Bella Vista Italian Restaurant

Bella Vista truly delivers the best happy hour in town! 🍸 From delicious cocktails to a fantastic selection of wines and beers, everything is top-notch and at a great price. The atmosphere is warm and inviting — perfect for unwinding after a long day or catching up with friends. But what really makes Bella Vista stand out is the incredible service. The staff goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome and taken care of. Friendly, attentive, and always with a smile — it’s clear they genuinely care about their guests. If you haven’t checked out their happy hour yet, you’re missing out. Highly recommend!

We just finished eating at Bella Vista and loved everything about it. The Italian food is the best I've had and I have lived in Italy. We shared many dishes on the menu and they have a super list of Italian wines. The hostesses, Hannah and Lala were really sweet and helpful as well as all of the staff working together to ensure we had a great experience. Jada was our server and made sure every detail was attended to and she made some great recommendations on what to eat. We can't wait to come back!

I had the opportunity to eat at this incredible place, which would undoubtedly be the only reason I would return to Jacksonville. Excellent service, the owner is a wonderful person, as is his staff. What can I say about the food? It's an explosion of unique flavors. The pasta was incredible, worth every dollar. The desserts are insane, especially the cheesecake and tiramisu.

Amazing spot in Julington Creek! From the hostesses to the servers to the food and atmosphere, everything was excellent. Highly recommend getting reservations as they get quite busy. Pasta and risotto appetizer were flavorful and tasty. Was too full to get dessert but everything looks delicious.

Not sophisticated but cozy. Gary was our Server and was very pleasant and welcoming. Food was delicious and honestly felt like the best Italian I've had in years. Try their desserts too! Fresh and delicious! I will be back!

Looked so good until we took a bite. Being from NY is hard to find good, authentic Italian food. Pasta was overcooked, sauce was off. All 3 different sauces we ordered were bland. They didn't offer garlic powder, weird. Husband asked for rigatoni pasta for his chicken parm and they said no, penne or spaghetti although they have it for other dishes. He would have paid an upcharge but it was just no. Service was very good, restaurant was very clean, appetizers and salad was good.

It was my birthday weekend and wanted to go out to eat with my family. I'm Italian and usually do not go out to eat Italian, but I got such high recommendations for this place we decided to try it. Wow! I am so happy that we did! It was mid Saturday afternoon and there were 8 adults and 2 kids. They quickly accommodated us. We ordered the family style meal. What an excellent choice! Every single dish that was brought out was just as wonderful as the last! We had more than enough food and it was all excellent! They also just made a special bowl of pasta and butter for my 4 year old grandson! The service was excellent and we felt right at home. What a great place! Thank you for a wonderful meal and we will be back again.

My friends and I went to Bella Vista last night for a bday celebration and it was amazing! The service, the food, the drinks, and the vibe was perfect. We were sat on the patio and it was such a good time. We didn’t feel rushed, we ordered a bunch of appetizers and we were able to munch and talk and then our main dishes came out. I love that the timing was perfect and apps and mains didn’t come out around the same time so we had a chance to try the apps and enjoy our drinks. We weren’t in a rush and wanted to have a great night out and Bella Vista definitely made that happen! Our server was so friendly and welcoming. We will be back and our new go-to for Italian. The food was absolutely delicious and lived up to the hype.

Amazing food and staff. Rocco is the best worker there. I would go here everyday if I could. Super good food and even better service.

The line was kinda long but well worth the wait. The food was obviously amazing and pretty authentic Make a reservation and enjoy the food with good friends

Love Belle Vista! It's a whole Authentic Experience coming here, "heya what can I gettcha " kinda place lol It's decorated beautifully, food is very tasty, servers are happy and helpful. Only docked a star cause we got a pork chop dish and it was so over cooked and under seasoned it was terrible but I mean we should have got a pasta dish, forgettaboutit lol

If you haven't tried Bella Vista's authentic Italian cuisine yet, what are you waiting for?!?!?! I had the pleasure of visiting during their Happy Hour time. To my delightful surprise, I had the luxury of enjoying a non alcoholic "Peroni" brand beer while sitting at the comfy and cool bar area. One of my ultimate favorites since I don't drink alcohol and love the NA options restaurants have when available. I ordered a freshly and delicious calamari appetizer. It was the best I've had since moving to Florida anywhere. A nice complimentary basket of fresh bread was served on the side. I also ordered the risotto with scallops as my dinner entree. An amazingly tasty tiramisu for dessert sealed the deal and topped off a great meal. Shoutout to the entire staff, management and owners for providing a comfortable, enjoyable and wonderful dining experience. Ci rivedremo presto.

This spot is as authentic as you can get here in JAX. We came here for a good friend's birthday. They did a fixed menu for the party. So the appetizers came out, then pizza, then main dishes, and then dessert and coffee. There was so much food and they were all delicious. It was a busy night too so the staff did their best to accommodate and serve us. I loved the cacio de pepe pasta that they put in the cheese wheel right in front of you. The eggplant parm and salmon was amazing. I had a great experience with their fixed menu for parties. It was a little tight for about 15-20 people but it worked.

Consistently delivering quality, authentic Italian cuisine is Bella Vista's key to success. We've been coming here since opening a few yrs ago & every single time the food is absolutely fantastic. So much so that we tend to order our favorites that we can't get anywhere else. This means we started with their baked clams. Covered in a lemony garlic sauce you just have to sop up the plate with their delicious complementary bread. Next, their signature Cacio de Pepe made tableside. Perfectly cooked pasta smothered in cheese and pepper. This dish tends to be heavy and well salted so we always share. A little goes a long way. Then I had the eggplant tower. Two stacks of fried eggplant, roasted peppers, mozzarella & topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese. Accompanied by a fresh arugula salad. This is billed as an appetizer but it's big enough for dinner or to share several ways. As always my husband had the Pork Chop Valdostano which is a Butterflied pork chop topped with prosciutto, spinach, mozzarella, and a mushroom demi-glaze. Served with potatoes. He literally gets this every time we come here because he loves it so much. We were stuffed by the time dessert came but ordered lemon sorbet for a refreshing after dinner sweet. It comes in a big lemon & it's a nice way to end your meal. I also highly recommend their almond cake and their tiramisu. The food and friendly bustling atmosphere is what brings us back over & over again.

Ate at Bella Vista last week and as always the food was delicious, well presented and plentiful. Place was crowded as usual but noise level allowed conversation. Enjoy how the owner goes around to all tables to ensure great service and food satisfaction. Prices are a value and enough to bring some home. Real Italians cooking delicious food.

I feel like I am with family when I am there. Paulo and Giovanni are very welcoming. The food is delicious! My favorite is the clams casino, cacio de Pepe and chicken Milanese.

Delicious food. Friendly customer service. Nice decor. My friend and I went here for dinner last month and enjoyed our experience. We took note of the beautiful wall painting and were greeted by a couple waiters. We each ordered pasta. She got the cacio e pepe and I can't remember the name of the dish I got. With the cacio e pepe, they prepare it in a wheel of cheese in front of you. Mine didn't require that. We loved loved loved our dishes. After that, we split a lemon cake. That was also amazing. What made our experience here even greater was the customer service! I think our waiter's name is Gary. He was outstanding! Friendly, professional, patient, and helpful! We were in town for only a weekend, but if I'm ever in the area again, I'd go back to this place.

What an experience we had tonight! Bella Vista is superb with their cuisine and atmosphere and hospitality. Truly top notch service. Love everything about Bella Vista, I am always transported as when I step through the doors of Bella vista. Annette's drinks were phenomenal!

We love this addition to our community. Food and service are both excellent. Cacio e pepe is a must try for the experience (daughter's favorite). Highly recommend this very authentic family restaurant!

This place is a hidden gem for authentic Italian dishes. The portions are an excellent value and the flavors are fresh and homemade. I have never liked eggplant before and we got the appetizer for the table. I am a huge fan now and wanted to eat the whole thing myself.l! Chicken bruschetta was delicious and so were the meatballs and penne vodka. Don't skip dessert either! Nutella pizza was decadent. The service was attentive without being intrusive - Jada was excellent. The hostess Hannah was also great. We would definitely go back!

This place is less than 5 minutes from my house. Its a family owned restaurant that recently bought the place next door and expanded their restaurant. They also have a full bar I believe. We have been here multiple times for dinner and never a let down. I ordered their Christmas dinner meal which was a whole tray of rigatoni bolognese and chicken Parm, a half a tray of eggplant rollatini, a whole tray of salad, assorted desserts, and bread everything was delicious. One of my favorite things is their fried zucchini - if you have not tried it yet, get it next time, you wont regret it.

Brought my mom here for mothers day. We Loved the authentic feel of this restaurant and the food was good and nice portions.

Stopped by at Bella vista for dinner last night and we had such a good meal. The star of this place is service, everyone is super happy and helpful. They all seem to work well together despite being a busy for day night. We had the Veal parm and the portion was enormous, I had the baked clams and they were super tasty. Also tried the penne a la vodka and grilled pork chop. Everything was very good and we can't wait to go back for more, hopefully next time enjoy their patio, I did not realize they had expanded it and looks amazing, super cute with nice lights!

Love Bella Vista! The only thing I'm sad about is how long it took me to discover it. This is the type of place where the waiters remember you and the food is homemade with someone's great Grandma's recipe. The food is incredible! The first time I went I got the Pappardelle Bolognese and my husband got the Cacio e Pepe. Both were delicious and I'm not usually a Cacio e Pepe girl but I asked him to switch. And the next time I went, I ordered the Cacio e Pepe again. No wonder it's their signature dish- it's awesome. That dish has such few ingredients but yet it's levels above any other Cacio e Pepe I've ever had. I've typed that dish name now so many times I might have to make this post a drinking game. They also make "this dish" tableside which is always fun. It's incredible to hear how much cheese they go through in a day/week! If you haven't, give this place a try! Even if you live towards the beach, it's worth the drive! Both indoor and outdoor are cute options to dine and there is plenty of parking. Heaters in the winter too.

We had an amazing dinner last night here at Bella Vista! First, I'm gonna talk about the restaurant itself, real tablecloth with real cloth napkins, and an atmosphere that made you feel like you were back in New York! Our waiter added to that as he was from Brooklyn and had the strong accent. He was phenomenal with his attention to detail, knowledge of the menu, and humor. Moreover, when he sang happy birthday to the people at the table next to us, he had the most amazing tenor voice I have heard exclamation you can tell this gentleman loves his job! My friend had the chicken Francesca which she allowed me to sample and I will tell you was the best I have ever had. It had the perfect amount of lemon flavoring with the fresh parsley. The piece was humongous in size. I had the chicken Parmesan, which I will say again was phenomenal. The chicken was cooked to perfection and again a large portion. Both of us had the assorted vegetables which was cooked again to perfection. The vegetables were crisp, and it had a great hint of garlic. Not overpowering, but the garlic flavoring added to the vegetables. Overall, this place is worth the drive! Among the ambience, customer service and food quality it was worth every penny.

What a special Italian Gem Restaurant! You are welcomed on the phone & when you arrive. Drinks & Food are DELIZIOSO! You have to try the Caprese, Eggplant Rollatini (Beyond yummy!) & Meatballs as your Appetizer. For your Entree, choose the Veal Parmigiana, Pappardelle Bolognese, Grilled Pork Chop or Caesar Salad with perfectly cooked Scallops or Shrimp. Dessert? Ahhh...get a Pistachio Martini & Cannolis! You will dream about your dessert, till you return. About your diet, go back on it the next day.

Cute place with great food. We opted to sit on their outside cover patio since the weather is so nice. Let's just say I'll be back to try more! We started w special appetizer of fried mozzarella, ricotta and prosciutto cheese balls served with pesto and fresh basil. Loved that pesto cheese combo. Then for main course I went with the tables idea cheese wheel served Cacio e pepe pasta. It was very tasty. And to end the meal a cappuccino and Sfogliatelle. The Sfogliatelle was flavorful however I wish it was more crunchy as that is my preference for the dessert.

As usual extremely satisfied. The calamari was light and crispy, eggplant parm was enough for two.. we ordered a pizza and taking it home. We couldn't leave without having tiramisu . Yes we over ate but always pleased with this place. Great Italian restaurants with authentic Italian cuisine

You are missing out if you've never had the opportunity to check out Bella Vista. A full menu of authentic Italian dishes with the flavors to match. The staff is outstanding especially Aneta behind the bar makes some killer drinks. They just recently opened their patio and now offer a full service bar. You CANNOT go wrong with a trip to Bella Vista!

The food was pretty good! We came for date night and got more of a busy family vibe. The bread is served with seasoned oil and balsamic vinegar which was one of my favorite parts of the meal. At different points of the evening, it was pretty unclear who our server was. I noticed staff going between tasks like taking out trash and serving food without washing their hands which was a little off putting to me. I ordered the special pork chop and it was raw in the center initially. They cooked it longer with no problem or push back.

We were a walk-in at 7PM and while it was Mother's Day and we did not have reservations - they put our name on the list with my phone number... we were okay waiting and went tot eh car to wait and they NEVER called!!!

Absolutely obsessed with Bella Vista from beginning to end. It was super easy to make a reservation for 10, which is sometimes awful! The minute we arrived we were greeted like we were family. We had a nice long table on the outdoor patio. It's so beautiful with the string lights. Our server was fantastic!! He was charming, efficient, and very kind to our group!! The food was absolutely amazing. It truly felt like we were in Italy when I tasted my meal. I had the gnocchi Gorgonzola. It was literal perfection. The gnocchi were rolled perfectly! The taste was divine without being extremely heavy! I also sampled the spicy rigatoni, Chicken Francese, and eggplant parm. All of them were fantastic! The chicken was light and the lemon gave it the perfect flavor. The eggplant parm was exquisitely baked without being burnt. I would absolutely order that as my meal in the future. Dessert did not disappoint! We shared the limoncello cake, almond cake, cannoli, and pistachio cake. Again, we enjoyed every single Bite!!! My personal favorite was the limoncello cake! I love lemon and it was light and refreshing!! Thank you Paolo for bringing your Italian roots to our area, we LOVED Bella Vista and can't wait to come back!!

Bella Vista is always a home run! We booked a table for 10 on NYE. Both plates and family style options were offered. Placed was packed when we got there but slowly eased up. Service was great and I don't think one thing went wrong with our large group. Large portions of food were provided with the Cacio de Pepe being the star of the show. Will def return!

This Food is AMAZING!! Let me tell you the eggplant was SUPERB!! The marinara is fresh and tasty- just like Nona used to make!! Kenny our server was GREAT! He was very friendly and welcoming! We will definitely be back!! The restaurant itself is very bright and warm; with a sizable patio for outdoor dining. It almost feels like you're IN the Mediterranean! This place is A REAL GEM!! Tucked away in Fruitcove... if you haven't been- you NEED to Go!!

We dined in on Friday evening. We had a reservation for 615 but weren't seated until 640. The complementary bread for the table was good and service was fast although felt rushed as if since busy they were trying to turn the table as fast as possible. There were multiple wait staff assigned to our table and one didn't often know what the other was doing. The salad was nicely sized with lots of toppings, the cacio y Pepe was good although was better (I.e. cheesier with a more pleasant melted textured sauce on a previous visit), the seasonal pasta was very good with a salty creamy sauce. I have visited this restaurant twice before in years past and enjoyed my experiences then more than this experience although I can understand the growing pains of a busy restaurant.

We've eaten here before and have enjoyed their food and service which is always good, however this time I had chicken Parmesan and it was overcooked & a little rubbery. We'll go back to give it another chance but won't get the chicken Parmesan again. We love the outdoor seating it wasn't there last time we went.

Bella Vista is the real deal. We got a same day reservation for a Friday night and when we arrived we had to wait a few minutes. The place was packed. I tried a few items here. The pizza- excellent. The chicken parm- Very good. Eggplant rollotini- Again, very good, but not the best I ever had. House salad- Crisp and yummy. Simple, but delicious. Service was a bit slow because they were so packed. I had to ask for something multiple times. It didn't severely impact my experience, but I want to give an honest review. Kenny was our waiter and his personality was fantastic. I dont blame Kenny as he was clearing working his tail off. I think it was just the sheer volume of people at the restaurant that made it very good, but not the best. Overall, I would recommend it here. I would say that it's worth the little extra time. I like that it's family owned and the owners are onsite. I think that makes a huge difference. I wish them the best of luck! You have a good thing.

Authentic style Italian meals served here. The waiters are friendly. The vibe is casual but cozy inside and outside. St Johns county has a gem.

My wife and I were looking to try a new spot. Bella Vista is about 30 from our house but it looked good. We called around 545P on a Saturday. They said they could seat us outside immediately but it would be about an hour wait if we wanted to sit inside since we didn't have a reservation. They don't do call ahead but we wanted to give it a try anyways. We got there around 615-630P. Four of the 6 high top seats right at the front door were open. We snagged 2 of them. These seats have a great view of the pizza and app/dessert station. Service was very fast and it seemed team oriented. Different people brought us our menu, water and bread. We asked the server what was popular and he gave several recommendations. Cacio e Pepe is their signature dish and it uses sheep's cheese. My wife was a little iffy about sheep cheese so the server brought her a sample. She ended up going with the Cacio e Pepe and added shrimp. They bring out a 55lb wheel of sheep's cheese on a cart. The wheel has been hollowed out from previous orders. They toss fettuccine in the cheese wheel table side as they scoop cheese into the pasta and then they put it in a bowl. The shrimp was on the side to keep from cross contamination. This is a very rich. Only order this is you really like cheese. Luckily both of us do. I got the short rib ravioli. It was served in a thin mushroom sauce. It had good flavor but I think the ravioli could have been cooked in the sauce longer to soak up some of the flavor. It was hard to get the mushroom without cutting open the ravioli and letting them soak. My wife loves lemon desserts. She got the lemoncello cake. I was still a little hungry so I got the burrata for dessert. She finished the cake so there weren't any complaints. The burrata was nice and creamy, the tomato's were salted perfectly and the balsamic drizzle on the arugula was great. It's a bit of a hike for us but I'm sure we'll be back at some point.

Dined at Bella Vista tonight for our family's eve of Christmas Eve dinner. My inlaws love this place and want to stop every time that are in Florida. As always the service is outstanding! Was able to call in a reservation by phone as I was having trouble with the reservation link. I love the new addition of the patio with the beautiful string lights. I hope the lights will be a permanent addition and not just for the holidays. The portion sizes here are large, we ended up taking food home. My mother in law and husband ordered specials for their entrees: scallop risotto and pork chop with potatoes. My father in law had the chicken Parm while I went with the Chicken Francese, I love the lemon buttery flavor. One of the specials they are currently offering is the seven fishes meal.

My husband and I visited Bella Vista for his birthday dinner last night. It was our first time there and we really loved it. The staff was friendly and everyone who worked there that passed our table asked us how everything was! My husband of course wanted to try the pasta in the cheese wheel and he was not disappointed. It was really neat that they come do it table side! The space is really nice and they have an outdoor patio with additional seating when it's warmer. I got the penne vodka which is a favorite dish of mine and theirs was delicious. I also loved we got fresh herb bread brought to the table to enjoy. For dessert we tried the tiramisu and they even came out and sang happy birthday to my husband. I highly recommend this spot for a nice Italian dinner with family and friends! We will definitely be back.

We are so lucky to have a great Italian restaurant here in Jacksonville. 1st time we tried Bella Vista, they were only maybe opened for 2 weeks, we sat at the bar since we didn't make any reservation and it was Friday night and they were slammed! but they still managed to give us incredible service and outstanding meal. After that this was our go to date nights and we make sure to bring our friends and family here. Food: we tried calamari, bruschetta for appetizer, cacio de pepe, the famous papardelle bolognese, salmon, risotto with scallops, Almond cake, tiramisu and cannoli and i guarantee you all the foods that i mentioned was AMAZING. you know they only serve the best of the best and everything is fresh! They also have a wonderful selections of Wine and my favorite Affogato! as for my favorite meal it will be the cacio de pepe, hands down the best cacio de pepe I tried! Service: Service here is 110% always amazing and that is one of the reason why we are a loyal customer to them. they always treat us like Family and they always make sure to give the best service they can provide and sadly nowadays that is hard to find. Bella Vista is definitely a treasure and I know that we will continue to support them.

This time our meal was delish as always tried some more of the specials and updated with new pictures. The new patio is super cute and allows the restaurant to not be so packed all the time.

This was a cute little Italian restaurant. They have a classic menu with some appetizers, pizzas and pastas. They have a table side caccio pepe which was delicious, however, the pasta could have been a little warmer when they add it to the cheese wheel to help it melt better. Their vodka pasta was also really good. The service was great, super attentive waiters. A table next to us was celebrating an engagement and all the employees gathered around to help celebrate!

Absolutely LOVED the staff and the food -- AMAZING! I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner with a few friends where we got to try a few things on the menu. We definitely had a feast. We started out with a beautiful display of a charcuterie board filled with spicy meats and savory cheeses paired with a small Margherita pizza topped with olive oil as our antipasto dishes. Then, baked clams and calamari. Moving on to our mains, we had a beautifully seared pork chop, but missed a bit of flavor. It was dressed with opinions and bell peppers, but onions can be a lot sometimes. We also had their signature pasta cooked and tossed before us in the cheese wheel, salad with blue cheese and fresh apples, and egg plant tower. Finally, for dessert, we had a Limoncello cake, almond cake, tiramisu, cannolis, topped off with some shots of espresso. Whew! Highly recommend for a girls night out, small dinner party, or even for a quick dinner. The staff is so nice and engaging and you definitely feel a welcoming atmosphere and sense of open community.

Ordered at this Restuarant to-go. Ordered the Clams, they were amazing the breading was seasoned perfectly. Chicken parm was good, it came with a side I chose the roasted potatoes. The portion was great, and the chicken was well seasoned. Those that prefer a thinner cutlet may not be a fan because the cutlet is rather thick, however I thought it was fine. We also ordered the Cacio e Pepe, which we thought was just okay, especially for the price, and at $23 I thought a protein should be added, however still a great dinner at a reasonable price. I will return.

Bella Vista invited our group of friends out last week for a fun Girls' Night Out to check out the new patio. The weather was a little chilly but the heaters were great & we actually requested ours be turned down a bit. We enjoyed such a great variety of items from the menu. Pasta is my favorite carb so I was pleasantly surprised that some of my favorite bites were the Baked Clams & the breaded eggplant on the Eggplant Tower. As delicious as the food was, the service really WOWed me. The restaurant is family-owned and you do feel like a guest welcomed into their home. Each employee we encountered was passionate about working for the family and proud to work at Bella Vista. If you haven't been yet, let this review be the encouragement you needed to stop by.

When I say I've had the best Italian food , I mean it! (Please don't tell my Italian mother-in-law). Bella Vista is amazing! Everything we ordered was just perfect. Flavor was jam packed with authentic Italian flavors. I was so full but we all shared dessert and the Limoncellos cake was my absolute favorite!! Everyone was so nice and welcoming and very attentive from the moment I walked in. We sat outside under their new patio and it was so nice with heaters and lights. I side was cozy as any Italian restaurant should be. Owners are very nice and if you're in there listen to their story how they moved from Italy to NYC to Florida. Very inspiring! I went here with friends but I can't wait for more family and friends to try this place out!

We ate here for dinner while visiting from out of town. The service was great. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. We loved the food. We had the pappardelle bolognese, the short rib ravioli, a kids penne with marinara, and the pasta special for the evening which had sun dried tomato, spinach, and shrimp. All was fantastic.

We have reservations and were seated right away. However we were given a choice of two tables, one directly beside all the traffic and the other table next to that. We chose the second one. The noise level was so high with the traffic of servers that we couldn't have a conversation without seriously leaning in. This killed the entire hopes for a semi romantic night. We ordered the baked clams. They were a delicious start. I ordered the shrimp and my partner ordered the salmon. Both dishes were excellently cooked. For dessert we spit the tiramisu and had some espresso. Both really good. The server told me to try the bread with the clam sauces so I asked for more bread to try it. We ate all the bread we were given at first - so good. He never brought any more bread and forgot completely as he took my plate of clam sauce eventually without mentioning it. Okay. No big deal. It was a nice suggestion at least. The service did take longer than expected but it was definitely worth the wait. Due to the extreme noise levels at our table and the non-stop traffic kind of ruining the moment we wanted and attempted to planned for, I will have to rate this wonderful Italian restaurant just a little lower than "the other place" - You know the one.

A friend who is Sicilian and a foodie recommended Bella Vista. The spouse and I dined there last night and enjoyed the most refined Italian meal we've had in Jax for years. I ordered a negroni to start, which was perfectly balanced. Focaccia cubes and balsamic/olive oil brought to the table were delicious. We shared the burrata bella vista appetizer and swooned. Next came my flounder piccata. The fish was fresh and moist (not overcooked) with just the right amount of sauce (not drowning). The accompanying spinach and sun-dried tomatoes were delicately sautéed in olive oil. Steve's specialty pizza had world-class pepperoni and crust. Our server, Jessica, was attentive and knowledgeable. The ambience is casual, open and warm. Young owner, Giovanni, a native Italian, stopped by to say hello and shared the good news that a second Bella Vista is opening in Jax Beach. This restaurant is a gem. We can't wait to dine there again.

Bella Vista 4/5 Bella Vista was an experience. The food? Incredible. Life-changing? Maybe. They brought out this massive wheel of cheese, melted pasta in it while describing it like they were narrating a food documentary. I nearly cried. It was that good. The juicy pork chop? So tender it practically apologized for being cooked so tenderly. The staff were super nice, showing off their pizza flipping skills. but we had a 30-minute reservation wait, which possibly was a purposely done to build up an unhealthy obsession with the cheese wheel they flaunt in front of you. The water had a mysterious "floaty vibe" happening. They swapped it out quickly, but I was left wondering about the substance I ingested. Would I come back? Absolutely. I'd wait another 30 minutes just to stare at that cheese magic. But maybe I'll stick to a bottle of wine next time instead of water.

If you're looking for your average Italian spot with an above and beyond ambience and wonderful service, this is probably the place. Yet I will say the food was very disappointing. I ordered the Cacio e pepe hoping for a wonderful experience yet was let down when I realized the pasta and everything was cooked in the back and they just brought it out to roll it in extra cheese from the cheese wheel.

Good food! But warning it's a little weird you can't just order an appetizer. You have to order your WHOLE order at once. So know what you want!

Go for the Cacio e Pepe! Outstanding!!!! It's everything you imagine from a simple, cheesy pasta. You must try it!

If you love feeling like you are going to your Italian families house for dinner this is the place for you. The food is amazing, fun atmosphere, and the staff is 100! Highly recommend for a fun night with family or friends but also perfect for a date night.

The little bistro-esque spot is a nice addition to the St. John's area. On our first visit, we ordered for take out on a busy Friday night. We ordered a pizza and spaghetti and meatball dinner. When I arrived, I was greeted at the door. It was busy, so def make a reservation for a weekend dinner. My order was ready, so they opened the box to show me the pizza and they did point out that the crust was a little burnt and if that was ok, if not they would remake another. I couldn't wait, as I had a hungry bunch waiting at home. The pizza was ok. The spaghetti was also ok. This was our first visit. I will also point out that, at that time- they had just recently opened. My husband and I decided to give them a second try during their lunch hour. We are glad we did. There's much to be said about how different your food tastes and presents when you're eating in vs take out, so that's something to consider. This time around, I ordered the Pappardelle and my husband had the gnocchi Gorgonzola. The pastas are fresh and had that nice chew that you want in a noodle. The gnocchi just melted in your mouth. The sauces were rich but not heavy and so good, we wiped our plates clean. So so so good. Like Nonna was in that kitchen. The owner even came out to say hello, which we always appreciate. They are a family owned business and they are local to the community. Highly recommend.