bella's italian cafe

great experience and food. bella's is a comfy restaurant in south tampa...stopped in after searching around howard for somewhere to eat. i was dining on my own, but the wait was only about five to ten minutes (i read an issue of creative loafing while i waited...they have a plentiful amount of papers both tbt and cl). when my table was up they lead me to my booth.

the waiter, andrew f., came out quickly and welcomed me to bella's along with a piece of bread with a tomato spread on it. i mentioned it was my first time. he recommended some dishes, but i ordered my favorite italian dish, fettuccine alfredo ($10.99)...i'm a traditionalist. the waiter immediately went to place my order in and brought me my soda and some warm bread and butter.

the bread and butter were excellent. toasty and soft bread, though pretty filling. the fettuccine alfredo must have only taken about 20 minutes or less to come out, but the waiter still checked on me plenty of times to make sure i was enjoying my meal and to see if there was anything i needed. he was very courteous and genuine and you could tell he really understands how to provide quality customer service.

the fettuccine alfredo was probably one of the best ones i have had in tampa. unlike the italian kitchen, they used real fettuccine pasta that was perfectly cooked. the alfredo sauce had a unique and appetizing taste, it tasted like something i had while eating italian in california...certainly not something i have had anywhere in tampa. the parmesan on top perfected it and the portion was large and i had to take a box to-go.

after some indecision, i decided i would try a half-size of their tiramisu (my favorite dessert) and the waiter took my fettuccine alfredo and quickly boxed the leftovers. he even labeled the box with the date and put a smiley face on it, i felt like a kid...but then at the same time it's nice to see someone put so much attention into their job.

anyway, the tiramisu must have only taken about 5 minutes or less to come out and there it was a cake of goodness. the half-size was still plenty for one person and only $3.75. you still get the same amount of chocolate with it and the waiter poured it all over the cake, man that cake was so appetizing. it has to be one of the best tiramisu's that i have tasted (the only place i can think of that i like it more is hella's bakery in tarpon springs).

once the tiramisu the waiter brought me my check and didn't rush me out of the restaurant. he brought me some water to wash down the dessert. i was really impressed with theservicehere. if you get andrew f. when you visit bella's prepare for a good night of service.

the price is pretty good for an upscale italian restaurant. i spent less than $20 and ordered the fettuccine alfredo, a soda, and a tiramisu. while browsing the menu i came across their lunch menu which has many dishes for under $5! have to have lunch here someday.

let's get the negatives out of the way first: busy friday night (6:15pm); they don't accept reservations; no parking (had to turn my beloved vw tdi over to jake, the valet); seated adjacent to the patio doors (had to have been opened & closed 20 times during the course of our meal); jammed packed & loud, slippery (greasy) tile floor thorough; waiteservicewas good when t.j. came around, but he was swamped...need a lot more servers; got my aglio olio at the end of my entree (ordered the grouper calabrese loaded with calamata olives & capers in a thick tomato garlic sauce...didn't see the benefit in ordering more red sauce on my side pasta & yet was charged a $.75 upcharge for sauce composed of evo2, butter, & garlic (all three of which are contained in the marinara sauce). wth?

now, the positives: the hot rolls, red sangria ($2.99/glass during hours of happiness) & grouper were outstanding. we were first-time diners, there as a result of purchasing a 4-diner $80 groupon for $40; the total tab came to $138, with a net out-of-pocket of $98 (tax & tip incl). in as much as well-prepared food offsets a lot of non-culinary shortcomings in the hierarchy of this reviewer, we'd come back.

the rest of the party enjoyed their meals, i.e. pollo lasagna, chicken parmigiana romano, & spaghetti with meatballs. jake was great!

looks pretty, great hostess, ok food, horrible service. we typically don't dine at bella's because theserviceis generally not up to par, and tonight wasn't any different than our other experiences a year ago! except, this time it reminded me of asking a hamburger place to take "the pickle out of the burger". all i wanted was fettuccine alfredo without any garnish, chicken or even paprika around the plate. my party heard me say: "no garnish, all white, noodles and cheese please". i don't have to tell you it didn't come that way, but after the waiter gave me the shoulder shrug, he finally asked if i wanted it redone. my bad; why did i say yes?! i'm no chef but you would think when an order is not prepared to the patron's standard, the re-make should be considered a priority. well, not in this case. i also don't mean "jump every table's position because i'm special", however when several (as in 5 or 6) tables were served before my dish came back i stood up and asked to cancel my order. i hope you agree i had to do that especially since my party had already finished eating,not a good meal either. in their own words: "the red sauce didn't taste that good". by the way, the waiter leaning and raising his arm in front of my wife's face to serve me my bread didn't help either, especially when he could have walked 2 feet to the other side of the table where no one was seating.

so here is the real reason i'm writing this review on an easter sunday: not only the waiter told me i was not going to be charged for the dish i ordered (no kidding, since i didn't wanted anymore nor did i eat it). but when the pseudo manager, at least i believe he was the acting manager tonight, came and also said, "i'll be sure not to charge you for the fettuccine", that did not sit well with me. i have a good job, i promise, i can afford the $20 the dish cost or i wouldn't have taken my party to dinner. i wasn't looking for a free meal!! all i wanted is to eat at the same time as my party and yes, i take the responsibility for asking "to take the pickle out of the hamburger".

a favorite lunch spot!. bella's lunch menu is reasonably priced, theserviceis impeccable, and the food always fresh and delicious. dinner is pricey, but worth it for the quality.

the only con is the bartenders (specifically larry) - he ignores his customers, walks away as you are in the middle of ordering, and doesn't seem to care about providing goodserviceto all (even when you are a regular). the other bartender (cannot remember her name) is always attentive, kind, and makes a killer cocktail.


-----21 feb, 2011-----

excellent!. each and every time i dine at bella's theserviceis excellent and the food is great! highly recommended!

great place. fresh pasta, greatserviceand a wonderful relaxing place.

good for happy hour, but thats about it.. bella's used to be a favorite of mine. it seems that in the past few years,servicehas become a little bit of an issue, as well as a 'stagnant menu'. i don't think i'd go back for lunch or dinner, but their happy hour (particularly the late night one) is a good deal. with more and more restaurants recently opening in the area, it would be nice if the management/owners could get their eye on the ball. i'd give it a shot again if i heard something other than the typical "oh, bella's? i had the worstservicethere"...

not great food. my experience here has always been poor. lunch sandwich portions are tiny. pastas are terrible.servicehas usually been okay though. would go elsewhere for italian.

best carpaccio!. one of the things my wife & i love most about tampa is the vast number of great restaurants. we're more than happy to pay a premium for exemplaryserviceand food (armani's, bern's, etc.), but equally appreciative of good value. bella's serves some of the best food we've tasted at a price that's shockingly reasonable. we found bella's when we first moved to tampa over 9 years ago and have been back countless times since, never leaving disappointed.

despite it's "trendy" location, there is always an eclectic mix of people inside. bella's has a very relaxed atmosphere with attire ranging from shorts to suits. as it can get pretty loud, i definitely wouldn't recommend it for a quiet dining experience - about the only thing they don't offer.

the carpaccio is outstanding - even better than donatello's, in my opinion. my favorite entree is confetti spaghetti, except i substitute their starburst pasta.serviceis equally good.

dependable italian favorites. full disclosure: i lived around the corner from bella's for almost seven years, so i'm probably a little biased in its favor. but this casual-yet-classy italian eatery had been a favorite of mine for well over a decade before i even moved into the 'hood, and the fact that i've been there literally hundreds of times should tell you everything you need to know. sure, bella's probably won't win any james beard awards any time soon, but that's not what it's about. this is a place for italian-style comfort food and friendlyservicein a warm atmosphere. longtime favorites include a killer chicken lasagna, the colorful confetti spaghetti, an amazing lobster bisque and arguably the area's best bolognese sauce. i'm also partial to the pollo alla fiorentina (breaded chicken breast stuffed with spinach and goat cheese, served with a peppercorn cream sauce) and the pollo romano, which is what i had tonight. a simple dish that lets the ingredients' natural flavors shine through, it's a pair of chicken breasts lightly breaded with romano cheese, sauteed and topped with lemon basil butter and artichoke hearts. i've ordered it dozens of times, and tonight's was every bit as delicious as the first. and, of course, it should be mentioned that bella's bartenders -- kelly, jessica and especially larry -- are among tampa's finest.