The food, drinks, service and ambiance are all terrific. One of the best things is that even when busy it is not loud and you can have a nice quiet conversation. Definitely a recommendation. read more

Very nice quiet low lit ambience. Service was excellent. Bruchetta appetizer was very good. We had veal picatta, salmon and a steak. Entrees were good. Will definatley go back again. Menu has nice variety and will definately try some differnt selections! read more

We used to go to Bella Figura for all important occasions. It was awesome! Then they downsized and in my opinion downgraded. We went last year for my granddaughter's birthday. My son's girlfriend and I order the same dish. Her plate was overflowing, while my food barely covered the bottom of the plate. I just accredited this to on oversight. Well, last night we went again for her birthday ( both occasions had 15-18 people) . The lasagna was frozen, so no one could order that. The waitress told us she had to put bread in the oven for us. My husband and I and several others just ordered steaks. This is , or was, an Italian restaurant, mind you. NEVER AGAIN! Also I paid $19 for a very small ice fill glass of Bloody Mary with Grey Goose vodka ( the Grey goose was $5 extra) . read more

Awesome service. My wife loved her eggplant pasts. The chicken breast on the parmesan was thick and very dry and chewy. Bread was awesome read more

Came in at 11 am when they opened for lunch. We ordered right away. 11:45 NO SIGN OF FOOD! 12 noon NO SIGN OF FOOD! When you see other reviews saying they waited for a long time, believe it. What a waste of time! The waitress is not very happy to be working there either. Another sign that this place is SHIT! The Frank Sinatra CD is on loop, so after waiting forever, you hear the CD repeats! DO NOT COME HERE! Be warned! Update: asked the manager to follow on our food, she dismissed me. SHE WAS VERY RUDE! Her name must be KAREN. Meanwhile, about 5 take our orders passed us by! We left at 12:15 after taking a few bites of our long awaited dishes! read more

Cafe Bella - Shrimp & Crab alla Vodka- Lunch YUCK WAITED AN HOUR FOR THIS! What a waste of my time. The manager is extremely RUDE! - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Cafe Bella is tucked away in the Oil Center and we don't think of it as often as we should. The restaurant is Italian but the menu offers a lot of variety beyond the typical items. The bar is well stocked and the bartenders are knowledgeable. On our most recent visit, my husband asked for a somewhat obscure cocktail, a New York Sour, and the bartender whipped it up perfectly. The interior of the restaurant is dark and clubby, with wall murals in the main dining room. It's a little cheesy but still probably one of the more romantic places in Lafayette. The food is solid. Our most recent selections were a fresh crab salad napoleon, arancini, goat cheese chicken, and Snapper alla Bella Figura. The portion size for the crab salad was huge and it was really a great value for the price. The arancini were well executed and studded with Italian sausage. The goat cheese chicken was fine, but not quite as good as I would have expected, and I love goat cheese. Maybe it would have been more flavorful if the chicken had been grilled. The Snapper alla Bella Figura had plenty of seafood - a snapper filet, claims, and shrimp - and was well prepared. We were surprised that the puttanesca sauce didn't contain olives, but it was tasty. We didn't save room for dessert. Our server could have been a bit more attentive on our last visit, but we were seated without a reservation at a table in the bar so we were out of sight from the rest of his tables. He was otherwise helpful. We will be back, hopefully, sooner rather than later! No read more

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I have been going to Cafe Bella for several years. Once in a while there might be a small delay in service but overall no problems. The food is excellent and as far as I am concerned the best Italian in town. Darrell read more

I was told by a relative that this restaurant was outstanding and that the were delicious never have gotten a bad meal. We arrived to the restaurant about 5:45pm. We had made reservations for 6pm there was no wait, hardly anyone in the restaurant and were seated promptly. Immediately our drink orders were taken and received within 10 minutes. In the meantime more patrons kept coming in and tables began to fill up. We must have waited close to 20 minutes before the waitress returned to take our order. In all fairness we only saw her for about the first 20 minutes or so before another waiter appeared. We ordered veal picatta, lasagna, encrusted pork chop, pasta pugulia, and tuna & avocado salad. 40 minutes later the meal arrived. Except for the salad, the food was not hot, it was warm. Everyone had finished their drinks except for one friend that ordered a second. Other patrons had already come and gone while we were still waiting. The meal arrived and overall it was not what we were lead to believe as delicious. The waitress had said it was very lemony, which I love, it was not, it lacked salt, the capers must have been old because they weren't salty, there was too much pasta, must have been 2.5 cups of angel hair pasta, very little sauce only enough to cover the veal. The 4 oz. veal slice was so tough. I was really having to saw through the beef. I ended up leaving about 2 cups of angel hair pasta, with no sauce on it. The lasagna was dry, lacking in red sauce, the pasta had curled up and was dry, the encrusted porkchop crust was burnt, and the pasta pugulia was dry and crunchy. It wasn't until after we finished that we waited another 15 minutes or so for the waitress to appear. One person ordered dessert. We waited another 20 minutes for the dessert and just decided to take it with us. For the amount of money, lack and slow service, taste and quality of food I would not recommend this dining establishment at all. If you want the ambiance, it is not very romantic, even though the lighting is dimmed and the bar in another section of the restaurant. read more

I meet a group of friends there and we have lunch once a week. My husband and I take guests there often at night and we have local friends who meet us there for dinner. Not only is the food very good but it is quiet enough that we can carry on a conversation. My husband wears hearing aids and there are restaurants we don't go to because it is too loud. read more

I had lunch here recently and I came away very impressed. The food was excellent. Neat ambience and great service. I had the grilled chicken panini and pasta salad. Also had a cup of tomato basil soup, which was quite delicious. The only downside to this eatery is the limited parking situation. Otherwise, I highly recommend. read more

Cafe Bella - Chicken Panini - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

VERY ROMANTIC & ideal place for a first date to impress, anniversary or birthday. Ambiance galore!!! Service is professional and good! Super clean! Food was good. A little less than my expectation but then again my expectations are high The jalapeño infused Bloody Mary was delicious & the beer was ICE cold! I definitely recommend! read more

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Great service. Meatballs appetizer and entrees were great. Really enjoyed it. We will be back..

Ordered three different entrees to taste. After making happy plates I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Terry. He seasoned each dish to perfection. Ms. Jodi topped it off with the Makers Mark old fashion. When in town definitely will be returning. Best Italian restaurant I've had in the Lafayette area. Ask for Ms Jodi as your waitress and Mr Terry as your chef read more

The food is great and the ambiance is quiet and very romantic but not so stuffy as a formal restaurant. The servers are all awesome and courteous. read more

Cafe Bella - Lasagna - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

First time trying this hidden gem in Lafayette. We arrived at 5 pm opening and was promptly seated, and got our drinks, the appetizer scampi all's brumley was good, we also ordered a Pear and Gorgonzola salad, and this was awesome the vinaigrette was delicious, for our entrees we had the cracklin crusted pork chop which had the best potatoes ever and the chop was great. But the star of the night was seafood and eggplant Sicilia, the crisp eggplant, the lump crab, the jalapeño cream sauce what a combination . Our server was very attentive and we loved the atmosphere. Definitely one of our favorites. Oh and the warm bread you receive once seated nice touch. read more

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Wanted to try a new Italian place, make sure to get reservations! We were finally able to get a table with early planning. The food was delicious and the service was awesome, we had the following: Duck Poppers - turkey bacon-wrapped duck breast stuffed with cream cheese & fresh jalapeno slices with a raspberry demi-glace Arancini Riso - flash-fried balls of risotto, Italian sausage, and Italian cheeses, served on a bed of marinara Sea Scallops - pan-seared sea scallops, topped with a Cointreau glaze, served with mushroom and spinach risotto Seafood & Eggplant Sicilia - shrimp, lump crab meat, and fried eggplant, topped with roasted red pepper and jalapeno cream sauce over fettuccine Everything we ordered was delicious, definitely recommend! read more

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Really love this place! I love the ambiance with the low lighting. They also have really beautiful décor with murals on the walls. The waiter was very friendly. He even got us set up with our napkins in our laps before we started eating. I enjoyed the appetizers the most with the shrimp. I would love to partake in dinner here soon for a date night. read more

Cafe Bella - Love this mural - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Lovely place. Very romantic! Great service. My husband and I got the lasagna and seafood & eggplant silica. Both were SO yummy! Best part was the lemon cake for dessert! read more

Cafe Bella - Seafood & Eggplant Sicilia - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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Recently dined there with six friends. Restaurant had few customers. Service was slow. We were not made to feel welcome. My food was cold. This was my only time there to be disappointed. I usually like it very much. So much for planning a special night with friends. Will try one more time... read more

Great ambiance! Delicious food and reasonable prices. They would get five stars if they hadn't gotten rid of their cappuccinos! read more

Cafe Bella - Mommy Daughter Date - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

One of the best restaurant experiences I've had. Went for my wife's birthday on a Tuesday and we were among the few people there. Our waitress recommended our dinner and drinks, making the night even better. If you have the chance to get Jody as your server, do it! The food was also top-notch. Really cool decor. read more

Loved this place while I was working in Lafayette! Of the entrees I tried, I think the duck a la griglia (if I remember the name right) was my favorite. There's also a cocktail called the Bella Notte that was the perfect amount of sweet and chocolate-y, yet also refreshing instead of heavy. Also the bartender's chocolate drizzle foam-art is top notch. Rudy is a great server: knowledgeable about the food, attentive, and fun to talk to. Makes you feel like the only person there even when the restaurant is crowded! read more

Cafe Bella - Bella Notte martini - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

The worst experience of a restaurant in years, took my wife to lunch, was seated, took our orders, then 30 minutes, 50 minutes nothing, waitress says just 2 minutes, 90 minutes, I told waitress, make it to go, this is horrible, she said we just received a load of chicken, we can get it done quick, she never told us they had no chicken! After 18 minute wait on take out, nothing, we left, no food, lied to, disrespected and nothing to eat! NEVER AGAIN read more

Visited this restaurant for a much needed date night with my husband. First time visitor. Upon entry the restaurant is designed with a mural of Italy on the wall which is very attractive. The noise level about medium volume. Our waitress (Jayden I believe) was so sweet and kind and attentive! My husband ordered the Braised Pork shank and the duck poppers. His food was very good except the pork shank was cold on the inside. Another male waitress overheard this and came over right away to fix this! I ordered Seafood Eggplant Sicilia and added 2 scallops. This was amazing as well. Very seasoned and cooked to perfection. I'm not sure if he was the owner or manager, but he walked around to all the tables by greeting or assisting with serving food. He passed by us a few times , then decided to speak to us. For some reason he seemed hesitant, and I don't want to predict why. His behavior really gave us a uncomfortable feeling. Our service from our waitress really made the experience better, otherwise we probably would've left. read more

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We absolutely love Cafe Bella. We've never had a bad experience there. The food is wonderful and ambiance is very nice. Good service and reasonable pricing. read more

Delicioso! Very good Italian food in Lafayette LA? Yes. Ok I was shocked too but cafe Bella pulled through. To be honest the owner here tries to hard to bring an Italy theme to life. But don't let the bad decor have you running for Olive Garden. Menu has all the classic dishes but here's what was tried this visit. There's no picture but we ordered the Oysters Harrison antipasta. Nicely baked but a little over load on the cheese and creama Rosa sauce. The oysters were lost in the dish. My main dish was Goat cheese chicken that should be grilled lightly, seasoned mild and cooked til tender, not crewy. This dish came has described. Flavorful, tender and grilled with a crunch finish. The artichokes and sun dried tomatoes were a perfect compliment. The crumbled goat cheese was one of the best varieties Ive ever had. The capelli d'angelo with alfredo was the right amount of creamy and only needed a pinch of salt to finish. Service was fine and there's a fairly decent wine list. So without saying any more, "provero ancora " I will try again and enjoy! read more

Cafe Bella - Scampi alla Brumley - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Went in for supper and left full like a tick. The pork shank with polenta was awesome. The pork was fork tender and cooked to perfection but it was over shadowed by the polenta and the jus. Creamy and packed with flavor. Will be back soon. read more

Cafe Bella - Braised Pork Shank - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Nice place for a romantic dinner. Traditional Italian with some modern fare as well. Good service, accepts reservations, and affordable prices for a white table cloth place. read more

I work in the area and heard of this place for being a quiet place to bring a date or spouse. Me and my wife decided to give it a try on a date night. The place was set up in an Italian theme and had the lights down low, candles lit and live music playing. The food was awesome, drinks on point and felt really romantic. I got a thumbs up and brownie points from my wife for this pick lol! read more

First time at Cafe Bella to celebrate my birthday dinner in November 2019. Good service, Delicious food, lovely atmosphere. Overall, very nice restaurant. I look forward to visiting again. read more

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If you're in a rush don't go here! Don't expect to pick up take out it in less than an hour- even if they tell you 30 minute!! And don't expect to be treated with any respect while you wait. I made an order tonight at 8:27pm. When I arrived at 9pm I waited another 25 MINUTES pacing around the tiny place & I'm finally just leaving at 9:26pm!!! This was crazy & even crazier was the way the staff thoroughly enjoyed my anxiety as I paced at the front door waiting. What a horrible experience! read more

That's Amore! We loved the food, service, atmosphere, and wine!! Must try the Seafood & Eggplant Sicilia! read more

Cafe Bella - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

The parmesan crusted salmon and the eggplant dip are absolutely delicious. I ordered both on Waitr and got $5 off using code Local5!

Cafe Bella Lafayette LA. Such nice atmosphere. Charming, mood lighting, nicely set tables, excellent service. Only thing left to say is the food is delicious. On the expensive side but the value is there. Don't be put off by the strip center look of the outside. Once you are inside its a different world. Highly reccomend for any special occasion or just when you want something a bit above average. read more

Staying in town for the weekend for a race, decided to "carb load" here. Food and service were both excellent! Had the Seafood/Eggplant pasta which was delicious! Highly recommend trying it! read more

Cafe Bella - Cafes Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

The food was very good! I have the port shank and the portobello mushroom appetizer. I believe that had I had them in the restaurant I probably would have gave them five stars. They arrived warm as expected and delivered quickly. But I will have to try this restaurant in person now. read more

The restaurant is nice & cozy with friendly staff. Our server, Katy, was awesome!! She was happy, helpful and attentive. Food was good. My fish was a little over cooked but still good. Pasta is very good. read more

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Food was ok, but price-quality was not were we expected the food to be. Veal Picatta had almost no sauce. Veal in both the Picatta and Parmesan were slices so thin that it could have been sandwich meat. Overall we had a good time, but as said food was mediocre for the price on the menu. read more

Tried Cafe Bella last nite for the first & maybe last time! Had reservations for four and seated promptly. Nice atmosphere, just extremely loud! Waitress apologized when greeting us as this was her first night after training. She needed months more training. Very slow in taking drink orders and even slower in delivery. Brought out two drinks, then one more & 5 min later brought the last drink. Overall service was atrocious & got worse as night progressed. Food was tasty, although the seafood in the pasta Ravella was overcooked and tough, the poor service ruined the food quality. To top it off, tried to overcharge us on dinner items & it took 45 minutes to get our check corrected and pay the bill. To make matters worse, they put a $238.00 hold on my debit card for 5 days! read more

Favorite restaurant! Food is always outstanding!The after meal limoncello is just unmatched. The updated menu is somehow even better with an unbelievable pork chop! read more