Lago Su Bella — Restaurant in Oconomowoc

Update for NYE reservations: Happy New Year's Eve! We 6 had reservations for 7:00 on NYE and started the evening at the bar as our table was prepped. The tenders were working incredibly hard and well and seemed to have their dance going at all times. Very well done! Being seated at our table, we were greeted by our server, Sondra, who was a hoot! She was efficient, knowledgeable and had a sense of humor that was just the right touch. Appetizers: the bruschetta was piled high with tomato, and the calamari was crispy and done perfectly. The special menu was interesting, and all six of us ordered something different from the special and regular menu, and not one of us was disappointed. The noise level was not an issue for conversations, and the bussers were efficient, even when a glass of water took out one of our table covers. The parking right outside the front door is limited but there is parking across the street with a short 1/2 block walk. The entire restaurant has accessibility. The windows overlook the lake and in the warmer weather, I am sure the view is incredible. I always think a NYE dinner will be less than great since I regularly had so-so meals at higher prices. Not tonight - we plan to come back again, especially on NYE for another wonderful experience.

Back to my original visit months ago: This meal was wonderful all around. We three friends celebrated a birthday with dinner on a Wednesday night at a 5:30 reservation. There is a bit of parking in front but the parking lot across the street will be helpful when the neighborhood is busy. Although it was an early weekday the place was busy. There is an extensive bar area and it is a well-loved location judging by the crowd. The noise level is a bit high but that would be the only issue I had. The view of the lake from our table was lovely. I need to acknowledge our wonderful server, Olivia who did her job perfectly, keeping us informed, shared what she knew and was just a very enjoyable aspect of the night. I made a point of noting this to the owner as he came to the table to check on us. We started with the Arancini "Sicilian Rice Ball", sharing one serving as a super tasty appetizer. The entrees were two orders of Pasta Wheel, one with chicken and one with shrimp, which is prepared at the table by the chef. The fresh cheese mixed with brandy and cream make a delicious pasta dish large enough for two meals. The second entree was the Faroe Island Salmon Puttanesca which tasted very fresh and was cooked to perfection. A dessert of cannoli and a Chocolate Dome finished the meal with a bang. With drinks and tips the bill came to $215 total, which included a nice tip for the wonderful service. It was worth every penny. Please note the 3.5% fee added for non-cash payment. We look forward to our next meal here. Well...

Our party of four visited on a Wednesday night, and it was fairly crowded and very loud. We were seated at a long group table near the kitchen. Unfortunately the small white plate in front of my wife had dried food on it, but the hostess apologized and exchanged it…not a problem, it was not her fault and things happen. A little later as we unwrapped our silverware we couldn’t help but check it because the dirty plate was still fresh in our minds. Sadly we found two knives and three forks with a dried thicker milky white substance on them, and one of the butter knives had a large chunk of dried food stuck to the handle. Our hostess was understandably embarrassed, and we were disgusted but we didn’t allow it to ruin an extremely rare night where good friends could get together for a meal. She said she reported the problem to the owner.

My wife ordered scallops, and we both agreed that they were very good. I had the swordfish which was a little dry but not too bad, and a tiny cup of minestrone soup which was overpriced and of average taste at best. My wife’s water glass spent most of its time empty on the table, and the server was not attentive to that so I gave her mine. Not a big deal, it was busy, but I guess I expected more from a somewhat upscale restaurant.

We tipped well and didn’t ask for any discounts on our food, and we certainly were not offered any despite the rather disgusting start to our visit. If it were my restaurant I would have personally apologized for the oversight, and my customers would not have paid for their dinner, but I’m only one customer and I’m sure he/she had other things to do. On our way out my wife used the one-person restroom and she said it was dirty. She doesn’t complain about anything, so I’m guessing it was not a pleasurable experience.

We won’t be back. With many other options out there I’m sure we’ll find a much better place to spend our...

This restaurant itself is beautiful and has fabulous views.

The bread that comes to the table is standard frozen dinner rolls which I wouldn’t mind if the menu was not so pricey.

We ordered the bruschetta it was nice and refreshing.

Our waitress was lovely and very attentive, however we would have appreciated some acknowledgement or solution when she asked us if we would be back again and my husband said I don’t know. She visibly saw my husband now eating my dinner with his plate still loaded with pasta and only the few pieces of shell fish he was provided consumed. We asked before ordering if the pasta was homemade again for the price I would expect it to be. She said it was not. We ordered the dish anyway because really Italian food is all in the flavor.

My husband ordered Frutti di Mare, which was over $30. It came with one scallop, two medium sized prawns, 4 muscles and a lot of calamari which is either frozen or over cooked as it was chewy. The sauce tasted like spicy ketchup, I expect way more than that, tomato based sauces are the cornerstone of Italian food and this sauce did not taste like it was made from scratch or built up overtime.

I got the special of the night which was halibut with risotto. My dish was absolutely delicious the fish was cooked to perfection.

We are very unlikely to return as the price point does not match the quality of food and I feel to much of what we ate was not made from scratch to warrant us spending that...