Bettola

What has been one of our favorite neighborhood spots in the last couple of years has taken a turn for the unfriendly. We kept coming back here and bringing friends and family because of the combination of good food, friendly & fun service and great atmosphere. The last few visits we have had the same waitress with the attitude that she could care less about us or our experience at Bettola. Doesn't exactly make the food taste as good anymore. Having been a waiter myself I know how difficult the job is and an off night is understandable, but it's hard to accept the same attitude many times in a row.

A dark and intimate setting, nice candlelight and music, but the food is rather plain and slightly overpriced for what you get. Worst of all, our waitress was very pushy with the (unimpressive) wine list and menu... she actually sneered when we didn't both get appetizers. Not recommended.

Just came in from eating here with a group of 6 co-workers. The food was fantastic! Pizzas are thin with a cracker like crust perfect as a shared appetizer or light dinner witha salad. I had the gnocci-light as feather with light tomato sauce and cheese. My dinner companions had lamb chops and the seafood stew. Several of us had had the grilled squid salad. The food is very simple but well prepared. We also had a really great sicilian red wine-42.00 a bottle. Very reasonable by NY standards. The only downside is that, although they have a fully stocked bar, there is really no bartender per se. Two dining companions ordered dirty martinis, and they were neither dry enough or "dirty enough" (i.e. salty). Also, one person ordered a lemon drop martini, which was just too esoteric for the waitstaff. Stick to the well-edited wine list and the entrees you can't go wrong, Also disappointing was the "house made" limoncello. I tasted lemons, but it lacked the syrupy sweet tart flavor and yellow color of the real thing. So, there were minor problems, easily fixed, but even if they don't , the service was pleasant and the food was excellent. It will become a regular dining destination for me.

Very nice place... small but cozy... I went there for a dinner date on a Sunday and I would definitely go back. The Atmosphere is really important and this place was perfect. The music playing in the background help set things up and the staff was nice. The food was really good... I definitely recommend the gnocchi, and my date had the Salmon with eggplant, zucchini and potatoes... very good and we hardly had to wait for our food which is always a plus. This is the type of place that once you are finished with your meal; you pick up your glass, sit back, and think... mmmm... that was nice.

What a great place to dine at! The soup was wonderful and so was the warm lentil salad. The stuffed chicken was incredible and the whole wheat fettucine with seasonal vegetables was awesome. The desserts were nice portions. The only complaint I have is that the beverages are overpriced. A tiny bottle of coke--$3! A glass of wine-$9! Service was perfect. You have got to go! I can't wait to eat there again!

I'm also an Italian living on the Upper West Side and Bettola is as close to true regional Italian cuisine as it gets. Anyone who thinks differently doesn't understand real Italian food-as diverse as its regions, clean and simple in taste, based on fresh, flavorful ingredients, simply prepared. If you want something heavily sauced, over garlicked and over-stereotyped, there are plenty of Italian American locales to choose from-even, sad to say, in New York. Thank you Bettola, for giving me a piece of home!

The grilled summer vegetable pizza special was pretty damn good...my wife enjoyed the mushroom stuffed chicken but thought it was just OK ... I very much liked the fresh pasta with New Zealand cockles....simple but absolutely delicious. Nice to sit outside and sip some wine over a solid meal.