Bella Vita Bistro — Restaurant in Wichita

I visited this restaurant six years ago when I was in town and thought the food was wonderful. So I made a point of revisiting last night expecting the same experience. Well I was extremely disappointed. The atmosphere was the same quaint and romantic. The waiter was professional and timely. Unfortunately, where it all went wrong was the food. We started our night off with the stuffed portobello appetizer. The mushroom itself was a bit rubbery but you really won’t even notice that because it’s stuffed full of overpowering sausage. The delicate taste of the mushroom is obsolete. Honestly, if you close your eyes would think you were eating microwaved pizza. The entrées arrived plaited nicely. I ordered the chicken Bella Vita which came with the green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken itself was a rather small portion but that wasn’t the problem. It was very dry and had almost a pungent flavor. I took two bites and I had no desire to take any more. The green beans tasted like they were soaked in sea water. I took one bite and almost choked on how incredibly salty they were. OK, mashed potatoes how can anybody mess up mashed potatoes right? Lol The mashed potatoes were so thick and gummy and bland it was like chewing on what I would imagine school glue texture would taste like. So now let’s get to my husbands meal you would think one of us would have had a pleasant experience correct? He ordered the vodka tortellini. He is a New York Italian and couldn’t turn down pasta. The pasta came out and from its appearance it looked to be properly made. Although, with just one bite I immediately spit it out into my napkin. This might be a bit crude but honestly it’s the only way I know how to describe the taste. I swear it tasted exactly like what my children’s dirty diapers smelled like when they were babies. I’m not sure if possibly one of the ingredients they used was rancid or what the issue was but I’ve never tasted something so repulsive. My husband is a 6’6 man who loves his groceries but even he refused to eat this. We spent $100 and barely had more than two or three bites. We did let the waiter know we did not care for the food which was obvious from our plates barely being touched but we went ahead and paid and left. I will chalk this up as a very disappointing lesson learned. I gave them one star for the atmosphere and one star...

Brought the family to Bella Vita for my adult son's birthday. The atmosphere is a little of a throwback, but intimate. The service was excellent. I can understand why some reviews complain about the service, but to me, it was a European service, not rushed like a typical American service. It gives you time to enjoy your company and slowly savor your food. I was disappointed with the bread and olive oil and balsamic. The olive oil didn't have a lot of character, and the balsamic was too sweet. The bread was OK, but a nice crispy light bread would have been a lighter start. We ordered 3 appetizers, the duck wings ala orange, the steamed mussels, and a caprese salad as a side. The duck wings were quite good, and the mussels were cooked perfectly, although the texture of the sauce that accompanied the mussels was almost like a gravy, which was a little unusual. It was flavored wonderfully though, the garlic not overpowering the subtleties of the wine and herbs or the earthiness of the mussels. The caprese salad was delicious and non traditional. The balsamic spheres were terrific and the roasted whole garlic cloves were an unusual change. For dinner we ordered the rack of lamb with a fig reduction and a side of fettuccine Alfredo and the roasted vegetable ravioli in putanesca sauce. The rack of lamb was plated beautifully, and was perfectly cooked medium rare. The reduction was good, but probably would have benefitted from an acid pop, maybe lemon or vinegar, in the reduction. It was good, but not complex. The fettucini was al dente, and the Alfredo was creamy and delicious. The Roasted Vegetable ravioli in Putanesca sauce was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted. The sauce was balanced well, not to salty/brine-y, seasoned perfectly with a wonderful flavor, complimenting the ravioli. Overall, it was the best dish of the night. I finished with a cup of espresso and some dessert canoli. The canolli was crisp and light, and the filling was light and airy, with just the right amount of sweetness. Overall, it was one of the best dining experiences I have had in Wichita. It's not cheap, but its not too expensive, either. I have had much worse dining experiences here while paying more. I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for an intimate dinner, with a bit of European flair, and a bit of...

Made a reservation here for my girlfriend and I for our anniversary, based off recommendations on the FB Food and booze page. I was hoping for a nice intimate dinner together, instead of the loud restaurants we usually go to. That didn't happen. The first 15 minutes were fine. The hostess was very friendly and helpful and even made sure we got a booth, with just a small wait. Once we met our waitress and witnessed the support staff, it went downhill. After taking our order, the waitress went straight to the booth behind us and they proceeded to talk for about 15 minutes so obnoxiously loud that I couldn't even hear what my girlfriends part of the conversation without saying 'huh?' We were left wondering if she even put our order in, considering she made a bee line for their table immediately after leaving ours. I'm assuming they were regulars. She then came back to us to tell us that she's waiting on the bread, without even going into the kitchen, so it just sounded like an excuse. Once we got them, The bread and the oil was great. Otherwise, for the price, the food was very subpar. I ordered the garlic alfredo and added shrimp. Once we got our food, there was maybe five shrimp on the plate next to a very bland cream sauce over noodles. The noodles were cooked pretty much perfectly, but the sauce was no frills jar quality. Very little seasoning in the sauce and the shrimp had no flavor and looked like they were boiled in plain water. She got a crepes dish but can't remember the name of it and said that it was also pretty underwhelming. I tried hers, she tried mine. Neither one of us were very impressed. We decide we should get ready to leave and one of the employees thought it was a good idea to start burping incredibly loud while in the front of the house, something I've never even heard an employee at McDonald's do within earshot of customers. The hostess was great and there was one girl with black hair that was very helpful to clear away any dishes and the look of the place was actually very cozy, but that's really where the compliments end. We really expected better. I am disappointed in my choice for our anniversary dinner, especially considering that it was a surprise for her, and we will not...