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  • Bistro Bella Vita

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Reserve at Bistro Bella Vita

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Bistro Bella Vita
Bistro Bella Vita

Bistro Bella Vita Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.bistrobellavita.com
  • Phone: (616) 222-4600
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Tuesday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Wednesday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm, Sunday: 4:00pm - 9:00pm; Saturday & Sunday Brunch: Special Occasions Only
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean, French, Italian
  • Executive Chef: Patrick Wise
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Smoking Area, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: A Dining Experience Like No Other. Treat yourself and your guests to the ultimate dining experience: Bistro's chef’s table. Enjoy an exclusive, multi-course meal featuring creative dishes prepared Bistro-style with only the very best, hand-selected, seasonal ingredients. Executive Chef Patrick Wise personally presents each course as it’s served with a history of the food, details about the dish and the complexity of its flavors. You also can enjoy your chef’s table experience like no other.
  • Private Party Contact: Julie Wise (616) 222-4600

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Weston and Market
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: Metered street parking and 4 lots and ramps are located either adjacent to the building or within a short walking distance.
A word from Bistro Bella Vita
At Bistro Bella Vita delivers the maximum guest experience with superior food, beverage and service. Their specialty is natural Mediterranean Country Cuisine made from scratch daily. French Flair and Italian Twist. Fresh. Natural. Local. Bistro Bella Vita takes pride in their cuisine. The house-made… recipes feature delicious flavors of the Mediterranean prepared in a brick oven, grill and rotisserie with the highest quality ingredients, because fresher ingredients make the freshest cuisine. In-season, the restaurant uses chemical-free produce from local farmers because it's healthier and tastes best. But don't take their word for it... come in and taste for yourself.

Pair your meal with a glass or bottle of wine from our wine list featuring over 100 bottles from around the world. Or enjoy a hand-shaken martini from West Michigan’s largest martini bar. Specialty menu items are available for gluten-free, lactose intolerant, vegetarian and vegan diets.Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diner Reviews
  • "The dinner was very good with very fresh ingredients and delicious flavors."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "Enjoyed the food, service was excellent, paced perfectly. Our server Liz was excellent. We'll definitely return and request her as our server."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "My experience at Bistro Bella Vita was exceptional. The food was fabulous and Tristan, our waitor, really made great food recommendations. Our two appetizers from the daily special menu were phenomenal and should be added to the regular menu. We enjoyed "Roasted Urban Mushroom with five onion marmelade and Goat Cheese Fondue" and "Hangar Steak over a Bread Pudding with figs and goat cheese drizzle". Both were delectable. Dinners were also good but two daily fish specials were sold out by 6 pm which seemed they may have underestimated the number of diners desiring fish entrees. Overall, our experience was excellent and we will be back."
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Great as always! Love it here! Fantastic food, wonderful drink list, great atmosphere - need I say more?"
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "Fantastic food. One of the finest restaurants we have eaten at in the past year."
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "A group of 6 of us had a business meeting over dinner. The atmosphere was perfect - fun and professional with great food and beverages."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "My husband and I are very happy that we chose Bistro Bella Vita to celebrate our anniversary. Everything was excellent--wine choices, service, and food. I definitely recommend Bistro, and we hope to come back sometime soon!"
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "Amazing. I love this place. Went here with my significant other for dinner. The food was amazing, and our waiter was very friendly. It's definitely a pretty penny, but oh so worth it. The food, service, and whole atmosphere was great! Can't wait to go back again!"
    Dined on 7/11/2014
  • "One of the best restaurants in downtown Grand Rapids. Very nice patio in the summer. Good service provided by friendly staff. Definitely one of my favorites!"
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "Tasted all 4 of the meals we had at our table. Every single one was excellent! Especially the pasta Bolognese (can't spell it!) The red sauce was perfectly spicy. Will definitely go back when we are in GR again."
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "We reserved a time online for 7, we got there a little early and were able to choose a seat outside on a beautiful night. It was much quieter outside. When I went into the restaurant between dinner and dessert it was quite busy/noisy so I am glad my husband and I chose to sit outside to enjoy his birthday. Would recommend eating here, food was great, dessert was awesome. Service was great, very attentive and we were able to request modifications of what we ordered and it came out just how we wanted it. Very accommodating. Thanks for a relaxing, special evening"
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "Service is typically very good when compared to the other restaurants in town. Food is consistently well made and presentation is nice. Good group of cooks I'd say."
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "I've been to Bistro Bella Vita twice and both times have been amazing. After my first experience there I couldn't wait to go back! Their food is delicious and the service is amazing. Our waitress was attentive with our party of 8 and patient with my 2 year old that didn't really want to be there! I'd recommend this restaurant to everyone. I'd classify this restaurant as upscale, but it definitely does not have a "snobby"or uptight feel to it. The atmosphere is very relaxed and comfortable."
    Dined on 6/22/2014
  • "The food, atmosphere and wine selection was just fabulous. I've been to BBV many times and it never fails in quality, variety and service."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "No only was our food excellent as usual but Danielle was our server and she is one of the best I have ever encountered and I fancy myself a foodie! Your head valet gentlemen is the best as well! Excellent customer service brings me back often!"
    Dined on 6/17/2014
  • "Visited on a slower Saturday night, service was prompt and friendly, atmosphere was nice and food was ok, but a little over priced for what we received"
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "It was my boyfriends Birthday and we have been mentioning dinning here for sometime now... Once we arrived, it was nice to be seated immediately but we were seated right by a plain wall with all these groups of people surrounding us. I was hoping more for a better view and not so loud. We had to talk over every single person around us. I would prefer not to hear every conversation of others. But the food was amazing and our waiter was fantastic! I wouldn't make this a date spot, but if you're looking for a place to eat and for drinks with a group of friends, or a spot to catch up with one another then this is a great place."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "My husband and I went to bistro Bella vita for our 1 year anniversary. We are not from the area so we looked up reviews for different restaurants. This one had high ratings so we decided to give it a shot. We were both in the mood for an anti pasta tray. The description said Italian meatS and cheeses. We received the tray and the only meat on there was plain salami. There were two kinds of cheese: sharp provolone and YELLOW AMERICAN!! That was disappointing. Then the main dishes came, hubby got the rib eye which was not too bad and I decided on the special; gnocchi with lobster and beef. The sauce tasted mostly like salty carrots so it was difficult to swallow. We were not expecting to be so dissappointed because of the high reviews."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "We got together with friends for a special occasion. The food and service were wonderful! Highly recommend the duck ravioli!"
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "Service was spectacular and, as always, the food and martinis were great."
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "We had out of town guests staying in a hotel in downtown Grand Rapids and decided Bistro Bella Vita would be a great place. We all enjoyed the wonderful and creative food choices, great service and the general ambiance of the restaurant."
    Dined on 6/3/2014
  • "We went with a group of four on Saturday evening. Our group had entrees ranging from pizza (the Rustica is my favorite) to duck to lamb. Everything was done perfectly. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. The drinks were well poured and not over-priced. As usual, there was a lot of energy. Another great experience at the Bistro."
    Dined on 5/30/2014
  • "We celebrated two birthdays on Saturday evening. We were waited on by-what we now think-is the politest server in GR. The food was fantastic, portions were large, and everything was fast. We were not rushed out and enjoyed our evening so much as a result of all of the above qualities. We highly recommend The Bistro to locals and to visitors to GR."
    Dined on 5/24/2014
  • "The menu has not changed since inception. The main reason? Perfection accomplished. I heard the quote, "Do one thing and do it well." This is what Bistro Bella Vita has done with their menu and the entire food experience. A wonderful experience day or night, food or just cocktail and appetizers."
    Dined on 5/23/2014
  • "We had an amazing evening at Bistro Bella Vita. The food is a great value, but it is also scrumptious! We love all the Essence Group Restaurants in Grand Rapids. The Grove is fabulous as well! We missed visitng The Green Well, on this visit, but plan on going there next time we come to Grand Rapids as well as to re-visit Bistro Bella Vita and The Grove."
    Dined on 5/19/2014
  • "The service was impeccable, the food was wonderful, and the wine selection was delectable. Thank you for making it a great night with my friends."
    Dined on 5/16/2014
  • "The food and service are always excellent. They keep the menu fresh and we always want to go back for the great service."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "We were a table of 9 (3 children) and the service was outstanding! The kids were very well taken care of as well as us adults. We received our items quickly and everything tasted wonderful."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "Table was ready. Service was immediate. Menu was varied--salads, seafood, pizzas, full dinners. Healthy, local ingredients were present, and our entire family was pleased. We shared desserts and sampled many of the recommended wines. What a wonderful place to gather. Our waitress sensed every need, yet never hovered. Bistro has become a regular for us."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "We had a pleasant experience dining at Bistro. I did not enjoy my dessert but was offered another one which I declined. The server was wonderful and made the experience worth returning. The Gnudi dish was lackluster and my Four Cheese Ravioli came in a broth which was sort of tricky with a fork, but still tasty. The calamari was excellent."
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "Great meal, service, fantastic wine. Calimari was some of the best I have ever had. Salmon, Steak very well dne. The trio dessert plate the way to go to same 3 different desserts. The ONLY minor complaint was the noise level was on the high side, sometime hard to hear the other people at the table talking, but then, this was one hopping place! Will go back for sure!"
    Dined on 5/9/2014
  • "Usually one of my favorites however wait staff won't step beyond their assigned duties to serve their customers. Getting pricey for Grand Rapids and now charging for bread"
    Dined on 5/9/2014
  • "Have been coming here for years. Food and drink is always spectacular. Martinis are amazing! Food is always near perfection."
    Dined on 5/8/2014
  • "We had dinner with two collogues - one from Chicago and one from Seattle. Both loved the restaurant and their food. Seattle person is a foodie and really enjoyed everything. He remarked that GR seemed at lot like Portland OR. "
    Dined on 5/8/2014
  • "The food is always delicious and they have a great selection of wine, beer, and spirits. "
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "We went in a group here for prom and the dinner was awesome. We all ordered pizza and it was super affordable and very tasty! Great for kids and very elegant. Coming back again!"
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "This is a favorite spot requested every time we have a conference in downtown Grand Rapids. It's been a while ... so we were all reminded just how special this pkace is. Won't wait as long for a return trip!"
    Dined on 5/2/2014
  • "I was very impressed with our waiter. He was very knowledgeable about the menu. He also stressed that they try and buy local food items. I do miss the bread and oil olive that they used to serve with the meal."
    Dined on 4/28/2014
  • "What a gorgeous site to celebrate any occasion, or just have a delicious dinner for two! The food and service are second to none! "
    Dined on 4/27/2014
  • "After the Theater this was a terrific find for late night and I'm sure anytime cuisine. The polenta with mushrooms was divine and better than I've had anywhere! I doubt you can go wrong at this Grand Rapids hot spot!!"
    Dined on 4/26/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Notable Wine List
  • Most Booked
  • Grand Rapids Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Notable Wine List
  • Most Booked
Learn more ›