Alegria Cocina Latina Walter Cotta Alegria Cocina Latina

Alegria Cocina Latina Menu

Downtown Long Beach destination for potent sangría, live music and traditional tapas.
Openings: Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sun.

Features


Alegria Cocina Latina Restaurant Review:


At night, downtown Long Beach is a happening place, in part because of Alegria, a sister restaurant to adjacent L'Opera. Walk into the bar, with its murals of Spanish haciendas, pitchers of potent sangría, and hot and cold tapas, and you're likely to be pulled up on stage, where a live band plays music for Flamenco dancing. In the quieter dining room, sample chef Walter Cotta’s small plates, like shredded braised Muscovy duck barbacoa, deep fried yucca root, and shrimp ceviche with mango and jalapeño relish. Tiraditos, ahi “cooked” in a lime vinaigrette, with yellow tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and fennel, and served with an herbed baguette, make for a hearty middle course. For an entrée, consider the paella Valenciana, layered with Spanish sausage, beef, chicken breast, sweet ham, clams and mussels. Finish strong with a silken flan or bread pudding with apples and bananas. The wine list features several Spanish varietals from different regions of the country. The tempo heats up as the night progresses. Sunday brunch is mellow and consists of Latin-inspired bites like ropa vieja hash with eggs and Peruvian-style arroz con pollo.