Great spot for a fresh and delicious breakfast. Lots of good options and the portions are generous. Friendly staff. read more

Bella's Cafe - Corned beef hash with eggs over medium and rye bread. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Bella's might be the best place for brunch in New Haven. I visited a few weeks ago with some friends and was won over by the rich food and huge portions. I opted for a special--poached eggs with tarragon hollandaise sauce, fresh goat cheese, and crispy prosciutto bacon all on a grilled ciabatta. Wow! My more mild-mannered friends were happy with their omelettes and fried plantains, but I think I made a better choice! I can't wait to go back! read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Recently had a chance to visit Bella's for brunch. We got there pretty early to avoid the crowds so our wait wasn't too bad maybe between 30-45 mins. So let's get to the good part... the food!! My friend and I both had blood orange mimosas, yummy! We then started with the jalapeño hushpuppies which were probably the best hushpuppies I've ever had! Crispy on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside. Next I decided to have the shrimp and grits which again may be some of the best shrimp and grits I ever had. Delicious! My dad would love this dish! My friend being a sweet breakfast person had some Devine challah French toast which she loved! My only downside is that they seemed not appropriately staffed as the waiter at the counter took almost 15 minutes to come by. Hoping with their expansion they'll get the wait times down and service times better, but looking forward to coming back read more

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I wish there was a 0 star option. Food is good probably one of the best places in the area. I've been many time but I'll never be back. Employees are horrible. I've literally never have a waitress argue with me because I'd like to pay for my drink and leave after never even being served by the waitress for close to an hour. She literally wouldn't hand the check to my husband. . To get drinks we had to flag down a different waiter. When "our waitress" brought our drinks she left them the table didn't say anything to us and walked away. . When we tried to leave she began to yell and tell us to get out and cause a scene and call us liars and said that our food was on the way out. Manager comped our food and offered for us to stay but instead the waitstaff decided to literally throw everything in to go containers making the food a mess and our order was wrong so even being free was ridiculous. I can almost guarantee every one star review with bad service has to do with this same waitress from yelp to google. read more

The food was AMAZING.. but that is something everyone agrees on. I wasn't going to walk into Bella's because I read the bad reviews. I went in because it's my daughters name and everyone kept saying the food was amazing. When I walked in I was pleasantly surprised the host was nice and told us he could sit us at the bar or we could wait 15 mins. We sat at the bar, the food didn't take long as others say. I thought it was a GOOD food experience! With that said, I would like to strongly suggest to the owner to invest in sensitivity training because your staff will be the end of your business. The staff talked openly about other patrons in front of the patrons at the bar, if they talk like this about the people behind me they must talk about us when we leave. It was disappointing considering it's such a nice place, great environment. I would have definitely recommended this place to others. I think if you correct your staffs behavior, you definitely have a MUST VISIT LOCATION! All the best to the owner! Support small businesses! read more

Bella's Cafe - Philly Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I've been waiting to visit Bella's for awhile and finally got the opportunity on Sunday.. I definitely wasn't disappointed. I was not surprised by the 40 minute wait because we arrived at prime time. The male host/ manager was attentive and checked on us twice to update us about the wait. Once inside theres a cozy modern feel to the place. offerings like pomegranate mimosas are unique and speak to their creativity. I went with the mushroom omelette with brie and my boyfriend had the shrimp and grits. Both were divine.. literally angels singing good. . It did not disappoint. read more

Bella's Cafe - Mushroom omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Awesome small restaurant! The food is great. I would definitely come more often if it were bigger. Apparently the line is always out of the door which is a deterrent for me being that I'm already driving a half hour to get here. If you can get in and be seated at a reasonable rate, would definitely recommend. The corned beef hash is awesome and I don't even consider myself a fan of it otherwise. People also rave about the grits. read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Wonderful spot for brunch in New Haven. I would rate it four and a half stars. We shared the blueberry short-stack and the shrimp & grits. I highly recommend the blueberry short-stack. They were some of the best pancakes I've ever had. They were thick, light, and fluffy with fresh blueberries. This is a must order. The shrimp and grits were delicious too. It was topped with scrambled eggs and parsley. The dish had andouille sausage too. The medley of flavors married well together. I also had a couple glasses of the freshly squeezed orange juice. The texture of the drink was smooth, and the pulp was less frayed than typical. read more

I think they went through a new management change again. It was much better this time. I haven't been here in 2 years because it sucked that bad last time. The food was great, service was OK. I mean, when I go out to for brunch all I really want is my coffee refilled and to be asked if I want other stuff re-filled. Servers stood around talking with each other behind the bar. Not much of a wait which was odd because it was almost 60 out and 10am on Saturday. If you were like me and stopped going because you were tire of being disappointed, you should re-try them. read more

This Sunday upon arrival I was told the wait was 90 minutes. Did I put my name down and wait? ABSOLUTELY! (left my number & they called when the table was ready). When I drive 5 hours home to Connecticut, I MUST go to Bella's while I am there. The food is just THAT good! It's a small place but the staff is friendly, the service is quick and the breakfast is out of this world. The combinations they come up with (see pic of Smores French Toast) are like a lap dance for your tongue. Close your eyes and think about that for a minute. The way Bellas does food is how it should be- they have their classics but then they have these combinations that are well balanced yet exciting for your palate. For example, I had the Palermo omelet (Italian sausage, parmesan cheese & onion)--I mean delicious perfect combination of spicy and savory. My father had corn beef hash- REAL corn beef hash. Even he a harsh critic said "This is the best hash I've ever had." If I still lived in Ct- these people would know me by first AND last name! read more

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Had a wonderful brunch here, yesterday. We began with some of the speciality coffees. I had the salted caramel mocha latte and my better half had a soy chocolate chai. Both were fantastic, and the cute little touches like the rock sugar stick and the piece of salted caramel really put them over the top! I ordered a special chiabatta sandwich with goat cheese, poached eggs and a ton of other stuff that was really great. I asked for the hollandaise on the side and I'm glad I did because the sandwich didn't even need it. My fiancée got the three milk French toast. It was good but not like a traditional French toast -- more like a bread pudding. It came with meat of your choice, potatoes, and eggs. We could have gotten a free order of French toast just for checking in through Yelp, but we were so full we didn't even order it! read more

Bella's Cafe - Amazing coffee selections! Salted caramel mocha latte and soy chocolate chai. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Atmosphere: cute and decorative. Not something I expected to find in New Haven, CT. The wait: wasn't too bad when we got there on Friday late morning. We were immediately greeted and seated. And then the line started to grow. Drinks: mango bellini and a peach mimosa! Yummy! Do either of them! Both are good. The peach mimosa wasn't as sweet as I've had them at other places which is a plus in my book! Food: I had the shrimp and grits. Hubs had the lemon French toast. Let's start with the shrimp and grits! Hubs doesn't like grits most of the time but he may have been converted. If you were out the night before and need a hangover meal this would be it! The homemade biscuit that comes with the meal is perfect to dip. Not too crumbly... just the way biscuits should be! The lemon French toast tasted like lemon pound cake made into French toast. Yum. A bit sweet for me but still scrumptious. read more

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I went to this place very last-second with a friend, and what a find! This is one of the best breakfasts I've ever had! We sat at the counter and ordered two plates, and split them. The french toast and the waffles -- need I say more? Surrounded by fresh berries, delicious sauces and whipped cream. It was just so delicious! I would come back here in a heartbeat when I return to New Haven. read more

Bella's Cafe - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Ok, so an update! We've been back to Bella's several times now and it has become one of our favorites. Service is always very friendly, never rushed. Although the wait *is* usually a bit on the longish side if you don't get there early for brunch, the specials make it worth the wait! It is nice to have something new and different to try each time we go. The grits are my favorite item at Bella's, but they were a runny and lumpy last time I ordered them which came as a surprise. They are typically super creamy and smooth, just the way I like them. read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Host would not seat me because I have a service dog. Will not return. Was embarrassing and illegal.

Terrible brunch experience!I wish there was a zero-star option to rate Bella's Cafe in New Haven. The hostess was incredibly unpleasant and rude, ruining our day with her disrespectful behavior. Not only did she treat us poorly, but her attitude towards other guests was equally unpleasant. Her constant scolding and impolite demeanor made the atmosphere uncomfortable for everyone. Adding to the discomfort, the tables were tightly packed, leaving guests to squeeze between them and the chairs.When other guests were being seated at the table next to us, the hostess commanded me (rather than politely asking) to adjust my chair to accommodate them. Despite explaining my knee injuries, which prevented me from bending my knee, she insisted in a very rude manner that I adjust my chair, even though it was already closely positioned to my table.When I spoke with the manager about her behavior, the hostess continued to be confrontational and disrespectful, even yelling at me and accusing me of lying. Shockingly, the manager did not intervene, instead defending the hostess's actions by suggesting she was upset. This encounter with the restaurant staff was incredibly insensitive and disrespectful.However, I want to commend our waiter, who provided excellent and considerate service. It's clear that the behavior of the hostess does not reflect well on the restaurant. My advice to the owner is to reconsider the layout to allow for more space between tables and to ensure that the staff represent the restaurant positively. Satisfied customers are crucial for business success, but unfortunately, we will not be returning. read more

Bella's Cafe is definitely a go to place for a nice, intimate brunch! Today, a friend and I went for brunch around noon and it was a great time. I had 'The Bayou' which consisted of scrambled eggs, a piece of cornmeal crusted Catfish and andouille grits with a creamy smoked paprika sauce to top it off. The fish was fried to perfection, the grits had a nice, creamy consistency and the paprika sauce was very flavorful. The only reason why I am giving Bella's Cafe a 4-star rating is because of the wait for both being seated and getting our food. My friend and I waited for about 45 minutes for a table for two and about 35 minutes for our food to be brought out. Overall, I would recommend Bella's Cafe and will be visiting again! read more

Bella's Cafe - The Bayou: A cornmeal crusted Catfish fillet with scrambled eggs and andouille grits topped with a creamy smoked paprika sauce. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

The food at Bella's is terrific. However, they are clearly suffering in the present labor crisis. On a Tuesday morning, our party of three waited 45 minutes for our order to be taken. The food still hasn't arrived and it has now been nearly 2 hours since we sat down. No hyperbole. I will amend this review if they can solve their personnel problem. Tfood really is good and what few staff are here are pleasant. But for now, the service is terrible and not worth the interminable wait. Respectfully, Rose, we WERE left alone for 45 minutes after being seated. In fact, the only reason we spoke to a server was that I went back and grabbed one as he was coming out of the kitchen. Otherwise, I don't know how much longer we would have waited. I promise you I am not exaggerating at all. I love Bella's and I hope to be back, but there is definitely a serious personnel problem. read more

Glad I had the chance to try this place. I came here with a large party, which i wouldn't recommend for a Sunday Breakfast. Way to busy and difficult for them to accommodate large groups. However, given the circumstances they did a good job. The service was ok, not amazing. For a busy breakfast spot it was acceptable. It did take over an hour to get our food. When the food got to the table- there were smiles. Everything was fantastic. The pancakes were so fluffy and delicious. I really loved the Vermont syrup. The omelets we very fresh and a large portion! Also tried the shrimp and grits that was recommended by the server. It was very good also. read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Came here in a Friday afternoon with my sister. Very cute neighborhood and the service was great. We got the creme brulee coffee, probably the best I've had. It was too sweet and it was strong. We got the shrimp and grits which warms your soul and so buttery. The chocolate cake french toast was perfect for our sweet tooth. The caramel sauce was perfect and it was very moist. All in all, the service, food and ambience were all great! read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I have been a hard core Bella's fan since before their Groupon boom. I have had meals at this establishment that have satisfied my soul for weeks. This visit, I didn't feel the same. Construction has not begun yet so that wasn't a factor. It took an unusually long time to be served. We sat for about 20 minutes without any beverages. No water, no coffee, nothing. When I made eye contact with our server gave me the 1 minute finger sign. She brought over coffee and tea but still no water. We ordered breakfast like eggs, bacon, home fries and a souffle pancake to share knowing it was going to take 25 minutes, but asked for the eggs to come out first. To my shagrin the waitress came over with the lemon souffle pancake, which was beautiful, but tasteless and no eggs. When we did get the eggs, the bacon was overcoooked, the potatoes lacked flavor, and the toast was dry. No butter jelly, or jam accompanied them. I was dumbfounded! I have never had an experience like this at Bella's. I'm not sure what happened but it wasn't a beautiful day. read more

We did not get a chance to eat staff was very rude and told us we could not have a baby stroller in there establishment.

Excellent location in Westville! We ate outside and everything was wonderful. The food was cooked to perfection and seasoned wonderfully! I was actually pleasantly surprised. Great job by everyone! read more

Restaurants don't even have great chefs anymore, everything is about the "aesthetic" & Instagram photos... but Bella's cafe is still a gem

Amazing food! Servers are always nice. The menu changes consistently. I have been going there since my wife and I began dating nearly 9 years ago and the food always exceeds expectations. It's worth the wait and the line if there is one. read more

I got up early this morning to enjoy a nice breakfast. I'm totally appalled at the way I was just treated. I just left your establishment Sat April 22, 2023, approximately 9am after not being seated because I was a party of one. I asked politely if I could be seat somewhere else due to my back and hip issue. The attended refused because your policy stated that a party one must be seated at the counter. How inconsiderate of persons with disabilities. As a frequent patron with friends I will not be returning. Why should I patronize a business that is so inconsiderate. read more

This spot is a favorite go-to. Usually a wait but we walked right in today. Food is savory and offers traditional dishes with an elegant spin. Always an enjoyable meal with decent pricing. read more

Bella's Cafe - Crab and cod cakes with eggs Benedict and lemon asparagus - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Never had a bad experience here! Many may complain about the wait, but a long wait means good food no? Why else would people be waiting. You never see a long wait outside of Denny's. Lol It's worth it! They have delicious coffee, a rotating brunch menu (check the website) and always staple favorites for breakfast. I came with a nice book and sat at the bar promptly by 810a. My food was quick, pippin hot, and DELICIOUS! But it should be noted that by 840 there was a line out the door, all the tables full and a wait of almost 20 min. Even the bar area was full! So word to the wise come early! read more

Bella's Cafe - Special cinnamon donut French toast with baked apples and Brie! Oh and a side of. Chicken apple and Gouda sausage! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

What a ripoff. $98 for 3 people!!!! That's ridiculous. Overpriced. Overrated. Omelet was cold. English muffin on Benedict was hard as a rock. Try capturing someone to bring you coffee. Bring flares so they see you. Coffee was cold. Awful. I guess they figure if you pile the whipped cream high enough you won't see the shitty food underneath. Much better food and service right across the street. read more

This is our go to breakfast spot and we've been coming here for years. We always get great and quick service, delicious and hot food. Everyone is so nice. Thank you Melissa for the excellent service! We appreciate that you all support hospital staff! Their mimosas are so delicious too. As for the previous reviewer Kincso T, if you prefer to discriminate against hospital staff, I suggest you either stay home or order take out next time! Tables were properly spaced to follow covid protocol. The restaurant is very clean and all servers wore masks. Thanks! read more

Food was good. Service/wait times were not great. We came around 10:30am on a Sunday with 4 adults and one toddler. There was a hostess and she sat us in the round booth in the front. We waited for menus for awhile, they were very busy, we eventually just took menus off the counter since the were housed right next to our table. The waitress finally came, we ordered drinks and food. The wait for food wasn't too bad. The food came out a little staggered so we waited until everyone had theirs. They never came back to refresh our coffees and we eventually flagged someone down to get a carafe of ice water since other tables had it. We also helped ourselves to napkins since no one came back to check to see if we needed anything. The food was very well made, for example, the homefries look like quartered red potatoes and fingerlings with lots of seasoning and cooked for the correct duration. I hate when breakfast places give warm barely unseasoned potato chunks and call them "homefries." I'll stress that this was not the case at Bella's, they were tasty! They had gluten free white bread for me! Yay! Everyone liked their food. It just seems like they were understaffed and there was no manager on the floor. read more

French toast was amazing. Along with the freshly squeezed orange juice, which you can watch made in front of you. Be warned though, some seeds and rinds may be present, not a good option for kids but great if that doesn't bother you. Pretty busy on weekends but food is worth the wait. No wait if you sit at the bar. read more

Bella's Cafe - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I understand fresh but 50 mins for sandwich potatoes and chicken and waffles now I'm late read more

Bella's Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I thought the place was great, the food (banana pancakes) was good and fulfilling! The passion-mango mimosa definitely made me feel like I was on vacation, loved it! This was my first time going there but I would definitely go back and I would recommend people to go for breakfast (until I try the other meals) since my friend and I enjoyed it read more

Bella's Cafe - Blueberry pancakes with bacon and banana pancakes with chicken/turkey sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

To quote Jason Segel's character Marshall Ericksen from 'How I Met Your Mother'..."We're here. We're hungry. Get used to it, brunch!" One of the best brunches I've ever had. I've now been to Bella's for their Sunday Brunch three times now, and have never been disappointed. The Oscar Benedict is out of this world, as is the array of delicious gourmet sausage (my fave: chicken and apple). Before my most recent visit, we discovered that parties of 6 or more may make reservations. Without a reservation, don't expect to be seated right away - but stick around...it's worth the wait! read more

I called Bella's around 1130am for a table for 10 people at 1pm. They do not do reservations. The guy on the phone told me what I could do was come at 12:40pm before a potential rush and request to be put on the waitlist and I should be able to get a table for 10. So that is what I did. I left the baptism early and missed out on a lot to obtain the table. When I walked in the hostess looked at me as though I was mad. She said we close at 2pm we wouldn't be able to host your party. I informed her of what the guy said on the phone and she went "looking" for him for 5 minutes. Just to come back and say yeah we aren't doing that because we close at 2pm. I do not suggest this place for a large gathering. Save yourself the stress and visit a business that wants to accommodate large parties and is truthful and helpful to all patrons. It was clear we were not seated because the hostess was afraid of staying at work past 2pm. We really need to stop giving our money to ignorant businesses. read more

The shrimp and grits with a Mexican hot chocalate is always good. There's always no wait on weekdays, weekends are another story.

Breakfast was amazing. Both my wife and I enjoyed our meals and the service was great.

They closed early and wouldn't serve us even though we called ahead. Staff was very rude.

Bellas Café is phenomenal for brunch. Snag the Yelp deal if it's still available and it'll make it that much more worth it. My boyfriend and I came here to eat on the way up from New York to Boston and we love, love, LOVED everything about this place. There was definitely a bit of a southern flair in their dishes as we ordered the creole benedict and the shrimp and grits. I personally love benedicts - runny eggs with a creamy hollandaise sauce.. what's not to love? But I tell ya, the crawfish combination with the andouille sausage and the creole hollandaise sauce was out of this world. The shrimp and grits were also delicious.. The grits were velvety and they also give you a good amount of the jumbo shrimp as well as the sautéed chorizo. After finishing our meal.. we absolutely needed to be rolled out of there.. These two entrees.. paired with a white sangria (YUM) and a blood orange bellini (YUMx2) and you've got yourself a top of the line brunch! After the $20 yelp deal.. we ended up just paying another $13 on top. What a steal!!! I can not wait for another trip to New England again! read more

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