Bella Napoli — Restaurant in Cork

Had a lovely meal here yesterday afternoon. No fault found on this visit. I had the carbonara my partner had the LINGUINE CON GAMBERI Comprised of Prawns , olive oil, cherry wine tomatoes, garlic, olives, fresh parsley & feta cheese

The "SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA"

(THE ITALIAN WAY!)

The Italian way no less. This intrigued me.

It's ingredients are Spaghetti, egg, pecorino, guanciale, black pepper.

Had to google some of the ingredients. Pecorino is a hard cheese made from sheep's milk. Sorta like Parmesan. Guanciale is from the jowl of the cheek of the pig whereas pancetta is from the belly.

The Carbonara was really tasty . The flavours are really strong and earthy. One note, the Guanciale is very salty. I loved it.

The other half loved her Prawn Linguine. We had Americano and Affogato.

I had the house special Cheesecake. Lemon Vanilla gluten free. It was divine. Perfect sweet for after having such a salty main.

The restaurant is small and in some places the tables are quite close to each other.

You have a view of the chef's area , which is dominated by their fabulous looking pizza oven.

Full marks from me for a very tasty affordable meal.

I will definitely return to try some more menu items. The Italian Way.

I will include some photos.

This is the way!

Edit: I never mentioned the staff. Nothing negative to say. They were friendly and efficient. Were interested what we thought of their new...

We’ve always loved Bella Napoli, but this was our first time dining there for dinner, and I’m so glad I made a reservation—it was packed! It's easy to see why, though… they’re the best Italian restaurant in town. The pasta is always perfectly cooked, and the sauces are rich and flavourful. Our waiter was attentive and helpful, especially when three of us wanted the Ragu Napoletano. He suggested one of us try the Ragu alla Genovese for some variety, and it turned out to be an incredible choice. My friend absolutely loved it! I’m def going back to try this one myself.

The only small disappointment was that I mentioned in the reservation that we were celebrating my mother’s birthday. Coming from the service industry, I know even a quick "Happy Birthday" can make a guest feel special, and I think my mom would have really appreciated the gesture. I’m not saying they’re obligated to do anything extra, but a small acknowledgment would have added a nice personal touch.

We didn’t stay for dessert since we were a bit rushed (my fault—I’d book 30 minutes earlier next time to enjoy it fully. Dinner is a bit slower service than the lunch, but totally understandable, as they were super full). Their tiramisu is phenomenal, and it’s definitely worth...

My experience at this restaurant was disappointing from the start. Despite having a reservation for 10 people at 8:45, we arrived on time but had to wait until 9:10 to be seated. The assigned table turned out to be very small, which negatively impacted our comfort throughout the meal. The food portions were quite small, although the taste was decent.

In addition to the wait, we felt rushed during the service. We were informed that the kitchen was closing at 9:30, which created a sense of pressure to finish our meal quickly.

The biggest frustration arose from the inconsistency in service. One waiter promised us complimentary drinks due to the delay, but when we requested the bill, we were being charged for those drinks. When we tried to clarify the situation with another waiter, we were questioned, and they seemed unwilling to admit the mistake. Although we ultimately weren't charged for the first round of drinks, this experience left a bad taste in our mouths.

In summary, despite arriving on time, the extended wait, cramped table, pressure to finish quickly, and confusion over the drinks made my experience at this restaurant quite unpleasant. I have no...