Bella Blu

I went here with my family and we had a DELICIOUS meal. The food was great, the service was awesome, and we loved it. I loved the ambiance of this place, the local, hole in the wall feel… it was great! Highly recommend!

Highly disappointed by my pasta. There was absolutely no sauce on it even though I paid for extra sauce. I have no problem paying $ 20+ for pasta as long as it has flavor and is good. I’m
Not going to order from here again.

My family and I have been coming here fairly regularly for over a decade. I’ve never had a bad meal. The service is professional to a degree that seems like a precision drill. It’s a marvel how consistently efficient the front room is. I can’t say enough good things about the pizza from the wood-​fired oven, the house made cheeses and pastas and the authenticity of the recipes. Great wine selection too. The décor is festive with playful wall paintings. In the summer, the front is open to the street. This could be the closest thing to eating in Rome while on Lexington Avenue on the UES. This is why the place is always full, lively and an UES favorite. The problem, IMO, is that it’s too crowded and too loud. Don’t come expecting to have conversations. I’ve seen couples making out at their tables, but it’s not the place if you are looking for a romantic dinner. The tables could be spaced further apart, but hey, that doesn’t deter people (including me) from coming back. I definitely recommend coming here, to eat, drink, people watch and be seen yourself. It’s just a bit frenzied. Thought you should know.

The place was amazing, I had the truffle sauce ravioli, it’s amazing I recommend it.
The place is small, but everyone is super friendly and everything is lovely.
The waiter was polite and the food came fast and was super delicious.

arrogant chump cant host for squat. 2 empty tables out front and he wouldnt seat us there. they dont take reservatons. said it was a 4 top when they clearly were set for two. told him i would leave and he pointed to the door. plenty of good italian on UES wout health violations. we took the door.

I was here with my wife. I got to know about it by chance when I was walking by and try find a good place for early dinner.
It’s awesome with great food and ambiance.
Service was perfect.
I am lucky that we fine here.

You will find several comments about food poisoning but the truth is that the board of health was called in and 4 of us tested positive for Norovirus. When we contacted the restaurant they would not tell us anything.
STAY AWAY. This is an awful restaurant.

Negatives: Make sure you know the prices of the Specials!!! I ended up paying $ 62 for a steak special and $ 45 for a bronzino that wasn’t as good as the $ 33 sea bass on the regular menu. Wines are a crazy price — least expensive is $ 50 for a mediocre Chianti. Should be serving hand cut fries not frozen.
Positives:
Great food, really great food.
Great atmosphere
Great service

My son, daughter and I ate Wednesday (1÷13÷16) evening at Bella, apparently a few days before the breakout of a flu type illness reported by several patrons. Staff and service was exceptional and our server was courteous and attentive. Food was perfect. Burratta and sunflower zucchini were perfect. I had a lamb shank special and it was cooked to perfection and delicious. I won’t review my guests dinners as I didn’t taste the dishes, but suffice to say they were pleased.
I have no idea why people became ill, but I have been coming to this establishment for years and never experienced a bad meal or a problem.

Very rude service. We had dinner there tonight with another local couple. Our waiter could not be bothered with us. We were 4 people who spent $ 400 for dinner and were treated so poorly as if we were putting our waiting out. Never did he come by and check on us. We had to keep asking for things over and over. I asked to taste two wines so I could decide on the two (both good wines so was spending money) and was told house rules are one tasting not two wines. It was such an uncomfortable and unpleasant evening.
Again, $ 400 later and treated so poorly. The manager needs to get involved and jump in or contact people after these experiences. It’s a neighborhood spot and and one we frequented often.
We definitely won’t be back unless we hear from someone.

Went saturday night with wife and another couple.
Both women ate Chicken Paillard, both became extremely sick.
Our friend who we were with ironically enough, sister ate at the restaurant that very same night with a group of friends. All of them got sick.
My wife’s cousin ate there Thursday for lunch with a friend, and they both got sick.
THIS PLACE IS TO BE AVOIDED. SOMETHING IS GOING ON.

We dined this past friday with another couple, our friend texted us saying that they were both up all night sick — as were we! Dealing with a terrible case of food poisoning either from meatballs, tiramisu, arugula salad or maybe the olive oil that goes around in the beginning?.

Super expensive and it wasn’t even all that good. I asked for the waiters recommendation, and he suggested I have the veal milanese with salad on top… (Of course not mentioning that this tiny plate was $ 45)… It just wasn’t worth it. You are better off going to the corner Pizza shop 3 blocks up and ordering yourself a great portion of whichever Italian plate for your moneys worth…

Neighborhood place very crowded the food is great I do recommend
It here portions are big and it is a little pricey

Food a solid 4.5 and the staff a 6. Anything can be adjusted, tweaked and done so without making you feel small. Daniel (sorry if I have spelling wrong) is the matre’d and he is awesome. Simply plies his craft and ensures its all perfect.
So, settle in order the grilled octopus, have a beautiful red and fall back in love with your guests and the art if eating and living.

Honestly got pretty drunk here on a company outing but it was still good food. A little cramped for a restaurant but it’s do-​able. The service was very good and they were all very kind. Our waiter knew the menu extremely well and was able to list off the 10+ specials of the day off the top of his head! I got the Burrata with Zucchini Flower, the Lobster Ravioli, and the Tiramisu. I was so stuffed at the end of the meal, I couldn’t even finish the dessert!
The Zucchini Flower appetizer was so yummy. The burrata was probably the best I’ve ever tasted and it came with prosciutto and fried zucchini flower. The flower is (apparently) a delicacy and is in season so we went with this dish. The flower itself looked like a chicken on the plate but when you bit into it, it’s obviously not. My lobster ravioli was good but some pieces were under cooked and hard :(I’d recommend you try another dish. The tiramisu though… OMG SO GOOD! My friend compared it to a soft marshmallow and if I weren’t as stuffed as I was, I would’ve gobbled the whole thing. The tiramisu itself is pretty big so leave room for it if you’re planning on having it!
The place got pretty popping pretty quick and seems like a favorite for those who come here. I can see myself coming back :) Get the chilled Rose for a good night!

Impressive service; just the right amount of friendliness without being cloying or annoying.
My favorite appetizer was the tuna tartare. I had the lamb chop for my entrée, cooked absolutely perfectly with rich flavor and a slightly crispy coating
Great wine list with something for everyone.

Had lunch at Bella Blu yesterday, here are my thoughts:
Ambiance: Great location, beautiful restaurant. The weather was great and the wide open windows /​doors made me feel like I was back in one of the great Italian restaurants that line the streets of Beverly Hills.
Service: Friendly waiter and servers.
Food: For the most part the food was pretty good.
– Chicken Paillard — my husband declared this better than Fig & Olive’s version. Pretty strong statement for my usually un-​opinionated husband.
– Prawn Salad — I thought this was just okay. The prawns were a bit chewy, the mango lacking in flavor. I wouldn’t order this again, especially at $ 29.
– Spaghetti with Shrimp — my daughter ordered this and it was excellent!
– Complimentary bread — The bread was delicious but the dipping sauce was the highlight. I could eat it with a spoon.
Overall: Bella Blu is almost a 4 star place but not quite there. I’m okay with paying for a nice meal but it needs to be close to phenomenal, which my meal wasn’t. I might return if I’m in the area, because the ambiance was so great, but I won’t be rushing back.

Eh, my experience was just ok. Truthfully I don’t think the food is that great. I’ve only been to this restaurant a handful of times and truthfully I never really feel the desire to come back. I am a Italian woman so I know when food is cooked with love and cooked right, I’m not trying to be one of those annoying Unilocal customers but when dining out at a restaurant with expensive prices people should receive good quality and exceptional service.
Last night was truthfully like a circus. Between the hostess wearing a dress and shoes paired for a strip club, and toddlers rolling their scooters through the restaurant, I’d rather spend my money elsewhere, the food was just OK. I don’t like to end a work day and listen to screaming family arguments in the restaurant while trying to enjoy my food. That’s not how one should run a business. I don’t care owners or not.

I don’t know if it is a tomato tapenade, or some unholy alliance of peppers, olive oil and tomatoes with a different name, but call the SWAT team because that sauce they serve with the bread is the bomb!
That’s my main takeaway from a delightful dinner at Bella Blu. My old-​fashioned was definitely fresh and the mixed sea creature and veggie stir fry appetizer was awesome. I had a terrific pizza from their oven (although that thing is H-​O-​T so if you’re sitting near it, wear something cool).
Desserts were tasty, service was friendly. It’s a bit cramped and tables are on top of one another but it’s all good.
I’d go back here in New York minute! Hell, I’d go back here in a Philadelphia minute and you know how I feel about Philly.