La Bella Amore Italian Bistro

I accidental reviewed the wrong business.

No longer in business. This restaurant closed several months ago. Replaced by another restaurant.

Amazing!!! From the moment we watched in everything was absolutely amazing! The bread is delicious Lisa tasty the soup is really good! The house Merlot is excellent. everything we had was delicious. Came in towards the end of the day and we’re still greeted with friendly service can’t wait to come back here again.

Rude service. There is a lady who is awful there. The food was bland and not special. Pacino another Italian restaurant in town is a better choice.

The first thing that caught my eye was the décor. It was soothing in both color and lighting. The service was great. I had Lasagna and a salad with Bleu Cheese. Both were very good and the serving size of the lasagna was generous enough that I could not quite finish. I usually do not eat the bread at most restaurants because it’s either really doughy, very hard or very hard crust and doughy inside. The bread here was just right. Will definitely be returning.

Worst service. Crappy food. bad attitude. Out of food. went to pacinos for dessert because la bella didn’t have any… never again!

Very good food and live entertainment! The clams and linguini are excellent and so is the manicotti! Don’t feel it is over priced as previous reviewer stated. You get what you pay for!

We went back since our first time, and I must say that the food was good. The bread was ok, but I can’t complain about something that was free right? Although I think it’s a bit overpriced, I can say that I’ll be back

While on the 58 east, en-​route to Palm Springs from Napa Valley, I was passing through Tehachapi and found myself craving a nice sit-​down dinner. After searching through the downtown area, I spotted La Bella Amore Italian Bistro and decided to go in and see if they had fried calamari and cold beer. Upon entering the quaint and clean dining room, I was greeted by two female food servers who were preparing the dining room for dinner service. I was seated in a booth and my server, Ashley, approached promptly to offer me a beverage. I asked to start with an Italian Beer (Peroni) and an order of Calamari Fritti. The calamari was hot and tasty, the beer was cold and refreshing, and Ashley was courteous, friendly, and prompt. After finishing the calamari and beer, I was eager to try some of the other offerings so I ordered a glass of chardonnay, a dinner salad, and Capellini al Fresco Pasta (with fresh vegetables and olive oil and garlic sauce). Craving greens, I modified the order to add extra spinach. Though the entrée took quite a while (arriving 21-​minutes after the salad), I was happy with the dining experience to that point so I decided to enjoy a second glass of the delicious and refreshing wine. Two critical comments on the flavor of the food: While the pasta was light, fresh, and made with high quality produce, the cook made one sizable mistake by either boiling or steaming the veggies rather than sauteing them in the garlic-​infused olive oil. Also, it did not seem like the cook took time to impart the garlic flavor into the oil by sauteing it slowly before adding the vegetables. Thus, the flavor of this aglio i olio pasta was not what it could have been if the cook would have been more on top of his game (Italian culinary principles & techniques). After finishing the pasta, I decided to enjoy some tiramisu and an espresso for dessert. Both were excellent and so I was able to return to the road with a smile, a full belly, and a desire to return someday for another satisfying dining experience at La Bella Amore in Tehachapi. By the way, if ever you decide to dine there, I recommend you ask for Ashley.
Liked: Clean Dining Area, Cold Beer, Tasty Calamari, Fresh Produce, Delicious Wine, Authentic Tiramisu, Real Italian-​Style Espresso, and Ashley’s Attentive Service
Disliked: Long wait for entrée and the cook’s lack of attention to Italian culinary details

My parents recommended this place to us when we moved to Tehachapi. After reading the reviews here we didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to report we were very pleasantly surprised! The décor was lovely and romantic, the service was excellent (Ashley was our server and she was wonderful), and the food was outstanding. Not sure what was going on with the bad reviews. I suppose every place can have an off night, but we loved this restaurant and intend to go again and again. We are especially looking forward to some live music. Highly recommend this cute little place!

The food is not good and service is the same. I don’t recommend this place

I’ve eaten here once with 3 of my friends — sort of a girl’s night.
The service was slow and the guy waiting on us was rude and impatient.
One of my friends had the ringer on her cellphone on and received a few consecutive text messages when the, owner, I presume, came and told us to silence our phones because «it ruins the feel» of the restaurant. We were the only ones there, AND the phone in the back was ringing every 2 minutes.
When we got our food, I nearly died from the smell! My salad could have killed an army of vampires.
I haven’t been back there since.

What a place! Who couldn’t be charmed by the vegetarian section on the menu? I certainly was… I just wasn’t charmed by the prices on the menu! Wow! The prices are super high for what you get. The place is not a fancy restaurant, so I think they need to reevaluate.
If they lowered their prices a lot, I might recommend it more.

The food was unremarkable. Edible but nothing special. Service was the same. The décor is so hideous it actually entertained me to some degree. Convenient place to eat either before or after a movie as it is next door to the Hitching Post theater.

Not worth the price. This was our first time at this restaurant and will most likely not return. The atmosphere was quaint with lighting and décor but it felt stuffy. Our waitress was friendly, attentive, but not overwhelming. There was a live trio playing something similar to bluegrass? It was not at all appropriate for a small italian restaurant. There were quite a few other tables, which was promising, but what worried me right away was the sound of a microwave coming from the kitchen.
I ordered the baked ziti and house salad with ranch dressing. The «baked» ziti was overcooked penne, some marinara sauce topped with an overwhelming amount of mozzarella cheese and put under the broiler. I added meatballs (an extra $ 2 or something) and it was just chopped up meatballs on top. It did not resemble any baked ziti I had before. My husband ordered chicken parmesan with the tuscan onion soup (additional $ 2). It was pretty good, but again, the pasta was overcooked and flavorless. The soup was tasty but too much cheese, in my opinion. We didnt eat our entire meal but I am a sucker for desserts, so I asked about the tiramisu. The waitress said it was not home-​made but the cannelloni was. At her recommendation, I tried it (about $ 5). It was pretty good but too much cinnamon flavor. Our bill was $ 53 at the end of the evening. Unfortunately, the good service was not able to make up for the poor food.

I’ve been here twice. The first time, I was the only customer for half my meal. I had the special, «Pasta di Amore» (??) or something similar. It was a-​ma-​zing. Spaghetti noodles tossed with herby cheesy sauce (parmesan and pungent gorgonzola), sun-​dried tomatoes, walnuts, spinach and I added chicken ($ 14 w/​chicken). I had a house salad with the house blue cheese dressing (which I could have easily drank a shot of it was so tasty). All the dressings are house made. The waitress was so sweet and I felt right at home. The atmosphere was almost over-​the-​top kitschy, which actually totally hooked me, I thought it was adorable. There were white christmas lights strung about, red everything leather booths, tea lights on the tables, etc. The portions were large, enough for two meals, easily. I treated myself to a glass of the local Zinfandel (Souza Vineyards), it was excellent. Next visit I had the manicotti, bf had the meat ravioli, we both had salads. The food wasn’t as outstanding as the special pasta, but I definitely enjoyed it. There was also a little acoustic trio playing folk music the second time, they were very pleasant and added to the ambience. If you want italian in Tehachapi, La Bella Amore is the place.

I wish Unilocal would allow ½ stars… because La Bella Amore is between a two and a three. So I’m being generous here.
I could swear this place used to be on Tucker Street and called The Three Sisters Italian Bistro or something. If not, the atmosphere and food are quite similar. The décor is not spectacular, I would suggest that they paint the white drop-​ceiling a darker color to give the place a bit more atmosphere, and a few more pictures of Italy would be nice.
The service was great, the waitress (owner? part-​owner?) friendly and making sure that we were taken care of in a timely manner, but not too rushed. Actually, the place was almost empty, so that makes sense.
Appetizers: The fried zucchini was good, still slightly crunchy on the interior whereas most places reduce it to glue. The marinara dipping sauce was acceptable. The bruschetta… okay, I’m going to really be finicky here and I apologize before I say this, but I sort of judge an Italian restaurant by how they saw bruschetta. Our server said «Bru-​shet-​ta.» It is «Bru-​sket-​ta.» That’s totally anal, I know. Totally. But if you’re an Italian restaurant and you don’t say it correctly? As for taste, it was okay. It needed seasoning (soon to become my Wagnerian motif). The problem is that tomatoes are obviously not in season in November, and without salt to bring life to imported or hot house varieties, well, the flavor is just lacking.
Salads: The standard sort of pre-​dinner salads. They were fine.
Entrees: The Veal Scallopini. The veal was cooked nicely, still tender, and the breading was nice. But… seasoning, people, seasoning. I know that we’re all afraid of dropping dead of a heart attack, but ya gotta try that salt shaker at some point in time. With just a modicum of salt and pepper, the veal could have had so much more life. And it really needed a lemon wedge with it. Without the brightness of the acid, the meal was a bit thick and heavy. The mash potatoes on the side were fine (but needed salt). The zucchini and onion side dish begged for seasoning and the zucchini were undercooked. I like my zucchini firm, but not as crunchy as a fresh carrot. The Linguine al Pesto was also merely okay, with the pesto a bit on the thin side and the dish again lacking in seasoning. (Dear God of Seasoning, please teach thy flock the love of the pepper mill and the wonders of thy crystalline nectar known henceforth as salt…”)
The deserts were limited and standard.
So why 3 stars rather than 2? Three reasons, one for each star. First, the service and staff were friendly, attentive, and jovial. Two, the Tehachapi wine they serve, the local Zinfandel, was a true fruity pleasure! Went out afterward and bought two bottles (ten dollar cheaper than in the restaurant). Three, they had live music, a guitarist playing folk songs. He had a great voice, he wasn’t too loud or annoying, and he made for a good listen.

We went for family dinner, and were suprised by the quiet, intamite, low lit environment. There was an acoustic musician who was taking request, and it added to the ambience of our dining experience. The service was good, and although it was a romantic environment; we didn’t get any dirty looks or stares for bringing our kids (we felt very comfortable).
I had the calazone (takes 20 – 30 minutes to cook), and the crust reminded me of foccacia bread. My hubby had the lasagna and was in heaven, and the kids split linguini with shrimp. We had a side of meatballs (fresh and homemade). The desert was beyond words; AMAZING!!! Enough cannot be said about the fresh ingredients and down to earth style of a mom and pop restraunt. If you don’t mind paying a little extra for great fresh food, and a down home feel; this is the place for you. I’m hoping my hubby will take me back on a date. Our check with tip was about $ 75.00 for the four of us, and we shared dessert and an appetizer. We did not try the wine list, but it was tempting that they had a list from local vineyards. I opted for iced tea. This is a huge factor for me. Fresh iced tea is a key staple of a good restraunt, and this place did not disappoint Take someone you love or go if you love good food

Yeah, the décor doesn’t equal the food, but they’re trying. The service was good.
We showed up on a Sunday about 45 minutes before closing. I ordered veal parmagiana. My kid ordered a noodle dish with oil and crunchy garlic pieces in it. My brother ordered the alfredo.
The house italian dressing is made on site. The green salads were very fresh. They were made with very fresh romaine and ripe tomatoes. I really enjoyed mine with the house Italian (it’s not pretty but it tastes good).
The garlic bread is very light on the garlic, but was addicting. The bread itself was delicious.
The kid’s noodles were covered with oil and crunchy garlic. She didn’t care for it and ate all the penne that came with my meal.
My veal was the best I’ve had in a long time. The breading stayed put. The cheese was melted perfectly. They blended perfectly with the very bright marinara.
My brother said the Alfredo sauce was a little runny.
I would go again.

Two stars for the food and one for, what appeared to be, year round Valentine’s day décor! Hee hee! Seriously — I told my bf it looked like St. Valentine threw up in there! The color RED, tons of twinkly little white lights, and more RED… everywhere. It was interesting, I’m sorry I didn’t have my camera, but just imagine your idea of the worst Valentines evening ‘romantic’ décor — and that’s about it.
The food was good, not high-​end SF dining good, but nice small town good. The antipasto was a nice hefty portion and the manicotti was pretty tasty. The pasta was nice and thin and the cheese mixture inside was delicate.