Reviews for La Bella Italia

by Patricia W.
7th February 2011

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

We went to La Bella last week for dinner and it was amazing. We were warmly greeted at the entrance and given a nice table at the back. It was Saturday night so the options also included traditional Italian pizza. We had some bruschetta as a starter and then ordered pizza – I had a pizza with Italian sausage, my partner had the one with seafood. We were so happy with our choice – the pizza was so good and the beer we had with it was just a perfect combination…. We decided to have a look around the shop before leaving, we found so many different types of pasta and products I’ve never seen before in Wellington. We will be back again, highly recommended!

by Jodie
18th April 2012

Dined out here last Friday with friends, first time I’d been here for dinner. Place was a-buzz when we arrived, brilliant atmosphere, was quite excited to try what was on offer.

The service was great, and wine recommended by our friendly waitress was perfect really brought out the flavours in the antipasto dish we shared as an entree.

However a couple of disappointments the mains were all quite bland and boring as well as being quite heavily priced. Had pistachio gelato for dessert and it had a slight chemical taste. Would have expected a bit more for what we were paying but overall (mostly due to the company) a lovely dining experience

by Neeks
17th April 2012

I must admit walking into the place it looked nice as there was so much going on and to take in. And I loved the little side seats for 2 between the shelves very different. I went last week for dinner with 3 other Friends a good girlie night out. We all decided on La Bella Italia, as it had some good reviews I was looking forward to going. We got an Antipasto platter to share and some breads and dips and these were amazing totally loved every bite that there was to offer. With the mains I had the Lemon Chicken & potatoes, It was nice but nothing to flash I did expect a lot more taste from an Italian place and did have to more lots off salt on. . The Prawn Pasta one off the girls had looked to be something that we could have made at home and to me the prawns were more like shrimp. Another had the meatballs which did look very yummy, but to me was not 100% tasty since we all had a try at all the meals. But their Gelato Ice Cream was to die for totally loved it and was a good taste to end with.

We did all how ever like the look of the rest off the food on the menu and will be back to try more off the dishes. And would differently be back to for the platter and the Gelato.

Would recommend trying this place.

Good Luck.. & Thanks

by helen d.
9th April 2012

I am a frequent visitor to la bella and usually go to enjoy their special fettucine with clams. They generally know why I am there when I arrive.
My last visit was very dissappointing. The service was as you expect at La Bella. Italian style. warm and hospitable but a little lacking polish. Thats OK we are in Italy and the mix ups were quickly recified.
I order my usual and are very dissappointed. The pasta was not “to the bite” but one step short of that so was very firm and unless I constantly coated it with the meagre amount of sauce became dry and stuck together. One small tomato does not a tomato sauce make and my clams were somewhat lacking in quantity too.
My desert cake – fig and pistacio should have been removed form display a few days ago, dry and course. The ice cream once I got through the crusty past on the edges was divine and my simple glass of Montepulciano just as I expected.

Is this a restaurant trying to do too many things, deli, restaurant, cooking classes, tours, personalities. Maybe sticking to the basics and providing consistently good food every time would ensure the clientelle keep coming back. I wont be and most of my group said they wouldn’t be.

Comment from La B. of La Bella Italia 10/04/2012    Hide »

First of all I wish to apologise for your negative experience and…    More »

First of all I wish to apologise for your negative experience and I hope that the previous positive ones will convince you to come back to La Bella Italia.
Cooking is not an exact science and La Bella Italia is not a branch of a multinational fast-food chain where you expect one item to look and taste exactly the same every time and everywhere in the world. You can of course expect consistency, and by your admission you have had the Linguine with clams many other times and they must have satisfied you every other time because you came back for more. Something probably went wrong this time, the kitchen made a mistake, like people do. And like all people, even chefs like the opportunity to rectify their mistakes if they are informed. You are a regular customer, so you must know that at La Bella Italia we take food very seriously and our aim is to always offer the best quality.
I can assure you that our cakes and sweet are changed at least every day or, due to high demands, sometimes twice a day.
La Bella Italia has become a destination for people with an interest in Italian food and culture and we appreciate every feedback from our customers because it helps us minimize the human errors and offer a great experience to all our customers. Even better when the feedback is immediate and we are given a chance to do something about it. And it is just fair to let people know when they have done a good job, especially if they are very passionate about what they do.
But you chose to write a review about the one time you were not satisfied and not about all the times when you were happy.
I hope there will be an opportunity to do that. And for you to enjoy our unique concept that has received so many awards through the years.

by Hilary C.
8th April 2012

Booking dinner at this restaurant turned out to be very popular with our social club members – we had quite a crowd going along.
My request to the restaurant to extend the booking was no problem, even at short notice.

When we arrived, we were politely shown to our table. I hadn’t been there before and hadn’t realised the size of the venue – it’s huge!

Discussions over the menu choices with (presumably) the Maitre d’ were clear and he went to great lengths to accommodate requests. However, there was a concern later that the price of the specials wasn’t made obvious at the time of ordering, only at the time of paying.

I ordered lasagna with a side salad of rocket. I thought the servings were very generous. I could see other pasta dishes that were huge as well. My lasagna was delicious.

Some members of our party ordered desserts and they looked amazing.

I ordered EB Tea instead of dessert. I ordered it with soya milk but was brought cows milk. When I pointed out the error, it was swiftly replaced.

I found the staff to be very polite and attentive and, despite the little hiccups, we enjoyed our evening very much.

I think I’ll be putting it on our event calendar again in the not too distant future.

Hilary from SaRC Social Club.

by Laura W.
9th December 2011

Your meals are very expensive! when being told the days specials the wait staff spoke so fast we could not understand them. All around it was very disappointing! Meal was lovely but left feeling hungry still as was so little. Meals could be alot bigger for the price that they are.

Also, wait staff were hesitant and gave strange looks when asking for meat to be cooked Well done! Also bread baskets, bread was cold, no side plates were offered to eat the bread from.

All around the meal was nice, but could have been bigger. More time taken by wait staff to advise of specials and speaking slower.
I won’t be dining here again

by Rachel T.
6th December 2011

My friends daughter chose this place for her Mums 50th earlier this year. We were a large table and opted for the set menu with my family as an exception due to dietary requirements. What a terrible evening – the wait staff and owner argued over the order, argued over the price, double charged my friend for alcohol that her daughter had already paid for and then to top it off disappeared with the large amount of her birthday cake that was left never to reappear with it. I would not recommend it nor would I ever eat there again. I couldn’t even say the food was good enough to justify the owners attitude.

by Mannie
17th October 2011

This is the perfect stop for a coffee and a muffin after a long bicycle ride – go La Bella Italia for their desserts! I am a Sunday morning regular and I couldn’t ask for better service and food. Staff are always smiling and nice. Baristas know how to make perfect coffee. It is easier to ride 20km that early in the morning knowing what is expecting me afterwards!

by Virginia F.
9th September 2011

I was recommended La Bella Italia from a friend several times. I was curious to try and got the chance to do so last Friday when I went to Wellington for the WOW festival. I had a great experience, the food was superb and the atmosphere was fantastic. Best lamb fillet I’ve ever had. We also tried a new wine we had never had before, Cannonau, and became big fans!

by Lindsay B.
22nd August 2011

I received two tickets for an Opera concert and dinner and decided to go with a friend. I did not find out the dinner was prepared by La Bella Italia until I got there. The menu was superb, can’t complain at all. I especially liked the roast pork, it was cooked to perfection. Before the dinner, the music performed was celestial and very nice – I am not a big Opera fan but really enjoyed the soprano’s voice and rendition of the songs. I was happy to see La Bella Italia does music events in addition to being the best restaurant in Wellington!

by Sheelagh
28th July 2011

Great food, great coffee, great service. (Does have a distinct lack of parking though.) The atmosphere is generally bubbling with chatter – it feels very authentic with the open space and visible kitchen. Have been tempted to try one of their cooking nights – but that is slightly beyond our budget.

by Marilyn Y.
27th June 2011

Roger and I thoroughly enjoyed the cooking class we attended on Wednesday 23rd of June 2011. Our daughter Joanne was booked for the class, but air travel from the Gold Coast disrupted because of the ash cloud meant she couldn’t come.

However, Roger filled her spot in the class and I know really enjoyed it and made some great Ravioli, which we have taste tested already! The nibbles and bubbly to start, and the ‘goodies’ bag for us at the end of the class was much appreciated.

Gabriele while we know is a great chef, is also an excellent teacher and his personality and interaction with our ‘hands on’ attempt was great.

To end ‘our’ evening before heading home, we enjoyed a great pizza in the Restaurant.

So thanks to everyone, and we’re hoping that when Joanne has her next break from work and able to get back to New Zealand that the classes will still be on…..I know she will want to attend.

by Nicola
26th April 2011

It was my first time at La Bella Italia last Sunday – will definitely be back for more. I was visiting Wellington to spend Easter weekend together with my partner and parents in law, we made a booking at La Bella Italia to spend the Sunday in a different way (we didn’t have to cook – now that’s a holiday!) and were overwhelmed by the quality of food, of service and by the vibrant atmosphere.
We went to the restaurant around 1pm and we were kindly taken to our table, which was nicely set up and in a quiet area of the restaurant. We were advised there was a new menu – and enjoyed going through it trying to read the Italian as well… I wonder how good we did!!! After a delicious antipasto (bruschetta of the day – with green olive tapenade) we ordered four mains and decided to try the recommended wines matched to the dishes. I had a risotto with Borlotti beans and fennel sausages, I was mesmerized by the subtle flavours and by the delicate texture. The in-laws had a lamb steak each and my partner had the mushrooms with gorgonzola cheese – I had to try some of that! My Valpolicella wine was great, but also had a taste of the Pinot Grigio – one of my favourite types of wine.
Although we were already satisfied with our food (generous portions-yay!) we couldn’t help but notice how nice and mouth-watering the dessert cabinet looked, so we tried a couple of them, to finish off our meal. We tried the Pastiera (apparently a typical Easter cake in Naples) and the poached pears with chocolate and amaretti and were so happy about our choice!
I don’t live in Wellington, so I’m not sure when I’ll have the chance to go back. But I definitely will, I need to try more from their new menu. Highly recommended.

by Reviewer007
21st March 2011

Very nice, tasty food but quite expensive and smallish portions.

We went on a weekend for lunch and they were busy. We had a group of six adults and one toddler. Luckily, we had booked a table for 1.30pm.

The food took quite a while to come and was gone fairly fast because we were hungry.

Very nice but we were lucky that we ordered some sides to fill us up.

Tasty but expensive.

by Elizabeth
21st March 2011

Awesome food! I have been to Italy several times and this is the best Italian restaurant I’ve tried in New Zealand. You can definitely tell it’s all fresh – and service is really good, despite being a busy place. I have to say the space between tables is minimal and doesn’t give you much privacy, but in a way it adds to the real Italian experience. Anyway, this is about the food! As a lover of authentic cuisine from all over the world, I so much appreciated the food here is done the way it is done in Italy and not the “Kiwi” way. I had the Linguine with Clams as a main, the serving was very generous and the flavours!!! Bellissimo. Just like in Italy. I believe the food here is different to what we normally have in New Zealand and the tastes are delicate compared to what we generally have. I truly appreciate this, it is great to be able to taste the tomato and the clams and the pasta itself. I am not interested in having a dish full of garlic and peppercorns, those are dressings, not food! For dessert, I had a slice of almond and chocolate cake accompanied by the liqueur suggested in the menu, very good as well. I found the liqueur selection very interesting and will be back to try some new ones. Overall a great experience, with great food and service, love the lively ambience.

by Rosa
20th March 2011

I have to go against the grain here. I did not find either the food or coffee nice on my two visits there. The one exception was a slice which was lovely indeed. That was ordered because I wasn’t prepared to try a main again.I do wonder if some diners think it is better than it is because of the good ambience and the warehouse situation.

by Brian
9th February 2011

I went to La Bella with a couple of friends because we heard so much about it – great food and atmosphere. One of the staff welcomed us and asked us what we were after, then sat us at a table. He gave us the menu and there was so much to choose from… I thought I was going to have some pasta or pizza but there was so much choice, I had to change my mind. It was five of us so we started our dinner with a shared antipasto of Parma ham and Buffalo Mozzarella, we also got some white wine to match with it. Then we got our mains – pasta with tomato and bacon sauce, scotch fillet, pizza, ravioli, and linguini with clams. I have to say the food was really tasty and fresh, my expectations were met! We were about to go but then noticed the dessert cabinet. I had never seen some of the desserts so we tried some – I had a slice of cake that was just amazing. Overall, I can say this place is really great and deserves its reputation, will definitely go again

by Bronwyn W.
15th April 2010

We had my 80th Birthday Lunch with family and friends and we were all delighted by both the food and the attention of the staff. Will do it again soon.

by Del and Alan Jupp
2nd April 2009

We Booked for our 40th Wedding Anniversary on the 28th March 09.Thank you Antonio and your staff the food was wonderful we had 18 guests it all went like clock work the wine and food platters were just wonderful. Staff were attentive we weren’t rushed it was better than our orginal wedding. Thanks so much we really enjoyed it. Happy Customer Kind Regards Del and Alan Jupp. (Cascades Motor Lodge Taupo)

by Motiv 8.
19th January 2009

Hard to argue that this is probably one of the most genuine Italian places in Wellington and unbeknown to most, because of my mostly Pacific Island heritage and skin colour, very few would pick me as being part Italian as well – so surely that should make me something of an Italian connoisseur right?

Situated in a warehouse also filled with Italian grocery items, its hard to go past the scent of all that Italian fare, Parmesan being one of the more recognisable scents. The place can be busy and the tables and chairs are pushed so close together, that an intimate conversation would easily be muddled with those sitting beside you. Squeezing inbetween tables is not advisable for pregnant women or those horizontally endowed – particularly in the buttocks region. You may get a salt shaker somewhere you dont want it in the process.

The food itself is very nice – and most things appeared to be covered in Parmesan. If you’re incredibly hungry, be warned that serving sizes are a bit on the small side – considering the price, this can come as a shock. Most of what I saw being served looked absolutely delicious and my own food, lasagne (I know, a bit cliche) was very nice – very tomatoe-y (and appeared to be a popular dish as at least 3 other people next to me also had it).

The menu isnt overly expansive, but there is a good selection of desserts (including gelato) and coffee on hand. Failing that, my advice would be to make sure you have an entree as well.

Overall, this is a good place to try some genuine Italian food and pick up a few items for your own pantry. It doesnt get a 5th star, solely because of the cramped nature of the seating – but if you love food, it is well worth a visit.

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