Bella Italia

There was a bait and switch element to the upselling that reeked of desperation. Sad really because my salad tasted nice and fresh.
Oh incessant questions. I’ve never been a fan of the poke-​sales-​smile-​poke-​sales-​smile shop assistant or server.
And No, I’m not middle aged.
When one has a mouthful, one does not care for service cycle box-​ticking.
I ordered my food and whilst waiting patiently for it (I was reading my book happily) I was asked if I «fancied olives». I said fine just to get back to my riveting read. of course there’s a bill for it in the final receipt.
I was also asked if I wanted fresh bread and I declined. Then I was asked if I wanted a more substantial meal. Then I was asked if I wanted a tiramisu. Then I was asked… Get the point?
It’s like pressure selling meets smiles meets desperation.
And some of the olives were sour suggesting it’s been sitting around for a while.
No I won’t go here again.
Shame really, if I’d been served what I ordered and left alone without the upselling tactics, I would have enjoyed my lunch.

Very disappointing. My pasta was tasteless and very underwhelming. Staff were OK but that is about it

It’s not a bad place. It’s nothing too fancy either.
But the price is reasonable given that’s it’s located near Oxford Street (shopping area) and you can a decent meal.
Other reviews reported that the service was bad, but our waiter is ok. He spoke with an Italian accent but I don’t think he was Italy I think he was just trying to play the role.
3 stars for effort and ok price.

This is really a cute eatery to visit. The food is satisfactory but the customer service is not…
I ordered a refill of apple juice and it took our waitress 10 mins to serve but by then it was time for us to go. The waitress became upset and sucked her teeth. not cool

Where can you have dinner in London for 16£? I had a glass of Cabernet, a caprese salad and chicken pesto pasta for just 16£. It was good, service was fast. I will go again if close to the Oxford Circle station.

I was happy with the service until my food came out cold. I try to like this place but whatever day or moment I come here, I’ve got bad experience. The family seem to like it except for the lack of salt or seasoning to some of the meals.
Now waiting for my main to come the second time around.

The nice thing about Italian food is that even commercial adequate Italian food can be totally comforting and wonderful if you just need to be fed and take care of yourself.
Bella Italia is a chain — and the menu shows careful attention to the corporate bottom line.
Salads all come with tons of meat or fish to raise the price tag.
They have a full line of burgers.
(Ah, I dream of Venice, cruising in a gondola down the Grand Canal, eating my cheese burger…)
The charcutrie is commercial Italian supermarket charcutrie.
Same for the olive oil.
That said — utility mass produced Italian food still has some of the legacy of the Italian grandmother in it.
And the room is pleasant and comforting — even if carefully set up by a corporate interior designer.
I was happy to eat there and happy to be in the room.
The prices were fair.
So while I would never seek out a Bella Italia as a destination meal —
if you are tired and hungry and this is what is near — you will be very happy.
Which is what matters at the end of the day.

Awful! Had to leave because of the smell of the toilets. The staff were too busy playing on a laptop to serve us. Had to ask for our drinks twice before we got them and then the coke was flat.
Don’t bother, go to Garfunkles across the street instead.
I would give then no stars if I could.

funghi arrosto — ok
polpette americano — above average, nice spice

Ist ein Ketten Italiener. nichts umwerfendes aber okay. Ist sehr auf Touristen fixiert.

Stupid waiter, will not allow to sit 3 people on 2 tables for 2.
Very unfriendly, service very slow, if you are used to good italian kitchen, don’t go there…

Had a very nice lunch here. Lunch special was sadly unavailable but it was about 3pm.
I have a taste card so used that which meant we had 1 Pizza, 1 pasta and 2 puds and 2 cokes for less than £20.
seemed to be almost as many staff as customers when we went in.
Great for a quick meal when you are shopping in Oxford street or possibly dinner before a show.

In a city where it seems a lot of eats are closed early, Bella Italia was a lifesaver.
Arrived in London at 7am on a Sunday, and my target time to stay awake until was 9pm. Staying true to form, I overshot my target, and stayed out till 11pm. After having a few shots and pints at Ain’t Not But… The Blues Bar, I needed 4^th meal.
Thankfully, Bella Italia was still open late Sunday night. Staying true to fat American form, I had 2 thin crust pizzas. ‘Shrooms and onions. Cooked well, thin crispy crust, and a tomato sauce that was light. Service was also great, especially for being so late on Sunday.

The Penne Zaferrano dish is delicious. I know this place is a chain but what makes this particular location has great service. There’s this Italian waitress that speaks English, French, Italian, and Spanish and she was so welcoming. She suggested this dish to me and it was so good!
I will come back again because I loved their pasta so much! Not the best by any means but still delicious!

I was in London for work a few weeks ago. I was wondering around Oxford and Regent when I saw this place and decided to have dinner there. I didn’t know this was a chain until now. This is a cozy place and the servers were friendly. I ordered the Penne Marco Polo, which was shredded duck meat, mushrooms, and caramelized onion in sweet plum sauce with a kick. It was very tasty! I recommended this restaurant to the Chairman of my company and his daughter. They came the following night and had the Spaghetti Bolognese and pizza. They told me they enjoyed their meal here very much as well. Don’t let the chain fool you, they serve great food here.

It’s a chain place, overpriced, but decent portions and relatively fast food. The service was slow as molasses (if you want two drinks, order them 2 at a time, you might now see your server for awhile), but overall, not shabby.

Ja, es ist eine Kette und ja, deshalb gehen da wohl auch so viele hin. Wir hatten Hunger und es sollte irgendwas mit Pizza sein. Deshalb suchten wir nicht lange, sondern setzten uns in das nächstgelegene Restaurant. Eine Verlegenheitswahl, die zu einem mittelmäßigen Abendessen führte. Der Salat war in Ordnung, kann man ja auch nicht allzuviel falsch machen. Die Pizza hingegen langweilig: Die Tomatensoße schmeckte fad, die Salami-​Stücke eigentlich ganz gut, wären sie nicht winzig gewesen und nur zu fünft. Dank der Lage Massenabfertigung. Dafür aber gut zum Leute beobachten, die sich fürs Musical schick gemacht haben. Gegenüber ist eines der Theater.