Food and service were absolutely amazing! We had an appetizer, these dishes and desserts and everything was so flavorful. We will definitely be back real soon! read more

See all

Delicious food! We had spaghetti and meatballs and the cacio e Pepe and both were yummy! Nina was our server and so sweet and attentive!

Oh this place was wonderful. It was very much a dining experience than just going out to eat. The staff is friendly and patient and informative and they even do fun things like make pasta bowls at your side of your table. There were six of us and everything from the fresh bread and the oil and vinegar to the appetizers through the entrées and dessert or fantastic. Salad was super fresh, the pasta that they made at the side of the table with Parmesan in the big cheese bowl we all shared as an appetizer. read more

The service was Amazing!!!! The waitress was extremely friendly The food delicious and nice portions. We are never disappointed at Bella Vista a Mare. The bread is the best around, reminds us of Italy. read more

See all

After hearing so much hype about this restaurant, we were excited to finally try it on a Thursday evening. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to our expectations. We started with the meatballs and stuffed clams. The waiter accidentally forgot to put in the order for the clams, but once we mentioned it, he immediately corrected the mistake. We appreciated that, and he even brought us complimentary cannoli for the inconvenience, which was a nice gesture. Unfortunately, the cannoli filling was very gritty, which was disappointing. When the stuffed clams finally arrived, they were extremely small and underwhelming. The meatballs were another letdown--they were very tough and lacked flavor. For our entrées, we ordered the special vodka chicken Parmesan with vodka rigatoni. It sounded incredible, and we were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it was the biggest disappointment of the meal. The chicken was extremely dry, and the vodka sauce on top looked and tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for far too long. Even the vodka sauce on the rigatoni was dry, which we didn't think was possible. The one standout dish was the chicken Milanese. It was thin, crispy, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. It was easily the best thing we ordered. Overall, we left disappointed, especially after hearing so many great things about this restaurant. We appreciated the waiter taking responsibility for the forgotten appetizer and trying to make it right, but the food simply didn't live up to the hype. Between the tiny stuffed clams, tough meatballs, gritty cannoli, and dry chicken Parmesan, we don't plan on returning. read more

Stopped by for lunch today. Were met by friendly staff who went above and beyond to give us personal attention. Our meals were huge portions and delicious. I had the veal parm, huge salad, wife had the special with the wheel of cheese added chicken. Added a shared slice of limoncello cake....light and tasty. We were so full after the meal went home and passed out. Always good food and service our go to Italian spot, both locations. read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Huge and delicious veal parm - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date night! I wanted to try out this new Italian restaurant so booked a reservation through YELP! It was a wonderful experience. Great atmosphere and tables are placed with room to move about and be able to converse. Arrived early and started with a drink at the bar. Great bar tender and every staff person that passed by greeted us. Martini was perfect! Our table was ready at out reserved time if 6:30. Our server was very personable and ensured we were tended to. We shared the arancini which was AMAZING! Best I have had. Tough decision on entres as the menu and specials had so many great options. We shared a side salad which was definitely large enough to share and super fresh. Wines were nice as were our mains. Got a tirimusu to go which looked amazing. Definitely will make our regular rotation of favorites. read more

See all

Yummy, first time in this location, I was before the fruit cove one. I ordered the salmon with vegetables and it was delicious! The local ambience is great. The service was good. They have additional parking on the side. I definitely recommend it. read more

See all

I went to Bella Vista, Jax Beach location, last week. It was my first time eating at the restaurant. I've been wanting to try them for a long time and I'm glad they opened a location not far from my house. The restaurant ambiance definitely made me feel like I was at an Italian restaurant. There was lots of seating as well as a bar. The bread came out first with a homemade olive oil dip. The bread was soft on the inside with a firm crust. And I had a glass of house red, which was on the sweet side just how I like it, which was recommended by Sarah our server. The wine paired perfectly with my meal. We started with the baked oysters which were covered in parmesan cheese and absolutely delicious! For dinner I ordered the veal parmesan with penne pasta. I was told they do not make their own pasta in house but it is imported from Italy. Nice! The piece of veal was huge! I actually got four meals out of this dinner;) The veal was tender and seasoned perfectly, smothered in cheesy goodness. The penne pasta was also yummy, not too hard and not too soft. We ended our meal by sharing a piece of tiramisu. It was decadent and delicious!!! If you're looking to support a local Italian restaurant I highly recommend you stop in and try Bella Vista! read more

See all

I was so excited when I heard Bella Vista was opening at the beach- just 15 minutes away!!! Woohoo. And finally- I made reservations, through Yelp- hey hey. Highly recommend using their complimentary valet, it being a holiday weekend, all the lots are charging to park. Can I say, I love the remodel! The bar looks swanky, lots of light. We were greeted and sat right away and after reviewing the specials we made our selections. Our server, Luara, was very attentive. John ordered us a bottle of wine and the warm bread was set down as we ordered our mains. John went with the papadelle bolognese & I went with one of the specials- sachetti bolognese. What a rich, decadent dinner. I held off so I could save room for dessert & even John couldn't resist the lemoncello cake! Oh my goodness!!! And the cappuccino! Heaven in every sip. My local birthday treat was fabulous! Can't wait to return. read more

See all

I didn't think Bella Vista could impress me more... and then they opened their Jacksonville Beach location. First of all, the space is beautiful -- elevated, fresh, and perfectly fits the beach vibe without losing that cozy Italian feel they're known for. But what really sets this location apart? The menu. It's completely different from the original -- not just a copy and paste. New dishes, new flavors, and everything feels intentional. It honestly feels like a whole new dining experience while still carrying the quality and consistency they're known for. We absolutely went overboard ordering because everything sounded that good -- and not a single dish disappointed. The flavors were bold, balanced, and clearly made with care. I will happily drive to the beach anytime for this spot. If you loved the original, you NEED to try this location. read more

See all

This was my third time visiting Bella Vista and it has been great every time. The service is great, by both Sarah and Rebecca. The ultimate chicken parm was my son's favorite. My daughter loved the ciao Pepe. I love the meatballs! The restaurant is spacious and easy to have a conversation. They also have a small bar on the back. I love that the owners/managers always walk around to ensure that everything is going well. read more

See all

Went to this restaurant tonight with 4 of my girlfriends. The restaurant is bigger than I was expecting and we had a reservation so we didn't have to wait at all. The service was pretty slow, but the manager came over and took our drink order so I don't know if the waitress was just overwhelmed . The food was pretty good. Some of us enjoyed our dishes more than others. The bread was awesome and I personally liked my penne vodka, but I would go with grilled chicken next time and not the fried chicken. My friend loved her spicy rigatoni. Another friend of mine had the chicken Parmesan with penne. She loved the chicken, but thought that the tomato sauce with the penne was flavorless. The restaurant was beautifully decorated, but it was very loud read more

See all

This place recently reopened about two or three months ago and we just stopped back today from the minute we walked in. We were greeted very politely they had just opened so we got a nice table in the back. There's a really nice Muriel Italian scenery. This nice little bar area. I had the chicken Parmesan. My son had the carbonara pasta. The food came out in a nice time we had some baked clams, which were very delicious little on that clams with a butter garlic sauce very good we had for dessert, a piece of the pistachio ricotta cake, and a gelato pistachio imported from Italy both which were excellent. There were many things we didn't get to try and we will be back as we live just down the street. read more

Again & again Bella Vista A Mare does it right. You haven't been? What are you waiting for? Do you not like warm friendly people? Don't like fresh, delicious Italian food? Tonight we celebrated my husband's birthday. What better way than going to his favorite restaurants new location. Bella Vista A Mare makes it easy to park in a town where parking is at a premium. Just go around the block and drive up to their FREE rooftop parking. Then walk into a warm, friendly atmosphere where they really care to make your experience a memorable one. Tonight we started off with some arancini. These are stuffed rice balls with cheese, peas, and meat, perfectly fried and topped with Bella Vista's homemade marinara sauce. We soaked up that sauce with their crispy, homemade bread that is served complementary. Next we had a fresh salad with green apples, craisins, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. My favorite salad anywhere, large enough to share. My husband ordered their baked clams ( a dish you can't find anywhere here). They are delicate baby clams bathed in a garlic breadcrumb & lemon bath. For entree my husband got his favorite which is a breaded and pounded pork chop on the bone, topped with melted cheese & smothered with mushrooms & a brown sauce. The home fry potatoes are almost as tasty as the pork chop. For my entree I switched it up this visit and instead of ordering my go to eggplant parm I ordered the appetizer order of eggplant rolitini. It's large enough as a main with three rolled and stuffed eggplant slices stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with their homemade marinara sauce. One of my favorite dishes here. We were too full to order dessert, but Gio the owner knowing it was my husband's birthday sent over a delicious tray of cannoli, tiramisu and cheesecake. So we made some room to top off our delicious meal with their wonderful desserts. All of the desserts here are fabulous. Make sure you leave enough room for dessert. Always a wonderful experience at Bella Vista no matter how many times you visit. read more

See all

Holy cannoli!!! When we walked in and the place was packed we knew it was going to be good. The wait staff was great, the food was top notch, the service was very fast. Every plate that went by us looked delicious. The place settings were nice too. Don't sleep on the Limoncello Cake! read more

Super great food and experience. Relatively quick and cute place! I got the Cacio y pepe with chicken. Chicken was slightly too blackened for my liking but was amazing other than that. Came out in the cheese bowl and everything. Awesome spot! Crab cakes were also super good!! read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

I love Bella Vista. It's our favorite place to eat now. So glad the new Jax Beach location is so close! read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Best Chicken Francese ever. Sauce is light and the chicken cuts with a fork, Absolutely my favorite dish! - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Fantastic meal from start to finish. The meatballs have no filler. Just delicious meat and sauce! The fresh basil is a perfect accompaniment. The portions are huge. We split a meal and still have leftovers. The eggplant part was great. The vodka sauce is on point. The ricotta cake is amazing!! read more

See all

I was so excited for this new location to open up at the beach that I frequent very often. There was an extensive wine list, a decent sized menu, and plenty of options. The meatballs were dry and needed more flavor. The ultimate chicken vodka parm was good, however the spicy rigatoni could have more flavor. The table side cacio e pepe (whole reason I came) was good and tasted fresh. I added grilled chicken to it which was a bit dry. I will say the service was top notch, everyone was friendly greeting as you walked in and saying goodbye as you walked out. I am hoping the food gets better as they are open longer since they just opened this location 4 days ago. But to me the flavor was very average for an Italian spot. read more

See all

My second time to Bella Vista, first time at the new location and I was extremely disappointed this time. As we were approaching a patron outside said the AC was broken, we were surprised the restaurant hadn't called the inform us since we made a reservation. Even when we approached the host stand to be seated the host did not inform us the AC was out. Mind you it's 100 degrees in July. When we sat down the server was friendly but the service went downhill as we quickly learned she was also the bartender. We ordered two appetizers one of which had a hair in it, when the manager came over she tried blaming it on "the doors being open" which is jaw dropping considering the kitchen is nowhere near the open doors. She could have just apologized and moved on. We hadn't even placed our entrees by the time our appetizers were cleared due to our server being busy making drinks at the bar. We had to ask multiple other staff members for cutlery and water refills as our glasses were empty for 15 minutes straight. The entrees were lack luster and so was the service which was disappointing! Sad to say I won't be back! The young employee doing the pasta wheel for us was the friendliest of the night and I felt horrible for the staff having to work in those conditions, we would have gone elsewhere! Best of luck read more

See all

Love this place. Treat you like family. Food is always perfect. Priced right - huge portions

If you're looking for authentic Italian in Jax Beach, Bella Vista A Mare is a must-visit. The vibe is refined yet welcoming--perfect for a date night or a nice family dinner. ​The highlights for me: ​The Experience: You have to get the Cacio e Pepe prepared tableside in the giant cheese wheel. It's a showstopper. ​The Classics: The Chicken Parm and homemade meatballs (Polpette della Nonna) are some of the best in the area. ​The Service: The staff is incredibly attentive, making the whole experience feel like a trip to the Amalfi Coast. ​Great food, beautiful atmosphere, and easily one of the best spots on 3rd St. Definitely worth the stop! read more

The service was really great. Awesome atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food was very underwhelming and bland. Very disappointed to spend $100 on something I could have gotten at Olive Garden read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

See all

Bella Vista is The Best Italian Food at the Beaches. Authentic food and servers here. Word of mouth got me there and everyone was right. Can't recall what pasta I had, told you it was authentic. Nice little cocktail bar in the back too! read more

Bella Vista has great customer service -- everyone was kind and attentive -- but unfortunately the food just didn't match the experience. The cacio e pepe was truly bland, with none of the rich, peppery flavor you'd expect. The chicken was even more disappointing; it looked so sad and processed that it honestly seemed like it came straight from a bag. For the price and the atmosphere, I expected much better. The service was the only highlight, but the food itself was far below par. read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Cacio et Pepe - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Good food, service and pleasant overall experience. Best pistachio gelato.! even the honor came over to greet us. Make sure we were happy with our meal.. would highly recommend. read more

I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion or if you're just in the mood for delicious authentic Italian food. The pasta is so fresh. Leave room for dessert. A++++ all around. read more

See all

My wife and I went here for our 30 th wedding anniversary tonight. Over all food was was good, had an excellent house salad, order the short rib ravioli, and I was hoping it had a better flavor. My wife's ultimate chicken Parmesan. Both had good size portions. I did enjoy the bread. We had a few old fashions and an espresso martinis. Place looks very nice on the inside. Parking is a mystery since it's right on 3 rd street. read more

See all

They were super busy so service was slow-server was doing her best. water service does a touch down on every glass(gross). waited a long time for our entrees. | I had piece of hair in my food -they offered a new dish, no thank you. Such a Bummer, Lights in the dining room need to be dimmed too read more

Complimentary bread was the highlight of the night. The arancini was good as well but the mains were just "ok". They charge $6 to add chicken to your pasta and it's a thin, dry, flavorless grilled breast. They don't even toss it in with the rest of the food, it's just placed in strips on top. Tasted like the grill hadn't been cleaned. The desserts were miserable at best; the cheesecake was wet soggy as if it had been sitting in a fridge for a week. The graham cracker crust was absolute mush. The almond cake was ridiculously sweet with no discernible flavor and had no structural integrity. Was sitting like a wet pile of mash potatoes on my plate with a sprinkle of almonds on top. The wait staff were not knowledgeable about anything and the common was response to inquiry was "I don't know" and "kinda like". Additionally no table-side manners at all, seemed like out waitress (Cielo I think was her name) didn't want to be there. Also handing checks to us before our desserts arrived was such a strange experience. Ambiance is almost non-existent; we were sat right next to the take out counter which meant random walk ins were standing within arms reach during my dining. All I could hear were people picking up orders and kitchen staff barking orders. The AI Amalfi Coast pictures were an interesting choice. The place reminded me of your local pizza place all the high school kids hang out at. Overall not the worst but for $120 for 2 people wayyyy over priced. The ambiance, food, and service did not live up to a restaurant of these prices. 1/5 read more

Great service. Great food and the cheese pasta bowl was delicious and so was the chicken francese

The food was great and the portion sizes were superb. I had the Roman Pizza and it was very tasty, and my wife had a fancy dish were they come to the table with the pasta and toss it in a large cheese wheel to make it very cheesy. Highly recommend. read more

My husband and I were craving a simple Italian dish, spaghetti and meatballs and I think we found our new favorite place. The food was excellent. The service was great. The ambience was family friendly and the prices were on point. read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

The food and service were both amazing. We were extremely happy with the recommendation given for Italian wine as well. Well done all around and we will definitely be back. Hint to others, parking is on the rooftop behind the building. read more

Very good food at reasonable prices. Street parking on the weekend is hard, but they have free valet parking on the rooftop. The only reason I didnt give it five stars is it's quite noisy and the tables are arranged pretty close together. read more

1/5 - "Outstanding Reviews? More Like Outstanding Excuses" Last night I took my friend out for a birthday dinner at Bella Vista A Mare- a place with glowing reviews that promised an unforgettable experience. We have renamed it Bella Vista a NIGHT Mare. Turns out, "unforgettable" was code for "you'll never forget how much you regretted this." From the moment we sat down, it was clear the restaurant had rolled out the red carpet... and then immediately yanked it away. They knew it was a birthday celebration, yet somehow we scored the absolute worst table in the house: me staring directly into the setting sun like I was auditioning for a solar eclipse documentary, with highway traffic zooming by so close I could read the bumper stickers. It felt less like fine dining and more like an overpriced picnic on the shoulder of I-95. Multiple staff members came by, each one delivering the same heartfelt apology: "Oh man, that sun is brutal, huh? It'll get better once it goes down!" One even explained, with surprising detail, why they couldn't lower the shade - something about a "metal piece on the door" that had apparently defeated their entire engineering department. Let me add in that our reservation was at 6:30 and the sun wasn't scheduled to set for at least an hour. Here's what got me: they all knew I was miserable. They saw the squinting, the awkward head-tilting, the slow descent into temporary blindness. And yet, with multiple empty tables around us, the solution was always the same: "Sorry about that!" followed by zero action. It was like watching a comedy sketch where the punchline is "we acknowledge your pain and will do absolutely nothing about it." I didn't want to set the tone of the dinner with complaining so I sucked it up thinking the sun would set much sooner than the 50 minutes blinding time I experienced. The burrata was legitimately the highlight -- creamy, delicious, and the only thing that went right all night. Then came the penne alla vodka with chicken. The sauce was mediocre and sparse, but the real star of the disappointment was the chicken: pale, white, shiny, and tasting exactly like plain boiled chicken that had been gently reheated with zero seasoning. It was so hilariously bad that we started laughing about it at the table. My guest gave me a bite so I could experience the blandness firsthand, and I immediately understood why she was pushing it around her plate. The server, bless her heart, insisted it was grilled chicken. We politely mentioned how off it tasted, and she later returned... with a completely different piece of actual grilled, seasoned chicken on a separate plate. Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it. We boxed up our barely touched food, ready to escape and salvage the night with ice cream. The server then returned to inform me that the manager had comped the chicken -- a generous $6 deduction that felt more insulting than helpful at that point. When we declined dessert, they still brought out a full "Happy Birthday" performance complete with the Italian crunchy-outside, cream-filled ladyfinger-style dessert (which the birthday girl doesn't even like). She sat there awkwardly taking a polite bite so as not to seem rude, while I sat there feeling guilty for choosing the place. Here's the thing: the staff clearly saw multiple problems -- the blinding sun in my eyes, the traffic show, the disappointing food that my guest was clearly not enjoying -- yet their response every single time was apologies, excuses, or tiny gestures that only made the evening more uncomfortable. The manager's explanation that the chicken was "shiny because of oil" was the cherry on top of a very awkward sundae. We left laughing about it on the way home, but mostly shaking our heads. Next time I'll trust my instincts instead of five-star strangers on the internet for a special occasion. The burrata was great, but one good appetizer doesn't save a night full of discomfort and half-hearted fixes. Happy Birthday to my friend -- sorry your special dinner turned into an unintentional comedy of errors. read more

Bella Vista A Mare - Grilled chicken?? - Italian Near Me - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Went for Sunday Lunch with a friend and the restaurant was empty except for 1 other table. Found that very few of the dishes had linguine or fettucine as the pasta or able to be substituted. I ordered Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp, a dish they prepare in a large Pecorino Romano cheese wheel. It was cold. When someone finally came to our table to ask if everything was all right, I asked if the dish was supposed to be cold. I was told no, that it happened because the cheese wheel had only recently been taken out of the refrigerator. what was left of my meal was taken and heated- I suspect by microwave. I will not go back to this restaurant. read more

Food was amazing great service portions were huge felt like I was back in New York can't wait to go back

Great salad, terrific service, Italian ambiance! Spaghetti and meatballs good, meatballs needed a little more spice. Fair pricing.