Awesome atmosphere, great ambiance, Fantastic food and served with GREAT SERVICE. One of my all time favorite restaurants. read more

I have never taken the time out to write a review before but I would just was so impressed with our waiter tonight. I've been to this restaurant a dozen times and have always had excellent food and excellent service but our waiter tonight really went above and beyond. he had such a warm fun personality and I had a great experience. Peter is the best waiter I've ever had there !! read more

Disappointed. Brought the family here for my daughters 18th Birthday. Normally we love this place. Tonight service was terrible and it took 2 hours to eat. Food was not very good. Someone came by and apologized and stated they weren't expecting a big crowd on a Monday and we're sorry for the wait. The food here is usually great. Not sure what's going on. I think it is time to find a new place to try! read more

Purchased a Groupon for this place and decided to try it out tonight for dinner after church with a friend. We were very pleasantly surprised! Great food, great staff and overall a great experience! We had special St Patrick's Day Martini's they were offering for $5 and enjoyed a wonderful appetizer of grilled calamari to start us off. Dinner was fabulous too.....my friend had the Braciola and I ordered the Bella Pasta. Generous portions so we both have leftovers for tomorrow :-) We will definitely be going back! read more

Cucina Bella has always been a great experience! From the awesome food to the upbeat staff :). Myself personally...always orders an esspressotini...mmmm! For the size of the establishment I believe they do an excellent job gettin people seated in a timely manner...I always call a few days in advance to make sure my reservation is in and not the day of!...the chef and owner are great as well :)...tony the owner always makes his rounds to tables ensuring a good experience for everyone!! Love this place and I recommend to everyone! :) read more

My wife and I went To this restaurant a week ago Friday. We've been here before so obviously we liked it the first time. Before we went I read an unfavorable review indicating poor service, a very long wait for food and an inattentive waitress. Wouldn't you know it that I had the same exact crappy experience, I don't know what happen with this place. We had a 7:15 dinner reservation. Ordered an app which came out right away and it went down hill from there. We ate our salads and then waited an hour and a half for our food. Our waitress told us a large party go their order in before us and that was the reason for the delay. However we ordered right away, the table next to us sat down 20 minutes after us, got their food and paid their bill all before we got our food. Further the waitress ignored us until the food came out - I think because she knew we were pissed. Now, I would have normally got up and walked out but my wife is pregnant and was starving so we waited. Finally, after an hour and a half our food finally came. The food was good so that calmed me down a bit until the check came. I waited another 15 minutes for the waitress to come over and take my money for the bill. Finally, my wife went up to her and gave her the check. While I waited for the receipt my wife told the hostess who I think is a manager or owner ( I could be completely wrong here). Anyway, my wife told her the situation and that I was pissed. I finally got the credit card receipt as I was walking out the hostess and I crossed paths and nothing...... No apology, no give us another shot, nothing...... I was shocked she didn't say anything and so was my wife. I will NEVER be back to this restaurant. The non apology by the hostess after she knew we had horrible service put me over the edge! read more

Never disappoints, excellent food and fantastic atmosphere, an Algonquin treasure : )

Very good pasta with mussels and clams In a red sauce. Our waitress was actually one of the best I have ever had, she was quick to top off water and sodas while friendly and very attentive to our table. From what I could see almost all tables where full at this time also. I have been there many times and will continue to go when I am on the mood for good Italian food. Also very nice brick wall decor. read more

What can I say!! I have been dining here for the last three years! I also had food catered for parties and had a private family function there! Food is outstanding! The service is impeccable! The atmosphere is perfect! Thanks for outstanding food and service! read more

We have been to this restaurant several times and the food has been spectacular. Tonight, however, we ordered the grilled calamari and it was so tough and rubber like I was so disappointed. We did mention it to the servers and received our bill and was asked why we didn't like it....... we said just that.............texture and quality was just not the same. we had paid our bill.........not looking to get it removed but they seemed to want to have feedback...............they didn't like it............and wanted us to leave. Said we ate it so it must not have been that bad.................we have been there 15 times it's a local restaurant. we weren't looking for a fight but will NEVER go back again............ Paisanos in Richmond, IL has them beat hands down! But we did love a good local italian place............not so much anymore............. read more

The service is a little bit slow in my opinion. But the food is absolutely delicious and makes up for it for sure. This is definitely somewhere to go to celebrate like a birthday or anniversary. Sometimes we just go there on a Saturday night because it's so delicious! read more

Cucina Bella is bar none the best Italian food in this area. So intimate and cozy! Go during fall!!! The pumpkin ravioli is seasonal and is THE BEST!!! The wine selection is great and the anti pasta appetizer is our favorite! Some of our favorites are the lasagne ( huge portion, always has left overs), the chicken piccata, and the gnocchi! read more

This place is by far one of the best Italian restaurant!! They have the BEST grilled calamari for appetizers and Veal Saltimbocca is to die for!! The Chicken Vesuvio, Pork Saltimbocca, and their pasta dishes are so good to!! The deserts are so yummy and the prices are reasonable and everything is made fresh. The atmosphere is so relaxing and beautiful, the people that work there are so nice and welcoming which makes my husband and I go there all the time for date nights, they do big parties to which we also do when we have a family celebration. You have to try this place, you won't regret it!! read more

Aug. 6, 1016, first disapointment in many visits.: eggplant was rubbery, lasagna was barely warm, two meals were mistakes by waiter, had to be returned. Doubt we will return. Ross Giordano read more

I cant say enough about Cucina Bella, not only is the food excellent, the wait staff is on the ball, and one visit we sat at the bar and had the pleasure of meeting the bartender Richard, great guy. I usually get the Filet Medallions and potatos which is extraordinary ,this last time i got the Lasagna, WOW it was huge and very tasty, and not to mention the ambience is exceptional, i give Cicina 8 out of 5 stars. read more

Ok the food may be good at times but the customer service is HORRIBLE! The restaurant is so small so we'll order carry out instead of hassling with the Algonquin parking and construction. This is the 3rd time we've gotten home and "the kitchen" missed a portion of our order that we were charged for. This time they forgot to include the 4 meatballs!!! I called and the same guy at the bar answered. He remembered taking the order and confirmed yes there were supposed to be 4 meatballs. He said they were busy (it was 5:00 on a Saturday) and asked if I could come back. He'd "tell the GM and the meatballs will be ready for me when I get there. In the meantime my other food is getting cold and we're driving 15 minutes to go there. I go in, meatballs weren't ready. Then a woman behind the bar shows up with them, hands me a bill for $3.67!?!?!?!? She says we ordered double and only got charged for 1. I about lost it. I pulled out my receipt to prove they were paid for. No apology, no compensation- nothing!!!! If this was the 1st time they screwed up I'd blow it off. This is a pattern and whoever the GM is needs to step up and address the service. read more

Went for dinner the other night ,dinner was great had spaghetti fettuccine with meat balls had great flavor and good use of spices And my wife had chicken vesuvioit was tender and mositwith great flavors . They also offer Groupon vouchers also that we used for meal. Great assorted wine list that we indulged in .Service was great and very pleasant ,they even moved our car to a safe location as we took a taxi home . read more

Went there with some extended family for dinner on a Sat night. Table was spacious for 12 people, service was excellent, food was great and the portions were amazing for any price. I was very pleasantly surprised. Will return next time we are in the area for sure. Great job!! read more

After some friends had recommended us and utilizing a groupon we decided to check this place out. I was a bit surprised upon first entering on how big and quaint the place looked. The bar was a lot larger then I had imagined and there were a lot more tables. We were promptly seated and the ambiance was nice. We ordered a round of drinks for our table and the appetizers were very good; one each of the grilled and fried calamari. Upon ordering our second round my wife's martini was very strong; normally not a bad thing. However, this was over poured with sweet liquors; making it unbearable. The server graciously took my wife's drink back explaining that they were training a new bartender. She brought back a wine. No big deal, these things happen. The entrees looked real good and for the most part, the food was real good. Nice size portions too. My wife ordered the Zuppa Di Mare, it too looked real appetizing, until she bit into a piece of plastic. We assumed it was possibly a piece of shrimp shell, however, upon further investigation, it was a long piece of plastic. We notified our server who took it back. She said she was going to send a manager over. What appeared to be another server, made a table visit and apologized and seemed genuinely embarrassed. She said the chef wants to make something of her choice. My wife lost her appetite and decided not to eat. Again, not a big deal. This can happen anywhere and they did remove the item from the bill. We had the misfortune of witnessing a young lady faint and fall to the ground behind us, it seemed surreal, as if it were in slow motion. The staff was understandably in shock and were the proverbial "deer in headlights." Luckily there was a nurse dining there and with the help of other patrons, they made the woman comfortable and tended to her until the ambulance came. The staff called 911 and did an good job under the circumstances. What stuck with us, and our dining guests, was that the owner/manager was there and he never came over to check on his patron. He did however, come by when the lady was being taken out in a wheel chair, and went to the table, looked at the check and asked the server if the check had been settled! I don't need to tell you what we thought of the guy. When we were leaving we asked if we can use two Groupons and the server said that was not allowed. We were two families, each with children, and we asked if we could split the checks, after all, the Groupon was the reason that we came to Cucina Bella. She pointed out the fine print that clearly stated one coupon per table. We know she was just doing her job but we asked her with all that happened that they may want to reconsider. She left and came back and said that "the owner will do it this one time because he values our business. "If the owner really cared, he would have came to the table himself and expressed those sentiments to us directly." At this point we just wanted to leave. It took 36 minutes from when we asked for the check until we were finally set to leave. Overall, the food was good and the ambiance was nice. I can not continue to support a restaurant were the owner is so disconnected from his customers. The audacity to ask if the fallen patron had settled up her check and not come by to see if she is okay (until the ambulance arrived) and having to send a server over to act on his behalf is poor management. It is either cowardly or shows his indifference to his clientele, both of which are highly unacceptable and irked me enough to write something that I would not normally spend my time doing. However, I felt it necessary to let others know. read more

If you are looking to spend $20-$25 this would work for you. Lets start with parking, since this is in the downtown area there is a lot of street parking or on a back parking lot across the street behind other the downtown shops. The first impression of the restaurant when you walk is intimate. It's very dim lit and not to much decorations. The table had a those paper cover on the top, which to me is is a little tacky. Our party was sat next to the window, which provided us with more light so we can at least read the menu. Our waitress was a little awkward, she would stand behind us quietly for a few seconds with a bizarre smile and then speak. Just like most italian restaurants, there was bread, oil, and parmesan cheese on the table, which we devoured. The bread tasted homemade and fresh. I started off with the minestrone soup, which came in a small cup and the flavors were all there. For the main dish I ordered the Bella Pasta, which consisted of shrimp, garlic, onions & stewed tomatoes, served over linguine. This a general message to all restaurants, please take off the shells of the shrimp tails before you serve it in pasta. It's really annoying that costumer has to do it. Anyway, the shrimp tasted like it was frozen and the stewed tomatoes were probably canned. The linguine was perfectly cooked, but the sauce was very watery. They probably didn't drain out all of the pasta water. Maybe that is why the restaurant dimly lit so you wouldn't see the imperfections on the food. We all passed on getting dessert, that was a good this because I was full from my pasta. Over all it was an ok experience and I might try this place again in the future. read more

Only livid in the area for 20 years to finally try this place. Had one of the best dinners anywhere. Gorgonzola salad and Veal Napoleon a fantastic combination. Huge portions. Reasonable prices. Nice wine list. Our waitress Angela was perfect. Will be going back soon! read more

*** STAY AWAY GLUTEN FREE FRIENDS*** * Terrible Service * Total inflexibility with menu changes and allergy accommodation * Waitress explained that the kitchen could not use grilled (vs breaded) chicken for the chicken parm and suggested a more expensive "build your own pasta" option for my g-free husband. When we were upset about additional charge for leaving off breading, she got a "ONE TIME ONLY" exception from the general manager to swap in grilled chicken.. only to come back and explain that the kitchen would not make the gluten free pasta in the smaller portion that comes with chick parm so we were back to a NO on the g-free chicken parm. Though we were kind (mostly to save ourselves further embarrassment in front of our friends), the waitress became argumentative when we pointed out how difficult it was to get 2 simple swaps to make the meal g-free for my very allergic husband. When I asked to speak to a manager privately, she re-explained all of the reasons that these two swaps were a huge inconvenience to the kitchen and offered to take me back to the kitchen to show me how it works. NO THANKS! A simple, "I'm sorry for your embarrassment and our terrible customer service. I will fix it." would have been great. After some discussion, the manager agreed to get him something that resembled g-free chicken parm. When it came out to the table, it was the fully breaded, not g-free chicken parm. An hour and a half later, my husband had grilled chicken and pasta. Not to worry, we paid full price for the dish. * Friend asked to swap a (cheaper) sauce on her pasta and was informed it is a $2 up charge?. * Her boyfriend asked for mushrooms ($2 extra) and garlic ($1 extra) on his pasta. Pasta came without both. * I give Cucina Bella 1 * for the $5 martinis read more

I've eaten here twice now, and both times, the food was inconsistent. I'm not saying it was inedible, but a far cry from the positive reviews here and in citysearch. My first visit I had a picata, and the chicken looked like it came from a frozen patty and the potatoes were nothing to write home about. This last visit, my wife had a shrimp and pasta dish that was again edible, yet bland. I had a risotto that was overwhelmed by a heavy pasta sauce and it frankly tasted (and looked) more like jambalaya than a risotto. A good chef should know better than to cover up a risotto like that. Bottom line, if all you want is spaghetti, this place is probably fine, but for the more expensive dishes, you will probably be sorely disappointed. read more

Overall a great place for Italian food in the area and I would definitely go back. Sharon was our server and she did an awesome job. Both the manager and hostess took the time to check with us about how everything was which was nice. The decor was great, love the exposed brick and red glass in the windows. I really want to give it five stars but I can't because of a few small things that add up. First we had to wait over 10 minutes for a table when we had a reservation (they were very apologetic about that), the tables along the booth wall were a little too close together so the server had to awkwardly squeeze it between tables to get to the people along the wall, the bus/server station was open to the restaurant which is a little weird when you're seated right next to it (could use a curtain or partition of some sort), and finally it took a little longer than it should have to get our entrees. Like I said, nothing was a huge deal in itself but added up. Quality of food and service make it a must try! read more

I'm kicking myself for not having discovered this place sooner. My family and I came here for dinner last Thursday where we were treated to tried-and-true, classic Italian cuisine. As far as Italian eatery goes, I think they have mastered the formula. Our table was nicely laid with white table cloth complete with small candle and a bottle of olive oil to really set the mood. Table service was fine albeit a little slow. Our waitress could have checked in more often than she did, but other than that she was very friendly and accommodating. I like how the pasta part of the menu is so customizable...it makes the menu fun because it brings out your creative side! My meal consisted of their linguine pomodoro with meatballs, which was absolutely great! It just seems like such an overlooked place to me, and I don't think their location is helping their cause much either. Hopefully I'll be going back soon. read more

Disappointing! My husband and I chose Cucina Bella for date night because a friend recommended it. Lets start with the positives: super cute restaurant, nice decor, felt like an Italian restaurant. My 2 espresso martinis were phenomenal! Kudos to the bar tender! Waitress was very nice and attentive, no issues there. The rest of the experience was not the best and it primarily revolves around the food which is where you want to excel as a restaurant. The table olive oil was the worst I had ever had. Extremely bland not even sure it was olive oil. The bruschetta appetizer was soggy and bland. Just a pile of drippy tomatoes on soft bread, not even a crispy toast. My Caesar salad had BOXED CROUTONS! Like the crappy kind you use in a stuffing recipe at Thanksgiving. The salad lacked dressing and what was on it was flavorless. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan which was fairly decent tasting but it was swimming in marinara which made the eggplant just a heaping pile of soggy mush. The texture was the only issue. My husband "picked his pasta creation" with the carbonara sauce which sucked. My husband is not picky but he did not eat his dinner and did not take leftovers (in the 11+years I've known him that has never happened). On top of all the disappointment with the food, it was EXTREMLY overpriced, especially for Algonquin! Do yourselves a favor and check out Francesca's in West Dundee! read more

Always a good time. Half price wine on Thursday. If you want the mousse for dessert on a busy night order it right away so they hold a piece so you don't miss out. read more

We made reservations for 7pm on a Saturday night. When we walked in, there were at least 10 empty tables, but we were told our table was not ready. We were seated after 20 minutes. Our server suggested one of the veal specials. My husband ordered it. I've known my husband for 33 years and have never known him to send a meal back at a restaurant. He took one bite and said he couldn't eat it. I tried it. It tasted like veal with maple syrup and mushrooms. Yuck! The manger and server came to our table and offered to change his meal and not charge us for it. He then ordered the veal Marsala. His new meal was served within 5 minutes. Obviously the rinsed the maple syrup off the veal and threw on a Marsala sauce. Double yuck! You could still taste the maple syrup. My husband gave up after being told he was the only customer that has ever not loved the dish. And, you guessed it, we were charged for his meal. read more

I liked this place. It isn't my favorite, and I think it's a bit pricey for the quality, but it's good. Just not great. What actually made me give four stars instead of three is the service. Funny because most people are bashing the service, but our waitress was fantastic. Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and just what you are looking for in a server. Would recommend, but I still feel the prices are a bit much for what you actually get in terms of quality. read more

Not sure what happened since the last time I was here but the service has gone down hill. Not sure if we just had a bad server (claimed to have been there for 8yrs). It was difficult to get refills on my drink, or hold her attention as she was rushing off to another table as soon as the last word came out of her mouth. I only saw 1 busser, and 1 bartender and the place was packed. My thought is that they need more staff to attend to the clientele or the customer base will adjust to the staff size. Not a good business plan in my book. As far as the food, our server blamed the kitchen staff for not getting my order right. My thought is that the server is the final check on what is served which she did not even bring out. After 1/2 of my meal was consumed our server decided to check on us and we informed her of the deficit on the plate. She said she would have the ticket changed to reflect the error. No offer to remake the plate or bring the missing food item. Even when the bill came the charge was still on there and there was a double charge on one of our other food items. She blamed someone else. I see a common theme her don't you? The order lacked sauce. All together I had a bad experience, and will try again try another server. read more

Terrible service. Terrible night. Go anywhere else. Port Edwards or Martinis on Main or Biaggis. General manager was rude and sarcastic. Made reservations a month ago and still had a bad table. Don't order a bottle of wine unless you know you can drink it all. read more

just got back from eating at cucina bella and i am so disgusted!, we havent been there in a couple of years and decided to take a walk over for dinner, what a huge mistake! we had the veal parm and chicken parm and it was comparable to chef boyardee! seriously, im not one to give reviews but i just had to after eating here and paying 60 bucks for food that was made so poorly! i can say without a doubt that they use either canned or jarred sauce! not a tomato to be found! the breading on the veal and chicken was soggy and just came off when you cut it because of all the sauce that they pour all over it!, soup of the day was awful also, had to add a ton of salt and pepper just to be able to taste something. bread was cold also. i havent been so disappointed after going out for dinner in a very very long time!! i guess there always busy because people think since they give huge portions that its worth the money but if your looking for good italian food, go elsewhere!! read more

We went for dinner with our family to celebrate a birthday. Peter was our server and he was excellent and personable. It was some of the best Italian food we have had and very generous portions. Additionally, the cost of the entrees were reasonable. Definitely going back there again! read more

I am impressed. I have been here a few times and the food is great!! The decor is pretty romantic. The food is ridiculously good. This is my new favorite local Italian restaurant. read more

First time dining here with my husband and two kids. Wish we didn't wait so long to try this place out. This place is fantastic!! We came on a Saturday night and good thing we made reservations- it was busy and booming! We studied their menus while we waited to be seated so we were able to order our food as soon as we were seated. Our fried calamari appetizer came out super fast and hot! It was delicious! Our entrees came with a side of salad or soup. My husband went with the minestrone soup and loved the flavor. I ordered the butternut squash soup and it was divine! Super delicious soup for an autumn night. Our main entrees took a bit more time to come out but it was a very busy Saturday night, so it was understandable. We ordered the chicken marsala, clams posillippo, and fettucine alfredo. Everything tasted amazing! The flavors were right on. We finished our meal off with a giant piece of carrot cake (awesome!) and tiramisu. I didn't care too much for the tiramisu since it had too strong of a liqueur flavor for my taste. Our server, Melinda, was great and super attentive. All in all, it was a great experience and we will definitely come back again! read more

One of my favorite restaurants. The food is delicious! The best chicken parmesean I've had in a long time. Also, the best chocolate mousse ever! You can tell the owner takes pride in making unique and flavorful meals. The portions are very generous. I love this spot and highly recommend it! read more

My wife and I tried Cucina Bella for the first time last week on Valentine's Day. Easily the best Valentine's Day dinner we've had in the 7 years that we've been together. Our server recommended the grilled calamari for an appetizer, and I was amazed at how good it was. Dinner was perfectly timed. We felt like the different courses came at exactly the right time to where we did not feel rushed, nor did we feel like we were waiting an extended amount of time. Both of us thought that our entrees were some of the best that we've had in the area. Some advice: save room for the raspberry truffle cheesecake. I typically don't care for cheesecake, but this was easily the best I've had. read more

I have nothing but great things to say about Cucina Bella. The food is delicious, the service is fabulous and the atmosphere is perfect. I have been to Cucina Bella for family celebrations, dinner with girlfriends and on date nights. Every time the staff had made me and my guests feel special. I feel lucky to have such an amazing independently owned restaurant so close to home. read more

Had a reservation for 6:30 pm on the 23rd of January. Got there and was told they were running approximately 15 minutes late. 45 minutes later when we discovered earlier reservations were also still waiting AND the surly manager working with the hostess told my wife that the wait would be "a while" we left. Unusual for this establishment, but still very disappointing. read more

Very unhappy with reservation. Had to wait 20 minutes tonight despite making a reservation. Plenty of tables were empty. Will not go back.