Bellissimo — Restaurant in Louisville

I was excited to visit this restaurant after glowing recommendations from friends and convinced my husband to join me in dining in based on the five star reviews. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to try the food.

We arrived just before rush hour as a party of two, entering with another family when the restaurant was empty. We ordered the Tuscan Chicken with Pasta, Chapli Kabab, and Mantu. While I understand delays during busy times, what frustrated us was seeing almost every group seated after us (including two-person parties) receive their meals first. After waiting 40 minutes with no updates, the waiter noticed us, and explained the Tuscan Chicken takes time and that dishes are made fresh. We waited about 10 minutes more and ultimately asked if we could pay for the soda and leave, upon which the waitress assured us they were on the house, which was nice.

While I appreciate freshness, waiting an entire 50 minutes without even an appetizer or some kind of communication felt unreasonable, especially as we had plans afterward.

The food others received did look delicious, and I genuinely wish we’d had the chance to try ours. Given all the excellent reviews, maybe my experience was unique. An acknowledgment of the delay or updates from the staff would have made a difference.

Constructive suggestion for the restaurant: When delays occur, keeping customers updated shows respect for their time. A quick check-in or apology can reassure customers they’re not forgotten. Maybe you can also suggest dishes that have a smaller wait time if you are experiencing delays with certain dishes. I hope this feedback helps improve future diners’...

We were in the city for a doctor's appointment and wanted to try something different. I found Bellisimo while just looking at Google maps. What a find!

The outside was not much to look at, but the inside was decorated nicely. Nothing too fancy, but it looked clean. It's a very small, intimate atmosphere.

The gentleman inside was super friendly and seemed ready to answer any questions. He handed us an Italian menu and an Afghani menu. The Italian food sounded great, but I was there for something different.

The wifey ordered the jujeh kabob and I ordered the koobeideh kabob. It took a little while for the food to come out, which is fine with me.

He first brought out a small bowl of a cucumber and tomato salad. Then, he brought out our entrees. They looked very appetizing. The rice wasn't spiced, but it had a nice savory flavor. There was a grilled/roasted half of a tomato and a grilled/roasted wedge of onion. The 'kabob' was spiced great. It wasn't overly spiced to take away from the flavor of the meat, but enough to make me want more (literally). The wifey had essentially the same plate except she had chicken. It was lightly seasoned and grilled perfectly.

We finished off with 3 little cannolis. They were a good finish to the meal.

Overall, we really enjoyed the meal, and we'd love to go back and try something else (maybe even something from the...

Wonderful Afghani cuisine! My son and I stopped on a Sunday evening … as I’d googled unique ethnic cafes in Louisville near 1-65! We almost skipped because it said Italian—but then I saw Afghan! So rare to find! This was superb cuisine! It was home-style but elevated by excellence and special touches! The mantu dumplings featured a very thin dough and lots of the deliciously seasoned beef filling—with an amazing tomato and pepper sauce with yellow split peas! The lamb and pilaf was outstanding as well, with fall-off-the-bone shank meat (high quality, no gristle or chewy chunks) which had been cooked in a savory broth with touches of sweetness, cinnamon and perhaps cardamom! Served over the savory, pillowy Afghan rice which included plumped currants or raisins and buttery stewed carrots as well as a sharp, vinegar and fresh green herb sauce, it was the best of its kind I’ve ever eaten whether at Uzbek, Kazakh or Afghan restaurants here and abroad! The welcoming family-style hospitality combined with the remarkable Afghan food make this a truly special place to share a meal! We can’t wait to drive up again from Nashville to try more of...