Bella Napoli

So I’m going to try something a little different today…
A live blog! Let’s see how this place shapes up!
Entrance and welcome: perfectly acceptable, polite and friendly. Drinks order taken swiftly. I wish I had known my only option was a giant bottle of sparkling water, would have been nice to have been told initially.
Menu: expansive, typical of Italian cuisine. A little on the expensive side. The fish specials looked delicious but unfortunately the waiter could not confirm where the fish came from; I am currently on a sustainability kick and have decided only to eat fish if I can verify how and where it was caught, so I opted instead for a chicken dish.
Main: oh how my hopes were raised upon the first mouthful of my dinner, but sadly the delightful flavour of the creamy mushroom and dolcelatte sauce was not to be continued throughout the rest of my meal. I’m saddened to report dry chicken and floppy veg, I can almost forgive the slightly overdone chicken (as it seems to be the done thing in restaurants at the moment) but I most certainly cannot forgive limp broccoli. The inventors of the concept of al dente should know better! Points for utterly impeccable potatoes however, dauphinois I believe.
Feeling a bit disappointed after the main, I decided to go whole hog and get a dessert…
Menu: very disappointing. I was hoping this meal would at least finish with bang, but judging by the menu I won’t hold my breath.
Dessert: opted for a pannacotta with butterscotch sauce, currently sitting waiting with bated breath. Despite the lack of atmosphere tonight (forgiven due to tonight being a Monday evening) I’m excited due to the anticipation!
Sadly…
I shouldn’t have.
I got a thick and grainy pannacotta with what tasted like shop bought butterscotch sauce. I’m devastated. Pannacotta should be light and silky, it should melt in the mouth and be a joy to eat. Unfortunately, although the flavour was pleasant enough I could never recommend this dessert at the price the restaurant is asking.
Which leads me to my conclusion: I could easily have given one or two extra stars on my review tonight if the menu had not been as expensive as it was. For a few pounds less on everything, this would have easily got 3 or 4 stars. Value for money this ain’t, but if you’re looking for a restaurant that isn’t a chain in the marina, you could do worse than coming here.
Oh and one final point, the waiter hacking away in the distance is slightly disconcerting. I know illness can’t be helped, but take those coughs into the bathroom or something!

Wonderful little Italian restaurant! My boyfriend and I wanted to dine there tonight, but we had to catch a movie and they weren’t open yet, so unfortunately we had to dine elsewhere but we made sure to come back for some gelato after the movie! Great food! Great treats! Great service!

Bella Napoli is one of the few places in the Marina that isn’t a chain restaurant, which immediately makes it stand out in my book. I agree with the other reviewers in the sense that the food isn’t going to blow you away, but you will leave having enjoyed a tasty, filling meal in nice surroundings.
On my most recent visit I went for the veal Milanese — veal in breadcrumbs served with spaghetti Neapolitana and salad. A tasty dish and massive portions that will certainly leave you full. My friend went for a steak with pepper sauce that also looked tasty. Being quite full, but unable to resist the dessert menu entirely, we decided to share a banoffee pie which was yummy, as banoffee pie always is! On previous occasions I have had a number of their pasta, risotto and salad dishes, all of which I have been happy with.
The Italian waiters are typically Italian, in that they can flirt like no other nation! Its so cliched but I fall for it every time and turn into a giggling school girl! What is it about the Italian accent that makes men instantly more attractive?

Delicious Italian food, good size portions, reasonable price for the quality of the food. Pretty restaurant inside, and is nice to sit outside overlooking the marina. Good staff, and very clean.
Overall, very recommended.

Lovely setting for a leisurely lunch.

One of the only establishments on the Marina that isn’t a chain (as far as I can tell) it’s worth a visit just for that if you’re in that neck of the woods. The menu offers an array of pizzas for around £8 as well as a variety of pasta dishes. The location means it’s convenient for before/​after the cinema or bowling to complete any family day out at the marina.

Where is Napoli and is it beautiful? I guess we’ll never know. In terms of service and food and atmosphere, out of 10 I would give his place a 5. It’s not great, but it’s not bad. I don’t think I have ever been to a restaurant that fills me with a surge of ambivalence when I leave. If you like mediocrity, or if that’s your «thing» then you will be perfectly happy here. Their menu is everything you would expect and things that you thought you wouldn’t expect because you already expected them.

Of all the places in the Marina this is one of the better restaurants. However, as with most places here, I wouldn’t travel all the way out of town just to eat at Bella Napoli. While it doesn’t do a bad job, its idea of Italian is basically the shared by most average high-​street Italians. There are plenty of good deals though, as the Bella Napoli pizza is available with loads of toppings for only £8. It might not blow you away but it’ll certainly satisfy you if you’re in the area.

What happens at Bella Napoli is a manufacturing process. One by which untraveled adolescents can get an «authentic» Italian eating experience. Being half Italian I tend to find these places quite annoying, as they enforce a restrictive stereotype of Italian cuisine and, whilst Bella Napoli doesn’t strive to break down any barriers, it doesn’t in fact do the term ‘Italian restaurant’ a disservice. When I visited I had an extremely tasty veal dish with Parma ham and mozzarella, which seemed expensive at about £12 but was definitely satisfying. My Mother had the Bella Napoli pizza, which is a great deal as you get loads of topping for only £8. It’s true that you won’t be blown away but as Samantha says, it’s worth visiting if you’re in the area and in need of sustenance. I wouldn’t go all the way to the marina specially for it.

Although like a lot of eating establishments n the marina Bella Napoli is slightly contrived in its attempts to create an traditional Italian ambiance, the food is actually really nice. Although not worth a specific trip to the mariner, if your in the area its great place to grab some lunch.
Its essentially a pizzeria which a vast selection of fab thin crust delights. Its an ideal place fro families and is great for a bite before the cinema or after a shop at Asda.

very good service with all waiters asking the right questions.
a good selection of soft drinks, wines, beers, coffee and spirits. food is outstanding highly recomend the mushrooms in white wine sauce as a starter mussels in tomatoe sauce with spaggetti as the main and a mixed ice-​cream as a dessert.
good parking in area or get the bus into Brighton marina.
hope you enjoy your vist.