It took three drinks to get tonic rather soda, then waitress dropped a knife on my head. Just a bump, and it was an accident, but offered a dessert rather than having meal comped seems inadequate. Food was good. read more

I recently dined at Bella Cafe and really enjoyed the ambiance and food! While prices were on the high side for lunch, the selection of fresh vegetables can't be beat if you are tired of potatoes! I loved the meatless burger and brussel sprouts, and the sweet tea was fresh and delightful! read more

Did a to go order for just the classic burger and fries. Had been told by a couple people in past that it was an amazing burger but recently had friends tell me it wasn't the same and not as good. I should've listened to my friends because it was very average and hence the 3/5. Back when village idiot was ope they had a burger with short rib that was absolutely incredible. Something was completely lost in this burger because there was nothing special about it and the sauce wasn't something I'd ask for again. The fries are very average also. Disappointed in my meal unfortunately but maybe mine was just one of those off days read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Classic burger - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Really enjoyed my visit to Bella Cafe. The salmon salad was amazing! Fresh salmon and cooked perfectly. Friendly service, clean space, and such a cute decor. Great spot for a nice meal. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - GRILLED SALMON SALAD - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This time I got their bolognese and it was rich, thick, spicy, and flavorful. Got a side of their hot fries which were crispy and perfect. This spot also offers filet mignon, salmon, buttermilk chick, halibut. They have several salads, including salmon, steak, caesar, spinach and pear. Seems like more of a sandwich place though, with lots of handhelds, including a plant based sandwich and a portobello sandwich for those veg heads. Both dishes I've had from here have been excellent. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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While I've been there for dinner a few times, this was my first brunch. I had the salmon Benedict and it was very good. All the staff we encountered were friendly and polite. Only negative is I think the prices are high for brunch. All brunch entrees are $25. Yes, they do include 1 trip to the Euro Brunch Table, which largely consisted of pastries. The only fruit on the brunch table that day was grapefruit slices. If there was an option to skip the Brunch Table and lower the entree price, that would be ideal. Overall still a great experience. read more

Absolutely loved my experience here. I had the most delicious cocktail and spinach dip to start. My pasta dish was cooked to perfection. Our server was attentive with great recommendations. It's such a cute location perfect for GNO or date night. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Menu - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Upscale dining but not pretentious. Reservations recommended. We stopped in for brunch and didn't have reservations, but not many spots available. Friendly service. We ordered both recommendations: the Brie burger and Ky Benedict. Brie burger was ordered medium, but it was definitely served rare. Still delicious, but not cooked to order. Ky Benedict was delicious. Perfect jammy egg which I think is hard to get in a restaurant. High quality food for the money. Will return for dinner sometime. read more

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this food is very delicious, but very expensive. I had the salmon croquette appetizers, which were about 10 or $11. Two little balls, smaller than hush puppies, arrived. I only made this observation because when my dinner companion saw it come out, she wanted to know if I had ordered hush puppies. We had halibut over polenta, with sautéed mushrooms. This was done beautifully. As a side, l ordered Brussels sprouts...this was absolutely delicious. When l return, I will request a double order! The server was as fine a server as l have ever met. read more

We had the steak salad and the pesto Caesar salad with chicken and they were both delicious. Robbie was our waiter and he was excellent!! read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Hamburger and French Fries - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I've only had Bella Cafe food delivered, but it is so delicious, I know the restaurant must be great. Can't wait to make my way there in-person. I really like their Brussels sprouts and the budino dessert is one of the best desserts I've ever had. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Burger and BRUSSEL SPROUTS - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Food was delicious. Drink was too. Parking is in the neighborhood. Only a couple dedicated parking spots out front. Service was very good. Ambiance was intimate. read more

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I am a regular at Bella and do like the food, service, and small menu. However, the last three times I have been there I wanted to order the roasted chicken and was told it was "sold out!" If this dish is so popular, why is quantity so low? Last night it happened again, and I was NOT happy! I suggest that you take it off the menu and only offer it as "a special." When it is available, share the news with your diners. When you "sell out," it will not be shared with your diners and people (like me) will not, once again, be disappointed. Truly, if I had not been with 5 others, I would have left - that's how disappointed I was - twice in a period of one week (once at Palomar location and once at Hamburg). read more

Bella Cafe and Grill is consistently good. Reservations are always recommended. Every table was filled this rainy Sunday night. Had the perfectly cooked salmon salad. Must say, everything I've had has been good. Service on point. 47 read more

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Visiting Lexington from out of town, we attempted brunch at the Hamburg location based on Yelp's recommendation. We arrived at approximately 10:15am. The dining room was empty but the website listed the opening time as 10am. We felt awkward immediately upon entering. Three employees were standing nearby but no one greeted us or even made eye contact at first. It felt like they were intentionally ignoring us. Eventually the bartender began to approach and my husband asked "are you open?". He replied "don't worry about it. I can seat you." We did not feel welcome so we elected to leave. read more

Have loved Belle Notte for decades snd loved everything about my first visit to Bella Cafe. Atmosphere is intimate and upbeat. Great for a date night, a business dinner, or a girl's lunch. Our service was perfectly paced by the excellent Ellie (who also tends bar and made good recs on drinks). The bolognase was (almost) as good as my Italian grandmother's. I almost didnt get it because I am particular about red sauce, but this was very nice (on the creamy side). Lemon tarte was note worthy. I want to come back to try a salad or their brunch or one of their burgers...two thumbs up! read more

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I cannot say enough on this establishment. The restaurant was immaculate! The atmosphere was crisp, clean and classy! The service was impeccable! The food was scrumptious! I could see into part of the kitchen where I sat and that too was very clean and organized. The next time we visit Lexington it will be at the top of the list of eateries! I can't wait to try their brunch. Run down: a spinach dip started the dinner experience. It was average, 2 of us had roasted chicken, it was so moist and flavorful. My husband had the Bolognese and he enjoyed it immensely. Chicken wings were also on the table and eaten to the bone. We had the scrumptious brussels sprouts, do NOT pass on those! We tried and shared three desserts our favorite was the lemon torte. read more

Fantastic cute little establishment offering some great food. The interior is decorated and quite nicely, creating a warm, cute, slightly upscale brunch kind of vibe, great for smaller groups. The service was friendly, however while the food all tasted fantastic, it did take a bit longer for it to be brought out. With options for most, the dishes were all packed with flavor and appeared to be put together with quite some care. Would definitely recommend and will likely return read more

Very quaint, cute, West Elm like decor & welcoming. Lovely full bar area & neighborly location so walking distance to shops. Referred by a foodie friend of ours yesterday for brunch. However, Brunch/Breakfast is served only on the weekends so we thoroughly enjoyed a $77 impromptu Tuesday afternoon lunch. Ordered the Halibut Sandwich (MKT $24) & Salmon Pesto Caesar Salad ($22), a Coconut & an Almond Cream Soda ($5/ea) & coffee. Two thick pieces of Halibut on top of a slaw that had an overwhelming amount of vinegar, not malt vinegar, needed some sweetness to cut the tart. The Halibut by itself was absolutely flavorful & fulfilling. Eaten w/o slaw or bread. That's how marvelous the fish was. The Salmon was just as beautiful & large portions! A fresh stalk of Romaine sliced in half & grilled w/ Pesto Caesar dressing, croutons, lots of Sund-dried tomatoes & cheese. The Pesto was not intense just perfectly done! Finished w/ their homemade Tiramisu ($9) that was delicate & perfectly soaked ladyfingers for an intense rush of espresso. Absolutely 5 stars! We will be back for Brunch! read more

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Had lunch at Bella Cafe between Christmas and New Year, it was packed. The service and the meal were both fabulous. This was my first visit to the Cafe but will absolutely be back when in town. read more

Very nice restaurant, friendly staff, good vibe. It is very close quarters so you can hear everyone's conversations. I ordered the balognese and it looked like a dog chucked it into the plate, and the sauce was very watery and unappetizing. My fiancée got a side with her meal and I was told that mine didn't because it came with a "baguette" of bread. When the pasta arrived it had a very thin and tiny piece of bread on top. read more

My boyfriend and I stopped by on a Saturday for lunch and found a high top in the bar area. The hostess said the entire restaurant was booked up so I'd recommend getting a reservation if you have more than two people or don't want to sit in the bar area. The cafe itself is cute but small, and the restrooms were super clean. We weren't expecting it to be as nice of a place as it is but we didn't feel out of place in our sweatshirts and jeans. We both got the chicken sandwich and it was so so good. The chicken was nice and crispy but juicy, the lemony slaw on the sandwich really added a nice flavor. The fries were 10/10 and whatever the sauce is that comes with it is good. It tasted like a spicy-ish honey mustard/bbq sauce? Not sure, but it was good. We didn't get any cocktails but from what I could see around us they looked delicious and definitely insta worthy. It was brunch time so they have a little brunch buffet of sorts near the front with pastries and a mimosa bar. I think it comes with any of the brunch menu items. It's a cute little brunch with the girls or date spot. I recommend it, might try it again for dinner or try the brunch. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Chicken sandwich - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Fun place for a family event. We went to celebrate our granddaughter's college graduation and had a delicious brunch including the European bar which has a selection of meats and pastries. No inexpensive. Could cook eggs more (as requested)-- read more

Good food! Slow service but it's a very comfortable and an aesthetically pleasing spot. The food is more upscale and so are the prices but it is worth it. Today is the first time that I have come here for brunch and it's pretty awesome. The vegetable potato hash is fantastic! All the brunch dishes are $25 but include a trip to the brunch bar which is really awesome. It includes fresh fruit, fresh pastries, a charcuterie board and a cool honeycomb among other things. My favorite lunch dish is the Grilled Salmon Salad and their burgers are to die for!! They are some of the best in town! They use a fresh mix of brisket and short ribs -wow!! See my pictures of the Brunch Bar. I look forward to coming back again. read more

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Beautiful restaurant my first visit will go again. Nice menu good variety I got a burger it was cooked perfect and tasty. My friend tried a salad and ate every bite. Atmosphere is charming read more

This was a fun spot for a girls brunch! This peach Bellini was fabulous and we enjoyed the fresh honeycomb and pastries read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Where to start...when I enter the restaurant I was greeted by a charming host, Liam. She was so kind and showed up right to our seats. The drinks were inspired! Creative and lively, the White Margarita and Wind Chill were a breath of fresh air in an otherwise redundant and stagnant cycle at other establishments. The food was fantastic! But the reason I am definitely returning is the Bar Manager, Rachel! She was genuine and kind while serving all her guests and concocting cocktails! She explained everything with energy and enthusiasm:) Needless to say she is a star bartender! Sincerely, a satisfied guest. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Rachel - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The food is always great. I especially love their salads with Salmon added. The restaurant is small so book a reservation if you want a guaranteed table. The staff is always great. read more

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We visited the new location on Harrodsburg Road in Lexington Kentucky. The decor it's just as lovely as the other one in Chevy Chase. We were so pleasantly surprised with the brunch at Bella Café. Many of the menu items included a trip to the European breakfast bar. It was packed full of delicate pastries, meats, yogurt, juice and more. I had the Forest Omelette with mushrooms and goat cheese and a truffle butter for my bread. My husband opted for the Kentucky Benedict. We both enjoyed our meal very much and are looking forward to another visit. read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Items from the European Bar - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Over the past 6 months this place has gotten a plain hamburger order wrong over 10 times. Maybe it's my fault for going back, but I'm pretty sure that's an easy order to fill. Do yourself a favor and go to the Chevy Chase location. Palomar center Bella cafe is run by a bunch of kids working their first job apparently read more

We were in the Lexington,Ky area today and decided to have dinner here based on the reviews. It was very humble from outside with some outdoor seating. It was very nice, clean, & super cute inside.We sat in the bar area. Our server was the bartender and was very nice. My meal was amazing. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich which was very flavorfully dressed with the coleslaw and spicy pickles. However, I could have used a couple more pickles. I replaced the fries with brussel sprouts, which was a great choice. The brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection. They were crisp and had a honey sauce drizzled on them for a wonderful combination of flavors. My husband ordered the grilled chicken which was good as well. We also ordered the Budino for dessert. It was very good. They probably could have done with a little less whipped cream since the butterscotch pudding flavor was very light. It came with two brown sugar cookies which we did not care for. We will be back! read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Great locally sourced food! You can taste the care from the kitchen and the service was fantastic. We were excited to try Bella Cafe out and were pleasantly surprised! read more

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Lovely place with a great wine and drinks menu and friendly and attentive staff. I had the crispy pork chop picatta which would be a great dish with a thinner cutlet. The pork chop is thick and better suited for a grill (very hard to have a cooked pork chop without a burnt crust). Staff were super nice and gave it another try but still there were parts of the pork chop that were too pink for my taste. The salted caramel pudding was creamy with a nice, not too sweet caramel sauce. It does need the mountain of whipped cream that buried it. I plan to return and would love to try other dishes. read more

Perfect spot for brunch! Came here with a group of friends and had the best morning. Was easy to make a reservation prior. On arrival, we were greeted with warm welcomes and beautifully decorated restaurant. The European breakfast table truly transported me to Europe- delicious pastries, fresh honey comb, etc. The entrees were fabulous and my friends could not stop taking about the chicken and waffles- perfectly crispy and juicy despite the Sriracha syrup, which is hard to pull off. Would definitely recommend and come back in the future for brunch! read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

My friends and I were literally talking about how much we love Bella Notte. Then my friend told us this place just opened recently. Couldn't get a table at Bear and the Butcher since the wait was an hour, so we walked over. I saw retired women dining in and undergrad students with their parents. Still, it wasn't packed and there were a handful of tables still open. They have outdoor seating too! The space is well decorated with beautiful furniture. Gorgeous! We all ordered the Cafe burger upon our waitress's suggestion. It comes with a special house made sauce which tasted Ike honey barbecue. It also came with a very large generous of fries that was too for me to finish. It did have a perfect crunch! My friend for truffle parmesan fries which came with a different sauce. Absolutely delicious!! I was stuffed! I'd come back and try something else off the menu. They seem to be all about wine here as there were many bottles placed on the built in shelf on the walls and at the bar. Def something to try! Love it here!! read more

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I don't write reviews but this deserved one. The cafe is lovely; the wait staff impeccable. The food was outstanding. I can't say enough good things about it. It is small and requires a reservation (we were there on a Tuesday night and it was busy). But as far as restaurants in Lexington goes, it was one of the best I have eaten where I have eaten. I highly recommend it. read more

Every dish is a winner at this quaint cafe located in Chevy Chase, but their lemon tart is exceptional! Let's start with the crust. It's technically called an almond sable which is a sweet short crust with ground almond flour. This results in a flaky and tender crust that's substantial enough to support the filling and toppings. The lemon filling is light, delicate, and creamy. The Italian meringue differs from the standard style in that it's made by adding a slow and steady stream of boiling sugar to the egg whites producing thick, glossy peaks. The lemon stick sitting atop the meringue is filled with lemoncello. Remove it and give it a little squeeze for a nice drizzle and boost of lemon flavor. Honestly, this is the best dessert I've had in quite a while! Must return to try the tiramisu with a frangelico stick! read more

Bella Cafe and Grille - Lemon tart with a lemoncello stick. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Delicious food and pleasant atmosphere. This was the Bella Cafe in Palomar. Tables were a little snug.

I came into the cafe to see my favorite bartender, Ellie. She always makes it a great experience, to only hear the general manager, Jim I believe. To say "oh god." Then when I acknowledge him to say hello, he didn't greet me or make the experience comfortable. 0/10 I won't be coming back. This isn't the first time he's made the experience awkward and feeling unwanted. I would suggest to improve the management staff. He constantly runs around and it feels he's rushing us with our meal by consistently overstepping our server when we are completely fine. Rather take my business elsewhere than interact with such a rude management staff. Do better, I rather starve than deal with him ever again. Also my friends that come often have had the same interaction with him. read more

The third time was not the charm. I keep going back to this restaurant because everyone else seems to love it but I've never had a great experience. Tonight we arrived at about 4:45 with only a handful of patrons in the restaurant, granted without a reservation, and were told we could have a table if we promised to be out by 6:30. It was a little bit of a wonky request that could have been handled with a back of house conversation, rather than telling us before we started to make sure we rushed. The irony was we waited for 15 minutes to have our order taken. I ordered the grilled Caesar wedge with pesto and steak. The pesto flavor was overwhelming and it wasn't my favorite but it was what it was, so that was my mistake for the bad choice. The part that wasn't my fault was that I ordered my steak medium well and it was rare. Like really rare. I couldn't eat it. My daughter and husband both ordered burgers medium well and both came out medium rare. The people across from us both ordered medium steaks they had to send back because they were rare. We didn't send anything back because it honestly would have mortified my daughter. We just didn't eat. We waited another 15 minutes for the check, paid over $90 and went home hungry but well in advance of the 6:30 request. The restaurant is cute, clean and a perfect location, I just have failed, after 3 visits to find the thing that makes it worth my time. read more