Bella Italia - Reading Oracle — Restaurant in Reading

It takes a lot for me to give a one star review... and that is primarily because I do sincerely believe that mistakes happen... But when things go consistently wrong, there is a fundamental problem that exists with the management, people and the processes ...and this is the challenge we have at Bella Italia at Oracle Reading. I have had food many times at Bella Italia and while I was in London, we have hosted parties there... I am very familiar with the menu, the food and that works just fine.

Series of issues started to become visible perhaps 20 minutes after the order- when we started to get worried about where our food was. Just to check with someone on the status was a nightmare. In the meantime- I had gone to the app and added an extra dessert that got delivered to our table immediately, but our starters were not even there yet.

Then comes a rude staff member with starters that did not look like it needed 45 minutes to prepare... Bruschetta very poorly done, Hummus with carrots not peeled properly and dough ball pieces that were chewy (Pictures attached).

...and we thought that was just it... until the main course came in! We had ordered Spaghetti, which never came in- instead we got Macaroni cheese. We requested a lady (who wasn't wearing a uniform- perhaps a manager) and she very swiftly got us a replacement. Even after the main course came in, there was no offer of sprinkling the cheese, no one came to ask how things are.... nothing... a plain old serviceless restaurant feeling!

...and when it came to dessert, my hypothesis of what the issue is got validated. We ordered two brownies. Our first brownie that came in was hard as a rock. We did highlight it to the staff who got us our second one- which was perfect by the way. They therefore took the first one back saying that they will get the replacement.... and 15 minutes later.... still nothing!!! We just got fed-up, paid through the app and left without the brownie and vowed to never visit this place again!

Overall... worst service standard I have seen for a place where we end up paying £15-20 per person... Some of the staff are extremely rude... AND if this was an anomaly, then clearly the management did not do a good job of handling...

With utter disappointment and sadness I have taken the time this afternoon to write a review. In which I do not normally do but feel like this needs to be written in order for improvement. I visited a friend who I haven’t seen for months. We are both waitresses and we met at work. We now live far from one another and reading is our meeting point. We came to Bella italia yesterday afternoon along with my two year old son. As I approached the restaurant the work colleagues were all lingering around the door they had noticed me struggling to enter with my pram and not one work colleague approached and asked for help. They didn’t approach me until I had opened the door myself after struggling and said welcome to Bella italia. They had sat us down. I explained I had some Tesco vouchers and also a free starter coupon. The young waitress said yes no problem and said it was okay to use both on the same transaction this was incorrect. The food was cold unpleasant expensive and really unsatisfying we had to ask them to add extra Parmesan cheese to add flavour to the dish. No one did a check back to see how the food was. everything was too much effort for them. We spent over £100 and would have enjoyed it more going somewhere far cheaper and way better service. Only thing going was the beautiful river view over the oracle. I am so disappointed infact disappointed is an under statement. Not everyday we go out. And I will never return to any Bella italia ever again. How rude the staff were. Completely discriminating me for having a little one with me. And how they acted and behaved as well has the food being this disappointing if I return to anyplace in reading this will not be the place i visit again. Also they reheated the chicken and everything tasted microwaved. Charging for prices for an Italian feeling and not giving that. I am super...

So went to Bella Italia Reading for what I was hoping would be a quick breakfast before shopping this morning having previously been to other branches and recieved excellent service. The restaurant was empty and we were sat straight away but then had to wait 15 minutes for our order to be taken and a further 15 for our drinks to arrive with no apology or explaination from staff. After having been sat there for 40 minutes and still waiting for our food, in which time other customers had walked out due to the lack of service, food had been left sitting on the pass for 10 minutes and there had been complaints about the food and wait times from other guests. If the restaurant had been busy this may have been more understandable but there were only 4 tables. We asked if our food was coming and they said it would be out soon and they said it takes time due to all food being cooked fresh, no fry up takes 40 minutes to be cooked unless you are slaughtering the pig for the bacon, but eventually when it did arrive one meal was wrong and the other was practically inedible. There is no way that bacon was cooked fresh, it was like chewing old boot leather. The manager told us she was short staffed because someone had called in sick, the waitress was new and they had already had a busy breakfast service but offered no real apology for the appalling lack of service just excuses. We left hungry and only paying for our drinks but even then the manager had an awful attitude. As someone who worked as a waitress for many year I would be ashamed of myself for having offered this level of service and I was shown a lot more respect in Starbucks where I had to go get food after this whole horrible experience. Do not bother coming here, you will...