Bella Mia

My husband and I tried this place out after buying a groupon. The ambience needs a lot of work. It was very cold and extremely loud. There was also zero music playing so I do not recommend this for a date night. The food was just ok.

My wife and I purchased a Groupon and decided to come checkout this restaurant. Upon entering the restaurant we noticed that the place wasn’t that busy with about 3 tables full and 1 couple at the bar. However we waited about 3 minutes to be seated at a table. Once we were at the table we waited about 5 minutes for water to be dropped off and Menu’s to be dropped off. Then the waitress brought the water and menu’s to us and told us bread would be coming shortly. We noticed that one couple who came in after us left because they waited for about 10 minutes to get water. So we were told bread was coming but it never came until about 2 minutes before the order arrived. When we made our order I asked for a soda and that didn’t come for about 15 minutes until I had to remind her. What really hurt was with a busy Wednesday night they only had one Chef and one Waitress who kept saying she was sorry for everything from the wait to the food.

Always great food and service. This is a small, comfortable spot with a home feeling. Just like noni use to make.

23 November 2014.
Went there this evening, Sunday, as a special treat for my wife. We were the only couple in the restaurant, except for one other person at the bar — not a positive indicator of popularity. My wife ordered rack of lamb. Was tough, more like lamb chops. Looking at their web site, one would think they would excel at their signature dish. Complained, the chef, who apparently is also the owner, was arrogant, not apologizing or offering a practical solution. Having just moved to Gloucester, we thought this restaurant would be a good introduction to our new home area. Would not recommend.
Peter.

Okay … I had a voucher for 4 people for $ 60. I only had 3 people. But we ordered $ 80 worth of food. The waitress said she’d call the owner. Then she came back and said they could not redeem the voucher. The entrees was acceptably mediocre. But the desserts were terrible. I feel like they should have accepted the voucher. Maybe I’m being unfair here.

I went here last night because I had purchased a groupon. I saw that the reviews weren’t great but figured I’d give it a shot. The restaurant is small and cozy and the waitress was friendly. I ordered a $ 7 glass of Cabernet and it came out in this huge wine glass that was half full. I was happy about that. I got the Tagliatelle with veal, peas and mushrooms in a light cream sauce. Well, it wasn’t good. The sauce was a bland light red sauce that didn’t taste creamy at all. It was thick and tasted a bit like flour. My husband got some sort of chicken dish. He compared his meal to high end dining hall food. I think that says it all…

I must give the lobster ravioli 5 stars! We have been to this charming trattoria several times and we are always very pleased with the food, atmosphere and prices. The only reason I think the place is usually ½ full is because the store front is understated and not catching notice of diners. We recently brought friends with us last week and they agreed the food and prices were excellent. Also, the wine list is decent with a mark up of only 2 X which is more than fair. I hope this place gets the attention it deserves and I will be back soon.

Went here for my brothers birthday and we had a nice pleasant dinner. We sat by the window. Not much to look at because downtown Beverly gets pretty quiet up around Cabot street once the stores close for the day. I’m surprised by the mediocre reviews here because everyone I was with had something different and they all liked what they ordered. I have to say I had the best lobster ravioli dish I have ever ordered anywhere and the reasons being is because the pasta appeared homemade with the lobster stuffed pretty high into al dente pillows. The sauce was not overpowering and let the flavor of the lobster come through. I’m going back for the lobster ravioli again.
Not bad if you are looking for a quiet Italian dinner on the north shore of Boston.

I either got here on a particularly good night or this place has turned around since a lot of these reviews were written. I had excellent Italian food here — honestly, better than the tourist traps in the North End (which, I know, is not necessarily saying a lot… but it’s worth mentioning). My SO had the fusilli (one of my favorite dishes that my mother often makes at home, so I have kind of high standards on this one) and I had the pork tenderloin. Both were very good, and added bonus the fusilli was homemade and very very lovely. We also got the portobello mushroom appetizer, which was served on a bed of spinach and a bit of cured meat and boy, that was good.
Fresch foccaccia came to our table for the bread and I think we could have loaded up on that alone. Is there anything yummier than bread fresh out of the oven?
As for service, my SO and I had very polite and attentive servers. They were all very pleasant and honestly no complaints there.
Honestly we went in here not having any idea or expectation of what it should be like and left very happy from a great meal and solid service.
I agree with another reviewer who mentions that this place looks a bit dark and foreboding. They’re definitely going for a romantic vibe with table candle lights but it might just be a smidgen too dark. If this place makes itself a little more inviting (not necessarily bright!) I think it will see much better foot traffic from the outside. This would be great, as the food here is fantastic and really deserves more attention from the public!

So I went out w/​my boyfriend and a friend and his girlfriend last night. We went to a small Italian place right outside of the city we live. I only thought to go there b/​c on their Unilocal it said they where Gluten friendly and had an easy to alter menu b/​c they make everything fresh.
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When I came into the restaurant I asked if I could have the gluten free menu and they did not have one but the woman who sat us informed my that they can change almost any dish to accommodate my needs and that they did carry a gluten free pasta.
First of all it took FOREVER for the server to even greet the table (it was 9:30 at night and there was only one other table seated in the restaurant) Once he finally made it over to our table he poored us four glasses of water and we all decided water was enough for us and just asked for a side of lemon. He went and got them but took forever.
We where now ready to order, I went first. I ordered an apatizer for my boyfriend and I to split:
The Involtini:
Thinly sliced eggplant rolled with ricotta cheese and fresh basil, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
Then I ordered two appetizers as my entrée:
CARCIOFINI AL FORNO
Stuffed artichoke hearts filled with goat cheese and sundried tomato, served over mixed greens topped with a lemon truffle vinaigrette.
ROASTED PEAR & GORGONZOLA SALAD
Roasted pears, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts over mesculin mix in orange-​cranberry vinaigrette.
Then I informed him that I have a GLUTEN ALLERGY and I am VEGETARIAN so PLEASE make sure that you inform the kitchen of this.
*Now I have cut and paste the descriptions from the web site… NONE of them say BREADED or FRIED or even HINT that there could be gluten in them so I thought I was playing it safe. I was wrong… The appetizer cam out and the server watches me take one of the roll ups out of the dish and then says «Oh wait… you can’t have that… it has bread crumbs in it»
Honestly this was unacceptable, this then made me uneasy about everything else b/​c IF YOU TOLD THE KITCHEN ABOUT MY GLUTEN ALLERGY WHY DID THIS EVEN MAKE IT PASSED THE PICK UP WINDOW! Literally we sat there for 3 minutes staring at eachother before I said to the server «did you communicate to the kitchen that I have an allergy?» and he just mumbled, my friend said «can you take it back b/​c she can’t eat it and they ordered it to share» the server took it back but I was so upset. He came back over and said oh you probably can’t have the artichoke hearts either b/​c they use a flour (this was at least 10 minutes after we had ordered…) I said «well can they prepare it gluten free? Did you tell them about my allergy?» and he mumbled «they can probably make it without the flour.» I then asked «Can you please make sure that the dressing doesn’t contain any wheat?» «sure» he said.
We finally got our food and the two dishes I ordered looked good, the CARCIOFINI AL FORNO dish was very tasty and before I started eating I looked at him and said this is GLUTEN and MEAT free right? and he just shook his head ‘yes’ — I ate my meal (something about the salad made my mouth feel like it was on fire so after I finished I asked him what was in the dressing b/​c it was spicy and he said it was a «cherry dressing» — — - If you read the description above it is NOT.
I had some digestive agitation last night but I blamed it on the cheese but this morning I woke up with severe congestion (this commonly happens to me after consuming gluten) so I have no doubt that the kitchen staff didn’t change gloves and even IF there was no gluten in the dishes themselves they cross contaminated. Also he never got back to me about the dressing and whether it was wheat free.
I will never go back here to eat, their staff (or at least this one guy) was NOT educated on how to treat gluten free order NOR was he professional. He only came back to refill our waters one time and then left a water pitcher on the table.
I have been to A LOT of restaurants since my diagnosis two years ago and this was by far the worst. I plan on contacting the manager because if you are going to advertise that you are «gluten free friendly» and have a gluten free pasta you have to educate your staff and kitchen on how to handle the food and what can and can not be changed on the menu.
*No where on the menu did it say the eggplant appetizer was breaded, nor did it say the artichokes where battered and fried — I wouldn’t have ordered them if they where even IF I didn’t have an allergy… they need to be more descriptive on their menu.
I will not be back

I am being pretty generous i think when i give this place 2 stars. the servers were pretty bad, she rarely came over to the table, the food took forever to come out, and when it did it was terrible, i got the seafood risotto, presentation was fine, but it had literally zero taste. My wife and mother got the salmon special and said it was ok, nothing spectacular. even the desserts were just ehhhh…

We came here for the first time and waited inside the doorway to be seated… we were not sure what to do since there was no sign. It felt a bit awkard since we were standing there watching others eat and no one seemed to notice we were there. Finally we were greeted and seated. We are vegetarian and ordered as such. We got two different dishes and we both thought they were bland and not very large portions. Desert was good, but pricey. The décor seemed dated and in need of a make over. We would not come back here. Definitely not worth the price.

I came her with my mother a few months ago as we had a Groupon for the place and decided to check it out. It was a Thursday evening and there were a few people there but it was empty for the most part. Just after we sat a woman started playing the piano and she was amazing! She played the entire time we were there and it really made the place come alive, she sang too. We had a very nice waitress who looked to be the only server in the whole place including the bar. She helped us decide on wine and an appetizer — our wine deliciously cold and crisp! and our appetizer of bruschetta was the best bruschetta I’ve ever had. Literally, EVER. I got pork chops with sweet potatoes and my mom go the linguine pescatore. Both dishes were great. We said we would definitely be back!
We have been back twice since and its our new favorite place for Italian in Beverly! I got the steak tips and my dad go the salmon (might have been a special) — and once again, the food was great. Chianti is nice for Italian, but this place is just different and not as expensive. We have had the same waitress all three times, and she is awesome! She is attentive but not in your face attentive, always coming over at the perfect time to ask how we are doing and refresh drinks. We will continue coming here — I highly recommend it!

We were trying to go to Soma, but didn’t have reservations and it was an hour wait, so we were just looking for anything at all that could take us so that we could still get out in time to go see a movie.
This place was nearly entirely empty when we walked in, so that was both promising in terms of availability — but also made us think it was probably not great as there was a reason every other place we passed was packed, and this was not.
We were politely and pleasantly sat immediately, and then started to notice that everyone already there and everyone coming in was over 60.
The décor is odd, but true to actual trattorias I think — just gives a low end feel. (like it is in need of a Restaurant Impossible makeover).
The dishes were pretty good, but then when it was time for dessert they offered it, but seemed bummed we actually ordered it. They didn’t offer any drinks or coffee with it (and we didn’t ask, but seems odd they didn’t bother to check) and when the dessert came (very tasty chocolate soufflé, but a bit cake-​y for my tastes in souffles) they nearly immediately brought the check with it.
I took that as a sign that they were trying to rid of us, which is fine — perhaps they have reservations and the only reason they took us was they thought we’d be in and out — just tell us, but don’t quietly kick us out like we did something wrong.
The food was better than expected, but there are many other restaurants on the street I’d rather go to.

I have been to this restaurant in the past and was happy to see a groupon for them.
The food is very good! I will definitely go back for more! Everything is fresh and though the portion look smaller, they are quite filling!

Went here because I had a groupon. pretty disappointed because I drove over a half hour to get there and there are so many other restaurants on Cabot street that would have been better. The food was mediocre, not great like I had expected. I wouldn’t go here again

I liked this place because their menu is more exciting (IMO) than a lot of Italian places. Their complimentary bread was more savory than your average dinner rolls and it was served with olives. For a salad, I picked one with walnuts, gorgonzola and pears and loved it. It wasn’t swimming in the dressing, and all the flavors just worked.
My main course was chicken with artichoke hearts and a light sauce (wine I think) that was tasty but not too heavy. My husband got the rack of lamb and enjoyed it.
The tiramisu was more boozy than sweet, and we weren’t a fan of the lattes, but we will be back. Thanks Groupon!

I wasn’t sure whether to give this place two or three stars. The food is definitely O.K. but I’ve had better.
I had lobster ravioli which was three star worthy but my friend’s tortellini was akin to cafeteria tortellini. If you’re bored in Beverly (happens often) and are craving italian (again, a frequent occurrence in my life) Bella is fine. However, if your standard is north end italian restaurants be advised that this place leaves a lot to be desired.

Sometimes something totally awesome runs you over like a freight train and you never saw it coming. That’s what happened to me at Trattoria Bella Mia. I went there to wait for a friend, have a beer and some quiet time to go over some work … what I got was so much more.
I’ve only been here a few times and this was the first time I had a meal. I decided on the Veal Florentina. I love my vitello. Some people don’t eat veal cuz they hear of all the inhumane treatment a baby cow goes through before it becomes a grilled veal chop. I love animals. Really. However, baby cow is just soooooo good.
The food comes … tender veal sauteed in wine with mushrooms and spinach covered in perfectly melted fresh mozzarella cheese. Wow. Amazing! Oh, lets not forget the side of fresh house-​made fusilli pasta smothered in a very fresh tasting robust marinara sauce. I was in heaven. I mean HEAVEN. The food tasted so fresh and delicious I just couldn’t get over it.
I believe the key to my enjoyment of this meal was it’s simplicity. I could vividly taste every ingredient in the dish. Simple satisfaction is always a worth goal. Simple, delicious and amazing meal. The veal was tender, the wine sauce was savory, the mushrooms were cooked perfectly and the spinach was just divine! It seemed as if every ingredient amplified the pure, natural, intense flavors of all the other ingredients.
I’m telling everyone I know about it’s total awesomeness. I cannot in good conscience keep my mouth shut about Bella Mia. I also can’t imagine not eating here at least once a week for next ten years or more. This is a charming neighborhood restaurant that should be a lot busier than it is.

Under new ownership… things changed for the worse. I love bella verona and because we live in salem and Halloween time is crazy we decided to go across to beverly because we thought bella mia was still under the same ownership.
In the 2 weeks that new owners have taken over they have made slight changes that have worsened the experience and the food. The staff is some of the same people, but they seem not to know what to do anymore. The night we were there it seemed hectic and the staff seemed harried.
We were seated about 25 minutes before the waiter came to take an order for a drink. Meanwhile the hostess stood aimlessly at the front door while we just sat there with no silverware or napkins.
The bright lights were on and I asked 3 staff members to turn them down before they did. They brought my son’s meal and forgot the veggies and I asked twice for them and they never came.
Our meals took a long time and when they came my husbands fucilli was dry and hard on the top like it was under a lamp for 20 mins. My veal was a bit tough.
I hope the new owners realize that they have a good following they will lose if they let the food go and the service is not attentive. The bar already seemed empty on a Saturday — that used to not be the case. In general I was just disappointed and not sure we will go back. We will wait for the table at Bella Verona.