Cafe Bella

Breanne was our server, and she was very attentive and I thorough when we asked questions. The food was incredible, and our house Cabernet and complimentary limoncello aperitivos were top notch. The bread pudding and sauce were not too sweet, but just right. I regret sharing dessert and not having each ordered our own!

First time here. Our server Olivia suggested the cannelloni so we ordered it. Hands down the best I've had. Layers of flavor not bland like most other places.

Cafe Bella is top tier across all fronts. Phenomenal assortment of tasty dishes. We enjoyed all the items that we ordered. Of note - the meatball appetizer was outstanding, but I highly doubt there’s anything bad on the menu. Highly recommend dining here.

Great atmosphere and even better food. Meals are cooked to perfection. Hand crafted cocktails were delicious.

We found Cafe Bella after a nearby restaurant was booked on a Friday evening. It was kismet! The food was delicious and all five of my party left empty plates. My carbonara was delicious! Lovely atmosphere, food and service.

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch with an atmosphere that was peaceful and relaxing! We could actually hold a conversation. Our waitress was very attentative and helpful. Food was really good. I suggest the almond encrusted salmon! Definitely a great place for dining.

4/19/22 came here for the very first time with my lunch date Mr. Jack the owner was very friendly. The staff seemed very nice and attentive, too. The eatery was not too crowded at all, so it was quite pleasant to enjoy an intimate setting. Items ordered: 1. Italian Sausage-- it is sliced and cooked in a brown gravy (this is different than how I have usually seem it prepared). 2. Meatballs--small prepared meatballs in that GREAT-TASTING bolognese sauce 3. Mozerella salad--yummy and fresh 4. The TURKEY PANNINI IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! 5. Braised Pork Cheek is AWESOME!!!! YUMMY-YUM-YUM!!! I will be back to try the other menu items. This restaurant is also very clean!

Everyone just needs to ask for "Big Jack," the owner and proprietor of this awewome establishment, Mr. Ainsworth himself! I made the incredibly, amazing mistake of telling Big Jack one day that my favorite Bolognese was in Denver where I have resided for last 22 years, originally from Lafayette, La. Big Jack says, "You've never had my 3-meat Bolognese with veal, beef and pork yet have you?!? I'll put Cafe Bella's against your favorite and you tell me who's the best you ever had?" Well, I believe we all know how that ended.. Cafe Bella knocked it out of the park! Just the most incredible blend of meat sauce that he created with his team, just literally blew me away. The character of the restaurant is locally unique to the personality of its owner that will have you coming back with interesting conversation while cracking personal jokes throughout your visit. I am certainly a repeat offender and told Big Jack that I would be coming back at least once, on every visit to see my family.. and I haven't missed yet!

We used to go to Bella Figura for all important occasions. It was awesome! Then they downsized and in my opinion downgraded. We went last year for my granddaughter's birthday. My son's girlfriend and I order the same dish. Her plate was overflowing, while my food barely covered the bottom of the plate. I just accredited this to on oversight. Well, last night we went again for her birthday ( both occasions had 15-18 people) . The lasagna was frozen, so no one could order that. The waitress told us she had to put bread in the oven for us. My husband and I and several others just ordered steaks. This is , or was, an Italian restaurant, mind you. NEVER AGAIN! Also I paid $19 for a very small ice fill glass of Bloody Mary with Grey Goose vodka ( the Grey goose was $5 extra) .

Very nice quiet low lit ambience. Service was excellent. Bruchetta appetizer was very good. We had veal picatta, salmon and a steak. Entrees were good. Will definatley go back again. Menu has nice variety and will definately try some differnt selections!

Awesome service. My wife loved her eggplant pasts. The chicken breast on the parmesan was thick and very dry and chewy. Bread was awesome

I have been going to Cafe Bella for several years. Once in a while there might be a small delay in service but overall no problems. The food is excellent and as far as I am concerned the best Italian in town. Darrell

I meet a group of friends there and we have lunch once a week. My husband and I take guests there often at night and we have local friends who meet us there for dinner. Not only is the food very good but it is quiet enough that we can carry on a conversation. My husband wears hearing aids and there are restaurants we don't go to because it is too loud.

Came in at 11 am when they opened for lunch. We ordered right away. 11:45 NO SIGN OF FOOD! 12 noon NO SIGN OF FOOD! When you see other reviews saying they waited for a long time, believe it. What a waste of time! The waitress is not very happy to be working there either. Another sign that this place is SHIT! The Frank Sinatra CD is on loop, so after waiting forever, you hear the CD repeats! DO NOT COME HERE! Be warned! Update: asked the manager to follow on our food, she dismissed me. SHE WAS VERY RUDE! Her name must be KAREN. Meanwhile, about 5 take our orders passed us by! We left at 12:15 after taking a few bites of our long awaited dishes!

Cafe Bella is tucked away in the Oil Center and we don't think of it as often as we should. The restaurant is Italian but the menu offers a lot of variety beyond the typical items. The bar is well stocked and the bartenders are knowledgeable. On our most recent visit, my husband asked for a somewhat obscure cocktail, a New York Sour, and the bartender whipped it up perfectly. The interior of the restaurant is dark and clubby, with wall murals in the main dining room. It's a little cheesy but still probably one of the more romantic places in Lafayette. The food is solid. Our most recent selections were a fresh crab salad napoleon, arancini, goat cheese chicken, and Snapper alla Bella Figura. The portion size for the crab salad was huge and it was really a great value for the price. The arancini were well executed and studded with Italian sausage. The goat cheese chicken was fine, but not quite as good as I would have expected, and I love goat cheese. Maybe it would have been more flavorful if the chicken had been grilled. The Snapper alla Bella Figura had plenty of seafood - a snapper filet, claims, and shrimp - and was well prepared. We were surprised that the puttanesca sauce didn't contain olives, but it was tasty. We didn't save room for dessert. Our server could have been a bit more attentive on our last visit, but we were seated without a reservation at a table in the bar so we were out of sight from the rest of his tables. He was otherwise helpful. We will be back, hopefully, sooner rather than later! No

I had lunch here recently and I came away very impressed. The food was excellent. Neat ambience and great service. I had the grilled chicken panini and pasta salad. Also had a cup of tomato basil soup, which was quite delicious. The only downside to this eatery is the limited parking situation. Otherwise, I highly recommend.

VERY ROMANTIC & ideal place for a first date to impress, anniversary or birthday. Ambiance galore!!! Service is professional and good! Super clean! Food was good. A little less than my expectation but then again my expectations are high The jalapeño infused Bloody Mary was delicious & the beer was ICE cold! I definitely recommend!

Ordered three different entrees to taste. After making happy plates I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Terry. He seasoned each dish to perfection. Ms. Jodi topped it off with the Makers Mark old fashion. When in town definitely will be returning. Best Italian restaurant I've had in the Lafayette area. Ask for Ms Jodi as your waitress and Mr Terry as your chef

The food is great and the ambiance is quiet and very romantic but not so stuffy as a formal restaurant. The servers are all awesome and courteous.

First time trying this hidden gem in Lafayette. We arrived at 5 pm opening and was promptly seated, and got our drinks, the appetizer scampi all's brumley was good, we also ordered a Pear and Gorgonzola salad, and this was awesome the vinaigrette was delicious, for our entrees we had the cracklin crusted pork chop which had the best potatoes ever and the chop was great. But the star of the night was seafood and eggplant Sicilia, the crisp eggplant, the lump crab, the jalapeño cream sauce what a combination . Our server was very attentive and we loved the atmosphere. Definitely one of our favorites. Oh and the warm bread you receive once seated nice touch.

Lovely place. Very romantic! Great service. My husband and I got the lasagna and seafood & eggplant silica. Both were SO yummy! Best part was the lemon cake for dessert!

Wanted to try a new Italian place, make sure to get reservations! We were finally able to get a table with early planning. The food was delicious and the service was awesome, we had the following: Duck Poppers - turkey bacon-wrapped duck breast stuffed with cream cheese & fresh jalapeno slices with a raspberry demi-glace Arancini Riso - flash-fried balls of risotto, Italian sausage, and Italian cheeses, served on a bed of marinara Sea Scallops - pan-seared sea scallops, topped with a Cointreau glaze, served with mushroom and spinach risotto Seafood & Eggplant Sicilia - shrimp, lump crab meat, and fried eggplant, topped with roasted red pepper and jalapeno cream sauce over fettuccine Everything we ordered was delicious, definitely recommend!

Really love this place! I love the ambiance with the low lighting. They also have really beautiful décor with murals on the walls. The waiter was very friendly. He even got us set up with our napkins in our laps before we started eating. I enjoyed the appetizers the most with the shrimp. I would love to partake in dinner here soon for a date night.

One of the best restaurant experiences I've had. Went for my wife's birthday on a Tuesday and we were among the few people there. Our waitress recommended our dinner and drinks, making the night even better. If you have the chance to get Jody as your server, do it! The food was also top-notch. Really cool decor.

Great ambiance! Delicious food and reasonable prices. They would get five stars if they hadn't gotten rid of their cappuccinos!

Recently dined there with six friends. Restaurant had few customers. Service was slow. We were not made to feel welcome. My food was cold. This was my only time there to be disappointed. I usually like it very much. So much for planning a special night with friends. Will try one more time...

The worst experience of a restaurant in years, took my wife to lunch, was seated, took our orders, then 30 minutes, 50 minutes nothing, waitress says just 2 minutes, 90 minutes, I told waitress, make it to go, this is horrible, she said we just received a load of chicken, we can get it done quick, she never told us they had no chicken! After 18 minute wait on take out, nothing, we left, no food, lied to, disrespected and nothing to eat! NEVER AGAIN

Loved this place while I was working in Lafayette! Of the entrees I tried, I think the duck a la griglia (if I remember the name right) was my favorite. There's also a cocktail called the Bella Notte that was the perfect amount of sweet and chocolate-y, yet also refreshing instead of heavy. Also the bartender's chocolate drizzle foam-art is top notch. Rudy is a great server: knowledgeable about the food, attentive, and fun to talk to. Makes you feel like the only person there even when the restaurant is crowded!

We absolutely love Cafe Bella. We've never had a bad experience there. The food is wonderful and ambiance is very nice. Good service and reasonable pricing.

Visited this restaurant for a much needed date night with my husband. First time visitor. Upon entry the restaurant is designed with a mural of Italy on the wall which is very attractive. The noise level about medium volume. Our waitress (Jayden I believe) was so sweet and kind and attentive! My husband ordered the Braised Pork shank and the duck poppers. His food was very good except the pork shank was cold on the inside. Another male waitress overheard this and came over right away to fix this! I ordered Seafood Eggplant Sicilia and added 2 scallops. This was amazing as well. Very seasoned and cooked to perfection. I'm not sure if he was the owner or manager, but he walked around to all the tables by greeting or assisting with serving food. He passed by us a few times , then decided to speak to us. For some reason he seemed hesitant, and I don't want to predict why. His behavior really gave us a uncomfortable feeling. Our service from our waitress really made the experience better, otherwise we probably would've left.

Cafe Bella Lafayette LA. Such nice atmosphere. Charming, mood lighting, nicely set tables, excellent service. Only thing left to say is the food is delicious. On the expensive side but the value is there. Don't be put off by the strip center look of the outside. Once you are inside its a different world. Highly reccomend for any special occasion or just when you want something a bit above average.

Delicioso! Very good Italian food in Lafayette LA? Yes. Ok I was shocked too but cafe Bella pulled through. To be honest the owner here tries to hard to bring an Italy theme to life. But don't let the bad decor have you running for Olive Garden. Menu has all the classic dishes but here's what was tried this visit. There's no picture but we ordered the Oysters Harrison antipasta. Nicely baked but a little over load on the cheese and creama Rosa sauce. The oysters were lost in the dish. My main dish was Goat cheese chicken that should be grilled lightly, seasoned mild and cooked til tender, not crewy. This dish came has described. Flavorful, tender and grilled with a crunch finish. The artichokes and sun dried tomatoes were a perfect compliment. The crumbled goat cheese was one of the best varieties Ive ever had. The capelli d'angelo with alfredo was the right amount of creamy and only needed a pinch of salt to finish. Service was fine and there's a fairly decent wine list. So without saying any more, "provero ancora " I will try again and enjoy!

Went in for supper and left full like a tick. The pork shank with polenta was awesome. The pork was fork tender and cooked to perfection but it was over shadowed by the polenta and the jus. Creamy and packed with flavor. Will be back soon.

The parmesan crusted salmon and the eggplant dip are absolutely delicious. I ordered both on Waitr and got $5 off using code Local5!

Nice place for a romantic dinner. Traditional Italian with some modern fare as well. Good service, accepts reservations, and affordable prices for a white table cloth place.

If you're in a rush don't go here! Don't expect to pick up take out it in less than an hour- even if they tell you 30 minute!! And don't expect to be treated with any respect while you wait. I made an order tonight at 8:27pm. When I arrived at 9pm I waited another 25 MINUTES pacing around the tiny place & I'm finally just leaving at 9:26pm!!! This was crazy & even crazier was the way the staff thoroughly enjoyed my anxiety as I paced at the front door waiting. What a horrible experience!

I work in the area and heard of this place for being a quiet place to bring a date or spouse. Me and my wife decided to give it a try on a date night. The place was set up in an Italian theme and had the lights down low, candles lit and live music playing. The food was awesome, drinks on point and felt really romantic. I got a thumbs up and brownie points from my wife for this pick lol!

First time at Cafe Bella to celebrate my birthday dinner in November 2019. Good service, Delicious food, lovely atmosphere. Overall, very nice restaurant. I look forward to visiting again.

That's Amore! We loved the food, service, atmosphere, and wine!! Must try the Seafood & Eggplant Sicilia!

Staying in town for the weekend for a race, decided to "carb load" here. Food and service were both excellent! Had the Seafood/Eggplant pasta which was delicious! Highly recommend trying it!

The food was very good! I have the port shank and the portobello mushroom appetizer. I believe that had I had them in the restaurant I probably would have gave them five stars. They arrived warm as expected and delivered quickly. But I will have to try this restaurant in person now.

The restaurant is nice & cozy with friendly staff. Our server, Katy, was awesome!! She was happy, helpful and attentive. Food was good. My fish was a little over cooked but still good. Pasta is very good.

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Food was ok, but price-quality was not were we expected the food to be. Veal Picatta had almost no sauce. Veal in both the Picatta and Parmesan were slices so thin that it could have been sandwich meat. Overall we had a good time, but as said food was mediocre for the price on the menu.

Tried Cafe Bella last nite for the first & maybe last time! Had reservations for four and seated promptly. Nice atmosphere, just extremely loud! Waitress apologized when greeting us as this was her first night after training. She needed months more training. Very slow in taking drink orders and even slower in delivery. Brought out two drinks, then one more & 5 min later brought the last drink. Overall service was atrocious & got worse as night progressed. Food was tasty, although the seafood in the pasta Ravella was overcooked and tough, the poor service ruined the food quality. To top it off, tried to overcharge us on dinner items & it took 45 minutes to get our check corrected and pay the bill. To make matters worse, they put a $238.00 hold on my debit card for 5 days!

Favorite restaurant! Food is always outstanding!The after meal limoncello is just unmatched. The updated menu is somehow even better with an unbelievable pork chop!

We came to town last night for a concert at the Heymann Performing Arts Center. Like every other dining establishment nearby, Cafe Bella was very busy. When the waitress came to the table, we told her we only had 70 minutes so we ordered salads since she assured us they would be out immediately. After 40 minutes, we finally had to ask for a bread basket and with only 10 minutes to spare, finally had to get up and ask about the salads. When they arrived, the ingredients were cold and fresh, but they were more like the size of a large side salad vs. an entree salad. Expensive for what you got. Wish they could have been enjoyed but we only had 5 minutes left. Unfortunately, the parties around us were faced with the same experience but one was worse. They'd been there 90 minutes and got their warm meals literally minutes before they had to leave for the concert! They were as incensed as we were. If we come back for this venue, we will not shadow the door of Cafe Bella. They obviously had a kitchen/wait staff shortage but planning for concert nights is imperative.

I came here for lunch with a friend, and it was perfect. My crab salad was beautifully fresh and delicious, and the plating was really thoughtful. I also loved the complimentary bread with olive oil. This is a place I would bring my foodie grandma.

Food is absolutely phenomenal! Our precious server Katie was top notch! We were happy to see Jack too! Enjoy every time we go to this wonderful treasure of a restaurant!

Amazing service! Owner greeted us personally and made sure we were comfortable and taken care of. Crabmeat salad as an app was fantastic and the duck entree was out of this world-especially the sweet potato hash! Creme brûlée was amazing! Everything that was served to our table was great, we will definitely be back!!

Cafe Bella is such a treat! We loved both the grilled duck and the veal parmigiana! I enjoyed my lemon basil martini, peach Bellini-Tini, and my desert martini! My husband enjoyed his old fashioned and his Manhattan! We will be back for lunch so I can try the dishes I was too full to order: the salads, soups, and filet served with potatoes and a spinach cake?? Yes please! The patio was literally a breath of fresh air with our five month old with us. We were able to have a nice date night while he cooed in the nice patio spring ambiance. The owner is such a doll for taking our family picture.

Lunched here with a few coworkers here and we were very disappointed. The service was off. It took us forever to even get our water. Also, we were all surprised at the portion of the salads - super SMALL. Ingredients were good but definitely not worth the $18 for the portion. Finally, when leaving the manager asked how everything went and we explained how bad the service was the manager hardly apologized. She did not even ask who our waiter was. She asked us to come back in a few weeks after they work "some kinks out".

valentine's day sunday brunch 2016. Red sauce looked and tasted like warmed up last night's sauce. Kid's alfredo sauce was equally disturbing. I don't like writing reviews, but you guys failed yesterday. I really want my $120 back. Revello is good, that's all my girlfriend orders. Good bloody mary's. Good salads. (online menu prices are wrong BTW) Turn back the clock to figura days and I'd go back there. But never again. (don't get me started on how many ounces of veal are actually in the veal parmigiana= negligible.)

For date night, my husband and I decided to try Cafe Bella. We had eaten at Bella Figura quite a few times in the past and had always enjoyed their food. For appetizers we started with the stuffed portabella mushroom and the Arancini Riso. The portabella had a lovely cream sauce and wonderful flavor. The Arancini Riso was just ok, the Italian sausage to cheese ratio was overly favorable to the cheese. Don't get me wrong, I love cheese, but there should have been a little more sausage. For the main course I had the Veal Ossobucco Milanese and my husband had the Veal Picatta. Both were done very well! The Ossobucco had that wonderful flavor and the bone marrow was divine! The Veal Picatta was good, but in my opinion the star on that dish was the ravioli with the lemon caper sauce. For dessert we had the Creme Brulee and Tiramisu. Creme Brulee was outstanding with that wonderful eggy custard and crunchy sugar top. The tiramisu was presented a little differently than what we were accustomed to but it was good also. Service was great and the place had a nice ambiance! Will definitely eat here again!

Quality ingredients as always. First time at this location after years of Bella Figura patronage. The Cafe was nice and bright with friendly helpful staff. Owners greeted us as usual. We went for lunch and were very happy with the entire lunch menu which had a perfect selection of salads, pastas and sandwiches. I had the seafood mac's ' cheese which was the perfect serving size for lunch. I typically find most mac's lacking any spice but this mac was a pleasant surprise otherwise. The flavors of the seafood were delicious with a not - too - rich cheese sauce. My guest had the goat cheese salad but added chicken and changed the dressing. Without the chicken it would have been a very small salad; not really enough for lunch. The flavors were delicious with cranberries, pecans and very fresh greens. They were a little light on the goat cheese so next time we order this salad we'll ask for a little more. The prices were a little high for lunch with our bill at $25 for only these two items but the quality made it worthwhile. Next time we'll come for dinner and hit the beautiful huge bar area before we dine. Heads up... very little parking in the area.

My sister and I went to Cafe Bella tonight. From the moment we entered the door our experience was a delight. Ambiance, service and food were all tops. When I return to Lafayette I will definitely return to this excellent restaurant.

My wife and I have been going here since it was called Bella Figura. We love everything at Cafe Bella. I always get the Jalepeno Pasta or the Pasta Revella.

Went here for date night. Meet up with 3 other couples. Atmosphere and wait staff excellent. I ordered Parmesan Salmon, so delicious and well plated. We will return