bella's bistro italiano

excellent.. here a few times and one of our best food and excellentserviceplace. the food is soooo good and we have nothing left in our plates every time. the deserts are so yummy.

to this date, the gnocci i had at bella's is the best i've ever eaten. so light and fluffy, like eating a cloud! theserviceis amazing and the servers are very knowledgeable about food and wine pairings. i recommend coming here for a romantic date!

not a great bella's bistro experience!. my two sons and i went to bella's for one of my son's birthdays, a few days ago (aug 22 to be precise).servicewas very slow; certainly in between courses, we got hungry. an order of veal turned into an order of chicken, and when the waiter admitted this, he didn't even suggest to take the cost off the final bill. only when i went to pay, and insisted that, "when i order veal , i expect veal" (i had to repeat this about 4 times before the ditzy, but admittedly friendly waitress, seem to understand what i was saying). when comprehension dawned on her, and one could see it slowly cross her blank face, she grabbed the bill and flounced off, saying she'd get the item taken off the bill. what a disappointment for me! did she think i was (a) too drunk -- yes, i had grappa and wine -- to notice that the food delivered was not what was ordered?, or (b) too stupid, complacent or compassionate of her life situation (whatever it was) to say anything (i.e., complain), or (c) something else entirely? restaurant managers, fyi, when you realize a wrong dish was served to a patron, you must at least offer some kind of compensation -- even if the delivered dish was good. do not pretend that all is well, and that no one will notice. we do notice!!! sincerely, anita, phd

greatserviceand food. we ate on the patio area on friday night, our waiter was attentive and friendly even though they were busy. charming little restaurant with delightful food. they bring awesome bread before your meal!

outstanding service. i had a big family dinner here and we were treated like family as soon as we walked in. some of the bestserviceand food i've had in ottawa. the seafood linguine was so good i may have it again next time.

still magnificent. it has been a number of years since we dined at bella's in our neighbourhood. last night's meal made me question why we hadn't been back sooner. our party of 5 was very pleased with the quality of theserviceand all of our meals were absolutely excellent. the rack of lamb and lobster stuffed raviolis were especially sumptuous. bellas surpassed many of the upstarts that have popped up in westboro, in my opinion. it will be our new "go to" restaurant for a great dining experience. laurie

our first time there was a wonderful experience. it is intimate. there is a small room downstairs and another upstairs.serviceupstairs was professional, prompt and friendly. the food was superb. all three of us had seafood dishes, namely lobster ravioli, linguine with smoked salmon and penne filled with large shrimp, clams and oysters. our soups and caesar salad were excellent. we had a nice choice of wines. we weren't offered a second list of wines, but the first one was varied. i highly recommend the restaurant for business or a serious, romantic evening. we'll be back soon. jhm.

great time. food is all very fresh, home made pasta and desserts.servicewas good no attitude. i'll be back.

great food, not great service.. when i go out for dinner and when i am spending about $60-80.00 per person, sometimes more, my expectations are for excellentserviceand a nice experience.
bella's food is fabulous but thierserviceis lacking. if i was simply hungry and needed to eat, i would pick up a yummy sandwich or pizza, go home and eat. when i go to bella's or a nice restaurant, i am looking for a nice experence/a night out. i want my bread, butter, water, wine, etc. i do not want to continuously look for the waiter or waitress who is overworked, stressed and feeling pressured. i should not feel guilty for asking for my bread. i should not feel guilty for asking for more water, i should not feel like i am inconviencing my server if i ask for another drink. that is her job.
i feel that a restaurant like bella's should have busboys and waiters...this would ensure a nice experience for all and would allow the servers to do their job well and provide service.
also, servers should wear nametags.
bella's food is out of this world and i would recommend this restaurant...just be patient with the service. it's not great.