We wanted an experience in Brookside before a Starlight show and had heard good things about Bella Napoli as to its ambience and authentic food. We were so impressed. You get the real feel of a bustling restaurant with the attached store, people feeling free to stand up and rock a baby in the middle of things, but everyone giving space, and an elderly couple sitting next to each other so they can watch the scene. It somehow did not feel crowded, it was a neighborhood feel in the best way. As to the food and drink! The Arancini app was good, the sauce was better. My husband and son shared the Pizze Diavola and the Ragu di Manzo. I had the Tortellini. We each had a cocktail and when I asked our server, Vinny for a recommendation he zeroed in on the perfect Limoncello Prosecco Spritz for me. I was delighted and it made the dinner! I can't say enough about the goodness of each dish. The Pizze was savory, the crust oily and crisp at the same time. The toppings were perfection. The Ragu di Manzo with the braised short rib was spicy and delectable, tender, perfect. I always, always order Tortellini when I go Italian and I am very picky. I'm a fan of their take. The sauce is what makes it, and although the peas were a bit tough the proscuitto was crisp and the sauce was light and nutty. The service was a la Italiano with Vinny being attentive and helpful with choices and recommendations. This was our first time here and will be one of many. read more

My husband and I had lunch at Bella Napoli this week, and it was DELICIOUS! We were drawn to the restaurant by its large selection of deli sandwiches. We had considered simply stopping in for takeout, but the ambience of the restaurant was so appealing (simple and small but open-plan dining areas with lots of windows) that we decided to dine in. Nicole A. was our server, and she was exceptional! She was very welcoming, efficient, and helpful in guiding us through the menu (specifically helping me decide between the Soreta (with grilled eggplant) and the Eggplant Panino (with breaded/deep-fried eggplant). I opted for the Soreta, and I was very glad I did. The blend of flavors was superb, and everything was so fresh! The bread was perfectly chewy with a crispy crust, and the eggplant was beautifully seasoned. My husband chose the Il Saro, and said it was marvelous! It was a delightful meal, truly authentic Italian deli fare, and we'll definitely be back for more. Thank you so much to everyone at Bella Napoli! read more

Great neighborhood restaurant! It had a laid back atmosphere at lunch on a Saturday. The staff did a great job. All were welcoming, very nice and helpful. My wife tried the Diavola. She loved it! It was cooked perfectly. It had the perfect ratio of toppings that made the overall flavor spot on, with the right amount of spice. I had the Tagliatelle Bolognese. The pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente. The sauce was chunkier than other bolognese I've had, but the flavor was outstanding. I have to have a Negroni when I have Italian food, and they did a great job on the two I had. We plan on visiting again and trying more of the menu. read more

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Great authentic Italian food. Guanciale in the carbonara and it was nice and creamy WITHOUT cream. Also the mussels were exquisite. read more

Bella Napoli - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

This is a nice restaurant in Brookside. We had a reservation for 5:30 and the place was packed. There were also people waiting to be seated. The food here is good. We had several dishes and two desserts. The wine was good and the staff were spot on. There's a little deli and grocery store inside too. You can get sandwiches for lunch. read more

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Bella Napoli is such a quaint, family-oriented gem! We split the steak panini, enjoyed a Negroni and a delicious gin cocktail, and couldn't leave without taking home fresh pasta and ladyfingers. We also make it a tradition to stop in for cannoli shells around the holidays. Everything is consistently wonderful, and we'll definitely be back! read more

This is my favorite spot to stop by when in Kansas City! I would look at the menu ahead of time as each day has a type of deal. We went on a Monday which consisted of $10 pizzas. We went with the diabla pizza and a side salad + pasta. We came in without a reservation during dinner time and only had to wait 5-10 minutes for a table to open up. They are very attentive of your needs and they start you with bread. The place is small but it makes it more personal and adds to the ambiance. Did not have the opportunity to look at the wine list but I recommend this to anyone for a date or simply going out to dinner with friends/family! Summertime they have a lovely patio! read more

Bella Napoli - Menu - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Early dinner with our 2 grown kids. Server was nice and attentive. Had Margarita pizza as app; nice crust and good flavor. Thought the TORTELLINI was the best of our 3 meals and it was good. Others were TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE and RAGU DI MANZO. The Ragu Di Manzo had the best flavor, but noodles were too al dente. My Tagliatelle Bolognese had less flavor, but was better in my opinion because of the thinner and better cooked noodles; skimpy on the bolognese. Cute Brookside experience but not worth drive for return visit from out south, IMO. read more

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Legitimately the best Italian restaurant I've been to in the United States. I had the luxury of growing up with an Italian mom who immigrated to the US and I am usually disappointed with Italian restaurants because they are "Americanized". This is not. It is truly authentic Italian and the food tonight was simply amazing. We had the Crostini which was packed with salty flavor from the Prosciutto, creamy tasty cheese and perfectly soft yet chewy bread. I knew when we ate that as our appetizer that we were in for a treat. My wife had the lasagna with bechamel and I had the Rigatoni Amatriciana. Wow. The rigatoni dish was superb, with the perfect balance of salty, savory and spicy. I would have eaten 2 of these bowls! The lasagna was good and had a nice creamy texture to it. We ended the night with their hazelnut chocolate cake which was heavenly. Our server Mattia was super nice and it was great hearing his story of how we came to the States. We will be back so that I can try one of everything off the menu! read more

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Located in the wonderful neighborhood of Brookside. Great service. Outdoor dining. Tasty food. Yes! read more

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just left Bella had a rude waiter ask our table to leave because they had other people needing our table - we had made the reservation it did not have a time limit and saw other tables with the same people sitting at the tables that as far as I could tell had not been ask to leave. It's not my problem if you don't know how to schedule your reservations.I have NEVER had a restaurant do that and will not be going back plus their menu and food is just not that good!!!! Plenty of other places to go in Kansas city read more

The best Italian in Kansas City! Everyone is amazing and the food is great! I bring all of my friends here and they say the same!

We arrived at this excellent Italian restaurant in Brookside at 4 pm on a Friday evening. We had a reservation but might not have needed it, since there were many available tables. But by the time we left, all three dining rooms as well as the outdoor seating were very busy. Unless you plan to arrive at an off hour as we did, you will definitely need reservations at this restaurant. We chose table 72, which is a booth close to the entrance facing the front window. We ordered the Caprese salad as an appetizer as well as the Minestrone soup, and then the Pasta Con Vongole. We also ordered a Margherita Pizza to go for the next day's lunch. Everything was outstanding and a very authentic representation of those dishes in Italy. In fact the Pasta Con Vongole was more authentic than we had anticipated. We thought it would be the usual Italian-American spaghetti with clam sauce, but in fact the clams were in the shell on top of the spaghetti with the shells open and easily accessible. It was an excellent entree. We were not only impressed by the preparations but the freshness of all the ingredients. One of the parking spaces in front of the restaurant is marked as being only for drop offs or pickups. That space was convenient for the Ubers that brought us to and from the restaurant. I was surprised that there is only one unisex bathroom in the restaurant. With such a busy restaurant, a second bathroom would be a plus. Also I was disappointed that they have no nonalcoholic beers. These days NA beers are rapidly growing in popularity with many available excellent choices. read more

This is such a great neighborhood spot! The restaurant has a cozy vibe inside. The patio looks great but it was too hot for us in July. We came here because of the Monday $10 pizza deal. This is truly unbeatable! The pizza was great to split with a few salads. We had a reservation, but the service was still fast but not rushed. This is a great weeknight spot! read more

Bella Napoli - Italiana Salad - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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In times past we just order pizzas to go and boy are their pizzas great, but tonight we decided to try something new. We had never been in and sat down at the restaurant so we thought let's mix things up. The Ragu di Manzo is amazing. I devoured it so quickly and the only sad part was I wanted more and my plate was empty. The pork was delicious and the sauce devine. The lasagna is a lot of food. It is amazing and definitely a must try with the bolognese. The lasagna is very cheesy which makes it even better. The two different spritz drinks were dangerously delicious. read more

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I LOVE this place! The food and service are absolutely wonderful. Do yourself a favor and have a main character moment twirling your delicious pasta paired perfectly with red wine. I've sat at the bar solo and eaten here with a group and loved every dish. I can't comment on the bread service due to food allergies. It is a popular spot and fills up so grab a reservation or come early or you will definitely have a wait. It can be a little loud, but it adds to the "big family gathering" vibe in my opinion. They also have imports to buy and take home for your next night in. read more

great atmosphere, great staff, food very tasty .my only complaint is the portions are miniscule. You will leave hungry, just being honest, I wish them the best. read more

We went to Bella Napoli for lunch to celebrate my sister's good news, and it was such a wonderful first visit. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and guided us through the menu, making great recommendations. We ordered the lasagna with bolognese and the tagliatelle with bolognese, both were so fresh and flavorful that we even asked for a container of the sauce to take home. To finish, we shared the tiramisu, which was creamy, light, and the perfect ending to a delicious meal. read more

Bella Napoli - Lasagna with Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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I've been to Bella Napoli multiple times and the service, ambiance and food are all SPOT ON! Kliti has been our server multiple times and is a delight. This most recent time we had Katie who was just as lovely. The service really lends well to the ambiance of the restaurant. What I really love about Bella Napoli is that is a neighborhood experience. It's very homey inside and the fact that Kliti welcomes us back every time and asks about my family, is just so great. It feels like you're in a neighborhood spot in the middle of Italy. The food is also so delicious. I've never had a bad meal. Everything is fresh, tasty and unique. There are always yummy specials as well! read more

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Been many times. Great little restaurant with true home made Italian food. Always a great choice.

This is a nice Italian restaurant in the city. I wasn't impressed by the carbonara at all. But we had pizza and another pasta dish, I'm forgetting the name. The lemon drops are very good. Highly recommend those. Service was good. Very attentive waiter despite the place being busy. read more

Bella Napoli - Lemon drop martini - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Grabbed dinner with a friend at Bella Napoli. We had a reservation, which I would recommend on a Saturday night, as it was busy. Our service was quick and friendly. Our food was good - I got the server's recommendation - the pasta allá giacomo. It was good, but I love a red sauce and should have gone with that because my friend got the ragú di manzo and it was delish! Definitely a fun stop in brookside. I didn't realize they have a deli sandwich menu... I want to try that! read more

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Absolutely the best Italian food around. The Pizza's are delicious along the best sandwiches. We just had lunch there today..Everything is fresh and very tasty read more

What a delightful place, It's small, but cozy. It's authentic. It's a slice of Italy in the midwest. Gluten friendly. Family friendly. Reasonably priced. read more

Bella Napoli - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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This place has great food, respectfully priced, outdoor dining, delicious tiramisu, and the people here treat you like family. My girlfriend and I celebrated our anniversary here, even before then this place held a special place in our hearts. You really cannot find another Italian Restaurant like this one, that feels quite like home, its hard to explain. If you are going on the weekends in the evening be prepared to wait in line to be seated, but trust me this place is worth it. read more

Tonight was our first time at Bella Napoli. We walked in to a packed restaurant at about 6:45pm without reservations. We waited about 20 minutes as originally estimated. The food was excellent and our server, Nikhil, was personable, professional and knowledgeable of the menu. While we are out-of-town visitors, we will definitely dine here again as the opportunity presents itself. read more

The food was good, and staff friendly, but the wait for food to come out on a Saturday night was insane. Seats were completely filled. Recommend getting a reservation, and going at off-hours if there are any. The broccoli rabe & sausage pasta was good. Don't get the minestrone soup. It's basically made from canned tomatoes and canned/frozen veggies. Lemon torte was also good And you can taste lemon peels in it. I was given a discount on my food because the wait was so long- so that was nice read more

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TL;DR: Still on the hunt for a great Italian restaurant in KC. I was excited to hear Bella Napoli values handmade pastas and the quality of its ingredients, but the flavors in the sauces were lacking. Italian restaurants I would rather recommend (some with caveats, check their Yelp pages) are: - North Italia in Leawood, similar price - Farina downtown, higher price - Plate in Leawood and Brookside, slightly higher price My group ordered the Ragu di Manzo, the Tagliatelle Bolognese, and the Carbonara (fueled by carbs over here) and we really enjoyed the Ragu di Manzo. It was the star of the show with tender braised short rib, a strong red sauce, and al dente pappardelle. We were surprised by how different the other pastas were in comparison. Bolognese is supposed to be a hearty meat sauce that's savory and fully flavored, but this one came out underseasoned and tasting more like red wine than anything else. It was a big disappointment, and since we had two orders of the same dish, I don't think it was an one-off occurrence. The Carbonara was better, but not better than a Carbonara that could be made at home. The tiramisu at the end was a good size--large enough to share among a group-and the right flavors were there, but it was fairly nontraditional. The classic tiramisu should be made with ladyfinger sponge cakes soaked in espresso, but the espresso didn't come through very strong from the sponge and the cake seemed more like a single layer than ladyfingers. read more

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Cutie little restaurant in Brookside, service was great and atmosphere was cozy! Salad options galore, and weekly specials are a great deal!

I went here on a Saturday night. It wasn't super loud and crowded. I had a gluten free pasta with tomato sauce, beef, and carrots and it was very nice, good textured gf pasta! My boyfriend said his meal was delicious. The prices were good too. read more

Lovely neighborhood Italian restaurant. I really enjoy the vibe of the area and this restaurant has a nice outdoor seating area as well. I would say it's cozy with very friendly service. My wife and I are always excited when arancini is on the menu so we had to order it. I had the Quattro Formaggi pizza. I enjoyed both items but wasn't blown away. However, I did enjoy our overall experience and I feel like if we lived nearby we would dine here more frequently. read more

Bella Napoli - Quattro Formaggi Pizza - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Everything is great. Try the pizzas. Jake is the owner and makes it like feel like you are dining in Italy.

Great atmosphere and really good food and good menu. The folks are very nice and customer oriented. A great little Italian deli restaurant

I have been a long time fan of the food at Bella Napoli. The service was adequate. The ambience is deplorable. There are too many tables crammed into a tiny space and the noise level is deafening. At one point, I shouted, "I can't hear you" at the top of my lungs and not a soul turned to look. My ears are still ringing from the decibel level. I won't return. read more

Alright gang. This place is a gem, one of the best Italian spots in KC. It stacks up there with the best Italian restaurants in Northern NJ. Extremely good service, nice ambiance outside seating, and delicious food. Highly recommend it, especially on a nice day to sit outside read more

Bella Napoli - Mussels - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Service staff was very attentive. The food was hot, and oh so yummy . We will be back. In fact, I have already told three of my friends about your restaurant. Will be back real soon read more

Our dinner experience was disappointing pretty much in every way. The evening was beautiful so the patio was full, we walked in with no reservations so weren't expecting outdoor seating. That being communicated we were fine with a table inside where at least 3 were open and available in both main dining areas. But, instead of one of those we were taken to a small two top positioned against a side wall at the back of the very small eating area and just in front of a swinging door, (being told wasn't the kitchen') and a rack of specialty packaged foods displayed for purchase. Because it seemed busy enough we figured that the other tables that could seat 4 were being held for that number and probably why we would be seated at the two top. During our dining time though we witnessed two separate couples being seated at two of the three open tables. Ok so? Our dinner was simple with a glass of wine each, salads, and a specialty pizza to share. Sadly the food was just 'meh' at best, very disappointing as it didn't match the reviews I'd read speaking of the great flavor and authenticity Napoli served. The service was cordial and adequate but lacked any warmth or engagement. After our experience here neither my husband nor I would recommend this place for Italian or an enjoyable dinner out. read more

We were looking for a good sandwich & salad place. We ordered for carry out. We got the IL Saro Sandwich - Spicy & a Caprino salad. Everything was delicious & fresh and ready when we arrived. I would definitely recommend. The food was very good! read more

Bella Napoli - Il Saro Spicy Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Hit 3 strikes before I could even get a drink and couldn't even get the drink I wanted much less get to order I ended up throwing a 5 on the table for the tea I didn't drink and walked out never to return, what a wasted trip I came clear across town to try this place , my recommendation is don't bother. read more

A fantastic neighborhood Italian restaurant with such a homey feel. It was our first time there but we heard several of the servers greeting guests by name adding to the atmosphere. We had caprese with burrata to start. It was made with fresh heirloom tomatoes and so good! Next the minestrone soup which had a wonderful seasoning and spice to it. After that we had the ragu and tagliatelle. The pasta was perfectly cooked with aromatic and flavorful sauces. Really made us feel like we were back in Italy. We also loved seeing wine from Avignonese. We finished with a pistachio cheesecake with a perfect balance of a mild pistachio flavor in a creamy cheesecake. Definitely will be back! read more