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    Bella Italia

    3.6 (50 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 8:30 am - 11:00 pm

    Bella Italia Photos

    BELLA ITALIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Bella Italia

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    Sharing platter
    Kristin M.

    I have nothing but great things to say about my evening at this newly updated and refurbished Bella Italia. Great food, great servers, great management, great location, great selection of dishes shared, etc etc etc! I was able to enjoy numerous dishes with a wonderful group of friends, and I am happy to be able to let all of my family and yelp friends know that the new Bella is very tasty and I highly recommend it. The "new" Bella Italia chains are now working from a large chunk of 100 million pounds, so their updated menu, style, and imports directly from Italy are wonderful addition, and really have to be on point in order to sustain this "all day Italian" lifestyle customer base. The restaurants are now open for breakfast as well as lunch! (I wonder what Italians eat for breakfast!?) I was able to sample everything from the pizzas, ravioli, shared platters, and vegetable spirals bolognese, to different flavoured gelatos imported directly from Italy, and a delicious glass of prosecco. Overall my enjoyment of the evening and everything it had to offer was excellent. I am hoping to be able to visit another Bella Italia to explore their breakfast and lunch options.

    Amore Bella Italia
    Elizabeth H.

    I used to visit Bella Italia many years ago when it was Bella Pasta. I hadn't visited in about 10 years, and probably wouldn't generally have thought to go, had it not been for a group meal, as I had it down as a chain restaurant. It's not that chain restaurants are necessarily a bad thing but there are so many independent restaurants that come above them on my list. I had in my head that it would be standard solid Italian fare but was pleasantly surprised. Bella Italia had a refurb about 6 months ago and the restaurant is welcoming and friendly. They are in the process of launching their new menu this month and said that, despite being a chain restaurant, they take pride in sourcing many of their ingredients and shipping them direct from Italy in order that it authentic. We started with sharing platters of meats, breads and antipasti. These were perfect for a group to share as it meant you got to try lots of different types of meat. One platter was made up of milder meats from the North and the Calibrese board made with meats from the South. For the mains again we shared several different dishes including Beef and Red Wine Ravioli, Amore Formaggi (heart shaped cheese filled ravioli), a couple of different pizzas and a Pollo Cacciatore. All were full of flavour and very much enjoyed. The highlight for me, however, was the spiralized vegetable 'spagetti' with bolognese sauce. It was a fantastic substitute for pasta and the best bit was it was under 500 calories for a main. They do other sauces too with it. It definitely set Bella Italia apart from other Italian restaurants as it was something different to standard Italian food. For dessert we split several different flavours of gelato between the group. Their gelato is one of the authentic items that is shipped from Italy. I particularly liked the raspberry and tiramisu flavours. I wouldn't rule out a return visit as I think it worked well for a large group meal.

    Yummy prosecco as a welcome drink
    Sophie M.

    Bella Italia has absolutely skyrocketed recently in terms of its variety and quality of food, which hugely contributed to me having such a great dining experience last night. A group of friends and I, for starters, had two sharing boards. There were 6 of us altogether and the portion sizes of the meats/salads/sundried tomatoes/mozzarella/breadsticks etc was spot on. We opted for a variety of mains - a few of us opted for pizza. I NEVER opt for stuffed crust as I have had it so many times and have been disappointed. But Bella Italia has converted me! Fresh and flavoursome mozzarella stuffed pizza is totally now my new thang. Only from Bella Italia, though... For dessert, we all tried out some gelato. Tiramisu wins. Such a close call, though, as there are some other great flavours to choose from - bubblegum, honeycomb, raspberry, and the most intense, creamiest chocolate gelato. Yum. Staff were faultless. Extremely attentive, so helpful, and very knowledgable about their products! They told me that they are now making authenticity one of their main focuses, which is largely helped by sourcing as many ingredients as possible from Italy. This is SO evident in the tastes in their new menu. All other ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, which I believe just adds so much more depth of flavour. Was clearly loving life. Will definitely return.

    The sharing platter
    Oona M.

    I visited Bella Italia as part of the Yelp Big Night Out. I have to admit that I haven't eaten there in years and walk past it most days without giving it a second thought. Eight of us headed over there after being given our Big Night Out envelopes and were greeted by our friendly waiter Lush and the manager Joanna and were seated quickly. The restaurant has recently been refitted and is now a lot lighter than I remember from my last visit. Lush took our drinks orders and then our food started to arrive... For starters they brought us several sharing platters containing Italian meats, pecorino cheese, olives, salad, tapenade, pepperonata and bread.... basically my idea of food heaven. Then a large garlic pizza bread turned up and it began to dawn on us that we were going to be eating a LOT of food! Everything on the platters was delicious, really fresh and full of flavour and the garlic pizza bread was really good too. Our starter plates were cleared and were really amazed to see just how much food was being brought over to our table for our main course. We had two each of three different Roma pizzas, two veggie (Margherita and Primavera) and one meaty (Luganica Rosmarino), plus two each of a tomato pasta, carbonara and lasagne. Even eight of us tucking in couldn't really do justice to the vast amount of food, the waiters had to bring two extra tables over just to be able to set it down! Everything I tried was really tasty - the pizzas were thin and crispy and the pasta tasted like it was home made with came with lovely fresh sauces. The stand out dish was the lasagne for me, it was seriously good and I would happily order it again. We thought we had finished but no, Joanna said that she also had some desserts for us! Thankfully these were only small taster portions of the strawberry cheesecake, Limoncello tart and the salted caramel pot so we all tucked in to try a bit of each and they all got the Yelp seal of approval. This meal really changed my opinion of Bella Italia, before it wasn't even on my radar but I will definitely consider it if I want a quick lunch or a post-work bite to eat. Thank you to Joanna and Lush for their amazing hospitality and to Dan at Yelp for organising another great event!

    Samuel J.

    I want to start by initially saying that prior too today I ate at Bella Italia about 2 years ago and the difference between then and now is amazing. I would go as far as to say it's like a different restaurant so if you haven't been in the last 6 months definitely give it a go! Bella Italia is a chain restaurant which has been completely updated, the interior is inviting and welcoming without being stuffy or over the top. The menu is brand new and now includes a great range of starters we had the sharing boards which I have to say are fantastic. Easily enough for 3 people they have an awesome selection of meats, olives and what I can only add is the best mozzarella I've had in a very long time. The selection of mains is a mixture of authentic with some very nice modern additions; such as traditional pizzas, along with a range of pasta dishes including a delicious ravioli. They also have some fantastic modern additions such as a spaghetti made with vegetable pasta which is not only extremely tasty but incredibly filling without the carbs. For desert I can recommend the gelato which comes in a range of flavours including a rather awesome bubblegum. Throw in a nicely selected wine menu and I have to say Bella Italia is somewhere I will happily be visiting again and I can't recommend highly enough!

    Pollo Piccante Pizza
    Loretta J.

    I purchased a Groupon voucher for Bella Italia a while ago. For one reason or another we have not made it in so I was happy to finally make a booking last night. The voucher cost £20 and included a main, desert and drink each. I have not been to Bella Italia since it's infamous makeover last year. From what I recall it was pretty low level in terms of Italian Restaurants. I am pleased to say that it has definitely improved. As we were using a voucher, we were presented with a Taste of Italy menu which has a fairly decent selection of pizzas, pasta, main courses and salads. Despite the number of options we both struggled to decide as everything on the reduced menu was a little basic in terms of toppings. Eventually, I chose a smoked salmon and king prawn pizza on their new lighter base (which I paid a surcharge for) and my partner chose the spicy chicken pizza. We ordered a basket of bread to nibble on while we waited. The bread basket was a generous size and included a selection of bread types and a garlic dip - delicious. To be honest, the base of my pizza (for which I paid the surcharge) was what I would have expected as standard from an Italian restaurant. However, I loved the mix of salmon, prawns and béchamel sauce. My partner's pizza was a little blander with quite a heavy base, chopped tomato and chicken topping. He had to add lots of black pepper, parmesan and chilli oil to add a bit of flavour. Desert came in the form of mini shots. There was a selection to choose from and we both chose the strawberry cheesecake. The contents was lovely but there was just so little of it. I ordered white wine to go with the meal. It was ok but nothing spectacular. The waiting staff were friendly but a little slow. All in all, it was a pleasant meal and I would be happy to eat here again. I would be happy to review this venue again based on their standard menu, which hopefully has some more exciting dishes.

    Rebecca S.

    Starter were good - I loved the margarita cheese! Thin base pizza margarita, nice and crusty, ideal to pick up with one hand, mature cheese and lovely texture. Perfect location in the middle of city centre ! Ice cream was lovely, normally don't get too involved in sweet desserts but the ice cream offered 5 flavours to choose from! The tiramisu was my favourite. The chocolate and caramel were good too! But the bubble gum was a little too sweet and artificial in my opinion. Double him tonics were like no others. People and the place were fabulous! Welcoming, and warm staff - very informative and accommodating! Refurbished only 6 months ago - quite authentic and cosy. And even better most ingredients are sourced from Italy!

    Cappuccino (partially consumed)
    Brittany A.

    I really want to like Bella Italia more but the service makes it so hard. My first experience at Bella was with a Yelp event and everything was perfect. I've since returned twice and both times were disappointingly mediocre. This review reflects the independent visits. My first visit was with my spouse for lunch on a weekday. We were seated promptly, but the service from there was generally downhill. It took over 20 minutes for the server to come take our order and another 15 to receive drinks. I ordered the chicken cacciatore with a side of roasted vegetables and a cappuccino. The roast vegetables were perfectly cooked, soft but with just a bit of crunch remaining, and the espresso used for the cappuccino was wonderful. The cacciatore was flavorful but a little on the dry side. I'm wondering if the cacciatore was from the bottom of what had been prepared over the weekend and not much was left as there was much less sauce than what was prepared during the Yelp event the night before. Once we were ready to pay, we practically had to flag someone down and beg to leave. All in all, we were there for almost 2 hours. Thinking that our first experience was a fluke, we decided to try Bella again, this time with a friend for dinner. Our friend has gluten allergies so we thought the numerous gluten free items on the menu would be perfect. She said nothing made her sick, so if you're in need of good gluten free Italian, Bella may be a good choice. We were trapped at Bella for 3 hours this time so I'm thinking the service is just always slow and poor. This time I ordered a calzone, which was apparently prepared entirely too early for our table's order. The calzone arrived at the table cold and had sat long enough that the juices inside had turned the bottom into complete mush. I had asked for an extra large side of marinara sauce for dipping, which I didn't get and had to ask twice for more sauce. We had about 3 different servers covering our table, which meant longer spans between them coming by instead of shorter. Once we got the bill it took 40 (FORTY) minutes to pay. It was painful. We finally asked another table's server to bring the pay machine and when we got up to leave our server ran at the table as if we were leaving without paying. Just rude.

    Americano. Not great, not bad either.
    Seth S.

    Brittany A. and I were pleased with our first taste of Bella Italia during a recent Yelp event. We decided to stop back by for lunch to try their full menu. Bella Italia is a 80+ Italian chain in the U.K. run by Tragus Group, who is also behind the french inspired Cafe Rouge chain. I normally try to avoid Italian chain restaurants, but we were both pleasantly surprised during our first visit by the menu variety, Italian ingredient sourcing, and service. It is my understanding that the Bella Italia of old typified chain conventions. The management of the restaurant group has taken steps to address these concerns. The location here on New Street was renovated from top to bottom six months ago and has a nice look to it. The restaurant is divided into clear sections, separated either visually or physically through booth seating, tables and multiple staged seating levels. Photos of famous locations throughout Italy (San Marco plaza, Pisa, etc) adorn the walls. There is also a bar, where you can purchase imported gelato. The bathrooms are also very nice and clean. Additionally, Bella Italia has revised their supply lines, with ingredients arriving weekly from Italy, including the excellent gelato. Since we visited during lunch, you can choose between their value-focused lunch menu or their normal menu with larger portions. We only knew of the lunch menu from an advertisement outside the restaurant, our server did not mention the menu and I had to ask for it specifically. The lunch menu starts at £6.95 (one course) to £8.95 (two courses), available weekdays only from 11AM-5PM. I chose two courses, and had options like antipasti, pasta, insalata, piadina (flatbread sandwich), or a calzone. There is at minimum, a vegetarian option under each category. Ultimately I chose the Bruschetta Funghi as the antipasti. It's a pile of garlic mushrooms in a spinach and mascarpone sauce, atop a toasted ciabatta. The taste of the dish was superb, and would have been better a bit warmer instead of the cold temperature at which it was served. For my main I went with the Quattro Formaggi Al Forno, a baked pasta dish of giant pasta shells in a four cheese sauce, topped with crumbs and a salad on the side. The best way to look at the dish is as a more adult version of mac n' cheese, with a good interplay between the different types of cheeses, mixed with a strong garlic flavour from the crumble topping. The side salad was forgettable, lacking a proper dressing. Our first lunch outing at Bella Italia was largely a success. Based on my experience earlier in the week, I would have rated them five stars. When we visited at lunch, the restaurant was only half-empty. Despite this, our server only checked on us once outside of delivering our food items. Our total time there clocked in at an hour and a half mainly due to a slow kitchen, making this a possibly bad choice if you have to get back to the office quickly during your lunch break. The restaurant is clearly making strides with quality ingredients and interesting recipes. If i'm on New Street and craving some great Italian food, Bella Italia more than delivers.

    Garlic bread
    Paula H.

    I was unsure what to expect from Bella Italia but I was pleasantly surprised to have such a fabulous selection of food. I had the anti pasto starter which was really tasty and bursting with flavours. For my main I tried the chicken stew with chips and loved it! The chicken breast was really tender and came in a tasty sauce. I was please to see they they served spiralized spaghetti bolanaise as an healthy option which was also very tasty. For desert I tried a had gelato, the bubble flavour is simply to die for!!! The staff could not have been more pleasant and overall I was very pleased with my meal and I look forward to returning again soon

    Pasta

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    Page 1 of 2

    Review Highlights - Bella Italia

    This is a new Bella experience.

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    Cucina Rustica - Decent portions so don't over order!

    Cucina Rustica

    3.8(12 reviews)
    0.4 miJewellery Quarter, Historical Quarter - Jewellery Quarter
    ££

    After seeing all of the voices recommending this place on here, I simply HAD to give this a try…read more.. This Italian popped up some time ago in the Jewellery Quarter. I have walked past it possibly hundreds of times and seen many a happy diner munching on some delicious pasta or sipping on a nice glass of chilled white wine, but hadn't ever really given it much thought. When Elite Adam L. suggested a "January catch up", I figured it was high time to pop in and give it a look... Cucina Rustica is a smart looking Italian with decking outside and a clean, well maintained exterior. As I have said in many a review, I am not a huge fan of Italian food; but that opinion is starting to change after a number of great experiences at local Italian delights in the Midlands. After reading Dave C. and Lizzi H's reviews, I felt it would be a good bet as somewhere new to try. We were greeted straight away on entry and asked where we would like to sit (this was a lunch sitting, at around 1:30pm). There were a few diners, but it wasn't so busy that it felt bustling. We chose a table by the window and were presented with menus. There is a LOT of choice! You get the usual (pasta, pizza and salad etc), but many of the dishes came with an unexpected twist or slightly different ingredients which I found to be really interesting. I decided to go for a seafood salad and my partner in dining opted for the pasta. The dish was Much bigger than I expected and came loaded with crab meat, salmon and pretty huge prawns served on a bed of leaves, tomatoes and some kind of crispy dish. For £11.95, I definitely felt this was worth the money. Everything was fresh and tasty and it seemed to be a great choice for a hearty (but healthy-ish) lunch. We both had a soft drink to go with our meal and ended up being in the venue for around maybe... an hour and a half? We weren't rushed (but were checked on) and felt like we were looked after over our visit. I can't comment on the final bill (Adam very kindly paid) but I would imagine it would have been around the £30 mark. I would certainly recommend a visit to this venue. I can only speak for my lunch experience, but we had great food, attentive service all in a lovely location.

    Stress in this area as there are a few Italian restaurants that are right next to each other, i…read moredon't want no gang war. So which flag do i wave? This one by far, almost by default as the others are just plain bad. All the staff seem nice, even though i have Italian blood i cant speak the lingo but its nice to see them trying to speak english rather than me trying to speak italian. The prices for the evening can be quite pricey, upwards of £15.00+ so i tend to drop in for the lunch time deal, a set menu is £12.00 a head with lots of options. I can never remember what i eat, but its always good. The quality of food is good enough here to take risks and try new things, if all else fails there are quite a few bottles of wine at the lower end of the price scale.

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    Cucina Rustica
    Cucina Rustica
    Cucina Rustica

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    Pasta Di Piazza

    Pasta Di Piazza

    3.7(31 reviews)
    0.5 miJewellery Quarter, Historical Quarter - Jewellery Quarter
    ££

    My colleague chose this restaurant for her maternity leaving do, there were eight of us in total…read moreand we were given a table in the corner. You get packets of breadsticks which are lovely and they make you wanting more!! Might have to look for some to buy!!! We shared garlic bread pizzas which were thin and crispy. Really nice! For main I had the crab ravioli which had clams in the sauce. It was nice but not a big dish,. As you only get a couple of big ravioli. I was still lil hungry after but decided not to have dessert. It is a nice restaurant with lovely staff but it was noisy, I found it hard to hear my colleagues talking. I think I would choose a different dish next time. It all looked great.

    Came here last night as part of a dear friend's celebrations. As is often the case when someone…read moreelse organises it, an Italian is booked. This is where I usually mildly dread things, and politely keep my mouth shut about my aversion to Italian food. We were a large party so ordered ahead on the set menu which was actually a really good choice. Over fifty percent of the people on our table ordered the beef stroganoff, which was apparently amazing (and it did smell good). Nearly all of us had three courses, I had the whitebait to start, which smelt quite fishy, but didn't taste it. I think they were probably slightly overdone, but they still tasted good. Salmon for main, and it was a huge portion, with some of the best seasoned potatoes i've had on the little side of veggies that came with it. The chocolate cake was chocolate cake, and the semifreddo was gorgeous. The service was lovely, and attentive, with the little things like replacing a knife without having to ask. All for £25 with coffee or tea I'd say it's pretty good value. Expect to pay upwards of £18 for a bottle of wine. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lovely setting- and everyone left happy and full.

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    Pasta Di Piazza
    Pasta Di Piazza - Our table

    Our table

    Pasta Di Piazza

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    Piccolino

    Piccolino

    4.0(12 reviews)
    0.6 miHistorical Quarter - Convention Quarter, Westside
    ££

    Piccolino is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to in Birmingham. Slightly…read morehidden around one of the quieter squares in Brindley place a few people I have spoken to about it don't know this place exists....they really need to! Upon arrival at the restaurant for a friends birthday we were quickly welcomed by two very happy waiters who quickly took our coats and asked us if we would like to get a drink in the bar area while we wait for our other guests. Within seconds our drink orders had been taken and we were taken to a booth to sit down and relax. As soon as our other guests arrived we were taken around to our table which had been beautifully laid out with everything you could need and more, our drinks were brought over for us and we were offered a look at the menu. The menu is pretty much what you would expect from an Italian restaurant with a whole host of pastas, salads and pizzas all with mouth watering descriptions which instantly mades you want to eat everything! I went for the spinach and ricotta tortellini which was fantastic! It was beautifully crafted and presented with rich and tasty dressing over the pasta shells. After such a good main meal we decided to go all out and order a desert......I went for the tiramisu. This was also very well prepared and again I could not fault it. This is somewhere I would really only go for a treat as it is slightly more expensive than some of the other restaurants in the area but what a treat it is. The staff are some of the best and most helpful I have ever come across and the food is spot on.

    Piccolino, has to be a role model for that great dining out experience…read more Meeting a friend here for a quick brunch last week, the place doesn't disappoint, and you'll want to come again. We sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine, although the seating inside is elegant with bright red sofas, you feel you want to dress for the occasion and make a full day of it, it's so nice. Quieter in the day than the evenings, the Italian food is delightful. We tried the grilled asparagus with poached eggs, and shared a Margherita pizza for our mains. The ingredients they use in their meals are fine, and the options form part of their spring menu. A nice light lunch, washed down with Rose, at a decent price too. They ideal place to go for top quality exquisite food within an elegant and well designed restaurant. The waiters make you feel very relaxed and advise you on what's best to try if you've not visited before. They also have a Royal Ascot ladies lunch, available from the 21st June 2012, if your after something special.

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    Piccolino
    Piccolino - Outside, Walkway

    Outside, Walkway

    Piccolino

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    Gusto

    Gusto

    4.4(8 reviews)
    0.2 miCity Core
    £££

    I popped in for lunch this friend to catch up with a friend (and I had 25%off!). Luckily I had…read morebooked, because the place was full! Sadly my friend cancelled last minute, but I decided to stay anyway. I ordered a mint and lemon spritz almost straightaway, but waited nearly 25 minutes for it to arrive and when it did, it wasn't the right drink! So had to wait another ten minutes for it to arrive, I was parched!;) In the meantime they had taken my food order-belly pork, but after seeing people who had arrived after me get served earlier I was starting to get anxious. A waiter came and said my food was on its way, which either means they forgot or messed up my order. When it did arrive is was really tasty and just what I wanted. I like them venue and the staff seem very nice but it seems they do have a few things to iron out, so I'll give them another chance.

    Was lucky enough to be on the guest list for free tasting of their menu.. and it was brilliant! Our…read moreserver kitti was really knowledgeable about all the drinks and food as all of the staff have tasted every item on the menu! The decor is lovely and all of the staff are really friendly. This is definitely going to be the hardest place to get a table for a while. I had the prawn starter (I also tried the ribs) and they were delicious and for main I had fillet steak which was cooked brilliantly. My other favourite dish from my table was the pork wrapped in Parma ham (saltimbocca) it was a massive portion and really tasty! I need to go back to try the puddings as these look fab but I was too stuffed for a lunch. Speaking of which they have a great value lunch menu!

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    Gusto
    Gusto
    Gusto - Mussels

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    Mussels

    Locanta Piccalilli

    Locanta Piccalilli

    2.5(4 reviews)
    0.4 miJewellery Quarter, Historical Quarter - Jewellery Quarter
    ££

    What the hell? First…read moreoff i saw the owner fall down some stairs during one of him many "trips" from the restaurant to the kitchen, im sorry to say he deserved it. The guy made me buy a starter so i could redeem a 241 offer on main courses. This was not in the terms and conditions at all but we sat down anyway as my girlfriend liked the menu. We ordered drinks and i got the terms of the offer up on my phone to show the manager. When he saw them he insisted that they have contacted voucher cloud and are trying to get it changed, and people who want to redeem that voucher are not given a table. We ordered the starter, 7 quid for some flat bread and dips, enough for 2 to share. For mains I ordered the meatballs and my girlfriend got the chicken. Both of the meals sucked in my eye, the chicken and meatballs were tasteless, the fires that came with the food were microwaved and flat. They brought some extra potatoes out for my girlfriends dish five minuets after our food came, tried one and it tasted horrid but im not sure what it was supposed to taste like. The decor looks like a mustard jar, they need to paint the radiator i was sitting by to match the rest of the yellow surroundings. Also when we got there no staff appeared for five minuets, i guess they dont want to be there either.

    I began with a Mozzarella Melt. Mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic. My guest had the Calamari and…read morereported a melt in the mouth texture. Seasoned lamb in a red wine and rosemary sauce, served with spinach and potatoes was my choice for main course. The lamb fell apart on the plate such was the tenderness. I couldn't resist my fork wondering across the table to my guest's plate on which was a juicy pile of Meatballs and Halloumi in an Aubergine sauce. Delicious. There was much room for dessert but one glance of the Tiramisu I suddenly found space. Tiramisu translates as "pick me up", this whole experience has picked me up. Definitely worth a visit.

    Bella Italia - italian - Updated May 2026

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