Bellino Ristorante Italiano e Bottega

This was the most disappointing Italian restaurant experience I've ever had, and the experience was characterized by a series of hiccups that should have made me walk out the door much, much sooner. So let's talk about it. I didn't like how the waitress offered me bread service while I was browsing for the menu for the first time (a service that is often complimentary) when it turned out to be a separate expense. I don't mind paying for bread service, but there was no transparency there. I don't like unexpected fees on my bill. She could have had the courtesy to tell me there would be a charge and I would have accepted it. The bread was ice cold. Made fresh or not, I don't understand why you would serve ice cold bread to your patrons. I asked her if it was intended to be served cold and received a non-answer. Have some respect for your patrons, heat up your bread if it's ice cold. The calamari appetizer, average. I could go to any cajun or seafood restaurant and order the same thing and the flavor profile would be vastly the same; you're not getting anything special when you order the calamari appetizer here, is all I'm saying. But it was okay. It just wasn't special. It wasn't something I would really recommend to others. The main course harbors my main complaints, chicken parmesan. Let me wedge a compliment in here real quick and say the sauce was delightful, they did a good job. I enjoyed the sauce. But the noodles were undercooked, very chewy, not al dente. And the chicken was overcooked, stringy, chewy. It was the most unpleasant main course I've had anywhere in a while. And it's especially disappointing because the place is lovely. Yes, the place is nice. The atmosphere is great. They take pride in their aesthetic and tables are dressed nicely. But when a place looks and feels that good, I want the food to taste that good. And when it doesn't, it's just an incredible disappointment and the contrast becomes unbearably noticeable. The Bellino restaurant exudes fanciful vibes of an elevated dining experience but the food only exudes mediocrity.

Had tried several of their special reservation dinners with wine or cocktail pairings and they were all excellent.

My experience , we went around 2:00 and able to get lunch hour prices. Thankful for that. First impression walking in was beautiful and looked like a fine dining restaurant. Our dishes were good but definitely not great. To start we ordered the calamari, calamari season and texture was good, but there was an old oil after taste. The main dishes flavors were there but meatball consistency was a little soft for my liking. Pasta was more than Alden te, and our meal did not come with a salad or bread. I did ask for bread after we started eating and I have to say, instant regret! Bread tasted old and stale. In my opinion if brushed lightly with butter and toasted, it would have made the world of difference, definitely would have paired better with any and all their food and made for a better experience. This place definitely has potential to be an awesome restaurant, just a couple of simple changes that wouldn’t cost a penny just a little more TLC! Waitress knew her job and was great at recommending menu items. Very friendly!

Hostess and the waitress (Lauren) were fantastic. Super cute restaurant. Being from Boston and Italian, I really enjoyed the environment. The food…. Meh. My daughter had spaghetti and the sauce tasted sour. Meatballs… no. Pizza with eggplant, no- the taste just didn’t flow and I would have liked a more crisp crust(but that’s a preference). Calamari was good but nothing to write home about, very typical thick fried Texas calamari. Also, cold bread that you charge people for? That’s a sin. Maybe that’s a Silician thing, but yall shouldn’t be that proud of the cold bread. So much potential but also, Texas doesn’t know Italian flavor so I’m sure most people are blown away, which you know what, I think is great for the owners as I never want someone to not do well. But from an Italian family of cooks and Sunday dinners…. This was underwhelming to say the least. You know we gift at weddings based on the food 🤌🏼

What I liked the most was its service and how kind, patient, detailed, sweet and attentive the staff was (especially Nikki). The food was very good and I even got to speak to the chef that told me that they make their sauce with St Marziano tomatoes (the tomatoes used in Italy to make their tomato sauce). The owner is from Sicily as you will appreciate as soon as you go inside because of their decor. Definitely a must stop when you visit Corpus.

Really lovely restaurant BUT we were really disappointed in the service. Kimberly was kind but not attentive. Our wine and water were never refilled during our stay, she had another employee come take our dessert order and never gave us a wine bag to take home the rest of our bottle. The bread was dry and old - thankfully, we weren’t charged for it. Overall, the service felt “turn and burn” despite this being our special date night that we spent a lot and had hoped would be a grand experience for what we paid. Very disappointing.

Had a good experience here overall. The service was great and the staff super friendly. The atmosphere is okay, some of the tables are a bit small and/or too close together but it’s not a big deal. The food was good but could’ve been better. Still, I recommend and hope to visit again in the near future.

This was a new dining experience that was at first a nice one, but that bubble was popped quickly. The atmosphere was giving New York cramped, yelling across tables, not enough space to breathe (trust me, I know). Because there was a lot of people, they were not paying attention to the temperature inside either so it was super stuffy with barely any AC blowing. The bathrooms are mixed amongst the chaos in the back, and you need to be careful with the staff running back and forth from the back to the front. There is a bar off to the left of the restaurant. The service was one of the worst so far. Our waitress was more interested in her big table tips than handling her smaller tables, either that, or she was new and had absolutely no idea what she was doing. For such a small place, and the amount of workers that they have, you wouldn't think it would be such a task. We were not offered anything not even basic water when our drinks came out, and then we kept being told that our food was coming out soon over and over, so by the time that it did come you could tell the top layer had already gotten cold. We were not offered any cheese that you typically get here at Italian restaurants, and then we didn't get a water bottle until midway while other tables that came after us got the next ones. The ignorance was blasting. So if you come here wanting a small personal dinner with only one other person, good luck, they only care about their bigger parties. By the end of it, we just wanted our ticket to leave, and finally my partner had enough and we had to ask another waitress for assistance to help the girl. Seems like there needs to be a better system for the service workers to keep track of the tables. The food. We tried 3 different alcoholic beverages, and to say that they were bitter was an understatement but it was okay. The appetizer we started with, the Polpettine di Caprino was amazing. I do wish the bread for this dish would have been toasted a little more because that would have been perfect, but it was still delicious nonetheless. My partner had the Salmone Croccante, and they said it was definitely underwhelming on the salmon part, there was nothing amazing about it, the potatoes and spinach were the spotlight of the dish. I had the Fusilli alla Trapanese, and it was really a mouthful of flavor. It did not have the balance that it needed, but it was delicious if eaten with bread, which by the way they do not give complimentary that is extra and only if you ask for it. Overall, it was a very underwhelming experience, and doesn't seem like anything really extraordinary, more that people go to say that they went to that restaurant in the first place. Will not return back there to spend more money than what its worth, which it can get pricy quick! There are plenty of other places that excel in creating the atmosphere and provide the customer service that you deserve.

UPDATE July 2,2025 Always a wonderful time and our "go to" restaurant in Corpus!! Over our 3 years of visiting we remain impressed with the food, the service, ambiance, and the overall consistent excellence of Bellino's . Nikki with her warm and engaging personality combined with her knowledge of Italian foods and wines , in my opinion makes her a leader in this service industry. . Tonight was the special "Farm to Table" menu serving. What a treat!! To start The Blackberry Basil Smash cocktail could become addicting!! Add to this our opportunity to meet Kaitlyn, the "master" was a special treat tonight. As a scientist, I particularly enjoyed and appreciated her approach to how she creates new cocktails. Then for her to share the recipe for and bring us a tasting of her secret ingredients, i.e, a blackberry and a strawberry "shrub" was over the top. Being from Seattle ( and being "fish and seafood snobs") and seeing Halibut as the Farm to Table special was special. Trusting the kitchen to do the fish right was absolutely correct. Wonderfully fresh fish and great simple preparation preserving the texture and flavors of halibut. Loving Bellino's homemade pasta, I stuck with a regular; My linguini pescatore was perfect with the linguine al dente! For dessert the special fig in puff pastry was delicate and a great way to end the meal with Nikki's specially prepared with bourbon expresso martini, topped with a "Z" special for me! Thanks again and see you on our next trip to Corpus.

Pros: location. Ambiance. Let me start by saying the service was not in line with the prices you're expected to pay. We were served Luke warm water, no bread, no parm or salt/pepper on the table & left in the back room by ourselves for the most part. We got our food and then had to wait to ask other staff for what we needed. Plates were small & taste was no better than O garden. The $13 side salad had lettuce, tomato & 3 m&m size of cheese pieces & no spices! The $19 Flatbread was under cooked & a bit bland. The bread was tasty though. For our 1st time experience, it's safe to say we're will not return.

Really lovely restaurant BUT we were really disappointed in the service. Kimberly was kind but not attentive. Our wine and water were never refilled during our stay, she had another employee come take our dessert order and never gave us a wine bag to take home the rest of our bottle. The bread was dry and old - thankfully, we weren't charged for it. Overall, the service felt "turn and burn" despite this being our special date night that we spent a lot and had hoped would be a grand experience for what we paid. Very disappointing.

Classy! The food Amazing, The service outstanding! My husband and I come here for birthdays, coming back home party (for two ppl) when I come back from Austin. As well as anniversary's, this place has very homey and exquisite food, atmosphere , staff and drinks.

Food is amazing. We sat at the bar and had the best time. Wine selection is fantastic as well.

We were are party of 13. Our server was great. However all the pastas we ordered we had to send back. They were all so salty. You could not eat it. All pasta plates were sent back. Very disappointed. We won't be coming back. Also my father in law ordered the fish of the day also you could not eat it. Extremely salty. The chicken Marsala was good.

Wow that stunk. Waitress was great. Food stunk. For real I have no words...fail. Special was risotto which was under cooked and taste like an Amazon box.

There is effectively two dining rooms. One next to the bar area which seems to have a bit of a vibrant atmosphere and second separate dinning area, which has more of a works canteen feel about it and not pleasant. The menu is limited, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The food is pleasant enough, but portions are tiny. I had the Fettuccine alla Pescatora.... it tasted okay, but nothing special..... the real kicker was that it is served in a bowl about 6.5 inches in diameter.... with 3 shrimp and some empty shells - this was on top of a small portion of matted pasta which had to be cut to be eaten - no fork twirling for this stuff. Expected better for $25. To add insult to injury, ended up having to pay $4 for the privilege of paying by credit card. In summary, food and ambience average and grossly overpriced. I certainly wouldn't come back again.

Absolutely delicious chicken masala with sauce opted for replacing sides with pasta pomadore. Chicken tasty and tender. Gnocchi with was delicious and freshly made !! Great ambience and very attentive service by our waitress Samantha. Our hostess Selma made us feel welcome and comfortable for our first time coming in.

BEST Small Party Location in CC! Hands down...no valet fee, work with you on budget without suffering quality or presentation...Mgr. Nikki and Chef Phoebe did an outstanding presentation and seamless rollout of every course! Wow and THANK YOU!!! We will do another event there. Perfect for 20-30 in the room we had. Easily accommodate more - just inquire but be sure to get Manager Nikki for a magical, seemingly flawless experience!

overall i enjoyed my dining experience here! The food was delicious and flavorful except for the bread One of the things that didnt sit right with me was that our server asked us if we wanted bread when we sat now and we obviously said yes and come to found out it actually costs $2 and it wasnt free?? I think a lot places have free bread and the fact that it wasnt said to us by our server seems very shady lowkey. It does say in the menu but it would eliminate a lot of confusion and expectations when you ask customers if you want bread. It says the bread is homemade and honestly you can tell... the bread was so cakey and dense and in the picture along with this review I think thats very noticeable. I would come back for sure but that bread experience got me annoyed :( if i was paying for bread i would expect it to be good

Food was good but only thing is please tell ur customers that coke from a can and charging ever time for it and not letting them know is misleading . and charging croutons that's ridiculous for a salad I won't be coming back.

Best place in Corpus Christi! Capiche? As my mother used to say. Every time I come to visit my hometown of Corpus Christi, i always make sure to make some time and dine at my favorite restaurant, Bellino's. I am a loyal patron that bring friends that enjoy this place, just as much as I, building memories, that are everlasting. This gem is owned by Francesco, whom I heard is recently recovering from surgery. We miss you. Get well soon. He makes all his customers feel special.

We were served what looked like left over pasta (badly stuck together) with sauce or seafood on top. Not a good first time experience!

The food was OK, great service, good atmosphere. They served us bread, we didn't order it but we were charged for the bread

Update** one star down ONLY because they no longer allow you to bring your own bottle and charge and uncorking fee. Waiter looked at us like I was crazy for bringing in a nice bottle and hoping to pay the uncorking fee. When he told us we couldn't open it I was very disappointed.

This was the worst experience I have had in a long time at a restaurant. THe prices were through the roof, and the portions were ridiculously small. I order the Caeser salad dinner and it was the size of a dinner salad. It came in the little bowl. Me and my wife ordered 6 meat balls without pasta. The total came to 60 dollars for lunch. It was horrible horrible over priced, ripp off experience. Don't go. The absolute worst experience in a long time.

Waited an hour to be served the blandest food ever to be made with so much garlic..., My teens and I had to mouthwash afterwards. The ambience was a 10 and the food was a 3. Granted My teens are well versed in good authentic food and have the pallets of people twice their age, they prefer to fill up on the bread and olive oil. I hate to say this is not worth the price. Next time we will stop by only for the ambience, vino and bread. Francesco must have been born and raised in Wisconsin because he caters to retirees.

Love it, very romantic. Came to celebrate our anniversary, dim lights and fine wine. What else could you ask for.

Food was extraordinarily good. Green peppercorn sauce on filet was wonderful. Fettuccine Alfredo was excellent.

This food is absolute garbage. The bolognese taste like it was off the kids menu. I've never had Italian food this bad in my life.

So nice restaurant We Sat at the bar and the bartender was very attentive she engage with customer

The ambiance of Bellino's was good, I liked all the cozier spaces. Food and service was great! Their pinsa is fantastic; the gorgonzola a nice addition. We had the filet, salmon and lasagna and all were great. Their desserts are worth coming back for alone. Their gelato is heavenly and their tiramisu top notch. So glad we came!

One of the best Italian meals we have ever had. There were 4 of us and we all had something different, each one AMAZING! We decided that the Spaghetti alla Fransesco was at the top (creamy with the best homemade parts) followed by Polpette di Mamma Lina with spaghetti. The Petralia Pizza was exactly what you would expect from this place.... perfect crust, just the right amount of sauce and Italian meat and cheese. My Vegan friend wasn't left out, her veggie dish was so full of flavor! Of course we were beyond full, but we had to try the Tiramisu and the Chocolate Mousse, they didn't disappoint . Our server was so knowledgeable and really delightful... wish I could recall his name! We can't wait to travel back to Corpus Christi and dine there again. Thanks for such a great time!

The food was perfectly prepared, and the service was great. I'm the wrong person to ask about ambiance, but personally I tink it was nice. I'll definitely return in the future.

Went to celebrate a birthday dinner for a friend and honestly the service from our server was not acceptable. Especially when we saw him be more attentive to other tables and considered us to be as an after thought. The other servers that checked in on us were very gracious and attentive. I wish I knew their names therefore they get the recognition they deserved. He even asked us how the bill was going to be arranged and we informed him on how we wanted it to be; only for him in the end to say that it wasn't possible and if we can handle it as one. Then when we tried to tell him what everyone had he said "oh you're going to make me write it again". And that point I got the check and closed it all together. Some of the food wasn't what I expect it to be honestly. Pasta seemed a little under cooked and their version of Chicken Parmesan tasted bland. Could've helped that other servers brought grated parm to their table and yet none was offered to anyone if they wanted any on their dishes. Their "Pinsa" was exceptionally delicious tho and I highly recommend it! Calamari and the appetizer meat balls also were tasty!! This establishment is nice and cozy with good ambiance. If we were to go again it'll be simply for some wine/drinks and appetizers at the bar. But this was our first experience and it didn't go as planned.

Great spot for a nice dinner. Food was full of flavor and the server was attentive, not overly to where it ruins the meal. If I go back in the area we will definitely be back.

Staff was too busy laughing together and ignored us. This was our first and last experience at this restaurant. We came in the afternoon when there were hardly any other customers. Once the host sat us we were ignored by all staff members for nearly half an hour. Staff was hanging out by the bar laughing and talking while no one even offered us water. There were maybe 2 other couples during this time so it was in no way busy and we saw plenty of staff members hanging out and laughing in plain view. The couple next to us was served and waited on while we had to flag down the host that sat us to ask for water after 30 minutes. We realized we did not want to wait over an hour for food so once the host was back with the water we asked to pay for the water and leave. A different staff member followed us out to our car laughing and asking if we wanted to be sat in his section and that he would get us water. We explained that we were tired of having our time wasted and left. We would never go back here.

Outstanding Italian. Great service and food was top notch. A must visit don't waste time with lesser quality options

The food was not good at all. The pasta had a funky smell to it. It was almost like the meat was bad or something. I never give bad reviews but this was just not it. The bread was not good, the dessert was way too sweet with no depth of flavor. Honestly Olive Garden, yup, Olive Garden is better and they aren't good

My family and I went there a week ago and it was amazing great customer service and the food was delicious. Looking forward to dining there again.

This was our first time visiting this gem located in Corpus Christi. We've lived here for about two years and have heard about it. Finally decided to give it a try. 1) Atmosphere: it's super cute! Romantic, classy, and cozy. 2) Service: the waitress was very friendly. She asked us if we had been there before and if we had any questions, which is always nice. There were two other tables at the time, one was a larger group, and it didn't seem too bad. However, for some reason it took some time for us to get our entrees. But can't complain too much because the quality was there. 3) Quality: You can definitely tell this isn't your typical chain restaurant. When you take your first bite you will just be just in awe! From the research we did the owner is from Italy and we've had the privilege of visiting. For sure you can tell this is authentic Italian food. So overall I'd recommend you make a visit to this gem that corpus has to offer. Make it a date night, you won't regret it.

This place has a nice ambiance, is great for a date night, and their homemade pasta is delicious. Be sure to leave room for dessert-the Affogato & tiramisu are worth it!

The good: the salad and bread were good. The not so good: the restaurant says they are open for business at 11 AM but seemingly this is just a single waitress and no kitchen staff until about 12. If you arrive at 11 you will wait until at least noon to get your meal with the exception of the bread which seems to be something the waitress is able to prepare. Additionally, if you want your salmon cooked through, don't eat here. The salmon was raw on the inside and so was sent back to the kitchen. It came back 15 minutes later just as raw. I guess the chefs are trained to prepare it that way no matter what the customer desires. Expect the waitstaff to take 15 minutes to run your credit card and bring you back the card.

We enjoyed our first visit, but it could have been better. My wife had the chicken Marsala which she liked but it was just lukewarm. I had a special, Cslamarata. It was big pasta in pink sauce with lobster and shrimp. Great flavor and pasta done right. My only criticism was the tiny shrimp in the dish. Should have been larger. The Tempranillo wine great. Towards the end of our meal, the noise level was unbearable, to the point I had to remove my hearing aids and could not converse with my wife. Really wasn't Bellino's fault, just the crowd talking louder and louder.

If your looking for true authentic Italian cuisine come here. The menu is perfect for any foodies . Hospitality is top notch as well .

Great Italian food in the Corpus Christi area. Daily happy hour specials on food. Home made pasta is made fresh daily. Great staff and very knowledgeable of their menu.

Atmosphere is great. Service was good too. Not the food. Worst pizza ever. Frozen from grocery store will top this pizza. Sauces were basic. Bread wasn't great. Their famous tiramisu was so so. I won't go back. Luciano is 100 times better flavor than this place.

Moved here from Houston and this place was highly recommended by locals. When you walk in the ambiance reminded me of cheap decor from hobby lobby. The food we ordered was seafood fettuccine and meatball rigatoni. First the seafood was as if it was frozen and not fresh. Which surprised us considering we are on the coast. The mussels were small and so was the shrimp. Second, the meatball rigatoni was flavorless. Just extremely disappointed in the food let alone the cost. The drinks were also not impressive. I would not recommend this place for Italian food in Corpus Christi.

The service was excellent. The seating was pretty close table to table. My wife had a light tomato based pasta with seafood and we both thought the sauce was bland. I had a Alfredo sauce which was kind of clumpy and way to rich. I heard good things about this place so I was a little disappointed. I may go again and try something else. Maybe the chef had a off day??

The food wasn't the worst but for the price it was average. I wasn't blown away with anything.

Wow! The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The food was incredible! I'm so sad I live out of town because this is a place I'll be craving to come back to. Highly, highly recommend.

Servers were very nice and attentive. Cesar Salad was tasty with a nice sized portion. Don't waste money on bread and olive oil, not fresh baked and very few slices. Decor is pretty cheesy, not upscale in line with the prices. More minimal decor "less is better" would have been an improvement. Restaurant was out of Cabernet...inexcusable! Main dishes were very bland. Did the kitchen run out of herbs, spices, salt and pepper. $100 meal for 2 people with only 1 glass of mediocre Pinot. We will not go back.

$2.00 extra For the bread... Not great, food over salted. Calamari isn't fresh or made there, most likely frozen from a box. Sausages were over cooked, but the spinach was best part of the meal. $150 dinner should be much better than this and the extra $2.00 for bread...I don't get it. Bartender was nice,. It was very loud, almost diner like space, the chairs are from a diner for sure all four at the table were wobbly. I would not recommend or go back. Sad to think this was recommended as good Italian food in Corpus Christi, Texas. So bad that we couldn't wait to leave, skipped desert. Please YouTube some New Jersey or New York cooking channels, this place has a long way to go. Not even trying to be mean, just truthful. The menu needs work and chefs need some schooling

As a delivery driver for Waitr, I have delivered from here and wanted to try it. Just ate here for the first time. Portions are extremely small for the price. Carbonara ($18) was not what I expected. Had sliced bacon instead of pancetta. And again, very small portion. Sliced bacon and pancetta are not the same thing. I've been in the restaurant industry for 14 years as a bartender. My lady had the lasagna. She said it was meaty and cheesy but was missing the pasta layers. So it was falling and mushy. I would not recommend this place and will most likely never eat here again, even with the very limited selection of Italian restaurants in Corpus. Maybe I am being too hard on this place, but I grew up with an Italian Grandfather and getting the opportunity to eat among the great restaurants within the Italian community in San Francisco, Calif.

First of all. Service here is primo. Wanted Italian on Saturday night with the wife. Great service. Good food. Great evening. What dining out is all about.

Really amazing food. Freshly made pasta rocks. Great place to spend a quiet evening. A def must try. My sis and cousin had the chefs special which was fresh lasagna pasta perfectly sauced and a pizza and calamari for an app. All really good!!

Third time here and it's been great every time! We had great service, great wine, and great food. The calamari was crunchy and delicious. My wife's pasta had the best texture and taste, perfectly al dente. I myself always get the pizza, it's some of the best in town, seriously. This in my opinion is the best Italian food in Corpus!

From all the positive reviews we read we ate but was disappointed. Small & bland portions, expensive food and wine. Wouldn't recommend.