On Thursday 22 October, at a ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London, ALBA London was named Bar or Restaurant of the Year at the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Awards 2026. ALBA opened in February 2025, so the award arrives in its second year. For an Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge that also runs a Japanese counter, it is recognition of the whole idea rather than one half of it, and it is worth setting out what the award is and what it was given for.
The Award
The Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Awards recognise businesses across the three boroughs, from hotels and retailers to visitor attractions, with Bar or Restaurant of the Year the category that matters for a dining room. ALBA won it from a shortlist that included Nobu, Min Jiang and Berners Tavern.
The announcement was made on the night at the Royal Lancaster London, and the news was carried the following day by Knightsbridge London, the neighbourhood's own guide.
What the Award Recognises
Inspired by the Amalfi Coast and a shared reverence for the sea, ALBA brings together Italian cuisine and Japanese dining, with views of Harrods across Brompton Road. The Italian menu spans Italian classics, handmade pasta and seafood; the Japanese à la carte runs to sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls; and at the window there is a ten-seat omakase counter. Across both culinary traditions, the focus remains on exceptional ingredients, seasonal produce and the day's finest catch.
That is the restaurant the judges were looking at: one room, two coastlines, and a single standard applied to both.
Two Coastlines, One Standard
The pairing is less unusual than it sounds. Along the Amalfi Coast the best of the catch is eaten raw with lemon and oil; in Japan the same instinct produced sashimi. ALBA's Italian dining room and its Japanese counter share a fish display, a view of Harrods and a conviction that the sea should be handled as little as possible. The longer version of that story is in our pieces on why an Amalfi restaurant opened a Japanese counter and on crudo and sashimi, and the name itself, the Italian word for sunrise, is explained in the story behind the name.
Visiting ALBA
ALBA London is at 70 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge SW3 1ER, directly opposite Harrods. It is open daily from noon: until 11:30pm Monday to Thursday, midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 10:30pm on Sunday. Tables are booked through the reservations page; the omakase counter has its own booking page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What award did ALBA London win?
Bar or Restaurant of the Year at the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Awards 2026.
When and where was the award announced?
At the awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London on Thursday 22 October 2026.
Who else was shortlisted for Bar or Restaurant of the Year?
The shortlist included Nobu, Min Jiang and Berners Tavern.
What does ALBA London serve?
Amalfi-inspired Italian cooking, with Italian classics, handmade pasta and seafood, alongside a Japanese à la carte of sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls and a ten-seat omakase counter.
Where is ALBA London?
At 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER, directly opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge. Open daily from noon.
