We have dined at Bella Vista twice now before attending the theater. The food has been delicious, the service excellent and the atmosphere fun. We would recommend this restaurant to our friends and family.
Victoria
I am always happy with the service and the food at Bella Vista. It is a lovely place to go for lunch, as well as dinner - either as a destination place to dine, or for dining before or after a movie. Cannot beat the convenience. In fact the only slightly discordant note we found was the light gray/white decor - rather than feeling warm and cozy, which is what I associate with an Italian restaurant, it felt a little cool with a Cape Cod sort of feeling, as opposed to the warmth I associate with Tuscany and northern Italy - but that is just a personal assessment and would not stop us for going again. The food is excellent and the service is always wonderful.
Bravo
We were very disappointed in the new "all day" menu. We, along with another couple, were celebrating our 50th anniversaries and were looking forward to the fantastic Italian cuisine we've had at Bella Vista in the past. We thought we'd been given the lunch menus and inquired about getting dinner menus. We were told this is the menu now. Mostly sandwiches, salads, pastas and pizzas. Only 2 entrée items were offered....chicken Parmesan and baked salmon. No yummy veal scaloppini, picatta or saltimbocca. Not even chicken versions of these classic dishes. I settled for a past favorite, house made lasagna. Even it was a bit of a disappointment. The pasta noodles, which in the past were light and airy and most likely handmade fresh pasta sheets, were thick, ribbed, dried pasta. The filling was heavy on the béchamel sauce and light on the meat sauce. Half the restaurant area was closed off and we were seated in the area that accommodates large group dinners. There was one going on and it was very noisy. Very hard for us to carry on a conversation. The saving grace was our server, who we recognized from having worked at some of Stockton's finer restaurants. She was attentive and professional. Others have complained their wait was long and it took a while for their food to come out. I can't complain about that, it was not our experience. We were seated right away and our food was promptly served.
BeckyM
The waitress, Susan, was GREAT!!! However, the wait time for our food was incredibly looooong!!!! We had a reservation for 11:30am. Our group only has an hour for lunch and we were told we would not be able to get them lunch special (it was Friday ) and never really got a clear answer as to why not. Our food took 40 minutes to be served! We also asked for separate checks and this created a problem although we all arrived separately and it was just a work day lunch of co-workers. We will not be returning for lunch but it seems like a nice enough place if you want a leisurely meal.
DebraB
We waited about 20 minutes before being seated despite our reservation. Then we were seated away from the main part of the restaurant and then forgotten. We sat for about 15 minutes before we left. Greatly disappointed! We noticed another group of patrons also got up and walked out too.
My mother's birthday was a success at Bella Vista !. She's not a big fan of Italian food but she had a bite of chicken Alfredo and was in loved ! The food was yummy and seasoned to perfection. Not so bad for our first visit here :).
DeanF
Thursday night. I checked online and it was dining until 9 pm and a DJ scheduled to be playing Mo Town music until 10 pm. The last Thursday night he played Latin Music on a Thursday night but certainly wouldn't do it again especially when Friday nights are Latin Music nights. (I went on a Friday night and enjoyed Latin Music with invited friends that wanted Latin and Mexican Music.) The $9.99 all-you-can-eat pasta dinner and $2. a glass wine specials on Thursdays are great. But going up on the rooftop area where we expected over an hour of Motown Music on a Thursday was a huge disappointment again.
MichelleS
The service is terrible the first time I went in December and it is still terrible. They forgot our cocktails, we waited 30 minutes before they were delivered after we reminded the waitress. There was no one at the bar to work the bar. They were no busy, hardly anyone in the restaurant. They brought our entrees before we finished our salads, so the entrees got cold sitting on the side. My friend and I were sat by the exit door, when there were plenty of seats to choose from. The food is good, but I can get it to go, because the service is terrible.
tericat
What a deal! Thursday night is all you can eat pasta night for $9.99 which also includes delicious focaccia bread and a nice salad. Service was excellent and pasta was delicious. Restaurant is lovely and quiet enough to actually have a conversation with friends. We brought an out of town friend and were very pleased that we chose Bellavista.
Jenn
very disappointed with the overall service and taste of the food. we went there on a Friday night, and since it is located by the theater, I assumed it would be busy. There were a total of 3 waitstaff and not too many tables, but it took forever to get service. When I ordered a cappuccino, the foam on top was curdled and sour. They were out of two menu items and just overall not a great place to eat dinner before a movie.
No one seems that excited to make this a above normal restaurant. Waiter wanted to go home early and the Pasta I can do at home, better. Nothing special. Drinks half full. Needs more attention and a better staff.
CathyM
Had a wonderful evening. Our waiter was outstanding and was attentive without being over bearing. My only negative comment would be the chicken. It was tough even to the point of not being able to cut it. We should have said something but everything else was so excellent we let it pass. Thank you for a wonderful evening. We will be back soon.
joannen
Went to a concert at Bob Hope Theatre and Bella Vista is a few short blocks away. Had dinner beforehand. Really good food; nice preparation. We were only offered the $30 per person, 3 course, limited choice menu. Gluten free pasta was available. Service Hours Very Confusing: Note the restaurant has limited days/hours for dinner service, but it is apparently open before concerts at the theatre. A little confusing because the website and Opentable website states the days they are closed, and they have signs in the windows stating when they are closed! This was supposed to be a "closed" day, yet they were open!? Parking hint: the parking meters and the downtown streets nearby (where we parked) have NO signs posted stating the hours the street meters are active. We asked a waiter...meters are not enforced after 5 p.m. That's not on signs anywhere...who knew? I would definitely go back. Tasty, nicely prepared meal. Make your reservation on Opentable (but I would call to be sure they are open if you plan to go before a concert..just to be sure :))
SassySailor
We were seated immediately and given our menus at a choice of tables or booth. Our server was gracious and patient with my friend's many questions and requests. When making the reservation I had noted that one of us was vegan and another gluten free. The other two of us ordered the salmon ravioli and they both said they found it rather bland. The gluten free rigatoni with tomato cream sauce order was found to be "dry" and also bland but when requested she was brought a generous bowl of additional sauce and took home the leftovers to "rev it up". My vegan spaghetti with pomodoro sauce was delicious but someone had put cheese on it. I didn't say anything because one of my friends had been so demanding (which our server was very kind and accommodating). I was actually embarrassed! In advance I had let my friends know the this was more northern Italian cuisine and not to expect "traditional" southern style spices. Next time I'll come back but let them go to Strings. ;0
JennT
Single meal menu where they tried to have us order from a limited menu and it was 3 courses. Our group consisted of mostly 80 and 90 something year olds, 3 courses was too much. Food was just okay, not exciting or great. Service was very slow, even though we mentioned that we were on a schedule to make an event. We know that our party was larger (7) but we had a reservation.
We have dined at Bella Vista twice now before attending the theater. The food has been delicious, the service excellent and the atmosphere fun. We would recommend this restaurant to our friends and family.
I am always happy with the service and the food at Bella Vista. It is a lovely place to go for lunch, as well as dinner - either as a destination place to dine, or for dining before or after a movie. Cannot beat the convenience. In fact the only slightly discordant note we found was the light gray/white decor - rather than feeling warm and cozy, which is what I associate with an Italian restaurant, it felt a little cool with a Cape Cod sort of feeling, as opposed to the warmth I associate with Tuscany and northern Italy - but that is just a personal assessment and would not stop us for going again. The food is excellent and the service is always wonderful.
We were very disappointed in the new "all day" menu. We, along with another couple, were celebrating our 50th anniversaries and were looking forward to the fantastic Italian cuisine we've had at Bella Vista in the past. We thought we'd been given the lunch menus and inquired about getting dinner menus. We were told this is the menu now. Mostly sandwiches, salads, pastas and pizzas. Only 2 entrée items were offered....chicken Parmesan and baked salmon. No yummy veal scaloppini, picatta or saltimbocca. Not even chicken versions of these classic dishes. I settled for a past favorite, house made lasagna. Even it was a bit of a disappointment. The pasta noodles, which in the past were light and airy and most likely handmade fresh pasta sheets, were thick, ribbed, dried pasta. The filling was heavy on the béchamel sauce and light on the meat sauce. Half the restaurant area was closed off and we were seated in the area that accommodates large group dinners. There was one going on and it was very noisy. Very hard for us to carry on a conversation. The saving grace was our server, who we recognized from having worked at some of Stockton's finer restaurants. She was attentive and professional. Others have complained their wait was long and it took a while for their food to come out. I can't complain about that, it was not our experience. We were seated right away and our food was promptly served.
The waitress, Susan, was GREAT!!! However, the wait time for our food was incredibly looooong!!!! We had a reservation for 11:30am. Our group only has an hour for lunch and we were told we would not be able to get them lunch special (it was Friday ) and never really got a clear answer as to why not. Our food took 40 minutes to be served! We also asked for separate checks and this created a problem although we all arrived separately and it was just a work day lunch of co-workers. We will not be returning for lunch but it seems like a nice enough place if you want a leisurely meal.
We waited about 20 minutes before being seated despite our reservation. Then we were seated away from the main part of the restaurant and then forgotten. We sat for about 15 minutes before we left. Greatly disappointed! We noticed another group of patrons also got up and walked out too.
My mother's birthday was a success at Bella Vista !. She's not a big fan of Italian food but she had a bite of chicken Alfredo and was in loved ! The food was yummy and seasoned to perfection. Not so bad for our first visit here :).
Thursday night. I checked online and it was dining until 9 pm and a DJ scheduled to be playing Mo Town music until 10 pm. The last Thursday night he played Latin Music on a Thursday night but certainly wouldn't do it again especially when Friday nights are Latin Music nights. (I went on a Friday night and enjoyed Latin Music with invited friends that wanted Latin and Mexican Music.) The $9.99 all-you-can-eat pasta dinner and $2. a glass wine specials on Thursdays are great. But going up on the rooftop area where we expected over an hour of Motown Music on a Thursday was a huge disappointment again.
The service is terrible the first time I went in December and it is still terrible. They forgot our cocktails, we waited 30 minutes before they were delivered after we reminded the waitress. There was no one at the bar to work the bar. They were no busy, hardly anyone in the restaurant. They brought our entrees before we finished our salads, so the entrees got cold sitting on the side. My friend and I were sat by the exit door, when there were plenty of seats to choose from. The food is good, but I can get it to go, because the service is terrible.
What a deal! Thursday night is all you can eat pasta night for $9.99 which also includes delicious focaccia bread and a nice salad. Service was excellent and pasta was delicious. Restaurant is lovely and quiet enough to actually have a conversation with friends. We brought an out of town friend and were very pleased that we chose Bellavista.
very disappointed with the overall service and taste of the food. we went there on a Friday night, and since it is located by the theater, I assumed it would be busy. There were a total of 3 waitstaff and not too many tables, but it took forever to get service. When I ordered a cappuccino, the foam on top was curdled and sour. They were out of two menu items and just overall not a great place to eat dinner before a movie.
Restaurantji Recommends
No one seems that excited to make this a above normal restaurant. Waiter wanted to go home early and the Pasta I can do at home, better. Nothing special. Drinks half full. Needs more attention and a better staff.
Had a wonderful evening. Our waiter was outstanding and was attentive without being over bearing. My only negative comment would be the chicken. It was tough even to the point of not being able to cut it. We should have said something but everything else was so excellent we let it pass. Thank you for a wonderful evening. We will be back soon.
Went to a concert at Bob Hope Theatre and Bella Vista is a few short blocks away. Had dinner beforehand. Really good food; nice preparation. We were only offered the $30 per person, 3 course, limited choice menu. Gluten free pasta was available. Service Hours Very Confusing: Note the restaurant has limited days/hours for dinner service, but it is apparently open before concerts at the theatre. A little confusing because the website and Opentable website states the days they are closed, and they have signs in the windows stating when they are closed! This was supposed to be a "closed" day, yet they were open!? Parking hint: the parking meters and the downtown streets nearby (where we parked) have NO signs posted stating the hours the street meters are active. We asked a waiter...meters are not enforced after 5 p.m. That's not on signs anywhere...who knew? I would definitely go back. Tasty, nicely prepared meal. Make your reservation on Opentable (but I would call to be sure they are open if you plan to go before a concert..just to be sure :))
We were seated immediately and given our menus at a choice of tables or booth. Our server was gracious and patient with my friend's many questions and requests. When making the reservation I had noted that one of us was vegan and another gluten free. The other two of us ordered the salmon ravioli and they both said they found it rather bland. The gluten free rigatoni with tomato cream sauce order was found to be "dry" and also bland but when requested she was brought a generous bowl of additional sauce and took home the leftovers to "rev it up". My vegan spaghetti with pomodoro sauce was delicious but someone had put cheese on it. I didn't say anything because one of my friends had been so demanding (which our server was very kind and accommodating). I was actually embarrassed! In advance I had let my friends know the this was more northern Italian cuisine and not to expect "traditional" southern style spices. Next time I'll come back but let them go to Strings. ;0
Single meal menu where they tried to have us order from a limited menu and it was 3 courses. Our group consisted of mostly 80 and 90 something year olds, 3 courses was too much. Food was just okay, not exciting or great. Service was very slow, even though we mentioned that we were on a schedule to make an event. We know that our party was larger (7) but we had a reservation.