Mi Bella Restaurante — Restaurant in Branford

I was invited to have dinner here on a quiet Monday night. The place was all but empty at 6pm, and the hostess seemed put off by my request for an available table. Menu looked great, heavy on seafood options. Waitress didn't offer any suggestions, specials, or commentary on our choices which is fine, just very out of the ordinary for a place that's "finer dining."

We ordered two drinks which came quickly, but two entrees (short ribs and chicken) took nearly 45 minutes to hit our table - again in a very empty restaurant. Food was hot, but in my opinion, quite inedible. The short ribs, while incredibly tender, tasted like they were cooked in a familiar name brand BBQ sauce and were too sweet to choke down more than a few bites. The risotto was not even close to the right consistency and offensively drizzled in BBQ sauce and melted orange cheese of some kind. The chicken attratolato was good, but still lackluster for a $30 entree.

To add insult to injury, the little sunroom portion in the front got super warm, so we both melted a bit while waiting for our entrees. The lighting was also dimming and flashing the entire time, and despite being mentioned to the waitress by our table and another, went ignored. It was super distracting and made for an overall uncomfortable evening.

I was really disappointed and expected a lot more from a place focused on their "experience." Its possible the seafood is the star of this place, but the service and atmosphere didn't match the intent of the place either. Maybe I caught someone on an off night or perhaps I am not the intended demographic here, but I won't...

This restaurant is not well decorated and lacks character and charm.It is plain, dark and cramped. We were there on a quiet Tuesday night and only a few tables were occupied. My friend and I ordered one of the specials for the night- veal osso bucco. We did not ask the price. All other veal entrees were about $32.00. The veal came swimming in oil. It actually looked very unappealing but we decided to taste it. Bland at best and so fatty that there was actually not much meat to eat. We did not complain and picked at our plates. But then the bill came. Sticker shock! $ 48.00 for the entree ! Ridiculous for a plain little place in Branford. I complained and the server seemed to understand,but the owner/chef didn’t come over or explain. He did not care. I would never return to this restaurant. There are many good Italian restaurants in Branford. Stay away...

The atmosphere is welcoming, restaurant and bathrooms very clean, the service is prompt and all staff are polite and welcoming. The owner is always present ensuring that your needs are met. The food from the salad to the soup to the bread to the appetizers to the entrées to dessert are absolutely delicious! This is my third time at this restaurant and every time I go there I try a different Andre and I am always impressed! I highly recommend this restaurant. But you need to make a reservation because they are always busy especially on the weekends! The picture below is pan, seared salmon, it also came with muscles and clamshells, but my daughter took it off my plate before I...