or avoid the competition altogether and save yourself the food cost by dropping amaretto altogether. Still a delicious dessert! In short, who needs the chains when you have independent restaurants like this? Support your local businesses and have an unforgettable meal in the process.

A restaurant worthy of its reputation as the best Italian not only in Felixstowe, but perhaps the whole of Suffolk. We finally went there this evening and were not disappointed. An ideal location, interesting decor and well-situated booths for larger parties to look out to sea as they dine. The food was up there with the best Italian we have had, and we have dined at countless Italian restaurants globally. Just one small note: the panna cotta promoted itself as having an amaretto flavour, but this was completely lost in the strength of the three toppings. Either add more amaretto to compensate, or avoid the competition altogether and save yourself the food cost by dropping amaretto altogether. Still a delicious dessert! In short, who needs the chains when you have independent restaurants like this? Support your local businesses and have an unforgettable meal in the process.

Can't rate this place highly enough - been visiting for approx 3 years and the food and service is faultless. We eat as a large group approx 20 people and the staff are brilliant with us.

Giving Alba Chiara the perfect 5/5 stars I swore I'd never give any place; as I am of the opinion that there's always something to improve. Apparently not so. Both the owner and the staff are wonderful, and the food hasn't disappointed me even once during the six months I've been stationed in Felixstowe, and I've been eating here almost twice a week. The arancini, in particular, are divine.

An absolutely magical place to enjoy delicious food with a fabulous view and beautiful music. The staff are so friendly, amazing service. Definitely, we will be back. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

So I eat alone,had an excellent pizza, glass of smooth Italian Red then treated myself to a tiramisu and a single macchiato! Tomorrow I will return with Joanna and will have the risotto! Can’t wait

I visited this restaurant for the second time and honestly I will continue to visit . Excellent welcoming , delicious food . We will return back with more friends . Thank you

We visited yesterday with our friends from Romania that have lived in Italia for 20 years so they know their Italian food and have high standards. Happy to say 10/10. Well done guys 🙏🙏🙏♥️

The food was excellent and a good price. I would definitely go there again.

Very delicious Italian style food, average prices, nice selection of starters, main dishes and desserts, including good wine menu including kids menus. Very good and friendly service.

Just the best. Superb service, fabulous food, wonderful staff. If you haven't been, you should definitely go. Note: Where it asks what I would recommend, I would tick them all but thought that may appear too much!! However, what I can say is that their Specials are always delicious.

Sat outside on a very hot day but with a gentle sea breeze, The food and staff were fantastic, I will definitely eat here again

Love coming here, great food and great atmosphere. Almost feels like being back in Italy...

Lovely family run Italian restaurant overlooking the sea. Staff are very polite and will chat to you freely if you want them to. The food is delicious with plenty of choice on the menu. They also do meals for most common dietary requirements. Plenty of drinks options, with alternatives for mainstream soft drinks which are very nice. Well worth a visit, especially on a nice summers day.

Amazing experience (again!!) staff is super friendly and accommodating. Great menu and delicious food! I had the BEST pasta lately… pizza’s and tiramisu were amazing too. Please add the crab pasta and seafood bisque to the menu it was amazing!!! Lovely to seat outside too

My sister and I enjoyed a lovely evening meal overlooking the sea, we had homemade pasta with a mushroom sauce and a market garden pinsa followed by refreshing sorbets. The portions are generous and excellent value for the quality The staff were also excellent, my sister is vegan and they were forth coming in offering vegan cheese for the pinsa and also wine pairing Coffee was very good too

Just the best restaurant in Felixstowe! Wonderful staff🤩 🐶Dog friendly. Fantastic food 🍲 Thank you everyone!! We came to celebrate 4 birthdays ! 🎂 They were so kind and lit candles to put in our deserts .

Beautiful authentic Italian food. We had Pinsa Capricchiosa and Tagliolini Marinara which was spectacular. Interesting spritzer cocktails including low alcohol. Olives were a little boring but there was an adequate variety.

Awful experience. Lovely waitress but disgusted by horrible owner who was VERY nasty to our table when faced with an unsatisfactory meal. I would never visit again on the basis of never wanting to encounter him, or benefit his pocket. I really hope he treats his lovely staff better than his customers as I feel shouting and being nasty should never be acceptable in this given situation. Regardless will NEVER return.

Staff are amazing. The owner is the issue. When ordering langoustines from the specials board, you expect to actually get some langostine meat, we barely had enough to cover the palm of our hand! When mentioning this to the waitresses, she asked the owner to chat to us. He was very aggressive and defensive, quoting his heating and electric bills. Not once listening to our complaint. He also said nobody else had complained, but I overheard someone the same evening who had had the exact same dish complaining! When spending £19 on a dish that basically turned out to be risotto with not much else, perhaps he should realise everyone has bills to pay, but when dining out you expect a little bit more for your buck when you are treating yourself! Again, the staff are really good, and I hope he treats them better than his customers I would like to thank the owner for not actually reading this review, judging by his response, because at no point did I say the food was nice, just the staff. Also portion control is nothing to with HMRC, better value Italian meals can be had elsewhere

Brilliant dinner this evening, fantastic quick service and the food was unreal👌🏻👌🏻

Great place, great service, great choice & top quality food

Simply amazing authentic Italian food - we will be back !

Went for dinner here a few nights ago with the family. Atmosphere is very nice, good views of the beach, some outside seating for those sunny days, spacious seating area indoors. Very accommodating for small children which is a massive positive for us. Gave the kids some colouring books and crayons to distract them with. Staff are lovely, down to earth and made us feel welcome, which again, with small children is great. Good selection of wine and their food selection is wide and covers everything you want from authentic Italian food. The ingredients are fresher than fresh and the flavours just pop. The kids went for the kids pizza (which is a HUGE portion) so they were satisfied. Their specials are always interesting and apparently change on a weekly basis. My wife had the pizza with the fresh garlic pesto and wow it was just awesome. I'm slowly working my way through their menu. As mentioned, the portions are generous so a 3 course meal is a challenge but one I'm happy to accept. If I was a local, I'd come every week just to got through their specials menu.

Our favourite restaurant! The food is delicious , cocktails amazing and the staff are great! Can’t recommend this place enough!

Absolutely lovely food and very well priced... Service was slightly slow but totally understandable as they had a busy lunch time and the place was filling up while we were there.. very polite and helpful waiting staff.. if I had to be picky my only real gripe was I thought the drinks were a bit expensive... but would definitely recommend and 100% I'd go back...

What a top place! Visited with our friends who live in Felixstowe and I'm so glad we did. Food was excellent staff were nice and the boss is a top bloke! I highly recommend. We will be going back.

Always busy. Nice food and reasonable prices. Happy to go again. And yep git a picture of my dessert

Wonderful, unusual, real Italian food!

Decided last minute to try the food here as had never been before. Our waitress, Lola, was so kind and helpful during our visit - thank you! The food was amazing, would definitely return.

My family arranged a surprise meal for my big birthday at Alba Chiara and everybody had such a wonderful time! There were 23 of us in total, the food was absolutely incredible, so delicious! You have to order the bread basket for starters, it’s all hand made by the kitchen. Tastes amazing! Best bread we’ve ever had. Still thinking about that focaccia now! The staff were very attentive, all food arrived together and it was a really pleasant atmosphere! Bravo Alba Chiara! We’ll be back. 😊

Such a welcoming place where myself and my two children were sat outside, as it was starting to get cold, we were offered a table inside where it was a lot warmer! Great staff, great service, wonderful food, although like a plonker, I ordered the wrong pizza 😆🤷🏻 I'll certainly be returning so shall order the correct pizza next time!

We returned to Felixstowe, after decades away, and discovered this amazing restaurant our first night back. With no reservations we walked in and were immediately seated. The service staff was kind, friendly, and informative. But the FOOD!! Delicious!! I ordered a special- asparagus risotto with bits of crispy bacon and a house salad and my husband had the pinsa with ham. The house wine was satisfying and my husband enjoyed his Italian beer. We highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and filling meal.

Went here yesterday for a birthday. Girls serving here were very good and attentive.... my 1 star rating is based on the Owner of the establishment. They brought a Cheese Platter out which apparently a vegan guest at our table had ordered which is fine as these things happen. However, the Owner of the restaurant insisted that I was charged for the cheese Platter and the replacement vegetable platter, on top pf my £223.00(!!!!) bill. I have always used this venue socially and for my client haulage meetings but this short sighted approach and plus the food being well below par yesterday will see us never using this venue again. I felt so sorry for the staff as they were left to put this charge on my bill whilst the owner hid in the kitchen. Fludyers it is!

Brilliant food, well priced and delicious - possibly the best in Felixstowe!

Great Italian food - lovely flavours and generous portions. The service and atmosphere were welcoming and friendly. Thank you. We would highly recommend.

i went with my partner and my 3 year old daughter, the restaurant was clean, welcoming and the staff were so friendly and helpful, they had a good selection of food, reasonably priced for the quality of food and the atmosphere was so relaxing, nothing was too much trouble for the staff and we would highly recommend.

Great restaurant, good freindly service, lovely food. Will definitely go again. Thank you.

Pleasant enough but the pasta was overcooked and bruschetta very average. Wouldn't rush back. Most Italian restaurants would at least offer a small limoncello after spending £150 on lunch.

Good food at reasonable prices.

My son brought me here for Sunday lunch saying how good it was. Well it was more than good it was fabulous, the fresh pasta the sauces, textures the flavours were spot on then the tiramisu oh my days it was just like I was back in Italy. The staff are so very helpful kind and funny. The restaurant and toilets were all very clean. Pay parking right outside too. I cannot express how good it was you must go, well done Alba Chiara we will be back very soon indeed.

Visited for lunch on Valentine’s Day. We had a lovely table in the window overlooking the sea. Service & food are always really good here & they have unusual specials. The pasta is especially good. Clean toilets & a lovely atmosphere.

Fantastic pizzas here, but go with an appetite as they are large pizzas.

Popped in on the off chance to get takeaway pizza while staying in the area. The young lad who served us couldn't be more helpful and accommodating, whilst the restaurant was very busy. Great service and pizza was awesome too.

Probably my favourite place to eat in Felixstowe. The fresh bread is amazing.

Pizzas were burnt, cold and very limited toppings under the bucket of rocket. Disappointing, with a little more effort and care and it would be good food.

Lovely pizza, crispy base, lots of toppings. Seafood tagliatelle not the best. Seafood was very chewy. Only get 1 shell on prawn per dish and mine only had the head part! When I complained I was told the rest of prawn was in the dish somewhere, which it wasn't. Service not great. Had to ask for olives we ordered twice and when I asked for some parmasan it was forgotten about and I never received it. Not impressed.

From the initial contact via email and when we visited, the helpfulness, service and meals were superb. For my daughters birthday, she wanted an Italian birthday meal. I contacted via email initially as my daughter has to follow a Fodmap diet at present which means it’s not just dairy and gluten free but she can’t have garlic onions and many other items. They were so helpful and accommodating via email. When we visited, again they were so helpful and nothing was too much trouble which made my daughter comfortable as she hates eating out at the moment. The chef came to our table to discuss her options as well and it made our visit feel special and we didn’t feel like we were awkward. We all enjoyed our meal, very tasty, large portions and everything was served piping hot. Thanks again for making our visit special.

First time at this lovely restaurant. We had booked an early evening table and when we arrived restaurant was already busy. A warm greeting by friendly staff. It has a great atmosphere and the food is excellent. Portions are generous so leave room for one of the delicious desserts.

A wonderful meal. Attentive staff. Accomodated us last minute and we're excellent about my wife's allergy. Highly recommended. Will definitely return.

Would recommend, the food is great, the atmosphere is good and the staff are friendly. As good as any London restaurant.

Loved staying here definately coming back. Staff are lovely and very helpful

Excellent food, well cooked, and generous portions .service just right; attentive, but not too much so!

What a pleasant surprise we found this restaurant to be. The atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Staff were warm friendly efficient and professional. Super clean. Food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. Will definitely be back. So pleased we made this choice.

Just collected takeout for the first time, and so glad we did. We tried each of the three arancini, all delicious…and the pizza/pinsa were fantastic, along with the garlic bread. Thank you Alba Chiara, we are very grateful

Such great food! Fresh and delicious 👌

Lovely as ever, so glad you are offering delivery again.

We stumbled across this restaurant by chance and honestly I cannot say enough good things about it. The food was excellent, every course was delicious. The pasta was fresh, the specials all different and seasonal, all the food explained by friendly knowledgeable staff. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Would strongly recommend if you’re in the area!

Not authentic Italian in the slightest. Machined tortellini straight out of a bag, over cooked tagliatelle and so much cheese on the pizza it could hardly be eaten.

This is absolutely awesome food and service. So happy with everything here. I can not fault anything with food and service I know I am repeating myself but seriously if you like your food don’t wait book now! Great value for money specially best ingredients used for cooking.

The food here was absolutely fantastic. Freshly cooked and served with pride. The waiter was so helpful and took time to explain the menu. The ambiance was so friendly and the restaurant itself was really cosy and immaculate. The food was worth every penny. The puddings were to die for and the wine was out of this world. Parking good. Will certainly go there again when next in Felixstowe.

Good food, great service, good wine at a reasonable price. What more could you ask for. Will definately be back. Highly recommended.

Food was fantastic! Great service and staff were excellent and very accommodating. Definitely be visiting again! Chefs kiss!

Excellent dinner . First time but won't be the last

Visited Saturday evening had a lovely table by the window. Menu just a bit limited we thought but we each found something extremely delicious. Service was excellent, pizza’s the best as was the tiramisu and lemon pudding. Excellent all round, highly recommend, well done 👍

Excellent food, service brilliant and a throughly enjoyable experience. Every member of staff is friendly and helpful, always a good time.

Absolutely Delicious Food and Fantastic Staff. Highly Recommended for a visit.

Felixstowe doesn't really have good places to eat, however this restaurant is the exception to the rule. Delicious food, good sized portions and very professional service. Definitely recommend after a day at the beach when you want to indulge yourself in some tasty Italian cuisine.

Great service and wonderful food.

The best Italian restaurant outside of Italy! we have eaten here a number of times and each has been a great experience. My personal favourite is the seafood risotto. It's cooked fresh so a little wait but it's worth it. The place is relaxed and facing the beach and prom so somewhere to walk after and let the feast digest.

Everything seems to have changed - food was frankly awful- garlic bread served dried out and burnt- even staff said it should never have come out! Pizza undercooked base. After many good visits we will not return.

We had a lovely evening at Alba Chiara with some excellent food and great service.

First visit with our Assistance Dog in training. Exceptionally friendly & good service, nice atmosphere and tables well set out not on top of each other. Food was delicious, interesting menu not like the ‘chain’ type restaurants. Reasonably priced, will return when next in Felixstowe. Great location opposite the beach

The wife and I came here for a hot chocolate and a wine. Had some olives on the side. Hot chocolate was lovely. The service was exceptional. The seats and table all had a clean and was dried off as it had been raining. We had our dog with us and he was also treated very well by the staff, with treats and water. Think it was Lewis who served us and he was brilliant. We will be back her to eat and some point in the future as food looks lovely 👍

Popped in on the off chance ! Best pinsa “pizza” I have had and good value for money the staff were friendly and attentive without being overbearing

I may have been extremely unluckily with my menu choice or with the kitchen staff on duty on the day of our visit but while my starter was just mildly disappointing my main was diabolically bad. I had the fish soup as a starter and although it contained a generous portion of fishy things the broth (which makes or breaks the enjoyment of this dish) was almost flavorless. Both salt and garlic were at a very low level. As I say disappointing for a restaurant with such a high Tripadvisor rating. I chose the ravioli from the specials menu for my main course. My very clear impression from tasting the food presented to me was that the kitchen had opened a packet of factory-prepared pasta put it on a plate added a large nob of butter, eviscerated it in a microwave for a few minutes, and voila they had created ravioli in a butter sauce. The butter had become a small lake of unpalatable oil at the bottom of my plate and the small pieces of pasta had completely lost any of the flavor it may have had from its contents if it had been properly cooked. Can someone please tell the chef on duty that day (23/8) that you heat ravioli in boiling water and if you want to add butter you add saving onto the hot pasta which will then gently melt. Add a few fresh herbs and you can give the contents of the pasta a chance to shine. It would also help greatly if the restaurant used larger pasta so the proportion of filling to pasta was sufficient to create a dish of quality.

Our 3rd visit here on our annual Felixstowe trip. Such a fantastic, unassuming restaurant. The fantastic food is easily matched by the same standard of service. Whether you are looking for pizza, pasta, risotto or something else, you will not be disappointed. Proper, freshly prepared...

Superb real Italian food! Our first vist and so good we booked to come again whilst we were there! Great flavours - a real taste of Italy!

GORGEOUS place, amazing vibe and such friendly staff! Second time here and it still lives rent free in my head!! Such amazing and attentive staff. Gorgeous food!! Calamari and prawns to start, orzo/risotto prawns. All amazing!! We sat in a booth and we could see...

Absolutely superb. Best Italian food I have had outside of Italy. You will not be disappointed. Quality REAL food made with authentic ingredients

Made a return visit as the Seafood Risotto was so good last week. The same dish was at least a third smaller with only 5 mussels as the week before, few prawns and a couple of courgette slivers. When I expressed this to the server she said this couldn't be. However when I showed her the picture of the previous dish she agreed it was smaller. Apparently sometimes there are less ingredients than others?!?

FROM A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO TO A FAMILY CELEBRATION ALBA CHIARA CAN CATER FOR IT ALL. WE WERE GREETED WARMLY, SEATED QUICKLY (IN A BAY WINDOW WITH A SUPERB VIEW OF THE SEA), THE TABLE WAS CLEAN AND WELL LAID OUT. OUR SERVER, THOMAS,...

Very friendly staff and knowledgeable the food was coked to perfection and the drinks were very good would recommend a visit

Went there because of the great reviews and didn’t disappoint. Service was good, the food was excellent. We had pasta, pinsa and a tiramisu (its a must try). You cant go wrong in this place.

Fabulous pizzas. Very good service - knowledgeable on menu which is always a plus. Feels like the sort of place that outside an economic climate we would always have to book for. Very much recommended.

We visited for a late lunch recently. It was my first time dining here and I regret not coming sooner. The food was first class, the service was also first class. Other restaurants take note! It doesn’t have to be over complicated, just a nice friendly personable service, lovingly cooked food and you have a recipe for a wonderful restaurant. We had one of the booth tables in the window and it was perfect, a lovely sea view and great to watch the world go by. The food was all a taste sensation and I cannot wait to return.

We visited for a late lunch recently. It was my first time dining here and I regret not coming sooner. The food was first class, the service was also first class. Other restaurants take note! It doesn’t have to be over complicated, just a nice...

in the afternoon we made a reservation for the evening, after reading the interesting streetside menu (or how do you say that?). After entering we immediately got a free bottle of water (which is unkown in Belgium), and Pippa, our sausage dog got a bowl...