This restaurant is by far overrated. The ambiance is very dark when you go in with piano music playing. The host were rude and didn't have a warm welcome upon arrival. We were seated in the back room for a birthday dinner celebration. The room was extremely dark and we couldn't turn on the other lights because it was connected to the most dustiest ceiling fans that had at least 1/4 of an inch thick of dust. The woman who was coming in and out of the room to pour water in the water glasses had an attitude like she didn't want to be there. I asked her a question about the menu and she very dryly told me "you can't order that unless you are on the other side" then walked away. That's when I was inquiring about the bistro menu. At that point I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat anything there due to their lack of plant based items or even easily adjustable items so I just ate the bruschetta. However when we placed the order for the bruschetta it never came out. So once we asked about it, it was then comped and brought out. Our waiter was very irritated and annoyed it seemed with the large party he had to tend to but his assistant which was a younger more personable guy was way more pleasant to be around. The cost point for the food was beyond the taste and size of the portions. When I asked about kid options, the waiter told me he could have the chef make a kids steak or chicken tenders and fries. It was my mistake for not asking for the price since I assumed it was a kids portion. Granted the tiniest steak did come out I still had to pay over $24 which I would have purchased the regular adult size if that was the case. So some clarity on the menu options for the kids would have been greatly appreciated. I can go on and on about this place but ultimately I would recommend not to go here unless you don't care about customer service or price points. Upon leaving the family event, and getting home I then realized my debit card was never returned to me by our gracious waiter. So once we returned to retrieve the card another day we were greeted with the rudest and most annoyed individuals at the host station. Needless to say we will never ever return. read more

Listen, I'm from Brooklyn -- so when I say this pizza was the real deal, fuhgeddaboudit. After leaving the gym, feelin' like Rocky after round 12, my stomach was singin' opera. The kids start chanting like a tiny mob: "Pizza! Pizza!" So we do what any good parent does -- we listen to the boss(es) and start cruisin' for a slice. We roll up to this joint. From the outside? Meh. Looked like the kinda place where you'd maybe get a decent soda and some dusty snacks. But the moment we walked in? BAM. We're greeted by someone with a personality so warm and bubbly, I thought I walked into a bottle of Pellegrino. We order a 12" pizza pie. I was skeptical. I mean, c'mon, I'm from Brooklyn. I've got marinara running through my veins. But lemme tell ya -- the first bite? Fuggedaboutit. I blacked out. I came to somewhere on Rutland Road, standing outside Tony's with a greasy paper plate in hand, angels singing Sinatra in the background. This pizza? This pizza slapped so hard it left a tomato-y handprint on my soul. The sauce? Rich like a Staten Island dentist. Bright, tangy, kissed by garlic, with a little sass like it just got off the L train. The cheese? Oh mamma mia. Gooey, melty, with that beautiful browned bubble thing goin' on -- like it went to tanning school. And the cheese-to-dough ratio? Perfect. Not too cheesy, not too doughy -- like a well-balanced New Yorker: tough on the outside, soft on the inside. And the dough -- chewy, crisp, kissed by the oven gods. You could smell the love from the parking lot. It had that intoxicating aroma that makes you float Looney Tunes-style off your feet, led by your nose. Even my kids -- who treat crust like a bad Tinder date -- devoured every last bite. I had to check under the table to see if they stashed any slices. Spoiler: they didn't. So yeah -- this Winter Haven spot? It's a gem. Who knew you could find a slice of Brooklyn flavor this far from a subway rat? We'll be back, no question. Until then, I'll be dreaming about that pizza like it owes me money. read more

Arabellas - 12" Cheese Pizza - Italian Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

Well the service was great. Got my iced tea refreshed multiple times without asking. Wifey had the chicken parmigiana and I had eggplant. Bread was brought to the table once we were taken to our table. Another lunch meal so we didn't have to wait. Indoor and outdoor sitting. Free parking in lot or on the street. Very enjoyable chicken parmigiana devoured on site. I enjoyed my eggplant dish but it was just so- so warm. A little hotter would have made it perfect. House salads started off this fine meal. See the meal listing for more information on how the food was constructed. read more

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The attention to details are wonderful to see. Our wait staff was excellent. Just the best vibes from the piano playing and the chatter from other tables enjoying the meals. I will be back whenever I'm in the area again. Definitely a favorite now. All the food was delicious and made to perfection. Site back and don't rush this meal and why they have been here for so long. read more

First time I enjoyed this wonderful Italian restaurant. I was very impressed with my whole experienced. From the time I was seated, to my waiter (Matthew) service and talking to the owner (Ray). Being from The Villages area, my friend & I like to visit restaurants that are not in our area; usually we go to lunch. My friend got the Chicken Parm & the piece of Chicken was huge & very tender. My choice was the Italian Deli Sandwich which was very yummy. I am a travel agent who does many local bus trips & I am planning on bringing a group of 34 ladies to this establishment. Before I got home, Hailey (Ray's wife) already sent me several group menus. I was very impressed with how quickly Hailey responded. FYI - I did not make a reservation so Ray did not know I was coming over ahead to time. They just treated me like anyone else. I would highly recommend this restaurant for you personal pleasure but also if you have a group who would like to go somewhere different. When you walk in the ambiance is like an upscale place but the pricing is great and compares to other eateries. So do your self a favor & give them a try. You won't regret it. read more

Met a work colleague here for dinner, who is snow-birding down in Central Florida. It was my first time visiting Winter Haven so I didn't know what to expect. I would say this place definitely leans more towards Italian-American cuisine rather than authentic Italian, that being said the food was decent. The ambiance of this place is very charming and elegant, there is a piano player who goes around the tables and takes requests. They also have a level 2 wine sommelier who can help pair a wine with your meal. We started with the calamari appetizer which was really more of a "fritto misto" (served with fried zucchini). I found it a bit smaller in portion size compared to similar restaurants, but the quality was better than most. The calamari was not rubbery and nothing was overly greasy, the "fry" was done just right. For my main course I ordered the Rigatoni all'Amatriciana, which came with a choice of either house or caesar salad. I opted for the caesar, but was a bit disappointed. I felt the dressing was a bit overpowering, it probably could have been tossed in less of it and still been noticeably a caesar salad. The rigatoni itself was done perfectly al dente and the sauce had a good balance, just the right amount of sweetness. However I also was a bit disappointed by the "amatriciana," instead of true guanciale it was served with something resembling pork belly? It might have still have been pork cheek but it wasn't the guanciale I'm used to. I also thought the onions could have been chopped up into smaller dices, instead they were cut more julienne style. I do want to return to try one of their ravioli dishes and hopefully next time I'll have room for dessert as well. read more

I write very few reviews. I live in New Smyrna Beach and had a business lunch at Arabellas today, 7-28-2026. Three of us. One other person came from Ormond Beach and another from Ft. Myers. We arrived about 11 AM and left at about 3:30.....even though they usually close at 2 PM I think. The service was great and the food was great. Beautiful restaurant and even going to the restroom I noticed how perfect everything was done. 5 stars seems to be too few somehow. I have never been here. When we arrived we didn't see the restaurant so I called and an employee walked outside, asked me what kind of car we were in, I told her and she said I see you and am waving. Just a really good experience all around. This will be my go to place for business lunches in Winter Haven. Charles A. read more

I don't give out 5 stars often, but man oh man - what a Gem. My best friend & I travelled from Orlando to try out this place & we are dying to go back soon. We tried: Calamari (crispy & yummy) Caprese Di Sorrento (fresh, delightful) Filetto Al Pepe Verde (melt in your mouth good) A chefs special - with grouper (flaky deliciousness) Cherries Jubilee (the ultimate treat) The food was absolutely flavorful , the ambiance included music and the servers did amazing food presentations. Sooo happy we gave this place a try- you definitely should too. read more

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It was our 5 year wedding anniversary and decided to try Arabella's for the first time since living here for 3 years. WOW we really have been missing out. The food was incredible and Brittany was a fabulous waitress! read more

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Stopped by the Ave bar connected with Arabella's last night for a few drinks. The vibe was cute and the bartender was great. My partner and I enjoyed two rounds of drinks. The first round, we both had espresso martinis. My partner had the one on the menu - which was too fruity for me - and I had the espresso martini but instead of the raspberry vodka I substituted it for tequila. The second round I had their Spritz Veneziano and my partner had a Campari spritz. All drinks were fabulous and it was great to sit at the bar and wind down for the evening :) prices were appropriate for cocktails of that caliber. read more

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Attended a ladies luncheon there today. Service was very good. I tried the special which was a steak sandwich that came with fries and a Caesar salad very good food and huge portions that I could not even eat. They were very kind enough to provide individual bills to everyone all seven of us, which is unheard of in New Jersey. The ambience was very nice and would definitely come back when in the area read more

Food, service & ambiance were all outstanding. Highly recommend for that special dinner.

Everything went well. The food was delicious the server was exceptional and knowledgeable. This was my second time visiting and it felt a little more rushed than the first time but everything was still delicious read more

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Since Nov 2024 they raised the Veal dinner prices by 30% !!!! Veal has gone up, but not that much. They have lost our business.

We celebrated our Wedding Anniversary at Arabella's with wonderful food and music. The restaurant specializes in "special occasions" with many of the patrons celebrating anniversaries and birthdays. A musician takes requests for songs submitted on a card or on-line that he plays on a piano, accordion or flute. Happy Birthday songs are played/sung table-side on the accordion or flute. I thought the music requests might be cheesy but they were done exceptionally well on the grand piano and even the harmonica. Arabella's has an extensive wine and spirits menu both by the bottle or by the glass. Our server Michael guided us through wines that would pair well with our entrees and started us off with an off-menu appetizer of bacon wrapped scallops with chick peas and parmesan sea foam. The very tasty foam made this a unique food that is a must try dish when available. A tasty house salad and raspberry sorbet pallet cleanser were served before the entree. For the entree we were blessed to watch the flaming table-side preparation of the Chateaubriand for Two, a 20 oz beef tenderloin expertly cooked and then flambeed to perfection at the table and served over sautéed mushrooms and a red bell pepper with broccolini, root vegetables and potatoes. An Arabella's classic dish that must be tried. We finished our meal with specialty coffees and another table-side special flambeed Cherries Jubilee served with vanilla ice cream including a happy anniversary message written on our dish. A special finish to a very memorable meal Overall, everything was wonderful and we will definitely be back soon. read more

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Service ok waiter not friendly did not offer desert the food was over cooked and burnt around the edges I ask the waiter to please tell the chief, waiter brings back my food in carry out. I do not think he could understand English. Ambience was good. We had driven 3 1/2 hours to eat at this restaurant. We will try another Restaurant the next time we are in Winter Haven read more

Excellent food, service, and ambiance, especially for a smaller town, Great cocktail and appetizer options, but the steak and lobster is to die for. read more

Fantastic venue Best martinis ever Great lunches and happy hour Good service and pricing read more

Loved our one and only experience at Arabellas! Found this spot on Yelp, made a reservation for the very same day to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, and we were over the moon upon leaving this restaurant. We ordered the calamari which was not as flavorful as I expected (the sauce was not as spicy as the title suggested) but the bread and olive tapenade was yummy! We had a bottle of cabernet (can't remember which one but cost was around $45), and as soon as I spied the Chateaubriand on the last page of the menu, that is the entrée we selected. I was actually looking to take him out to a restaurant for chateaubriand back in Tampa, but we ended up out of town for his job and the circumstances could not have been better. The chateaubriand here is only $99 and (as usual) it serves two - but not only that, it includes the salads and plenty of sides! Most restaurants would a la carte this but Arabella's did nothing of the sort. We were served raspberry sorbet as a palate cleanser between meals (a first for me), and the steak for two was served with a spinach-stuffed bell pepper, alongside carrots, broccolini, and potatoes! It was truly a full meal for $100.00, and I can honestly that this was the best chateaubriand I have had in a long time. Medium rare is a true medium rare so buyer beware if not prepared for some mooing! The lively pianist and jam-packed crowd contributed to the perfect evening ambiance. The pianist turned into a tableside accordion player when it was time for the birthday song. My boyfriend didn't want the song but it was a good thing he relented because the complimentary cheesecake served with house-made whipped cream and raspberry sauce were worth his embarrassment! I would definitely return if I were back in the area and without a doubt recommend to all friends and family in the market for a delectable cut of meat! read more

Arabellas - Chateaubriand - Italian Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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High price - Olive Garden quality, very disappointed in food quality. The service and staff are what you expect when dropping 300$ for an anniversary dinner or special occasion but the food was below average, had to cut the lobster with a steak knife. I've has much better steaks at long horn in Winterhaven. they have the atmosphere and staff but come on guys with the food selection read more

Upscale Italian restaurant with huge portions and subpar food. The salmon was overdone. The strip steak was enormous, but so tough that even the provided steak knife didn't faze it. The calamari was perfect, but not good enough to make up for the otherwise disappointing experience. read more

Great banquet service last night. I had the NY strip with Gorgonzola sauce. Huge portion and grilled to perfection. I can't wait to go back. read more

Very good service, great food and excellent place to take my wife for a date. Excellent chef specials that I look forward to

Greater 2nd time this week by Kyla incredibly personal lady mathew was our server very attentive couldn't resist having bruschetta again Pam ordered the salmon which came with a bed of asparagus potatoes and yellow squash cooked perfectly I followed up with veal parm over spaghetti with marinara sauce nice portion for lunch as always food service and ambiance spot on highly recommend read more

Delicious food! Perfect for special occasions! Great ambiance and staff! We celebrated our family just because and it was fantastic!

Had the opportunity to eat there for dinner (birthday) which was a truly magical meal. Then again for a Ladies Luncheon for Christmas, a wonderful experience. The restaurant is elegant without being pretentious. A true local treasure. read more

Food was amazing 5 stars Service 5 stars Ambiance excellent piano played a Great place in Winter Haven for fine dinning read more

What the heck happened to Arrabellas in Winter Haven? This restaurant used to be a go to staple for birthdays and anniversaries. Not anymore. The waiters no longer treat you like you're somebody. The lunch menu steak was ordered as a medium well and pretty much was as dry as shoe leather. When you have to ask for A1 sauce and pour it all over to get some type of moisture into the steak that's a problem. I ordered Fettuccini Alfredo and can tell that it was sitting in the window because the outer edges of the pasta were curled up and dried. Dessert was a disaster. Ordered crème brûlée, which was cold. And a tiramisu which was thawed out. Very disappointed probably will not go back for quite some time. Hopefully they'll get a chef who actually knows how to cook. read more

I had my birthday dinner here and I couldn't have asked for a better evening. I had the Steak Diana, which is cooked table-side, along with a Caesar Salad that is also prepared table side, and from scratch. No fake salad dressing here! The waiter was great and the cook that prepared the table side meals was funny. It was topped off with a live piano, in a pretty setting. Don't miss out on this place! read more

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All I can say, is, "Wow!" The ambience was wonderful, and had a nice gentleman playing the piano throughout dinner. He takes requests! The food was absolutely delicious! We were here on business and had the fish special and their version of chicken piccata. Our server, and their helpers were very attentive, and offered great suggestions when we had questions. Between the appetizers and main course, they gave us a bit of sorbet to cleanse the palate. The pace of dinner was perfect and it was truly a very satisfying dining experience. If you're in the area and looking for fine dining, this is definitely a spot I would suggest. read more

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First timers. Had an AWESOME lunch. Francesco was great. Loved the music playing in the backround. Couldn't say anything bad. You have to go here. It's our new favorite for Italian food. Thanks guys. Ann & Bob read more

Loved this place, went on a date and had a fabulous time. Music was good, the piano player was great and it was a nice restaurant with small town vibes but still really nice. read more

Wonderful birthday dinner. The food was delicious, the service excellent and lovely piano player. Charming atmosphere. Best calamari I've ever had. Would highly recommend! read more

Arabellas stylizes itself as an authentic fine dining Italian restaurant. However, after visiting for lunch with a co-worker yesterday, the food is more in line with a standard Americanized Italian style restaurant. The lunch menu was reasonable for this white tablecloth restaurant with most of the pasta dishes around the $15 range. I ordered the Lasagne All'Emiliana since it was the very first pasta dish on the menu and advertised as "a house specialty". The lasagna was pretty good with a mound of gooey cheese, soft pasta, sweet tomato sauce, and spiced sausage. It was similar to other decent lasagna dishes I have had at other Italian restaurants in the US. read more

Arabellas - Lasagne All'Emiliana - Italian Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

We have been waiting to come here for over a year. We finally get in tonight and what a disappointing experience. The best thing that we had tonight was the shrimp appetizer and the bread they were both delicious. The service was ok nothing out of this world . I ordered the special for the night, which was a shrimp, scallop and lobster platter with some pasta and vegetables. The vegetables weren't even cooked all the way and the was for a child. 3 shrimp 3 scallops and a 8-10oz tail $90 thats insane. You guys are located in Winter haven not Winter Park. We order the molten chocolate cake for dessert and we did not know that the molten portion of it was dark chocolate personally not my favorite. This place is way overrated and is a good meal for a local older couple not real foodies. The mozzarella that we had tasted refrigerated and the lobster bisque there was no lobster to be found granted it was only $5.50 but believe it or not this was a $230 meal. My wife ordered the lemon chicken, which had no flavor but a pinch of salt and some lemon squeeze again very small portion on the pasta And the chicken was dry. We got Caesar salad as our sides and had to pay an up charge for a Caesar salad instead of a house Salad ,the salad was not bad, but it came with two croutons, each quite mediocre. Overall, I don't think I'll come back. This place is way overpriced considering we can go to have dinner at a restaurant in the Orlando area in a luxury hotel with luxury service for the same price or less, the bread and hummus dip was the best thing I had this evening kind of strange to see hummus dip in Italian restaurant, but the flavor was delicious. Old fashion was mid. If you're looking for an amazing experience at an Italian restaurant, save yourself the time and money and go visit Tarini in Orlando. This is not a paid advertisement by Tarini. We are simply just harsh food, critics, and reviewers, and this was quite disappointing.. read more

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The ambiance was amazing, service was impeccable and the food was so delicious. The piano player was an added bonus. We even got to give him requests and he did a great job. This is a place that you'll want to take your date or significant other to. Fine dining at its best! read more

I really don't get impressed by a lot because I travel for work. Our meal was absolutely fabulous. It was nice to see an Italian restaurant no and understand that pasta is a side and not the whole dish. The delicious pasta complimented the seafood beautifully. I've been wanting to come to this restaurant for some time and finally made it. We went on a Monday night and it wasn't terribly busy but I completely recommend making reservation because they are sometimes busy up to 2 weeks out and forget about holidays unless you schedule a reservation. read more

Arabellas - Seafood trio. Scallops, shrimp and lobster. Just the right amount of pasta. - Italian Near Me - Winter Haven, Florida

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lovely date night. they play live piano music and is an elegant place for an intimate dinning experience. wait staff was knowledgeable and food and drinks were enjoyable read more

Nice fine dining dinner that still felt casual. Staff were friendly and attentive and ambiance was comfortable but the dining room was louder than expected for a Monday night. Started with bruschetta and little Gouda pear pasta purses. Both were good. House salads for 2 of us and table side Caesar for the other 2. Everything was okay not outstanding. Entrees were better. I enjoyed the veal, my wife like the fettuccini Alfredo with scallops. Other dining duo enjoyed chicken florentine and Alfredo with chicken. Dessert was a tasty cheesecake as a birthday treat accompanied by an accordion song. Dining room pianist was great entertainment and the highlight of the evening. Worth the 30 minute drive read more

Total awausa service food atmosphere above expectations. Recommend To anyone wants a time meal to rember . read more