Bella Monica

First of all, every single dish I've ever received at Bella Monica has been saturated with oil. Just because you use a lot of olive oil in your dishes doesn't make them Italian, just unhealthy.\r \r The server was friendly, but after asking twice for bread, she brought it with our meal more than 30 minutes after we had been seated. Several people had also received their food before we did even though they had been seated after us.\r \r My friend got sick within hours after eating here and checked into the urgent care. It was either food poisoning or a norovirus. I certainly hope they don't have sick people preparing the food.\r \r I would recommend the neighboring Brio Tuscan Grille, or Vivace, as better alternatives to Bella Monica. more

Great food and if you are gluten-free, don't miss out on this great place! I think they need a bigger space, lol. more

There just isn't a thing about this place that I don't like. It's run by wonderful people, and the service is great :D more

100 percent of the time this place is tops! Even when once i received the wrong sandwich, they recovered with ""over the top"" customer service! Amazing! Everyone is so friendly and the food is the best in Raleigh! Love love love it!! more

I just wanted to say how much fun we had Friday night at dinner! It had been awhile since I have actually come in there and sat down for dinner, not just a quick lunch or some wine. Everything was just so wonderful! Trev and Babs of course made sure we had drinks the moment we walked in, and it wasn't long before our table was ready. Meghan K took great care of us the whole time, and dinner was coursed out perfectly!! Thank you for the wonderful appetizers you sent out- The mushrooms were a big hit! My sister who has always hated mushrooms couldn't stop talking about them, I'm pretty sure she ate most of them :-) And was talking about trying to make them at home now for herself. The bread and the balsamic of course, was also gobbled up. Our entrees came out looking just as good as they tasted. We always had full waters, and more importantly never ran out of wine and beer :-) I just can't stress enough how much fun we had. Over the weekend my sister kept saying it was the best food she has ever eaten, and on the way back from the beach they wanted to come and eat there again!! (Though it was Sunday so they had to settle for my cooking instead!) If you ever decide to expand and build another Bella in the Pittsburgh area, I know my sister and her friend will be loyal customers for life! Thank you for making our night so wonderful, and reminding me why Bella always seem to be the first place I bring new friends and out of town guests. I'm sure I'll be seeing ya'll soon! Thanks again! more

I probably mispelled that but it's the best dish in town! more

What can I say? Great food and awesome service. Fair prices, too!!!! more

Great restaurant, great owners. Leadership is always top down and they just do a great job. more

My husband and I had reservations last night for 6:30. We got caught in I-40 traffic and had arrived 11 minutes late. After I checked in and apologized, and was told my table would be ready in a few minutes, an owner came up to me and essentially berated me for being late. He said if I was going to be late, I needed to call and he'd hold the table for 15 minutes--that's his policy. (He had given away my table and we had to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes for another one.) If that's the policy, they need to tell you on the phone. Yes, I should have called and I would have, had I known that was the policy! I was embarrassed and so was the gracious hostess--she apologized 3 times. more

So great to have a place that knows how to treat customers. They go out of there way to make sure folks are enjoying themselves. more

This little restaurant is awesome. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. There is a definite neighborhood feel and the wait staff is fabulous. Good food, excellent service, reasonable prices - could you ask for more? more

The decor is fantastic, the service is super and the food is outstanding. My favorite is the pizza but everything I have had has been wonderful! Usually it is packed but is well worth the wait. I recommend this place to everyone I meet. more

This is the only restaurant I have ever recommended, prior to eating there. I heard so many good things about Bella Monica I recommended it and couldn't wait to go for my birthday celebration. We were greeted at the door by the manager who then brought my husband and I a glass of wine for our wait. We were seated in about 20 minutes and my husband informed the waitress it was my birthday. They then decorated the table with birthday confetti - it was so much fun! The atmosphere was great, not too loud, but very cozy. And the food - AMAZING. I love good Italian, and this just goes beyond any other restaurant we usually visit. The eggplant appetizer was fabulous and the sun dried tomato and portabella lasagna was to die for. After dinner they gave me a free birthday cannolli which was great. When my husband and I left we couldn't stop smiling and commenting that it was the best meal we have had, and the most fun we have had at a restaurant in a long time. We will be back many times - Bella Monica is now our top restaurant. more

We're professionals (44 & 50) and have eaten here many times and have always had a great experience. We don't know the manager, but he always warmly greets us and thanks us for coming as if we were friends. The wait staff and bartenders have always been equally as friendly. My husband is very critical when it comes to his food and wine, and we've never been less than impressed to be served very tasty, reasonably priced entrees made with fresh ingredients. Having lived in big cities, we enjoy the atmosphere, but I think it's more of an adult than family restaurant, especially at night, though I'd drag our 4yo along if needed. I highly recommend. Pros: Terrific food, wine list, atmosphere & staff Cons: Always crowded, reservations needed more

Bella Monica has delicious food at reasonable prices. I've eaten there multiple times and never had a bad dish. The staff are always very friendly, helpful and on top of things (my glass is never empty, food arrives promptly, servers are nice but not overwhelmingly so) and the place is always very well staffed. From outside, it doesn't look like much, but the atmosphere inside is very intimate and comfortable and the food is just so good (and you WILL have leftovers). Pros: Amazing service, good food, reasonable prices more

My wife and I had never dined here before, and wanted to try a new place to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I called to make reservations for a Saturday night around noon the same day. I was told they were already booked from 4:45 to 10pm that night, so we made plans for an early afternoon dinner at 4:30. The host asked if we were celebrating anything, so I told them about the anniversary. Pros: great service, food, atmosphere Cons: cant go at the spare of the moment more

Every time I eat dinner here, I have the best meal. It's better to make a reservation (especially reservations) however we have gone without a reservation and have gotten in with little wait. Anyone I recommended Bella Monica to has enjoyed it. The eggplant rollatini is the best! Great wine selection. Will always be a great meal. Pros: great food, good service and wine Cons: smaller restarant, sometimes will be a wait w/o reservation more

We dinned at Bella Monica on a very busy night. Pros: Great food great people! Cons: Make a reservation more

This is one of only two restaurants in the area I have EVER recommended to friends. It's sort of a hidden gem that many don't know about aside from the locals. It's tucked away in an older shopping center next to a Harris Teeter..... Fridays and Saturdays tend to be very busy and book up in advance so call ahead to make reservations days before going. It's worth it ! Great service and food with a price that is very reasonable. Keep up the good work ! Pros: Great Service and Food at a reasonable price ! Cons: Wish it was closer to home more

We've lived in Raleigh for four years and are now moving. We are SO sad to be leaving such a fantastic restaurant! It has been our favorite Italian restaurant. Make that our favorite restaurant of any kind here in Raleigh. We have yet to find better service, better quality of food, and better priced dishes. My father in law is Italian and says it's as authentic as it gets! Pros: Food absolutely delicious and staff excellent Cons: No cons. Make reservations, a very popular restaurant:) more