Bella Italia - Shaftesbury Avenue Reviews Summary

Category: Restaurant London

Address: 61-63 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 6LQ, United Kingdom

Phone: +442033073334

Rating: 4.0
based on 220 reviews.

Service

Pros:

  • "Staff very welcoming, extremely helpful with dietary needs and took time to chat with us."
  • "The service was good with friendly staff. I would definitely eat here again."
  • "Outstanding service from Paw today, even during an incredibly busy shift."
  • "Our waitress was a girl named Denise who was very happy to serve us and gave us all the information we needed."
  • "Service was smooth and the food was delicious."
  • "Despite being understaffed the service was exemplary if just a little slow!"
  • "We were served by the wonderful Kate, she was so attentive, funny and just great! It’s rare to get service like this and we really enjoyed our time :)"

Cons:

  • "The approach and manner the manager used in approaching this situation was appalling and far from hospitable."
  • "The manager on the day was the rudest person I think I've ever encountered in a restaurant."
  • "We waited nearly half an hour just for our drinks, even longer for our mains."
  • "Service was the slowest I've had in London so far."
  • "Ended up leaving without ordering as no-one came over to take our order despite us trying to make eye contact and it wasn't even busy."
  • "The waitress Monika is absolutely rude, not nice with customers, and unfriendly."
  • "Waited by the door, could see a manager up by the kitchen talking to a chef. She turned around looked at us and then carried on talking."

Food Quality

Pros:

  • "The food was lovely."
  • "Absolutely delicious food, my son is very fussy but he loved his spaghetti bolognese."
  • "The food is very well cooked the beer on tap goes down very nicely with the food."
  • "The food was very good. Especially after a long day visiting London."
  • "Dishes and prices were good."
  • "The food was very tasty -we had pasta- and pizza-, the place was clean and especially the service was great."
  • "The pizza was excellent, nice base and a decent amount of well spread toppings."

Cons:

  • "This main was absolutely bad and the worst pasta I ever eat at any restaurant!"
  • "The chicken was very overcooked."
  • "The meal tasted like it was a frozen pizza and the pasta dish tasted like a ready meal."
  • "Garlic bread nearly took my teeth out, pasta sauce was so terrible, I’ve tasted better sauce out of a tin."
  • "Food: the pizza looked and tasted worse than a supermarket frozen one."
  • "Risotto was dry and stodgy, gnocchi was dry and didn't have much sauce."
  • "In two of the dishes we were served, there was a hair found in the mushroom pasta halfway through eating and 2 long strands of brown hair on the garlic bread."

Ambiance & Location

Pros:

  • "Good view of the street to watch the world go by and also more subdued seating at the rear."
  • "A really nice restaurant with Italian comfort food."
  • "What a lovely restaurant with very welcoming staff."
  • "A smaller restaurant but with comfortable seating and a cosy atmosphere."
  • "Near Piccadilly underground station, 7 min from it. Close to many theatres."
  • "The restaurant had a great atmosphere, fab music."
  • "Very nice restaurant in a good location."

Cons:

  • "Cramped…too many seats in a small space. Inattentive and rude staff."
  • "Food is Okey but tables are sooooo close to each other."
  • "Toilet available however not buggy or wheelchair friendly as it’s downstairs- a long staircase."
  • "Very poor service."
  • "Cramped…too many seats in a small space."
  • "Unfortunatly the restaurant is next to a nightclub or should I say nightmare with clubbers leaning against the window at which we were sat and peering in on us eating."
  • "The host sat us down by the toilets making it clear that she didn’t want us sat in her section."

Value

Pros:

  • "The set menu is great value too."
  • "Great vegetarian and gluten free options for people."
  • "The food was amazing and the service was so quick."
  • "For the West End, good value and as expected food."
  • "Food was well cooked and portions fair for the price."
  • "Good food and very friendly service we ate there before going to see a show."
  • "Very conveniently located in Theatre Land with great tasting food."

Cons:

  • "The food was ok, but not worth the money at all."
  • "So overpriced, unfair tips to pay, nothing delicious to try."
  • "Even the pasta received was quite average tasting with a measly portion."
  • "Service was poor and short changed by £10 above all I thought they were very intimidating due to the fact we were a bit younger than the other customers."
  • "Table space was the definition of inadequate, especially for such a busy part of London."
  • "Very disappointing for having spent £131!"
  • "Food came which was mediocre at best and not even hot."

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