Came in from out of town and had an amazing time at Bella Luna. Met the owner Giancarlo and his wife who were helping servers, taking drink orders and chatting to many of the regulars. The vibe was a great mix of upscale food and fun entertainment with the music playing in the background. The lamb shank was amazing, the cocktails were tasty and the chocolate cake was a great way to end the evening. 500% recommend this place for a special night out or just a delicious meal mid week. read more

Bella Luna - Knob Creek with a single rock to finish the night at the bar. - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

My favorite Italian restaurant in Merced. I visit my 90 year old mother monthly and make it a point to have dinner at Bella Luna. The meat ball appetizers are over the top exquisite! The pizza perfectly dine, pasta dishes delicious. The staff is on point and the ambience perfect whether one sits at the beautiful bar or takes a seat in the lovely dining area. read more

First off, the food was good and the place looked nice but the service was awful, except for the guy with the tattoos and beard who kept refilling our glasses with water. Here's why: 1. I walked in and was not greeted by the hosts, they were chatting and then just stared at me and I had to greet them first, basically doing their job. 2. The waiter we got was essentially mansplaining to me trying to get me to pronounce the shrimp arrabiata correctly or he wouldn't bring it to us which made me feel very uncomfortable especially since English isn't my first language. He also didn't even introduce himself to us and was trying to get me to say something I can't pronounce like??? 3. My boyfriend got the alfredo pasta with chicken and shrimp but our waiter didn't mention the shrimp would cost extra. Our waiter asked if he wanted chicken or shrimp or both but never mentioned it would be $8 for basically 4 pieces of shrimp. 4. I had to wait for more than 20 minutes to get my bill because our waiter was nowhere to be found and another waiter helped us get our bill. 5. I had to ask for the bread that they give when you're seated. I didn't notice they hadn't given us bread until we noticed everyone else who was seated after us got bread right away. read more

Bella Luna - Shrimp arrabiata - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

Amazing authentic food Service is always great! Nothing compares to the ambiance at Bella. Whether you're trying to have a nice sit down dinner or catch a quick bite and drink at the bar , this place makes you want to come back read more

Excellent service and food!!! Can't wait to go again. Definitely recommend with a group of coworkers or even a family outing. Prices are decent as well. read more

Loved this place. Food was great. Drinks were great. Service was 10/10 and the vibe was awesome.

Food was delicious Service was on point Ambiance was lively, elegant and romantic. Looking forward to future visits and trying more off the menu read more

Bella Luna - Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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It was a lovely Ambiance and delicious meal. Joe is great giving recommendations based on our palate preferences. Will return.

Overall solid food- did takeout. Good portion size- quality ingredients. That said the flavors weren't over the top . Bolognaise had plenty of meat and Italian tomatoes but a bit bland albeit very fresh. Similarly, the fig prosciutto pizza was supposed to have gorgonzola -which would have taken the dish to the next level- unfortunately found/tasted a crumb at best. Again, tasty dish, but fell somewhat short of what could have easily been excellent. Meatballs were very good- tasted like Nonnas. Would definitely order from here again- the crab ravioli looks amazing. read more

Bella Luna - Pappardelle Bolognese and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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food was burnt! waiter with reddish hair rude to lous and to expensive for the quality of food never will go there again read more

Great service, ambiance, and food! The owner John Carlo was a delight. Look forward to returning. Highlights: meatballs, chicken parm, mushroom risotto, shrimp arrabiata, and raspberry sorbet!! read more

I've been going to Bella Luna for over 10 years, and everytime I go it gets better and better. Bella Luna does a great job at making you feel at home and welcomed. The special "salmon en croûte" was incredible, the salads were beyond fresh, and the drinks were amazing. Tonight, we had Kerry, knowledgeable, attentive, and a top tier server. She anticipated my family's needs and was simply put... professional. I recommend everyone to Bella Luna if you want authentic homemade food like Nonna made. Ciao ciao read more

Food good. Joe was good. The tall girl serving the vinegar and oil was maybe having a bad night no smile and when my friend asked for our bread she said you'll get it after you order. When reservations were made I said we were celebrating 2 birthdays a Mom and a daughter when I asked what they had for them they said a candle. We don't do birthday desserts anymore. Would have been nice to know that before we arrived. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT. We were taxed 2 different taxes the owner is trying to get over on you to help himself. I go to several beautiful places and restaurants and have NEVER SEEN THIS TAX!!! read more

Amazing service and good food. Would highly recommend. Very kind staff. Bartender was great, and the owner is nice and very helpful. All around a great atmosphere to bring friends and family to. read more

Excellent food I totally recommend the beef bolognese it's my go to exotic dish with zing you can't find anywhere around here!

9/29/24, Italian Loaf was refunded by DoorDash as I received white COSTCO French Bread. Angry Crab ravioli was refunded by DoorDash because I received only 4 small ravioli for $24.00 The food tasted good, though!! I don't eat the COSTCO French Bread. read more

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The service was an EPIC fail! Sadly our waiter seemed preoccupied with his ego over providing us with a great dining experience! We arrived and were seated almost immediately which was a welcomed surprise. Figuring at this point our evening was going to be smooth, it simply went downhill from there. Our waiter seemed rattled that I expected a glass of ice water with lemon vs. a glass of ice with lemon on top so I could pour the iceless, room temp water left for us over the ice myself, potentially making a huge mess! He came back to the table offering some excuse, then a not so sincere apology. Then be turned to staff at the bar and proceeded to what appeared to us, to whine. Long story short, we were pretty much ignored for the remainder of our time there. We were ready to leave and the waiter brought our check and pointed at the total at the bottom and out loud announced to my husband what the total was. That pretty much capped it for me. read more

I truly enjoy dining at Bella Luna. It's always one of the top options when deciding where to eat. Their drinks are the best in town in my opinion. I love ordering the Pompeii salad with the fig & gorgonzola pizza and it's always 10/10 for me! The owners and staff are always so friendly as well! read more

Service, food and prices were great.. Joe was our server, he went beyond to make sure everything was perfect

Food was delicious , we order pastas , pizza and fried calamari . The service was ok they took super long to sit us down , and even when we sat down they took forever to come take our order . They would just turn and looked at us . I guess they finally realized how we were treated because they did discounted us a couple things . The place is really cute and the ambiance was nice as well read more

Wonderful service and would recommend the crab ravioli. The hospitality is wonderful and pls come if you have the chance

The food was fantastic. I took some company guests for dinner recently. I sat at the bar area at first which was nice & then The dining room which was more low lighting that gave nice ambience. All the food and drinks were excellent! The portions are more than generous & the wedge salad is unbelievable. read more

Best bartender in town:) good vibes good drinks!! Whatever your taste! Little pizza, pasta, salads, they got it! Great music wherever you are sitting. Finish with a fernet:) always! read more

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Dinner night out at Bella Luna was absolutely delicious! We were seated within minutes of arriving. Water, Bread/Oil was served immediately. The bread and oil were yummy; we received a second helping of it :) We ordered a Caesar salad, chicken alfredo pasta and lamb/risotto meal. The food was excellent, and my husband said it was the best lamb he has ever had; he is still talking about his meal the next day! The dinner room was quiet and comfortable. A wonderful evening! read more

Servers were nice but they took a long time to serve the food and they gave us the wrong order. However, food was great and the ambiance is calm and relaxing. read more

Judging by the reviews I'm glad we've only ordered in...looks like dining in would ruin it. However, the food has always been great. My husband orders the chicken Alfredo, I order the Italiano pizza and we share. I also order a green salad to split but I make sure to ask for ice burg lettuce because their "greens" are more like bitter greens. read more

Food is great, service is amazing our waters were never below half way. nice ambiance can be pretty pricy but worth it for a nice night out or for an occasion. read more

My family took me to Bella luna for dinner for my birthday! I believe they are new owners, and i love it this time around. Wow, they have one of the best Rib-eye steak. Im a Bay Area girl who loves Alexander's steak house, and now there is no need to drive there for this gem we have here in merced. I'm picky with my Expresso martini and amazing the drink the bar tender made kudos. The service is fenomenal. Jose was our waiter, and he is very resourceful by recommending the best plates, very attentive, and most amazing customer service. KUDOS TO JOSE! We met the owner and he is very nice, we will definitely be coming back. read more

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We aren't from Merced. We like to try different places but like all new places we get a little nervous. Bella Luna was inviting and cozy, the owner was amazing, the bartender was great and the food was super duper great!! We wish after hours it was a dance place lol. Great venue area. Love it and will go back each time we are in Merced!! We had the coconut shrimp, calamari, wedge salad, zuppa tuscana and tiramisu. Our drinks were lemon drop shots, Colorado bull dog and white linen. Amazing!!! read more

Best pasta I have tried around the area! Loved the crab raviolis and the shrimp arrabiata! Service was great!

"Let's go to the movies but first let's have lunch in Downtown Merced". Downtown Merced, on a Friday in July, why was it that almost all of the restaurants opened at noon? We tried several before coming to Bella Luna, which opened at 11. That gave us an hour to have lunch, should have been plenty of time. We ordered pizzas. What they failed to tell us when we ordered and not for at least 20 minutes after we ordered was that the pizza dough was too cold for them to make pizzas. By the time they told us, it was kind of too late to order anything else. They brought us soup, but by the time we got our pizzas, we barely had time to have a couple of bites, pay and then leave. The soup was delicious, but that's not the point. I guess I would have preferred that they let us know upon ordering that it would be a while, so that we could have ordered something different. It was not an enjoyable experience to watch the clock tick by as our movie time approached. read more

Went to lunch and ordered the pasta with red sauce ( I can't spell what it's really called) and it was great. Great service and great quality. See you guys next time. Mike read more

FUN environment. Many high-top tables in main dining room (caution for accessibility). Wonderful pizza and breads. Nice wine list.

Bella Luna's ribeye is so delicious. Good cut and quality. The sides are now Brussels sprouts and potato wedges or you can ask for polenta. The Brussels sprouts are delicious (I know). I think it's baked with a little drizzle of honey and a house balsamic vinegar. Anyways I always finish the sprouts and steak. I would definitely recommend the ribeye. You can't go wrong. read more

Bella Luna - 12oz Ribeye with asparagus and polenta. - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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The food was so good with a good taste. I was given a taste of a Moscato di Asti which was excellent. Great atmosphere and service. Given bread before meal. read more

Bella Luna - Salmon pesto - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

We stopped by Bella Luna for a pizza last night. The crowd at 9:00 pm was lively to say the least. We were seated and my love ordered a drink and small talk ensued. About a month ago we met a young lady (Paola) at a different establishment outside of town and she mentioned she worked at Bella Luna, she saw us being seated and came over and said hello. The pizzas are a big hit at Bella Luna as I watched 9 pizzas made after we had arrived. The crust was perfect for our liking. I had heard how delicious the pizza was and it did not disappoint. Shout out to Paola for mentioning the pizzas were delicious. read more

Lack of communication and service left us waiting an hour for our food with headaches and hungry bellies. By the time the food arrived I asked to get it to go. Was hoping on impressing some friends, as previous visits were good. Informed manager of issues, he did provide a discount, but was agitated and tense during the process. Will not return or recommend this place. read more

we waited about 15 minutes on a Tuesday evening for a group of 5 work colleagues. Service was responsive and answered any questions with knowledge. Food was well prepared and well seasoned. Ambiance was nice, perhaps a bit loud as the room was nearly full. Love the exposed original brick wall showing through. Would not be surprised if we end up there again later this week. (other review created it's own login which was weird Yelp/iOS behavior.) read more

Unfortunately the food quality and taste are not as high as the prices are. They try to act like a fine dining Italian restaurant- but every side with almost every meal is mushroom risotto. I think there are many better options locally. read more

Upon arriving the hostess was incredibly rude. She did not greet us, instead we had to greet her. When she found out we had a 6 month old baby in our party she made a comment about how we would need to change to a shorter table and rolled her eyes as it seemed it was quite the inconvenience. Our server was inattentive and could not be found most of the night. I ordered a cocktail and was never asked if I would like another. There was a man who kept refilling our waters who had a beard, he was amazing! Someone else had to bring us our bill as our server was nowhere to be found. The food was okay. Lacking flavor. The chicken was burnt and dry on 2 of our dishes (Capellini and Fettuccini Alfredo). We ordered a chopped salad that was basically just chopped meat. The arrinchini appetizer was the only positive out of our meal, definitely a must have. Overall, not a great experience and I wouldn't return. read more