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I visited this restaurant on a nice sunny Saturday. I did not expect much. I just wanted to find a local place in cute Saratoga downtown.
We ordered a pasta and chop pork steak. Both were great! I also liked the kind server and the ambiance of the restaurant.
There were about 10 of us on a late Saturday afternoon. We were told it would be 15 minutes to get a table outside and since it was a gorgeous day, we decided it was worth the wait. 15 then 30 minutes rolled by before one of us decided to check in on the table. I think they forgot us. After we checked in, they were only able to find a table big enough for us inside.
By then we were starved so we took it. I split the burger and cobb salad with a friend. The burger was perfectly medium rare and satisfying. The cobb was fine. The waiter tried to make up for our wait by being very efficient but it was too late at that point. The food was not good enough to make up for the wait.
I've been to some nice places in Saratoga that I have fond memories of but this place won't be on that list.
Downtown Saratoga is one of those cute little towns when you're driving through it ... but when you actually have time to stop, you get bored within 5 minutes.
After a morning of outdoor rock climbing at Castle Rock, we stopped by Saratoga for gas and food. We were a group of 10, eager to unwind and get some beer and food into our bellies. The outdoor seating and extensive menu (something for everyone ... burgers, salads, pastas etc) appealed to us. We were told of a wait of 15 minutes ... which turned into 30 minutes ... and we were only seated b/c hungry bellies makes even the most patient of our group cranky and irritable. While I understand that some groups even though they are done eating just don't leave so it's hard to predict how much longer till your party is seated, the management / staff of the restaurant should have at least offered indoor seating or water or something.
Once we were finally seated I appreciate that they scrambled to get us water and to take our order quickly. The bread was delicious as was the cream cheese spread. Most of my companions ordered burgers or salads and I could visibly see the fangs and claws retract once food was finally served. My salmon salad was dull and no amount of salt and pepper could make it better. My friends chicken salad sandwich made on a croissant was quite tasty though ...though anything on a croissant is tasty.
I appreciate that they tried to make things right - but service was still a bit slow. My food was average so for me personally, probably not a place I'll be stopping off at again.
This place has gone from a cute local haunt with decent food to a total disaster in the last few years. The service is *really* bad, and the food is a mess.
The last (and I do mean last) time I ate here, a fellow diner stuck a fork into his entree to find that the fish was still *wrapped in plastic.* I guess it had been microwaved and then covered in sauce. Disgusting. The manager only offered to make the diner the same meal as a replacement... he didn't even offer free dessert to make us feel better for a $30 microwaved, shrink-wrapped fish!
This place is beautiful and in a cute part of town, which sadly doesn't make it not suck. Attractive, but dealbreaker after dealbreaker. It's like reliving my college dating years! I can't wait to come back!
We came in and were sat at one table for brunch and were promptly moved to another table for unknown reasons. The table rocked harder than a bunch of bros listening to Stairway to Heaven. Service was like molasses and of the "hi, I'm gonna make eye contact with you and walk away, ok?" variety. My fellow brunch-er asked for cottage fries with one of the omelettes and was given a condescending explanation about how, duh, cottage fries come with all of the omelettes. Oops! Maybe if your menu wasn't riddled with spelling/grammar errors and actually stated what sides come with each entree, we wouldn't have to trouble you with such idiotic questions.
My Denny's-quality coffee went un-refilled for a long time (probably a good thing). The cinnamon rolls were cold and probably came fresh from Safeway that morning. The omelette that was supposed to come with cottage fries instead came with lukewarm barely-seasoned potatoes (and a "yes, those ARE cottage fries" doublespeak cog dis bonus from the server!). As a former brunch cook I can say with confidence that those badboys had been sitting in a warmer too long (or maybe just sitting out) and probably should have been given to the staff instead of served to customers. And one of my eggs on my bennie was cooked through to a rubbery consistency...what's the point, right?
It looked like a classy-enough joint and was certainly pricey enough to justify decent service. Not being the type to leave less than 15% without trying to let them fix things, I mentioned that we were kind of bummed about the food and lack of/condescending service. We got a "sorry you feel that way, you should have told your [absent, rude] server right away"--not quite a "go fuck yourself please" but certainly a "don't come back here, mmkay?"
Don't worry guys, we won't bother you again.
Our party of four ate dinner here this past weekend. This place is in close proximity to the Inn at Saratoga where we were staying. Someone in one of the shops said that it is recently under new management and that they'd been hearing good things about it.
It was a warm August weekend evening and we enjoyed great food outside on their patio. My husband ordered chicken stuffed with mozzarella and topped with a mushroom sauce. Couscous and a vegetable served on the side. He loved it. I had a lighter appetite and went for the Cashew Chicken Salad which was sizable and excellent. Flatbread and a tangy flavored butter came with all our dinners.
The service was very good. We were greeted and welcomed by management. Our table server was great and water glasses were refilled. When we left, again, management smiled and thanked us for coming.
We'll definitely eat here again. Great atmosphere and wonderful food. My only complaint was that our outside table was a little tippy which i guess is understandable being that it was on a patio surface. We fixed it by moving it an inch or so and pressing it against a fenced wall that bordered our sitting area. Problem solved.
We went there prior to the Mountain Winery event thinking it would be smart to eat something before we go. We were the 1st ones there, and that may explain the difference in the service we had compared to some of the other reviews.
The waiter and the food was really fast, the wine pours were well-over 5oz., the food was good and the table closest to the sidewalk worked out great.
Given we only had a Margarita pizza and some mussles to share, it might be hard to walk away with a real understanding of the food here.
Here is what we thought:
--The pizza was really bland and the mussles were okay. The wines by the glass are pretty expensive ($12 for a glass of decent Zin), and there are not a lot to choose from (by the glass).
--The outside seating might be the best thing going on here.
so, i think i'm going to take away a star (maybe 1.5 stars). this restaurant has changed ownership a couple times over the two decades we have been dining there.
in recent times, i've noticed that the portions have gotten smaller. it's not as good as it used to be but still fine..
it's also more expensive than it used to be. paying more for smaller portions definitely isn't a good combo.
my advice is to go for a lunch combo. my staple is salmon ravioli w/house salad. why go to dinner when you have to pay more $$ for the same food at lunch?
i'm usually not one to recommend italian food because it's pasta. but bella saratoga is a staple… Read more »
Stopped by this little restaurant after the Yelp event at the Plumed Horse. After we had all the wine, we had a major carb craving and this place just looked so inviting from the street, especially with the live band playing.
The management was really friendly, especially considering we came in at almost 9pm. We started with the bruschetta, which was really good...it wasn't the traditional tomato one, but they had 2 kinds, pesto and roasted peppers. Yum! For my entree I ordered the tortellini carbonara while my hubby ordered the chianti beef (beef over a red sauce w/ fettucine). I gotta say my entree was better...I just love fresh pasta and theirs was prepared perfectly. It totally hit the spot and satisfied my carb craving.
We each got a glass of some Italian wines but they were pretty bad (hence the -1 star), but the Cinnabar merlot my hubby got for his second glass wasn't bad. I guess we got a bit spoiled from drinking Ridge all night before we got to the restaurant.
The ambiance of this place was just really perfect for a nice chill dinner after the big party. We asked to sit inside since it was pretty cold out, but we still got to enjoy the music from the live band (loud enough, but not too loud). The service was very friendly and I have no complaints. Highly recommended for a nice but reasonably priced dinner out in Saratoga!
Alrighty...what to rate when the restaraunt serves great food, but the atmosphere doesn't match?
Here's how I get to 3 stars...
Food = 4.5 (really fresh, very creative)
Service = 3 (lags, disorganized)
Location = 5 (downtown Saratoga, old house)
Ambiance = 2 (unless you are outside on the patio)
We came here for brunch and we were all pleased with our meal. However, we were sat upstairs in this old musky area with no one else dining there. This place needs a severe update in looks.
The coffee was served cold. Eck.
Brunch started with REALLY good cinnamon rolls, and followed by a plate each of fresh fruit. All of our meals were good.
Honestly...not sure what to think. They need some help with their whole look and up the service level a bit, and then it'd be a really good place.
Ummm....this used to be one of my favs, not knowing the service had slipped - I took a friend for lunch last Friday afternoon and should have got a clue when it took 15 mins for our water, another 10 for the waiter to welcome us. We ordered the artichoke (w/ aoli) appetizer and the mayo was bad...if you have tasted bad mayo you know. My friend ordered a simple sandwich w/ a side Cesar salad and was happy. I like the chilled prawns w/ red onion, avocado and cilantro sauce and it was very good. I will still go back, but if the service is the same slow quality - never again.
Having no idea what to expect, my mind was a blank slate as I arrived. The location is quite charming, as is the Victorian-style building the restaurant occupies. My companion and I showed up and opted to sit outside, where there were overhead heaters running. Water was promptly served and in approximately five minutes, we received bread. This heightened my expectations. The bread was crispy on the outside, but warm on the inside, and came with a ever-so-slightly spicy tomato spread. Yummy!
The waitress came by not long after that to ask for our orders. I ordered the stuffed shell and salad combo. With bread, and conversation to keep us going, FL and I had plenty of things to discuss and keep our minds occupied. I must admit, though, several times, my mind wandered back to our order and pondered when it might come. I didn't keep track of the time, but the orders came quite a while after we placed them.
The salad was good. I liked the croutons, which were just the right size and flavor for the salad, and weren't overly crunchy. The stuffed shell was overflowing with crab and shrimp, gooey with cheese. Although it was good, it was rich, and I'm glad the combo only came with one. I couldn't imagine eating more than one for a meal. Since the servers refilled our bread basket, I was able to soak up some of the sauce with some bread, although this second batch of bread didn't have the same crunchiness as the one...
All in all, it was a pleasant experience, but my expectations were somehow not met.
Other notes:
The host was quite nice and accommodating to the patrons. As it started to rain, he quickly removed the tablecloths, and place settings of the tables that were in the rain...only to set them out again when the rain ceased and a couple decided to sit at one of the uncovered tables.
I recently ate at the venerable, classic Bella Saratoga and had a terrific experience. I'd been there maybe ten years ago a couple different times, and decided to go back there the other night as I was craving a good Italian meal.
I sat at the bar as I was solo and enjoyed the ambiance in this old school building. I don't understand why people have a problem with the decor or ambiance. The restaurant is set in an old Victorian house! In my opinion, enjoying a drink or meal there has a special charm you won't find in many other restaurants. In this day and age of strip malls, and tacky, cheap construction, eating at a place like Bella Saratoga is a real treat! If those walls could talk!
I ordered the pasta special which was a penne pasta dish with tomatoes, red peppers, and fresh arugula. It also came with pancetta. Being a vegetarian I asked them to hold the pancetta which was no problem. After a serving of their killer, fresh bread, and a bottle of Voss mineral water, my pasta dish arrived. The dish was extremely fresh tasting, flavorful and completely satisfying. I liked how the dish was fresh and satisfying without being too "filling" like some Italian meal can be. Service throughout was top-notch with a very friendly and attentive bartender and waiter.
After my meal, I tried an after dinner drink, which had digestive properties. Tasty, and the perfect capper to a great meal.
I'll be back soon no doubt, perhaps before a concert at the Mountain Winery this summer!
I went here for their New Years Eve tasting menu and was not impressed at all.
Disclaimer: I am a foodie, snob, picky, etc. Take this review with a grain of salt.
From the menu, website and Yelp reviews, this place seemed pretty cool. Unfortunately it's in a house with pretty old decor. The interior looked like a place my grandparents would live in.
Service was slow overall. Food was meh. It really felt like the chef was trying too hard. Big, crazy plates, even crazier plating for some foods. (Shrimp in shot glasses and lots of sauces drizzled and swirled around plates)
Bread: good. Bruschetta: really good. Asparagus with mozzarella inside baked bread: pretty good. Some sort of green spaghetti with crab: ok.
Lamb cutlet with mustard crust and chickpea mash: bad. Lamb was ordered medium rare, but because it was about 1/8 inch thin, it was cooked completely. And greasy for some reason, felt like it was deep fried? The chickpea mash was terrible, no flavor.
Dessert was kinda bad too. A ton of not fresh whip cream around a pastry with some dried fruit. I couldn't identify the fruit because there was very little flavor.
Overall a subpar experience. I wouldn't recommend this place.
If you are looking for a good experience in cuisine this is not the place. The service is fine, the ambience is great. We had a wonderful guitarist playing near our table. But the food....it was like coffee shop food only worse. I had the seafood omelette at brunch which was dry and flavorless. My husband had the frittata. Both were bland and unappetizing. We will not go back. My husband ordered a Bloddy Mary which was undrinkable because it was so hot with too much horseradish. Again, the service was good, but please, the food....yuck.
Wow, I'm wondering if I went to the same restaurant as everyone else here- All four people in my party were disappointed in our food tonight. First off, we waited almost an hour for our food- the waiter kept apologizing and saying they were behind because there was a big party- but it was 6pm and the place was almost completely empty! (How do they deal with a full Friday night?) Altogether, we had the chicken gorgonzola salad, the cioppino, penne & meatballs, the pasta pomodora and the linguine contadina: universally, our food was bland and the meats tasted like they were cooked a couple hours prior. The live music and ambiance were great- we had high expectations but must've caught them on a bad night.
Where do I get started? I think the meal and restaurant would best be wrapped up by some slurs out of Gordon Ramsay's mouth.
My husband and I did the $60 tasting menu for New Years Eve. We thought $60/person was pretty decently priced compared to other places - now we know why.
When we got into the restaurant I was surprised at how empty the restaurant was but dismissed it because I figured, "hey its new years and people are probably out partying instead".
We were seated fairly promptly and after about 7 minutes our waitress finally showed up where we were able to get water.
The meal started off with some homemade bread and butter (with a twist). Pretty yummy. Then the bruschetta which they totally got right - mmm! The next course was some type of puff pastry with asparagus and mozzarella cheese. It was alright, something you would probably find in a buffet line and think, "this ain't half bad!"
That's basically where the meal stopped at being good. My next course was mushroom risotto. In every food show on television I've watched, risotto has always been something that no chef can ever get right. Mine seemed to be both undercooked and overcooked at the same time with a pretty bland taste. I'm actually looking forward to trying the mushroom risotto I have in the freezer from Trader Joe's more than reliving this stuff.
My next course was prawns three ways. I guess the chef thought that being all fancy and putting each prawn in a shot glass with some awful breading and drizzling the plate with sauce would make him and artist and cover up the fact that the shrimp were pretty disgustingtly bland. Sorry Mr. Chef -- next time spend more time on the food, not the the plate artwork.
And oh dear, the dessert. I'm not quite sure what I ate. Once I scraped away the fort of hard whipped cream around the edges I had some type of puff pastry that passed for alright.
On a plus, the espresso was great and my free glass of champagne + glass of bland white wine was a nice touch.
I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon though.
I've been to Bella Saratoga on several occasions. My sister's baby shower when I found out I was dating my cousin, handfuls of casual lunches, many an office meeting, after work wine, and a drunken brunch. Guess which one is my favorite memory?
After licking the basket of warm cinnamon rolls clean we ordered an array of brunch starters, the frittata, the dutch baby, and the seafood omelette. For entree we filled ourselves with bellinis, mimosas, and appletinis galore. We lounged on the patio and laughed louder than the morning entertainment.
I've always been treated like a star, staff is attentive and friendly, I did prefer when Bill and his wife were owners but people retire, some recipes stay, some don't. It's restaurant evolution, it's inevitable.
I may not be back for brunch or dinner, I've been there done that. I would, however, stop in on a stroll down Big Basin for a glass of wine and perhaps the seafood salad for 2, a great portion of fresh shellfish. If you've never been you should. If you choose a drunken brunch option be sure to head up highway 9 after and enjoy the local wineries for a truly fabulous afternoon.
The food is pretty good. I had chicken piccata, fresh veggies. It was quite tasty. The only complaint that I have is the service. I think that I had 3 different servers wait on me;it wasn't even busy. The service is slow and unorganized. I got my dinner before I received my martini cocktail. That was really annoying because I ordered it as a before-meal refreshment and I would have liked a nice glass of White with dinner. The music afterwards upstairs was awesome!! Nice Jimmy Buffett cover songs. Nice!! It was a-ok but I would have been a huge fan if the service was right on.
What to do when cruelly turned away from the Thai place up the street and starving to boot? Walk over to Bella Saratoga of course. We have dined here before, but it's been a little while.
Long enough that I pretty much forgot that it was there. And that it was Italian. So when we were seated pretty promptly after just walking in...we were very happy to find a very extensive menu and wine list.
The manager who seated us mentioned they were very busy, and that if it was okay, he'd rather seat us and have us wait a bit to get anyone over at our table than tell us a 10 min wait and make us stand outside.
We agreed, because it's much more fun to nosh on bread and drink water than stand around shivering in the early evening chill.
Funnily enough, my husband and I had just gone to the Elite Fahrenheit event and I'd stuck my nametag sticker on my husband's shirt right under his. We had totally forgotten they were on there! So when he took off his jacket, the manager honed on the Yelp nametags like a beacon and said 'Oh you know Yelp?' And my husband said 'Yes'...and that we'd just gone to an event. And he said 'Oh a user event?'...Yep.
Bright light in the manager's eyes. As he headed off, he said in the sweetest voice imaginable how he hoped we had a pleasant dinner. My Mom immediately turned to me and said 'Give me some of those nametag things'. HAH!
The dinner was actually quite enjoyable and the whole evening was a wonderful experience. The menu is very extensive and pretty authentic Italian as in 'Italy' style Italian.
They have a good selection of thin crust pizzas in the personal size, appetizers, salads, pastas, meats, seafoods. The bruschetta was quite good, with a combo of pesto and mozz melted on it, a little more like a pesto garlic bread but that was okay with me. The plate of linguini and meatballs was so huge, I ate about 1/3 and we brought the rest home for dinner tomorrow. My husband had the lasagna which he loved, and basically licked the plate clean. Salmon ravioli was pronounced divine by my picky Mom. My dad had his old standy...a pizza, which had a tasty crust.
Speaking of crust, the bread at this place is amazing. I am a total carb-bread-loving-whore, and I don't know what this type of bread is exactly but it was puffy and warm and doughy inside...I consumed a whole lot of it with warm butter and asked for MORE. Maybe that's why I only ate 1/3 of the pasta??
We got a cannoli for dessert-to-go, shared some cofee with the parents and finished up our convos. Overall a really nice night with an unexpected positive since it started out a little disappointing as we were hoping to have Thai.
As they noted originally, the server was slow to come by initially when were seated, but it gave us a chance to chat and say our hellos and look over the menus...and I actually appreciated they told us that it might be a little while before they could get to us, a little honesty goes a long way.
And after he did stop by and take our orders, he said the food would not take as long as he had...and he was right. It was boom-boom-boom after that. Spot on service, super friendly, and overall very accommodating.
I mentioned to my husband that I didn't recall that place being quite so good previously. Now that we have rediscovered it, we are SO heading back for more bread and pasta next time we're in the area....forget getting Thai!
Saratoga's small downtown can only occasionally be referred to as "vibrant". There is plenty of disposable income here, but it always seems to go down Highway 9 to Los Gatos, especially when it comes to restaurants.
Bella Saratoga is one of the few good reasons to come to downtown. Situated in an old Victorian, it has a great patio for a long afternoon lunch. I eat tons of pasta on a regular basis (note to kids: don't eat your vegetables, eat pasta and cheese and grow tall like me), but the stuffed shells filled with crab and shrimp in a cheese sauce were exceedingly good. There seemed to be only one waiter working while we were there, but he did an excellent job of making sure our needs were met the entire time. It's definitely a place I'll come back to again.
(One quibble with the sign in front describing Bella Saratoga as 'romantic', it feels like trying too hard for a certain market.)
3.5 stars rounded up because I have had some seriously exceptional service here on occasion. Then rounded back down because my favorite dish changed.
The bread and spread is unique and yummy. The spread has a little kick to it!
We usually eat inside for dinner since it is cold but the outdoor seating looks real nice come summer!
I have been here several times and always order the stuffed shells. The owner recently changed and he changed the way they serve it. Bummer! Now they serve it in a dish that fits the 2 shells rather then a big plate with 2 shells and lots of sauce on it! Cream baby, it is all about the cream.
I can't ever leave without the warm ice cream berry desert. It is such a nice finish. I like this place enough to go back.
I'll be honest the food wasn't all that. But get this...
We celebrated my mom's birthday brunch here. As you sit down, they serve you this freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Woah, that's a breakfast by itself. I was thinking to myself... I could come here and just order coffee and get the cinnamon rolls for free. Next, they serve you a plate of freshly cut fruit. Nice! We hadn't even ordered anything yet! So I order the Eggs Saratoga. It's basically an Eggs Bendedict but on a croissant instead of an English muffin. This is where it went downhill. Egg was way overcooked, the cheese was that coagulating type, stretchy and cheap tasting. Kind of a let-down.
Big but, the atmosphere is nice. Outdoor patio seating, the waitress was the best ever, and the party had a good time. Food... can be better.
Great place to dine on the way to an event at the Mountain Winery. The outdoor seating is protected from elements and street, but not the flies.
The food was excellent. The cioppino was near perfect. Salmon was just okay.
The host was very gracious and the bus person was the best. It took the food server fifteen minutes to come to our table.
The wines are excellent.
Excellent desserts.
The guitarist who played outdoors was excellent.
Aww, I love this place. It reminds me of my Saratogan childhood. This place is a Saratoga staple. Lovely on a summer evening if you can sit on the patio. In an adorable old house-type thing in downtown Saratoga - very quaint, rustic, elegant. Real Italian waiters with accents who are super smiley and nice. Makes you feel like you're having a relaxing dinner in the Italian countryside with friends and family. Inside the lighting is dim and the ambiance is tres Victorian - great for a romantic date, followed by a stroll in downtown 'toga and a stop at a cute coffee house.
Bruscetta is delish - two types, roasted peppers and pesto, which cheese.
Also had the artichoke with butter. It tasted...well, like artichoke with butter.
Halibut and salmon were nice and healthy, but very plain.
Yummy pastas - almost all are good, seriously.
My family loves the desserts - bread pudding, creme brulee, fresh fruits - really delicious.
But what I LOVE, more than life itself, is the starter BREAD. With the garlic butter. OH MY GOD. You have not lived until you have had this. Next time, I think I'll just eat this as my meal.
I think the only reason I wouldn't give it a 5 is that the inside is kind of dingy unless, like I said, you're going for the romantic date thing. And most of the time it's hard to get a place on the patio.
Also, altho the food is good, it's not as good for Italian as say, Lavanda, and therefore I think it's a bit overpriced.
I've been here on three occasions.
I remember my first time being a mid afternoon, so we had an appetizer (probably the bruschetta), on the patio. It was very good and I loved the decor and the ambiance of the restaurant. It feels like you're eating at friend's house instead of at a restaurant. It's very nice to people watch too.
The next time I went was for my b-day. We had an afternoon brunch on the 2ND level. Most likely I ordered some form of pasta entree and had the Tiramisu.
And the third was for a mid afternoon snack, probably the Brushetta again. :) guess that's my favorite item from Bella and their dessert.
We went here tonight and it was lovely. The food, especially the bread, was outstanding. Maybe it's because I've been cutting my carbs, but it was freaking fantastic. I ate wayyyy too much of the bread, and ordered pizza and a salad. The salad was smaller than I expected, but it was pretty good anyway -- truth be told I was so stuffed from those rolls, there was not way I could eat it all. I ate about 1/3 of my pizza. The best part of dinner: my husband admitted that I out-ordered him. Something I very rarely do. Victory is mine. After dinner we took a walk down the street, which is just lovely and charming. For fun we looked up house prices in the area, and then I got depressed. It's a lovely, lovely area. The ambiance in the restaurant is lovely; it felt romantic even though our baby insisted on sitting on my lap during the meal.
Bella Saratoga is a quaint Italian restaurant housed in an old victorian house with a cute bar downstairs. It doesn't even cross my mind that I am eating in a restaurant because it really does feel like you're at somebody's house!
Even with a cute and cozy setting there is no need to dress up. I don't think I've ever had a bad experience here (either with food or service). You can literally choose anything off the menu and it will be good!
Had a very nice dinner there last night. It is an old Victorian home, and very comfortable inside. We ate upstairs at a corner table overlooking a window into the town of Saratoga. The wallpaper, decorations and overall ambiance are very charming. How nice and romantic. The home is old, as when you get to the top of the stairs, the house tilts a little. Great fun!
It is comfortable and casual. Our server was very nice, although some might think him showing up at our table was slow, we enjoyed the nice leisurely time. We got some steamed mussels in a wine broth and some wine for appetizers. Nice. Broth was so good. This coupled with the Florentine bread and cheese spread started off the meal just dandy.
I came for the Cioppino and ordered it. My companion had a nice pasta dish. Prices are reasonable for Saratoga. Both meals came out hot and tasty. The Cioppino had some nice flavors with all its assorted fish, shrimp and scallop pieces. The pasta was done well with a nice tomato sauce.
For dessert, we split a scrumptious pecan cheesecake. Yummy.
I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and would recommend. A very nice eating stop in the town of Saratoga.
I'm only giving it two stars instead of 1 because the food was pretty good (when we actually got it). It's really more like 1.5 stars.
My boyfriend and I went there for brunch on Easter. We had never been there before, but I saw a listing in the Easter Brunch section of the Waves and thought Italian food on the patio sounded nice. We arrived 15 minutes late for our reservation, but since a party of 2 had just left they were able to seat us quickly anyway. After being seated for a while no one came over to greet us, or bring water or bread. Another party of 4 sitting next to us that got seated after us already had water, bread, and drinks by the time our server even came over. We were ready to order our food by then, so we did. This was the first of only 3 times we would ever see our server. Eventually someone brought the bread- cinnamon rolls which were fairly tasty- and our coffees. But no spoons or cream for the coffee or plates to put the cinnamon rolls on. The guy came back in a few minutes with everything. The menu said fresh fruit comes with each meal. Everyone around us was enjoying the fruit, even the table who got seated after us, but we never got any. Instead a runner delivered our entrees. We decided we would ask our server about that, and also order some cocktails, which we wanted to have along with our entrees. After a while our server finally showed up again and asked how everything was so far. We told him the food was good, but weren't we supposed to get fruit? He rudely said "We ran out", to which my boyfriend responded "it would have been mice for you to tell us that". So we went ahead and ordered drinks- the midori and champagne drink, I don't remember the name of it. The server came back a few minutes alter and told us they were out of midori too. We changed our drink order, and that was the last we ever saw of him. By the time we got our drinks, I had only about 2 bites of my stuffed shells left.
After our dished were cleared, yet another guy miraculously brought us the fruit plates. We said "I thought you were our of fruit". Thinking on his feet, he said "We got more". I'm pretty sure they just scrounged some up from the supply of apples and strawberries they had for the dutch baby pancakes- in fact a guy 2 tables over complained that there weren't enough apples on his (sorry we ate your apples, guy!)- but we were still happy they had made an effort, even though it was after we were done with our entrees. By this time we would have ordered another drink, but no one ever came back over to check on us. We sat for about a half hour just waiting for our check. Finally a server from another section asked what we were waiting on and brought the check. Then we waited another 15 minutes or so for someone to come pick it up. Eventually my boyfriend went inside to pay. The server who brought the check apologized for the wait and ran the credit card. My boyfriend noticed that people inside were being thanked for spending Easter at Bella Saratoga and offered dessert menus. That's sad. No one even offered to refill our coffee let alone offer us a dessert menu.
The worst part was that we were seated right next to the host stand. A guy that appeared to be the owner was greeting and seating people and he was standing there while all this was going on and either wasn't perceptive enough or just didn't care.
I really don't mind slow service or even when places run out of things, as long as the server is polite and attentive. Our guy- the only server wearing a burgundy shirt instead of white for some reason- was rude about the fruit and just blew us off after that. I can honestly say this is the only time in 10 years that my boyfriend decided to not leave a tip. We should have just left without paying since no one was paying attention anyway.
The tables outside were nearly all occupied on a warm day in Saratoga. We chose to dine indoors, A/C blasting, surrounded by a Winchester Mystery House-like atmosphere. With a bar area and more tables up the stairs, seating is plentiful.
Already stuffed by a pasta lunch, I hear the dinner portions are more massive. But the spread that accompanied the bread was a lil too reminiscent of Kraft Pimento I used to eat back in the day. Despite it looking like more attention was being paid to the hoard of eaters dining on the patio, I was pleased with the service.
Italian cuisine's always the safe bet when dining with others--most everyone likes it and there's always something for me. The food is nothing mind-blowing, but I'm not averse to returning. Come here to enjoy your company and their casual dining rather than for the food, alone.
I grew up in 'toga but went here for the first time on Sunday for brunch with my dad- kind of a spur of the moment/nice weather type of thing. We sat outside on the patio in the sun and ordered their house mimosas. It took a while for them to bring over our drinks but we munched on the cinnamon rolls they brought out in the meantime. The food was pretty standard for brunch fare but it was nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine as I am now a San Franciscan and rarely see the sun.
Cute place to go on a warm Sunday morning or nice summer night but I think you pay more for the ambiance than for the food.
A nice romantic brunch place in south bay. Its seems like an Old House but is nicely done. Outside seating is pretty nice actually and they make sure the place is warm both in hospitality and temperature. The food is decent but I would rate this place high on the ambiance more than anything. They have a good wine collection as well. Ohh the bread and the special cream cheese are delicious.. The chocolate cake is sinful !!!
This is a great date place - very comfortable and original - the restaurant is actually an old Victorian house, similar to the old Chart House in downtown Los Gatos (I miss that place!) but not as upscale.
The food is hit-and-miss. The real reason to come here is it's very romantic and very reasonably priced. For some reason, their Salmon Ravioli is a specialty. I tried it once and wasn't really impressed - I'd recommend skipping it and getting the potato crabcakes instead. The filet with mushrooms (Filet Saratoga) is always great, and they have a nice wine list. Also, they have half bottles of Rombauer Merlot which will always keep me coming back.
Like the movie says, I usually don't drink any f@# Merlot, but Rombauer is really, really good stuff - full-bodied, lush, with lots of blueberries .. try it!!
Bella Saratoga is a cute little restaurant in an old Victorian home. I like it because I kinda feel I'm eating in someone's house. It's really comfortable and casual. There is a great patio for dining outdoors too. The staff has always been friendly when I've visited.
My favorites are: crabcakes, fried calamari, Fettuccini Bianco, and Chicken & Prawns Marsala.
My friend and I went there for lunch earlier this week. The food was fabulous. I tried something new: Stuffed Shells. It was truly delicious, perfect to eat for lunch. YUM. My friend enjoyed her Chicken dish as well, We shared a decadent Creme Brulee.
Now if the service matched the food, it would have been 5 stars. The server needed some customer service skills in a major way. She always looked like she was irritated, put out, or stressed. It was NOT EVEN BUSY. There were empty tables and other servers, so I am not sure what her problem was. We waited a long time for our dessert. And when I asked for the check, she looked annoyed and frazzled.
On the upside, the busboy was always there, ready to take a dish, replenish the bread, and refill our drinks.
So...I am not exactly sure why the server was having issues. All she did was take our order, bring our food, and bring our check. Maybe she isn't cut out to be in food service.
Overall, I say it's a nice place to eat, good food, but don't expect 5 star service - at least at lunch on a weekday.
Took my friend to this place for lunch. We had eaten here years ago and decided to give it a shot again. It wasn't much better this time.
Same old "Florentine" bread sticks and cheesy cheese dip. Hey...I'll go to a pizza joint to get left over pizza dough.
The place is nice enough. Old, faded, worn out Victorian, with a cozy little bar. We got served quickly, and with a smile + 1 for that.
-2 for the lunch menu. No entree under 10.95. Spendy salads. Sandwiches around $9.50. I opted for Linguine and Meatballs. Kinda soggy linguine, with 2 OK meatballs, and a blah sauce. I asked quietly for some Tabasco.
My friend said the bathroom was not well cared for. No soap in the pump, and empty TP holder...stray partially used roll was found. He wonders how the staff washes up...
Well...I don't wanna be too harsh. Expensive, and well..not that good.
It's a pass for lunch at least. However the bar looked cozy.
2.5 stars
This was the first time my husband and I had ventured to downtown Saratoga - what a cute place!
We stopped here for lunch because I was in the mood for some pasta. It's a nice little place in an old Victorian style house. We asked to be seated outside as they have a really nice patio area and the weather was fantastic today.
We were seated and served promptly. The bread was nice and warm and the spiced cream cheese was a nice starter. I ordered the linguine and clams and the server recommended the white wine sauce - I'm glad I took his advice because it was delicious. Buttery and creamy and garlicy but not too heavy. And they weren't light on the clams, which is all too common. My husband ordered the Angus burger. It came with cheddar and bacon and it was a good ole midwestern grill style burger. He was pleased.
All in all, we had an excellent lunch, encountered lovely wait staff, and would certainly come back again!
I stopped by here to grab a bite to eat prior to a Chicago concert at the Mountain Winery. I've always driven by this place and always thought it was a house, but it's actually a restaurant. The old Victorian house really makes the place feel "homey".
I was kind of saddened that I didn't get to sit on the patio, as it was a really nice summer evening. The parties that were lucky enough to sit outside, sure seemed to enjoy it, as I'm sure I would've too.
we wound up getting a table inside next to the bar. It's a little bit cramped since this would be living room for the home if it wasn't a restaurant. It was still a bit cozy, even though the lighting was a bit dim.
The food itself wasn't bad at all. Good Italian food. The Ravioli was nothing special, simple cheese with sauce. The spicy sausage marinara over penne was exceptionally good. It had the right about of heat, and the penne wasn't drowned in sauce either.
It does seem like this place gets pretty busy, especially before concerts. It's a nice atmosphere and good food for the price, with decent sized portions as well. The service can be slow though and the bread they give you can be stale (got a mix of fresh and stale).
My aunt, her three daughters, my wife, and myself went to Bella Saratoga for brunch on easter sunday.
We were seated promptly, but everything after that was neither prompt nor good. It took 20 minutes to order and then another 10 to get the bread with our meals. Drinks were not refilled until we asked several times.
It took over 90 minutes to get our food. Other people came, ate, and left while we were waiting. We were told "a few more minutes" several different times. When we did get our food, My aunt was upset because her eggs were overdone; she sent them mack and they came back again overdone. The manager was rude and curt.
Instead of trying to fix these problems by offering something, we had to ask for a 10% discount.
I won't be going again until the management changes.
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