I went here with a large group the other night, and the staff were gracious about letting us add…read moretwo extra people to our booking, even though it meant moving nearly every table in the place. The food was very nice, particularly the seafood dishes. However, we were all a little confused when the lights went out halfway through our meal. A fuse had apparently blown, but the waiters said it happened all the time, and left us to eat the rest of our meal by the light of a single candle. I like a bit of atmosphere as much as the next person, but I do like to be able to at least see my plate, if not exactly what's on it. Bottom line, however, is that this is good food at reasonable prices and I would definitely go back.

I had avoided Bistro Italiano like the plague because of the mass of bad Italian in Durham. I…read morefigured it was just like the rest of them. Had the opportunity to go the other night with a large party and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations. I ordered gnocchi which can sometimes not go too well. They did it perfectly, really very good. Everyone else seemed very happy with their meals and it all looked very good and at a reasonable price for the quality. Service was a bit spotty, but it was a very large group so its understandable. Will return!

The views are what set this restaurant apart from any other Bella Italia. We were lucky enough to…read morebe seated by the window which directly overlooks the river, it's an absolutely beautiful view. I had the 'special' pizza duck with hoi sin sauce and spring onions which was very good. I usually can't finish a whole pizza, but this one went down very easily! Only tiny fault was the slow service.

Renovations to top entrance means that you must use alternative entrance is down the alley (or…read morechare, lol) running next to the restaurant. The door isn't labelled well, but I'm a trailblazing type and wasn't hampered. The outdoor seating, which is really close to the river and bridge and was where I really wanted to sit, is closed at this time of year. It was a gorgeous day; however, they gave a good reason, May flies. The waitress I had was polite, and she was quick to bring me a drink, served with a lemon. I ordered garlic grossini(?) and a lasagna. To really test an Italiano Ristorante, you should always order the lasagna--if their lasagna is no good, chances are the rest won't be that good either. Kudos to the wait staff... though I ordered a Coca Cola, the couple sitting near me ordered red wine. The waitress asked them if they'd like to taste the wine before they bought the bottle... classy and consumer oriented. Kudos, Bella Italia, kudos. So, the dishes came really fast. It was almost too fast, but since I was in a party of 1, that was fine. They were excellent--by far the best Italian food that I've had in the United Kingdom. The lasagna was at probably 6 layers: two noodle layers, two sauce layers, a creamy ricotta/soft cheese layer, and a mozzarella layer dressed with fresh herbs. It was really good lasagna, and the portion was large. The garlic bread was surprisingly similar to traditional American style breadsticks... topped with a garlic pesto that was quite amazing. The dishes were quite salty, but I don't mind. The price tag was a little high, but it was a fancy eat-in joint in a premiere location. Not bad after all.

Absolutely delicious food, and the service is incredible!!! The atmosphere and ambiance is amazing,…read morewould definitely recommend.

You know when you've been sightseeing and touring all day and you're really down for dinner and all…read morethe places you had bookmarked to eat at didn't impress your friends so you end up walking up and down the streets and find a restaurant that you all love? That was La Spaghettata :) The four of us went for dinner and were seated right away with menus. We all decided on pastas (Pasta cooked with vodka, fettuccine with flakes of smoked salmon, and gnocchi with peas) and one of us got baked salmon (which also came with pasta....carb party!). A calamari appetizer was ordered and although I didn't have any, it heard it was nice and light despite being fried. A number of waiters kept coming to our section and looking at us and we couldn't really figure out why until one of us asked us if we were ready for our main course (who would've thought! I thought it was cute). The food then came right away. For the prices paid for the pastas (7.50 pounds which is around 14 dollars), the portions were very very good; i was stuffed and couldn't finish mine! Also they're very generous with their own.....ask them for a glass of red wine and you'll get a full glass.....a bit odd lol. Also, all pastas and pizzas come with a salad but we didn't know until we finished out food (there's a self serve salad bar on the other side of the restaurant) This is probably a personal opinion, but there is nothing I love more than going to a restaurant that radiates with culture. Minus the mainstream music, the decorations and Italian waiters and cooks really did it for me. Everyone was so sweet and kind. Come and eat, you won't be disappointed. **Just for all my fellow carbaholics out there.........they have spaghetti pizza. YUP, you read that correctly. Pizza with spaghetti on top. Carbs galore!**

Pizzas have a unique flavour and taste heavenly. Would highly recommend!…read moreThe delivery service was fast too. Came in less that 30-mins

Stopped in for lunch while walking through town and found a delicious meal awaiting us. Two courses…read morefor £10.95 consisted of garlic bread and a Small pizza and salad. The coal-fired pizza rivaled pizza in Italy. It was that good. Great service too!

Quite a small, well hidden gem near the cathedral. Service was great with very attentive waiting…read morestaff. Food was very authentic, the bruchetta was humongous (not a bad thing) although you could have split it between 2. The pate was excellent, and for mains the chicken and mushroom crepes were beautiful, with the seafood stew having an amazing depth of taste. The only downfall (if you class it as one) is that the restaurant itself could do with a lick of paint and updating slightly. Would definitely go back.

We ordered food and it was delivered cold. Was not the uber drivers fault as we could see what they…read morewere doing on the map. We put in the order at 4.30pm did not arrive until 6.30pm. Clearly had been standing quite some time. Asked for refund, got no help was told it was uber`s fault which it was not. No one should accept cold food.

Would agree with last reviewer fairly standard 'Ask' Restaurant. Food is good quality and very…read moretasty and restaurant has a nice atmosphere. Staff were pretty helpful - they were very busy but could have done to smile a bit more!!

The price has certainly gone down, but so has the quality comparing to the 4 and 5 star reviews…read morethis restaurant received from few years ago. I ordered a Spaghetti al Tonno (spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, tuna and olives). The tuna was too flaky and other tastes overwhelmed the tuna taste. I asked for regular water and they served me with bottle water. It was too disappointing because I read good reviews from other Yelpers only to realize that the reviews very dated and things have changed since then.

Durham has too many Italian restaurants, to be sure, but if the rest were to close and this one…read morestayed open, that would be perfectly alright with me. Home to the hardest working man in Durham (he was maitre d', waiter, bus boy, bartender and DJ whilst we were there), this place serves really delicious Italian classics, using delicious fresh ingredients. They go a step above all of the other Italian restaurants in Durham in both quality and service. What's the catch? It's also pricier than the rest of the Italian places in town. But worth it, totally worth it.

Now known as MALANZANA-new name completely different experience!…read moreOn Sat.5th.Dec. we visited this establishment for the 3rd. time(don`t know why) It was our g/daughters birthday-it was lunchtime and not busy. The waitress threw the menus at us,the meals were the poorest pasta meals we have ever had!Parmason was banged down by this horrible waitress who we have met before and is so up her self. Yes we should have complained at the time but did not want to spoil occasion for g/daughter. This is a never to be repeated visit-three strikes and OUT!!!

One word sums up my experience is this restaraunt…read more Horrendous. From walking in and being greeted by the waiting staff arguing with each other to walking out feeling let down, the whole experience was bad. The food, when it eventually arrived, was disgusting. I ordered spaghetti, which up to this point I thought was a foolproof meal to cook, however I was proved wrong here. It was dry with very little sauce, cold and congealed and generally very unappealing. I tried one mouthful and honestly had trouble swallowing it. the spaghetti itself was undercooked and congealed and the sauce was very bland. The service was poor and when the waitress was told about the problem, she was uninterested in the problem. I will never eat here again, and recommend that you don't either!

Decent food and great location, but really indifferent service drags the experience down. I came…read morehere with a large group after a conference and while the food was fine, the waitresses were somewhere between rude and just completely uninterested in us. Although they are chains, I might pick Pizza Express or ASK over Melanzana. The quality of the food doesn't quite make up for the service. Having said that, they get top marks for atmosphere and location. Another plus is the good selection of very clearly marked vegetarian options.