Lovely cafe right on the St. Lawrence. A bit pricey, but the experience was worth it! Everything was fresh and delicious; servers and staff outstanding and so kind; clearly they care about their customers and make every effort to make your visit enjoyable and memorable in the best way! Kudos to Bella's! read more

Delicious, colorful and fresh food while watching all the river activities on a beautiful July day in Clayton, NY!? Yes, please! That's just what happened. Our party of four was seated quickly and our server was super sweet . Our food arrived quickly, and we were all quite impressed with the generous portions, beautiful fresh colors of the food and how good everything tasted. They know what they're going here!! They note on the menu that they source locally which adds so much value to their offerings. Great lunch experience and can't wait to visit again! read more

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The views were incredible. You can sit right on tables by the water or in the cute little courtyard. The service was good and the food was good. I forgot to take pictures of my ceased salad but it was fabulous. My husband and his sister had the broccoli cheddar soup and loved it. My lobster bisque was very flavorful (it could have used some chunks of lobster. My husband had the Greek Power Salad and loved it. My sister in law had a chicken salad and side salad and really liked it. I recommend bringing a sweatshirt in case it's cool with the wind coming off the water. They even thought of that with blankets on the chairs. In our case it was a little more than crisp but they sell super comfy sweatshirts which my sister in law got. read more

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Walked in ordered desserts got home started eating my chocolate cake, it tasted funny. Turned it around and it had mold. Would not recommend. read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Mold on cake. Eaten same day received. - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

What a disappointment! The waitress must have been having a bad day along with the cooks. You aren't given a choice of bread for toast unless you press the issue...it is the "chef's choice" and breakfast potatoes were stone cold and overcooked omelet barely warm. On the single positive note, the view was lovely on the St Lawrence River. I hope this was a fluke judging from other reviews but it should have been better. read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Bella's, Riverside Drive, Clayton NY - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

The smoked salmon sammie is SO GOOD! Service was amazing and my group of four had our food out quickly after our order, with an awesome view of the river and good music vibes. LOVE IT!! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Smoked salmon sammie! - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

We loved the atmosphere on the patio here. It was a beautiful view of the St Lawrence River. The food was excellent and desserts were delicious. Service was also excellent. read more

The flavor of the food was basic almost bland. Service and views were pretty. I would say stop by for a scone and coffee but don't sit and pay for food. Not worth it read more

We have vacationed at the 1000 Islands many times over the past 60 years, and Clayton has been a frequent stop. We drove up from Virginia for the week, and we came to Bella's for lunch. The wait for a table took awhile at 12:45, but it was worth it. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. Whenever I go to eat out, my favorite lunch to order is a Rueben sandwich. I ordered it today, and it was probably the best I have ever had! It was generous in quantity, well prepared, cooked just right, and delicious! We'll be back. read more

Food was tremendous- highly recommend the lobster bisque. Service was fast, friendly and informative of the local area Ambiance could not have been better on the water. read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Great sandwich, cocktails and view. - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

This is one of my favorites. If you go to Brunch or Breakfast the food is outstanding. I truly believe the blueberry pancakes are the best I have ever eaten. And I have traveled all around the world. These pancakes are So light they float off the plate. The omelette and egg dishes are excellent too. Lots of healthy foods and I love the beet salad for lunch. Great specials and a coffee bar to start. Plus some in house baked pastries too. A little pricey than the average diner but way better food and atmosphere. Sitting on the river watching the world go bye. What a deal and great place. Service is awesome from some friendly people. I go here a lot and it's my prime spot for breakfast. read more

The 2025 summer season always begins when Bella's opens! They have the best breakfast and lunch in Clayton. The views, the coffee and cocktail menu, and a variety of items on their menu all homemade and worth going back to, just to try something new. We were seated right away at 10am but on a holiday weekend like Memorial Day the line was busy when we left. Get there early so you get a good seat on the water! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

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I love this spot to dine right on the St. Lawrence river. The mango mimosa was just okay as it didn't have much mango flavor. The lobster roll was delicious and was a very generous serving of lobster. The side salad was delicious with the perfect dressing. Desserts are so good here but I didn't have room this time! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Lobster roll with side salad - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

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This is a fantastic breakfast ,lunch place to go they have homemade breads and homemade desserts. The food that they prepare. I think it's excellent nice atmosphere you're by the water ,people that work there are nice. knowledgeable.Its in Clayton, New York this is a must stop. read more

Upon entering, the host brings you to the 'coffee bar' where you stand, impeding the passage of everyone while you fill your coffee mug from one of 4 insulated carafes, use one of 3 carafes for your cream, and choose your choice of sweetener from one of 4 choices, then stir, then the host leads you to your table; down one threshold, past workmen unloading the food service truck, then back up another threshold, around a few tables, down a couple of steps, around another table, then down several steps, make a 180° turn at the bottom, then squeeze between the retaining wall and several tables until seated right on the riverside. Who came up with THIS idea? If I'd known that I was going on a hike, I would've only filled my cup half-way, rather than slosh hot coffee all over the floor on the way down. Well, the view was spectacular! Small boats to giant ships going closely past is a scene which I'll probably never forget. The view was better than the food, though. There was nothing particularly wrong with the food, it just lacked flavor and character. My sausage omelet was very bland, and adding Red Hot sauce to it gave the only flavor it had. Service was good, and they even provided coffee at the table, so I have no idea why we even needed to do the "sloshing coffee obstacle course" in the first place. Prices were reasonable, which was surprising considering the view. They also sell fresh pastries to go, which were excellent. In short, if it were not for the view and the pastries, this would be a 3-star review. Go there for the view and the pastries; just accept the food. read more

Fabulous restaurant on the water. Service is great. Food is fresh, delicious and a lot of healthy options. Baked goods are unbelievable good. Our favourite restaurant in Clayton read more

Absolutely delicious food & drinks, friendly staff, and the atmosphere/views were amazing! It was hard to pick entrees as everything My Raspberry Chicken Sandwich entree special was so yummy I bought a freshly made loaf of the bread to bring home! Highly recommend for a seasonal spot and we'll definitely be back again read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Our beverages (Lavender Lemonade) - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

We have eaten here many times and it has always been very very good. The lobster bisque and the lobster roll deserve special mention but I have never had even a mediocre meal here. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Clayton! The service is always friendly and the food is amazing! If you go, ask to sit out on the deck by the water. Great ambiance, and you can bring your dog with you too! read more

The views at Bella's are great! Literally right on the water. What's cute is they even provide you with blankets on the chairs outside incase it gets cold/chilly. I thought that's as so cute and thoughtful. The coffee drinks were good, I asked for a latte with lavender (which wasn't on the menu). My cousin got the grown up grilled cheese, which I took a bite of and WAS DELICIOUS! I got the peanut-Thai salmon which I thought was just ok. It's a cold salad, so the salmon is cold, not hot. I was hoping for more of a hot/cold sensation with cool veggies and hot salmon. read more

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Huge fan! Was visiting family and we grabbed lunch here. The outdoor space is amazing! Great water views, wonderful breeze. Our server was pleasant and attentive. We ordered the lobster bisque, ABC panini, and ribeye sandwich. Everything was delicious! The bisque was rich and flavorful. The ABC panini was so good - just crunchy bread and the right amount of aioli. The ribeye was also delicious and a large portion size. When I am back in town I plan to stop by and try some of their other menu items! read more

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Food was fresh and delicious. Server was great and beautiful view for a reasonable price

Bella's has a great view of the river. They have a very nice patio where they allow dogs. They brought out a water bowl for our dog which was very nice. A lot of the options of the menu sounded delicious. They had a menu of specials. I got the ahi tuna salad which had peanut sauce and noodles on it. It was delicious and the tuna was prepared perfectly. It was $16. I was still hungry afterward but it was delicious. We also took some pastries home for the next day. They were very good! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

From hostess to every staffer all smiles, great music, locally sourced delicious beautiful presentation 2nd morning here! read more

I don't think I will be going back to Bella's after today's experience! Food is overpriced for for the lobster roll. For $19 you would expect more lobster meat in the roll. At least the roll was nicely toasted. The lobster bisque was also very subpar today and have had much better at other places. Don't recommend. Also service from our waiter was not that great. He didn't seem like he wanted to be there. Also the hostess was extremely rude when we first arrived. Had quite the attitude. read more

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Lobster atop Deviled Eggs was amazing! The service was impeccable; all staff so happy, warm n friendly. read more

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There are way too many great places to eat with a water view to waste the obnoxious amount of money you will here for microwaved cafeteria food. read more

Absolute Joke. Can't tell you about the food because we never got served. Sat for 1.5 hours watching others get served around us and were told "it's coming out right now" to then wait 20 minutes to hear the same thing again. I have spent 8 years in Hospitality working from back and front of the house and either the waitress forgot to fire our food, or this is the slowest kitchen of all time. Based on watching other food come out I am going to lean on the prior. Finally we had to get up because we were now late for our commitment and when we left not only did we still have to pay for our drinks, the owner was not even apologetic. He was actually passively trying to get us to pay. Questioning rather than sorry??? For honestly some of the worst service I've seen in my time and I've seen some REALLY bad service. I've never seen somebody so benevolent over such lackluster work. Classic case of a big fish in a small pond not having any kind of urgency to uphold a standard cause of constant demand that doesn't have enough choice to see their BS. Won't be returning. Might tell some of my friends to come here and start a restaurant cause it's clearly easy to survive. read more

Dropped into Bella's while boating in the area with friends. The restaurant was fairly busy but we were lucky to be able to get seated on the balcony overlooking the river. The staff was friendly and the food was most enjoyable. I would recommend. read more

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Lovely and accommodating staff..amazing views and equally excellent food! Had several different items and only positive things to say about each..first time here and you have a return happy customer! read more

Bella's in Clayton, NY: My first time dining at Bella's. I arrived just shy of their switching over from breakfast to lunch. Parking was more available on James St., the access road down to the river. Plenty of outdoor seating, with a beautiful, breezy view of the St. Lawrence, on what would have been otherwise a hot, humid day. From the 1.5 hour drive, I hit the restroom after being shown to my table, returning to find a place setting. Then, I was literally FORGOTTEN! I'm not sure what happened?...did the hostess forget to assign my table to a waiter/waitress?...maybe the near switch over to lunch, but after waiting for about 15 minutes, with servers occasionally delivering to other tables, I stopped this young man coming down the stairs to let him know. Meanwhile, while he was off attempting to solve the problem, a waiter did appear, asking whether I had been served, where the silverware came from, etc. With no introduction, "He" became my waiter. To start, I ordered a glass of iced water with lemon, and a Bloody Caesar, which was advertised as having their own house blend of spices. Overall, it was a decent brunch cocktail, but nothing memorable, or unique. I'd recommend asking for double on the booze and spices. He later returned with the iced water. Initially, when showing up to my table, the waiter stated that the kitchen would be switching over to lunch in approximately ten minutes, if I wished to wait. Then, he returned, and stated that the kitchen told him it would be more like 20-30 minutes, which I did not mind, with magnificent view and perfect breeze for dining al fresco. Throughout the meal, wasps were an issue, not only at my table, but with adjacent diners, whose children continuously attempted to karate chop them away. Lunch began with a delicious cup of Lobster Bisque. Creamy, perfectly seasoned, punctuated with the taste of lobster, and served with homemade croutons on the side. Once receiving service, it sped up to a rapid pace, with a lunch special of a Chicken Mushroom Melt, arriving about 1/3 into the bisque. A field green or pasta salad was offered as the side with the melt. I went with the field salad, which contained shredded carrot, red onion, and their House Lemon Citronette dressing, containing lemon, sage, oil, sugar, and mustard. The sweet vinaigrette, paired nicely with the panini melt, which was filled with an herbed, grilled , moist breast of chicken, fresh sautéed mushroom slices, and a whipped herbed cream cheese spread, the brioche lightly toasted on a panini press. Upon commencing, service was above average, with the waiter checking back as I enjoyed the soup, the panini melt, and dessert. Each time he interacted with his shared agreement on my lunch choices, and preferences. Finishing the meal, I went with what was stated in the menu as their, top dessert seller, a blueberry lemon mascarpone cake. A light buttery sweet cake, with a hint of lemon, and intermittent blueberries, centered with mascarpone, topped with confectionery sugar, and garnished with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Definitely recommend! From cocktail, soup, entree, and dessert, view, ambience, and service, it was definitely worth the bill's total. Child, and what appeared as small dog friendly, Bella's is open Thursday-Tuesdays 8am-3pm, Wednesday's 11am-3pm, lunch only. Call ahead for reservations, as the place filled up fast. read more

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This place was amazing! The atmosphere is great and they have seating right on the lake. There cappuccinos and lattes were very good! I recommend the Milky Way cappuccino and the grown up grilled cheese. The best grilled cheese I ever had! I highly recommend! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Grown up Grilled cheese - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

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Had a nice lunch on the patio with family. We started with the lobster bisque - great flavor but missing significant pieces of lobster. I would definitely try it again though. Another member of our party raved about it all afternoon. I enjoyed the grilled cheese special sandwich, with fig, prosciutto and spinach. It was a nice combination of salty and sweet. My husband had a very good Cuban sandwich - definitely the highlight. I will note that our friend got the Crab Cake BLT and the crab cake was very spicy. He wasn't able to really enjoy it. I'm not sure if it was meant to be spicy but it ought to be noted on the menu. Overall, service was great, food was good and, despite a few small things that could be improved, we had a very nice meal. We will definitely be back! read more

We came here this past September. This place is great. For a party of five we were seated right away and we had a beautiful spot outside right by the water. A great view of the St. Lawrence River. Our hostess and waitress were very friendly. We had a great lunch everyone enjoyed their meals. I had the tuna steak wrap and I am pretty particular when it comes to Tuna Steak but this was on point! The items in the bakery case looked and smelled delicious but we were too full from lunch. Next time! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

A great restaurant with a nice scenic view of the St. Lawrence river. I definitely recommend the grown up's grilled cheese sandwich from the lunch menu and the lobster bisque soup. The sandwich was not like an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich and it's very flavorful. It comes with a green salad or pasta salad on the side. You can see boats and ships passing by as you're enjoying your meal! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Meatball sub - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

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Had a wonderful lunch out back outside by the river. Friendly service and clean. Although it was busy we got lots of attention. Food was fresh and delicious! We bought baked goods out front when we left. Would recommend to my friends! read more

Great service and a fabulous desert and coffee! Will definitely be coming back!!!!!!!

Absolutely loved the location! Gorgeous view of the water and Grindstone Island. The food was very tasty and the servers very friendly as well. Highly recommend! read more

Bella's Bakery & Bistro - Our table overlooking St. Lawrence river and Grindstone Island... - New American Near Me - Clayton, New York

The Fish tacos with the home pickled onions are fabulous. Definitely order the three platter...you'll want the extra! Waitress was very nice and the view on balcony superb read more

Time for breakfast on a very dreary day in Clayton. Not crowded around 10:00. Grab your coffee and choose from many varieties and have a seat. River side out on the deck. Raining but covered and warm. They had Afghans for the chairs if needed. Lisa was our waitress. Everything homemade and creative. Ordered the corned beef hash with two eggs over made fresh every morning! Corned Beef Brisket, Diced Onions & Potatoes Two Over Easy Eggs and Bella's Homemade Toast. Not your customary hash. An order of Vegetarian Hash with Shredded Potatoes, Quinoa, Kale & Parmesan Cheese w/ 2 Over Easy Eggs & Toast. Service, creative and delicious dishes, River sides, fresh hot coffee and we didn't have room for a huge variety of pastry. Back later to take back to the hotel. read more

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