Bella Monica

Great Food!!! Great service, Great atmosphere! very good wines, music and art! Nice to eat outside during the summer. They're pizzas and pastas are the best. Also the best casear salad I've had anywhere! Pros: food, wine, atmosphere Cons: limited seating, call for reservations!!! also no beers on draft. more

i was on a business trip in raleigh last week and asked some of the people i was meeting w/ to recommend the best italian restaurant in town. they all agreed it was bella monica so i went. well, were they ever right. the food was great and the service was great and the prices were very reasonable. i will be going back next time i am in raleigh and i will be recommending it to my friends who also come here frequently. if you are travelling and looking for a great place to relax and have a great meal, go to bella monica. you will be more than happy. Pros: just a nice friendly place w/ great food Cons: none that i could see more

While visiting Raleigh recently, I dined at Bella Monica on a recommendation from some friends. I was extremely pleased with the experience. The food was authentic and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I ordered the eggplant rolatini and it was divine. The eggplant was cooked perfectly- crisp on the outside and tender throughout. It melted in my mouth! The server was very knowledgeable about wine and suggested a glass of Dolcetto with bright acidity that perfectly complimented the meal. Pros: extensive wine list and authentic Italian food Cons: I don't live in the area more

We took the time to dine at bella monica this week and i am flabberghasted at how real service should be done. Me and my employees went there to have a meeting a catch quick lunch, AMAZING. Pros: food, service, atmosphere Cons: none. more

This place has a great decor and a good mood and ambiance, but the food is blah. The pizza is subpar. It's too doughy, and it is it nothing like Italian pizza at all. Our toppings were so sparse that it was like eating a cheese pizza (when we asked for pepperoni and sausage). The salads were, as another reviewer described, just plates of lettuce. This is probably the only authentic Italian dish in the whole restaurant. The wine selection is decent and not too expensive. This is an ok place to go for a drink or maybe an appetizer, but I can't say that I liked my meal all that much. I didn't think much of the service either. Pros: good wine list, appetizers are ok Cons: pizza is doughy and not authentic; service is just ok; parking can be tough as it does get busy; too many children and families more

I love this restaurant. I used to eat here often when I lived in this neighborhood. You should make reservations on Friday & Saturday. more

Being in the restaurant business... there is only one place to feel as welcomed as possible by owners and staff than Bella Monica -we should all be like this. If you are looking for wonderful food and a great atmosphere... you cant beat sitting at the bar and enjoying dinner while meeting new friends.. Pros: Price, Portions and Service more

I made a reservation here, and I am glad I did. It was honored immediately, and we were seated at an excellent table. Despite other reviews, this is not a particularly romantic place. However, it is very pleasant, and the service and food are truly outstanding. I had a waitress named Megan, and she made great recommendations (lobster ravioli and a unique creme brulee in particular). Both chef/owners stopped by our table, and we appreciated their interest. The ambience is mildly energetic (there was low key techno music playing, and most diners appeared to be locals having a very good time). Highly recommended despite its location in a shopping center. Pros: Go for the specials and make sure to try the creme brulee. more

I have been a satisfied customer of Bella Monica for many years. I love their flatbreads, and have never been disappointed when I chose one of their specials. Pros: Fantastic deserts, especially the cannoli. Very good pizza (flatbread) Cons: Extremely popular, hard to get a reservation on the weekend. more

I've eaten here numerous times for lunch and I've never had a bad experience. The food is always excellent, fresh and consistent. The tomato, mozzarella and basil appetizer is simple and always fresh. I also like the salads and the flatbread pizzas. The only drawback of this place is that it is not very large, and even at lunch time you might have to wait unless you arrive before noon. The staff is always friendly, the host at lunch during the week always recognizes me, it is nice to go to a place where the staff doesn't change constantly. more

Everything is here is GREAT! I have not had a bad dish here, ever! The Lasagna, Calzones, Fish, Appetizers, Salads, are all good. Even the bread they serve is some of the best I have had at a resturant. You can sit outside and enjoy yourself in the sun or sit inside and have a nice atmosphere. All of the staff are extremely nice. The servers are helpful, attentive, and a pleasure. The manager always makes a point of saying hello as well. If anyone complains about this place they are crazy. The way I look at it good for them, I don't want to sit next to them anyway. Pros: Great food, perfect service, easy parking Cons: Small but worth the wait more

I've simply never had a bad meal here. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the Triangle. The portabello lasagna is incredible, but I could make a meal just off the list of appetizers. Their evening specials are delightful and innovative. I've always had prompt and courteous service. The restaurant is small and intimate. Eight people at the table is about as many as one can hope to seat as a group. more

Our main problem was with the food. I had the spaghetti w/ meatballs, my wife ordered the lasagna. Our complimentary house salads were nothing more than plates of lettuce. The bread course was disgusting as well. They brought two giant cubes of bread that looked more like pound cake. They were set in a puddle of olive oil, and had oil poured over them. Typically, you are given bread to dip in a mixture of oil and vinegar at your leisure. This presentation was awful. My spaghetti was obviously store-bought (probably at the neighboring Harris Teeter) and the meatballs were just boring ground beef. My wife's lasagna was a disaster. Their proclivity to use cheap ingredients ruined the lasagna. The ground beef was so greasy, it had to be served in a dish to contain it all. There was no tomato sauce, instead just grease. All in all, $40 later we were wholly unsatisfied. Pros: None really Cons: cheap ingredients for high prices, nothing was fresh more

What an enjoyable evening. We had reservations and were promptly seated. The waiter was very knowledgeable of the foods, drinks and specials. The entire staff worked together and it seemed all needs were met before we ask. The food was as flavorful as any I have had in the area. I can't wait to go back and enjoy another enjoyable evening. Pros: Great service and food more

I had my first meal at Bella Monica this evening and I will without a doubt be back. My boyfriend and I had the shrimp special appetizer (unbelievably delicious), stuffed shells, and the meat lasagna. Although we had to wait a while for our meals to cool down enough to eat (which is really not a complaint), we had a wonderful dinner. Our server was friendly and attentive, the food was outstanding, and the prices were very reasonable for the quality and amount of food we received. I can't wait to eat there again! Pros: Excellent food & service, friendly and relaxed atmosphere, great value Cons: Might have to wait a while without a reservation more

We're NYC natives and have been to Bella Monica twice -- in our view this is the closest you're going to get to Little Italy in Raleigh. The Baked Ziti is truly to die for: served in its own mini casserole dish with the cheese still bubbling when it hits your table. The Lasagna is similarly stellar. Pizza is one of the best in Raleigh. The number of specials that they had tonight (Saturday) were mystifying. They had 3 or 4 appetizer specials, 2 traditional specials, and 2 entree specials. All of them -- such as the Eggplant Rollatini and the Pumpkin Ravoli with Shitake Mushrooms topped with Parmigiana Reggiano -- made your mouth water. What was equally mystifying was the fact that the server remembered every special off the top of her head -- including the dessert specials. Dessert = homeade tiramisu, cannolis, special: key lime pie. Pros: Italian food (outstanding) service (beyond outstanding), romantic environment, reasonable prices Cons: Reservations mandatory unless you'd like to wait 90 minutes more

I find this restaurant to be a little over rated and always felt there was a generally self inflated attitude on the part of the staff. The pizza and salads are good. Some of the entrees are very good. The prices are fair to high. They are typically very busy and the place is small so it can be difficult to get a seat. Maybe their success has led them to believe they don't need to apologize when a customer eats hair along with a bite of ""grandma's cake"". Maybe they figure it is not worth the trouble and losing a few customers, which they have, is no big deal. The whole meal should have been on the house but when the desert was promptly returned to the waitress with an explanation that I had just pulled a hair out of my mouth with a bite of cake and that I had lost my appetite and ""no I didn't want another piece"", I didn't get so much as an apology from the waitress or the manager (and I did see her tell the manager what had happened). I was with several people and didn't want to make a scene so I paid my the full price for my meal and was stunned when I left that I had never so much as received an apology. Get off your high horses Bella Monica folks! You are just not that great. Pros: good Italian for the area Cons: pompous staff. crowded. more

My wife and I had our 34th anniversary dinner here and we both loved it very much. The food is absolutely the best and all ofthe staff were extremely friendly and attentive. We would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food and a great time. Pros: food and service Cons: a little noisy more

I am a great cook, but the food served up by the Monica Family is way better than anything I ever made. The decor is done in such good taste. No Grapevines and gondoleirs painted on the walls. The servers are so very pleasant and attentive. Pizza is to die for - but try everything else on the menu. You will be glad you did. more

Very friendly service, good food, small but a clean place. It is expensive compared to similar places. Recommended. Pros: Service, Food Cons: Expensive more