Bistro Bella Vita Review

Came back to this restaurant for a second time. If you're looking for a nice spot for dinner, I highly recommend stopping in. Treated with great respect from a knowledgeable and friendly staff. Food and drinks are top notch!

I greatly enjoy this restaurant, the food is amazing every time. Only thing I have noticed is that for the price the portion sizes are small. Whenever I go here with my boyfriend he is still hungry after his entree, but we do immensely enjoy the food. As long as you are willing to spend more on multiple appetizers, entrees and drinks you will enjoy this place, it can just get pricey fast.

We came for a family dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The menu includes a variety of Mediterranean inspired dishes, including pastas and pizza, beef and chicken entrees. I had a delicious Poulet de Provence, moist and tender enough to fall off the bone. The peach cobbler desert was the perfect finish to a tasty meal. Service was excellent with attentive and helpful staff. They easily accommodated the people in our group with food allergies to ensure their dinners were safe to eat. Although prices are above average for the area, they are reasonable considering the kinds of freshly prepared upscale dishes they are serving and the service is great.

This place is phoneminal. I had the goa5 cheese ravioli. Was amazing my wife had the saffron risotto loved it. Service was beyond compare. Would recommend it to anyone on a date night. Dennis our server was awesome. This would be a 5 star but I only go 4. Looking forward to going again

Great place! Fan setting and the food was... mostly seafood. They have great grill items and nice waiters!

Great food, also open on Sunday evening in Grand Rapids, not an easy thing to find.

Great food and service. Had the seafood stew and had them spice it up a bit. It was delicious. Great place for a nice dinner.

Making a Pickup for Postmates, so I wasn't dinning. But the staff was very friendly. The place looked beautiful and food smelled great. Nice drink selection as well.

My favorite restaurant in town. Always an amazing dinner. And the martinis are to die for.

Moved out of town 10 years and recently moved back. Was one of our favorite places. Very disappointing meal last week. Bistro steak was leather tough and the saffron risotto has no flavor! After $13 glasses of wine and a $140 tab I felt abused. It s not what it was.
Service was great.

Excellent, different food. Our party was in a private dining area and the service was great. Of course, the prices are expensive and portions are small. The duck breast reminded me of ribeye.

Service was excellent, but the food, while good, was a little bland.

Very good service (greeted promptly, shown courtesy, & no wait, ); menu offers wide selection and prices are reasonable, beer and liquor drinks were standard, friend ordered a mixed drink (twice) and it was very weak both times. Food was well-prepared and nicely-plated; meat was cooked to order. Flavor was a bit lackluster.

Fave place to get a martini! Staff is fabulous and friendly. Food is top notch. Recommend formaggi pizza and pear martini.

Fantastic service, incredible food, reasonably priced for what you get. Highly recommend

We had an outstanding experience here! We came on New Year's Eve & there was a lively crowd in the restaurant but we did not feel rushed at all. My husband ordered the steak & I had the salmon. Both were cooked to perfection. Our waitress was very attentive & made great recommendations. The only downside is that we were seated near the entrance and it was a little chilly. We will be coming back often!

Another incredible dining experience recently- we celebrated a loved ones 70th birthday with a group of nearly twenty and it was perfect.
Thank You Bistro Bella Vita

Ate here for our anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just good entrees, definitely not great. Brisket was a let down. Great clam chowder soup, appetizers, and one desert (chocolate torte). Other desert was not that good (we didn't even finish, and I always finish deserts). For $150 for 2 people full meal and couple drinks, thought it could have been better. Also, they didn't validate parking at all and I think a restaurant of this price should if they don't have any available parking for their guests. Non covered parking lot directly in front of restaurant was additional $12.50. We will go back but not anytime soon. Definitely rounded up to 4 stars and generous overall with review, 3.5 stars would be more accurate.

Great food and atmosphere and excellent service. They are great at celebrating special occasions just make sure you know everything they offer you when celebrating isn't complimentary unless they specifically say so!

We ate there last night and we had some of the most amazing food ever! If you are EVER in Grand Rapids, you MUST eat here. Our server Cole was great, she answered all of our questions. SHE WAS AMAZING!

My mom's birthday dinner, 14 in the Wine Cellar room. We arrived early and got two cheese platters which included preserves, apple slaw, cucumbers and three different cheeses. Everyone loved them! Family style dinner with two beautiful salads (beet with cheese, walnuts, etc., and arugula with prosciutto, fruit, etc.), then braised beef (like a pot roast with an incredible wine sauce) and roasted chicken (great texture and taste), plus mashed potatoes, pasta marinara, and root vegetables. While the beef had everyone talking, we all liked everything. Dessert... contract said "mini desserts," which translated into three types of cakes with tasting portions for everyone... what a great surprise!

Excellent food and excellent service. Best gnocchi and best clam chowder that I've ever had.

Amazing food. Salmon was so good and the green glaze was delicious! Calamari was so tasty and the service was above and beyond good!!

The food is amazing an service is always the best . Thanks

Pouyet de province was one of the best dishes I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Menu is fantastic, atmosphere is very well carried out for a nice evening out. Will be a return customer!

Ordered the four cheese ravioli for lunch. Flavor is good minus the uncooked carrots and coliflower. The best part is I spent $13 plus tip, just to get four ravioli pieces. Picture is exactly how it looked when opened.

Love this place! Food is always GREAT! and Fantastic Service!

High priced meal that is only okay. I am not a huge fan.

Delicious and varied menu of food and drinks. Nice atmosphere.

We haven t visited the Bistro in years and were not disappointed. The bruschetta was delicious. As was the Fusilli and the Ravioli. The dessert special was spectacular. Service was awesome. I would highly recommend a visit in downtown GR.

Amazing food and lively atmosphere. We came around 5:05pm on a Wednesday. Couldn't be happier with this visit. Would recommend 10/10

friendly staff, great food, makes a perfect location for a special evening

Not what I expected when I ordered the carrot and easing salad, but it was delicious! I ate very single bite. Definitely left with a garlic aftertaste, but that's what you get with the yummy pesto! Didn't taste the lavender in the lemonade, but the drink was still delicious.

Fleshly made pasta cooked perfectly, we with a party of 12, and everyone was happy with what they ordered.

Celebrated a family Birthday at the Bistro and the food was awesome!

Great surprise on a random stop during our trip to Traverse City. Service was excellent. The food is even better. Staff really made this stop great.

Super! Great service and food! We spent a really nice time together with my family!

Sumptuously delicious food and fantastic, fast service. Highly recommended.

I have always enjoyed my meal here. Good French and Italian food. Recommend the beef burginion.

The food was wonderful and our service was great. My husband got the beef borginon and I got the rotisserie chicken. Really great flavor. Nice atmosphere

Decent place for food, would give 3.5 stars if I could.

I took my three children here. The atmosphere was awesome. The food was superb, and the Staff top shelf...

Fantastic food, even to go. Cannot wait to try it sit down whenever things become normal.

Very professional service and the food was delightful and delicious.

Fabulous food, several gluten-free options besides salad, great wait staff, nice selection of signature cocktails.

This place will violent your amarican with disabilities rights as well as hippa. Would not recommended it in any fashion. The manager offered to "segregate" me because i have a medical disability that does not allow me to wear a mask. Sounfs like discrimination to me.

Outstanding wine selection, appetizers and entree menu choices have something for everyone. Quiet enough for conversations. Excellent meal and service.

Good 3rd date location. One of those I think I might actually like this person date locals. Fantastic bar, well stocked with knowledgeable staff. Not a place to go crazy but if you want good drink and good conversation and are in a middle income bracket this is a spot for you.

One of the best restaurants in Grand Rapids. Everything I every had there has been delicious.

This is a typical Ruth's Chris with the standard excellent menu and the standard excellent service. You will not go wrong with anything on the menu

Excellent service. My wife ordered pasta and it was fantastic. I had the steak and while cooked to near perfection, it *really* lacked seasoning. A pinch of salt might go a long way. Expect to spend a little bit, but worth checking out if you're down near the arena.

Amazing place... Loved the food, drinks and ambience.

"Cole" Nicole was a gracious hostess and provided really good service. The pepperoni pizza was very tasty! Excellent place to have meetings.

A Grand Rapids staple. Before concerts, shows or just for fun. Great food, service and ambiance.
Awesome outdoor seating when the weather cooperates. Plenty of parking nearby and valet. Reservations recommended on weekends. Gets very busy when there is stuff going on at the arena.

The brisket was amazing! Great atmosphere and great service!

Always a great place to enjoy a fabulous drink and meal. Many places come and go but Bistro is consistently great over the years! Check it out!

Has a great meeting room. We had about 25 people and the size was perfect. Food was awesome. I had the filet which was cooked to perfection and although they gave me a steak knife, it wasn't needed.

Excellent food, excellent service,reasonable prices.
DO IT!

Great food and atmosphere! Very good pizza offered for happy hour.

Food was amazing staff were very nice and helpful about menu items

Pricey, mediocre food. Generic atmosphere. Good service.

wonderful staff great food good ambience for hotel and condo owners

9/29/18: Drinks and food good, but WAY overpriced for what you get unless it is pizza! I ordered the mafaldine, $23 for four tiny bites of beef on a mound of pasta. It was definitely tasty, but c'mon! 23 bucks for four less than 1/4 inch pieces of beef and 6 ounces of pasta. Pretentious and full of itself. If you charge 23 bucks and list mushrooms and beef as the first ingredients, I don't appreciate having to hunt for those ingredients in a mound of pasta. $10 for a small cocktail. If you want to impress your date with how much you are willing to pay, then this is your place. If you want balanced proportions based on menu description, find someplace else. I would have gladly paid that price, in fact I did, but would actually have liked the mushrooms and beef to play a starring role vs just a garnish on a pile of pasta. Will not be back, and would not recommend.

10/11/18:
I appreciate the restaurant taking the time to respond. I do wish we could share communication publically vs separate email. The staffer assured me that "next time" I come in they will make sure I have a more pleasant experience. My response is that in life, we do not get a second chance to make a good first impression. If they care that much, they need to either revise the description to note that the dish is pasta with a hint of beef and mushroom, or make the effort to QC what is actually being served.

I appreciate the effort to invite me to spend more money, and to have me contact a specific individual in order to allow them the opportunity to try again...that isn't the best way to get a good review. Do it right the first time, and no apologies will be needed.

Delicious. Had a lot of food for each dish. Went to a wedding rehearsal dinner hear. It was great and great service!

Amazing food, brought some customers for lunch, great time.

Come here often because the food and service is always consistently good. You won't leave disappointed or hungry.