La Bella Vita

As you can tell by my name, I'm Italian and used to own a pasta company (which also sold ready to eat Italian meals, sauces, etc.). Am pretty fussy about Italian food and never found anything exceptional...until La Bella Vita. This place is worthy of New York City! I have had several different entrees (the Carpaccio is magnifico) and have found the Veal Piccata to be one of the best I have ever had. The service is excellent, the prices extremely reasonable and as I said, the food SUPERB. The atmosphere is OK...the lights a little too bright and could be less utilitarian; I gave it 5 stars anyway. BUT YOU DON'T EAT THE ATMOSPHERE...I have been to Italian restaurants here where the atmosphere is lovely, but the food is subpar, the service sketchy and the prices too high for the meal presented. I unequivocally support La Bella Vita (hope they're open for Christmas!).

We came here to celebrate our anniversary and were excited to try out a COS classic. My brother and sister in law spoke highly of it. I made a reservation for 6 but we got there early and they sat us immediately. The food was quick, delicious, and perfect portions. Atmosphere was slightly outdated but they truly make the best out of what they have. Our waitress, Tatum, was a very kind. She was helpful and kept us filled with bread! We were pretty full from dinner to have dessert but she surprised us with free cream puffs for our anniversary! Highly recommend this place!

Found the best Italian restaurant in the Springs! The photos don’t do the food justice. Everything was delicate and delicious….The sauce on the chicken rolatini was so good that it even made spinach palatable to a toddler. Caesar salad and Tiramisu were excellent too. Our waiter was attentive, fast, and made great recommendations.

Update - Came here on a date last week. They've updated the place since I was here last. Still a beautiful setting, peaceful dining, and delicious food. We both got one of the specials being offered that night as well as a dessert. IDR the name of our meals but he got tiramisu and I orange chello cake for desert. Our meal was just under $100, so a bit on the expensive end, but quite tasty. Pics are from Oct 2023. 2019 - While the uniforms are a bit confusing to me (not sure how exactly suspenders are supposed to say Italy), Everytime I have eaten here the food has been very good. The prices are better for lunch than dinner (and your chances of getting a table far better - make a reservation!), but the menu is probably smaller (not positive). If you have Celiac, they offer gf pasta as long as you call ahead a day or two. 😐 But, they have plenty of other entrees if you want to take your chances at dining here without a reservation.

Husband and I came across this place after making a reservation at a different Italian restaurant and showing up for our reservation to find a note on the door that they were closed due to staffing and nobody telling us. This place exceeded our expectation, our server Alexa was amazing. My husband and I are both servers and she did such an amazing job. The manger Vito came out and spoke with us at the end and really just topped the great experience for us. My husband is Italian and this place is definitely authentic Italian. I think we found our new spot and WILL be returning.

We loved the dining experience!! We (4 of us) arrived at 5 (last-minute dinner reservation) for a birthday celebration! Since they just opened, we had our pick of seating in one of their dining areas. That said, it wasn't 30 minutes later and the restaurant was full!! The wait staff was very attentive and plentiful!! Two of us started with drinks, which included a Dirty Martini (my wife loves them) and a Black Walnut Old Fashioned (the Birthday honoree)! They both said the drinks were delicious and provided a light buzz (which says you got what you paid for (full strength)!! We were brought fresh bread that was light and airy along with oil and vinegar for dipping. We were surprised it didn't come with some herbs in the oil. I asked for butter, and it was brought to the table right away even though it's not typically offered that way. We were offered appetizers but declined hearing the portions were generous. The meals themselves were excellent!! If you had the special, it came with sides; if not, then you chose ala carte. My wife chose the special, which was Salmon in a Lobster Tomato Cream sauce with Roasted Potatoes and Spinach. It was perfectly prepared and presented! It was flavorful, very filling; and sampled by everyone at the table!! We also had the Linguini alla Vongole Thin flat noodles sautéed with garlic, olive oil, Crushed Red Pepper, clams, white wine, and Parsley. It presented well and tasted good but was bland. The clams were plentiful and very tasty! The birthday honoree had the Rigatoni alla Carre; Sundried Tomatoes, Large tubular pasta tossed with Chicken, fresh Mushrooms, and Artichokes in a homemade Pesto Cream sauce again super delicious. I had the Lasagna Bolognese, which was also good. That said, it seemed like a small portion for the price (this was the only (in my opinion) small proportioned meal. I was glad I ordered the Mista salad with my meal to help fill me up. We also had two Cesare salads, and they were typical salads but again generous in proportion!! We finished the meal with the chef, making a special desert for the birthday honoree. It was a puff pastry topped with chocolate. There was writing on the outer rim of the plate, wishing a very happy birthday!! Why only 4 stars? We sat in a booth that needed to be replaced. When we tried to slide in, the springs weren't existent, and all of us felt like we were sitting on the floor. The table was literally at my chest, leaving me to feel as though I needed a booster seat! All-in-all was a little expensive, but we had a great time! I'd highly recommend!