Once upon a time this building housed Cuba Libre, a blazing concept that started lazy, residential Henderson Avenue on the road to becoming a mile-long dining and nightlife destination. Alma is no less splashy, fueled by premium spirits and dedicated, from-scratch cocktails borrowing off other Consilient Restaurants venues—Fireside Pies (next door), The Porch (across the street) and Victor Tango’s (across the other street). Alma is spared the pain of creating a vibe. Thanks to its siblings, the new spot was predestined to draw young, precocious, and consciously hip dwellers of greater Uptown.

Yet this time around, Tristan Simon—the impresario behind Consilient’s concepts—opted to ditch brash, over-the-top dishes in favor of basics. The restaurant side features Mexican flavors inspired by street and regional favorites, with several must-try shared plates. They aim for authenticity, but this must be tempered by the street where Alma lives. Henderson Avenue denizens talk the local, seasonal, regional game but adore urban tacos, upscale nachos, and trinket-like drinks. For the moment, the chef stands steadfastly in favor of fresh ingredients and uncomplicated flavors: guajillo, pequin, jicama with mango. They emphasize earthy heat, depth and simple contrasts. This is much to Alma’s credit.