Isabella's

The chef needs to desalt his recipies. Would have been delicious meal spoiled but much too much salt. Too much salt makes one suspicious about freshness of food, as salt is used to preserve and perk up food that isn't the freshest. Not saying that's the case here, but still, way too salty veggies, sauces, etc.

We were served promptly, had good food, GREAT service. The dessert , bread, and coffee were worth the trip. The inside was crowded and wait staff looked rushed, but we were well taken care of and enjoyed our meals.

I've heard a lot of things about Isabella's since I moved to the UWS. So I've been really curious about the restaurant. Finally, this past Sunday, I went with my family to check out Isabella's. Immediately, as soon as we sat down, we started having problems. It took us 15 minutes to get water. Another 15 minutes for the waiter to come by to take our order. 20-25 minutes for our food to come out. We asked the busboy who dropped off our food to provide us with parmesan and black pepper. We never heard from him again. The waiter only stopped by at the end of the meal to find out that there had been problems. Just really poor service. It's a pity, too, because the food was decent. But I'll never be going back there to try it again.

My friend and I had breakfast here a couple of weeks ago and it was superb! The best breakfast we've ever eaten. The service was excellent and price was very reasonable especially in comparison to some of the disgusting over priced places on Time Square. I would definately go back.

I went to Isabella's this past weekend and noticed that it turned 20 this year. I cannot believe this restaurant has been there for 20 years and it is still as good at is was when it first opened. I have not been in quite some time, and enjoyed the menu, service and my outdoor table. It was the perfect weather to be sitting outside taking in the scenes of the upper west side. My omelette was cooked perfectly and my friends french toast was delicious. This is such a great spot for outdoor dining. I highly recommend it.

I used to love this place. Haven't been in 5 years and returned Sunday night for an early dinner. It is still a lovely place to sit on a summer evening. BUT The food is mediocre, the hostesses unbearably snooty and difficult, and the prices grossly inflated for what they serve. Not sure why i would go back?

Isabella's is part of the BR Guest company which owns many restaurants of this caliber in the city. I've been eating at most of them for over 10 years. In the past 2 years, the quality has gone so far downhill, it's become downright scary to eat in them. I was in the area and decided to have lunch at Isabella's with the gift card I was given from BR Guest for having such a lousy meal and service at Blue Water Grill 6 months ago. Again as I've experienced in the last 2 years, the place was dirty. My tablecloth had so many stains on it, that I just wanted to spend my gift card quickly and get out, so I'd never have to go to these places again. The food was just okay, I had something that I've had many times and it didn't seem fresh this time. The waitress was hardly seen and clumsy, spilling stuff. My dishes were all brought out at the same time when I specifically asked to have the salad first. Oh, and the bread basket was thrown on the table (literally) before I was able to even sit down and the napkin in the basket was imbedded in the spread dish, therefore I couldn't enjoy that either. For $50 a head, there are so many choices in the city. This place I used to rave about, I now make sure to tell the same people to avoid at all cost. While I was there, I also saw a woman complain about her salad and a family of 4 get up and leave with their meals still on the table.