Bella Italia

OK I feel a tad boring rating a chain restaurant with 5 stars, but I came here to escape the lashing down rain on Saturday night before going for a few drinks, and I actually can’t fault this place! Loved everything about my food and experience here…
I headed to the Bella Italia on Deansgate with a friend, and we were shamefully 20 minutes late after booking a table for 7.30pm. The restaurant was packed out, and had queues at the door for people wanting a table, so they could have easily given our table away. However they didn’t, and lead me to a large 4 table with olives and water already on the table.
We had a bottle of Prosecco to share, which was lovely, and then I tried to be healthy by ordering a vegetable soup and ciabatta slices for my starter. It was a mixed veg soup which tasted like a homemade soup your mum would make — hearty, homely, super thick and packed with amazing veggies like potatoes, beans, butternut quash etc… it was so lovely. There was just enough crunch ciabatta to not get too full either.
For my main I also stuck to a healthier option, and went for the king prawn spaghetti with spiralised veggies. It was light, with a tomato base, huge juicy prawns and lots of veg packed in. Apparently the calories count for this is quite low — so a great option for those feeling guilty for pasta indulging.
We couldn’t decide between us what dessert to go for, so we left it up to the waitress to give us a ‘surprise’. She ending up bringing us a board filled with glasses containing various gelato flavours: strawberry, tiramusu, hazelnut, mint, vanilla and coconut, with biscuits and chocolate sprinkles. It was amazing!
Waitress was also fantastic at advising which red wine went with our meals, along with being super efficient, friendly, and passionate about her job. Also worth commenting that my friend went and got the calezone with meatballs and a rich tomato bolognese sauce, which went down really went and apparently was one of the best calezones tried (and she has them often)
Their new menu is so much better than previous years. So many choices for pasta, risottos, pizzas, lighter pizzas, and meat dishes too. They have an extensive list of sharing boards, salads and yummy starters too. I didn’t feel like I was at a chain restaurant, and genuinely enjoyed everything I ate, as did my guest.
Much improved! Well done Bella Italia…

After the cinema we wanted to make a cheap night of it and as it was pretty late we headed to Bella with a voucher. Found whilst trawling on the web for a decent voucher was an option to buy one main and get the send for £1, sorted!
Considering I had already eaten a big bag full of popcorn (Sainsburies own-​yum) I was just about peckish and opted to just go straight for a pizza. We were seated quickly however the waitress hardly gave us chance to look at the menu before seeing if we were ready and it then took another 15 minutes to grab her attention after she left us for a couple more minutes.
After eventually ordering my friend got a meaty pizza and I went all out for a calzone filled with chicken and spinach. It didn’t take long for both the pizzas to arrive and we tucked in. The calzone was about average for a chain restaurant filled with plenty of cheese however it lacked on the chicken front. Normally you get a choice of toppings either a spag bol or just plain tomato sauce however it did just arrive with the standard small pot of sauce.
Having said all that the bill only came to £13 for the both of us — so we paid for the standard of food on the 241 offer! Either way I wouldn’t pay full price for this place!

Just polished off my starter of Chilli pizza bread and a Polpette and I’m sorry to say to the ‘true’ Italian restaurants … And I’ve been to many that this place has the taste the décor the ambiance and stands head and shoulders above !
I thought the service was friendly, speedy, and polite and helpful … Excellent !
Not just from our waitress but all around the other tables. Well done guys :-)

My boyfriend and I have gone to Bella Italia several times. However, we have only been to this location once it will remain like that. The service is horrible here and they were extremely rude to us. We won’t be back to this one. The one near Arndale is much better.

Not a bad restaurant. Took a while to get the food we ordered. The waitress looked horrified when we tried to make any sort of amendment to the food we was ordering i. e if you order a pizza and you dont want to have a certain topping on it.
When I got the food the bowl it was served in was piping hot and the food was only warm, not quite sure why this happened but it was still nice anyway.

Perhaps one of the best Bella Italia’s (although the one in Pic Gdns is my absolute fav) served up a bargainous lunch for my friends and I to graze on whilst catching up after what seemed ages. Taking advantage of one of the many online voucher schemes, we went for 2 mains for £12.99 and were not disappointed. My friend went for a classic lasagne and was not left hungry (he’s a big guy so this is no easy feat!) I went for a pollo crema dish which was both creamy and flavoursome, whilst still being suitable for my training diet!!! The food was served promptly, and the waiting staff got the perfect balance between attention and discretion, meaning that the whole experience was wonderful! Why not 5 stars??? Well, I fancied pudding, but they were all priced at £5.95 which I think is a little too expensive to be honest!
Anyway… if you are with hungry people, and fancy a great place for a filling lunch that doesn’t break the bank, get online and grab a voucher, and get yourself there; you can even use tesco vouchers according to my Dad!

This particular Bella Italia is probably the best I’ve been to (although I haven’t been to many), because the smallish, largely candle-​lit room, with walls covered in Italian knick-​knacks, old photos and fraying maps makes the perfect setting for a romantic meal or the celebration of a special occasion.
The place is more-​or-​less always full, and while this means I have had to wait for a table when with a larger party, it guarantees a lively atmosphere. The food is also bound to be good, as a chain like this has perfected its recipes.
I’ve always been equally impressed with the service, food, and ambiance, and as a result will keep going back to this surprisingly personal-​feeling branch of such a big chain. It manages to combine the reliability of a recognised name with the individuality that you might only expect from a small, family-​run restaurant. An excellent choice for any occasion.

The thing I like about Bella Italia (and other chain restaurants) is that you always know what you’re going to get. Sometimes this is exactly what you want, no surprises, just something good from somewhere you know will deliver.
Being on Deansgate, this branch does feel very pleasant — especially compared to the Piccadilly version. The staff are friendly enough but quite bland and constantly on the move, serving. They got a little stressed when we took time to order.
The starter selection is great to get as a starter to share — buffalo wings, mushrooms, garlic bread and veggie batons with dips. Breaded mozarella and garlic prawns are also delish. For mains, the Lasagne (£8.95) is extremely good with rich tomato and cheese. The pepper and chicken pizza is also tasty and quite spicy.
They do a few good deals — lunch menu for £4.50 and a dinner menu with 2 courses for £8.95 and I think there are still vouchers available for money off.

Part of the all encompassing collection of chain restaurants along deansgate these restaurants project local flavour and cultural heritage in a very special way, the only way a limited company can. Bella Italia is no exception to the rule, the staff work hard to ensure you have a nice time and the food is mass produced constantly so a monkey could make it. This doesn’t mean its poor in any way just that they do it consistently well and stick with what they know.
Who knows one day you may well be served by monkeys in restaurants such as bella italia, it would be highly amusing and I would return again and again. But sadly you’re not, italia does the same food to the same good standard day in day out at the very monotonous range of £6-£10 per dish. Enjoy a few times, but don’t live in there come every lunch time otherwise you’ll become very bored.