Bella On the River

Great atmosphere. Quiet intimate small restaurant. A great respite from the riverwalk bustle. Was easy getting a Saturday night reservation within a week of the visit. Food was very good and service was quick and friendly.

Excellent! The meal was excellent we had the fish special. The staff was very welcoming. Make reservations.

Bella on the river was an amazing experience. The restaurant is very quaint and reminds me of what you would see in Europe. Beautiful limestone walls make a beautiful atmosphere for an intimate dinner. We started off with the Bruschetta of the day, which was full of flavor. I had a pasta dish (amartriciana) which was absolutely amazing and had a very dynamic taste. The person I was with had quail and they like it a lot (I had a bite and even though I’m not a fan of fried things… It was very good). We paired our dinner with a great rosé and for dessert had the Caramel ice cream, which was super light and paired with a pastry-​inspired cookie. All in all, a great experience with a great atmosphere. One of the better restaurants on the riverwalk.

One of the best meals I’ve had in a while! Delicious food, superb service and warm ambiance.
For appetizers, we ordered eggplant Josephine. Very good appetizer! If you love eggplant… I would highly recommend this appetizer! We also ordered the lamb chops — simply be cause we couldn’t decide between lamb or duck. So we got lamb entrée as our second appetizer… best decision EVAH! Perfectly seasoned and cooked lamb.
For entrée, I had the duck breast. This also did not disappoint — perfectly seared and cooked medium rare with apricot brandy sauce. We also tried the Pasta Bella which was also delicious! They also bring out beautifully roasted garlic plate with bread — soooo good!
For dessert, we had more of the roasted garlic and bread :). And followed with bread pudding.
Owners and staff were very friendly and welcoming. It is a small restaurant but we were lucky enough to get a table for four on a Friday evening. What a surprise find located on River Walk!
I can’t wait to go back next time I’m in San Antonio.

Me and my friends are in San Antonio for a few days and wanted to try out some yummy food! Of course, Unilocal is our go-​to (: to figure out where we are going to eat. We wanted to try a restaurant that was on the river run, that wasn’t big names that we can get at home! We came across Bella, which looked great so we went!
We got lucky! When we arrived, we did not make any reservations, but someone had just cancelled theirs and we got seated right away (given the wait was like 1.5 hrs+ as it later became more crowded)
The service was mediocre. It took a while for us to get our iced waters we ordered, and we were dying from dehydration! The food was also mediocre. We had the egg plant, which is by far our favorite from that meal! The beef carpaccio was also mediocre. What really disappointed us was the seafood paella! It looked so good, and everyone around us was ordering it, so we had to try it! It was a little too salty for us, and 3 out of the 4 clams we got in it were closed, which means they died before they were cooked. The shrimps in it were a little too chewy and tasted rubbery. The complimentary bread, with garlic and rosemary, was good!

Bella on the River is a very quaint restaurant that exceeded my expectations! It is quite difficult to get 5 stars from me. I must say that it reminds me of the small Italian restaurants that I have visited in Italy. So if you are looking for large open spaces this isn’t it.
This was an excellent location to celebrate my birthday. When we entered the restaurant it was quite busy, however we had only a short five minute wait. Our waiter was impressively detailed, leaving no need unattended! I wish I remembered his name!
Bella is very charming and the food was impeccable! We started with the meatballs covered in marinara and mozzarella as an appetizer, I could have eaten this as the main course with the roasted garlic and bread the restaurant provided. For the main course I chose the filet mignon and hubby had the pork tenderloin and as side items we chose the potato croquettes and polenta. All of which were excellent choices! The filet melted in my mouth! This is an excellent place for a romantic dinner date!

This was my first time in San Antonio and I wanted to make it special. I am not into typical tourist trap places that serve poor quality food to anyone willing to pay for it.
Bella’s offers ambiance and class while being among the beautiful river walk. The food in my opinion was ok. My date had the lamb chops. Which was much better than my steak au poivre. My steak lacked flavor and I needed to cover it in peppercorn sauce AND potatoes to get a decent flavor. We had ordered the mussels and fried calamari for an appetizer. Both were also average. I had been noticing food being brought out to people sat much after us. So I think our waiter forgot about our apps. Which may be why they were on the cooler side when they arrived at our table. Also. Our waiter failed to bring us that delicious bread. I had to ask for it. After I was done eating the appetizer. Pretty inconvenient as I would have enjoyed dipping bread into the mussel broth. Ordered pistachio cake for dessert which tasted like a vanilla cake with pistachio frosting. I love pistachio cakes so I have had quite a few. And this one does not measure up.
To sum up. Bella’s is a great date place. You won’t find cut off shirts and tattoos on the patrons as you would other places on the river. Food is ok. Much better than anything else on the river walk. But had it not been on the beautiful river walk. Then I would not return. Service was incredibly slow. I think it may have just been my server because every other table was in and out before we even got our food. It has good ambiance with stone walls and dim light. It is worth a try if you are new to San Antonio. But be cautioned. It is pricey!

Had a really, really great dinner at Bella last night. Was told to make a reservation so made one through open table. Super easy. I was very skeptical going out to dinner on the river walk after hearing that the majority of the places are worthless tourists traps, but Bella is definitely an exception.
The outside of the restaurant is really cool with a super old tree growing right through the side of the building. There are about 10 – 12 seats outside along the river and would be really nice to sit out there, but last night was just a little bit too humid.
Stepping inside you feel like you are entering a restaurant in a tiny little village in Italy. Almost feels like you are stepping into someone’s home, and in this case that would be the restaurant owner David. David makes sure to meet and greet every single guest which is a great touch. Our server promptly came over to our table and got us started with some peronis and water. The friend who had made the recommendation to me to come here had said that as long as you’re not starved, an appetizer and one entre is plenty to split between a couple. Fresh, warm bread was brought out with an entire head of roasted garlic in olive oil. Salivating just thinking about it.
For an appetizer we ordered the fried calamari that also came with fried artichokes and capers in a white cream sauce. Amazing. For dinner we ordered paella which was extremely well executed, although quite oily (I don’t eat paella all the time so maybe this is a common trait). Overall we really really really enjoyed the experience.
One critique I have is that the beer selection was weak. I understand that wine is what 99% of people are coming here to drink, but with great Italian craft beers popping up in the states now, I feel that those or even some local TX craft brews would be a great addition to their menu. Other than that, loved this place and for sure will be coming back.

I have to agree with the other Unilocal reviewers here. I didn’t expect much given the relatively mediocre quality of most restaurants on the Riverwalk. This place is amazing — from the service, to the ambiance, to the food, spectacular all around.
The Steak Au Poivre (Peppercorn Crusted, Grilled 10oz Strip Loin Steak, Cognac & Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce) was delicious! My colleague had the Texas Quail (Chicken-​Fried Texas Quail, Gorgonzola Cream, Arugula) and ranted and raved about how good it was. The pistachio cake was also to die for.
The location is great, with limited seating along the river. Inside, the restaurant is small and quaint, with small candles lighting each table.
Service was great and our waiter was really attentive and knowledgable. Yes, the cost may be a little on the high side compared to other cheaper Riverwalk alternatives. However, I highly recommend splurging a little for great food, prepared by an award winning chef.

Wow. This place exceeded all expectations. Being directly on the riverwalk, I didn’t expect much/​thought it was just another tourist trap, even though the Unilocal reviews were so high. But man oh man was I wrong! As soon as you walk in, you feel transported. This is a cozy and super romantic spot with great ambiance. And the food was AMAZING. The pictures on here do not do this place justice.
We both got the peach and prosciutto salad (OMG– drooling just thinking abt it). Then had the paella and the curried scallops with fennel as our entrees… and a side of the potatoes with sundried tomato sauce. I could go on and on abt how good it all was– but I’ll just sum it up by saying that honest to God this was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. And I go out to eat like it’s my job. Presentation was beautiful, and the quality/​flavor of the dishes was just as impressive.
Side note– I’m one of those people that looks at what everyone else ordered in the restaurant… So, I can tell you that the lamb chops and duck looked just as awesome, and I’d love to try one of those when I come back.
The ONLY semi-​negative thing I’d say, is that I would prob skip the appetizer we got next time, the Eggplant Josephine … It was good, but not a «wow» dish like everything else. Didn’t even compare/​is over-​hyped for sure.

I loved my recent trip here. I want to spend a few words describing our service. Samantha our server was perfect! She was insightful about the menu — but maintained that if we thought it sounded good we should try it. She was right. Everything I had was beyond delicious and it was so innovative. My coworker had the redfish with carrot and orange au jus and I had the ricotta fritters in a tomato sauce and the bruschetta (it had mascarpone it !!)
I want to go back to the service though — its obvious the owner and his staff work really well together. Working in a restaurant is hard — but to have an owner that values you and wait staff who respect customers — it makes all the difference! I hope I get back to San Antonio! When I do I am definitely going back to Bella’s on the River!

All I had was the Paella and a diet coke, but the Paella was stellar. Lots and lots of seafood with flavorful gummy rice. Based on that quality alone I have to give it 4-stars.The outdoor seating by the river was really cool for people watching too.

Beautiful location and excellent food! Portions for the pork loin (hubs order) was a bit on the smaller side but good enough. I ordered the paella and it was delicious! We also ordered charcuterie (prosciutto, mozzarella and duck breast) — aaahhh so yummy! It was a memorable wedding anniversary for us. 4 stars only because I think it’s more expensive than what you get food-​wise but you’re paying for the location. I’d say 4.5 stars really.

SOOOO good! Make a reservation. Seriously. You can do it on Open Table and will save the owner from having to walk back and forth from the door to the bar where the reservation book is held because there is no host stand.
Super cute place. You may be tempted to sit outside on the Riverwalk. Unless you don’t mind your food not hitting the table hot (which I do), you probably want to eat inside.
Everything that hit our table was pure deliciousness. I’m having a modified diet with no meat, dairy or refined carbs and the chef knocked it out of the park. She made these brussel sprouts that were tossed in some sort of honey spicey sauce (tasted a hint of wasabi) that the hubs and I pretty much licked the plate. She made the best grilled eggplant I’ve ever had and I asked for a side of their marinara sauce (also, the best I’ve ever had). Everyone in there was raving about the seafood paella but we didn’t try that this trip. Hubs had pork tenderloin and loved every bite of it.
The Riverwalk has never really had good food. It’s like they know people will come no matter what so they don’t try that hard. This place though is GOOD no matter where it’s located.
Ask the folks for the dessert menu (even if you don’t want any) so you can read the history of the restaurant printed on the back. They have a gluten-​free and vegetatian menu so just ask for it.

This is a romantic quaint little restaurant on the River. Reservations are highly suggested at this joint which has limited amount of tables. I saw them turn away a lot of walk-​ins when I was dining there on a Saturday evening. Also, this place can be quite loud from the other patrons since the tables are very close to each other.
Now, down to the food, I had the seafood paella and it was spectacularly good. It was well-​seasoned with ample amount of seafood. I savored every bite. My guest had the pork tenderloin and was very satisfied with the dish. We ended our meal with yummy salted caramel ice cream and Virginia’s pistachio cake. I preferred the salted caramel ice cream if I had to choose the next time I’m there. Hands down to the Chef.

We have been dining at Bella frequently for the past 4.5 years. We have never had a meal we did not love or service that was not exceptional! If you are lucky enough to have Hannah as your server she will help to make the dining experience that much more enjoyable ;) The owner David greets every customer as they arrive and makes you feel like you are part of the Bella Family!
If you are wondering what meal to choose I’d have to say ALL OF THEM! The menu changes seasonally and we have tried just about every dish on each menu and LOVE them all! Since we have 2 small children we always request to sit outside so they can people and boat watch during dinner. We cannot wait to dine at Bella again soon… very soon!

Food is generally delicious and I love their bread in garlic and oil. Love their kale salad as well, so simple yet delightful.
I was not a fan of their eggplant Josephine and the pistachio cake. Both tasted quite blah without much flavor. If you have to pick a dessert, go for their tiramisu.

This place was beautiful, relaxing and absolutely enjoyable!
On the tab, antipasto platter with prosciutto, salami and buffalo mozzarella, seafood paella, filet mignon, roasted red potatoes, Bellini and some Shiners.
The food was delicious except the filet. To be honest, we had to send one back because it was over but even the perfectly cooked steak was a tad bland. The meat itself though was a quality piece and it melted in your mouth. Everything else was absolutely mouth watering. The seafood paella’s seafood was fresh. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The clams and mussels were not rubbery at all and the saffron chorizo chicken broth was absolutely coming through with the bright pop of peas. My hubs and I loved it! The antipasto platter was such a great way to start the meal. The salami had a great fat to meat ratio. The buffalo mozzarella had a creamy Brie like finish and the prosciutto had a great salt content that create a great mouth feel. (Sometimes prosciutto can be slimy!)
The service was great! Will was kind and since they felt so terrible that the first filet was over, we got so much extra stuff including the salted caramel ice cream and some bruschetta which btw is seriously the best salted caramel ice cream I’ve ever had!
The Bellini was good. Solid and shiner is from the bottle so again something familiar.
Although this place is expensive it was worth it to us at least once to try this place to say we did and to sit outside in the beauty by the river.

I really really really love the food i had here… Even after an hour or two i still can taste the amazing taste of seafood paella. gosh this is the second type of risoto that i will never forget… If u happen to visit the river walk san antonio, i would suggest to have dinner in this resto and have seafood peaella… Also we had carpaccio as entrée, again the taste is lovely, type of good fine dining resto, love they way they serve it so nice and… The most important is not the look but the taste…
The resto itself is not really have the view of the river walk directly unless you eat outside but majority of the resto is in the room, well this is kind of a fine dining resto and quite a romantic one. I love it
Price wise… Considered pretty pricey but i would go with it instead of having food by the river but taste awful, lucky we got Unilocal to help us to find such a great resto thanks to Unilocal anyway
Would be good if you have a reservation, we were pretty early for dinner and we are only 2 people so that we could get table easily but when we left the resto, may people were queuing. I guess the resto is quite small, if you want yo come with a big group definitely you need to make a reservation so they can arrange the table accordingly.

Phenomenal service and delicious food! We had the pork belly appetizer, rack of lamb and pork tenderloin entrees and salted caramel ice cream dessert. Each and every dish was great! The salted caramel ice cream is probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever had!
However, the Mediterranean category is a misnomer.

Sicherlich eines der besseren Lokale hier.
Man sitzt sehr eng aufeinander — auch mit den Nachbartischen. Da rumpelt auch schon mal der Kellner mittendurch und entschuldigt sich aber nicht.
Das Essen war lecker, wir hatten als Vorspeise Bruscetta, dann Pizzas/​Salat.
Als Zwischengang wurde gerösteter Knoblauch serviert, dazu Baguette.
Die Rechnung enthielt mal wieder das Trinkgeld; auf Nachfrage behauptete die Kellnerin jedoch, das würde auch bei den Einheimischen so gemacht. Das bezweifle ich mal.
Wegen des wirklichen Platzmangels und der Sache mit dem Trinkgeld nur 3 Sterne