This is a courtesy 5 star as it was a 4-Star experience. Service was good, food was solid. Their haddock/scallop combo is always delicious. Their chicken escarole soup is also A+. My suggestion to ownership: invest in an experienced interior designer to redo the tables and the seating plan for the space. I guarantee its effecting business - probably lowering repeat biz. It's like a dining hall with a bunch of random furniture scattered around. There should be sections with semi-walls and plants and coziness. The romance factor of this new space is a solid 0. I've been a fan of BP for many many years and always go when I come home to visit. The new space just needs a $15k investment on a PROFESSIONAL designer and and their business will grow exponentially. (I manage a hotel, bar and restaurant that gross $24M annually so I'm not just making sh^# up.) My suggestion is only to make it even better. read more

Food is very good. Sauce is excellent. So why two stars? Very expensive quite overpriced read more

We have been to Bella Pasta three times in the last month. It's our go to place when we don't feel like cooking or meet up with friends. They have by far the best Italian cuisine in the area. The food is so fresh and portions are decent. We used to go to their previous place on Benefit street and there is no change in the fabulous food. The staff are great , they have a great menu, something for everyone, this place is a real gem!!! read more

We have been ordering takeout since this pandemic started. Bella has never disappoint. We loved the veal and chicken masala. Too bad it's hard to get the bisteca masala, that is my favorite. Excellent food. Hopefully they'll have it soon. I will definitely be back again. read more

I ordered food to go the other day and it was amazing. I ordered the chicken francese and my sides were salad with house made italian and spaghetti with marinara. It was absolutely delicious. My salad was fresh, the dressing was perfect, and the sauce on the spaghetti was phenomenal. Other people I was with ordered the shrimp scampi, she said it was good but she's had better. And someone else ordered the chicken parm with penne. The to go order came with plenty of fresh bread and a sidecar of dipping oil. Will definitely be back. read more

Bella Pasta has been a go-to of ours ever since they moved to their new location (had previously never tried them). The food is always great and they have different specials all the time! More importantly, I always feel so welcome bringing our 2.5 yr old and 1 yr old. They have an awesome kids menu (with ice cream at the end) and crayons. Additionally, the waitresses always bring stickers for the kids or even bags of ice with sprinkles for them to play with. Every time we go, we get the same treatment. They understand we just want to have a good meal and they know how to help keep the kids entertained so as not to bother other guests. I've NEVER had anyone do this at any other restaurant. Plus, with the delicious food, there's no reason to go anywhere else! read more

Bella Pasta - Seafood Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Just went in ordered take out, wish I could take back. Payed an upgrade on onion soup with zero cheese C'mon...Veal, I could have done better at surrounding establishments. Honestly if I ate there it would have been send backs. Olive garden+ at best with expensive drinks. I don't plan on going back unless they change it back to the tin tin buffet read more

Worst service I've ever experienced. Rude server who would not acknowledge if she heard you or not. Asked for linguini instead of penne and did not receive. Asked the bill to be split did not receive that request. Ordered the lobster ravioli and only received four small raviolis. Kids food came last. Fortunately the food was decent at best. Would never dine in again. Pathetic honestly. Very horrible experience. Tip: Ask for refills on bread and drinks before you receive your first drinks or you'll have to eventually ask the bar for a round of sodas and water. read more

the food and service was good but I was very disappointed that the chef wouldn't not accommodate the customer. If u have chicken franchaise on the menu and veal but can't change it up for what we want. I have been in the industry for over 20 years and it's always about the costumer. Anyways makes me not want to go back here just because the stubborn chefs that work here. read more

They have a good sauce, which in my mind is a prerequisite for a successful Italian restaurant. First let me say that I'm glad they expanded into the new location on Newport Avenue, but they need to work on the atmosphere. It wouldn't be hard to dim the lights, put little candles on tables and on the bar, dim the tv, make the music audible....add some artwork to the fake grape leaves around the ceiling...really would only take a few hundred dollars to make the atmosphere much much better. We sat at the bar, had good service and their house pinor noir is delicious and affordable. They also have Stella Atrois on tap (why not an Italian beer like Peroni?). Half price appetizers at the bar were tempting (we had the stuffed portabella mushroom appetizer which was tasty). Our entrees of chicken parmigana were good, not great, but good. All in all a decent meal that you'll enjoy. read more

This gnocchi is going to be my undoing. Perfectly-cooked pillows of pasta coated in an ooey-goey, creamy-dreamy tomato sauce tossed with fried eggplant, sauteed mushrooms, prosciutto and then coated in a bubbling blanket of melted cheese. Um... excuse me? This is paradise on a plate. The stand-out ingredient was the eggplant. Nice and thin, breaded ever so slightly, fried and then cut up on little pieces to toss with the pasta, mushrooms and prosciutto. I ache just thinking about it. We arrived at 8:30, and the place closes at 9. I was a little concerned we'd be met with some attitude, but this was not the case at all: we were seated right away, and the very sweet waitress gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu whilst she opened the bottle of wine we brought with us (it's BYOB!). Each entree comes with either a salad or soup, and I went with the salad. It was very simple and fresh, and I ate every last bite of it before my gnocchi arrived. We stayed until almost 9:45, and no one said a word or made us rush out. There was another party there, as well - much larger with 6 adults - and they were still there when we left. The atmosphere is homey, the food is absolutely delicious and the prices are seriously cheap. We left having spent only $40 for the two of us - including the tip. Not bad for authentic Italiano! Just writing this review, I've already got a hankering for this gnocchi again. As I said, it may be my undoing, as I can see myself wanting it at least every week! read more

Well here's the deal. 3 stars means that it's not incredible and it's not terrible. And that's really what a Saturday night at Bella Pasta is. To be perfectly honest, your dollars would be better spent at Olive Garden up the street. Granted the food is worse there, but there's less of a wait, and your wallet will leave a lot less bruised. One of the best parts of this place USED to be the BYOB. As of a month ago, the owners must have seen the $$$ walking out the door and added a bar. When I was there I overheard 2 groups asking about the BYOB policy change and wondering why it wasn't updated on their website. The staff were not all too helpful in explaining. Anytime false advertising happens, you gotta dock a few stars from the rating. The wait, as mentioned elsewhere is long. By adding the bar they removed multiplied tables. In a place so small, expect a wait of 30+ minutes on weekends Is the food worth the wait? I'm spoiled as I am a part of an Italian family. But in New England who isn't right? So the food here was good, but not great. Most definitely not worth the price and not worth the wait. Despite specific requests (eg for one specific pasta) the kitchen or the servers just couldn't get it right. The calamari was too heavily buttered. The mussels in white sauce came in a moderately red sauce. I get that these are all details but when there are so many other options for Italian in the area, they matter. In sum, if you're in the area and want to try something new, you could do worse. But if you have other options, I'd skip this place. Poor ambiance and removing the BYOB option plus mediocre food? Pass. read more

I'm gonna start with the end of the night because the happy ending was my favorite part of the story. Our bill came up to $33. BYOB is the greatest culinary invention since some bartender in upstate New York put hot sauce on a chicken wing. We saw some pretty big portions after a quick peak at what the other diners were eating. That combined with the bread basket and our entrees coming with a salad was enough for us to decide that we weren't going to need any appetizers. So that added to the inexpensiveness of the evening. The gnocci that my girlfriend ordered was deceptively small. By that I mean that the dish looked huge, but there was more eggplant than gnocci and a large and thick layer of cheese covered the dish making it look a lot larger than it was. She certainly didn't leave hungry, but she was expecting a few more gnocci. She definitely enjoyed it though. I was a pretty big fan of my dish too. This was a great, cheap date. We had a pretty private table in the corner and our server was pretty good. It's definitely a place that we'll be back to. read more

Come here for the gnocchi, come back here for the gnocchi. Seriously, I've been here a bunch of times and I've never ordered anything else because it's that darn good. Cheesy, meaty, pillow-y, delicious yum. It's also BYOB and those are 4 of my favorite letters. So go ahead and bring and decent bottle of wine - or any wine! - and enjoy. I think they charge $2/person for the wine service. The waiting area for when they're full isn't so much an area as it is the space right inside the front door. But, settle in and get ready for some delicious food. I'm sure the other menu items are wonderful but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to cheat on my beloved gnocchi. read more

Bella Pasta is not for everyone. If what you seek is a modern sterile environment featuring nouveaux cuisine, and the latest in tableware look elsewhere. Bella Pasta is not for you. If you seek wonderful hearty Italian dishes, perfectly prepared and served as if in a traditional Italian home, look no further. In a world filled with Italian restaurants Bella Pasta stands alone for wonderful and consistent sauces across the menu. From light cream sauces, to zesty red pepper based fare, Bella Pasta consistently delivers! This is a very small old world restaurant, where each meal is prepared and cooked to order and deliciously so I might add. As with any small (and I mean small) restaurant preparing cooked to order meals you may have a day which is better than another, but even a off day is a wonderful gastronomical experience at Bella Pasta. We dine out with regularity, a minimum of twice per week and more. Bella Pasta is in our regular rotation and always delivers the goods. We have never introduced anyone to Bella Pasta without being offered profuse thanks in return... Go early or you may not be seated for a little while... Try the Piato Zingarella it's wonderful! Visited May 2016 read more

I was worried that coming after 7:00 PM, we wouldn't be able to get a seat, but we were seated right away, and all the staff were super-friendly. Service was prompt, and the atmosphere is a nice laid-back at-home one. It feels very 1950s. The food here is good, but it is not amazing, and it's certainly not worth the price, especially considering this place is cash-only. If the food were a little better or if the prices a little lower, I'd come back or recommend this to other people. read more

Gnocchi...get the gnocchi! You WILL NOT be disspointed! Lets keep this simple and amazing...before 6 you can get a 3 course dinner (salad, entree & ice cream) for $12.99 AND they're BYOB! I can't even express how yummy it was. I try to stay away from my not so friend yet true love, pasta...so if I'm going for it, it better be something to write home about. Bella - you did it! I got the gnocchi from the early bird menu (eventho they we were on the later side, they let me order from the other menu with a slight up-charge) since I really wanted the gnocchi but the regular menu has a cream sauce...and that just wasn't going to fly. Tomatos, chicken, olives and broccoli in a light wine sauce - writing this makes me want to go back RIGHT NOW! Bon Apetite! read more

Food was very good, but VERY light crowd at 6:00 PM. Only one other table was occupied and several other customers at the bar. I ordered Pollo Gabrielle, even though I was thinking seafood. Always reluctant to order seafood from a venue that offers a lot of seafood items but very few customers at dinner time. What do they do with the seafood at the end of the night? Throw it away or store it for the following day(s)? I like getting my food fast, but our dinners came out 10 minutes after we ordered. Were parts of the meal prepared in advance? Probably, right? They lost a full star by charging more for credit card payment than cash. That's a big turnoff. Most other service industries that do this is because they're cooking the books. If you're cutting your profits so close that you can't afford to pay the percentage to the credit card companies, raise your prices. It looks better. Place looked clean, interior temperature was noticably warm. My son's side plate had left over food on it. read more

I ordered the lobster ravioli on uber eats. It was $18 for 4 ravioli's. Never going back again. Now you get nothing and like it. Bella's your nasty. read more

Food and pricing were good. The space is very big, which I didn't expect. I had never been inside the previous restaurant. Went with my 3 yr old niece and the waitress was super nice and interacted well with her. read more

Bella Pasta relocated to a larger venue on Newport Ave in Pawtucket. Food is still very good although I miss the BYOB ...

So friendly! Solid surprisingly nuanced sauces, great prices Salmon puttanesca was tender, sauce was very flavorful without being overwhelming. Unlike many places, not swimming in oil! Shrimp and artichoke ravioli were delicious. House Cabernet full bodied big pour under $6 It's a little crowded, not fancy, if you go at prime times expect a bit of a wait. I see they have some $13 early bird specials read more

solid service but the food was just ok. Started with bread and oil dip, fresh and tasty. Next came the sausage and lentil soup good again. Don't like wine much and the beer selection is few and beyond. Unfortuately the atmosphere and the main course were just ok. Little salty. I tried my wifes side meatballs not bad although she can't ever get over my dads famous drunken meatballs with green peppers. I thought they were pretty good but her mannicotti was not so much. Solid 3.5. The bill was 70.00 for two and that includes dessert, beer, and wine. Bit pricy for pasta. The dish a had was 17.00. For the area it's pitching me to just go into providence but we like supporting the local business. Overall it's not on my favs list Food 3 Atmosphere 2 Service 4.5 be just a bit personable and your a 5 on service 3.5 read more

Fantastic. Was not expecting a lot, just wanted Italian and there were limited options. Well they just gained new regulars. Nice job.

Where to begin.... had my hubby's big 4.0 luncheon/party at Bella Pasta. The manager Nelson, and all the staff were so amazing, accommodating and above all kind! In this day and age, kindness is a rarity. This may simply be good business to some, but to me, my family, & friends; it was REFRESHING!! Food was superb and the kids loved it too! Service was top notch! Thank you Bella Pasta!!! read more

This was a fun excursion. We allowed our 4 year old daughter to yell out "left" "right" or "straight" for 30 mins until we wound up in the middle of Pawtucket. We turned on the Yelp! app and chose the first 3+ Star Italian place that showed up. that's how we found this literal hole in the wall. At most there are 15 tables in the entire place. most of which were 2 person tables. I would say that it is an intimate restaurant. The menu is well round with all of the typical American Italian dished mixed in with true Italian plates and flavors. There is an extensive seafood meal, plenty of pasta based dished, and scattered others. The menu ranged from apx $9 upward of $22. The food was served as if it came out of Mama's kitchen, and it is obvious that there is a lot of love put into the dished. The dishes looked and tasted authentic. I would come again, and recommend it to my friends. I would suggest on going during a less busy night, Friday was packed ! read more

Been by many times and heard only great things. Went tonight for the first time and we will go back. The chicken parm could not have been better or the salad fresher. The service was flawless and the place was busy.. Small place with no windows so it can get warm and loud. We had a loud mouth next to us.. A must place with easy parking. read more

Lovely to have a BYOB with decent food. The bread and dipping oil is superb, and the dinners are tasty. I would come during the week when it's hopefully less busy because despite having the tiniest, most cramped waiting area (hallway) on the planet you need six people to make a reservation and we waited over an hour for a table of four (and a baby) on a Friday night (starting) at 7pm. I'm not claustrophobic or anything, but I was ready to push down the wooden divider (wall?) for a breath of fresh air after about fifteen minutes. Can't say it was worth the wait, and I have no idea what the bill was because we were being treated, but it was good. read more

This restaurant has dishonest managers working for them. I got food delivered last night and an item was missing. I called the restaurant and the manager told me he saw the item go into the bag. The bag was sealed shut with staples and when opened the item was not there. Why would the manager lie to me? Did he want to stiff me for my money? Was he having a bad night? Could an employee taken the item out before the bag was sealed? For me a good service manager should have asked them selfes these questions before dismissing a customer complaint. read more

For several years I drove from the Connecticut shoreline ninety miles to Pawtucket for the best Italian food in Rhode Island. Better than Federal Hill? Yep. Bella Pasta reminded me of Smith's, the long-gone little place on Atwell's Avenue where I learned to love bracciole and home-made fettuccini (15 cents extra)--where one of the booths had bullet holes in the woodwork. No matter where you sat you were near the kitchen. Same with Bella Pasta. Homey, tight, welcoming--you were sure to run into fiends there. And the veal! the sauces! the pasta! And BYOB made the prices easier, too. Now they've moved. I was meeting a friend--an Italian friend from Boston's north shore--and my brother from near the Cape Cod Canal. I got there first & explained that and was seated against one of the four widely-spaced walls in a large room--the center of which has a large square bar surrounded all around with bar stools and with a big TV pointed at our table. This was early afternoon, 4:15, so there were a lot of empty tables. We had a lot to talk about so this was intentionally early. The next couple to arrive was placed at the very next table and they were loud. We took our time and ordered and tried to talk. The couple ate fast and were gone. We had a few laughs and another party was placed at the same table. The food was good but the magic of the Benefit Street location was gone--in part because of the room, the lack of decor, the emphasis on the bar, and it's just not the hidden-away secret marvelous place it had once been. The people were very friendly and efficient but you can get that at Denny's. read more

I love Italian and absolutely love this place! Whenever I want to indulge in great tasting Chicken Alfredo and Calamari, this place makes me oh so happy! The noodles are perfect and the cream sauce is perfect. The calamari battered, fried and then sauteed in butter and white wine and banana peppers, OUT OF THIS WORLD! Makes me drool thinking about it! The bread and olive oil dip also makes my day, just plain Italian bread and oil to dip in. YUM! Maybe the only bad thing is soda is by the can, so drink water because it can get expensive! read more

One the things RI does well is Italian cuisine. However, with so many restaurants how does this one match up? Only fair. It's good, but not great. I think for the higher prices the portions are on the small side. And as for the menu? There aren't many options. A few visits and you've tried it all. It's a bit cramped, and the decor is tacky. Where would I rather go for Italian food in the area? Uncle Tony's! read more

Best Italian food EVER!!! If you are in Pawtucket, you NEED to get to this restaurant. The food is as good as any restaurant in Providence without the Providence pricing. Easy parking access and usually not long wait times makes this the perfect date restaurant. read more

Large space. Great place to go to if you have a large party. Food was good surprisingly. I've been there a few times and my meal was never disappointing. You got to try it at least once. read more

The first thing I needed to learn was that this joint is BYOB. The guy I saw carrying a collapsible cooler tipped me off, even though the sign outside had not (it was small print, what can I say?!). Thankfully they didn't add cash only to the list or I would have been in trouble. I lived a couple of miles away and drove this place every day for over a year before finally dining here. Everything about the food exceeded my expectations. It's everything you would expect from that fantastic hole in the wall place. Amazing food at even more amazing prices. I would have expected to walk out with my wallet much lighter anywhere else. read more

First off, the food was great. No complaints at all from my party of 4. The staff was friendly and helpful as well. You can bring your own beer/ wine which is nice too. The restaurant is VERY small and lacks a memorable atmosphere, but these things can be totally overlooked if all you want is really good food. Other observations: 1. Only takes cash 2. Limited parking read more

Just went back to Bella Pasta for the 3rd time ands I'm just as happy as the first time. We went for Mother's Day dinner at 4pm party of 6 with 2 kids under 4. They were amazing. I ordered my daughter penne and she wanted spaghetti and the waitress offered to switch it even when we said it was ok. She did it for us no extra charge my daughter ate most of her pasta. Going that extra step is why I'm obsessed with this restaurant read more

Great food, wine and service. All tucked away in Pawtucket. If you like true fresh Italian food. Come check this place out!! read more

Bella Pasta - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Pawtucket, Rhode Island

See all

Excellent! Just happened to google area Italian restaurants and came up with Bella Pasta. We ordered take out, eggplant Parmesan and vodka sauce for myself. Chicken Marsala for the hub, and spaghetti n meatballs for the little one. Every dish was delicious, we got bread with dipping oil (my fav) and Italian wedding soups. Priced just right and flavor was top quality. Will definitely be going to dine in soon. read more

Just left Bella Pasta with my wife and it was EXCELLENT. Jessica was our server and she gets five stars. Hard to believe it's 3 blocks from my house. We will be back soon. Thank you for our great meal. read more