Bella Monica

The wife and i went there for our anniversary. we were greeted by and advertising on the sidewalk for us. it said "" congratulations Sam and debra"". This instantly set the mood. Our reservation was ready for us; upon sitting at our table we were greeted by a very curtious wait staff. We were congratulated on our anniversary, and the service completely went over the amazing greeting we had recieved. We have already made plans to be back at that location for our next anniversary. Barbara was our server. She catered to our every need. We will return for our next romantic get away and definitely will be back for our next anniversary. more

Great pizza, very romantic, great place for a date, reminds me of tuscany in a way, atmospher and staff are great more

Bella Monica consistently delivers the best food and service in Raleigh. I have been there more times than I can count, and never once had even a mediocre meal. Everything is always spectacular. The atmosphere at night is charming and romantic. The wait staff is impeccable. The food is dynamite! I highly recommend anyone who has not eaten here that loves Italian, to give it a go. You won't be disappointed. Pros: Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. Great value. Cons: Wish they could accomodate more people with seating. May be time for a bigger place, guys! more

I find all the reviews about Bella Monica being anti-kids to be way off the mark. As parents of an 8 month old, we find it best to eat around 5pm. Our daughter loves the lively music and pictures on the wall. Also, Bella Monica has the BEST high chairs in the area. The staff is always happy to see her and make a point of getting good smiles from her. We know that Bella Monica would not be the best place to take our kid at 8pm, but with a little advance planning we all have a fabulous time. The food is terrific, always innovative and delicious. The beer selection is great (CBC products!) and the house wine is wonderful. Parents, give it a try on the early side and you will all be happy! Pros: Great food, wonderful atmosphere Cons: Call ahead for reservations more

We were very impressed with the service, atmosphere, and cuisine at Bella Monica! We called ahead and they let us put our name on the list on a busy Friday night...then when we arrived they promptly seated us and offered us a seat in the outdoor seating area. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly, and was great at helping us choose the perfect entree. We had the baked ziti and lobster ravioli special- YUM! Our salads and entrees were timed perfectly, and the other waitstaff all worked together to quickly take our dishes when we were finished and to refill our glasses! You can tell that the staff loved their restaurant and their guests and were happy to be there. Pros: Excellent service, great food, convenient location Cons: wish they would open another location so we can go all the time! more

I felt compelled to write a review after I read all of the dreadful comments about this establishment in regards to their attitude towards children. Not every place should cater to kids. There is a Char-grill just across the parking lot that will suit families just fine. People go to Bella Monica to experience a taste of Italy. Slow down, sip your wine and enjoy the meal to come. Be sure to try the olive oil Gelato! Sounds strange but was to die for! Superb date restaurant. Hope the kids stay at home! more

The recent donation of hot, delicious Italian food by Bella Monica to the Ronald McDonald House Pros: Thumbs up. Everyone is family here! more

When my husband and I stumbled on a new restaurant called Bella Monica 7 or 8 years ago, and met the owners Corbett and Julia Monica, and brother -in -law Trevor, we fell in love with all , the chef's (Corbett) Nana's recipes, and the food! Having traveled to Italy and experienced real Italian cooking, we were amazed that finally we could experience it again. The cozy wine bar, the great selections of Italian wines, the knowledge of the wines, the coversations, the fresh dishes-my favorite is the Lobster Ravioli. Favorite appitizer -Eggplant Rotini and Buffaloe Mozzarella. Relaxed and romantic, good music, ""everybody knows your name"" type of place, where bigger is not better, and the small intimate atmosphere is the success of this taste ot Italy. The great flatbread pizzas now are carried in the deli sections of Harris Teeter and Whole Foods, so for late nights, I can always have a Bella Pizza in my freezer. My husband said I stopped cooking. He's right! more

My favorite restaurant in Raleigh. When ever I get to choose..it is my number one pick!! The service is excellent, very friendly. If we don't have reservations we always have a wait. It's one place I don't mind. Very cozy. My favorite restaurant in Raleigh. When ever I get to choose..it is my number one pick!! The service is excellent, very friendly. If we don't have reservations we always have a wait. It's one place I don't mind. Very cozy. My favorite restaurant in Raleigh. When ever I get to choose..it is my number one pick!! Pros: UP more

Ok I read the review about the place not being kid friendly - I sort of had the same feeling based on my experience. You can call it a ""bad experience"" if you like, but when I am at kid friendly restaurants I do not have ""bad experiences"" if they are truly kid friendly. I will try and be objective as I do think this place has great food. Probably one of the better Italian restaurants in this area, but the place seems more like a romantic couples type of restaurant rather than a ""family"" restaurant. I can understand an establishment trying to cater to a particular clientele so I am not entirely faulting them, but lets please call a spade a spade. My first visit there was with my kids - we have 3 young children under 6. We did feel that they were not particularly friendly or welcoming when we first walked in. We had called in advance because as anyone who has children knows that waiting an extended period of time with hungry cranky kids is not a pleasant experience. We were told that we should just come in as the wait was not a lengthy one. When we arrived we were given an estimated waiting time which seemed very reasonable - I think it was like 15-20 minutes or so. We figured we would wait as that did not seem like an exhorbitant amount of time to wait to be seated. To make a long story short after several times of inquiring ""how much longer"", and after having been waiting well over an hour, and starting to get vibes that we were in some way inconveniencing the host we decided to leave. Bottomline, anyone saying this establishment is kid friendly is delusional. There are very subtle overtones that are quite clear about being there with kids....and feeling welcome is not one of them. Pros: nice romantic place - great food Cons: not kid friendly - dont go if you have young kids more

BellaMonica is addictive. My family & I tried Bella about 2 years ago, & we eat from there once or twice a week. The food is wonderful & the managers will get to know you & your family. The person who wrote that Bella is not kid friendly either had a bad experience or they have not been to a restaurant that is really not kid friendly. more

I almost hesitate to tell you how much we liked this restaurant, because I want to make sure that we can get.. more

I almost hesitate to tell you how much we liked this restaurant, because I want to make sure that we can get a table the next time we go there! It ... more

We love Bella Monica. It's a great neighborhood restaurant and always a good Pros: Great Customer Service, Great Wine List, Good Ambience more

I do not recommend this place to families with kids. It is not a kid-friendly restaurant at all. Once they see kids enter the place the waiters and waitresses become less friendly!!! more

Thank you to the entire Monica family and their staff for the most delicious and completely satisfying dinner experience! more

My family and I have dined at Bella Monica on many occasions since discovering this quaint restaurant almost 2 years ago. Every time we go there it is like being with my large Italian family. You will not find better service anywhere else in Raleigh. The wine list is amazing, one of the best I have seen. The food is phenomenal. It's a great place to be romantic, have a party, or take your kids. There is not a single negative thing that can be said. I have taken friends, family, and co-workers and no one has ever been disappointed. I recommend reservations, especially on Friday and Saturday nigt, but even a wait it well worth it. Its a guaranteed A+ dining out experience. Pros: Food & Wine, Staff & Service, Atmosphere more

I was extremely impressed with the attention we received from our host and the waitstaff.It was a very busy place where people absolutly did not mind to wait to get a table. My Husband ordered the garlic soup,to begin with.His soup was absolutely amazing.It was a creamed based stock and the garlic blended wonderfully with the other ingredients.I kept dipping my bread into his soup.I ordered the portabella mushroom and sun dried tomato lasagna baked in a wine cream sauce. Exquisite!!! Pros: authentic, eclectic, wonderful Cons: crowded more

A friend of mine and our two kids enjoyed our lunch at Bella Monica. The staff was so friendly that our waiter even played peek a boo with my friends son. Our food came out quickly and was awesome. Pizza made to order. Yum!!! We will enjoy eating here many more times. Thanks again to the staff for such a great experience. more

There is no other place in the Triangle that you feel so welcomed when you walk in. The personal touches and friendly atmosphere mesh beautifully with the BEST Italian food around. The strong sense of family and great food will keep you coming back over and over and over again. Pros: Friendly atmosphere, something 4 everyone, Favorite Italian Food more