We had a light dinner here on a weeknight. There's a nice parking lot in front of the restaurant and we were warmly greeted, and seated at a nice big booth upon entry. A complimentary small dish of olives and a small bowl of buttery garlic bread were delicious! Had a late lunch so I wasn't too hungry. Ordered the arugula salad with the added protein of chicken. Inexpensive and delicious dinner of only $13! The chicken breast was flattened and grilled. It was juicy and tender. Everything on the menu looks pretty good so I'll have to come back and try other dishes when I'm back in the area. read more

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Food was excellent! Between the 4 of us we had 2 chicken parm, eggplant parm,a special eggplant dish. Cocktails were very good with plenty of alcohol in them. Garlic knots were also good. Portions were big and three of us took home leftovers. Service was also very good. I highly recommend this restaurant and can't wait to go back! read more

This is my new favorite restaurant. The service was perfect just a cozy atmosphere. It's not a big restaurant, but it's just well done. Our food was delicious. Me and two other friends went and each one of us loved our dinner. The garlic knots are always delicious. Our drinks were crafted. Definitely recommend. read more

I ordered the calamari fra diavalo. The calamari was way over cook and rubbery. Just left me with so so linguine for $24. I had all the calamari pushed off to the side- didn't seem to phase the servers. I hate it when the best part of the meal is the bread. My wife got spinach ravioli. It was good. Nothing special. Not much chance of going back. read more

Food was excellent. I enjoyed every bite. Calamari was PERFECT! And those garlic knots are to die for! The patio is very beautiful and has such a nice and homey ambiance. Definitely a must go to! Giving 4 instead of 5 stars because I didn't really get everything I ordered and my boyfriend just threw his card n we didn't check the bill. I ordered a Cesar salad with my steak that I didn't get but was charged for lol. read more

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Very impressed!! I came here for a late night unplanned dinner with some family and was very impressed at the quality and service here. The complimentary bread knots are so delicious!! Their food was also really good and we each enjoyed our meal. Our server was very attentive as well. The interior is nothing special, but was well kept. We would definitely come here again! 5/5 read more

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We love Fiore in downtown Middletown, so we have been excited to try Bella Notte. I am little sad that they decided to charge for the dinner salad, when this was always included at Fiore. Even worse that they charge $4 for a side Caesar made from mayyybe 2 leaves of romaine, with bland dressing, 3 croutons and some grated cheese. I was excited for cacio e Pepe, as its not readily available elsewhere in the area. Well, I was so blinded, that I failed to read prior reviews. Big mistake. Huge!!! The "cacio e Pepe" is like my grandmother's aglio e olio, spaghetti with a crap ton of garlic. Now I love her aglio e olio, but it's not what I ordered or wanted tonight. I did see a teeny weeny bit of black pepper in my dish. And there were anchovies! Now put them on my Caesar salad - I'll yum all day over it. In my cacio e Pepe? Blasphemy!!! Cacio e Pepe is veryyyy simple recipe with cacio (cheese), Pepe (pepper), some butter and some of the pasta water to make it creamy. NO garlic and definitely NO anchovies. I ate it all, because I was starving, but I would recommend they remove this from the menu, or rebrand it with a more accurate name for this odd dish. My husband's chicken parm was mushy, not crisp. The cutlets were definitely not freshly prepared, and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they had been microwaved. Very hot and very mushy. I was not impressed. Illianos right down the road is much better. Even going into Durham, Cozy Corner, while more casual, executes chicken parm better. This was a much anticipated spot, with the prior place closing after the owner's death. The servers were extraordinarily friendly and service was top notch, but we paid $140 for dinner with an expectation of quality food. We'll stick with Fiore downtown or one of the other 100 Italian places in Middletown, the food here was just not up to expectations. read more

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Huge, delicious portions that are well-plated, in a quiet and relaxed dining room. Great ambiance! Food is solid quality, with the traditional take on Italian American cuisine. Only downside was the Zuppa da clams, the portion was small. read more

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Excellent all around FOOD SERVICE AMBIENCE These people know what they're doing! Well worth it. read more

Came here for a girls night out. We ordered drinks and dinner. Staff was friendly and Food was delicious. Prices were fair. read more

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Food is ok but won't be back. They had a Zuppa Di Pesce or seafood fra diavlo special that I ordered and the waitress didn't tell me the price. It was $50 which is crazy. This dish is on a lot of menus at nice Italian restaurants from $23 - $38 They need a reality check. read more

Overall, I like this restaurant. It's very busy and clearly popular. We went here for dinner. I ordered the eggplant rollatini and my dining partner ordered the ribeye special. When the meals arrived they look beautiful, but I would end up disappointed. The reason why I order eggplant rollatini and not eggplant Parmesan is because I don't like breaded eggplant. Usuallu, rollatini is not breaded. I would later look back at the menu to see if it said it was breaded and none of their eggplant dishes indicated whether they were breaded or not. That's unfortunate for patrons. This dish was super thin sliced eggplant in breading. This made it dry (even hard in places that weren't covered in sauce) and tasteless. It was hard to even tell if eggplant was actually in the dish. There was not enough sauce on it, either. My friend ordered the ribeye special which was covered in a mushroom sauce. It was very tasty. It was tender and juicy in some spots and unfortunately grizzly and chewy is several areas, which was such a disappointment. I think the prices are fair I paid $20 for my dish and my friend paid $40 for his steak. We did share a salad which was delicious for $9. He had coffee ($3) after which was very good and served with heavy cream which made it extra special. I had the flourless chocolate cake and quite frankly it tastes like something that had been sitting in the fridge for a while. On each side was one tiny squirt of canned whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. ($10) I think my favorite part of the whole meal was the olives and olive oil and the garlic knots we used for dipping. Oh and it was a little bit sad to see the tattered Christmas wreath laying on the sidewalk right in front as we exited. Farther down the sidewalk was a large pine cone from the wreath just waiting for somebody to trip and fall on it. I kicked it out of the way. If I were the owner I would be so embarrassed. How does no one notice that or not care that is there? It's almost St Patty's Day for God's sake. read more

Everyone was waiting for this place to open so I visited today at lunch. It was very well done inside. The front room is a dining room and it has a roomy bar in the back! There were so many good choices on the drinks menu. I would say it was an above average selection. The food was outstanding! We started with stuffed mushrooms... which were so delightful, you could see vegetables like carrots and the actually crab meat chunks and just the right amount of stuffing.. I had an amazing salmon dish. The salmon was cooked to perfection and the sauce was also delicious. My friend loved their veal! Great staff too! Welcome!! read more

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Bella Notte is a very homey and humble Italian spot and the service is great. Good lunch menu, tried the Cacio e Pep but not pictured. Very yummy :) read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - Garlic Knots - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Well they fell short the last 2 times. 1st on side Caesar salad. $4.99 add on which is t bad, but literally no lettuce. When I said something to hostess/waitress her comeback that it is a side. I told her I understand but really less than 10 small pieces of lettuce!?! She finally went back and added some more, and a side of attitude. 2nd time, grinders. Nothing special and very little meat on the both grinders. I understand food costs, I have managed a restraint where we had to figure in the cost of ice etc. for $14, I expect more than 3 small meatballs that barely cover 3/4's of the bread and chicken cutlet so tiny my husband only had a half a sandwich when he moved it To one side to make it an actual sandwich. Also both had very little sauce. I don't need it drenched in sauce, but it should not be dry. I will give it another try, both times I was dissatisfied it was pick up and not dine in. When I dine in, I have not had a problem. read more

Food is excellent and prices are ok. The wait staff is always friendly and attentive. Parking is close and free but often this place is very bus, so arrive early. read more

This new restaurant is still in their soft opening and have advertised at all but they have been packed nightly it seems. We went tonight as a party of 7 and had a great meal. The bar is very nice being adjoining but separate and defined. The menu is very similar and recipes very similar to fiore II in Middletown (main Street) as expected given the relation. But the bar adds burger and sandwich options which we will try next time. Soon they want to add those options to the regular menu also apparently. Attaching two photos from the linguini with clams and the eggplant & shrimp dinner. Pasta wasn't overcooked, right size portion for the price and it's finally a place in the area a family of 4 can eat reasonably. Given their experience in the business I have a feeling which place will finally be one that stays in this location for many many years to come. read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - Eggplant and shrimp - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Neat little place! Cozy dining area with classy decor. The food was great! We both had veal. Mine with shrimp and my dining partner with eggplant. Real veal cutlet! Tender to cut with a fork! Just enough sauce and pasta to make a great balance. Our server was very nice, helpful and attentive. Only problem was she was overworked. There were two others on the wait staff but one was focused on cleaning tables and other maintenance and the other only brought out the meals and sort of ran the desk(?). He could have helped more. Overall a good experience and I would definitely go back. read more

What a mistake. The veal Parmesan and my friend's chicken Parmesan were both burned at the ends and so dry as to be hard to cut. Total waste of money. The servers were untrained. When we finished our meals, the server put my plate in front over me and scraped the leftovers from all the plates onto mine, stacking the now cleared ones next to mine. That is for the kitchen staff to do out of sight of the patrons. Crowning insult? We asked to split the checks and offered two cards. She put both charges on my card which didn't show up until I got my monthly Visa bill. Clown show all around. Never again. read more

Ordered take out one night when we were too busy to cook, I'd been craving eggplant parm and man there's did not disappoint. Usually it's something I wouldn't order out because I love making it at home but I would order it again any day! Great portions, delicious meals read more

The prices for the food are great and the garlic knots are to die for. The dining room is very noisy but I can get past it, they're busy and popular so to be expected. I can't stop thinking about the garlic knots. I got the burrata salad with chicken and it was all incredible. The food also came out super quick given how packed it was there on a Saturday night. read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - Burrata salad with chicken - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Just ate at Bella Notte. Ordered the special. Halibut with tomato salsa, green beans and mushroom risotto. The green beans were so overcooked that they were shriveled, the "risotto" was actually dry white rice with minced mushrooms (no creamy parm white wine sauce) and the halibut was hammered. So dry...not moist, delicate and flakey as it should be. Very big disappointment. The patio was nice. read more

Our party arrived for dinner on time and the restaurant was just starting to get crowded. Ordered a scotch meet for a cocktail. For some reason the drink was chilled and watered down. It was like the bartender put it in a shaker and chilled it! Not what I expected. I said neet. Pore the liquor into a glass. Same bartender, was asked to make a rusty nail and wound up serving scotch on the rocks. It's important to have a bartender that knows what to do! We asked to have our bill divided up into two and at the time of order the waiter agreed. For some reason when delivered to the table, everything was on one bill. Food was good! Service was good! Find a bartender that knows how to serve drinks! read more

Brand new place on the Middletown/Middlefield/Durham, CT. Our party of four arrived at 4:45PM & the place was already packed, so we were seated at a high table in the well stocked bar. The place is very well staffed and the menu features primarily Italian dishes. We each started with the very generous house salad, followed up by entrees including: Shrimp & Scallops, Shrimp Scampi, and an Eggplant dish. Overall, it was a solid performance by this fresh face on the well populated Middletown restaurant scene. read more

My friend and I tried BellaNotte for the first time this weekend. When we arrived around 5:45PM on a Friday, the restaurant was packed and there was a short wait for us to get a table. Thankfully the wait was pretty quick but sadly the waiting space is very minimal, so we felt like we were pulled up to a couple of other party's tables while we waited for ours. People were understanding and kind though. When we sat, our waitress immediately brought over menus, took our drink order and brought us garlic knots which were warm, soft and delicious. The restaurant has minimal decoration. Certainly not pulling people in on frills. It was dimly lit and had a nice, intimate ambience, although it was super busy and tables are all sort of difficult to navigate around in the tight space when everyone is seated. I did notice that sitting in the booth, it was difficult to hear my friend across the table most of the night. We were in the main dining space, so noise definitely carried through the whole room. Probably not the best time place to try and have a conversation but if you're just going to eat; by all means! We ordered the stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer and the Veal Osso Buco and the Cacio e Pepe for meals. The stuffed mushrooms came out quickly but were sort of average. Tasted good of course, but nothing notable compared to the same stuffed mushrooms you'd get anywhere. Before even finishing the appetizer, our meals made their way out, which was outstanding timing. My friend loved her Veal Osso Buco. It was tender and the mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables were excellent. I was a little caught off guard by my pasta. I've always gotta Cacio e Pepe and it's come out more creamy and Parmesan-flavored than what I received. I actually asked the waiter if this was the right order because it looked more like a clams casino pasta with the excessive garlic and oil. There were even anchovies in it, which threw me off. The pasta was good for what I figured it out to be but was certainly not the Cacio e Pepe I had expected, which was a little disappointing. My husband got a take-out order of chicken Parmesan to eat at home though and said it was really delicious. We split the chicken plate mousse cake which for me, was the highly of the meal. Rich and smooth and perfect size to share. I thought prices were very fair and service was very good. Our waitress was accommodating and sweet. The food was sort of mid for the most part but I would not hesitate to go back and try something different there in the future. Overall, would recommend. Wish I could give it 3.5 stars but I'll give it 4. read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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I havent left many reviews for restaurants on here but this place was more than deserving. From drinks to dinner to dessert- this restaurant did not disappoint. Excellent service to top it off. 5 stars for sure read more

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Food and service are excellent. The homemade rolls are the best I've had in any restaurant. I've been there several times for lunch with a friend, and a few times for dinner with family. Today, I picked up an order to go. We've been to every restaurant in Middletown, but this one is our favorite. read more

The ambience here is always amazing. Great atmosphere every time we go. The food is amazing. The service is always on point. Keep up the great work. read more

My wife and I had an early dinner here on 12/29. I am glad we went early, within 30 minutes, the restaurant was packed. I had veal sorrentino and my wife had Tuscon Salmon. Both dishes were phenomenal. They just opened the restaurant, but I am 100% sure that this place will be a huge hit read more

Very disappointed. Menu said entree came with salad. We asked the waiter about our salads and he said they no longer serve salad. I got the chicken & shrimp for $28.00. It came with a small amount of noodles, 2 small pieces of chicken, and 2 shrimp. It tasted good, but I was still hungry after my meal. The waiter was not very friendly and he seemed to be annoyed that he had a job to do. I go out to eat a lot and I will not be back here. read more

We had an excellent time here. We were seated quickly, our waiter was very attentive and checked in with us regularly throughout our visit, and the food was very good. The complimentary garlic knots were sooo good. We got a fried calamari appetizer and then I got chicken parm for dinner and my husband got chicken francese. He also got the espresso biscotti martini. The menu had all classic Italian dishes. read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - Espresso biscotti martini - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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The food and service was amazing! We started off with the beet salad and fried calamari- which did not disappoint!! I had the shrimp scampi and it was cooked to perfection. Love that this is local. Would definitely recommend. read more

Love this place! I've been twice and both times the food & service has been top notch. It's my new favorite restaurant . It's a bit noisy when it fills up but I guess that's a sign of a good restaurant. read more

Bellanotte Restaurant - This was the Ribeye special I throughly enjoyed on my 2nd visit - Italian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

We had a reservation and visited BellaNotte with a party of 4 persons on Saturday evening. The restaurant's interior is attractive, the noise level is moderately loud but not overwhelming, we were seated promptly, and the service from the waitstaff was excellent and attentive. All very positive! A starter of Fried Calamari for the table was outstanding -- fresh, delicate calamari lightly fried and seasoned -- perhaps the best I have had anywhere. The garlic knots, as others have remarked, were warm and enticing -- not to be missed! A salad of Beets and Arugula didn't compare however; it would have benefitted from a more generous toss of gorgonzola cheese, balsamic, and oil. Our main courses also had their highs and lows. Broccoli with Grilled Shrimp, Garlic & Oil was under-seasoned and unremarkable. The Cod Special was unseasoned with fish that was covered in a heavy-handed lemon-garlic sauce, but tasteless without the sauce. Two persons in our party ordered the N.Y. Strip Steak with Gorgonzola -- one Medium and one Rare. Both were delicious, however the rare steak was cooked well past medium-rare. An espresso was excellent; we did not order desserts. My impression is that the kitchen didn't taste the food going out; the cook on the rare steak was a timing mistake. We would definitely come back and give this most welcome newcomer another chance. read more

I live near this new restaurant and had my first dinner there last night--one of the finest meals I've ever had. Mahi with beet risotto and a gluten-free caesar salad with cranberry juice were on special and were spectacular and delicious! Service was prompt, and the staff operated like clockwork. The mostly Italian staff had ESL but I quickly was directed to the owner by another customer. Clientele were varied, multihued and as interesting as the food. Our bill was paid by a grateful friend, but we'll be back as often as possible. read more

Always outstanding. These folks get it right. Excellent food, great service and reasonably priced. Makes choosing a restaurant easy!

Great menu options, super friendly bar staff, we ate at the bar as the dining room was packed. The food was very good, great flavor, not overly garlic flavored like so many Italian places do. Sauce was very good! I wish they cut the skin off the eggplant though, it ruins it with skin on. But otherwise great! We will go again!! read more

Went for early dinner tonight . The service was excellent and the food was very good . Prices were actually on the low side compared to many other places . Cesar salad only 7$ and big enough to split . Well done will be back read more

Garlic, garlic, garlic! The knots are so, so savory! The service was good and the food was excellent!!! Great stop on a Sunday afternoon for our party of five!! read more

Great food and love the bar area. Been there twice with my wife The only issue I had both times was getting a drink when we sat down. I first time we sat at a high top table. Plenty of workers came by to welcome us and give us a menu. We waited about 10 minutes before I went to the bar to put a drink order in. They weren't busy yet at 4:30. Again recently. We sat at the bar. The same thing happened. We were greeted and handed a menus and drink coasters and she walked away. I worked at a restaurant many years ago and I was trained to get the drink order first and the customer can take their time with the menu. I again had wave the bartender down read more