Bella Trattoria

Oh my gosh. I had the best time here on a random Thursday night dinner with a friend. We originally landed on this randomly after looking for restaurants open late (a PAINFULLY lacking area in San Francisco) in the Richmond and made our way over. On first impression, it feels like a classy but homey spot - I always appreciate where you can come in casually (like me, post-yoga) but also get dressed up (saw a good number of couples on cute date nights). We tried:- oxtail bolognese gnocchi: This was less of the pillowy bouncy type but rather more melt-in-your-mouth which I loved too! The bolognese was so indulgent and the oxtail was so tender; luckily it was balanced out well by the - it's not carbonara: a fettucine with butternut squash, pecorino, egg sugo (which I'm actually still not sure what it is), and topped with Brussels sprouts shavings and a nice drizzle of balsamic. It was fresh and a little herby, still creamy but in a way that still turned out to be quite light. - and NOT to be overlooked was the complimentary fresh bread! The bread itself was quite airy/not crusty which I'm neutral about but the sundried tomatoes in oil was so simple but mindblowing. I gobbled that down quick. The staff were all so friendly and we didn't feel rushed at all when it was getting later. Next time I will be back for the panna cotta!

We were excited to try this place after reading all the positive reviews. At the end of the visit, we were left with mixed feelings though.The food in general was good. I liked their house dip and bread although my wife found the dips texture a bit off. The grilled artichokes dish was the highlight for us. I got the it's not carbonara and my wife got their rigatoni. Both had good flavors. Their 18yr old balsamic tasted pretty good too.The service definitely felt quite lacking. Our server left in the middle of a menu walkthrough to get a better printed menu for my wife and never came back. It took us some 10-15mins then to get someone's attention to order food and even then they seemed to prioritize others that arrived later. Then the appetizer and drinks took some 30odd mins to arrive. The place was quite packed and buzzing. It did seem like there was enough staff walking around but I don't know if they were just having an off night.

John our sever, bartender and so much more was beyond great. He knew every item we asked about. He had great recommendations. Really was attentive and very accommodating.The food here is amazing, great family vibe, and everything about it makes me want to come back !!!

Bella Trattoria has been around for a while. My husband and I recently returned a few times and once to celebrate a special occasion. We normally do not go crazy over table bread but theirs is soft and pillowy and goes amazingly with their delicious sun-dried tomato & olive oil dip. (I have been trying to duplicate this dip at home but so far not successful.) The Italian food and drinks are pretty delicious as well. Especially love the panna cotta, my favorite. Ambiance of the restaurant seems to be split into a bar on one side and a more formal dining room on the other side. Watch your step as you walk down because it's dark inside. We have been dining in the more formal dining room although I'm sure the menu is the same for both sides. Waitstaff is friendly and efficient. We had a great time.Located on Geary Blvd and 3rd Ave.

Celebrating a friend's birthday lunch proved a challenging task here.I dropped a friend off at the corner and, while looking for a parking space, he called to tell me that the restaurant was closed. I called another guest to confirm that I didn't remember the correct time and place. The restaurant is actually in the 2nd building from the corner. It is much larger than the corner building that bears their name but is not open to the public. Our gracious host ordered a few appetizers to share so we each ordered a main for our meals. Here's what I tried:Apps, shared:1. Suppli Napoletana (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=RvsipNdBi4PC5y8sOzWWjA) - Fried Aborio rice balls stuffed w/ mozzarella and served with aioli. This came as described and I refrained from using the aioli since the cheese was already rich and creamy enough.2. Bruschetta Ca' Pummarola E Mozzarella (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=MVLqwhiqjW3duM3efQWiWA) - Crostini, marinated tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, evoo. This was my favorite of the three apps as the flavor and texture mix of the ingredients were refreshing and easy on the palate.3. Polpette Della Casa (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=Gkk-KFfVEwGUSspm2kboqA) - Beef & pork meatballs w/ chopped eggplant & zucchini Caponata, tomato cream sugo. These were medium sized meatballs, about 3 inches in diameter with four to an order. They were moist and went well with the plentiful and tasty sauce. I ended up using some of their bread in making a mini meatball sandwich.4. Complimentary bread served w/ sun-dried tomatoes (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=EiF0mcSaolxUbdl2a2GE9Q) - Baked daily served with sun-dried tomatoes. Pretty standard and didn't really stand out. It was a good vessel for sopping up sauces.Main:5. Maccarune Ca Vodka, supplment sausage + $4.00 (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=o3_TM6PJRG1fkz5fDvD-eg) - Rigatoni, San Marzano DOP tomato sugo, green peas. The combination of ingredients drew me to order this. I enjoyed this but was only able to finish about half. I wish there was a little more sauce for this. Plating was interesting on this too.6. Gorgonzola (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=DmGwifh7gl4X0jy2Cqn7BA), shared - Spinach gnocchi, crimini mushrooms, gorgonzola cream, tartufata. Due to an ordering mix-up, this dish was comped to us. Though only trying a couple spoonfuls, I liked the flavors and that the cheese wasn't overwhelming.Dessert:7. Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=7oq2o_eo2NQgO4tXVavR8g) - This was also comped to our host in celebration of his birthday. Again, a couple of spoonfuls were all that I tried and it was okay.Beverage:8. Bloody Mary (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=bui_dxnonQNXK8IEYsmKEQ) -I ordered this from the brunch menu after seeing the price ($18) and the words "free refill" beside it. I really enjoyed this, especially the garnishes that were on the toothpick which included two olives, a wedge of lime, and a stuffed pepper. It was tasty and balanced but that pepper threw me. There was cheese in the center that meshed well with the medium spiciness of the pepper. I did get a refill but gave it one of the fellow guests since I was driving home afterwards.It was a relatively relaxing meal with the two guys who tended to our needs working our table. The restaurant was about half full but I observed that the restaurant has a separate area next to the dining room that's labeled the "salumeria". Besides some counter top seats, there was a gelato area where ice cream was being sold. The kicker was that the same two guys who worked the dining room were manning that area too. Props to Kevin and his partner (brother?) for making our birthday celebration an enjoyable one and juggling that other room. This is more of a neighborhood spot than a "foodie" destination.

Awesome pizza and pasta. The pasta was rich but not overwhelmingly heavy. Dessert was very delicious. Easy to find parking nearby.

Everything about this place was divine. The drinks, we got a Spicy margarita mocktail and a martini espresso. Food we got chicken Parmesano and lobster ravioli . Our server was very kind, and helpful. It's a nice spot for a date night, a place to celebrate and milestone, etc.

Ambiance: Bella Trattoria is Italian bar and restaurant with a nice dark wood atmosphere. Service: we were sat at the bar for dinner since they were all reserved. The bartender took our orders. The service was still very fast and excellent.Food: We ordered the Nero di seppia and the It's not carbonara. The gnocchi of the nero di seppia was so soft and chewy. The shrimps was nice and juicy as well. The ratio of shrimp to gnocchi was also perfectly balanced. In addition, the sauce was creamy and savoury. It's not carbonara on the other hand was very fresh with the flavors of the vegetables peering through. There was a nice roast flavor that complemented the cream incredibly well. The noodles were Al dente too. We loved the food.

We chose Bella as our dinner spot for our last night in town. It's a small restaurant with loads of character. Service was outstanding! The house bread is so good and we added the oil and vinegar which were amazing. We started with the Minestrone for two. It was very tasty but more than enough as a starter. The risotto balls were huge and extra cheesy with a fabulous aioli. We ordered the It's Not Carbonara and the Gorgonzola. Both were delicious and fresh.

Bella is probably the best Italian food I've ever had. Authentic, great food, great for birthdays, and the waiters/waitresses are really friendly. If you're thinking about eating just here just do it you'll have a great experience.