Bellissima Italian Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Austin

Customer Service/Server was very good overall, although I had to ask someone to remove the used plates from the table when servers & management approached the table on several occasions. Atmosphere is great, but I saw an employee throw clothes onto the floor from a distance; saw a pitcher of water & what looked like tea sitting on a host-table since I sat to the time I left. Yet, my 3-Star Review is not due to any of the above.

This restaurant is pricey vs the quality. I will spend too dollar for excellent food anywhere, even if the portions are smaller. With 4.9 Reviews, I expected this to be pretty authentic for the environment & area. presentation was decent, but I ordered a Basic Cheese Pizza with Xtra Pizza Sauce—-I received Salt with Lower Quality Cheese, Sauce & a Very Nice Crust. That being said, they comped it (removed it from the bill), but they suggested not to have it remade because it would be the same exact taste, etc. There’s a balance with SALT, that was excessive, inedible with the exception of the Crust. Now for the Manicotti: ordered it with Bolognese (no Pork—great for those who don’t eat Pork Products), but again—excessively SALTY, which gives no room for taste; overwhelms the palate completely. Besides that, that Bolognese had Chunks of Crunchy Carrots, Crunchy Celery & Chunks of Undercooked Tomatoes with the Tomato Sauce & Meat. Pasta Texture was also off. I don’t want to say it was previously frozen, but the quality of the pasta wasn’t there. Fettuccine Alfredo with Fried Filet of Chicken: Alfredo Sauce was okay, along with the chicken, but nothing special—especially vs the price. That was a $25 Dish. Penne with Marinara, acceptable, but basic: $17. Fried Ravioli: Okay, but Edges were over-fried, gave the texture of a fried, frozen product. I get it, it’s a service, but those prices aren’t justified for the quality. I’m not trying to bring down the ratings of the restaurant, they’re good people, but it’s not authentic Italian(-American) Quality. I’m also not advertising for others, but I’ve been to Maggiano’s in the Domain several times & that’s better and least expensive; and Maggiano’s is not really a go-to Italian Restaurant. Overall: Very Good Customer Service, Basic Food and a Heavily Salted Dish that wasn’t worth the...

Sadly, there seems to be a disconnect between the kitchen and the menu, as many of our dishes were either misrepresented and/or came out differently than we expected. We were a table of 5, with a reservation, on a Sunday night.

The lowlights:

The Chicken Marsala prep was a GRILLED chicken breast, and that flavor overwhelmed and distorted the light Marsala sauce over fresh noodles. It’s a strange concept, since this dish is made in the pan vs on the grill. The Salmon Grigliata with capers and a lemon butter sauce over veg came without capers or a lemon butter sauce. Oh, and the salmon was barely a 1/4 inch thick. When we inquired about the missing items, we then received the sauce (sans capers) in a plastic cup. The Fungi Risotto made with saffron, wild mushrooms, tomatoes and a balsamic glaze also was perplexing, as there was no saffron or tomatoes, and was actually a hue of green we couldn’t quite identify. The Pepperoni Pizza was over cheesed and undercooked. And the Short Rib Ragu over fresh pappardella (their spelling) was just that - a piece of braised beef over noodles, sitting in pasta water and missing the star of the show - the actual ragu (made from the short rib). Our Caesar Salad was delivered overdressed - not with a Caesar dressing but a version of it that was more like a buttermilk ranch dressing. Head scratcher there.

The highlights:

The fried calamari isn’t the traditional one you would expect - it’s dusted in cornmeal then fried and was delicious. It’s just not Italian, or even Mediterranean, but worthy. The Tiramisu was also delicious and the most authentic of all the dishes we ordered. Our server was amazing, enthusiastic and supportive of the restaurant.

The verdict?

It’s obviously still early to make any hard decisions about Bellissima, but it needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Cooking the classics classically or something else, and in either case, executed tons better than it currently is. Yes it’s their “soft open” but it almost seems that they don’t actually know the dishes they are putting out there. We’ll try it again in a month or so, and hope that they’ll take the time to get it sorted out...

This place opened recently and because of the close proximity, a family dinner was soon on the cards. This is projected as an Italian-Med eating place and the menu reflects that quite well with decently curated options to choose from. The restaurant is still in the soft open phase so that is being considered in this review. That said, my observations are (from entry to exit): 1, Wait/Greet/Tabled - Within 5 minutes and that too on a Friday evening at 7:30 pm. Good show! 2, Ordering/Options - While not being slammed, could've been a bit quicker with the bread and beverages and we ended up ordering the entire meal when the server turned up. First batch of Bread/Oil was tabled soon enough though. Not a lot of options for the Veg population without substitution 3, Delivery - Food was ready within 15 mins, which is remarkable since the claim is 'from scratch, on demand'. Plating was nice, portion size decent. 4, Service - Attentive, Efficient, and no upselling beyond what was expected. 5, Pricing - Slightly on the higher side. Even within the same category - the pricing for the choices is confusing. First Bread/Oil is complimentary - any additional refills are charged ($1/bread, $1/oil). Really - For the current price point, that is the takeaway? "Let's not have unlimited complimentary stuff that is like jar change". 6, Dollar Damage - All included - Low 3 digits for a 4 top with only entrees. 7, Ambience - This restaurant lacks the ability to 'absorb' sound. A sizeable glass frontage, no woodwork paneling/carpeting (think OG) equates to significant sound reflection. Add to this live music (Tue/Fri) and you have an annoying ambient noise that prevents any reasonable table conversation. I felt exhausted trying to talk over this noise to my family, and at the very least, hear them ! Try to get a table/booth away from the center.

Parting Words - They are in soft open, with frequent menu changes (as mentioned by server) so will wait till they stabilize. But, a one time visit to get your own...