The food and experience was really good! The ambiance is great for dinner and our servers were very friendly and accommodating. Overall I would definitely recommend! read more

Bella Luna - Big Tony - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

We came in for the first time. We were greeted rudely by the hostess who then sat us at a table in the bar next to the front door. It wasn't a dining table and we found out that the bartender was our server. We sat for over 15 minutes waiting for a greeting. When we ordered two appetizers, two drinks and a pizza, we sat another 30 minutes waiting for our drink. We got the meatballs which were good. Then the smoked salmon bruschetta came, it was gross and had the grey fatty part on it. The pizza came and said fig, prosciutto and cheese. It was fig jelly and was so sweet and disgusting. I would not recommend anything besides meatballs, maybe. The manager (?) stood around not helping us either and we were very disappointed with the place overall. Service, food, and table locations. Please address these issues if you want repeat clients. read more

This place is usually closed on Sundays, but because there was a graduation at UC Merced, they thought that it would be good business to be open and they were right. Let me just start off by saying this place is in the middle of nowhere. All you see is a vast open space of greenery and cows then there's Main Street. It's literally the "downtown" of the area. And this is where Bella Luna is located. There is plenty of ample FREE public parking lots EVERYWHERE. If you don't pay attention, you could actually miss the entrance to this place. Once you get inside though, it's beautiful with tall ceilings. It's very light, bright, and open. It looks like you're dining al fresco, but you're not. We were greeted immediately by our waiter who was supremely nice throughout our whole dining experience there. I checked in on Yelp for the free check-in offer of a cookie, but at the end of the meal, we got more than expected, but I'll tell you more about that later. I ordered the mango iced tea... wow... so good. Probably the best mango iced tea I've ever had and I've had plenty. This iced tea actually had real chunks of mango in it. I was here two weeks ago and I already forgot what food I ordered... I've lost my mind. I know for sure my bf and I ordered the specials. One was an au jus sandwich, which was what I had and the other was .... was the other special my bf had. My sandwich was a little dry so I dipped it in the au jus, but the au jus was too salty. I think it's because they actually used the juice from the cooked tri tip. I wish I had remembered what kind of sandwich my bf had because I actually liked that one better than mine. The piece de resistance though was what came after our meal... dessert! Remember that free cookie I was talking about earlier? Well, we didn't get a free cookie... we got a plate full of delicious dessert! 2 identical plates of dessert for the table to be exact. There was cheesecake, tiramisu, bread pudding, and a decadent chocolate cake. Let me give you some math right now... bread pudding + chocolate cake = orgasmic! The tiramisu was light, airy, and not too sweet and the cheesecake was rich, but not in a really sweet way, but out of all the desserts, I just loved the crispiness of the top of the bread pudding and the smooth, dark chocolatey goodness of the chocolate cake together. It's literally making my mouth water right now just thinking about it. I think this place would do well in Los Angeles where I live because not only would I frequent it, but it has a really nice vibe and the service was really spectacular. If I'm ever in town again for some reason (maybe to tip cows or something... not really.. I'm an animal lover and I wouldn't do that...), I would definitely come here again just for the mango iced tea, the bread pudding & chocolate cake combo alone. read more

Bella Luna - Mango iced tea with real bits of mango! - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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My wife and I have been here a few times and at the beginning everything was great. About 2 months ago my wife and I wanted some drinks and appetizers and wanted a high table by the entrance, the tables were empty and we were told to give the hostess 10 minutes..... for what??? She couldn't answer. About 2 weeks ago we went for a drink and some food and we were surprised by the waiter asking us to order everything we wanted to order at once. In other words I was trying to order an appetizer and then we would decide on an entrée but he said (waiter) they make him put in the the entire order at once. I've been to many restaurants and have never heard you had to order your entire meal all at once.... Today we ordered pizza and a butternut tortellini. See the pictures for yourself.... Does that look appetizing, like a full order, and worth $21??? I THINK NOT!!! No flavor what so ever, no sauce, just tons of oil! It was like they threw everything on a pan and heated it up and threw it in a container. We've given this place a bit to many opportunities. Take your money elsewhere!! read more

Bella Luna - Full order of Butternut Tortelloni...... - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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Went for Valentine Day and the Food was spectacular!! Had coconut shrimp as our entree with a salad wedge. Cooked to perfection!! Service was better than ever. read more

Nice aura and great food but 2 of my coworkers got food poisoning from the calamari:(

Always a phenomenal experience!! Great Food & Nice setting, however if y'all opened at Lunch time that would be Great so I can refer all my daytime customers to you! Lol thank you! read more

The Gist: 1. Call your order in. 2. If you order the club sandwich, consider requesting CRISPY bacon The True Story: When I first stepped in, I was pleasantly surprised! I really appreciate the cafe appearance! The seating area inside gives the appearance of sitting "outside" in a city cafe. I really liked the stringed lights and the big, brick oven, and the big doors leading to the kitchen behind. Lots of cream puff choices! I used the check-in deal for a free cookie, and ended up buying three more cookies. I loved the gooey-chewy rocky road cookie!! It looked ugly, but I knew it was going to be good! My parents and I came by for lunch. Mariposa Pastrami sandwich, club sandwich, and a hot roast beef sandwich. In general, the portion size was good, the sandwiches each came with a cookie and a slice of orange. Always a plus! My dad had minestrone soup which he enjoyed. I liked my chili, but it wasn't the best chili I've had in my life. I really miss Piano Cafe and the guy who made the soup there. THAT was the best chili! My mom enjoyed her roast beef sandwich. It had heaping amounts of beef. I don't think I saw any vegetables other than celery. She was a teeny bit confused on how to eat it, since it wasn't really something you could hold without dumping the contents on your face. I had a club sandwich, because you can never go wrong with club sandwich. We have pro-golfers who hit the ball towards the hole. Then we have first-time-never-held-a-golf-club golfers who hit the ball somewhere "over there" in yonder-ville. I'm sorry, but my club sandwich was the latter. Maybe I have had plebeian club sandwiches all my life. When I want a club sandwich, I want plain boring sandwich bread that's shaped like a square, toasted, and then cut in TRIANGLES (I'm a math major, where be my triangles!?) and with a toothpick poked down the middle. Then I want turkey, some lettuce, and CRISPY bacon, and then TRIPLE-DECKER THAT THING TO THE MOON! My bacon wasn't crispy. WHO LIKES THEIR BACON NOT CRISPY!? It only takes a few minutes to fry bacon. It took 20 minutes to get our food. Come on. If you're going to give me fancy-schmancy bread, fine, but PLEASE do not give me FAILURE-BACON. The turkey was good. I prefer whole-leaf lettuce instead of shredded. The bread was not toasted. Looking back at a photo of my dad's sandwich, they do have boring "white" sandwich bread.There must have some miscommunication somewhere, I definitely communicated my concern at the register when I expressed wanting a "club sandwich." Whatever happened, I the customer was not satisfied, and that is what counts in a business. I really would have liked rye sandwich bread. The cafe closes at 2:30pm for whatever reason. For that "whatever" reason, I could not stop by later in the evening to buy each variety of cream puff to take back to the Bay Area. That, and there were two people in line, and I knew how long that would take. It took us 20 minutes to get out sandwiches. If you're planning to eat here, CALL YOUR ORDER IN! I think this place has the potential to do well as a dinner place, even if open just a few nights a week. They could serve-up fancy-schmancy Italian food with their fancy-schmancy non-sandwich bread. I will definitely come back to Bella Luna Cafe, but I'm going to hold out on that 4- or 5-star rating until they live up to their true potential :) and get me some rye bread. At the moment, I'm not feeling adventurous enough to try the club sandwich again. read more

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The food is good but service is always spotty. Not a very welcoming atmosphere by the staff. Pretty openly judgy. I've been there a handful of times thinking it was just me but everyone I've gone with agrees. read more

We came to Bella Luna to celebrate Mother's Day early on a Friday night. We had a reservation for 5 adults, an infant and a toddler. From the time we placed our orders, we felt rushed. The staff removed our bread plates before our food came. Once our food was served, they quickly took away plates actually before we were finished without asking if we were finished. I had only taken my first piece of pizza when we were asked if we wanted boxes. As I began to eat my first piece of pizza and had my plate taken away from as I was taking bites of a piece of pizza. They clearly wanted us to leave. The children were not loud or misbehaving at all, even according to other diners nearby. One of the people in my party ordered the Chicken Marsala but the chicken was just like warm. We suggested she send it back but said she could eat it as it was. Also the pizza crust was over cooked, not typically a problem a few months ago. Did they change management? If so, it wasn't a good move. The last thing that made the evening unpleasant was the added gratuity of 20%. We only had 5 adults, certainly an infant shouldn't be counted nor the toddler since she required no service from anyone nor did they bring an extra plate. I didn't see their automatic gratuity policy stated anywhere and when I asked the hostess as we left, she wasn't quite sure what the policy was. The highlight of the service was a nice thing, our water was constantly filled and we did really appreciate that. The restaurant was not full when we were seated. Did they overbook themselves? Sorry Bella Luna. I won't be back again for a while if ever. We always have enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Bella Lina until now. read more

What a fine establishment. Wonderful place, great people. I enjoyed my opportunity working here and the food is exceptional.

Service was mediocre at best, servers were rude and passive aggressive. Waited over 30 minutes after ordering to be let known that they "ran out" of my order, not to mention having waited an additional 20 minutes to be seated. Will not be returning. read more

The food is good, not great. The service is always disappointing. Nice staff, but they are either understaffed or not managed well. Lunch will be long. So don't plan on being in and out under an hour. Appetizer will be quick, food will be an hour to show up. This has happened twice to me. Even the take out service is bad. Show up 15 min after the time they tell you to be there and then your wait may only be 5 min. I've given this place many Chances. The crazy thing is that of all those times not once has the place been packed. It's usually only 50-70% full. read more

We love this place, awesome food, service and drinks. My brother in law is a chef, who is hard to please, and he enjoyed everything here. Best Italian food in Merced CA. The only negative is that it's expensive for Merced, but for us it's worth it. read more

We've been coming to Bella Luna for about 2 yrs now. The atmosphere is nice. There's a bar inside and they serve all kinds of drinks. The restaurant is a good size if you want to have a party or entertain family or friends. The menu has a lot of entries like roast ribs, filet mignon,Prime rib , raviolis etc.. the food is delicious. The service is outstanding but make sure you ask for Brandon he's the best! He's very friendly personable, congenial,meticulous and he wants to make sure you're extremely happy when you have your order. He prides himself in his excellence of work. We go there just for him. The owner John Carlos is very friendly and greets people at their table. He really makes you feel like family. Everybody there is awesome. He won't go wrong if you go there for dinner. read more

Bella Luna - Coconut Prawns Coconut Prawns Crab Raviolis Calamari and Shrimp Dore - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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We were staying at a hotel a block away, the Hyatt, and wanted Italian food. There was something for everyone here. Pizza for the child, pappardelle pasta for my husband, sea bass for my dad and chicken Marsala for me. A nice glass of wine, fantastic meal, and ample seating. It was busy but not packed. Our waitress was nice. This was one of the best restaurants I've ever dined at in Merced. I ate all my vegetables. The risotto accompanied my dish and my dad's fish, and it was delicious. Will be back! read more

We visited Bella Luna on Friday night. Everything was exquisite! Our server, Brandon, was like a member of the family. He even helped us select the perfect wine to top off a perfect meal. From appetizers to the best butternut squash tortellini I have ever eaten. The whole experience made us feel like it was a special event, better than any fine dining experience.I ever recall and I can't wait to go back again. Be sure to try the coconut shrimp appetizer. read more

Go anytime i can get in. Not from area but love the food and cappuccino martini. Highly recommend the lamb.

I made a birthday reservation for 7:30pm. Unfortunately, there was several issues that occured during our dinner experience that left a bad taste in our mouth. 1) Upon looking around everyone had iced water, however we were served luke warm water. We requested iced water 3 times and recieved two cups of ice to share for a party of 6. 2) We made a reservation for 7:30. Upon sitting down, within our vision, we saw 4 tables sit down, one of which was a table of 8 and they were all served food before us and had iced waters. We recieved out food at 9:20pm-- all our food came out cold. 3) We asked for one more serving of bread and olive oil/balsamic vinegar and we didnt recieve it until the end of service for to-go. From the beginning we felt ignored and ostracized in this restaurant. The simplest item (pizza) was recieved last and the neighboring table ordered several pizzas and recieved them several minutes before we did. I will not be coming back, the service was rude and short to us all night. read more

What a gem in downtown Merced a great little spot had the coconut shrimp for appetizer was delicious and the sauce that game with it was awesome.Then ordered the buttermilk chicken sandwich sent my taste buds to a different level and I added garlic parm fries they where killer from the bread to the slaw it was great would defentilly order it again the homemade bread that they give you was hot and fresh this place has got it going on so many things on the menu looked great so when I'm traveling down the 99 going threw Merced again It will be a must to stop in and try some more food from this place hands down the food was amazing read more

Bella Luna - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

Have come here a number of times....this was my last. Issues - service was very rigid and not customer friendly. We were given a table by the bathroom - we were there early so most tables were empty - asked the hostess for another table - now for a professional they could have managed this in an easy way ....hostess told us those are for people that had reservations- well we had reservations ....ultimately they gave us a better table but maybe a lesson for the restaurant...don't seat guests near the bathroom when the restaurant is empty. Secondly we asked to place our drink and started orders first - server told us no - the kitchen wants everything at once - OMG - are you really in the customer service business?? Lastly - wine pours ridiculous - never seen such tiny wine pours - questioned them as most wine pours are 5 oz. - their response - those are large glasses- folks at Bella Luna - if someone is asking - they know better!!! Food was good - not awesome but overall would not come back - negatives outweighed the positives by far read more

We enjoyed the food here, I had the Tortellini Catherina it is hand filled chicken and spinach pasta in a sun-dried tomato garlic cream sauce with shaved parmesan, even though it did not come with any shaved parmensan it still was good. Nice garlic flavor I asked could it be made spicy and the chef added like literally a pinch of red peppers so not spicy at all. My husband had the House Specialty Smokin" 55 Burger Bacon, grilled onions, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and chipotle mayo on a house made bun it was great I wanted to trade with him, but pasta is not his thing dang it lol. read more

Bella Luna - Tortellini Catherina it is hand filled chicken and spinach pasta in a sun-dried tomato garlic cream sauce - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

My husband and I decided to give this restaurant another chance and definitely we will not be coming back. There's two young female greeters and both looked upset; not a smile. Didn't even say Hi back; no eye contact it was immediately ((do you have reservations)). Very rude and once again the food was very blahhhh. It was dry and flavorless. read more

Absolutely wonderful! This was our first time here and we were not disappointed. Not only did the environment feel safe and clean, but the staff was fantastic! They constantly checked in on us, answered questions and gave recommendations as they knew we were first timers. We both had the special of the day which happened to be the New York strip which was just our luck (we were in a steak mood!) along with the margarita cooler. We will 100% be returning to this restaurant and we so pleased to have such a great dinning experience especially since with everything going on, we haven't been out in ages! The Bella Luna staff definitely hit it out of the park for us. read more

Bella Luna - New York strip - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

I've never been so angry. My whole lunch hour was spent on waiting for a sandwich and garlic fries. It was not even that busy. I was late to work, and the sandwich? A joke. Thrown together sloppily. For the price it was not worth it! Plus, I paid for and asked for garlic fries and after the hour and being late, they did not even give me my fries. They felt substituting chips was okay. And did not even ask me. I did not want chips. They did throw in a few extra cookies, that I did not ask for. There is no reason for this kind of service from a place I frequent often. I won't be back after today. No discount, no offer for a replacement meal. No refund. Real classy Bella Luna. Don't waste your time on your lunch here. You'll be late, and food is not worth it. Do not even get what you ask for! Or paid for! read more

Bella - hostess of Bella Luna is a - 5 STAR hostess exuding smiles and customer service excellence! Bella is very knowledgeable & can help anyone pick the perfect dish!! The customer service at Bella Luna is beyond exceptional - lunch or dinner! The pasta is a delightful delicacy and all of the serving staff is very friendly & sweet. Any plate of pasta is scrumptious and lovely. Bella Luna is the very best place to dine in Merced read more

Sad to say Merced has probably has the worst selection of dining in California but Bella Luna always comes through. Maybe it's even better over the years. From chicken, to fish to meat dishes everything is consistently good quality. Had a really good halibut special a few visits back and the short ribs tonight were super. It can be a bit loud due to the brick walls but as far as restaurants in Merced it's one of the best, if not the best. And it's open until 10pm. It's not a 10/10 but it's consistently good quality that will probably keep me coming back. .... well this last visit was the complete opposite. Prices seem to have gone up 30%. Service was horrible, handed off to several servers. Side salad came out it was all radicchio no lettuce, sent it back. Chicken in the chicken Marsala was like rubber, never really had anything like it. Friend had the seafood pasta, screwed up the order, finally brought out her scallops, no sear and they were raw in the middle. Bill came and desert was on the bill that was never brought. All in all it was just a horrible experience and had to apologize to my friends for bringing them. Might try it once more but things are in serious trouble here read more

The service and place is good, the only thing I don't recommend for kids is the food, yes they have a kids menu, but the food there isn't that good. read more

I love the food... Their customer service is awful!! They're very rude. They'll have you waiting read more

Absolutely amazing experience....from the super model hostess, who sees you and acknowledges your existence immediately! To the bus boy who is proud to represent this amazing restaurant. The knowledgeable servers who are privileged to serve such fine cuisine. An owner who is 'hands on'! A fantastic menu....everything was perfect. Wish we were closer to enjoy this entire menu!! TY to our Hilton hotel check in girl for the wonderful referral. read more

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Pizza very bland, had no flavor whatsoever!!! Very disappointed because I wanted to try something different from the same old takeout pizza we usually get. I will not buy this pizza again, nor will I ever recommend it. 0 stars had to put 1 read more

This was most definitely worth the drive! We came for a late night dinner with drinks and weren't disappointed. The service was excellent! Special thanks to Fidel and Billy who provided us with homegrown hospitality and made it feel like a special outing for us! We started with a light Italian Peroni beer on tap and delicious raspberry lemon drop. Our Harris Ranch Beef sliders and garlic fries were all they were hyped up to be! My sriracha shrimp fettuccine was just the right amount of spicy with the sriracha kneaded into the handmade pasta! What a treat to end the night with chocolate cannolis And you have to try Billy's chocolate martini! We loved the atmosphere, wonderful service and quaint downtown Merced location. A new favorite spot! read more

I've been to Bella Luna 2 times in the last 2 weeks! It was that good. :) I had the Chicken Marsala and Chicken Picatta. Their bread was outstanding. Drinks were good. Service was amazing. I'd rate Bella Luna as the best restaurant I've tried in Merced. Next time I'll try one of their pasta dishes. The entrees look delicious as I've seen each one being delivered to the other tables. I highly recommend Bella Luna. read more

They have the rudest customer service.. I couldn't even get past the hosts tonight. I couldn't ask the most simple questions and they gave me an attitude because I asked to be seated in their outer seating area. Would never recommend this place:/ read more

We love the Fettuccine Alfredo & Lasagna. The staff was friendly & the atmosphere was really nice. A great date place.

We came in for dinner with larger group since we were in town for a soccer tournament. We were seated in the Tuscan room, which seems like it was meant for larger parties. The restaurant was nice, clean and very spacious. Seemed like a really popular place. I gave it only 4 stars because the general manager came over to our table and was telling us that our wait was going to be awhile, and it may be 45 minutes to get our food and what not. It was kind of off putting almost like we weren't really welcome to stay. We decided that we would stay anyway. The unfortunate thing is he never came back to acknowledge the fact that we did stay, if we were okay with our food. We did see him talk to people at another table but he never made it back our way. That would've been a great way to off set the negative encounter we had from the beginning. Our server was Lexi and she was on it! She made sure orders were taken, drinks were served, and food was brought out. She had a pleasant attitude even though there were a ton of people in there. The food...was amazing. I am not a calamari fan, but the calamari here was great. It was crunchy and the flavor was perfect and the cocktail sauce served with it was perfectly spicy. I ordered the lasagna and my husband ordered the chicken marsala. After the order went in a server came to let us know that there wasn't anymore lasagna, but offered something that would be comprable. When the food cane out most if the table was served about the same time. The chicken marsala was served with veggies and a risotto. Looked great and indeed tatsed better. The lasagna replacement (don't remember the name she referred to it as) was so good! It was essentially the same thing as a lasagna but had penne pasta instead of the flat noodles. Serving sizes we're large. I'd definitely make this a stop the next time im in Merced! read more

Bella Luna - Lasagna replacement - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

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My husband and I went to Bella Luna this evening for dinner and it was wonderful. The food was great as well as the service. We highly recommend this to anyone who who wants a good meal, nice atmosphere and friendly people. We both had the Rosetta pasta dinner. Spiraled pasta filled with different cheese and prosciutto. Served with a type of Roma tomato sauce. Delicious! The strawberry mojito cocktail was damn good too! read more

Bella Luna is a gem. We had a party of 12 going to opening night of Merced Shakes "King Lear" at The MAC, and Bella Luna knocked one out of the park for our group. Every dish was delightful. I personally tasted the Stuffed Petrale Sole, the Brussels Sprouts Succotash, the Beet Salad, the Truffle Ravioli in cream sauce, and the Spicy Angel Hair Primavera and loved every one. Down the table, the pastrami sandwiches looked great, but none made it down to my end for tasting. The service was good; we were out to the theatre on time, and everyone agreed Bella Luna was a terrific choice for a pre-show dinner. Pricey, but worth it. read more

Great food, Great staff, Great DRINKS, cooks cook in the dining area, you can see their art front row!!! Well the Pizzas at least!! Everyone is so polite and checks on your table to make sure you have everything you need.. I love it here!! They work together as a team and that's great service!! read more

Bella Luna - Raspberry lemon drop! - Italian Near Me - Merced, California

Went here on a Saturday night, wasn't very busy. The one star was because the server was nice and pleasant but the problem was how they served us. Somehow they forgot to give us bread and every other table around me had a basket. They got my entree before the salad and never refilled our waters. There was barely enough dressing on my salad and we had to add my own seasoning for my pasta. I will have to really think hard before I go back here... read more