Buon Appetito (Bella Pasta)

Member Name: topsyturvy

Product:	Bella Pasta
Date:	03/07/06 (566 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good menu, nice atmosphere

Disadvantages: prices are a bit high

I love to eat out and am always trying new places and returning to places I have eaten and enjoyed. You’ve guessed it, Bella Italia (previously Bella Pasta) was one of those places, so could it live up to my first visit. When I first went here the restaurant seemed to be very big on pasta dishes and didn’t really sell much else. This was good though because there was a huge variety of dishes and so much choice that it was a great menu. They have changed their interior now a well so it’s a whole new dining experience.

I am reviewing the Manchester Piccadilly restaurant here. I was going out for a friends birthday and so we all decided to go here because I did like it before and I liked how the main window was open since it was a hot day making it like an open terrace, very Italian. As we went in we were quickly shown to our seats but then they took 10 minutes to finally ask us what drinks we wanted and this was a hot day I was dying of thirst, another 10 minutes later the drinks finally arrived which was ridiculous as usually this procedure is done in 5 minutes within my entering a restaurant.

So, the food, well there is currently an offer going of 2 courses for £7.95 which to me sounded really good so I looked at the menu. There wasn’t really much choice here, none of the starters were anything great and the main courses were not up to much. Some of you will probably say I am fussy but usually when restaurants have these kinds of offers they put good starters and main courses in but here to be blunt it was the reject foods from the menu that hardly anyone orders that they had selected. We disappointedly handed these back and asked for the other menu.

The real menu was definitely an improvement, a better choice and I could find something I wanted. A major difference now from the Bella Pasta menu to the newer Bella Italia menu is that they have minimalised the pasta section and now have fish, pizza, meat and more starters. This is good as it will probably appeal to a bigger range of people. I wanted pasta so I picked Penne Pollo e Crema which was very nice. I was going to go for Lasagne but decided on this. There is linguini, spaghetti etc. They also have grilled meats, salads and panini’s and side orders.

So it took roughly 15 minutes for the food to arrive which didn’t seem to take too long. The pasta was cooked quite nicely and was well presented, some pieces were a little hard but overall nice. The only thing that annoyed me here was that I thought the prices were a bit steep. It cost £8.25 just for this dish and pasta to me isn’t really that expensive a food. Also when it came the waitress asked if we wanted pepper or cheese. This was nice but she then flicked the cheese onto me instead of into my plate which annoyed me as she barely apologised.

I wasn’t really wanting dessert after but I had a look at what was on offer. There was a good selection and I could have easily chosen, there was Bannoffe Pie, Tiramisu, Brownie, Ice Cream and more. These were all reasonably price at around £3.95 which is normal for dessert these days, maybe next time.

So, the service well I can’t say it was the best I ever had. The waitress took ages with drinks, threw cheese on me and then threw our dishes down onto the table. She never asked us once if we wanted anymore drinks and also preferred to stand talking in the bar than help anyone else.

The general atmosphere of the place inside was nice, I can’t deny that fact. Everyone seemed to eat quietly without too much noise. I also noticed a lot of people coming in alone in a welcoming way to eat food without being made to feel odd. I personally haven’t done it but I probably would have done it in this restaurant. There was a wide range of customers from families, couple, and younger groups of friends.

The décor inside was very sophisticated and Mediterranean. There was the dim light room with mahogany coloured walls, the classic Italian bar and the Italian phrases on the wall amongst paintings and statues. I felt very comfortable at the table and I really liked the real feel you get for the country inside the restaurant. It was designed with a touch of class and as I said again with the open window and the fact smoking was near there.

So, would I go back? I can’t blame one unfriendly waitress on the service here. I do like Bella Italia and their food is very nice, their pasta dishes are very nice. I like the atmosphere inside. The prices are a bit high though they should do better offers to attract more people. My favourite Italian restaurant has a lunch menu which would easily rival this chain and put them to shame. I can’t say I would frequently use this chain but if I pass by and am starving then maybe as I have some desserts I still need to try.

If you want more information on where your nearest restaurant is go to http://www.bellapasta.co.uk . Here you can get a menu for your local Bella Italia it also tells you all about the latest offers on and more.

Summary: -