Bella Blu

Bella Blue is a staple of the neighborhood -- always good, not a "bargain" but pleasant and fun. The best thing on the menu is the the warm mache lettuce, artichoke and cheese with pistachio nuts appetizer... to die for.

Subpar service - watered down chianti brought in white wine glasses - waiter rolled his eyes at us when we requested the larger wine glasses that others in the restaurant were served. Great brick oven pizza - I will gladly order out from now on - but I refuse to subsidize the consistently poor service.

The food was overpriced - they touted that they were famous for their brick oven pizza, but it wasn't very good. The service could have been better, too. They were unaccomodating to my food allergy and were not what I expected for such a restaurant.

The food was decent. That is the only positive thing I have to say about dining at Bella Blu. We had a 9:00 reservation on a Saturday night, and from the time we sat at the table to the time we walked out the door, the waiter and staff were rushing us. They had a long wait for those who did not make reservations, and they were very motivated to turn the table. At best, the waiter was unpleasant during the meal, but at the end, he was outright rude. We had just finished our meal, and we still had wine left on the table. The waiter didn't offer dessert, he just brought the check. We split the bill with another couple, and when the waiter brought our credit card back, he also brought our coats (despite the fact that we had only been there for a little less than an hour and there was still wine left in everyone's glasses). The food was decent, but after the way we were treated, I will never return there.

The person who criticized Bella Blu for being too expensive should probably not be eating on the upper East Side of Manhattan, except at pizzerias. Bella Blu may be expensive, but it is certainly worth the price for the neighborhood, and is less expensive than many other restaurants in the area. Anyone who orders food or wine without asking the price either doesn't need to ask, or should have asked in the first place. We recently had a white truffle dish, and knew what to expect, price-wise, but our waiter at Bella Blu insisted on telling me anyway, so that I wouldn't be surprised, and I appreciated his professionalism. The truffle dish was delicious. They also offer a regular "special," lobster out of the shell over spaghetti fra diavolo, always excellent, and the pasta is always perfectly al dente. The foods grilled in the oven by the bar are also wonderful, including the thin-crust gourmet pizzas, grilled vegetables, and fresh fish. The ricotta cheesecake dessert is also to die for. I take my Italian food very seriously, and Bella Blu is a serious restaurant with a whimsical side, that is always fun for us. For the couple who thought Bella Blu was too expensive, there is always the pizzeria next door. You do get what you pay for, even if you don't ask the price. Next time, ask. I'll be back to Bella Blu many times, and won't miss your absence.

We saw this place and decided to go in because it looked pleasant and attractive. But by the end of the meal we were pretty disgusted at the extreme overpricing. To the chef's credit, the food was very good, a menu of well prepared antipasti and pastas. However, when I got the fish special it was so small; there were literally 4 bites of snapper in broth. I mentioned this to the waiter who explained that 'this had been going on all night due to a problem between the chef and the manager' and he'd take care of it. When the bill came, he had taken a whole $5 off of the $25 special! But the real pain was when we discovered that the glasses of wine were $13 & $12/glass - without having ever seen a wine list. That price is high by any standard, and I felt very deceived that the watier just listed the wine by the glass with no menu to look at and then socked us with $13 for a 'merlot' that could have been anything. Jacking up of prices for no reason other than they can, leaves a bad taste in your mouth and gives restaurants in NYC a bad name. Too bad Bella Blu, I won't go back.

Friends and I were looking for a decent restaurant that opened to the street. We were pleasently surprised at the freshness of appetizers and entrees. The squid and baby artichoke appetizer was excellent! The service and atmosphere are standard for the area.