Bellissimo — Restaurant in Houston

We visited Bellissimo on a Saturday evening. Originally established in Houston Heights in 2012 by Chef Javier Machuca and his uncle, Pedro Espinoza, the restaurant has since relocated to Independence Heights due to the negative impact of the pandemic.

Upon arrival, the first impression was disappointing. The restaurant, situated in a residential area, looked rundown and in need of renovation. It was dark and mostly empty, with old furniture. Additionally, we noticed containers on the floor catching water from the ceiling. You can also see straight into their store room.

Despite the off-putting vibe, the service was commendable. The host and waiters were dressed nicely and were very attentive. They promptly led us to our table and served complimentary bread and oil, which was a nice touch.

[INSALATA]

+Insalata Caprese (fresh sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a side of mixed greens in a white sesame balsamic vinaigrette) for $14 - The tomato wasn't ripe, and I had to sprinkle some salt and pepper to enhance it. The side salad and dressing was much better. - 3/5

[PASTA]

+Tortellini Con Basilico (cheese tortellini, grilled chicken, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in the creamy basil pesto sauce) for $18 - The cheese in the stuffed tortellini was a bit overwhelming for me, but my wife found it okay. I like the grilled chicken, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in the sauce though. - 2.5/5

[PIZZA]

+Jalapeño Pizza (grilled chicken, jalapeños, black beans, cilantro, tomatoes, and a white wine butter sauce) for $16 - The center of the pizza was unfortunately very wet, likely due to the tomatoes, and lacked the desired crispness. However, the taste was fine, and the leftovers tasted even better after crisping them up in the oven at home. - 3.5/5

Overall, Bellissimo has its charm, but it desperately needs some updates and repairs. The food was okay, but the service was great. If you're looking for a local spot with potential, Bellissimo might be...

I have eaten at this place for years and have enjoyed the food. I believe the owner is a good cook. But what has kept from wanting to go back is what happens every time I go. That is with charges that I don’t agree with. We were there and my daughter in law was not feeling well so her and my son left. we canceled the order it had only been about 5 minutes since we placed the order. They said they would not able to cancel it and said it was already made which was not true, but we said ok that’s fine. We had them bag it to go. Our food still did not arrive for another 10 minutes and we all order the same thing ( Main Street) . Our food gets there we eat, and it’s time for the check two different parties we were there five people in all because the other two had left we were still charged a mandatory gratuity. When they brought my bill it was 144.So I gave them my card and without my consent they charged it 150. The extra $5.20 It was labeled transaction fee? I have never been charged that here or at any restaurant? When I brought it to the waiters attention. He said that it was something with their system that charges that fee and that he’s sorry but he couldn’t do nothing about it I told him why should the customer be charged? Well it already went though and there’s nothing we can do about it. Please understand I’m not trying to discourage ppl from going there I just want you to be aware that there is no customer satisfaction or courtesy when it comes to charges. This is not an isolated or one time event. I have went with a party and they over charge and take what they feel entitled to. I I’m not a big reviewer and I just usually let things go but this bothered me so I hope this helps. Be...

We went to Bellissimo's last night for HRW. I did not know of this place until I was looking at the restaurants on the list. What a find! The HRW menu is $39, but the whole menu is very reasonable with nothing over $30. And it's BYOB with a $5.00 corkage. Very unassuming and casual. Reminds me a lot of Nino's and George's Pastaria back in the 80's. We started with crab cakes and calamari. (Forgot to take pics) Crab cake had the crispiest outside and the inside was nice and creamy. Probably not lump crab, but was definitely tasty. The coating on the calamari was flavorful too, but i found some of the pieces were a little chewy. Next we had the Ceasar salad and house salad. Both were very good. House salad was slightly wilted spinach, sautéed mushrooms, feta and a balsamic dressing...nice and tangy. Ceasar was crisp and a nice salty flavor from the anchovies, but could do with a little squeeze of lemon, but that wasn’t a deal breaker. I had the filet and my husband had the salmon. Both were very good. The filet was seasoned so well and very tender. The salmon was flavorful too. The sauces for both entrees really made the dish. Dessert were good, but the tiramisu was the standout. The service was outstanding. Nancy, part of the family, was our server. She was so sweet. Let us take our time, was so responsive to our needs and just generally seemed delighted we were there. This is definitely going on my list of places...