Bella Trattoria Reviews

Very much of an Italian feel for the food at this restaurant. Decent Italian wine list. Prices were reasonable. Service was good.

Was so disappointed with our Mother's Day brunch. Making the reservation and even changing it a day ahead was easy. We were the 2nd table seated at 11:30 AM. The waitperson was friendly and from Italy she said. It all started well with drinks and appetizer, then we waited and waited and waited for our entrees. A table that came in after us, got their drinks and entrees and were finishing up before our entrees came out. We pointed out that we had ordered before the other table and our sweet waitperson told us because we ordered an appetizer our food was taking longer and that the other table didn't order an app. so that's why their food came more timely. Okay, but what about the flow of our table? We shouldn't have to wait over 30 minutes for entrees to follow our appetizers.
When we finally got our entrees, there was red caviar on my omelet, when I had ordered the omelet with black caviar. I asked my waitperson and she told me that the entree is with red caviar. I showed her on the menu that it's supposed to come with black caviar and she said she'd talk to the chef. When she returned she told me that red and black caviar come from the same fish so it's the same, only the color is different (really?). I asked her what fish the red and black caviar came from, she said she 'd ask. She came back 15 minutes later and told me that the chef told her the name of the fish is salmon row (roe?). Okay, either the chef is inept and doesn't know anything about fish or he thinks his customer is stupid and is taking advantage of the inexperienced waitperson for whom English is not her first language. I wasn't going to leave a tip, (super slow service, faulty food) but the waitperson was working so hard and was clearly not completely at fault that I did leave the minimum 15%. I won't be back though to what used to be a favorite local Italian restaurant.

Food and service are both excellent. Reservation is highly recommended. They also have a bar next door If you need to wait for a table. Definitely a great mid range Italian joint in SF.

David & his team are the nicest friendliest bunch you could ever hope to bump into. Random stop turned into a great evening with new friends.

My favorite Italian Restaurant in the city! The skirt steak with potatoes and spinach, and the creamless carbonara are highlights, but I have not had a single dish I have not liked on the menu...and I have had them all.

This is a local little spot, quaint and cozy with great food, excellent service. Delicious home made traditional food.

This restaurant has a cozy, warm, dark feel. The food is very good two excellent and they have some unusual dishes as well such as alligator carpaccio which I did not dare to try. They've just opened a bar next door where you can order mostly the same food as the main restaurant. I think that'll help because it's often a bit crowded main restaurant which only has about a dozen tables. Reservations are a good idea. Service was a bit slow the last time I ate there however I don't remember that being that way the other times. I've gone many times and never been disappointed with the food although it can be quite heavy.

Most authentic Italian pasta I've had in the city to date

My waiter forgot about me, I was waiting at their new wine testing bar next door! What ever happened to the baguette!? Awful bread they serve. Food was ok. We need a real Italian restaurant in the hood! Sorry, very disappointing experience.

Amazing Italian fine dining. Superb service and seriously good food. Don't have too much experience with Italian fare but our server knew exactly what to recommend. Will definitely be coming back.

Great Italian. Fresh ingredients. Cheeses and pasta made on sight.

For dessert, we tried the lemon ginger panna cotta- good (not too lemony or gingery as I was thinking) and the affogato. Overall everything from service to food to ambiance was great. Will definitely come back to try the spaghetti (best spaghetti west of the Mississippi?? We'll see!)

Truly Italian food, amazing pasta . Carbonara without cream, but with egg - how it supposed to be. Quite pricey tho.

Great food, prepare to have a meal Italian style, slowly enjoying every course of your meal. Warm, inviting candle lit atmosphere.

Great service and food! Good place for dinner with friends, date night or a business dinner.

Lovely romantic place. Pretty good Italian food, but the lasagna and salmon pasta didn't blown our minds. The service was great though and they brought complimentary bruchetta and strawberry pana cotta (probably because they were closing)

Brother and his girlfriend took us here and we loved it. They recently opened a big room next door, which should help a lot with the crowdedness. I ordered a white pasta which was amazing, and we had the bone marrow appetizer.

This restaurant feels like it was plucked straight from Italy. The food is excellent, and the owners & staff are genuinely happy to have you. Small menu, all done perfectly, and a simple but able wine list. A great place for a special occasion or a weeknight out. Their wine bar next door shares the same kitchen, which is great for large groups. Don t try the lasagna, there s not enough to go around. :)

Great italian restaurant off the beaten path. The food is all delicious, and pastas are homemade. And the ambiance is great if you are looking for a romantic date night.

The host graciously squeezed us in when we didn't have a reservation. The ambiance and food are even better than they were 10 years ago! This place has been consistently high quality, both in service and in cooking!

Warm atmosphere even with the social distancing rules in effect. The staff were friendly and accommodating providing great service during our dining experience!

Best Italian experience in San Francisco. The Gnocchi is to die for.

Amazing special that night we went on a double date! Their house made lasagna was phenomenal as well as the other dishes we ordered there! Great service and just overall enjoyed my time there on my vacation.

I am obsessed with Bella, some of the best pasta in the city FOR SURE. And by FAR the best gnocchi (verdi is my gnocchi here of choice). Super fairly priced, the owner is always here and seating people and chatting- occasionally bringing a free apertif or bruschetta. Came here during the playoffs and they have a TV so you won't miss your Bay Area sports (no sound which keeps the ambiance nice).

The service was amazing. The Manager was timely, and friendly. We were seated quickly, asked what we wanted to drink. The food was delicious and the portion was good and it was a fair price. I will be coming back. It's cute and the food is delicious. Thank you!

We really liked Bella Trattoria! The service was great and I highly recommend the Carbonara!

Had dinner here with 2 friends on Monday night at 6pm. We didn't have reservations but were seated right away. Restaurant seats about 20 and was half full when we arrived. Ambiance is intimate and classy, subtly romantic.

The free bread was very soft and I liked the sundried tomato sauce - a refreshing change to the usual olive oil. For my main course, I had the Maccarune Cu Salsiccia (rigatoni with Italian sausage and tomato sauce). It was good though the sausage in the sauce was a bit lumpy. I tried my friend's Gnocchi Verdi which kind of melts in your mouth, but I didn't like the spinach sauce.

After dinner, our waiter brought us a complimentary panna cotta - I liked the consistency and it was super yummy. In general, service was good - our waiter refilled our bread basket and water pitchers appropriately.

Bill was about $20/person. I'd come back if in the neighborhood, though it's too far from downtown for me to frequent.

The best overlooked Italian *lunch* and dinner in San Francisco.

This teeny trattoria, on Geary at 3rd Ave., is a bit forbidding, what with shiny white linen tablecloths and no menu posted in the window. But it's an amazing lunch find! Great food, great ambiance, awesome staff, and great food (you said "great food" twice).

More down-to-earth than Osteria, my other ristorante Italiano favorite, and a completely different style of food. Don't miss this!

Never judge a book by it's cover...the outside is very unassuming but as you walk in, it's completely captivatinf with high ceilings, romantic lighting and very welcoming environment. The food is absolutely delicious, loved the meatballs and minestrone appetizers. The linguine vongole and seafood stew were also very fresh and delicious. Will absolutely go back to try more dishes, great service too!

What a great place to go for great food, comfortable atmosphere, and pleasant service. The prices are reasonable, servings are adequate, and the service was top notch. Good place to take your family or that special someone. We've found our new favorite place to eat Italian in San Francisco. Can't wait to go back!

Overall a great experience at the restaurant. We were a large party but the waiting staff were very calm, collected, and handled it professionally. The food was delicious as well. I personally got the trout which was cooked to perfection while everyone else I was with got pasta and we're very satisfied. Would recommend to everyone!

My partner and I went here on an Italian crave. A little backstory: We were in bummy Saturday clothes when we walked in. Still, we were a little put off when the waitress told us there weren t any available seats for us. From the looks of it, there were seats behind her, so I began to take offense, thinking maybe she was denying us service because we were of-color and bummy-looking. Then, the chef came out (haphazardly not because of us) and explained that he could seat us next door, where they had a similar menu, and where we could order anything from the BT menu as well. Next door was different in ambience. It was clearly more for the bummy looking patrons and people with families (I guess Bella Trattoria itself is supposed to be more classy, date-night, etc. ). Although, maybe not so clearly: There was an Indian couple there dressed in fine attire, but maybe they didn t have a reservation . The point here is, the optics and messaging behind the seating is a little sketchy, if not outright discriminatory. Nevertheless, the food was delicious. Once seated, the chef personally took our orders. I guess he inferred that we were confused. My partner and I were confused and put off by the seating debacle, but we still ate amazing Italian food.

This was okay. Good italian food but a bit expensive for my taste. I came here with my friend, since my friend's friend was hosting a new years dinner there. I got the squid ink pasta. Never tried squid ink pasta before, so i thought it'd be good to try something new. it was ok but i don't think i'd try it again. Maybe order something else if i went back.

I'm celiac and was in heaven with the homemade GF gnocchi, polenta, and Panna cotta. Excellent service and a truly superb meal.

The truffle pasta was tasty.... Serving a little small in my opinion

Lovely neighborhood place work traditional Italian fare. Terrific staff and a great wine list.

I love their pastas and service. Definitely will be back.

Walk in 5 minutes before it was opened. Greeted and was seated right away. Server was gracious and professional. We have a party of four and we all ordered different entrees. All tastes amazing. This is our third times Bella in six months. Always love it.

its small yet elegant and quaint at the same time. the food was great of course and the chicken was so tender and perfect. we went a week ago and i'm still raving to all my friends about it!

they brought us extra things that we hadn't order to try and it was delish! i was stuffed after my meal but they brought us panacotta and surprisingly it was so light yet rich that i was able to even eat a bit more.

the service was great and they really care about the people that come in to dine. so glad we found this spot! would visit again the next time i'm in the area

Bella Trattoria just became my new neighborhood Italian restaurant! It's very convenient to get to and street parking is a cinch. The restaurant itself is super laid back and cozy. You can come here on a date, or meet up with a friend.

A few must-haves:

Meatball appetizer - some of the most memorable meatballs I've ever had. Bite-sized meatballs drowning in a gooey, cheesy, tomato and eggplant caponata. The meatballs aren't chewy or dry. They're very moist and soft. So much flavor packed into such a small bowl!

Squid ink pasta - it's basically fruitti di mare with squid ink pasta. Huge portion. Lots of fresh seafood. Pasta is cooked perfectly.

Panna cotta - with a splash of balsamic. YUM.

Cozy little place with friendly (but not too friendly) service. Happy to accommodate gluten free dinners. The house antipasto was particularly satisfying, full of well prepared veggies and salad as well as some salami and cheese.

For gluten free they used a quinoa based pasta when I went. It was good, not as good as the Le Veneziane pasta we use at home, though. Sauce was excellent however. And my gluten-eating husband loved their fresh pasta carbonara.

We shared affogato for dessert. So good.

I thought their prices were quite reasonable, too.

This is a great place for Italian food. Delicious home style food. I had the bolognaise. It was delicious. Nice ambiance. Enjoy.

Came here for dinner tonight while on our honeymoon in San Fran. One of our Uber drivers recommended this place and we couldn't be happier! It's a small restaurant with limited seating, so I'm glad we made a reservation. We've never been to Italy before so we can't compare it to authentic Italian, but this was the best Italian food we've ever had in the states. On top of that, the service was phenomenal. There were 4 staff members running the front of the house and it felt like we had a team of wait staff at our service. Everyone was extremely friendly and wanted to ensure we enjoyed our meal, and we did! We didn't order dessert but they brought us out a complimentary panna cotta at the end of our meal. I have a boring sweet tooth and generally only like chocolate desert but this was out of this world! A great way to end the evening. Thank you Bella Trattoria, we will be back next time we're in San Fran!

Love this place. If you're looking for Italian, this is your spot

Fresh food. Great service. All around good neighborhood spot.

Delicious 5 star food with 5 star service, Stephen, our server, was absolutely stunning, helpful, diligent and kind. A huge wine menu and an elegant food selection that is rich and amazing.

Food was delicious, great wines and cocktails. Top notch service friendly, attentive and personable. Bella Trattoria has made my must do list for every visit to San Francisco.

The tiramisu was the best tiramisu I have ever had in my entire life. It was truly a delicacy. The pasta dishes were extremely fresh and delicious.

My friend calls this "the lady and the tramp restaurant" because eating here makes us feel like we've spent an evening in a Disney movie. Charming, charming, charming. Oh, and the food's delish.

Love coming to this neighborhood gem. The staff is gracious and the servings are generous. I once brought my family friends from China to Bella and they had an amazing meal and the most welcoming service. Although I haven't tried everything on their menu, I can guarantee that I can close my eyes and point to an item and know that it will be delicious.

Unless your are fluent in Italian you will have some trouble interpreting some of the items on the menu. However the staff seems to be aware of this and is very helpful. Portions are not overly large but the food is rich and so probably are about right. We all this each other's dishes and each and every one was rich and savory. We didn't want dessert but even after we told them they brought us a small custard with fresh fruit to share. Perfect!

Outstanding food and the staff are delightful and helpful. Awesome place for date night and their bar is just as great to host a birthday celebration. Would definitely go again.

The building looks kind of like tiramisu. Food is well done and not standard Italian fare.

This place has a good atmosphere and amazing authentic food.

Bella Trattoria is magnificent! I took my niece and her husband there for dinner while they were visiting from out of town, and couldn't have chosen a better place. The quaint atmosphere, the attentive waitstaff, the authenticity of the menu items... It all blends to make the perfect evening to spend with friends and loved ones. I'm so glad I opted to check this place out when deciding where we would be dining this evening. This is one of those jewels in the crown of the best of the best, and better than it has to be. Bravo Bella Trattoria!

Nice, simple Italian restaurant. Fairly busy sometimes so make a reservation to be safe. The bruschetta is very good and the pasta dishes I tried were good to great.

Cozy place, friendly staff, amazing food. Their Carbonara is indeed delicious.

This place is amazing! Every dish we tried was excellent. Lasagna, Gnocchi, Osso Buco w/ Fettuccini, Rigatoni with Italian sausage.

Step into a true Italian restaurant. Friendly welcoming hosts, professional wait staff, authentic, well-prepared food. Great place for an anniversary or other special date dinner. And now they have a casual overflow spot next door.

My friend and I were visiting the city yesterday and came upon this place while in the area. We were happy to see that they had outdoor seating. I was unsure of what to order and the server recommended a delicious marinara pasta and added sausage per my request. It was absolutely delicious! My friend was very pleased with her plate as well. When we were about to leave, the kind server surprised us with a small tiramisu. It was sooooo good! I highly recommend you stop here and check it out. The food is very good and the service is exceptional!

Great location for Italian food. The bill was fair for the quality of the food.

The best Italian in the City, hands down! Bella has a great family atmosphere and friendly service. They have gluten free options for those of you that are missing delicious pasta. Reservations are definitely recommended. The gnocchi is so light, you will think it's not even real, .

Amazing service. This place does have vegetarian options - we went with the gnocchi and we're not disappointed. Would highly recommend for a date night!

Everything was great except the pizza highly recommend the gnocchi!

Such a neighborhood gem. All pasta is handmade, and flavors are great. Cute wine list (no hard alcohol) and charismatic friendly service.

This is both my husband and mine's go to Italian place. We come here for date-nights, for movie nights, for nights when we need some commiserating, or just for when we are hungry for pastas.

Amazing food and amazing service!! Fresh pasta....couldn't have been better!

The atmosphere was great! The service was fantastic and the food was decent.

Great gnocchi! Highly recommend. Melts in your mouth

Hidden gem status, but just barely. It s affordable, weirdly located, and quite good!

Exceptional food and service! Gnocchi is to die for!

Great atmosphere, food was great, pasta wasn't authentic and no fresh parm or pepper at the table

My favorite location for delicious italian food. came here on a friday i think. next time i'll be back with my friends. makes me feel like i in nashville again.

Very dim lit and semi romantic setting. Very authentic and delicious food. The staff is excellent. What really caught our attention was the gluten free options. We were very happy to have eaten here while in town.

I was REALLY impressed by this place.

Being in the Richmond, an area of town normally inundated with pizza, sushi, and asian food of all varieties, I wasn't really expecting much from an Italian place with a pretty nondescript exterior. I was wrong.

Their menu is full of fresh, authentic recipes for prices that were honestly lower than I was expecting when I realized it was a "nice-ish" place. Pork belly carpaccio? I didn't even know that existed. Their flat noodle ragu with pork is honestly one of the best marinara dishes I've ever had. Carbonara was thoroughly solid. Bread was delicious. Everything was plated nicely, service was fantastic, and they even gave us a little panna cotta for dessert.

I can't recommend this place enough. It's really solid, gourmet italian food in the Richmond. It's not cheap, but it's not super expensive, either. Go!

Unique take on Italian food. Not a typical "noodle and sauce" joint. No Pizza, Chicken Parm, etc. If you like good gnocchi (Wow!) or some nice Carbonara, give Bella Trattoria a try.

Cozy, warm atmosphere and good service. Meals are homemade and prepared with love

This is not a cheap restaurant and I'm not a rich guy but some things are worth doing and the dining experience you get here is definitely worth it.