Bella Blu
Italian restaurant · Upper East Side ·
Brick oven pizzas, authentic Italian flavors, and attentive service
Brick oven pizzas, authentic Italian flavors, and attentive service
"I include Bella Blu among the Upper East Side’s premier Italian restaurants known for their loyal, often celebrity clientele." - Hannah Towey
"Seeking refuge from the packed outdoor cafe at this popular Italian spot, we tucked into a cozy table inside and ordered the chicken paillard ($37), which proved anything but modest: a grilled breast that took up nearly an entire plate, barely visible under a mountain of vegetables and salad. The meat was tender, moist, and perfectly seasoned; fresh arugula, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, corn, green beans, and avocado added texture and flavor, while bruleed goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette enlivened the whole dish. The portion was impossible to finish, leaving plenty for lunch the next day." - Nick Mancall-Bitel
"Why are we writing about a seemingly unremarkable, non-descript, uptown Italian trattoria? Because you might get hungry next time you’re in this part of town shopping for jewelry and tiny dogs. We’ve been to Bella Blu a bunch of times, mostly when in need of something worth eating near Central Park. Walking by it, you might assume it’s just like every other mediocre, stuffy restaurant around here. Stuffy, it most certainly is. There are pleated trousers and penny loafers all over this joint. Yep, I said trousers. But Bella Blu is actually far from mediocre - as long as you order correctly. We come here for one meal, and one meal only. A caesar salad and a pizza. I have no idea why, but Bella Blu’s caesar is the best I have ever eaten. By far. And they have a brick oven in the middle of the restaurant turning out pizzas that keep up with some of the better Neapolitan style places in town. Olio Pizza e Piu brags to anyone that will listen about world titles for pizza making, and here’s a tiny joint on Lexington kicking their ass and keeping their mouth shut. We like that. We also like that the staff is attentive and super friendly, but not annoyingly so. So if Bella Blu is so good, why haven’t you heard of it? Because most of the regulars here have no idea what Yelp or Twitter is, and just wrote Gael Greene a letter instead. Food Rundown Caesar Salad As stated previously, this is the best classic caesar salad I’ve ever had. Each piece of iceberg lettuce is uniformly bite sized, and is dressed impeccably. Also, the croutons rule. Margherita Pizza An excellent pizza from Bella Blu’s brick oven. Simple and delicious. San Daniele Pizza A pizza with tomato, mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto that is a house favorite, and one of our go-tos. Saffron Fettuccine with Broccoli Rabe Pesto & Sea Scallops Bella Blu has some interesting pasta dishes, this being one of them. We don’t recommend straying from the salad/pizza combo, but if you must, try this. The scallops are usually cooked perfectly, and the broccoli rabe pesto is unique. Tiramisu Only at a place like this would we order tiramisu, but people rave about it here. As they should. It’s really good." - Chris Stang
"If a price fixed menu is too structured, this Upper East Side longtime favorite Italian features a full menu of a la carte Valentine specials. Consider the shrimp ceviche; grilled langoustine with salmoriglio; heart-shaped butternut squash ravioli with butter and sage; fettuccine with fresh porcini; spaghetti with lobster; Dover sole with asparagus; duck breast with berries and carrot puree; and filet mignon with green peppercorn. Chocolate torte or passionfruit sorbet is a just right finale to the holiday meal." - Beth Landman
"For 25 years, doctors from Lenox Hill and social Upper East Siders have gathered around the warmth of this clubbish Italian restaurant’s brick oven to enjoy the pizzas, langoustine with lemon thyme, and calamari in a clay pot with peas and tomato sauce. Now, the communal vibe extends to an extensive outdoor structure that has heaters, table cloths, lamps and flowers. While you are there, don’t miss the daily soups that are sure to ward off winter chill." - Beth Landman
