We had a bereavement lunch for 30 yesterday. It was a 5 star experience . I had been a little worried because I hadn't been in the restaurant since the new owners took over. I worried for nothing! Food and service were both excellent. We had a private room to relax and decompress after an emotional day. The buffet was plentiful with fresh cannolis for dessert. I highly recommend Bella Costa for any private event. read more

Amazing italian food. I'm new to the area and have been looking for a go-to italian restaurant in this area. I've found it! The veal and eggplant parm combo is delicious. The portion is huge. Their meatballs are delicious and the sauce is robust and flavorful. Here' s the kicker.... their pasta choices are all homemade fresh pasta! This absolutely takes it all up a notch. The service was friendly and the vibe is casual. Although we didn't get any, the dessert's in the case look phenomenal. Seems to have a strong following of local regulars. highly recommended! read more

10/10 experience here. Diane is the best bartender so sweet and attentive. The calamari was so yummy. As well as the dark chocolate martini!! They had live Christmas music playing too. We also got the steak and Greek salad which was so yummy. My aunt also got catering that night which she said was for 10 people and it was $70 for everything with left overs. The location is easy to get to from anywhere in Framingham, must try! read more

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A great neighborhood restaurant with a great menu and atmosphere with very friendly service. We had a bottle of Italian red wine (Montepuciano). The food and beverages menu are extensive and delicious. We had the specials Escargot, seafood risotto (scallops, mussels, asparagus), and split the chicken parmigiana. All very delicious and the pasta is fresh. The portion is huge. Since they knew we were splitting so they served us the chicken parmigiana with two plates, which was appreciated. We close out the dinner with an espresso, very good, especially we just came back from Italy. Highly recommended and will definitely come back. A great neighborhood restaurant with a great menu and atmosphere with very friendly service. We had a bottle of Italian red wine (Montepuciano). The food and beverages menu are extensive and delicious. We had the specials Escargot, seafood risotto (scallops, mussels, asparagus), and split the chicken parmigiana. All very delicious and the pasta is fresh. The portion is huge. Since they knew we were splitting so they served us the chicken parmigiana with two plates, which was appreciated. We close out the dinner with an espresso, very good, especially we just came back from Italy. Highly recommended and will definitely come back. read more

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Went on a Wednesday night with 4 people for an 8:30pm reservation. Greeted and seated immediately. It's a cloth napkin kind of place but casual with a comforting vibe. The restaurant was pretty empty at that hour and the bar had a few customers but probably because it closed at 10pm. Promptly provided with bread & butter & water. Lamb was cooked medium rare. Bolognese with housemade pappardalle is always a favorite. Rigaletti is a great combo of protein & eggplant parm with lots of cheese. Caesar salad was tasty but I prefer more cheese and seemed to be missing something. Fried calamari was cooked just right but didn't seem to be tossed with the peppers to get the blended flavors on the calamari so I just ate the peppers with the calamari in one mouthful. This place is a great local gem and a bonus that it's part of the TrueBlue Dining Program. read more

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I hadn't been to Bella Costa for a little bit and decided to try it again recently. My family's favorite thing we're always the meatballs. Pasta and meatballs. I took one bite of the meatball this time though and it was absolutely disgusting. I thought just tasted like the meat was bad. The person I was with tasted it and said it tasted like it was soapy. Very disappointing. Even more disappointing that when I put the bad meatballs on a plate, the waitress took them away, but they were never taken off my bill. For dessert, we tried a piece of cake. I had the lemon cake and the other person had a chocolate cake. On both of them, the cake part was so dry. It was like they sat out for several days before they were served. Just dry and tasteless. Very disappointed. Not sure what happened to Bella Costa. read more

This was the best Italian food I have eaten in many years. The pasta is made in the restaurant and is delicious. The decor is rather basic but absolutely fine. The service was prompt and responsive. I can't wait to eat there again. read more

The food is always great but they over crowd and overbook the place. Last night reservation for 6:30 did not sit until almost 7. We were crammed in the back room - servers could not even get to tables and thing took a long time. We had no appetizers and food came maybe at 8:00 an hour later. I don't blame the severs or kitchen whoever handles seating was the issue. read more

Bella costa has been one of my all time favorite restaurants and I have been going since i moved to the area about 10 years ago. Friendly staff with some of the best quality seafood I have ever had. Why only 3 stars? Lately I have experienced a few issues leading to 3 stars and not 5. I still go to Bella Costa quite often and it seems that just about 1 out of every 5 or 6 visits, I have an issue. Possibly staff being unresponsive or slow or at times food not tasting fresh. Yesterday the seafood dish that is normally amazing smelled very fishy, the fish had a rough texture and I had to send it back. I still have an amazing experience and some of the best food 4 out of 5 times but every once in a while I don't have the best experience and need to take Bella Costa out of my regular rotation for a few months. If you can catch them on a good night then you are in for some of the best food in the area. If your first visit is on a bad night then you may be dissapointed. read more

You can see from my prior reviews that my family and I have been going to Bella Costa for almost 15 years, and we've always loved the food. We liked the place so much that we'd recommended it to friends and family. After having dinner there recently, that will change. We sat at the bar, ordered some wine, and started with the escargot. The snails were tiny and the garlic flavor was overpowering. It literally tasted like we were eating roasted garlic cloves disguised as snails. I've had escargot many times before and these were just not good. For entrées I ordered the Black Angus Steak Au Poivre and my Mom got the Broiled Seafood Platter. Our meals took very a long time to come out and when we finally got them, both our dishes were lukewarm and my steak was overcooked. An older gentleman, who I have seen at the restaurant before and I believe is one of the owners, was walking around and we flagged him over. We told him the food was cold and that my steak was overcooked. Either he didn't care or didn't believe us, but he acted like we were in the wrong. Neither my Mom or I had eaten more than a few bites before bringing the food to his attention. I get it was a Saturday night and the restaurant was busy, but if a customer is telling you their food is cold and overcooked, wouldn't you want to know? If I'm paying $38 for a steak, I expect it to not be overcooked. He finally offered us a free desert, which we declined. His attitude ruined both our appetites and moods. My Mom sent her food back and said she didn't want it, so they took that off our bill. I probably should have done the same, but I did end up taking my steak home. The young lady working at the bar could tell we were upset, and she was very apologetic. Both my Mom and I told her it wasn't her fault and I did leave her a nice tip. Overall, we were VERY disappointed with the food and the owner's attitude. It was not the quality we'd come to expect over the years. I won't be in a hurry to go back anytime soon. read more

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Came here Saturday night for our first wedding anniversary, and we LOVED IT! Our waitress was super friendly, offered free bread, there was a live pianist, overall loved the whole mood! I ordered the lasagna and it was heavenly and so light! The sauce was so good!! My husband ordered the steak and he really enjoyed it! We couldn't have went to a better place for dinner! Definitely will be back! read more

I have been here four times and each time was excellent!! Looking forward to coming back. Food is always excellent!

I would've loved to give this place 5 stars if it was based on service, our waitress was excellent and the food came out quickly. The 1 star comes from the food, bland, flavorless and my finances chicken parm was undercooked and we had to sent it back which we NEVER do. we are not complainers, but i would rather complain and have him not get sick. The live piano was a nice touch, and the restaurant is cute but due to the poor food I will not be back. read more

The waitress was nice. She tried to do a good job. We had bad experience with the food appetiser scallops and grilled salad was so so , chicken pasta and NY sirloin was very disappointing. We took two bites and we stopped eating , the chicken was rubbery The pasta was too soft no flavour the steak look like somebody took it from the freezer and put it in a skillet no seasoning overcooked tough no flavour , The waitress asked us if we like something else instead , we felt embarrassed to return the food Instead We decide to pay for it and tip the waitress and we left. Very Disappointing. read more

We went out as a family for Mother's Day here. Overall a good experience! A lot of families had a similar idea, so the place was pretty packed. The setup of the establishment is a bit odd, so getting around felt a tiny bit like an obstacle course - but not a huge deal. Everyone enjoyed their meals (kids got chicken parm, wife got seafood risotto, and I had chicken & veal Marsala). We also ordered some scallops as an appetizer (pictured). All in all it was a good experience. The amount of people in there caused the service to be a tad slow, but I don't really put that on them - they had a lot of people to handle. My wife and I plan on coming back here during a "non holiday" where the two of us can grab dinner alone :) read more

Bella Costa Ristorante - Fried Scallops - Italian Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

Ordered take out at the restaurant and was very disappointed with my order. There was very little lettuce for my Asian salad, cheap wontons, and the chicken was not very good. Some May Day it's not a place to go for salad but if something is on the menu, it should be good. read more

I was on way for an Italian meal in Boston North end and when not in mood for Cronin Boston, parking impossible... then Bella Costa is. Better alternative.I stop in for a dinner and always nice dinner specials. The grilled romaine lettuce is excellent and the homemade dressing is like crack. The I could eat that everyday and not feel like a rabbit... Romaine always crisp and whatever is in dressing makes this a great appetizer. The veal dishes here are all excellent as veal cuts like butter and better than veal dishes I ate in the Boston North end. Pasta and all dishes are ample size and 2 meals . Fresh bread to start ... piano player ambiance Friday, Saturday nights. Excellent bar and service read more

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You don't have to worry about bringing guests to Bella Costa. I had company from California, Minnesota , friends from the North Shore - I always bring them to Bella Costa because I know they'll get a good meal and be treated well. I'm embarrassed to say I can't think of the waitresses name, but I always get the same waitress and she is the absolute best! Hard worker, professional yet down to earth and fun. You never have to worry about having a good meal at Bella Costa, or a good time. read more

New owners and smaller portions with same prices. Ignored by waitstaff and when I asked for the dinner portion of fish, I got a smaller portion than I often enjoyed on the lunch menu. They seem inexperienced and focused on profit over quality. When the waiter was told about my portion complaint, someone should have addressed it. Instead the waiter (who was brand new there) denied my knowledge and insisted it was the dinner portion and not a smaller size. I already knew the difference in sizes! I predict they could lose their repeat local based customers over this and I am sad to say I am one of them. I tried them twice recently and received the same results. read more

I went to Bella Costa last night to have dinner with friends. Lively atmosphere with a great piano player. I think I had the best chicken piccata here. Amazing. My husband loved his lasagna. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Our waitress was super friendly. We had an awesome evening! I will definitely be going back to Bella Costa!! read more

If I could give 0 stars I would, the should pay them to eat this. My grandpa said it tasted like shit and my brother found a hair in his food. Absolutely disgusting don't eat here read more

Bella Costa Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

Cute place with a welcoming atmosphere! Service was great, portions were large and i really did like my seafood risotto. Calamari was a hit too and the bread was warm and a great start to the meal. read more

One of the worst meals and service I've had in 25 years. Pathetic. Prosciutto and arugula pizza that was as big as your typical SLICE of pizza with thick cut prosciutto that was literally dry on both sides clearly cut the day before or longer. Like warm and soggy baked stuffed shrimp that never touched an oven. No sign of any char or baking at all. It came out 5 minutes after everyone else so it's evident they forgot and probably nuked it. Took 1 bite and sent it back. Revolting. Service was hideous and we were 1 of 2 tables there. 10 minutes to get a bottle of water. 10 minutes to get a side of cherry peppers since my calamari came with LITERALLY 3 thin slices of cherry pepper. Shrimp scampi was just awful. And they have the audacity to charge FIVE DOLLARS per shrimp cocktail ???? That's what the capital grill in Boston charges. The nerve especially since you're a sub par establishment AND you get those tiny shrimp for .50 cents each. Price gouging at its best. The chef and owner shouldn't be in business. Zero managerial oversight. Absolute embarrassment. 1000000% will never return. Rather eat Taco Bell. Ugh read more

Strong 4 stars. The restaurant reminded me of a classic 50s/60s/70s Massachusetts style Italian family restaurant. Veal parm and homemade pasta was wicked good. Over the course of the evening I had two waitresses and both were excellent! Enjoyable evening with enjoyable food. read more

Bella Costa Ristorante - Veal Parmigiana with homemade pasta. - Italian Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

Wow. I was blown away by the great food at Bella Costa's tonight. We were a party of 7 and everyone thought their meal was excellent. It has been several years since I ate here last, and so much has changed. I've never had anything like this before. The entree choices we selected were: Chicken Parmigiana, Veal Parmigiana, Pappardelle Alfredo, Seafood Risotto, and Chicken Piccata. (I've posted some photos.) I had the the Chicken Piccatta and it was creamy and delicious. I had a side of risotto that came with asparagus and tomatoes mixed in. That was also creamy and delicious. It could have been a meal in itself. In fact, two members of our party did essentially that by ordering a big bowl of plain risotto. They both love it here. Looking around at everyone's plates, it was like we had died and gone to heaven. For desserts, we had the chocolate bomb, the chocolate lava cake, the spumoni with claret sauce, and the tiramisu. All were equally good and more than you could eat. Portions of both the entrees and the desserts were generous. The drinks were also strong. Everyone left with to-go containers to enjoy again later. I learned that they also do Take-Out orders. Regarding handicapped accessibility: There is a heavy rubber mat out front which is difficult to navigate and we found it easier to cross it by turning the wheelchair around and going in backwards (using the bigger wheels). You will need two people to open the two doors (exterior and interior), as you do with most restaurants. The ambiance is very attractive and not too noisy, and the service was good too. Just remembering today's meal makes me happy. I am looking forward to going back! read more

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Everything was great, the food, drink & our waiter/bartender Tim. The only thing that bothered me was that it was very, very loud. Maybe you could have a sound company come in to lessen the noise factor. It was noon time and the place was busy so could understand the noise but it was difficult hearing the people at my table. Will surely go back again. Happy Holiday to you and your staff. read more

This place has been here for about 30 Years. It's located in an unsuspecting mini strip mall type set up but when you go inside, you realize why it's been there for so long. The food is delicious. Fresh homemade pasta. Fresh dishes. Plentiful portions. Great salads. Amazing desserts that are mostly homemade. They specialize in fire drinks and desserts. Literally light stuff on fire. They also have a huge room for private parties on the side. The staff is exceptional and the owners are very nice people as well. read more

Service was great. Ambiance was decent. The food was difficult to eat. My french onion soup was really salty, I needed bread to cut the flavor between bites but it was too string to eat. The lasagna seemed odd. The noodles were stuck together in a bottom layer, some sauce, then nice melted cheese layer, but then a fresh meaty sauce poured over the it that tastes so simple and again with a strong salt taste but not overwhelming. The lack of defined layers in it and a sauce that was like a pizza sauce, I didn't like it. It seemed like an attempt to make lasagna. Perhaps it is more authentic but it does not seem like the many that I have eaten. I just got the bill, paid, and abandoned the meal. read more

This used to be a really nice place to get a casual, but upscale Italian experience in Framingham. The place has changed and not for he better. I recently went there for dinner on a weekend night, and it was disappointing. The bread was not fresh at all. The meals and portions were average, and salads were extra. It should have been included as most similar places do. There was a piano player, who was a nice touch, however, was loud at times so much that we couldn't enjoy a conversation. Our server was busy as expected on a weekend. She was hurried and was hustling all over. I hope they improve and get some help... read more

Another incredible meal at Bella Costa ! Paul and everyone was so fantastic and the food was so fresh and amazing! I always enjoy coming here and never disappointed! And the pianist was wonderful! What an enjoyable time! Even though they were super busy the food was amazing the service fantastic and the ambiance was perfect thanks Paul and everyone there ! read more

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This place was highly rated on OpenTable and had reservations available, so we booked for same-day. The ambience is great, they had a live piano player and it overall looked nice/clean inside. The food was below average. The bread they serve before the meal was stale with pre-packaged butters. I ordered the eggplant parmesan; the eggplant was soggy and bland, "fresh" pasta did not taste fresh at all, and sauce tasted like it was out of a jar. My friend ordered the ravioli and agreed our dishes were "below average". The tiramisu was fine, not great. Service was great and parking was pretty accessible, but wouldn't come again. read more

Better than any Italian restaurant in the north end! I love a town away but drive by quite a few Italian restaurants to go here. The homemade papardelle is my favorite with the marscapone sauce. My husband enjoys the chicken combo. Dining room if very comfortable with live piano music on weekends. Everything is delicious and the service is always personal and top notch. It is our only takeout restaurant at this point. Support what you love or it goes away. Bella costa has us locked in! read more

Upon arrival what seemed to be a lovely establishment turned into a disaster. From the rude waitress, warm wine, all the way to cold steak, and extremely hot establishment left a very underwhelming experience. While it's a beautiful restaurant the food is extremely underwhelming and distasteful. Will not be returning. read more

Always an excellent meal. Homemade pasta is excellent Their golden beet with scalloped is fantastic. My wife always orders it. I go for their escargot with butter read more

This is a neighborhood staple and we love having it right down the street. Will it be the best italian meal you have in your life?: no, but is it well made, with plenty of options, and great service?: yes. We've tried a whole bunch of options but keep coming back to chicken marsala and chicken parm as our staple orders. They also always have specials so you never get sick of the menu. I love their martinis too especially the dessert ones. It's definitely worth the visit if in the Framingham area. read more

While not the most pleasing atmosphere (out dated decor, basic tables vs booths, etc.) the food was amazing. Lasagna had the most delicious meat sauce - finely ground beef - and the chicken Marsala (my servers favorite) was tender, large amounts of mushrooms and creamy. Espresso martinis were more like chocolate martinis but I'm not complaining!! Will definitely go back but not for a romantic date. read more

Bella Costa Ristorante - Chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

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We ate there last week for dinner for my birthday and I met a friend there this week for lunch for my birthday The food was very good both times, and the service was great. The new owner was there and was very nice and friendly. Bella Costa has been a go to place for us for a long time and we were afraid it might change with new ownership, but the new owners have maintained a great atmosphere, good food, and good employees (many long time). We highly recommend this small local restaurant (and thank goodness not a chain, nothing wrong with chains but this area has a plethora of them). read more

I went with a friend. She had the Arancini and chicken lemon rice soup. I had a simple order of spaghetti with butter and 2 meatballs. My friend soup was cold, even though the waitress said to be careful because the ball was hot. She said that the Arancini were tasteless and dry. I was completely shocked by my spaghetti and meatballs. I had asked for butter on the spaghetti. They put some sort of oil on it instead of butter. The meatballs were soft and mushy. When we asked for Parmesan cheese, the waitress came over and shaved a little bit of Parmesan cheese on our food. And they cram in so many tables that there's no room to move. You're almost sitting on top of the people at the next table. The food was so bad, but when I got home, I got physically sick. Everything came up. There's no way I would ever recommend this restaurant to someone. They used to be so much better. It was a disaster. And my spaghetti with meatballs cost $19. That's ridiculous. Save yourself the trouble and just don't go there. If you do, bring Alka-Seltzer. read more

This was a Takeout order so can't speak to the Ambiance but ordering over the phone was very quick & easy. Parking lot can fill quickly since several storefronts share it. For us on a Friday night there were cars circling for spots. Food was on point! Seafood Risotto, veal & eggplant combo,plus veal piccata... Delicious read more

Nice family oriented Italian restaurant. Always have great specialties which we typically order. Their seafood pasta dishes are our favorites. Nice wine list for glass or bottles. Pasta appears homemade and is especially good. Ambiance is friendly and warm. Cloth napkins but no tablecloths. Not a place for a secluded quiet meal, but the booths are private enough. Gets quite busy by 6pm. Reservations after that highly recommended. read more