My wife surprised me with a Valentine's eve dinner at Bella's Bistro, and the food and service exceeded our every expectation. You'll hear many patrons describe this restaurant as a hidden gem. Believe them. From our observation, reservations are highly desirable and may prove necessary for weekend nights. The only seatings available when we called a day earlier were at 4:30 or after 7:00 PM. We took the earlier, and frankly are glad we did. We arrived at their unassuming storefront location as the first patrons of the day, were warmly greeted and immediately seated. From this moment forward, my wife and I agreed: If anyone hopes to run a highly successful small restaurant, Bella's Bistro is the template. Inside, the ambiance was tasteful with gentle background music at the absolutely perfect tempo and volume to allow for conversation. We found the furnishings, tableware and restroom immaculate. Fresh flowers and a candle adorned each table, and the decorations for Valentine's Day were just the right tone, conveying appeal without being garish. Kudos to the staff for getting it right on all of the above. Though I generally set expectations low for the wine list or bartending at a small establishment, Bella's features a diverse wine list and specialty cocktails that pair very well with their menu. Of particular note was the superb crafting of cocktails during our visit - again, exceeding our expectations. It was during cocktail service that we noticed the full-service bar tucked in the rear corner of the restaurant, offering barstool seating and counter service for those who may be so inclined. We shared a nicely prepared caesar salad, while enjoying the basket of varied breads. While refrigerated butter pats were provided in the basket, it would have been a tad easier and more appealing if a small container of whipped butter had been offered instead. Our entrees included their homemade ravioli as well as chicken parmigiana, the latter included a large perfectly crafted portion of chicken accompanied by perfectly prepared spaghetti. To say this restaurant knows how to make and served great pasta is in understatement, with the ravioli a choice to be savored. A simple cheesecake dessert topped off the evening. Though the restaurant was full as our meal ended, we never felt rushed or ignored. Service was at all times attentive but never overbearing. There was genuine interest in our enjoyment and satisfaction. We encourage you to try Bella's Bistro! read more

I was surprised by how small the restaurant was when we walked in. It's charming inside, but the space feels a bit cramped. My wife and I visited on a Sunday evening, and the service was excellent. We also enjoyed some really good cocktails before dinner. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. My steak wasn't cooked properly, and my wife's chicken dish was underwhelming. I'd consider going back for the drinks and appetizers, but probably not for the entrées. read more

What a wonderful place to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday with a small group of family and friends. Christina and her staff were just amazing. Easy to work with and provided options for the mail. read more

The food was delicious and the service awesome. We had a picky eater but wanted to go somewhere nice and despite not having a kids menu, the waitress was able to suggest healthy and plain options off the menu. They went out of their way to provide a great dining experience all around. read more

We went to this restuarant back when it was Beto's Bistro. It was delicious. The service was great and food was wonderful as always. I Bella's is anything like Beto's was, I will come back to this location. read more

Bella's Bistro (Simi Valley) was a solid dinner overall, but not something I'd go out of my way for. The prime rib was the highlight--tender, flavorful, and cooked well. That said, the rest of the meal felt pretty average for the price and didn't really stand out. The best thing we had was the calamari: crispy, well-seasoned, and honestly the most memorable bite of the night. Service and atmosphere were fine--just a mixed experience. read more

Bella’s Bistro - prime rib - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

So happy to find this little hidden gem in Simi Valley. Staff is always so very welcoming, warm and attentive. The food is really delicious and always tastes so fresh and lovely flavors. Don't be turned off by the strip mall location. It's a sweet little restaurant in a quirky location. read more

Bella's is a hidden gem. Tucked within an unsuspecting plaza lies some of the best Italian food you'll have paired with even better service. Our waitress was so sweet and transformed our dinner into an experience. We had the arancini, house bread (divine), pistachio crusted scallops, chicken Marsala, and tiramisu. We dined early, so while the restaurant had nice ambiance, you could tell that once the sun sets it makes the place feel even cozier. 5 stars all around-we will return soon. read more

I had an exceptional meal at Bella's Bistro, formerly Beto 's Wine Bar. This is a place where you get a great Continental or Italian meal for the price you spend. I had the Surf and Turf with a beautiful 8 oz Premium Angus top sirloin, cooked a perfect medium rare, topped with a Cabernet sauce, plated over sauteed spinach and garlic - which was actually sauteed garlic with spinach but it was scrumptious. I'm vampire free for the next 20 years. This also came with an excellent 4 oz lobster tail, a spa's worth of clarified butter, and a dinner salad that replaced upon request the mashed potatoes. It was a lot to put on one plate but they managed. Awesome bread and butter started this off. This was nearly the perfect meal. $44 and worth every penny. The pleasant atmosphere is what you make of it, it can be romantic or casual or just comfortable which it absolutely was for me. The service cannot be better, friendly and efficient and accommodating. The music playing overhead was soft contemporary Muzak, if there is such a thing , or maybe I'm just getting older. I'm in the demo where I hear Steely Dan playing in the supermarkets to keep me shopping longer. Bella's is really one of the best restaurants in Simi Valley in a very competitive strip center along with Beeps and Maria's, with Fun Burger looming across the street, their super big screen providing visible entertainment. Go to Bella's and enjoy! read more

Bella’s Bistro - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

Amazing! Elegant! Delicious! My husband and I enjoy date night here. The food is fantastic. The service is excellent and personable. The ambience makes you feel like you're in Europe. read more

Bella’s Bistro - Superb Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

The food here is very good and every course shows care and attention to detail and taste. A true highlight is the Thursday special menu which changes every week and offers three entree choices, two salad choices, a shared desert and a bottle of wine (or sparkling water) for a very excellent price. So not only some of the best food in Simi and beyond but actual different dishes to try every week. Very excellent service as well despite the small staff and occasional rush of diners. read more

Mediocre. I had high expectations with the good reviews this restaurant has. We came in last night for my father's birthday dinner. We had a reservation which we were sat right away. There were 6 adults and one child. We ordered drinks, and it took forever for them to come out. Two people in our group waited another 30 minutes for a cocktail and a mocktail to come out. Someone ordered a second beer, it never came. Had to ask two more times. Had to ask for more iced tea. The service was just not it. The food took fairly slow to come out. The plates were scorching hot. So hot, it felt like they came right out of a microwave. The food was no where near as hot as the plate. That was a little odd to me. The food was just okay. I was not impressed. Sad to say it, but for a "fancy Italian dinner" I'll be going else where. Really disappointed. read more

Hi Bellas Bistro My wife and I decided on a new place for dinner tonight so we went with Italian. We ordered it to go it was ready in 30 minutes with no issues. She ordered the Chicken Picatta, and I had the Chicken Marsala. The pasta was delicious and both dinners were amazing. We'll definitely be back to order something different next time we dine in. read more

A true hidden gem! I absolutely love places like this. Family-owned, over the top amazing service, and great food. This is my boyfriend and I's favorite place to go to. It's a very intimate and family friendly environment. Cristina, Adriana and Bella are the best. I've had quite a few drinks here and everything was a hit. I recommend getting the pomegranate margarita or the lavender martini - so freaking good. Every meal here has been superb, from the appetizers to the entrees. The calamari and burrata were to die for. The salmon and steak were mouth watering. Not to mention the mashed potatoes that I still dream about. Dessert is not something that I typically order but you cannot go wrong with the mango panna cotta. I am not a huge mango fan but this dessert was probably the best dessert I've ever had. The mango flavor was so fresh and not artificial tasting. You can truly tell when a restaurant goes above and beyond and that's exactly what they do here. Everything is freshly made from the juices in their cocktails, to their food and dessert. If you're deciding on where to go for dinner tonight, I promise this restaurant will not disappoint! read more

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Went there for our anniversary. As far as I know, this is now the best restaurant in Simi Valley. Everything was very delicious and well made. The restaurant is beautiful and elegant. Definitely saw regulars who walked in to a table they knew. A lone diner who ordered a nice dinner and a bottle of wine. Just was cozy and fun. Wine list was really good. Definitely recommend. read more

We ordered takeout based on how good our Valentines experience was. 2 completely different meals this time. WOW! That's it, that's the review...WOW! We had the jumbo prawns on seafood risotto, spaghettini de pesce, bread, a mixed greens salad and a caesar. Not one piece of seafood was overcooked and it was delivered via Door Dash. Let me repeat that, DOOR DASH. Whomever the chef is, they completely understand how to make quality food for in-house dining and delivery. The meals were fantastic and we are so happy that our last visit wasn't a one off. We would have paid double for this exact meal...it was that good and that fresh! The pasta was still hot and al dente and the risotto was creamy and had just enough tooth. Super impressed with this restaurant, once again. We are 100% fans at this point and we will definitely be back! (It was sooo good we forgot pics!) read more

Bella’s Bistro - Raspberry chocolate cake - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

Amazing food and service. Highly recommend this restaurant. Enjoyed the special of the day and it did not disappoint. Especially enjoyed the lemon drop martinis! read more

Bella’s Bistro - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

Had a really negative experience here tonight, I'm not one to leave reviews however my family came in for dinner on Friday night with a reservation, there were 10 of us at 7:30pm. When we ordered it took quite some time for our drinks to come out, and not everyone received their drinks. Once we ordered, our server let us know that since everything was made from scratch and one at a time it might take a little extra time for our food to come out, which is fine cause that's what you expect for a bigger party. however it ended up taking close to an hour and a half for our food to arrive. I was told that this was normal and they didn't see any issue with it taking over an hour for 10 entrees to come out of the kitchen. Once we finally got our food, the restaurant was closed and there was maybe two people left inside. Party's who came in after us finished their entire meal and left. We overheard them saying that their food had taken forever, and that they were shocked we were still sitting there not even having gotten our food yet. The server was pretty dismissive just saying that that's how it is. I work in the industry and was pretty floored by that response. They did send dessert to the table however that took awhile to arrive as well as the check and by that time we just wanted to get out of there. The server also mentioned that since we took a little extra tome to order that's why our food took so long, which doesn't make sense. The timer begins after placing an order not before. If every dish is made one at a time, makes me wonder how long some meals were sitting around and needed to be microwaved. read more

We were pleasantly surprised. The food and service were great. Staff was friendly and I enjoyed my chicken piccata and my wife the halibut. We will be back again. read more

Exceptional service and culinary offerings! From the moment you step inside, you can feel that you are about to enjoy a memorable evening. Everything we ordered was perfectly prepared and presented. Whoever coined the saying, 'one eats with their eyes before their lips' must've been speaking about Bella's Bistro! read more

It is my pleasure to award this establishment five stars. I really wish I could offer more! Over the course of the past month I've been here three times and brought different folks who have raved about their drinks, their service and their meals. Recently rebranded the folks are the same, service is the same and the food better each time I go. The atmosphere is quaint, intimate and sexy and man this place is always crowded! Christina and team - I think you're my favorite restaurant in Simi. Men take your ladies here. Gals have your "night's out" here. Great value and worth every penny if you really consider what you're paying for with price increases in other areas. Go. Go now! read more

Love this hole in the wall Italian restaurant. Food is always the best. Service was excellent.

A great new restaurant in Simi. Definitely recommend Bella's, an Italian with some French bistro with excellent food, delightful staff, wonderful cocktails and wine list, nice decor (despite the shopping center being in need of renovation), and very reasonable prices. Please support this lovely restaurant we are lucky to have here in Simi Valley! read more

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Great atmosphere along with the food and drinks. They need to enforce a dress code. People dress like they are working on a farm!

My wife and I have visited this restaurant probably 6 times this year, and 3 times in the last 3 months, the latest on Christmas Eve. We were hosting family from out of town and felt lucky we were able to make an early reservation (5:45 PM) for dinner. We were a large party of 8 for this restaurant but based on our previous experience we were excited to share with everyone. When we arrived on time, we were told the table wasn't ready yet. This was not a problem for us as we were happy to catch up with each other. The table was ready within 10-15 minutes. We were seated and everyone started looking over the menu and discussing the possibilities for dinner. It took a while before we were able obtain a wine list and longer before we placed our drink order of 1 bottle of red to share between 3 people, one regular and one nonalcoholic beer, and one mock-tail with waters for the remaining two. We were brought the beers and the server opened the bottle of wine. When pouring the wine, the server poured the third glass from such a height that she spilled onto the table. This was simple carelessness as she did not need to pour from such a distance. After getting these drinks, it took another 10 minutes before the mock-tail arrived. The fruit mock-tail was very good, just very delayed... We placed our orders for entrees with 4 people ordering salads and one soup. We ordered a charcuterie plate for the table instead of appetizers. When sharing the charcuterie plate, one person ended up getting a piece of plastic in her mouth from the Caprese portion of the plate. We let the manager know about this and she made sure no one was harmed. She said she knew how this might happen and apologized for it. The salads came quickly and were good as was the French onion soup. After the salad plates and charcuterie tray were removed we then waited for our main courses. After a while we were all getting a little perturbed by the length of time we were waiting. We still had not been served our meals after sitting for more than 2 hours. We observed several tables of customers who had been seated after us being served their meals. We asked about this and were told that since we had ordered some salads and soup this was the reason for the delay. Overall, the evening was disappointing at best. We don't know if they were short staffed in the kitchen, but this has not been our previous experience here. We will be taking our business elsewhere for the foreseeable future. read more

We are frequent patrons at the location on Kuehner, but wanted to try this location closer to home. We had an amazing dinner. One of the most delicious, tender & sweet lobster tails I've ever had. Everything was amazing & seasoned perfectly. Absolutely 5 star service from the hostess & waitress. Nice spot for a date night. Highly, highly recommend Betos Wine Bar & Bistro. read more

Bella’s Bistro - Surf & Turf - Seafood Near Me - Simi Valley, California

This was our second visit to bella's bistro and it did not disappoint. Bella's bistro is by far the best Italian restaurant in simi valley if not the whole surrounding area. read more

This place is truly a hidden gem i made a reservation to celebrate my husband's birthday Cristine and she was super helpful she even allowed me to go couple hours before the reservation time to set up the table the food was delicious and the ambience is so cozy and intimate Hight recommend read more

4.5. Only complaint is the place is tiny!!! Well I had a fabulous first meal at Betos wine bar. Amazing service. Staff are super attentive. Had a delicious wedge salad and the Paparadelle Bolognese. Chicken parm looked great as well. Hubby enjoyed the onion soup. Not a big drinker but bar was Full! Make a reservation We will be back! read more

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Great local restaurant with really good service, food and drinks. So many yummy entrees to choose from.

THE best dining experience I've had in a long time. The service was amazing, the Lavender Martini was seriously the best drink I think I've ever had, and the food was absolutely insane. Will be coming back over and over again! read more

Bella's is a great restaurant. I highly recommend it. The food is delicious. It's a very nice setting. Great value and friendly staff read more

Wonderful food and love supporting family businesses. Have to check this one out. One of our faves.

A friend and I had dinner last evening at this restaurant. There is only one word to describe this place. OUTSTANDING! We both ordered the Chilean Sea Bass. It was excellent, and the service equally great. It is a very small place so unless you go early, reservations are recommended. Pricey? For sure, but for a special occasion, well worth it! read more

Food was well made.I had chicken Marsala and we also had the Burrata and tomatoes.Great service.

My bf and I frequent this place as it is right down the street from our house. Everything I've had there is amazing! Calamari is so delicious, drinks are amazing and the surf and turf is my go to order! All of the staff there are so attentive and sweet! I'm so glad that Simi has a wonderful hidden gem like this! read more

Food was excellent..server was attentive. Will definitely go back. Ambience was pretty nice for strip mall location.. read more

A hidden gem! Loved the staff, ambiance (inside or outside), and delicious food!! Tried the small garden salad which was a generous portion, with their own dressing , tomatoes, mixed greens, onions, and cucumbers. Loved it! Main dish was the pasta primavera, with tasty vegetables. (I was eating light that evening, but, they had amazing specials and menu items!) I want to go back soon!! read more

order takeout from here right before closing had the fillet with peppercorn sauce. It was one of the best fillets I've had in a very long time would highly recommend it. read more

Omg! Shared a delicious spinach salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Then shared pappardelle bolognese, amazing it tasted like it came from Italy. Plenty of food to share. I highly recommend. Bon appetito! read more