Bella Gioia
“We split a couple of mains: a delicious roasted chicken and the rigatoni a la norma that was just great.”
“The bucatini cu sarde was marvelous and authentic.”
“It's beautiful setting is made to resemble a wine cellar and it surely sets the mood for a good night of delicious food and fine vino.”
Bella Gioia
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Offers Military Discount: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Second time here fell short compared to my initial experience. I raved about this spot and brought my friends along and they were not too impressed.
The rice balls were delicious as usual, however, the entrees left much to be desired. My scallops and bean entree was HUGE. The scallops were not very tasty and they gave so many beans, it was overwhelming. I would have preferred if they kept it smaller but tastier. The dish was bland and boring. My fiance had the oxtail pappardelle again and said it was not as good as he remembered. My friend ordered the bone marrow and pork belly board. The bone marrow was good but the pork belly was extremely dry. It wasn't your typical pork belly in fact, it was just strips of pork loin that seemed overcooked. She barely ate her food. Her boyfriend ordered the steak and said it was ok. The truffle fries were salty but delicious. I feel like I would come back for some appetizers but skip the entrees.
During the middle of our meal, I heard a customer sitting by us scream. Then, several customers jumped on their seats. There was a huge 1.5inch roach dashing around, and even up a mans bench. Eventually the man killed it. It was pretty nasty and caused a ruckus for a good 5 minutes. It would've been nice if management came to offer drinks on the house or at least an apology after.
I've had the pleasure of going to Bella Gioia twice now. We happened across it during an extended derive of Brooklyn. Also, note that this restaurant is Sicilian.
PROS
-Nice layout, large tables for big parties and intimate ones for a romantic dinner. Nice easy to access the bar
-Service is immediate, quick, and not overbearing. Staff give you space to dine at your pace without ignoring you
-Price point feels really fair and in some places generous in comparison to similar establishments
-Portions feel really fair.
-Wine for the budget and for the baller.
-Menu has a range of nibblers to larger options. The food is good and the menu has a diversity of options. Charcuterie spreads in different sizes, pizza, an array of pastas, etc
-Menu items I really enjoyed include the calamari (I normally don't do calamari because it's that boring appetizer on all menus, but they do a bang up job.), Pasta Cu Sarde, a traditional Sicilian dish that had interesting texture and flavors, and Aracini that is served with roasted garlic, balsamic reduction and a chili oil! Excited to try more entrees to get a better idea on the restaurant's flavor.
-To my delight, there's never a wait but I wonder how long we can keep this secret..
CONS
-Is really dark inside so not the first choice for a sunny day
– The food doesn't knock my socks off, but it's hardly a con. It's plenty good and I've yet to explore the whole menu.
OVERALL
Great place for your radar to hit multiple objectives–especially when you're hosting a dinner for others. Spacious, not noisy, flexible price points, good food, and good service. The kind of place that I'd likely be a regular at if I lived near by.
——UPDATE—–
In response to the comment, yes! I did have a bottle of wine both times I was there, recommended by our server. It was the Nero D'avola I believe, affordable and delicious!! Next visit, I'm excited to try another pasta and an entree!
We went there for new year's eve and we were very disappointed. They did not inform us about the special menu and the choices were limited and overpriced.
The place itself is cute though.. but the ambience was boring.
The restaurant was completely empty last night. It must not be getting much foot traffic, which is such a shame as Bella Gioia is a gem. Simple but delicious Italian food in a beautiful, warm, and rustic setting!
My fiance and I split the calamari as an appetizer. It was battered perfectly, and the sauce was so good and flavorful. I knew I wanted pasta, and the waitress recommended the pappardelle with wild boar ragu. This was amazing, and the portions were huge. At first glance, it seemed like there wasn't much ragu, but it was actually piled high underneath the pasta. My fiance had the pork chop with baked gnocchi and seemed really pleased.
Although the entrees and pastas are priced in the $18-30 range, it's high quality and very filling. I would recommend it for a date or group dinner as it's spacious and not hard to get into.
4-1/2 stars. Creative & delicious menu. Ended up here by accident originally went to Dinosaur BBQ but there was an hour wait so we went on Yelp & found this little gem. Chef/owner can really cook & is also a super nice guy- very personable. Had a nice conversation. Good I'd beautifully presented & very tasty. Highly recommended. Worth a trip
There's something to be said about a restaurant who's chef/owner comes around to make sure you're satisfied with the meal. Nico is the man! There are often seasonal changes to the menu. There's also an excellent wine by the glass selection. My personal favorite, a wine I've been unable to find anywhere else, is the IL Frappato
You can't go wrong with the pizzetes. Order that instead of bread. Sausage was my favorite.
Love this place for the personal attention and quality food. It's definitely one of my go-to spots when I want some great Sicilian food in the Gowanus
Came here actually after a Yelp Elite event to meet up with the fiance and his parents. Laura was the waitress and was great and super sweet.
I had come a little late to the party so the fish they ordered for me was about to be packed up, but I showed up just in time 🙂 It was a wild salmon with fingerling potatoes, olive oil, kalamata olives and just overall yummy goodness. Let's just say you could've put that plate back on the shelf (and I have the visual proof). The wine was good as well and the bf loved the tiramisu (though the cream was a little thick for me).
We would definitely come back here to try out some more of their food! =)
Bella Gioia doesn't look like much from the entrance on a gross section of 4th Ave, but the space opens up into a romantic and cozy brick-walled room with an open stainless steel kitchen in the back. The dining area and bar were mostly empty at 8 PM on Saturday, which is basically a disgrace. Go here for anniversary dates or an impress-the-parents meal! Our server was friendly and the food was served on an assortment of adorable dishes. The beet-ricotta-balsamic salad was one of the prettiest plates I've ever been served, and the four cheese gnochhi was exactly what I'd been craving. The pasta dishes are priced higher than what I can afford on non-special occasions (~$19) or I'd come here all the time.