Bella Blu
“We saw pizzas coming out of the wood burning stove and they looked incredible…want to taste those next visit.”
“The pizza was fantastic, pasta was al dente and the wines by the glass were wonderful.”
“We were wandering around the Upper East Side and stumbled in.”
Bella Blu
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Honestly got pretty drunk here on a company outing but it was still good food. A little cramped for a restaurant but it's do-able. The service was very good and they were all very kind. Our waiter knew the menu extremely well and was able to list off the 10+ specials of the day off the top of his head! I got the Burrata with Zucchini Flower, the Lobster Ravioli, and the Tiramisu. I was so stuffed at the end of the meal, I couldn't even finish the dessert!
The Zucchini Flower appetizer was so yummy. The burrata was probably the best I've ever tasted and it came with prosciutto and fried zucchini flower. The flower is (apparently) a delicacy and is in season so we went with this dish. The flower itself looked like a chicken on the plate but when you bit into it, it's obviously not. My lobster ravioli was good but some pieces were under cooked and hard 🙁 I'd recommend you try another dish. The tiramisu though…OMG SO GOOD! My friend compared it to a soft marshmallow and if I weren't as stuffed as I was, I would've gobbled the whole thing. The tiramisu itself is pretty big so leave room for it if you're planning on having it!
The place got pretty popping pretty quick and seems like a favorite for those who come here. I can see myself coming back 🙂 Get the chilled Rose for a good night!
Came here for brunch a few weeks ago and while it was really tasty I wasn't wholly impressed.
I had the egg white omlette which to their credit was cooked really well, not dry and tough, which can happen a lot. The filling was generous and yummy but a little on the bland side. The breakfast potatoes were yummy though. And the dipping oil is also pretty spot on.
It's definitely a bit pricey though for food that isn't terribly innovative but that's the neighborhood. It's probably a pretty solid brunch option, it's just not exciting.
I think my experience here was unique, in that I was unimpressed by both the service and the food. Our waiter was pretty clearly disinterested in our party of two, did not bother to bring a wine list and then made a fuss when I asked for one. My pregnant friend asked in the cheese in one of the pizzas was pasteurized, and he said he was pretty sure it was, which prompted her to ask him if he could check with the chef. He said the chef would have no idea and seemed very put out when she said she wanted to know because she was pregnant. He was actually kind of rude to her. The food was fine, but I don't think good enough for how much they are charging.
A friend suggested we go here for lunch and I was more than willing as I had always wanted to check this place out. Well, this restaurant was mediocre at best. The service was fine but the food was just OK. I got the Bucatini all`Amatriciana e Pecorino Romano which is basically a tube pasta with prosciutto, onions, tomato and pecorino romano. Sounds yummy, right? Eh. It was just alright, and the bread was the only saving grace. I didn't try the wine, but well, I'm sure the wine was wine. The price of my entree was high for what I got, and I felt like I could have gotten a more rewarding meal elsewhere. Oh well, on to the next place.
I don't know if it is a tomato tapenade, or some unholy alliance of peppers, olive oil and tomatoes with a different name, but call the SWAT team because that sauce they serve with the bread is the bomb!
That's my main takeaway from a delightful dinner at Bella Blu. My old-fashioned was definitely fresh and the mixed sea creature and veggie stir fry appetizer was awesome. I had a terrific pizza from their oven (although that thing is H-O-T so if you're sitting near it, wear something cool).
Desserts were tasty, service was friendly. It's a bit cramped and tables are on top of one another but it's all good.
I'd go back here in New York minute! Hell, I'd go back here in a Philadelphia minute and you know how I feel about Philly.
Had lunch at Bella Blu yesterday, here are my thoughts:
Ambiance: Great location, beautiful restaurant. The weather was great and the wide open windows / doors made me feel like I was back in one of the great Italian restaurants that line the streets of Beverly Hills.
Service: Friendly waiter and servers.
Food: For the most part the food was pretty good.
— Chicken Paillard – my husband declared this better than Fig & Olive's version. Pretty strong statement for my usually un-opinionated husband.
— Prawn Salad – I thought this was just okay. The prawns were a bit chewy, the mango lacking in flavor. I wouldn't order this again, especially at $29.
— Spaghetti with Shrimp – my daughter ordered this and it was excellent!
— Complimentary bread – The bread was delicious but the dipping sauce was the highlight. I could eat it with a spoon.
Overall: Bella Blu is almost a 4 star place but not quite there. I'm okay with paying for a nice meal but it needs to be close to phenomenal, which my meal wasn't. I might return if I'm in the area, because the ambiance was so great, but I won't be rushing back.
I'm pretty sure I wrote a review for Bella Blu one before but if I did, it disappeared. Anyway, Bella Blu is surrounded by other Italian restaurants in close proximity including Per Lei and Lumi. Bella Blu is not only the stand-out among its neighbors but is simply exemplary. When I first graduated from college, I worked on the UES for a few months and as a birthday treat, my mom visited me at work and took me to lunch there. I ordered homemade ravioli and my mom had grilled chicken over mixed greens. We tried each other's entrees. That was six years ago and I still remember in great detail how excellent all-around that lunch was.
I haven't been back in a while given that I don't live in that part of town (yet!) and haven't worked on the UES in ages, but my parents have been there multiple times and still rave about it.
A terrific neighborhood trattoria that earns its four stars for food, atmosphere, service and its positive toward kiddies. Yes, it's kid-friendly, so if you don't want to be around the little ones, stay away until after 830 p.m. Otherwise, come enjoy some of the tastiest and most reasonably priced Italian on the UES. Perfect prosciutto, crispy fried calamari, a slightly spicy ravioli with veal and raisins, grilled salmon just moist enough — there's variety and quality here. The service is fantastic: waiters are attentive of special needs and don't rush. The restaurant's seating provides a little spacing, and the wine list is good if a bit pricy. We like it a lot, and we've been back half a dozen times, never disappointed.