Reserve

Coastal Italian on Monroe Avenue

Allora is at 201 Monroe Avenue NW in downtown Grand Rapids, with dinner Tuesday–Thursday 4:30pm–10:00pm and Friday and Saturday 4:30pm–11:00pm. The kitchen cooks a seafood-forward coastal Italian menu: pastas, proteins, and Italian classics built from Michigan farm produce, Italian artisan goods, and sustainable seafood. Reach the restaurant at 616-855-9463. Parking is available kitty-corner in the DeVos Place or Ellis ramps, and guests receive 50% off at the Amway Grand Parking Garage at 216 Pearl St NW by presenting a ticket for validation.

That sourcing-first Italian kitchen sits in a different register than Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg or Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, and it is also a different project from Smyth in Chicago and Addison in San Diego. Nearby Grand Rapids stops such as Bistro Bella Vita, 1001 Lake Dr SE, 1345 Lake Dr SE, Bobarino's, and Blue Water are useful city context rather than copies of this menu.

What arrives on the table

Dinner opens with Affettati Mista, a chef’s selection of Italian salumi and cheese, and Blue Steel focaccia with whipped lemon ricotta. Crudi include a daily oyster selection and crudo di ricciola with yellowtail. Antipasti run through grilled octopus, burrata, caprese, arancini, grilled prawns, and Insalata Allora. Housemade pasta and risotto cover spelt canestri with braised beef ragu, spaghetti alla chitarra vongole, agnolotti verdi, tagliatelle with chanterelle ragù, cavatelli alla Norma, and risotto alla Nerano. Large plates include grilled branzino, pan-seared scallops, a Berkshire pork chop, cinghiale saltimbocca, and a grilled New York strip.

Aperitivo Hour is offered in the bar and lounge, with spritzes, beer, featured wines from the Allora vault, and small bites such as oysters, Affettati Mista, and seasonal bruschetta. The cocktail list splits Classico and Esperienza drinks, and the bottle list runs sparkling, rosé, white, and red from Italy and beyond. National rooms such as Providence in Los Angeles, Le Bernardin in New York City, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Emeril's in New Orleans, The Inn at Little Washington, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico, and Atomix in New York City sit in other cities and formats; they are orientation points, not local substitutes.

Planning a visit

For a wider Grand Rapids itinerary, the full Grand Rapids restaurants guide maps the rest of the city.