We chose this restaurant for Valentine's Day based on its reviews and the way it presents itself: intimate, and thoughtful. The decor was tasteful, and the open view of the kitchen and bar added to the experience. The first course (crostini) was genuinely good—well toasted, balanced, and satisfying. At that point, we were optimistic. Unfortunately, the meal went sharply downhill from there. We shared a cocktail (“sloe clap”), which was poorly executed. It was underdiluted, warm, and aggressively unbalanced, forcing us to reach for water constantly. The second course (panzanella salad) was fine, but forgettable. The third course is where the evening truly collapsed. The lasagna was overwhelmingly salty—so much so that it drowned out every other flavour. We are not salt-averse diners, but this was extreme. We ate half of it before giving up, leaving the remainder untouched . Despite this being plainly visible (in front of the kitchen and staff), no one checked in nor asked whether something was wrong for 30 minutes. The fourth course (chicken parm) confirmed this was not a one-off mistake. The sauce was pleasant, but the chicken itself was again excessively salty. At that point, we could not continue eating and asked to proceed directly to dessert. What made this experience particularly disappointing was the complete absence of service recovery. We clearly communicated that the food was excessively salty. There was no offer to remake a dish, no assurance it would be raised with the kitchen, no intervention, and no adjustment or gesture of goodwill. When we attempted to follow up later in person, we were deferred for an extended period and told to return several days later due to busyness. Valentine's Day being busy is understandable. Using it as a reason to avoid addressing problems is not. A simplified prix fixe menu should make consistency easier, not harder. Leaving guests hungry, unheard, and frustrated at an $80 per person price point is unacceptable.
Wesley
The staff were very nice. Food was delicious and very filling. Went for the valentines dinner, and they were very accommodating for allergies. Overall excellent date night. Thought price wise, 60 bucks per would be a bit more appropriate.
Ann
Excellent! Food is sooo yummy. And great value for money with the “Let the Chef Feed Me”. Definitely going back!!!
Brianna
We loved this place when it was Smokey Bear and Bella is just as good if not better. Everything we had was delicious. The mozzarella sticks were a stand out for sure, they are at least 3 times better than regular mozzarella sticks and a fun addition to the menu. Highly recommend. 10/10
Bob
Our second visit to Bella and it was even better than the first time! On both occasions we were a party of 7. We chose the “Leave it to Chef” option on and it is a great idea for large parties. We were able to sample almost every item on the menu and the food was great. Staff were friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small with an open kitchen. It can be a bit noisy but it's a fun and energetic atmosphere.
SWAPNIL
Food was great..wish there were some more options for vegetarians but we tried arancini balls and pasta and both were good..drinks were good as well
Darin
Overall Bella was a good experience. The food was good the service was okay, but the room was a bit loud. I will be back to try a couple of other menu items for sure.
Taylor
Overall great experience! Our table was next to a window and was a bit cold, with a rather loud table on the other side of us (no fault to the restaurant. The food was delicious and family style, a little bit more communication on the timing would have been helpful. Would recommend especially for a small group.
Bri
I've been to Bella a number of times. The staff are fabulous and the food generally is too! Must have just hit an off night We did have a great bottle of wine though!
Kate
Fabulous food, friendly and considerate service, tasty & creative cocktails, and some excellent specials. Highly recommend chef's choice!
Always great food, service and ambience. Our favourite place to celebrate special occasions.
Payton Hooey
Visited Bella for a birthday celebration the other evening. They were able to accommodate a large group of us. The service was great, they even wrote 'happy birthday' on the top of the menu. The focaccia and whipped ricotta was delicious, we had to get another order! The food was delicious. Only issue was slight inconsistency in portion sizes between guests at our table. The drinks here were also delicious. Highly recommend Bella!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
mike johnstone
Amazed by the carbonara!
Amanda
Really excellent, we did the chef's choice and it was perfectly paced, perfectly portioned, and completely delicious. Great value!
Jody Anderson
Everything was great: food, atmosphere and service. Did the chef's tasting menu with pairings and was not disappointed. First time and will definitely go again
We chose this restaurant for Valentine's Day based on its reviews and the way it presents itself: intimate, and thoughtful. The decor was tasteful, and the open view of the kitchen and bar added to the experience. The first course (crostini) was genuinely good—well toasted, balanced, and satisfying. At that point, we were optimistic. Unfortunately, the meal went sharply downhill from there. We shared a cocktail (“sloe clap”), which was poorly executed. It was underdiluted, warm, and aggressively unbalanced, forcing us to reach for water constantly. The second course (panzanella salad) was fine, but forgettable. The third course is where the evening truly collapsed. The lasagna was overwhelmingly salty—so much so that it drowned out every other flavour. We are not salt-averse diners, but this was extreme. We ate half of it before giving up, leaving the remainder untouched . Despite this being plainly visible (in front of the kitchen and staff), no one checked in nor asked whether something was wrong for 30 minutes. The fourth course (chicken parm) confirmed this was not a one-off mistake. The sauce was pleasant, but the chicken itself was again excessively salty. At that point, we could not continue eating and asked to proceed directly to dessert. What made this experience particularly disappointing was the complete absence of service recovery. We clearly communicated that the food was excessively salty. There was no offer to remake a dish, no assurance it would be raised with the kitchen, no intervention, and no adjustment or gesture of goodwill. When we attempted to follow up later in person, we were deferred for an extended period and told to return several days later due to busyness. Valentine's Day being busy is understandable. Using it as a reason to avoid addressing problems is not. A simplified prix fixe menu should make consistency easier, not harder. Leaving guests hungry, unheard, and frustrated at an $80 per person price point is unacceptable.
The staff were very nice. Food was delicious and very filling. Went for the valentines dinner, and they were very accommodating for allergies. Overall excellent date night. Thought price wise, 60 bucks per would be a bit more appropriate.
Excellent! Food is sooo yummy. And great value for money with the “Let the Chef Feed Me”. Definitely going back!!!
We loved this place when it was Smokey Bear and Bella is just as good if not better. Everything we had was delicious. The mozzarella sticks were a stand out for sure, they are at least 3 times better than regular mozzarella sticks and a fun addition to the menu. Highly recommend. 10/10
Our second visit to Bella and it was even better than the first time! On both occasions we were a party of 7. We chose the “Leave it to Chef” option on and it is a great idea for large parties. We were able to sample almost every item on the menu and the food was great. Staff were friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small with an open kitchen. It can be a bit noisy but it's a fun and energetic atmosphere.
Food was great..wish there were some more options for vegetarians but we tried arancini balls and pasta and both were good..drinks were good as well
Overall Bella was a good experience. The food was good the service was okay, but the room was a bit loud. I will be back to try a couple of other menu items for sure.
Overall great experience! Our table was next to a window and was a bit cold, with a rather loud table on the other side of us (no fault to the restaurant. The food was delicious and family style, a little bit more communication on the timing would have been helpful. Would recommend especially for a small group.
I've been to Bella a number of times. The staff are fabulous and the food generally is too! Must have just hit an off night We did have a great bottle of wine though!
Fabulous food, friendly and considerate service, tasty & creative cocktails, and some excellent specials. Highly recommend chef's choice!
Restaurantji Recommends
Always great food, service and ambience. Our favourite place to celebrate special occasions.
Visited Bella for a birthday celebration the other evening. They were able to accommodate a large group of us. The service was great, they even wrote 'happy birthday' on the top of the menu. The focaccia and whipped ricotta was delicious, we had to get another order! The food was delicious. Only issue was slight inconsistency in portion sizes between guests at our table. The drinks here were also delicious. Highly recommend Bella!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amazed by the carbonara!
Really excellent, we did the chef's choice and it was perfectly paced, perfectly portioned, and completely delicious. Great value!
Everything was great: food, atmosphere and service. Did the chef's tasting menu with pairings and was not disappointed. First time and will definitely go again
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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