Bell' Italia Pizzeria — Restaurant in Phoenix

visited Bella Italia in Phoenix, Arizona, after a long time, hoping to enjoy some authentic Italian cuisine. The location was perfect for me, as it was close to where I live. I also loved the small and cozy setting, with limited tables and a friendly staff. The service was great, and the atmosphere was lively. It seemed like everyone knew everyone there, and the phone was constantly ringing for takeout orders. However, I was disappointed by the food, which did not live up to my expectations. I ordered zucchini and calamari for appetizers, and a large pizza for the main course. The zucchini and calamari were clearly frozen and reheated, as they had a rubbery texture and a bland taste. The pizza was okay, but nothing to write home about. I spent $65 without drinks, and I felt like it was not worth it. I wanted to like Bella Italia, as it had a lot of charm and a loyal customer base. But the food was not up to par with the ambience and the service. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes, or maybe they had an off day in the kitchen. But based on my experience, I would give Bella Italia a 6 out of 10. I hope they improve their food quality, because they have a lot...

Friendly and attentive staff, reasonably fast food delivery - but they desperately need to hire someone who knows how to make good pizza. The pizza sauce was rather thinly applied, but that was actually a relative plus as it seemed to be little more than a too-sweet tomato sauce - no detectable italian spices. The green peppers appeared to be pickled rather than fresh - they were actually sweet as sweet pickles; we had to pick them off. The quantity of sausage on a sausage and pepperoni pizza was very scanty and the number of slices of pepperoni appeared to be reduced in proportion despite paying per topping. Not wishing it to be a waste of money, we took most of the pizza home to 'doctor it'. Who knows, maybe this sort of pizza is popular somewhere - but certainly not to anyone who appreciates a good New York/New Jersey pizza. That said, we did enjoy the fried zucchini appetizer, though the marinara provided again seemed to be little more than tomato sauce. Though we liked the cosy but simple ambiance - we won't be returning. For their sake, we hope they take this to heart and...

An excellent hole in the wall Italian joint. Went for a casual dinner with friends, and had a very tasty meal in a pleasant if small dining room. The website doesn't mention reservations, but they do take them and the small size of the dining area makes them a must if you're planning your night around going there.

Ambience: a cozy but not cramped small space, with pleasant decor and comfortable seating. Not high end dining by any means, more a pleasant family atmosphere where mom is going for a special occasion feel.

Service: extremely friendly and accommodating. We had a long-ish wait for a table, and to make up for it the manager (owner?) brought us out complimentary garlic cheese bread (nom!) and thanked us for being so patient. Our server was attentive and proactive, and graciously handled my "starving" ten year old's hangriness.

Food: excellent. Basic hearty fare of good quality and made with care. I was impressed particularly with the flavourfulness of the chicken soup and the caprese salad. My only complaint would be that their tomato sauces are too sweet...