Alchemy Kombucha And Culture

Went here twice.... loved it! The kombucha on tap is wonderful, the staff was really nice & down to earth, and the restaurant week menu was awesome! Timing of plates wasn't too great... but still a great find!

Strong menu selection with skillfully executed dishes, ambitious and clever cocktails, beautiful inside and out. Alchemy strikes a balance between the feeling one is dining in an eminently respectable establishment with high standards, and a comfortable place where everyone is friendly and chill. Plus their kombucha is diverse and delightful - I buy it wherever it's sold around town.

So this is the best place ever. I've been here 3 times. Each time has been absolute perfection. Today I went in and ordered charred cauliflower with pesto, fermented garlic, and toast. This dish had everything!!!! The toast was golden and crunchy, the cauliflower was smoky, the pesto was creamy, and the garlic was flavorful and tangy! I was in complete bliss!!!! This incredible sauce was drizzled along the rim of my plate!!! I LITERALLY LICKED MY PLATE CLEAN!!!!! The flavors and presentation were spot on. The Kombucha is mesmerizing. Light, crisp, sweet. Milk Oolong, I believe was the name of the kombucha I tried this evening. It tastes like pears!!!! The staff is DELIGHTFUL!!!!!!! Every single person I spoke to was helpful and SUPER SWEET!!!! So friendly!!! The place is gorgeously decorated!!!! The perfect atmosphere. You NEED to try this place, you will fall in love!

I've been here twice so far and both times my experience has been absolutely first rate. The first time back a few months ago, me and a group of friends all ordered different dishes. EVERY single dish was extraordinary! The manner in which the vegetables were smoked and blackened on top while leaving them crispy was just amazing. I had never tasted anything like that. Even the cauliflower (which I normally hate) was delicious! I couldn't get enough of that cauliflower. There was also a type of beef tartar dish with a sauce made from (if I remember correctly) the rendered marrow of the beef that was something so extraordinary that I called it "a meat desert". It quite simply was one of the most exquisite meat dish I've ever tasted. I also tried the flight of Kombucha samples and while I'm not an expert on those drinks, they all seemed quite tasty and unique (if you enjoy green tea based drinks). The second time, I went was on my Birthday on April 1st 2016 with about 8 friends. We reserved a table that day on short notice and they had everything set up for us by the time we got there. As before, the food was spectacular. The rack of lamb literally melted off the bone, the ramen was as excellent as before, and the fried quail I ordered (unique as most places roast theirs) was extremely tasty. The portion was a bit small on the fried quail, but hey, it's a small bird. My only critique was that a similar side to the brunch version of the dish ( that includes scallion waffles) might have been nice on a separate plate (so as to not take away from the beautiful presentation). As for the drinks, I had a "Gin and I" cocktail that was just perfectly blended. The cocktails my friends ordered likewise tasted amazing and plenty strong (nothing overly diluted with fruit juices) while staying well balanced in their mixture of flavors. In other words, the bartender very much knows what he's doing and does it with tremendous passion and artistry (with a lot of attention to detail) just like what goes into the food at Alchemy. As for service, I could not have asked for a better hostess. I forgot her name (short, glasses, splash of bright blonde hair on her head) but she was absolutely delightful and very knowledgeable about the cuisine. To top it off, even though it wasn't on the menu...for my birthday they surprised me with an amazing chocolate icecream/smoked berry desert dish with happy birthday drizzled in chocolate on the plate. Little things like that are what make restaurants truly great and what earn them loyal customers who continue to come back. I did notice one negative review complaining about the prices and portions. It should be noted that if you are into buffets and really want to stuff yourself with food until bursting, then this is NOT the place for you. What you are paying for here is not portions, but rather superb quality and culinary artistry. You are paying to taste extremely unique recipes that will blow your tastebuds away!!! In other words, this is a place that you go to give your tastebuds a special treat and to relax with good friends and family. Quite honestly for those that complain about the price, they do not realize that to eat food of this quality in most major cities (NYC, Boston, Dallas, L.A, Chicago, etc...) you would find yourself paying easily 3x the price if not more. 20 years from now, instead of paying $8-$25 a dish, you're probably going to be paying around $40-$70 a dish. So enjoy places like Alchemy while they are still affordable. That part of town is rapidly getting gentrified. As such, prices on everything in that area will be going up soon (Just as they did in the King Williams area). We are experiencing right now a Renaissance in culinary arts in San Antonio and Alchemy is a perfect example of this. Don't believe me? Try them for yourself and be prepared for tasting something truly special. For me, this is now my new favorite restaurant in San Antonio (although Candlelight still holds a near and dear place in my heart). <3

Great refreshing culinary experience , just what San Antonio needed; innovative and fresh food, menu changes with the seasons and what is available. Drinks are expertly concocted, and the kambucha is on point. Wait staff is very attentive, shout out to Cisco who brings an expert level of professionalism to his craft.