Bella Vista Trattoria & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

ZERO STARS! absolutely "DISGUSTING" . that was the word used by the server Sean when he screamed and yelled in my face. He blamed me for his poor outcome of his tips because of his lack of time management, communication, and overall satisfaction of doing his job. We came out to celebrate one of our wonderful friends' birthdays. We planned this party over a month ago. We all were looking forward to having a great night filled with delicious food and great service. This was not the outcome. Sean, the server seemed to be pretty chipper in the beginning. But that definitely took a turn for the worst. We got our drinks and that It took sometime, but that was ok. There were 17 of us, by the way. After an hour, the appetizers finally made the table, but we waited another hour for the main course. We had to ask for bread numerous times to get some drink refills, and even piled up the dirty plates from the appetizers on the table to help out. Finally, the main course hit the table but sadly the food was subpar according to my friends, but this is where the kicker happened. Now sitting here for over 2 hours the server Sean FORGOT to punch in my meal. I had some allergies and dietary restrictions which I informed Sean about from the jump, but for over two hours, I was not communicated to that he forgot to punch in my food. My friends ate their dinners I sat there and ate bread with oil and vinegar for my dinner. Sean apologized for the mistake, but the damage was done I lost my appetite I told him I don't want anything. About 30 minutes goes by, and then he magically pops up with a piece of salmon. Confused I said I wasn't interested anymore. He said he bought the salmon for me. I don't understand how you can buy something that was never punched in. He randomly packed up the food to go told me to take it home. I told him once again I was not interested. He offered it to one of my friends to take it on house. We asked for some cappuccinos and espressos and the bills and of course that took another painful amount of time. Bills came to the table and I was very surprised that I even had a bill considering my terrible experience. One of my friends were very kind enough to take care of that bill for me. Sean said he didn't charge me for the salmon and he bought one of my cocktails. Even my friend asks. Why does she have a bill when she'd had a terrible experience and didn't eat anything? He proceeded to yell at her and said "I bought one of her cocktails" We paid our bills, and we're on our way exiting out. 2 of our friends that were still inside got an earfull from Sean, who decided to tell them how disgusting and horrible we were for not tipping him accordingly. Everyone at the table "turned on him" because he "forgot my food" Even tho There were so many mistakes and lack of communication, and time management was happening at the table from the jump. One of our friends forgot her bag. She went back inside and he started to give her another earful. That's when I had enough. I walked inside and asked him what's the issue was. This grown a* man got in my face yelled and screamed about how DISGUSTING and HORRIBLE I was and that it was MY FAULT that he didn't make any money. He accused my other friend of dine n dashing on him when he was the one that messed up all the money that it was on the table. The funniest part was that he didn't even realize we were all in the service industry. We KNOW how to tip and we KNOW how to give great service. After all this, the manager/owner finally stepped in as the server Sean continued to yell in my face, he apologized for him. And that's all he did. If that was me yelling at a guest, the way this grown a* man did yesterday I would be fired. I wouldn't have a job. You don't speak to people like that because of YOUR lack of time management, communication, an overall service. You ruined my friend's birthday And our experience. if this guy isn't fired, you're gonna continue to lose businesses and continue to get terrible reviews....

Many points on why this is a horrible restaurant.

First off, gave my boyfriend food poisoning. On Valentine’s Day. He’s currently throwing up, I’m sitting on the edge of the bathtub and he’s on the floor. Full on yarfing up bruschetta and pasta. Steer clear from the penne pesto mushroom stuff.

Second off, it took forever. We waited for 45 minutes before asking where our food was, and then the waitress told us that she forgot to give our order to the kitchen. So we waited another 30 minutes before FINALLY getting our appetizer. An hour and 15 minutes total. For an appetizer. Our pasta came quickly after that, though. Surprised we weren’t given a free desert. DOUBLE surprised we didn’t get an apology. An hour and 15 minutes for an appetizer is ridiculous.

Third, the waitresses were not friendly in the slightest. Had zero manners. And I’m still a bit mad the waitress who took our order and then never gave it to the kitchen didn’t even apologize. She had brown hair tied back in a ponytail and was working around 7 on Valentine’s Day.

Other notable issues: They sat us next to an extremely noisy group of people that were obviously blackout drunk. They were still served glasses of wine upon more glasses of wine. One of the girls was falling on another and resting her head on the table. I had to listen to their extremely slurred yelling behind me for half of my date. The inside of the restaurant was NOISY. As in I had to lean across the table to hear my boyfriend talk kind of noisy. It was beyond school cafeteria noisy, and the bad Ed Sheeran music in the background didn’t help. At one point they were actually playing the lion king soundtrack. Like the legitimate lion king soundtrack lmao. My fettuccine looked like actual slop. No garnishes. Off centre on the plate, and also a very odd portion for the plate choice. Chicken was dry and chewy.

So disappointed. I wish we could get some sort of refund. The bruschetta was good though.

Update evening Feb 15: Boyfriend is still sick. Update later evening Feb 15: Boyfriend is still sick. I don’t know what they put in that pasta sauce, but he’s never had any allergies or...

Hands down, my absolute favourite restaurant, for all the reasons that make you want to keep coming back to a place.

I was first introduced to Bella Vista a few years ago at the recommendation of a friend, and it has easily become my “place to go”. Whether seated inside, or out on the patio on warm summer nights, my experience here has always been second to none. The food is fantastic, the portions generous, and the staff are always willing to accommodate a variation on the menu item to make it perfect to your liking. The service is always friendly and attentive, with a perfectly balanced, respectful approach that lets you quietly enjoy the company you’re with while always ready and available when you need them. The cocktails are so tasty, but as a wine girl, I lean towards my chardonnay, and, because I come here so often, it is almost always being poured for me the moment they see me walking through the door (again, the customer service!). The owner, Pat, truly puts his heart and soul into the place, you can tell; there’s a warmth and vibe here that is part of its charm and has much to do with why I have become a repeat customer.

Perfect for a date, a night out with friends, or with the family, I can’t say enough how much I love this place. Since being introduced to Bella Vista, I have recommended it to everyone that I know, and will keep coming back for more, because I simply...