Arrived 50 minutes before advertised closing time and we were refused service because they had already started cleaning the kitchen.
Kate Zahradnik
Delicious food, personable experience, one of my new favorites! Absolutely charming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Lytle
I finally made it to this place for Baltimore's 2024 Winter Restaurant Week, and the food out of this kitchen is absolutely as good as everyone says. My problem has always been that the place isn't open a lot of times I can get there, but I will be going back; and next time I will be having some signature, Roman pasta dish.My only complaint with my meal is that I didn't receive a few slices of good, crusty bread to sop up the juices off the duck-with-turnip dish I had that evening. The place reminds one of a great little osteria in Rome (more formal, but the kitchen is in view and the place is tiny), and one is never asked to eat in Rome in such a place, in my experience, without being offered at least a few slices of great crusty bread or maybe one those fabulous rosette one finds all over the city.Senza il pane tutto diventa orfano,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Luke Frazier
All the food was amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Li
We went for lunch based on enthusiastic recommendations. The food options were classic yet interesting, and the ambiance was cozy and inviting. The service unfortunately left us wanting for more. For example, we ordered and paid for the focaccia but they had run out of the tomato butter that usually accompanies the bread. Instead of compensating, they simply stated the deficiency until we requested a substitute like pesto. The 4-5 dishes we ordered rung out to be more expensive than what was on the menu, and the special, a veggie side, turned out to be just as pricy as an entree. The focaccia had great texture, the shishito peppers were well charred, the asparagus tomato dish was savory, and the carbonara was a little watery in want of finishing salt. The pollo panini lived up to expectations. Overall, the food was good and the ambiance was cozy, but the service side can use much improvement.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Colin Rynne
Heard good reviews about this place. Ordered a very standard very simple Cacio e Pepe….. TERRIBLE. Barely a hint of Parmesan, zero creaminess with non aldente pasta complete with an overly heavy serving of pasta water at the bottom of the dish that formed a thin peppery soup. The appetizer was literally 3 pieces of mortadella rolled up with a fake balsamic drizzle for 10$……. Our server had this blasé uninterested affectation that bordered on impolite and the silverware was noticeably dirty with water/food stains present. 100% would not recommend. Save your money. The hype is a mythology.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Claire Fash
It's such a nice alternative to Baby's on Fire, especially on a Monday when Allora is open while Baby's on Fire is closed. They made me such an excellent cup of Americano. Simple and simply wonderful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isabell Lehmann
Tastes as good as it looks :)
Food: 5
Jackie A.
We came here on a Wednesday around 11:30am. The place was quaint and had a cute eclectic style. We did a brunch style with a breakfast sandwich and Cacio e Pepe. My son got the carbonara. The food was good and nice quality for the price. The service was awesome! The staff were all so nice and helpful. We would come back for dinner.
M S
My wife and I came to Allora ~1 year ago and had the absolute best time. I dreamed of the carbonara with guanciale for a YEAR. The live music was fantastic, the ambiance exceptional, the service attentive, and the food divine.This time (July 2023), I brought my parents and visiting aunt/uncle from out of town, expecting to wow them. We arrived and learned Allora no longer offers live music (online it said there was live music still). The previously beautiful multi-column, abundant menu was now a narrow single column, limited menu with the same high end pricing. The pasta selection was remarkably limited to maybe 4, and the guanciale was sold out so I could not even get the pasta carbonara I was so looking forward to. The waitress appeared utterly unengaged and disinterested in providing service. We asked about drinks, and she said they have none and the corkage fee is $20. My wife is pregnant, so we pressed for anything beyond just Luke warm tap water (no ice was provided). She said "We might have some San Pellegrino's in the back. Do you really want me to check?" We felt uncomfortable and burdensome to even ask. Truly, our experience was so disappointing on every level.I had such an amazing first experience last year that I will try Allora once more at the new location... maybe back-of-house issues caused this experience and things will shape up. But please, get back to the way things used to be done that made Allora an absolute gem. Increase the menu size. Let customers know if live music is no longer a thing. Keep essential inventory in stock. Make customers feel welcome and offer some basic beverages.
Absolute disaster. We live 2 blocks from here and want to do EVERYTHING to support local restaurants. My husband has tried numerous times for adequate service, coffee, simple things. The staff has been nothing but rude & incompetent. I saw my friend post a photo of their Cacio e Pepe the other day - couldn't wait to try it. I just called them- 45 MINUTES BEFORE THEIR 3 PM CLOSING TIME - THEY WEREN'T SERVING FOOD ANYMORE. WTH? SORRY TO BREAK YOUR BACKS. Terrible.
John K.
Allora is a delightful neighborhood spot where everything was visually and, more importantly, flavorfully exciting. Instead of tasting something, and saying to yourself "I think I can taste a bit of (name an ingredient)", everything I tried here told me that it had been freshly prepared and the ingredients all spoke for themselves.Ordering is done at the counter at the back of the space, and from then on, it's basically table service. We visited for lunch, so we didn't happen to be looking for alcohol with our meal, but my impression from the menu is that it's BYOB.Decor is a perfect match for the food.... a spectacularly ornate meat slicer greets customers at the entrance, and the walls feature paintings and a cluster of eclectic plates.
Michael R.
Delicious! Great service and fantastic cuisine. You should check this out! I almost tried everything and always wanted more because of the fantastic service and excellent food.The area is really cozy and has tables where you may work or chat with friends. There were pleasant and inviting people working there.The setting is lovely, elegant, and charming. I strongly advise. I'll surely return frequently.10/10 would suggest:
Christian Hensler
Solid food when they are actually open. Hours are spotty. Never stick to their own days/hours. Out of ingredients often. The skinny black chef is usually outside smoking weed and yelling on the phone. That’s probably why the one time when I ordered salad, sandwich, and an entree that my salad came out last (20 minutes after finishing my other food). Seems like they stretched themselves too thin opening up a Hopkins Allora and also another restaurant in Cross St Market.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
Julia Hayman
Truly cannot say enough nice things about Allora, which I chose at random, for dinner one night while visiting Baltimore from out of town. So so lucky. I am really sad we don’t have this restaurant where I live because the food, service and restaurant itself was excellent!
Arrived 50 minutes before advertised closing time and we were refused service because they had already started cleaning the kitchen.
Delicious food, personable experience, one of my new favorites! Absolutely charming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I finally made it to this place for Baltimore's 2024 Winter Restaurant Week, and the food out of this kitchen is absolutely as good as everyone says. My problem has always been that the place isn't open a lot of times I can get there, but I will be going back; and next time I will be having some signature, Roman pasta dish.My only complaint with my meal is that I didn't receive a few slices of good, crusty bread to sop up the juices off the duck-with-turnip dish I had that evening. The place reminds one of a great little osteria in Rome (more formal, but the kitchen is in view and the place is tiny), and one is never asked to eat in Rome in such a place, in my experience, without being offered at least a few slices of great crusty bread or maybe one those fabulous rosette one finds all over the city.Senza il pane tutto diventa orfano,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
All the food was amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went for lunch based on enthusiastic recommendations. The food options were classic yet interesting, and the ambiance was cozy and inviting. The service unfortunately left us wanting for more. For example, we ordered and paid for the focaccia but they had run out of the tomato butter that usually accompanies the bread. Instead of compensating, they simply stated the deficiency until we requested a substitute like pesto. The 4-5 dishes we ordered rung out to be more expensive than what was on the menu, and the special, a veggie side, turned out to be just as pricy as an entree. The focaccia had great texture, the shishito peppers were well charred, the asparagus tomato dish was savory, and the carbonara was a little watery in want of finishing salt. The pollo panini lived up to expectations. Overall, the food was good and the ambiance was cozy, but the service side can use much improvement.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Heard good reviews about this place. Ordered a very standard very simple Cacio e Pepe….. TERRIBLE. Barely a hint of Parmesan, zero creaminess with non aldente pasta complete with an overly heavy serving of pasta water at the bottom of the dish that formed a thin peppery soup. The appetizer was literally 3 pieces of mortadella rolled up with a fake balsamic drizzle for 10$……. Our server had this blasé uninterested affectation that bordered on impolite and the silverware was noticeably dirty with water/food stains present. 100% would not recommend. Save your money. The hype is a mythology.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
It's such a nice alternative to Baby's on Fire, especially on a Monday when Allora is open while Baby's on Fire is closed. They made me such an excellent cup of Americano. Simple and simply wonderful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tastes as good as it looks :)
Food: 5
We came here on a Wednesday around 11:30am. The place was quaint and had a cute eclectic style. We did a brunch style with a breakfast sandwich and Cacio e Pepe. My son got the carbonara. The food was good and nice quality for the price. The service was awesome! The staff were all so nice and helpful. We would come back for dinner.
My wife and I came to Allora ~1 year ago and had the absolute best time. I dreamed of the carbonara with guanciale for a YEAR. The live music was fantastic, the ambiance exceptional, the service attentive, and the food divine.This time (July 2023), I brought my parents and visiting aunt/uncle from out of town, expecting to wow them. We arrived and learned Allora no longer offers live music (online it said there was live music still). The previously beautiful multi-column, abundant menu was now a narrow single column, limited menu with the same high end pricing. The pasta selection was remarkably limited to maybe 4, and the guanciale was sold out so I could not even get the pasta carbonara I was so looking forward to. The waitress appeared utterly unengaged and disinterested in providing service. We asked about drinks, and she said they have none and the corkage fee is $20. My wife is pregnant, so we pressed for anything beyond just Luke warm tap water (no ice was provided). She said "We might have some San Pellegrino's in the back. Do you really want me to check?" We felt uncomfortable and burdensome to even ask. Truly, our experience was so disappointing on every level.I had such an amazing first experience last year that I will try Allora once more at the new location... maybe back-of-house issues caused this experience and things will shape up. But please, get back to the way things used to be done that made Allora an absolute gem. Increase the menu size. Let customers know if live music is no longer a thing. Keep essential inventory in stock. Make customers feel welcome and offer some basic beverages.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolute disaster. We live 2 blocks from here and want to do EVERYTHING to support local restaurants. My husband has tried numerous times for adequate service, coffee, simple things. The staff has been nothing but rude & incompetent. I saw my friend post a photo of their Cacio e Pepe the other day - couldn't wait to try it. I just called them- 45 MINUTES BEFORE THEIR 3 PM CLOSING TIME - THEY WEREN'T SERVING FOOD ANYMORE. WTH? SORRY TO BREAK YOUR BACKS. Terrible.
Allora is a delightful neighborhood spot where everything was visually and, more importantly, flavorfully exciting. Instead of tasting something, and saying to yourself "I think I can taste a bit of (name an ingredient)", everything I tried here told me that it had been freshly prepared and the ingredients all spoke for themselves.Ordering is done at the counter at the back of the space, and from then on, it's basically table service. We visited for lunch, so we didn't happen to be looking for alcohol with our meal, but my impression from the menu is that it's BYOB.Decor is a perfect match for the food.... a spectacularly ornate meat slicer greets customers at the entrance, and the walls feature paintings and a cluster of eclectic plates.
Delicious! Great service and fantastic cuisine. You should check this out! I almost tried everything and always wanted more because of the fantastic service and excellent food.The area is really cozy and has tables where you may work or chat with friends. There were pleasant and inviting people working there.The setting is lovely, elegant, and charming. I strongly advise. I'll surely return frequently.10/10 would suggest:
Solid food when they are actually open. Hours are spotty. Never stick to their own days/hours. Out of ingredients often. The skinny black chef is usually outside smoking weed and yelling on the phone. That’s probably why the one time when I ordered salad, sandwich, and an entree that my salad came out last (20 minutes after finishing my other food). Seems like they stretched themselves too thin opening up a Hopkins Allora and also another restaurant in Cross St Market.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
Truly cannot say enough nice things about Allora, which I chose at random, for dinner one night while visiting Baltimore from out of town. So so lucky. I am really sad we don’t have this restaurant where I live because the food, service and restaurant itself was excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5