Bella Michael’s Restaurant

Completely surprised at this place and I’m a fan. Went on the recommendation from
My hotel. The place is definitely quirky its an old White House with apartments upstairs. Walking in I felt like I was somewhere between my grandmothers house and and elks lodge. I was already in so I didn’t run and I’m glad I didn’t. For a Tuesday the place was pretty full and very casual. They have quick pick or whatever that lottery game is people play at bars. The environment isn’t fancy at all and that’s just fine with me.
On to food they had decent beer dogfish and such. I ordered the seafood fra diavolo and to my surprise our waitress asked how spicy I wanted it. Once the food arrived it looked and tasted great. Again I was surprised. This wasn’t just Mariana with some crushed red pepper it was a legit sauce. Pasta was cooked perfectly to my liking.
So long story short in the road again hotel recommends a place I have low expectations and am completely surprised honestly I’d drive back down here just for dinner

Love Love Love this place. Every time I come to Oneonta on business, I have to come here at least once. The food is excellent and the wine selection is good also. Great price on Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. Do yourself a favor if you like Italian food… stop here and thank me later.

Was recently in oneonta for business. The hotel recommended this restaurant. We made a reservation because we had a large party. We get there and were greeted by a not so happy hostess. She says it’s going to be a while. When we tell her we have a reservation she begrudgingly takes us to our table. It wasn’t completely full so I’m not sure what the problem was. We waited for 20 minutes to even get our drink order! Then another 10 to actually get the drinks. She then takes our food order, and we order another round of drinks. The appetizers did not come for another 20 minutes, and she still never got our drinks. We remind her and she brings them 5 minutes later. When our meals arrive, we order another round, and those didn’t come until we were finished with our meal! We asked what the hold up was and the waitress replies «everyone complains about the wait, but all of our food is home made.» Ok… Like at most restaurants. And that doesn’t explain why the drinks were so late. Be prepared to wait a loooong time for very mediocre food.

We went there for our anniversary for the second time. This place is awesome. The owner stopped by every table to see how everything was, and the staff very friendly. The best thing is the food was GREAT. I would recommend this place to anyone in Oneonta or just passing thru.

Interesting reviews here… our experience was not so good. The good news was the house-​special chowder was outstanding… a goodly amount and variety of fish (calamari, shrimp, mussels, and more) with a great base. While our server was good (and amusing), the overall service from the kitchen was absolutely abysmal… it took over an hour for our entrees to appear. Other patrons came and went during our wait. The eggplant parm was drowned w/​sauce but the seafood combination (prodigious amounts of calamari and mussels + clams, large shrimp over pasta) was pretty good. HUGE servings… way too big unless you are taking home leftovers. There are a lot of regulars… according to our server, one guy had been there 14 days in a row. Overall, with the exception of the chowder, the food was somewhere between so-​so and good, overall service terrible. Ambience was of a dressed-​up pizza joint. Probably not going back… other local restaurants (e.g., Red Caboose) are way better.

Came here for dinner after a long day of (motorcycle) riding. Appears this was once a house that was converted (fairly well) into a restaurant. Reservations are available, but we were able to be seated rather quickly in the back.
In short — if you get all the ingredients in your dish at the start, it will be cooked expertly and flavorful. My wife and a woman at the table next to us ordered a dish that on the menu is stated as chicken breast, mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto. Both dishes were presented w/​o prosciutto, so the respective servers took the dishes back to the kitchen to have the problem «rectified».
What came out from the kitchen was pitiful. An over-​cooked piece of hide laying on top of the initial dish. Inedible. Not sure what was more disappointing: the chef who let it leave the server window, or the server’s judgement in bringing them to the table (s).
On brighter notes: Everything else was very good. Salads were fresh, dressings homemade, my dish was quite good but the tomato cream sauce was bland. I do tend to like things with a spicy kick so I’m not knocking the chef for it.
This place could be a solid 4 – 4.5 star, but bringing out ruined proteins at this price point is not professional.

First time here. Great food… Nice people :) had the veal parm and veal bolognese and it was great!

Best homemade Italian tomato sauce ever!
My husband and I currently live in Montréal (Canada) and we drive down to Washington, DC every year to visit our families for the Holidays. Since it’s an 11-​hour drive, we spend one night in Oneonta. For the past few years, dining at Bella Michael’s has become our little «kick-​off» to the Holidays tradition.
The first time we discovered Bella Michael’s we had arrived later than expected in Oneonta, and we were desperately looking for a place still open after 9:30PM to have diner. Our hotel the Hampton Inn suggested them and we could not believe our luck! They have one of the best Italian seafood you will ever taste in the area. The food is very fresh, homemade and of excellent quality.
The place is casual and has a family-​owned feel. The staff is very warm, friendly and attentive. Alex the Chef and owner who takes great pride in his cooking is also one of the warmest people you will ever meet. Even though, he only sees us twice a year, he always makes us feel like regulars. In addition, he will accommodate any «special request» (as long as he has the ingredients) if you are in the mood for something different from what is on the menu that day.
One of the best restaurants in the region! We cannot recommend this place enough!

Great place for a quiet drink and good eats, if I was going to suggest one thing to anyone it would be the crab nachos. sooooo good

I stop by here everytime I am in Oneonta, definitely one of my favorite restaurants in town. Still haven’t had a bad thing on the menu, great people, great food.

Food is amazing. Staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Will be back next time I’m in town!

The food is fabulous. Chicken marsala was devine. My husband had eggplant parm. Best he ever had.

We’re passing through town and this restaurant was recommended by our nearby hotel. What a gem! Quaint and homey ambiance. Friendly and attentive staff. The salad that comes with the entrée is not your typical iceberg lettuce fare. Both the Bleu cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressings were memorable. I loved that I could sub veggies for pasta, and what a terrific blend of non-​typical vegetables it turned out to be. My veal marsala had such a rich, luscious sauce, I was tempted to use my straw for lack of a spoon to get every last drop. My husband’s NY strip steak was perfectly cooked, thick, and tender. I wish we’d had room for dessert. I’m sure it would have been memorable as well.

A hidden Oneonta gem of a restaurant. While the interior looks like the basement of a church or a repurposed 1960s rec room, the food is delicious. Portion size is huge. Price is a little high for the area, but not bad. If you can find this place for dinner, it’s worth eating here.

Great little place.
I visited this spot with business associated during a work trip. The building is quaint and the interior was very homey. We were a group of 8 and they were able to manage our table nicely.
The coconut shrimp was big and delicious with a complimentary sweet and sour sauce. The spaghetti and sauce was standard, but the meatball had great flavor.
I took my leftovers back to the nearby hotel only to wake in the middle of the night and realize I wouldn’t be able to use the microwave due to their aluminum take out container. The disappointment was insurmountable… I sadly had to throw my leftover, which was half my meal in the garbage.

This is my favorite restaurant in Oneonta. I absolutely adore their signature dish Bella Michael chicken. It is a little more on the fancy and pricier side but for good reason. Dishes come with a salad that is very good. Portions are perfect and even a little large. I have heard from an eggplant connoisseur that their eggplant Parmesan is on point.

Very quaint homey atmosphere with friendly, attentive wait staff. The seafood with risotto was amazingly good – there was so much seafood, all perfectly prepared and presented. The wine selection is very good and the prices on the low side. This restaurant is a find!

Ingredients are suuuper fresh! The vegetables, seafood, noodles, sauce everything is so fresh and feels new! The scampi sauce is love and the the ziti is great tasting. The alfredo can be cheesy, but definitely not bad!

The service was good. The whole meal was delicious, especially the sauce. I recommend the Chicken Fantasia. The atmosphere was also pleasant.

When here on recommendation from hotel staff. The place is quaint house down the road and family own restaurant with bar. The food is good and large portions. Lot of variety to choose from, your typical Italian affair with good wine selection and friendly staff.