Went on a cold, rainy night. Place was not very busy. Greeted with smiles and a loaf of warm bread and dipping oil. I will say the dipping oil was interesting - olive oil, balsamic, dried tomatoes and a variety of spices. Very flavorful and a great start to the meal. Our server was very attentive. Decided to spilt the Caesar salad and have pizza. Salad was large enough for two. Lettuce was crisp and dressing was modest. Large slices of Parmesan, croutons and cherry tomatoes gave it some lift. Would have liked fewer croutons and perhaps a few anchovies if available. My fault for not asking. Had the large Margarita pizza with added pepperoni. Perfection ! Thin crust fire oven prepared. Chewy crust was superb. Highly recommend without any reservations. Will return. read more

We were SO pleasantly surprised by Cucina Bella! We were in Galena for a little getaway and we decided to eat here after reading some online reviews. We loved everything about our meals and we got to start with delicious focaccia and slightly spicy olive oil provided as a starter by the restaurant. We had a great server named Logan and the food was served in a perfectly spaced manner. We started with calamari that had some nice spice to it and served with asparagus and sun dried tomatoes. We also shared a margarita pizza which had perfectly spread basil on top and a crispy crust. I shared the eggplant parmigiana meal with my friend and splitting the eggplant still gave us plenty to eat. Our meal came with a very large salad big enough for the whole table to share. It was perfectly dressed and we ate every last bit of it. We ended with tiramisu, a cannoli and carrot cake, that was a HUGE slice. The desserts were good but not as impressive as our meals. We really loved this place and felt so fortunate to have picked it as our dinner destination! read more

See all

We had a really nice dinner here. The service was sweet and well executed. The bread and oil service was a nice touch. The starter salad was also fresh and had a great dressing. We split some wine bottles, and while we loved our food, we should have split plates. The portions are huge! Recommend the carbonara and the tortellini. read more

Not the biggest restaurant but the food is AMAZING! Portions are generous, and the service was amazing. The prices are a bit on the higher side but it is a touristy town so I guess that is to be expected but the taste was worth it! It was a cute place and it would be worth trying it out! read more

Cucina Bella - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

See all

Good bottle red blend wine. Grilled calamari very flavorful. Fresh herb bread with balsamic dipping sauce paired well. Doz. baked clams were a good entree for me. The chicken in lemon and oil was tasty. Cannoli dessert hit the spot. read more

See all

I had one night in Galena, Illinois, and a multitude of restaurants to pick from. I'm so glad I asked the cashier at Petals and Primitives where she liked to eat dinner. She recommended Cucina Bella. The service was impeccable and the food was absolutely delicious. There were extras like bread with dipping oil and entrées all included house salad with homemade dressing, which was light and refreshing. We enjoyed our meal so much. My friend had the tortellini and I had the chicken piccata. Each of these entrées were substantial and we ended up splitting each meal so we both could try them. My friend said this restaurant is worth coming back for! I would have to agree! The price was reasonable for the high quality of the food offerings. Overall, a great dining experience. Go! read more

The pasta was little portion for price and way to much lemon over powering the overall chicken pasta dish. The waiter not welcoming or friendly read more

I got the cod over angel hair (the special) very overpriced for the quality $40. Way too much lemon and fish was too fishy smelling/tasting. Flavorless. The service was dull although bartender was excellent. The ambiance was decent. Overall not quality ingredients for what they charge:/ carrot cake was delicious however! read more

5 stars does not give Cucina Bella the respect they deserve! We met Tony and his beautiful wife early in the afternoon last weekend. Oddly enough we had just made reserva in tions. We started with Goat Cheese Marinara served with crostinis. So simplest , I am not sure why I have never thought to pair these! I am a sucker for a delicious Caesar salad!!! Chicken Milanese, absolutely wonderful!! This dish was our favorite to the point we were fighting for the leftovers!! Penne Arrabiata with sausage Then ‍ Butterfinger cheesecake Oreo cheesecake And...... Tiramisu We highly recommend you run do not walk!! read more

See all

Pros - the service is great. They were very kind in seating our group without a reservation. The bread and oil combo is also super tasty. Cons - no real vegan options. Carbanara was more like watery Alfredo. read more

Cucina Bella - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Have been coming to Galena every year for the past 15 years and was super excited to see a new restaurant this year as we walked down Main Street. Naturally, we made a reservation for dinner for the next day. It's a cute corner spot, not very big but big enough for a decent sized party to enjoy dinner and drinks. They have a bar with a TV too if you'd prefer to sit there. Service was kind and they had a decent drink menu. They served a focaccia for the table with an excellent olive oil, herb, and balsamic dip. We decided to order the chicken parm, chicken marsala, and eggplant parm. The entrees came with a salad for the whole table. I was pleasantly surprised with the marsala. I almost always enjoy the sauce most but the chicken was excellent. It was probably the most tender chicken I've had in a pasta dish. My mom expressed that same about her chicken parm. I think the only downside for me was the kids menu was a little pricey, about $12 for buttered noodles and it didn't come with a drink or side or dessert. Overall, I think we will be making Cucina Bella our Italian go to spot when in Galena. They have an extensive menu that has something for everyone. read more

See all

Delicious food. Great service. Pleasant ambiance. Will update tomorrow after our dinner. read more

See all

A nice addition to the Galena food scene. Starter bread - 3.5/5. Nice free Focaccia with an olive oil, balsamic, basil and cheese dip. Eggplant parmigiana - 4/5. Straightforward and effective. Reminds me of the Italian in New Jersey, cheesy and red saucy. Make your own pasta - My wife got a custom pasta she quite enjoyed. It was a hard to appreciate coming off the bolder eggplant parmesan so I won't rate. Carrot cake - 2.5/5. Huge portion size. Decent flavors and cream cheese frosting, but was weighed down by a stodgy texture. read more

A wonderful dining experience to add to so many we have experienced in Galena was what we found at Cucina Bella. Located on Main Street on a corner, we entered the restaurant and were immediately seated. Our meal started with a delicious bread and wonderfully flavored dipping olive oil. This was followed by a fresh and tasty salad. Husband ordered chicken parmigiana, while I decided to try the chicken saltimbocca. The entrees were hot and looked gigantic. Upon tasting his, my husband declared that this was certainly one of the best chicken parms he had ever had. I also loved my entree, though I was only able to finish half. Fortunately for me, I was able to take that back to our home in The Galena Territory for another day. We finished the meal by sharing a cannoli, a perfect ending to a perfect Italian food experience. If you haven't tried them yet, do yourself a favor and stop in or make reservations for a wonderful dining experience. Can't wait until we come back. read more

See all

The overall atmosphere was so inviting. The pizza was outstanding and the service was great. Elijah made the best drinks, but what made it so awesome was the owner Tony! He came out to meet us. Try it out, you won't be disappointed! Can't wait to visit their other locations in Algonquin. read more

Stopping through Galena's Main Street, we decided to try a new Italian restaurant. Our waiter was so sweet and attentive. We started with the complimentary focaccia with an olive oil and balsamic mixed with some herbs. It was a great way to start off the meal. I decided to start with a cup of soup, loaded potato soup, which was very good. However, it was a heavier soup, so if you're not looking to fill up I wouldn't suggest starting with that. I created my own pasta dish, fettucine carbonara with a few add-ons and really enjoyed it. I do like the option of creating your own pasta dish especially since everyone enjoys their pasta different ways. My mom ordered the eggplant parmesan and she enjoyed hers as well. I liked the atmosphere, it was busy but it didn't feel overly crowded and it seemed like they genuinely care about providing a great experience. read more

A nice surprise in Galina. First time at this restaurant and we had great food and great service. The Eggplant Parm and Chicken Parm were the best we've had and our server was excellent. We will be back. read more

Outstanding food! We cleaned our plates! The bread and dip is out of this world. Service was fantastic and quick. Highly recommend! You will not be disappointed. read more

I highly recommend Cucina Bella for their exceptional lasagna. The food is exquisite, and the staff provides excellent service.

Wonderful dinning experience. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. We were sat immediately and, shortly thereafter, delivered complimentary bread + dipping oil - delish! We ordered the grilled calamari, veal piccata, and carbonara + our pasta dishes came with a dinner salad. The portions were generous and the food was wonderful. The owner Tony made a point to approach all to ask how their meal was and thank them for coming before they left the restaurant, which I found to be a nice touch. We will absolutely be back to Cucina Bella again and again. read more

The entree portion of the chicken parmigiana was very large, we were able to split and each had a salad. Service was excellent and food delicious read more

The service was absolutely excellent, Kim (from the Alquoine location) was attentive, prompt, informative and kind. The smoked old fashion was perfectly made, muddled oranges, proper cube and cherries. The house bread and sauce, an olive oil-garlic-herb-balsamic mix, was delicious. The stuffed mushrooms were also delicious--save a little bread to soak up the sauce. Over some pasta, that could have easily been a great meal. I really enjoyed the eggplant Parmesan, my partner who isn't a fan of eggplant also thought it was delicious. We tried the house special, fish of the day, a wild caught salmon with lemon cream sauce, it was extremely bland, so maybe don't order that. However, she ordered the vodka sauce and that made it much better. The ambience in the space was great for us, we enjoyed the tasteful Italian music playing and our seat by the window. read more

Great food and very nice servers. Will definitely recommend I love Galena and I'm always looking for new places to experience

My husband and I are so very glad we tried Cucina Bella with its great atmosphere and food. Our server, Adriana, gave us excellent input about the varied menu plus great service. We totally enjoyed the homemade focaccia with a dipping sauce, scrumptious cod puttanesca and delicious eggplant parmigiana with pasta, and the red blend wine. We had a very memorable dining experience at Cucina Bella and hope to return! read more

The service was very good with Mia our waitress, some of the food was just Ok at most. The pizza is very good, but the pasta definitely not worth it. You would think with the prices they charge, was $47 for fish/pasta and $23 for regular pasta, you think you would be able to order how you would like it cooked! We asked if we could have it al dente and we were absolutely told no. All I can do is ask said our waitress, but it probably won't be, and it sure wasn't! All of us did not like our pasta but the men ate it because they were hungry. The pasta was extra, extra soft. The Rigatoni pasta was so over cooked, that it had pieces on the bottom of the bowl. It was disgusting. The sauces we ordered were tasteless. If you order calamari get the fried, the grilled came in a sauce with more vegetables then calamari. 22% Gratuity was added on our check of 8 people which is fine but also had almost $4 credit card fee. Since we do not live in Galena will not frequent it but most definitely not try the Algonquin location. Hope you have a better experience if you try it. read more

Very good food. Service was excellent. Better than the other Italian restaurants in the area. Large portions. Butterfinger cheese cake was excellent. Great new addition to the area dining. Definitely will be back next time we are in town. read more

First time here, a group of us. The food is second to none. Service n drinks we are on par. Highly recommend to anyone traveling to Galena to definitely put Cucina Bella on their dinner list read more

Staff knowledgeable regarding menu items. Friendly staff! Great drinks! Food is remarkable

Everything was great! Food, service, and atmosphere. I am particular so to leave a great review my review has to be stellar, overall.

Excellent food and service, will definitely be back!, best Italian food I've had for a long time and I've had my share.

Great new restaurant! Ordered for pickup last night, only a 20 min wait. Their pizza Margherita is DELICIOUS - perfect wood fired crust. Caesar salad - yummy, and tiramisu for desert. PERFECT - reasonably priced as well. can't wait to try their other dishes. Staff were all friendly and knowledgeable too! read more

I am a tourist from Joliet, IL, and have had my fair share of Italian food from chains and family owned businesses. This is THE BEST Italian food I ever had. The homemade focaccia was herbaceous, WARM, soft, light and paired beautifully with their homemade olive oil and vinaigrette dip. This vinaigrette dip had fresh basil, garlic, and the red pepper flakes added a little kick that was perfectly balanced. Our group ordered chicken parmigiana, fettuccine alfredo, tortellini bolognese, pepperoni pizza, and margarita pizza. Everyone LOVED their meal. Most beverages ordered were Millers or Carbliss. Yhere was a white sangria ordered by one person who doesn't love wine but LOVED the drink. We ended with tiramisu which was EXCEPTIONAL. If you visit Galena, this is a MUST try. Service was amazing too read more

I've eaten Italian food all over the country, and in Italy. Venice, Rome, and Trieste. Cucuna bella had single handedly made all my Italian experiences taste like fast food. I've had the veal parmigiana, nonas lasagna, and shrimp Alfredo from Cucina Bella. The flavors were magnificent. The portions were huge. Tony ( the owner) clearly knows what he is doing in all aspects of operating a 5 star restaurant... If it is not five star, it most definitely should be. His staff is incredibly courteous and kind, knowledgeable, and they have a sense of humor. One of my favorite aspects of eating at Cucina Bella himself is out greeting customers like they are family. Galena has an amazing dining selection on main Street, but I promise, eating at Cucina Bella will change your favorites list while in Galena ... A must have. read more

Great focaccia and salad to start things out. Chicken saltimbocca was wonderful and partners pasta and meatballs reported as flavorful and well prepared. Wine list was fine with a typical pour for a $10 glass. Server was prompt and very knowledgeable of the menu. Been here a few times and always pleased. read more

Highly recommend! EXCELLENT food, service and ambience! All four of us ordered a different entree and we were all extremely happy with our meal. It was definitely homemade, and authentic. The focaccia bread and salad were delicious too. We can't wait to go back! read more

First time to Galena for our 11th wedding anniversary and flying by the seat of our pants a bit . After a day of checking out the downtown Galena scene it was time for dinner. Already having been turned away from one of the more popular restaurants due to not having reservations we were able to score a table at Cucina Bella since we were still a lil ahead of the dinner rush. We were not disappointed! Bread and dipping sauce were ever so delicious. Drinks kept pace with the bread and dinner, yes! Husband had the saltimbocca and I ordered the risotto of the day. Both of us were quite happy with our choices (I thought mine was better :p ). Would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone! Was a delightful addition to our anniversary celebration!!! read more

Great new addition to town. Best Italian in town. Reasonable prices and good portions.

Been there twice the food has no flavor very little spice is used! Service is ok. Great wine selection

Undoubtedly the Best Italian Restaurant in Galena, IL. Great food, nice people , excellent service and large portions. Lasagna is outstanding and well worth the visit. Desserts are delicious too. read more

This place is fabulous! The service is great and the food is out of this world. The owners know what they're doing and their experience shows. read more