Con Alma

I went recently during Covid. I felt safe and staff wore their masks as expected.As for the food, I am Hispanic and this is the best food I’ve had in Pittsburgh so far and I’ve been here a year. Very romantic space but one you can also enjoy with friends. I love dressing nice and this is definitely a place where you can wear fancier clothing without feeling out of place. Prices are reasonable considering the quality of the food which is (as I said) amazing!Oh and the cocktails are also a great reason to come here and the music was great.

Its the best restaurant in the city. The best bar in the city. The best place to see live music in an intimate setting with a great mix of people. My parents love it. My friends love it. My girlfriend loves it. Just go there and check it out.

This place was nice! My best friend and I went during covid so they had outdoor seating with jazz, which was amazing (there’s a $5 fee for that btw lol) and I liked how enchanting the lights looked on the tree beside us when it got dark and a bit chilly. If you don’t drink alcohol, they can make you a virgin drink which made me really happy. The pictures you’ll get from the food are sooo Instagram worthy (my best friend took the picture with the enchiladas btw haha ). I only give it a 4 star because I wasn’t a big fan of the enchiladas but the cod and clams were superb.

Best dinner and night out since Covid started. The atmosphere was amazing, with people in lawn chairs across the street listening to the music. We sat at a four top on the sidewalk. The band was wonderful, the Service by Robert was top notch. His recommendations were spot on and the food was incredible. The specialty cocktails were delicious. Overall it was a perfect evening on a fall night in Pittsburgh. It felt like community, but with safe social distancing. I highly recommend making a reservation and getting a table. If you cant, bring a chair and sit across the street.

Salsa music and dancing in the street---literally. Awesome to have such a blast there in this time of COVID. Great drinks from the bar.

So...I found this place and read about it and looked at the pictures and it was a place I always wanted to a date as I thought it would be perfect atmosphere live music ... food for the soul . So I finally made resv. Not realizing it was outside sitting only since it is the pandemic and every place is different found myself sitting outside. BUT the atmosphere is 1000% there !! The music the comfort the whole neighborhood seemed to be apart of this resurant its drinks and food! It was really great.. I got to see a glimpse of the inside and really look forward to partaking when its open fully again !!!. Everything was great regardless of it being inside or out .. really really cool place.

Its an amazing place, food, music, staff, owners. If you havent been go grab some food and listen to some great music outside during the pandemic for support. You wont be disappointed!

The atmosphere was aesthetically great . First visit there was a positive experience. Will consider making my visits more than once.

Loved this place. Sat on the beautiful patio. Drinks were very good and food was great. We went on Thursday night— the place was completely full for the live jazz. Only complaint is that they were clearly understaffed. The servers were polite and apologetic but we sat around waiting for drinks, the check, etc. I’m sure that they’re figuring it out though. Can’t wait to go back!

Excellent food, Service and top Class entertainment

Great place for live Music. Outdoor seating makes it awesome!!

Poor hospitality and management for a place to not honor reservations, even after confirming them via text. Was excited to take some visitors from out of town who love jazz to this place, so I reserved a table for 3. When we got there (15 min early) they had given up our table, one that would actually fit 3 people, and told us as much. They tried to sit 3 of us in a 2-top cocktail table, maybe 2ft in diameter, literally inches away from the band. Thats not accommodation. If you cant honor reservations, dont bother taking them. Because of the hour of our reservations we werent able to find another comparable restaurant, either.Edit: Your response admits that you seated someone at our table when you shouldnt have; they were late for their table and you sat them even thought you knew it would affect our reservation. You made us feel in the way for even being in the restaurant. We waited for 10 minutes before leaving; it is customary to be early to your reservation and we were willing to wait but instead you just kept trying to push us off to inadequate places. By the time we left, the folks at our table were going to be there for another 25min at least. Im sure your food is good, but thats only one part of the equation, and your response shows you dont have the other part down.

One of the best dinners Ive had in a while! Amazing grouper tacos!

Great live jazz, excellent food.

Visited Con Alma for the first time with my girlfriend on March 1st ... our anniversary :). The highlights of this place are the space which provides a romantic, cozy, and intimate atmosphere along with the cocktail that utilizes a diverse range of spirits and ingredients, catering to a very wide range of palates. ... oh! And don’t forget the live music!We had an immersive experience and enjoyed some food as well. Looking forward to spending more time at that bar.

Nice atmosphere neat semi outdoor patio area in back. Uncomfortable metal chairs out back and we had a wobbly small table. Food was ok. High prices food small portions.

From their food truck!! Delicious, delicious, delicious!!! Will have to check out their actual restaurant!!

Love the place! Best atmosphere for a cocktail bar in the area. Both the indoor and the outside patio are worth it.

The atmosphere alone is enough to make the trip worthwhile, the live jazz on Thursdays, fantastic cocktail selection, and the superb staff are just icing on the proverbial cake. I didn’t get to try the food this time, but if smells and appearance say anything, I think they prepare a killer plate. It’s a little on the pricier side, but certainly reasonable with all that’s included. Worth the trip, and I’ll be back.

Traditional Jazz pop up..! Great live music, cocktails and food! Very Classy!Opened about a month ago. Im starting to become a regular.Can get a little too crowded sometimes..cause its a tiny hole and so good.

Messaged them about coming in for some drinks and to listen to some jazz. You dont need reservations for drinks, just sit at the the bar. So we got all set to go and we get there. The place is about the size of an apartment living room and it had about 50 people in it. No space to congregate, maybe 8 seats at the bar and probably 5-8 total tables that are reservation only. Pretty much any bar spot on Ellsworth, in Shadyside, and in East Liberty would be better suited for what they are trying to do. Pittsburghs Jazz scene needs a more suitable venue. I am for the cause, but this place is not cutting it.Response to the response. It is a nice space, but way too small to accommodate a crowd. There was no way to stay because there was no room. No where to stand (because the only area open to stand was the aisle for wait staff) and nowhere to sit. The place is way too small. If you are going to run it as a venue like this, you need to make is reservation only and cap it at about 25 people tops. You have enough room to hold maybe 25 people comfortably. The floor space, on a single floor of what is basically the size of the first floor of a row home, has a quarter of the space taken up with the band, another quarter for service space, and the remaining half for patrons. I went in with high hopes and ended up really disappointed.

Delicious food and great jazz.

Delicious food and wonderful jazz music. We came here for our 6-year anniversary not knowing what to expect, but we loved it. Has a speakeasy feel to it and, although a bit tight - especially with a five-piece ensemble -, it made for a great night.

What’s for dinner? (Saturday, January 25, 2020)Lechon Asado!!! My drink was the Lush Life!!! Yum!! Meal specs:It’s slow roasted pork in a mojo marinade with white rice, black beans, avocado & pickled red onion!!!The pork had a bit of crunchiness to some of it; which was nice. It didn’t have too much fat; so, I didn’t have a lot of picking to do!! The beans where cooked properly! The avocado, rice & pickled red onion was to be expected! Everything mixed well together!! Even though everything was good, nothing really stood out to me!!My husband ordered the Jamaican dinner. It consisted of a Jamaican Beef Patty, macaroni pie, slaw & sweet plantains. The meal, I’m told, was nothing special! I had some of the Mac pie. It was what it sounds like...macaroni & cheese! It was good, but not enough to be a main dish! The sweet plantains where defiantly sweet & good!! I like a little more of the caramelized dark burntness to them, but they where still good!!! They sprinkle Himalayan salt overtop which we felt they good do without! If they added some jerk chicken to the meal I feel that it would’ve been complete!Drink specs:The drink consisted of leblon cachaca, vanilla bean, black pepper, cardamom & lime. It’s not really my thing!! It wasn’t very sweet! It was sort of tart. But, to each their own!!!Atmosphere:Live music!! Jazz!! It’s a small place & it was packed!! Even, our coach, MIKE TOMLIN, was there!! We where at the bar & they where @ the table right next to us!! Of course, we left him & his wifey (I’m assuming) alone!!! They deserve to just BE.. like the rest of us!! Anyway, I’ve never been star struck! The music was great!! FYI- There is a $5 live music charge & it’s worth every penny!!Bon appétit!!!Pictures

We had a fantastic evening at Con Alma last Monday. Our server, Brandon was the best. He explained all of the new items on menu and was very attentive throughout the evening. The new menu items were excellent --the carrot & farro salad, the amazing octopus that was very tender, the seafood tacos and the wild mushroom tacos. The Howie Alexander jazz group was so talented and really engaged with the audience. All in all, it was a perfect evening.

Great food, great service, great everything

Nice small place. Good jazz. Good food. Fair priced drinks. If you want wide open venue, this is not it. The intimacy is part of the atmosphere

This place is incredible! Excellent jazz musicians, great cocktails. One of the best places I know in Pittsburgh.

Good vibes all the way. The music is great, the service is super friendly, and the old school feeling that hits you when you first walk through the door is unbeatable. I’ll definitely be a regular here.

Incredible jazz club with tremendous music and awe-inspiring Latin cuisine. A great date night establishment. Joshua Ross knocked it out of the park with Con Alma

Live Jazz and amazing food & drinks!

Cocktails, Wine, Food, Ambience and ServiceAll 5 Stars!!

Cool vibe - mostly older Shady side crowd. Personally had a not great experience with poor service, mediocre cocktails and a $5 live music fee per person in a cramped environment. Seems like a good spot on a weeknight.

Great atmosphere, drinks and cocktails. They have live jazz mus9c many nights of the week here.

Perfect food, drinks, music and atmosphere!

I love this place, for its food, its music, its ambience, and the great people!

Fantastic venue. Good food. Wonderful people. Great jazz. Warm acoustics throughout.

Lively vibe. Fun music and cozy space. Sweet potato is a highlight on the menu. Extensive house cocktail list.

Without a doubt, the BEST jazz music in Pittsburgh! Also, great food and drinks. Youve got to check it out!

I sometimes sit in here with my familys band, the Skip Peck Trio/Quartet. The food is interesting but pretty good, and the setting is very intimate with the band. Waiters are knowledgeable and polite. Overall good experiences here!

Our first time at Con Alma last week. It was pretty busy but we found a table near the front. The waiter was very attentive and friendly. But the music, superb! We came on a Thursday but I hear it gets packed out on weekends. Such a cool vibe and a cool crowd. Catch Lou Stellute on sax if you can. Recommended!

I didn’t eat but I enjoyed a couple glasses of good wine and listened to live jazz music. Drink menu was small but well thought out. Service was quick and friendly. I hope to have dinner here soon!

Great atmosphere and delicious food, will definitely be back!

Had a truly fabulous birthday dinner here on 1-11. Service was fantastic and food was amazing. Many many thanks to our awesome server and everyone at Con Alma for accomodating our large party for an early dinner. And many thanks to our server for recoomending the special. It was the bomb! Cant wait to return to Pittsburgh for another visit. Next time kids stay home and we stay for the jazz. Totally see why this was named one of the best new restaurants in the city.

My favorite place to be in Pittsburgh. The Thursday band is killin. The jerk chicken tacos blew my socks off. The cocktails hit the spot. Classy and affordable. Support REAL JAZZ in Pittsburgh!

It was very quaint. The jazz was awesome and the ambience and food was perfect.

I hesitate to write this review... because this place is a hidden gem.Try not to tell too many people about this jazz bar and bistro - I still want to be able to get a reservation.

The cuisine is created from the flavors of South America, and the atmosphere is romantic but I highly recommend making a reservation. If youre into jazz, make a reservation for dinner or get there early for a seat at the bar. They also have a dj spinning vinyl records for happy hour before the live music starts. The patio in the back is a great place to sit. Theres a waterfall and pond with fish. You will want to try this place.

Wife and went for our 5 year wedding anniversary. The cocktails are great. The food portions are just right. The service was excellent.

Wasnt too happy with the outdoor seating. Was told it was heated. I was freezing

Excellent atmosphere, fantastic drinks, delicious food and all with live jazz. Cozy spot for a drink and an app. Check it out next time you are in Shadyside.

Really cozy ambience with amazing music and cocktails! Will definitely be going back there.

This place does everything right! An amazing classic in the making. Con Alma captures the true spirit and soul of urban jazz culture! The music is awesome, the food is superb, and the experience is exceptional. I especially compliment the acoustics in the main restaurant during the live music - the construction and choice of proper acoustic materials is excellent and you can tell a musician built the place! The design is truly a love letter to the classic jazz club either NYC style or even Pittsburgh style (from when Pittsburgh was a Jazz city!) I love this spot! Can’t wait to come back.

Amazing food, great drinks, outstanding music. Ill keep coming back here!

Great ambience. The jazz here is incredible. I also love the food and unique cocktails available.

Awesome ambiance and good service. Divine live music!

Food was good, different. Way too tiny of a space to have live music.Way overpriced! Much that needs improved.

Really nice new spot in Shadyside! It is a very small place, but it feels cozy and welcoming. We had really great food and service when we went. Would recommend for a date night! 4/5 because of how small it was and we had to sit at the bar because they had reserved all of the tables.

Great place to spend the night. Great music. Just make sure you book the seat close to the stage.

What an awesome place. We love the food and the atmosphere.

Lovely establishment. I was working there for 2 days and got told that my services werent needed I didnt even get to finish my training. Aimee Marshall I just dont understand why you would give me the impression that I had the job just to let me go. I actually got fired through text message when I was supposed to work the next day and when I asked what I did wrong I wasnt given a specific reason. If your looking for a job with great communication skills I suggest you look elsewhere.

Mind-blowing jazz! Tastexplosive food! Make yourself a favor and eat at the beat of Con Alma!

Upbeat place to enjoy some nice cocktails and brilliant jazz music.

Place for an authentic jazz, close quarters, top quality meal, cubed ice, orange peel kind of place. Absolutely loved the vibe.

Plain establishment from the outside but once you go in there is an old-time, latin, jazzy ambience with a stage hosting a live jazz band, a full bar with a latin/Cuban inspired cocktail list (and wine and beer), and a latin-inspired menu. Great for date night or a night with a few friends only because seating could be rough for a party larger than 4.Cocktails on the pricier side for what they are... Running between 8-12$ BUT the ones we tried were very delicious and well thought out. The front room with the stage is very small and cramped with about 4 tables for couples. Past the bar there is a cozy lounge in front of the kitchen and there is a very cute patio outside with bar seating, high-tops, lounge chairs/sofas.I am from Miami and love a good ceviche so my friend and I decided to try their Halibut Ceviche. We were a little disappointed because the dominating flavors were the jalapeno and a pretty fishy flavor that overpowered the dish (I like spice too...). Would not recommend. The rest of the dishes others ordered looked well-plated but thats all I tried. Dishes were on the pricier side for the small portions including for appetizers and entrees. They took about 30 mins to bring out our dish as well, which I attributed to the crowdedness; however, after reading a few other reviews on here now, it seems like a usual thing.Something that was an unpleasant surprise was that they charge $5 per person for live music which we did not know ahead of time and werent informed. We also arrived well over halfway into the performance of the artists and spent a portion of our time seated outside (far from the live band listening to them streamed on speakers), so Im not sure that was fair to charge us the live music fee when we saw literally 1/4th of the show. Nonetheless we didnt question it.The service was pretty slow but it was packed, cramped, and live music was happening at 11PM on a busy Friday night. The servers did a great job handling the hustle-and-bustle of the evening; they were helpful, kind, knowledgeable, and patient.A huge pro for this new bar: Id have to say this was the most diverse crowd Ive seen in Pittsburgh at this bar, which coming from a bigger city, made me feel more at home. Im so happy its located close to my house and tucked away on Ellsworth Ave, which is a diverse street in it of itself.Ill come back for happy hour (5-7 on certain days - check instagram) with food and drink specials and definitely for Jazz Brunch on Sunday. Hopefully these times will be less packed than Friday night. Would overall highly recommend and Ill definitely be back. Im curious to meet the owner and see how this Latin/Cuban inspiration came about!

Unique tasty Caribbean / Mexican menu, with excellent quality and some great jazz. Intimate, cozy room, small tables.

I absolutely Love this place not only is the food amazing the drinks are equally as amazing and theres live Jazz. Need I say more? Trust me you will not be disappointed!

The best artisan dishes. Delicious. Top notch creative musicians.

Charming, good food, good cocktails.Drink recommendations:Backstage SallyCarrot SangritaFood recommendations:Jamaican Beef Patty (essentially an empanada)MadurosEl CamoteMachaca tacosSwordfish tacosWe had reservations and arrived early to catch a drink at the bar. The bar was completely full, but they were able to seat us immediately. Great experience!

One of my favorite relaxed cocktail spots in Pittsburgh. Fantastic live music, good light Cuban eats, and delicious creative cocktails

The Ropa Viejo was very good and they have a great mind hot sauce.

Great music and guac. Love this spot. Make a call early if Resy doesnt have space.

An extremely pleasant surprise!! My gorgeous wife and I have been wanting to try this restaurant for weeks. Tonight was perfect, before going to a really exciting club. I made reservations on Google Maps, but inadvertently made the reservation for the following day. We got there, and the maître d was so understanding and helped us to a table on their heated patio. Big thanks to the Con Alma staff!! There was a live jazz band and the place was packed. The menu was impressive - and I could (and will) have everything on it. My beautiful wife picked items. A modern - an occasional hint of molecular gastronomy - Latin/Caribean fusion. Clearly one of the most accomplished restaurants in the city. The octopus was fantastic, and the ceviche scallop is a must have. All paired with a very interesting drink menu and wine list.

An out of the park home run! Great food and drinks, great music - go there and experience it!

Amazing addition to the Pittsburgh jazz and restaurant scene. Looking for a great weekend spot when in from Chicago, and this lived up to the expectations. Great place to share plates, try the mango habanero guac, the sweet potatoes, the jerk chicken tacos, and the King Salmon ceviche. All excellent. Great cocktail list, great atmosphere, great music. Will be back for sure.

Great vibes all around! Wonderful music, food, & atmosphere. Its frequently busy so be sure to make a reservation

Lovely ambience. Awesome live music

The food and drinks were great (though the machaca tacos were a little dry, the swordfish tacos were tasty and juicy). The jazz bar ambiance, with its dim, turn-of-the-century tungsten light bulbs, black/dark walls, and its speaky easy vibe, leaves nothing to be desired. However, the place could use some better staff organization: we made a reservation, got there 5 minutes early, and had to wait for nearly 20 minutes before getting seated. The waiters took a while to attend to us, and were confused when we asked for the bill. Certainly a place Id recommend for a nice dinner accompanied by live music on a week day.

So good. Food, drinks, music, service...yum

Great intimate space with good jazz and wonderful food.

Without a doubt some of the best food in the city accompanied by THE best musicians in the city! Would recommend to anyone

Admired your ceiling a lot. Be back if Im ever in Pittsburgh!

Lovely place! Great music and drinks.

Great food, great ambiance. Live music. Hidden gem. The Bahamian macaroni and ropa viejo were delicious!

We were at the restaurant with a large group on a Saturday night for dinner and drinks. Our cocktails were all very good. We ordered apps that came out very promptly within 10 mins if ordering. When it came to our food, we had been waiting over an hour when we asked our server how much longer for our food. He responded saying it would be out in 7 mins, which it did come out in about ten but he never addressed why it took over an hour to get our food, which we assumed the order had been forgotten to be put in. As we were finishing up with the food, a different employee came over to us asking us if we were going to be finishing up soon since someone else had a reservation at our table. We responded to her saying that we would have been out a long time ago if it wasn’t for our food taking over an hour. She ended up telling us that she was one of the managers and told us it was our fault and we should have told someone our food wasn’t out since she said all their food comes out within 10-15 mins which we obviously wouldn’t have known. She never apologized or found out why our food was delayed. We received no compensation or apology for the poor service. The quality of the food though was very good.

Great food, great atmosphere, great music. Would recommend

Fantastic Jazz bar with delicious cocktails and creative dishes. If you can find a spot- go!

Great food and music! A tight space but they make it work.

Con Alma is the best place in Pgh! Music, ambiance, food - all is superb!

Good sized food servings along with really good drinks, great place to hangout.

Went for brunch and it was a very unique menu. Can’t wait to go back! Great server, wonderful jazz.

Fantastic place to get food and enjoy some smooth jazz at night

Absolutely awesome place! Even if you dont like jazz you gotta go!

Fabulous food...staff...atmosphere...and the sounds of Jazz...!Guaranteed you will be returning over and over again!!!

Great food,great atmosphere, great prices, great management. make sure you try the ceviche!

Smokes everywhere, terrible experience, no other choice rather than their $35/person branch. Even though the live music is good but they charge extra 5 dollar per person for the live music without any notes

Sit up front if you want to have hearing loss and tinnitus for the whole week. Unpleasantly loud and cant have a convo if you are sitting near band. Unfortunately there isnt a lot of room at the restaurant and we had to leave and hostess was unwilling to accommodate us. Request to sit in patio or back of main room for a better experience.

Great food, great atmosphere, great service! Will definitely be returning. :-)

Its small but cozy if you like live music this is the place to go the food is also amazing

Pretty special place. Highly recommend.