Bella Italia - Edinburgh Northbridge — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Hold your temper guys it's a different culture and amazing! I read some of the reviews down below, professional reviews are looking different and more professional in choosing words, as well like in all other situations, speak up, all can be solved and I bet, the reviews will go through the roof.

Let's START 💪🏽

Hard to say, but it is a lovely confusing mix between - British - Scottish - Italian ambience! I definitely recommend it to go inside.

ARRIVING - Asap you enter you are pleased to wait and get seated, at the counter you will already get asked if you have allergies.

Seated at the table, (I got the nice small one at the window and could see everything, cooks, service, food which went out for serving, see the staff talking to each other, talking with the costumers and giving all informations etc, as well saw the entire restaurant at the nice window spot with sun and light) and enough time to check the menu.

The nice local employee (black dress blond hair) had always a lookout for me and others which just arrived to get the timing right for the right question: did you decide what you're wishing for?

Nice! Pizza Vegetarian and just a water. 1 min Water 7 min Pizza (gosh fast) (personal opinion, I like it between 15-20 min to settle myself down and enjoy the atmosphere first- but my personal)

Pizza has been nothing special, typically Italy but the coffee aftwrds where nice, and so far the best I can tell in the area 💪🏽

Let's dive in, I like it here:

1 bad - 10 Amazing

SERVICE:

Education: 10 (know hot to serve and prepare as well handling there tables and costumers

Language: 10 proper English loud and clear, I think it was the manager / owner which speaks Spanish too?

Friendliness: 10 - smile and they smile back, talk normal and they are open up and are not shy to chit chat with you.

Helpful: 11, I've got support for all my questions!

AMBIENCE:

Furniture: 8 it's a mix match, between new and old style, could be as well modern actually.

Walls: 7 green tiles at the wall makes me confusing, it's not Italian style, reminds me that I should drink a Glenfiddich

Flooring: 10 I like the tiles art around the bar, makes it complete!

Cleanliness: 10 top on the spot!

Flowers: 1 nice try, but they are all fake, suggestion: on all tables fresh basilica pots 😄☝🏽like in Italy

Sound: 10 music is background, not to loud or silence, good as it is.

Noises: 8 loud environments when many people inside, but it's more like a culture thing - still it's great and not overloaded.

FOOD:

Ingredients: 10 so far I can tell from my pizza, they are good chosen and good to eat, no bloating aftwrds.

Time: 9 a bit to fast for my taste, under 7 min for my pizza - well done Bro in the kitchen

Coffee: 11 big cup and nice taste! No halitosis after.

Water: 10 nice and soft

Choices: 10! Veggie and Vegan as well Allergen food dishes on an extra menu. Main menu mixed with nice choices.

Cleanliness: 10 glass and dish plates where spotless!

PRICE: Normal rang like what you would expect for UK. (Still hope, Scotland will be Scotland alone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✊🏽)

Thank you for serving, if I'll come back to Edinburgh, I'll be happy to get...

Appalling - as a regular customer of the Edinburgh branch for over 20 years having been going there since university. I love my birthday deal as I'm signed up to their offers & the food there is usually good. Got a message from them last week saying about an offer where if you donate a packet of pasta they'll donate it to a homeless shelter and give you a free main. As a result I made a booking over the phone using their "digital AI customer advisor" or whatever they were called, which was in itself a bit creepy. I then bought a packet of the best dried pasta I could find- as I really did want to benefit the food banks.

I specifically travelled in from a nearby(ISH) town and got there on the day & I checked before being seated they were still doing the deal. The server said unfortunately not at this branch. I was disappointed and she was polite so I left. However I realised this contradicted what they said during booking & message. So I looked up the deal on the website & it specifically listed Edinburgh as a restaurant you could book. It did say it was valid at participating restaurants, but didn't list what they are. As a result I went back in, explained my issues to the server who went to get the manager: Evalina, who I can only describe as rude, condescending and smirked repeatedly throughout. She was adamant the offer did not apply there, but took no cognizance of the fact the website specifically let you "book this deal" and listed Edinburgh as one of the options. She also claimed you can't book Edinburgh and "I" must have done something wrong... Inspite of it being the Bella Italia digital helper that booked it. She also said I likely booked Glasgow instead - which I didn't as it's much further away. I did accept it was not her fault regardless and expressed that to her, but asked how to make a complaint, which she ignored the first time, making an unrelated comment. I then asked how to complain a second time, which she again ignored and it was only when I said: "I'll ask for a 3rd time, how do I complain" that she finally told me. At which I said thank you anyway & left.

I did realise afterwards it was my own diligence that caught me out, as if I'd ordered and got to payment and it was only then they said they weren't accepting the deal it could have been interesting.

Ultimately I'm really disappointed, if that's Bella Italia/Edinburgh branches approach to customer service, I won't be back. Especially given every other branch of Bella Italia seems to want to help the food poor - but not the Edinburgh branch. A particularly bad look.

Update went to complain online and "leave feedback" won't let you actually submit anything. Essentially they know they're appalling & don't want to hear from people...

The worst customer service I have ever had in my life! Apart from the fact that the food was very bad, it didn't taste like anything, the waitress was extremely unprofessional. My friend and I ordered our dish, ordered our drinks and when we finished she asked if we would like dessert. We said no as we were still finishing our drinks. She brought the bill after a few seconds without even asking if we wanted anything else. After that, she brought the card machine while we were in the middle of a conversation with our drinks still half full. We said we wouldn't pay yet as we were still interested in another drink. As we felt being expelled we asked her to bring the machine back and we were going to pay. She returned to the table complaining and saying it was absurd because she was doing something else and had to come back to take the payment. I said that I had intended to order another drink before and she advised us to look for another place where we could drink as we were not eating anymore. I asked to speak to the manager and he gave the waitress right, saying that the procedure was for us to withdraw if we were no longer eating anything. I said how bad we were feeling and that in others Bella Italia restaurants in London the procedure was different and that we had never been treated like this anywhere. After the conversation to the manager we felt even worse, embarrassed and humiliated by the service given to us. My friend and I have worked in hospitality for years and we never saw this happen. I dare say that his attitude was even worse due to the fact that he is a manager and agrees with a staff that treats customers this way. The restaurant was empty (and now I understand why) and yet we were induced to leave. I end my stay in Edinburgh extremely sad and with the certainty that I will never, ever enter the Bella Italia...