Absolutely delicious food and the best service. Portions were huge for the price. Good wine selection too!

I was blown away by Maren! It's hard to find places in Jacksonville with great service and even better food. The fried Calamari was phenomenal and at the end of the night, the tiramisu and cannoli were amazing. Can't recommend this place enough!! Lena is very nice & maren is an amazing manager! read more

Good local spot for some good vibes and traditional Italian cuisine. Service was excellent. I enjoyed talking with the family.

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

Fantastic food & great service! The tableside Cacio e Pepe was AMAZING!!!Definitely a must!

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

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 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

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

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

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

I Ordered chicken francese and my partner got chicken parm. The food was very bland, portions were huge, but not worth it since it is lacking flavor. Tiramisu seemed like it was sat in the fridge overnight, and topped with Hershey syrup. Everyone was nice and the seating area, average service but save your money. Not worth the visit. 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

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

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

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

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

We really wanted to love this place after seeing so many great videos and reviews on social media, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered the chicken alfredo, chicken parmigiana, and meatballs. Unfortunately, after eating, all three of us became very sick with what appeared to be food poisoning and experienced significant stomach problems. We are still dealing with stomach pain and discomfort into the next day. Based on this experience, we won't be ordering from here again. We hope this was an isolated incident, but we wanted to share our experience. read more

The food was excellent. Authentic Italian. The service was excellent, attentive and competent on a very busy Saturday night. The noise level was so loud that having a conversation at a table of four was difficult and a strain. We hesitate to go back because of the noise even though we loved the food! read more

Food was amazing, my only complaint was how loud the restaurant was and it took a long time to get our food. The bar area was small and crowded. We would go back but definitely not sit in the bar area. We had a reservation but that was where we were seated. read more

If you are looking for Authentic Italian food, this is your place. The service was exceptional & the food was even better than my Nonna's (grandma) . No comparison to any other Italian restaurant!!!! Bella Vista A Mare is second to None! read more

I had an amazing experience! The service was exceptional, and the food quality was outstanding. I highly recommend it--especially the 16-ounce T-bone steak, cooked to perfection and paired with a delicious side of broccoli rabe and potatoes. read more

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

Excellent restaurant where you can enjoy a quality meal. The staff is friendly and do a great job of caring about guests. I've been there several times and have always enjoyed myself. A favorite option is the Cacio e Pepe. The presentation at tableside makes it even more enjoyable. It's a welcome addition to the area. read more

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

I've been to this location several times after it opened in early February and it always exceeds my expectations. The service and food is consistent and I take my family and friends there often and they feel the same. It's so nice to have a local go to place that I enjoy so much. Keep up the great work read more

See all

I had a great experience at this Italian restaurant, and a big part of that was thanks to the manager, Maren and her team. They were attentive without being overbearing, knowledgeable about the menu, and made excellent recommendations. You can tell they genuinely care about the guest experience--everything felt smooth and well-timed from start to finish. The food itself was fantastic--fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you hope for when you go out for Italian. But Maren and her team really elevated the whole experience with their friendly attitude and professionalism. I can't recommend this place enough. Best Italian in all of Jacksonville at a great price too! This is the only Italian restaurant I care to visit again - everyone needs some Bella Vista in their life! read more

Had an amazing experience at Bella Vista A Mare. The chicken vodka parm was absolutely delicious, and the ribeye was cooked perfectly--full of flavor. The service was outstanding from start to finish, and it really stood out that the owner was walking around checking on every table. That personal touch made the night even better. Highly recommend! read more

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

See all

First visit was for takeout. Our chicken parm and bolognese were perfectly prepared and ready exactly when it was promised. The freshly baked bread was delicious and the house salad was fresh and crisp. The service inside was friendly and efficient. This was a five star experience. read more

Eduardo & Paulo are awesome, as well as the entire staff. Super friendly and great food! Rich