I'm from New Orleans and we have so many super wonderful restaurants. It's hard to get excited about a restaurant somewhere else. We were lucky enough to stumble into Bella Blu which will be on my list of things to do every time I go back to New York. Our food was absolutely amazing, the service was excellent. The overall ambience had a great vibe. We kept it pretty simple this time with a beet salad and Quattro Formaggi white pizza, were so delicious. All the plates around us other tables looked spectacularly good too. The general discussion in the restaurant was how wonderful the food was and how nice the service people are. Turn o read more

The food was outstanding. And it's a breath of fresh air.. right back to Italy.. so delicious .. pizza in the italian style wood fired oven. Service is NYC style . 3-4 waiters at a seconds notice are at your table and take pride in their serving great food. The atmosphere is really unique. Walls appear to be unfinished plaster with artwork on one wall. A mural on the other. The staff all seem to speak italian and you get the feel you are in Testaverde in Rome .. I had white/black pasta with seafood highly recommend . read more

Bella Blu - Sardines .. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I had a wonderful lunch today at Bella Blu on Lexington Ave. in midtown Manhattan. I will say a lot has to do with my dear friend I haven't seen in over a year, but the food and ambiance here at Bella Blu didn't hurt. First and foremost, the setting here at Bella Blu was this relaxed, almost "Zen" quality for a restaurant with so many patrons. It was so quiet in there, I could hear my napkin fall off of my lap. This was very refreshing; especially because of the amount of catching up us two friends needed to do. The service here was very attentive and helpful. As for the food, my Tagliolini al Nero di Seppia with black and white tagliolini, crab, shrimps, cherry tomatoes in a spicy tomato sauce was absolutely delicious. I've been in New York now for eight days and haven't had a meal yet, I haven't loved! That's saying a ton of kudos for this amazing city. Lucky me - I have five more days here. read more

Bella Blu - This lovely Italian Cafe - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Bella Blu is easily my new favorite spot. Not only is it conveniently located by my go-to stores, but it also has some of the best service, atmosphere, and of course dishes. A friend and I stepped into Bella after an exhausting hunt for lunch and were very quickly satisfied with our choice. From being greeted by a kind face, to seeing the beautiful interior, to enjoying exceptional food, this place knocked it out of the park for me. The moment I knew this place was different was when I expressed my love for the tomato they serve with bread and the waiters only response was "I'll do it for you" and brought be a to-go container of it for me to bring home. Considering its location and the wonderful experience, I will most definitely be back regularly and can't wait to show friends and family. read more

This is a quaint place/ neighborhood destination. We went very early before a show. The service was great I just had a little difficulty finding what I wanted on the menu. Our meals Were good, not outstanding read more

There is a reason why this place has been around so long . The service is impeccable . Food is very good . Never disappoints.

Usually good but not great food but tonight not even that. The chicken Milanese was served with an ice cold salad on top of it so it was cold within a few bites. The pasta portion of my daughter's $42 dish looked like it came off the children's menu. Our appetizers were served with the main dishes. My glass of red wine was served at 75 degrees Not worth a return visit. read more

I've never had a bad meal at Bella Blu. The food is excellent from the brick oven pizza, to the pastas to the frito misto and the chicken... you really can't go wrong. The entire staff is kind, warm and ultra efficient. Just plan ahead because reservations can fill up fast. It's a neighborhood staple for me but it would be worth a trip, too. read more

We had a wonderful lunch at Bella Blu. Reviews reporting a quiet yet busy restaurant were spot on. Service was excellent. The wild duck ragù on pappardelle will stay with me. Delicious. My friends had the wild boar ragù and raved about it. read more

Had dinner at Bella Blu the other night. The waiter recommended the Dover sole. I went his his recommendation. What he didn't say was that the price was $82! For a very mediocre piece of fish. That's BS... and my last visit to Bella Blu. read more

Short version: absolutely amazing food, and the service (from the server, not the support staff) was very bad. I was hesitating to write a bad review, but the service we had at the restaurant was so abysmal last night, when it wasn't for others with the same waiter. We ordered our salads and wine, and then had to ask the waiter to order our mains, desserts, for bread, and he never came to check on us. I truly was astounded. When we ordered our champagne (and had to ask for a wine list and a new menu after the host dropped multiple papers out of it) we didn't get something to put our champagne in? He left it on the table (when the table next to us had their white wine in a cooler). I would almost never write a review about the poor service but this felt intentional and not like a fluke. My friends and I watched our server ignore us, chat with other tables, and with the host multiple times. It was really icky and disappointing, as the food was absolutely astounding. Special shout out to the support staff who gave us water, menus, food, and another knife when it fell on the ground. read more

Great drinks, service and brick oven pizza here! Dino the bartender was superb! He makes excellent drinks and he is one of the sweetest! The restaurant is very lucky to have him. We tried the robiola pizza & it was so delicious and unique! I have never had a pizza like this and the cheese & truffle oil with the arugula was heavenly! read more

Bella Blu - One of the sweetest bartender Dino who makes excellent drinks! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I love this place!!!! Been coming here for at least 15 years and it is always fantastic. They make the best Caesar salad appetizer and veal Milanese in all of NYC. read more

Bella Blu is my new UES favorite restaurant! We arrived late (~9pm) so worried about the kitchen closing, but it was a lovely, relaxedw dining experience. The salad and pizza were just the way we all liked them (and I live in New Haven which considers itself pizza mecca). They made a special birthday dessert with lighting to make it sparkle. The ambience was interesting and cozy, the server was fun and attentive. We live close by and will definitely be back! read more

Don't pay attention to any of the mediocre reviews you may encounter on Yelp! On a hot summer night, my girlfriends/I decided to go out for a pizza & beer to cool off the & Pizza & beer sounded perfect for an impromptu gathering. Around 8:30 PM on the weeknight, the restaurant was busy with diners & we were seated promptly. We ordered a typical Margarita pizza & Caesar salad , & beers to start & quickly finished up all but still were hungry. Our friendly, personable, & awesome server , Giovanni, recommended the white pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, & basils, one of the house specialties. Oh my god, it was really delicious! We finished up the 2nd pizza literally less than 2 minutes, lol, & we all each had two bottles of beers. Thanks, Giovanni for the recommendation & extra calories, lol! We could go on eating more pizzas but we felt enormously guilty after consuming so much calories that we decided to stop for the night! The restaurant is very family friendly, located right off the Lexington just a block north from the 6 train stop , 68th Street on the beautiful Upper East Side residential neighborhood. Recommend, for great pizza, beers, wines, & friendly staff. We will go back to try their other authentic Italian pasta & mouth watering deserts ext time! read more

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The food was good. We ordered dover sole off the specials menu and did not ask the price. The other entrees were $35-$40, but the bill came for $82. We felt ripped off and cheated. read more

I personally wouldn't return. We had a reservation for Saturday night. We had made it well in advance. When I arrived I was told our table was outside. I looked up at the skies and said "it is definitely going to rain". In which the maitre D responded, "you won't get wet here you're covered by the awning." in which I responded "there's absolutely no way I'm not going to get wet if it rains.". He insisted and even said "I work here, I know." And guess what? When the skies opened it poured, and the seats were covered with water. Thankfully I was smart enough to get up and stand covered. He didn't even apologize and then found us a table inside. I have no idea why he didn't do that in the first place. The food was fine but the service even from the waiters were terrible. Our app we were sharing came out first with one of our mains and then myself and one other person had to wait 20 min for our mains to come. They didn't come back to check on us and forgot our drinks. Overall I feel like it is busy because it's an UES establishment that has been there for a long time. But the service is bad and honestly the food isn't worth it. read more

This is another one of my favorite places. I'm all about the atmosphere. It's so pretty and so Italian. The food is delicious. I do with they took reservations for parties of two - if they did, i would be a regular. I don't like to take a chance! read more

Bella Blu Ristorante is a high-class establishment located on the Upper East Side with exceptional food and friendly staff. If you are in Manhattan, or any of the boroughs for that matter, stop by for some excellent and authentic Italian cuisine. Their menu is reasonably priced and the food is delicious. Additionally, they have an extensive wine selection with a wide variety of offerings for your preference. The interior is uniquely painted, and the front of the house maintains a spotless environment. Bella Blu Ristorante's ownership and management are on point. I would happily dine here again--five out of five stars. read more

Been here twice & each time has been great. We sat outside and it's the perfect spot to enjoy a meal and people watch! It's also a great ambiance, they set the table with white tablecloths & it elevates the vibe so much. We ordered the Margarita pizza & Lexington pizza and shared it for lunch! Amazing pizza read more

Bella Blu - Margherita Pizza & Lexington Pizza - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Was trying to find a pizzeria with pasta. When we arrived on a Sunday around 4PM, we were exhausted from walking and wanted a good pizza. Unfortunately once we got comfortable, we were informed by or server that the pizzaiolo was on break and wouldn't be back until after 5PM. We were disappointed since we already picked out our pizza choices. There were only 2 tables with customers so we can sit anywhere. The server brought us bread basket and marinara sauce. The sauce perfectly complimented the bread which was soft with a crunchy crust. We had to check out the pasta menu and decided on: - Pappardelle al Ragu d' Anatra e Olive nere which is Homemade Pappardelle, Wild Duck Ragu and Black Olives. It was not a big dish though it's delicious and hits the spot. - Mezzelune di Ricotta e Spinaci alla Crema Tartufata which is Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli, Black Truffle Cream Sauce. It was great though a bit heavy for me though my friend said it was terrific. There is one restroom for the women's and it's clean. Definitely worth a try. read more

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Fine spot in UES for some decent Italian food. Everything we had was pretty good including calamari, burrata, meatballs, and a calabrese pizza. Main issue is that it's a bit too pricey for what you get. There are better options out there for the same or lower cost. Outdoor seating is pretty solid and the indoors was very pretty. Definitely not telling you not to go, just don't expect it to be your new favorite restaurant in the city. read more

Bella Blu - Burrata special - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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So far, the best pizza I had in NYC. Very balanced , top quality ingredients, delicious sauce and dough. My choice was a Napolitana with anchovies and capers. Delicious. For desert, we shared tartuffi, nothing special but good. Ambiance is nice, so is the service. I just find that tables are too small and close to each other We ll go back for sure read more

Bella Blu - Cealing - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

The Bronzino was AMAZING. It was soft and melted In my mouth! Definitely will be back for the fish! read more

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Really great ambience and food! The service here is great! They always make you feel like a regular at the place. read more

Very solid UES Italian. Think I probably like it better at night than at lunch as it Is nice and dim ambiance, and the decor is sort of loud. Food was good. Penne with a veal ragú, búfala mozzarella app, lamb chops, chicken paillard...everything was good. Service was excellent. They had a ton of waiters and servers and I felt taken care of every step of the way. I would have it again. read more

I had dinner at Bella Blu last night and was admittedly a bit shocked by how bad the experience was. For context, I have never written a yelp review and felt the need to. First, it took 20+ minutes for us to get a waiter, only by flagging someone down. I ordered the filet, which is $60, and asked for it medium rare. When it arrived to the table, it was well done. I have never sent a steak back, but considering the price and how inedible it was I decided to ask the waiter if I could have another that was medium rare. When my new steak finally came out, the group I was with had already finished eating. I cut into it, and this time it was blue- cold to the touch. I ate the edges that were slightly more cooked, but left 80% of it. Because my group was finished, I didn't want to hold everyone up by asking for them to cook it yet again, so I kindly just let the maitre d who was helping us know it was blue, and his only reaction was to ask if I wanted it cooked more or a box to take home. I mentioned I didn't want to take up anymore of anyone's time, so I wouldn't be eating it, I just wanted to let him know- expecting that it be comped considering the ordeal and the price of it. When the bill came, I was incredibly shocked to find that it was on the tab. I didn't say anything, but will not be going back. The service was incredibly poor and although what I was able to eat was good enough, there's plenty of other restaurants in nyc to choose from. read more

Timeless neighborhood spot. Been going my whole life. Pizzas are always superb. Fish is great. Salads. Eggplant parm to start. Chicken paillard awesome. Carciofi salad greatest. Great staff always as well. Can get a little busy which sometimes make it a little slow but overall 5 star place without a doubt. Should be there forever. read more

I was excited to dine at this fine restaurant after hearing so many rave reviews from friends and relatives, now can attest that it's as good or even better as they said. Was really impressed by the welcoming atmosphere, unique interior design, pleasant ambiance and overall vibe, courteous staff and of course by the incredibly delicious food, similar to the one traditionally served in the best restaurants of Northern Italy. We started with delightful antipasti: Polipo Alla Griglia Con Fagiolini, Pachino E Indivia- Grilled octopus, French string beans, fingerling potatoes, olive oil. Tortino Di Melanzane Alla Parmigiana- Eggplant Parmigiana, with Mozzarella and tomato. Then tried their famous pasta dishes and all of them were certainly perfection on a plate: Linguine Alle Vongole Veraci- Manila clams, white wine garlic and red pepper flakes. Ravioli di Carciofi con Pistacchi, Burro e Parmigiano- Artichoke Ravioli, Pistacchios, Butter and Parmesan. Pappardelle Con Ragu D' Anatra E Olive Nere- Homemade pappardelle with wild duck ragu and black olives. And of course we couldn't resist having dessert which was an impressive finale to a spectacular meal: Tiramisu' Bella Blu- Mascarpone, espresso, amaretto, touch of cream, served with strawberries and sprinkled with cacao. Millefoglie- Served with pastry cream and strawberries. Fantastic Italian wine and amazing Japanese whiskey complemented everything ideally. Absolutely loved this restaurant, can't wait to return and sample some other delicacies from the extensive menu and would definitely receive it to everyone. 10 out of 10 for sure! read more

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Very accommodating and family friendly. Great neighborhood gem. We loved the food and service.

I have been dinning there since 2013 until last year. They do not take reservations for 2 people anymore, insisting that they stopped doing so since Covid-19. That cannot be true because my wife and I dined there during Covid-19. I find it unacceptable that an Italian neighborhood eatery (as they define themselves) requires parties of 3 or more. This place used to be a very good restaurant. Now, nothing makes sense. read more

Wow...we was really looking forward to having a great experience. Didn't happen. Service was awful. We couldn't figure out why it took 30 minutes just to get a drink. The food was just o.k. for the money. The appetizers were all over $25. Was hoping for a classy, elegant evening...this was not the case. The noise level was crazy with dance music blasting. Why?? When the manager came over at the end of our meal, to ask us how everything was, the waiter was standing right there. We were polite and said slow start but everything was fine. Awful experience, won't go back for a nice dinner. Maybe pizza (can honestly say it was delicious) for lunch, outside. read more

While sitting at a table at lunch having lunch with my mother, I was verbally attacked and publicly shamed by a seemingly drunk guy seated at the bar and not one of their staff came to my defense or tried to shut it down. They walked the floor as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. No one even called the manager. It was humiliating and just absolutely awful. I was told that no one knew him but I saw him fist pumping one of the waiters. I had been dining here for 15+ years and will never go here again. read more

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Loving restaurant! The food is exquisite, the service is top-notch, and the atmosphere is cozy. Don't miss their tiramisu--it's heavenly! I'll be back for sure. read more

Very mediocre experience overall - many more better places to eat in the neighborhood. We made a mistake of having lunch here on Friday. Manager/Maitre d' was listless - not a smile or greeting, just "inside or outside" when we gave the name on the reservation. During our meal he was much more worried about socializing with the staff and taking care of someone who looked to be the owner who was having the lunch in the outdoor area at the same time. We had to ask him about one of our main courses that didn't come out at the same time - we waited over 5m to start eating. He just shrugged at brought the pizza out with no apology. The food itself was very OK - mostly flavorless and the specials are without price on the menu and then wildly marked up - e.g. $20+ more than the same category items on the menu. Everything required a lot of salt, pepper, spice.... As stated, lots of great places in the area, this is definitely an avoid. read more

Kudos to the management of Bella Blu; since the last time I was here a few months ago they have ditched their environmentally unfriendly plastic straws in favor of classy looking paper ones. Well done! Otherwise, it's a very comfortable yet upscale upper Eastside Italian bar/restaurant, with a standalone brick pizza oven in the middle of the double-height living room topped with pressed tin, at the end of their long and crowded bar. It's a very popular place at mealtimes, especially at dinner with an older and distinguished crowd mixing pretty well with the more pedestrian interlopers. The staff are capable, the servers are attentive, the bartenders are very good, and while the menu isn't the cheapest it's a great place to come and rub noses with some of the Upper East Side's high rollers. read more

Bella Blu - Kudos to Bella Blu for switching to paper straws! *applause* - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Ambiance and service at the restaurant were great I would rate those very high. Unfortunately the dishes were either a hit or miss. The rigatoni with eggplant dish was the worst item I ate here, rigatoni was hard and almost not edible ! My friends and I kept saying we could make a better dish. The pizza was pretty good, dough was fantastic but also got soggy at the bottom. The best dish was the homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with truffle cream sauce, incredible!!! We dipped the crust in the sauce, delicious. Overall experience amounted to a 3 stars. read more

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Been awhile, but the pizza and service were very good. The other food was mediocre .... Spicy from dip to sauces! Fried seafood zucchini and lobster pasta were shadows of what used to be: Sadly u read more

I can't say enough for this place. The managers always accommodate my family and I. The,staff,great me always with open arms and smiles. The food is.amazing thank.you always definitely run here read more

This place was amazing and packed for a Wednesday night. We started with the beef carpaccio which was very good and we enjoyed the salad that came on top of it. I got the Margherita pizza and added prosciutto. It was an amazing brick oven pizza (however a little expensive - $26). My husband got the pappardelle with duck ragu and it was also amazing. I definitely recommend. read more

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