Bella Italia - Milton Keynes

Advantages: Good menu, excellent food, nice atmosphere
Disadvantages: waiters average, can get bit crowded

...Bella Italia, formerly known as Bella Pasta is a chain of Italian Restaurants, about 60 odd, throughout the country. I visited this restaurant last week with my fiancée while out shopping in Milton Keynes. The restaurant is located near the shops with pubs and other restaurants next to it. Appearance --------------- On walking through the doors, you are greeted with a two level restaurant, actually very large, it could probably fit between 80 and 100 people in it! The décor was very nice and well kept, in an Italian style, all brown and beige colours. We noticed that the kitchen is open view in the diner so that you can see the chefs cooking which is an excellent thing - provides safe knowledge of food and adds character to the restaurant. They also had quiet music on in the background which wasn't too harsh. The tables were...

neil1424 07.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Bella Italia - Milton Keynes

Bella Italia in Mexico ... literally

Advantages: Yummy food, nice atmosphere
Disadvantages: A bit like Pizza Hut meets any other pizza chain in the world, and clearly not Mexican

...into coming here. The warm-but-not-hot garlic bread was massive and could easily have fed 4 people as a side dish. It reminded me of the sort Deep Pan Pizza used to serve, but was one long baton rather than several smaller pieces. It's rare to find garlic bread in Mexico, so I had to try it, and it was nice and garlicky but not so over powering that no one would sit next to us in the cinema an hour later. My pasta was beautifully cooked, which is not always the case here since lots of non-Italian places try to offer pasta on their menus, but don't do it well. It reminded me of Bella Italia at home, another chain Italian restaurant, but one that serves up good food. I was especially pleased to get fresh parmesan, grated for me at the table, since this is a rarity here, and last time I came I didn't even get offered cheese. Big Sis's pizza...

zoe_page 28.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Italiannis, Mexico

The Bella of the Ball (Now called Bella Italia)

Advantages: good price, good food
Disadvantages: not suitable if you don't like chains

...the same as the menus, continuing the theme of the chain nicely. SUMMARY Whilst you might find better Italian food at your local Italian restaurant, you can find much worse. Bella Pasta provides good Italian food, albeit it from a nationwide menu, at good prices, and consistent quality. If you find yourself in a strange town, and you find a Bella Pasta, you automatically know it?s going to be good food ? of course this can take some of the adventure of finding a new restaurant out of your experience, but it might mean you don?t eat in a dodgy Italian down a back street in the middle of Northampton. ...................................................................................... UPDATE - this chain is now known as Bella Italia, and the names of most of the dishes have been changed to reflect this; e.g. Linguine Pesto Genovese is...

pesky33 19.04.2004 (11.06.2004) · Read review
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Review of Bella Pasta - Birstall

Mouth watering

Advantages: Delicious food at quality prices
Disadvantages: As a student, I can't go there every week.

...There are two Bella Italia in Norwich, one on Red Lion Street and the other at Exchange Street. I went to the one on red Lion Street, which is right in the middle of the city centre. The reason that we went to that one is because we were going to Pizza Hut opposite but then we wanted to try somewhere else. And I was glad that we did. This Bella Italia was clean and spacious. After dining, you could go shopping, to the cinema, the museum, to a pub or to a bar. All of those are just a few steps away. The staff are friendly, always smile and quick to response. There is a car park just round the corner. There is wheelchair access, which will be very convenient. On the menu there are starters, main courses, desserts and beverages. Vegetarian foods are also available. We had chicken wings and potato wedges for starter. Well cooked...

wingnut888 24.07.2005 · Read review
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Review of Bella Italia, Norwich

Wheely Good Restaurant

Advantages: Unique building, delicious food
Disadvantages: Nothing major

...Bella Italia Cambridge I should start by saying that there are 3 different Bella Italia restaurants in Cambridge: one at the Grafton Centre - next to the Vue Cinema, one at the Cambridge Leisure Park and one along the backs, near Newnham College called the Watermill. I have visited all three restaurants, so will give a quick note about the other two before my full review which is on the Watermill Bella Italia. As they are all part of the same chain they share the same menu but the restaurants themselves are slightly different. Grafton Centre ? Possibly the smallest of the three Bella Italia restaurants in Cambridge, it is on the first floor of the Grafton Centre next to Vue cinema, a fast food Italian and a Burger King. In my opinion, Bella Italia?s food is much preferable to the other eateries available on this floor, but...

uglyboots 07.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Bella Italia Restaurant, Cambridge

A Lesson In Showing Football

Advantages: Very well presented
Disadvantages: Scheduling of Gazzetta programme

...ahead of anything we publish in the UK, and often presents from a location in the heart of the beautiful cities of Italy. Whenever BBC have a location report it tends to look like an item from the Holiday programme ? all dramatically photographed and musical background. Richardson always has the previous weeks action and news including updates of the progress of the Italian clubs in the European competitions and the Italian Cup. The match broadcast on a Sunday is well presented. The commentaries of Clive Tyldesley or Peter Brackley are excellent and avoid the idiosyncratic nonsense which John Motson still thinks of as a commentary. The C4 commentators realise that viewers have switched to watch the football not listen to someone chuckle inanely and provide bland wallpaper comments. Football Italia and Gazzetta succeed for 2 reasons...

polydeuces 12.11.2000 · Read review
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Review of Channel 4 - Football Italia

The best football program ever

Advantages: Very well presented, Looks like alot of time has been spent on it.
Disadvantages: Italian football itself can be boring sometimes

...This title sounds like its going over the top, but it is my honest opinion. Personally, although Italian football is very good technically, i don't always find it that exciting, but there is no doubt about the quality of the presentation of it on Channel 4. I regularly watch the live matches, but they have had some bad luck, including Inter - Brescia, one of the most boring games i have ever seen, but the really great thing about Football Italia is the weekly highlights/ magazine program, Gazetta, on Saturday mornings. James Richardson presents it very well, and it is very well structured, involving highlights, all the goals from the previous week, plus a round up of all the news stories, good interviews (Richardson speaks incredibly good Italian) and previews of the Sunday live match. The progress of each of the Italian Serie...

Yeahmate 17.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Channel 4 - Football Italia

Luther Paul Joe and James

Advantages: Great teams, great players, great weather
Disadvantages: Some naff clubs

...Channel 4 and SPORT - it used to be a bit of a joke with things like that Indian version of British Bulldogs, but over the last five years or so, the channel has rightly been given a lot of credit for the improvements it has managed to make and some of the scoops they have had and the undisputed jewel in 4's sports crown is Sunday's Football Italia selection. The Serie A, Italy's equivalent to our own premiership, is one of the most exciting league tournaments in the world and for many years the 'money no object' approach of the richer Italian clubs has led to the world's greatest players gracing the field in the warm and pleasant clime. The Premiership came late on the scene and has probably now overtaken Serie A as big business, but has had to pour money in to do so, and Spain's La Liga is probably now even more impressive, but...

dave27 26.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of Channel 4 - Football Italia

Cheesier than Darius

Advantages: Delicious comfort food
Disadvantages: Very high in fat

...Marks and Spencer have had problems with their clothes division lately but they never fail in the food hall section. This food review is testament that this is another quality product to tempt your taste buds. This particular product is in the Italia range. *******The Packaging************ The pack size is 360g and comes in an attractive white microwaveable plastic dish although it can be cooked in the oven (further details to follow). This has a film lid and over this is a cardboard outer. What never ceases to amaze and entertain me (sad I know!) is the serving suggestions. This product it would appear is best served on a plate and eaten with a fork but just for artistic merit please feel free to add a sprig of parsley. Also on the front of the packaging are a few icons that most people will recognise including...

Cinnamonsam 15.04.2002 · Read review
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Review of Marks & Spencer Italia Macaroni Cheese

The Best

Advantages: Its Cheap and tasty
Disadvantages: Toilets are upstairs

...Ill start by saying that this has been my favourite resteraunt since i was obout 9 years old and i still would rather eat here than at any other place in liverpool! Casa Italia is a small friendly resteraunt that is always busy and bustling the chairs and table are close together and the decor is has a rustic feel all in all it just fels nice the waiters rush around the place seating people from the cue outside (always a cue on friday and saturday nights) There are no heirs and graces here this is just good quality italian food at a great price and by the look at the chefs faces down at the far end of the resteraunt they dont get much rest as order after order gets passed to them. The prices are to say the least cheap and when you see the size of te portions you get Wow is this value for money Lasagne (Highly recomende!) at £5...

ooberman 14.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Casa Italia