Bella Vie — Restaurant in Town of Islip

Long Island Restaurant Week Review: Tried out Bella Vie in Bay Shore. From start to finish, my first experience here was amazing!

Located in Bay Shore and situated on a lake, this restaurant is gorgeous! A weird side note, they don’t have a parking lot. You’ll need to find a spot on the street. They have street parking on both sides of the street, but you might have to walk across a busy road.

Everything was well spaced out. I love that they have hand sanitizer bottles on each table! All the staff were wearing masks. I was able to make a reservation on OpenTable which is a plus.

Inside, the restaurant is gorgeous! The decor is so pretty. I really loved the quaint but elegant feel I got here. I was given what I like to think is the best seat in the house. We were able to look out at the lake and watch the sunset. They also have a tent outdoors with seating if you’d like to remain outdoors during these times. During the summer, I’m sure it’s beautiful to sit out and look at the lake.

The prices were great on both the RW menu and the regular menu. There are no substitutions on the RW menu. The only thing I was disappointed in was the choice for dessert. The only option was a tiny piece of NY cheesecake. We took them home and opted to eat a better dessert in house, but we had to pay full price!

The service was some of the best I’ve ever received! Our server Lindsay was so friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu! They was super attentive. My water glass kept being refilled and even offered us more bread. Lindsay checked on our table frequently. In fact, all of the staff here were excellent! The ticket times were a bit long, but I was just enjoying my view and relaxing, so I didn’t mind.

The food...YUM! I ordered from both the RW menu, and the regular one. The portions were not huge, but I did leave satisfied. I’ll be reviewing what I tried: -Complimentary Bread with butter and/or oil & Bruschetta Crostini: Fresh bread, delicious bruschetta. I was offered seconds which is a plus!!

-Roman Style Pizza (Regular App): So delicious! Great for sharing between a few people. The pizza dough was cooked perfectly. Loved all of the toppings! 5 out of 5 stars

-Fritto Misto (RW App): The portion wasn’t big, but it was a perfect amount for one person. The shrimp were fried to perfection and same with the calamari. I also really enjoyed the zucchini. The honey chipotle sauce was fantastic! 5 out of 5 stars

-Caesar Salad (RW App): Perfect portion with very fresh ingredients. 5 out of 5 stars

-Gnocchi Alla Bava (RW Entree): Nice sized portion of delicious gnocchi. If you’re a huge fan of truffle like myself, this is a must order. Everything from the sauce to the onions were so flavorful! 5 out of 5 stars

-Short Ribs (RW Entree): While there was great flavor, the portion was very tiny. My Fiancé would have wanted a bit more. It came with a small scoop of mashed potatoes and some veggies. 3.5 out of 5 stars

-Creme Brûlée (Regular Dessert): Wow this was a great way to end the night. This was a much different Creme Brûlée then I’ve ever had in the past. It almost tasted citrusy. I really enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars

Overall, I was highly impressed with this restaurant and will...

Met some friends in Bay Shore, at Bella Vie. (the old Aria Melanie, Lakehouse, Duck Pond Inn) I hadn't been to this restaurant in probably 25 years, so I was looking foward to seeing what it was like after so many years.

All of us took advantage of the $22 Prix Fixe Lunch menu.

For the first course, everyone ordered the Ceasar Salad, except me. I had the lentil soup.

They all enjoyed the Ceasar, and mentioned how flavorful the dressing was, and one mentioned that it had to be homemade, it tasted so good.

My Lentil soup was excellent, as there was a plentiful amount of vegetables, perfectly cooked lentils, and the perfect balance with the mild spices that flavored this hearty soup.

For the Mains, people had Flounder Oreganata, many orders of the Eggplant Parm, Gnocci Ravi, and I had my 109th burger in 25 months.

The Eggplant Parm people were very happy they ordered that, as they shared it was very flavorful, and a better than decent sized portion. The Gnocchi also recieved high praise, as did the Flounder Oreganata.

The Bella Vie burger came with lettuce, tomato, onion, mozzarella, and mushrooms.

The burger came to me just as I ordered it, medium rare, no rabbit food, no cheese, and mushrooms on the side, toast the inside of the bun, and crispy fries I normally would opt in for a nice aged cheddar , or blue cheese, but muzz on a burger just wouldnt work for me, so I declined the cheese.

The meat itself was very flavorful. It had a saltiness about and a mild beefy taste, that I enjoy.

It was easy to see that it was hand formed, as it was not pressed into a hockey puck like consistency, that usually lacks juiciness..This one was very, very juicy, and cooked to my liking.

The bun to meat ratio was perfect, one not overwhelming the other. Fairly neutral in taste, but pleasant.

Like I said, the burger tasted very good. Not in my Top 5 area, but still way up their in my rankings. They did a good job with it, all the same

I would definitely order it again, and would have no problem suggesting you ordering it, as well.

The service was excellent, from the moment we sat at the bar waiting for everyone to arrive, to the table service.

Micheal the bartender/ manager type was very pleasant, friendly, and accommodating. As was Robert our waiter.

They mentioned they also have an Event area that holds 40-50 people for larger dinner parties, and affairs.

The restaurant overlooks a sizable pond, that was filled with numerous ducks when we were there.

A smallish bar area, a brightly lit, from natural light, dining room, and another smaller dining room, sitting right on the pond make up the interior.

If you're looking for a nice place to have lunch, I would suggest giving this place a try. You wont be sorry.

They also have a dinner Prix fixe that I will be back for.

Bella Vie Bay...

We visited here while on a trip in NY. Italian chain restaurants aren't something I go out for. I enjoy my pasta with my own home-made red sauce. HOWEVER, this quaint restaurant right on the water was VERY good! We enjoyed a 4 course meal that started of with perfectly crusty bread, crispy, yet not greasy, calamari, and a caprese salad with a small stuffed mushroom. Soo much flavor was packed into that little shroom! A small plate with a delicious start.

After that came a Caesar salad. It was okay. Personally, I like it with a bit more parmesan than they had. But that is just my preference.

We ordered the salmon with lobster sauce and seasonal veggies. The veggies were cooked just right; not over or undercooked. The lobster sauce was delicious! All of my veggies took a trip through that sauce!

The salmon deserves its own paragraph. Ahhmazing!! Really. This salmon was like butter. I've heard people say that before and I thought I had experienced it... Nope! We had perfectly cooked salmon. Not the "Is this cooked all the way?" kinda fish, but the "How have I eaten salmon all my life and never had it like this!?" prepared salmon. I was so sad that I had to go all the way back to WA where (by comparison), just about every restaurant sends out rehydrated salmon jerky...

Okay, enough about the salmon... After the SALMON we were offered coffee and dessert. Since I've never had Italian cheesecake I went with that. While not overly sweet (less sugar is my preference) it seemed a little chalky to me, so I didn't finish it. That being said, the rest of the meal was excellent. Not at all what I would say of the Italian restaurants I've gone to.

Beautiful views, great spacing between the tables, and timely service.

Thank you Bella Vie for the experience...