Bella Italia! (Bella Italia in General)

Member Name: ice_pink

Product:	Bella Italia in General
Date:	01/09/08 (341 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very reasonable prices, good food, quick service

Disadvantages: Isnt gourmet, but what do you expect for that price!

~*~ Bella Italia ~*~

I am a massive Italian food fan - pizza, pasta, lasagne, ravioli, I love it all! I have only recently, within the last year, however, been introduced to the wonder that is Bella Italia - I can't believe I have managed to go my whole life without it before now, so I thought it was only fair that I reviewed it so all of those unfortunate people who have never experienced it's wonder can go out and do so now!


~*~ What is it ~*~

Bella Italia is, surprisingly enough, an Italian restaurant. It is actually a chain restaurant company, although you wouldn't expect this from the exterior of most stores (the ones that I have seen anyway), they appear from the outside to be cosy little one-of-a-kind places, nothing like your standard semi-fast food chains.

There are over 75 Bella Italia restaurants scattered around the UK (seventeen in London alone!), so it's almost certain you will have one near you. Bella Italia's are described online as restaurant/bar/cafes, but I would definitely say all of the ones I have been in are more like restaurants - I haven't been in one yet that has a standard bar you can go and sit at!


~*~ The menu ~*~

Bella Italia have a wide selection of dishes to choose from. We'll start with the starters, which makes sense! You can choose from the more standard soup or seasoned ciabatta bread up to deep fried squid with lemon mayonnaise or butterflied king prawns in garlic butter - neither of which really seem like the healthy option!

As far as side orders go, you can choose from a selection of garlic bread and ciabattas, hot bread batons with garlic butter, salads and mixed olives. The garlic bread is good, but the garlic ciabatta is amazing - soft, chewy ciabatta oozing with hot garlic butter - definitely not ideal for when your on a date but if your in company that you don't mind stinking of garlic with then I definitely recommend you try this one!

Lighter meal options include Caesar salad, 'Pollo Panini' - chicken breast, smoked mozzarella and peppers on ciabatta, and similar options for vegetable, crayfish and goats cheese on ciabatta or in a salad.

As far as main meals go, you will have plenty to choose from here as well! Chicken, salmon, steak and burgers are on offer in addition to the more expected pizza dishes. And speaking of pizza dishes, you will be spoiled for choice! These go from the standard margherita to smoked salon and asparagus or double spiced pepperoni with fresh green chillies, and everything in between! You can also request from a very wide variety of different toppings, so you can mix and match to get exactly what you want.

Finally, there are the pasta dishes, including traditional spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti carbonara, King Prawn linguini and 'Penne Fresco' - goats cheese, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts, to name but a few.

The desserts on offer at Bella Italia are something special - the 'Godfather' ice cream deserves a special mention - chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla ice cream, toffee ice cream, chocolate pieces, chocolate sauce, fresh cream and wafer, all combined into a gorgeous calorie filled dessert that is so amazing that I find hard to resist!

For days when I have indulged too much on my main meal and am feeling guilty, I stick to the tiramisu, which is also good. Although it is by no means the healthy option, I'm pretty sure it's better than the huge ice cream I am so in love with - which is about double the size needed but hey!


~*~ My favourites ~*~

As you can probably tell, I've been to Bella Italia a fair few times, and have slowly been working my way through the menu, even if it is by only trying my other halves dishes (sometimes I'm too scared to be adventurous!) For a light starter, I'd go for the mozzarella and plum tomato - slices of mozzarella with the tomato and light dressing - these make a good appetiser and don't fill you up too much for the main meal. The Bruschetta - toasted ciabatta with tomatoes, onion and basil is also good, however I don't like too order too many bread-based dishes at a time! I have never tried the deep fried squid, this one just sounds a bit too scary for me but I will update this review if I ever do!

As far as main courses go, the salmon and asparagus pizza is gorgeous. All of the pizzas are massive, and there is definitely enough to be split between two people, especially if you are going to order starters and desserts as well. The vegetarian pizza is good too, and the meat pizza is loaded with spicy toppings, perfect for anyone looking to indulge - my other halves meal of choice!

The salmon main meal is always gorgeous - chargrilled salmon with green beans and new potatoes, and is less of an indulgence, making you feel a bit healthier! The spinach and ricotta cannelloni is another one of my favourite dishes. All of the pastas I have tried at Bella Italia are gorgeous, although I recommend getting them to serve them with penne instead of spaghetti, particularly if there is going to be a lot of sauce involved, as things get far too messy (for me anyway!!)


~*~ Everything else ~*~

Some Bella Italia locations also do a small breakfast menu of croissants and pastries. I've never tried these before and to be honest it doesn't really appeal to me, but maybe if your walking past on your way to work it would be worth dropping in to give them a try.

Main courses are available in more basic forms, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce and basic cheese salads for children.

These restaurants have regular offers on, including a great 20% student discount to NUS card holders. They also accept Tesco club card tokens.


~*~ The prices ~*~

Prices are included on the menu in store, which is a good store. Bella Italia is very reasonable, and the prices are, I've found anyway, standard, wherever the location, which is great, especially for when you are in London where it is hard to get a decent meal without taking out a loan!

Prices start for £5.95 for a margherita pizza, with the most expensive meaty pizza being only a couple of pounds extra at £8.50. The most expensive dish is the sirloin steak, and at £14.50 it is hardly going to break the bank. Bella Italia is definitely a place you can visit and order whatever you fancy without worrying about having to do a runner when the bill comes!


~*~ The verdict ~*~

I am a big Bella Italia fan. They sell a wide variety of dishes to suit everyone, including a very wide selection of vegetarian meals - there is at least two choices in every category, which makes a change from the usual two options found in a lot of restaurants!

In every Bella Italia I have been in, meals are served very quickly. You basically finish your starters and then your main course is served. I have always seen this as a good thing, as I hate waiting around for hours when I'm hungry (it's the worst feeling ever, isn't it?!) but others have commented that this could be a sign that the food isn't freshly prepared - I'll let you make your own decision on that one.

The dishes on offer range from just above average tasting to gorgeous, I've made a few recommendations of my favourites above, but I have yet to have a dish so far that I haven't enjoyed, so another thumbs up there.

Overall, Bella Italia's are nice little restaurants perfect for popping in to when you are hungry and after a satisfying meal you can sit down, eat, and then leave. I wouldn't recommend it to people after a dining extravaganza, as it is what it is - a cheap-ish, chain Italian restaurant.

I will definitely be visiting again, and recommend you all give at a go too!

Summary: A nice little chain Italian restaurant!