Bella Vista Italian Restaurant

A lovely place to sit and chat and have a wonderful authentic Italian meal.. The cacio E pepe is amazingggggggg.... It was so delicious. Noodles cooked to perfection and the cheese, lemme tell you, you could have the cheese by itself if you wanted to. The server was soooooo pleasant and attentive... This place checks all of the boxes and leaves you wanting nothing.... All needs met.

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!

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.

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!

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!

It’s our go to Italian place for the last 3 years. Last night we went for my son’s birthday. The food was excellent as always. The service is superb. The owner came over to the table so I would be able set up an order to cater Thanksgiving. He was helpful and the process was easy. Coming from Long Island it’s hard for us to find an Italian spot that we all love. This spot has hit all the marks out of the park. My boys come here for their birthdays now. Everything we have ordered is always been cooked to perfection. You honestly can’t go wrong. Great atmosphere, service is kind and attentive with delicious food and drinks. I don’t have any pictures because we have a no phone policy during dinner including restaurants.

One of my favorite spots for authentic Italian food! The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the dishes are always delicious, and the staff is super friendly and helpful. Always a great experience—highly recommend!

My server Jada was amazing with her excellent attendance and attitude as a server! Along side the great customer service the food was amazing and authentic. This is my fifth time eating at Bella Vista and I have yet to have a complaint. It has always been a great experience and I highly recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for great food and a good time!

Great food and people. Service is excellent too. Authentic Italian cuisine................ More parking needed

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

Absolutely delicious fresh authentic food and excellent service!! I've been wanting to come here for so long and was not disappointed!! The eggplant appetizer was one of my favorite things!!! Super fresh and delicious! Love love loved the special we got! Can't remember the name but it was a spicy vodka sauce penne with chicken cutlet topped with mozzarella! The cacio de pepe was also a treat!!

Yummmmyyy new favorite italian place. Complimentary bread fresh and toasty. Everything is seasoned really well! We had a special i think. Penne with spicy vodka sauce and chicken parm. My favorite. It definitely outshone the cacio e pepe. Best flavors. The experience of the pepe was fun though. Great service a jolly gentleman. We enjoyed sitting by the heaters outside on a chilly evening.

First, a confession. This review dates back to an experience at Bella Vista more than a year ago and I have no excuse for the delay other than our visit occurred at a busy time in our lives. We celebrated our daughter's engagement at Bella Vista by choosing the Amalfi menu for a party of 26 diners. It was like being back in Southern Italy, at a family-owned restaurant where the staff lavished caring attention on their guests. The appetizer course was remarkable in that the food lust kept coming, each dish beautifully plated for serving and scrumptious. My guests kept looking at me and saying "Wow!" and "You mean there's more???" The entrees were just as delicious and we barely had enough room for the traditional Italian desserts and coffees. The ambience is upscale casual; the manager offered us seating in the covered outdoor section just outside the restaurant. The dinner was in the early Spring so I opted to dine indoors but, on arrival, found that the outdoor dining area was heated with stanchion propane heaters, so we would have been comfortable there, as well. As wonderful as our feast was, the staff kindly boxed up the many leftovers for our guests to take home and continue the Italian feast in the days ahead. If I lived in the jacksonville area, I would be a frequent diner at Bella Vista, I am certain!

Fantastic home cooking Italian! The staff is super attentive. Very generous portions of delicious Italian favorites. I didn't take a photo, but the pistachio ricotta cake was excellent!Can't wait for them to open their new location in jacksonville beach.

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.

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!

My boyfriend had a gift card here, so we decided to try it out. The outside is much more aesthetically pleasing than the inside. The food was okay--I've had the steak salad once and the chicken fettuccine the second time. It's not somewhere I'd go if I were craving a really good steak salad, but the presentation of the fettuccine was a nice touch since they spin the noodles in a cheese bowl. We started with the bruschetta appetizer and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. My boyfriend got the pepperoni pizza and really enjoyed it. The bread they served was amazing, and the drinks were great as well. The outdoor seating area is definitely the highlight--beautiful, comfortable, and much more inviting than the interior. I think this place is perfect for happy hour, but not necessarily my go-to spot for a hearty dinner. Service was great--everyone was super friendly and attentive.

Love Italian food and this is one of my absolute favorites for taste and authenticity! After returning from an Italian vacation where our palates were completely spoiled, Bella Vista brought us back to Italy!! Our table favs include their signature Cacio e Pepe prepared at the table with an imported pecorino romano cheese wheel.. fun and delicious! The fresh parpadelle bolognese is excellent with the perfect noodle to sauce ratio. I also have not had a pizza there that I haven't liked. Always a perfectly cooked crust! The one dish I did not find impressive is the short rib ravioli (and I order short rib anywhere it is on the menu). The flavor profile was merely okay and the texture was not at all what I expected. Honestly, it has been the only disappointment of all menu items I've tried. The red sangria is delightful and refreshing and ALL the desserts are amazing... imported lemon sorbet, pistachio crème cake, and my favorite the caramel cone! I love the touches of Italy in the decor and that they play actual Italian music. Gary is our usual server and he is fantastic.. treats us like family! An overall great find for an authentic Italian experience.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Happily greeted by owner and staff. Server gave us time to visit and we did not feel rushed between drinks, appetizer, dinner and dessert. Food was excellent and large portions. We will be back soon.

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.

Stepping inside, you immediately feel like you've been transported to Italy. The service was excellent. We started with the caprese, which was the freshest I've had. I ordered the Cacio e Pepe prepared tableside in the cheese wheel, and my husband had the Chicken Parmesan. Both dishes were outstanding, and the portions were generous enough for leftovers. A hidden gem!

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!!

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.

The food is actually true Italian flavor, as if you are dining in Italy as I experienced in Italy.

Staff is genuinely friendly,food is authentic Italian,And the ambiance is chill.I highly recommend Bella Vista

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.

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!!

Authentic Italian cuisine.......Delicious food, amazing service! Try their lemonade! AAAA++++++

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.

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!!!

Great food and service. The baked claims are excellent. Hard to find in Jacksonville.

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.

Our first time in this local gem. The ambiance was vibrant at 6:30 on a Saturday, we were seated quickly and our order taken promptly even though they were very busy. The calamari was fresh and the portion very generous. The parpadelle Bolognese and the eggplant Parmesan were delicious. To top it off the expresso was perfect, it took us right back to Italy. Jessica and Paolo were very attentive and we didn't feel rushed. Great experience overall. Grazie tutti

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.

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

Food was fantastic! Quite popular given the crowd of diners when we went on a a Friday evening. Because of their popularity with locals sometimes we had to wait on refills. I would definitely go again and recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for a good Italian restaurant.

Amazing food, service and atmosphere! 10/10 recommend. Very easy to make reservations as well!

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.