Great food in the city (Bella Italia in General)

Member Name: samgriff

Product:	Bella Italia in General
Date:	07/03/08 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Food, price, service

Disadvantages: Nothing really apart from space

Before Christmas my family and I decided to visit the Frankfurt market on in Birmingham. However we were hungry when we got there so we decided to go to a restaurant. The first one we came to happened to be Bella Italia, which I was extremely impressed with.

It isn't the hardest place to get to, come out of New Street Station in Birmingham towards the Bullring. Turn left and follow the road for about 5 minutes and on the left you will see a big sign for Bella Italia. It has seating outside and tends to be quite busy so it's a very visible restaurant.

First walking into the place I was impressed, it was warm, had a good atmosphere and you could smell the delicious food as soon as you stepped inside. It looked very busy when we got there at about 7pm with all the staff running about taking orders and the hussle and bussle of a city restaurant. However it was still able to maintain a quiet and calm atmosphere which I found pleasant. It gets very busy on the night so you are usually waiting in a queue, we were, but it was only for five minutes, however after we had sat down I saw it got notably busier and some families were waiting for ages before getting seated. It had a cosy atmosphere, the tables are close together and there are candles on each table which suited the place very well.

The menu is quite large and has a wide variety of food from which you can choose from. Of course this is an Italian so expect the usual amount of pizza and pasta dishes. My sister and I both had a pizza and I have to say it was wonderful. It looked too big at first glance but it was so delicious I had to eat it all! Most people would say that pasta was a 'one bite' meal which I agree with but the pasta they served my mom was out of this world. The sauces and herbs they used mixed beautifully and gave off some gorgeous smells. I almost wanted to nick her pasta for myself that is if I hadn't already full from my pizza! Usually I don't eat much but I cleaned the plate and nicked a bit of garlic bread as well!

I was actually very impressed with the service provided at Bella Italia. The staff were extremely pleasant but still had the air of professionalism and efficiency about them. Our drinks came within five minutes of ordering them and the food came after only a fifteen minute wait which I thought was amazing considering the place was packed.

The only negative point I would have to make about this restaurant is the close proximity of the tables to each other. Yes when I first walked in I thought it seemed cosy but when I had someone behind me on another table and they kept on fidgeting, that bugged me a little!

My whole family enjoyed their meals saying it was one of the best Italian's we had gone to. The service was also very quick considering the restaurant was so packed, the food was great and the price was ok considering it was the city centre. We paid around £20 each for our meals and drinks. Overall I would completely recommend this restaurant if you are ever in Birmingham. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Bella Italia's address: 102 New Street
Birmingham
West Midlands
B2 4HS
Tel: 0121 6431548

Summary: A great bit of food that leaves you wanting more