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After finally cooling down from our disastrous meal on Friday night, I decided to post a review so that people would know what a let down this restaurant was for us. After making a reservation a full week in advance, we got to the restaurant, which is not an easy feat, seeing as how this restaurant is located on a difficult to find side street...we were told that it would be just a few minutes until our table was cleared..so we attempted to get a drink from the overwhelmed bartender. We were unsuccessful. After 20 minutes the hostess, who was very rude and seemed to take too much pleasure in telling us we needed to wait for our table, informed us that our table was ready. So we walked over to the back of the restaurant, and were ushered into the corner by the curtain and window, which was taped up with a big plastic bag and allowed the wind to come in all night. After asking if there were any other tables, the rude host told us that they were all full for other reservations. Ok..we'll accept it...So finally our tired, fierce looking waitress came to our table and quickly asked us if we wanted a drink. We hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the menu, but she awkwardly stood there cramped in while we attempted to find a wine that wasn't too expensive, (we assumed the meal would be a disaster so we didn't want to spend a lot of money) The waitress grabbed the book off the table and stormed off to get our wine. After another 15 minutes, we got our bottle, and had to use tiny little wine glasses while everyone around us had nice, bigger glasses. I guess we must have made someone upset that deemed us "small glasses table. " We ordered the meatballs after friend's suggestion and they were ok. I wouldn't rave about them. I was afraid that a few meatballs were undercooked, they were a little too pink . The parmesan took the longest of all the appetizers, which puzzles me becaues all it takes is a knife to cut off chunks of a big piece of cheese. There was way too much balsamic vinegar on the cheese which took away from the flavor. The pappardelle was decent also. A little more lamb would have been nice. For $16 I expected a fuller pasta. The cod was nice, almost worth the ridiculous wait for it. Overall, we will not be coming back, and were the most disappointed in the service, and the simple food items. They seem like the things that should be the best in a restaurant anyway...Looks like Bellavitae has lost its' luster...

We have visited Bellavitae once a month since first discovering it in May (when we went to see "Adding Machine" at the theater next door), and it only keeps getting better and better. We could make a meal out of the little plates ("piazzini") alone especially the fried ricotta balls and the fried little meatballs. But we'd hate to miss the amazing Caprese salad of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, which they told us had been flown in from Italy just a couple of days before. While this is our favorite Italian cheesecake in town, don't miss the fresh berries sauteed with balsamic vinegar and served over vanilla ice cream. Heaven! If you pressed us to find something to criticize, we'd point out that the restaurant can sometimes be on the loud side when it's crowded. But it's certainly understandable: A roomful of diners happy to be eating food this great is bound to get exuberant!!

This restaurant is a gem. As an Italian-American, born and raised in New York, I've been longing for an authentic place that prepares food and serves it with the love that my mom seemed to infuse in every dish. This is it. The food was extraordinary (when is the last time you had a good bacalla!), the service was wonderfully engaging, the sommelier was knowledgable and helpful without being pushy, and the rest of the staff was just as responsive. A great dining experience.

After reading rave reviews about Bellavitae and many comparisons to Babbo & Lupa, I finally had the opportunity to eat here last night. It was disappointing from start to finish. The service was inattentive and indifferent (until I put down my credit card to pay -- fastest the waitress moved all night!) The food was mediocre. We ordered the fried little meatballs (best thing about the meal), fried risotto balls (tasted like they were made with cheez whiz), prosciutto & parmesan (OK), green salad (dressing was too vinegar-heavy), and the spaghetti Cacio y Pepe (downright awful & almost inedible -- much too salty) We didn't order dessert after being so let down by the meal. Would not return or recommend to others. Go to Lupa instead.

I've been here twice, and my first visit was wonderful. The place was charming, there was a piano player on the side, and my food was delicious. I believe I had a mozzerella sandwich, and the cheese couldn't have been more fresh. However, the second time I was here, I couldn't tell you about the food. I was all set to enjoy a nice dessert, but the waiter only got as far as seating us before refusing to serve us because we were only purchasing dessert. I'm not sure how policy this is at nicer restaurants, but I was appalled that they would refuse to accept our money in return for a nice night out. The waiter was rude as he asked us to leave, making sure to note that "there's a Baskin Robbins around the corner, ladies" Despite enjoying my first meal there, I think service is just as important as the food, and a disrespectful wait staff can easily ruin an experience. I'd suggest going elsewhere.

Second visit this year and this time I took some family from out of town. The great extra wide wood plank floor, the Italian spoken by the staff and the aromas from the large exposed oven give this place an authentic Italian vibe. The service was good but Euro meaning they don’t pamper, they are there to take the order, serve and keep contact at a minimum until needed. No complaints from my part. Food highlights were the Figs with prosciutto and Gorgonzola crostone served like tapas because this is an Italian tapas bar!. The mains of Octopus (three of them whole) the Risotto (different and delicious) where excellent. This place has quality ingredients and they showcase them well with no fancy processes. This restaurant's menu and concept is just like a modern trattoria in Italy.We had a great meal and evening here.

My fiance and I went for dinner last night and were extremely dissapointed. While the tapas themselves were okay, the service and the pasta were downright bad. We shared three tapas, the ricotta fritters, fig & panchetta, and rice balls. They all came out hot and for the most part were good. The rice balls could use a little more flavor though, they tasted as if they were stuffed with cheddar. The meal went downhill after that. First, while the busboys were great, it seemed as if they only had one waitress for the entire restaurant. Therefore through no fault of her own our table, and others, went ignored for long periods of time. It took over 1/2 hour between the time we finished our tapas and the pasta came out. Then when the pasta did finally come out, mine, a baked pasta with panchetta, was ice cold in the middle. Hers, the orecchiette, was extremely bitter. It tasted like burned garlic. If you're looking for a glass of wine and a bite to munch on while you're waiting for a reservation somewhere else, this is your place, but otherwise stay clear.