Bella-Napoli Italian Bakery of Troy

i’ve literally never had a great experience here, yet i keep going back because it’s convenient and inexpensive.
like many of the other reviewers, i find the staff unhelpful and cold at best and downright rude at worst. there are a few examples that really stick out.
once, one of the women asked if i’d need a box and i said whatever is the best way to do this. i ended up walking out with a plastic bag full of 8 small paper bags… not the best way to do it.
another time i was with a friend and the woman put what he wanted together and then went over to the register. i said i needed to pick a couple things out and the woman gave me the dirtiest look and said i didn’t realize you were together. we were walking down the counter together and talking the whole time, plus there was only 1 other person in the bakery. really strange.
on my last visit i had asked for 2 mini eclairs and when i got home there were 2 mini cannolis, i tried one and it was garbage. i’ve had a cannoli once before and didn’t care for it either, but this one was disgusting. tasted like sickly sweet frosting was rolled around in pile of sugar and piped into cardboard.
now the positive, it’s cheap and their eclairs are good.

Great Italian bakery with ridiculously cheap prices!
Huge selection, all of what I have tried has been wonderfully delicious and well made. I’m surprised to see on here that the average number of stars is not higher. I lived in Boston, home to places like Mike’s, and also do a fair bit of baking. I think that this place is fantastic, highly recommend it for a fun dessert stop, where to go to get something for a party, or just a treat for yourself, a friend, or someone special. I will continue to stop by here many times in the future, and recommend it.

I really like this bakery. I’ve stopped here quite a few times before work to pick up donuts, cookies or a cake for the office & the service has always been quick & my favorites are always in stock. Sometimes when I’m going for a walk in my neighborhood I’ll stop in here for the little cheesecake cups (I know, not the healthiest thing to do while working out lol) & they’re always fresh & tasty. I would highly recommend this spot.

I live in Boston and frequently go on bakery runs to the North End, so the prices at Bella-​Napoli blew my mind. EVERYTHING IS SO CHEAP. They also offer mini versions of many things; perfect for sampling. The plain cannoli filling is lemony-​delicious and I really liked the French cannoli, very flaky and yummy.
Based on taste and price point, this place should get a solid five stars, but the staff is pretty horrible. Ok so, it’s probably not the highest paying job in the world, but I feel like it’d be pretty cool and relaxing to work at a bakery. These ladies either hated their jobs, or me, or life … IDK. That said, I’ll gladly suffer through the sourest attitude for a box of really delicious baked goods for under $ 10.

I’ve probably been here 1000 — 2000 times, usually to get a day old apple fritter and a coffee for breakfast (about $ 2). In my experience (I’m still far from having tried everything) the best stuff they sell is, in no particular order:
— pizza dough; $ 1 a pound and way better than the frozen nuggets of crap from the supermarkets that cost twice as much. I see no point in either buying dough elsewhere or making my own when theirs is this good and cheap.
— white Italian bread; in various forms. It’s all basically the same and all very good.
— almond horns — very nondescript looking, but my favorite of their little desert items.
— Boston cream pie — a medium sized cake that serves 6 – 10; is tasty and is only $ 5.50. My go to when I have to bring a cake somewhere and don’t feel like making it.
— rolls of various types; all very cheap (a hamburger bun; called a dinner roll is about $.25) and Italian bread tasty. If you go to enough Troy restaurants and hot dog places you’ll notice that a lot of them use Bella Napoli rolls. You should too.
— day old breakfast stuff — apple fritters are my go-​to, but there are also usually donuts, cinnamon buns, etc. All half off. They all still taste pretty good. If you want 600 calories of baked sustenance for under $ 1, this is where to look. On the back wall racks behind the right side of the counters. There is nothing written anywhere in the store to cue you in that this stuff exists. Just look in the rack and ask for it.
— sfogliatelle (sp) — a real Italian pastry that has canolli-​like filling and a philo-​like dough. I had them in Italy and then found then found them squirreled away at Bella Napoli on the left side of the counters.
— some of their seasonal stuff is really good; namely their ricotta/​rice pies around easter and apple walnut pies.
Biscotti is good with hot drinks.
Don’t get me wrong; there are things that Bella Napoli gets wrong. I’m not a huge fan of their cakes/​cupcakes or radio bars (the mrs likes them, I do not), they often have lines, and they’re not good at describing/​suggesting things. Coffee is meh (some employees even bring their own; I still drink it). Rye bread isn’t stellar. The cheap pies just use canned pie filling. Donuts are OK.
But, they do enough stuff really well and cheaply that, for my purposes, they’re a 5 star place.

I went in to this bakery hoping for the warm loving environment I used to get back in Brooklyn from the local Italian bakeries. I went in to get a small birthday cake with a few of my friends but was sorely disappointed.
The people who were at the counter seemed disinterested and it seemed like they were giving us dirty looks. One of the ladies (after about 5 minutes) rudely asked if we were ready to order, but did not offer any suggestions when it clearly seemed like we were struggling to make a decision. I ended up just getting a cookie because I felt bad not getting something. It was only okay. Not the best cookie I’ve had. I probably won’t be returning.

I was disappointed in the customer service here. In the past, I have gotten birthday cakes from Sam’s Club, BJ’s, Hannaford or Walmart but I decided to try getting a cake from here. I called three days ahead of time to order it but when my husband arrived to pick it up they stated that they didn’t have the cake and it was not on the list so they couldn’t do anything about it. Eventually they found the cake, apparently when I had called to order the cake the person did not write down the day I was picking it up even though I had told her. This cake cost twice as much as at the other places that I have gotten cakes at before. I had thought that for twice the price that the cake would taste a lot better and that they would have good customer service. I was wrong. The next time I need a cake I will go to BJ’s or Hannaford and save myself money and hassle.

My fiancé and I just moved to this area in December and we are stumbling upon new places every weekend! We prefer supporting local businesses rather than the big chains. Today we took a drive and found this bakery. My fiancé was craving chocolate cake but when we walked in and saw the selection we had to sample a few different things. We tried the rum ball, cannoli and a pastry with raspberry and poppy seeds. They were all amazing!!! I loved the pastry. It wasn’t too sweet and had a soft chewy texture I enjoyed. The cannoli was great and tasted like it had a hint of lemon. The girls behind the counter were polite and patient when we couldn’t make up our minds. We also got the chocolate cake which we’ll try after dinner. The prices were also fantastic! We only spent $ 11 and got 4 items, one of which was a whole cake! This is definitely a local treasure we will visit again!

Looking for dessert while visiting town of Troy, NY we found this place. They have a HUGE selection of pastries, cakes & cookies. We chose a slice of peanut butter pie & a slice of turtle cheesecake to go. Imagine my surprise when the teenage employee slapped the two slices together & threw them In a paper bag! I asked if she had something else to put it in. She rudely asked «you want a box?» Well since I’ve never eaten cheesecake out of a paper bag that was a better option! The cake was ok but service was not. We’ll pass next time we’re in town.

The BEST glazed donuts and oatmeal raisin cookie in Troy! A bit pricey, but worth the drive. I’ve tried their cakes before and it’s alright. In my opinion, the cake to icing ratio is disproportionate. The cakes I’ve purchased weren’t always fresh. I wonder how long they keep them sitting in the fridge display. I still highly recommend this place for treats in Troy.

After hearing so much about this place, we went to get some cannoli. I was disappointed that the cannoli are not fresh, they’re sitting there already filled. Still searching for some amazing fresh cannoli in the Capital District.

For some reasons I am not a big fan here. I have tried cupcakes, the sugary frosting on top is a bit too much for me. I can feel the sugar crunches in my mouth.

This is the only place to go for éclairs and cannolis in the capital district. Whether Troy or Latham, both are the same. Family owned. Half moon cookies are also the best in the area. They have fantastic sub rolls not usually out front, ask about them. They are the same sub rolls that are used at many restaurants and other sub locations.

Cakes, Rolls, Anything bakery! Again, just like Grandma used to make!!!

This place has the BEST confectionaries, cookies and the butter cream frosting is to die for. I am a frequent customer but learned the hard way not to go within 30 minutes of their closing time. I have to give a weak rating because they always close earlier than advertised and this last time was an insult to me and my wife the staff literally turned the lights off as we approached the doors at 950pm. This is the fourth time in a few months it’s happened and while it’s late, we were still within the advertised hours and found it annoying to have the door shut in our face.
Just make sure you show up before 9:30PM to get service; even if all you want is a slice of cake.
Just

A nice bakery but nothing really exceptional in the way of pastries and cookies.

omg the fudge fancy cookies are the best in the capital district.

Ok, so I go, and each time hope that it gets better for me. And…(wait for it)…nope! I mean its serves its purpose, and people rave about it, but I just don’t see the quality of the artistry of flavors that I’m looking for. In all honesty, it tastes like everything is from the same pastry batch. I did have one good canoli out of there, but all the other times that I’ve been, way too much of a lemony flavor to the canoli filling.
Cakes, meh not moist enough. Ice Cream Cake, meh, at least its not a traditional type ice cream cake, but I’d rather have a store bought Carvel.
Overall, if you have the time, hit up Villa Italia in my opinion.
There is one thing that gets me at this place though… the butter rolls. 5 STARS for them. They’re probably the best rolls I’ve ever tasted and really think that I can eat them all them time. I actually buy them for our dinners, they’re fantastic. You have to go for them, I take it back, I’ll give them three stars, saved by the rolls!

I prefer the one in Latham because they seem to have a much bigger selection as well as the café but the baked goods are the same. This location is alot more convenient to my house though unless I stop on my way home from work. The bread and hardrolls are great and cheap compared to the grocery stores. Just make sure you use or freeze them in a couple days because I don’t think there are any preservatives. The individual cheesecakes are a great dessert for one also.

Mixed. The chocolate roll was dry and not very chocolatey. The oatmeal raisin cookie was delicious and buttery. The cannoli was unimpressive. My husband raved over the apple pastry, though. I think I just didn’t pick the right things, alas. Next time.
Person behind the counter seemed very offended that we dared enter on a Saturday evening. Having worked in retail, I can relate, but don’t rush me when I’m picking out something sweet, okay?