Wedding Soup was so salty that it was inedible, and I wasn’t charged for it. Artichoke, spinach, mozzarella flatbread was pretty good, but I didn’t take home my leftovers. Fellow diners loved the pear/walnut??? salads.
It was SO DARK, at noon, that we had to bring out our cell phone flash lights to read the menu. Ridiculous.

Good service, food was tasty but not spectacular. We were there on a dinner date and found the noise in the restaurant had us feeling like we needed to yell to talk. I’d go back but will look for a time where the weather affords the outdoor dining there.

This is one of the FEW places we can go KNOWING in advance it's going to be consistent, 5*, everything we've come to expect since the doors opened in 2000. Super senior (Super b'day) loved her vegetable pizza AGAIN, spouse loved his chicken parm over pasta and I loved my gluten free chicken parm over polenta. How can you not love the attentive, knowledgeable, but not hovering service, being treated like family and perfectly executed home-made dishes served in more than abundant portions CONSISTENTLY? BRAVO MONICA FAMILY!

Food and service was amazing as usual!

Always a pleasure to dine at Bella Monica. They have a great menu and we never miss the fabulous brussels sprouts. We like to arrive early because it gets very busy during normal dinner hours. Love this place!

Excellent server -- new but motivated and thoughtful. Delicious food, as always. Delicious glass of Italian crisp white Falanghina wine w. lunch. Consistent quality like this is very hard to find in the Triangle. Bravo, Corbett & Julie!

Food is good overall, but the level of wait service has been less than desirable lately...On two recent visits now, I was not impressed and left quite annoyed with my assigned server. I would highly recommend that their Upper management (Your General Manager to be exact) better hire, train and supervise some of their recent new wait staff hires... Their lack of customer service, attention to details and "friendly" personality is greatly missing...However, their steady and super friendly floor manager is just awesome and always rises to the occasion; impresses me and my guests with such a high level of attention and professionalism.

Anniversary

Never disappointed! Food is awesome....love the dishes in the casseroles. Servers are so friendly . Ambiance is nice...you can either eat inside or out...out I think they let you bring a pet. She it is a little cooler they have heaters for outside. **make a reservation....

We are long time fans of Bella Monica and have recommended it countless time to friends and business colleagues over the years. The food is always delicious. This last visit brought disappointment with the increase in prices for smaller portions. Salads used to be included with entrees but are no longer included. We’ll keep coming because we love Bella Monica, but will move this to our ‘special occasion’ list to align with the pricier indulgence.

Great gluten free menu. Food and service is always excellent

We dined here as a family from out of town. We as as family felt the proportions and quality of the food for the price was not worth it and would definitely not recommend.

Wonderful neighborhood Italian restaurant. Loyal customers. Truly amazing Cannoli

Bella Monica has consistent good food and good service. The mushroom and egg app is amazing.

Service was wonderful! Brittany you rock! Food was out of this world amazing!!! Thank you for your Celiac Friendly attention!

Great food and good service

Consistently look food and service! My go to place for business lunches as well as lunch with a friend. The menu can accommodate any food plan.

Wonderful food!

I have been to this restaurant 3 or 4 times before, and have always enjoyed it. That was not the case this time and I won’t be going back. The server was not attentive. She seemed distracted. The food was only fair. Very disappointed.

rethinking my opinion of Bella. the waiter was mediocre, we finally had to ask where our meal was....very long wait, my calamari was cold and too much oil on it which is worse when the dish is cold! Business lunch so needed prompt service more than ever and didn't send meal back nor complain due to the situation.

I was really looking forward to our reservation, I hadn't been back to Bella Monica in about 3 years, but I remember the food was off the charts fabulous! This time I have to admit, I was a little disappointed, maybe it was because we were there late afternoon on a Saturday and the staff was tired? Or maybe opening a second location in Cary has sacrificed some of the quality at the original location? I hope I just caught them on an off day because, as I said, their food is usually excellent and I have enjoyed dining here in the past.

This restaurant is one of my all-time favorites. The food is delicious and the ambiance is pleasant. Especially if you're dining with someone who's sensitive to gluten, their kitchen handles this with the same care they'd handle their own family -- rumor has it one of the family members is sensitive to gluten.

This is our favorite spot for absolutely, fantastic Italian food. We’ve never been disappointed. The staff are courteous and kind.

Try the Affagato dessert.

Delicious squid ink linguini with shrimp and calimari in a cream red pepper sauce and girlfriend had delicious lobster ravioli, great service and good house red.
They need to buy the place nextdoor and expand, it is always so crowded regarding space but food and service are wonderful.

Great lunch with friends. Our table was ready upon arrival, the wait staff was very attentive, and the food was delicious. We shared some small plates - meatballs, & brussels sprouts - both were excellent! Also shared some amazing pizza. Definitely recommend this restaurant! We will be back!

I was so pleased with this restaurant. The hostess upon seating us asked if either of us had a gluten allergy or other dietary restrictions. I do actually but it is rare that anyone ever asks! I had a roasted eggplant Parmesan that was phenomenal! Gluten free! And the focaccia was also delicious. Yes it was gluten free also! I will definitely be back!

We sat on the enclosed patio, for an intimate dinner for five. The food was fresh and delicious and the server, Nick, was personable and professional.

Well prepared and fresh ingredients makes the food consistently satisfyingly.

I brought my mom here to celebrate her birthday and we had an excellent time! The server was very kind and attentive. We were also given a complementary cannoli for dessert!

My husband and I have been wanting to try Bella Monica for years and we finally did. It was hands down some of the BEST Italian food we have both had. The "gravy" (sauce) was ahhhh-mazing. And P.S. they have gnocchi even though it isn't listed on the menu. The owner or manager came out to check on us and make sure we were enjoying our meals. The waiter was excellent at keeping our drinks refilled (quite the task for me since I drink about two gallons of water a day haha). We will definitely be going here again!

Bella Monica is hidden in an unassuming shopping complex. I wouldn’t have found it without the fantastic reviews on OpenTable! My husband, Mom, and I had a lovely dinner last night. The focaccia bread is delicious as was the meatball and Brussels sprouts appetizer. My husband really enjoyed the chicken parm and my mom and I liked the bolognese! It wasn’t creamy and had a bit of nutmeg in the sauce, which isn’t traditional, but brought something different to the dish. We will be back!

Bella Monica is one of my favorite restaurants in Raleigh. I’ve never been to a more accommodating Italian restaurant for a gluten free person. I had my own homemade bread, croutons on the salad, and warm and delicious stuffed shells. I never feel left out of the gluten when eating here :) They even have special plates for gluten free people to not cross contaminate. The wine is delicious and well priced. The service is usually good. Sometimes it is slow to get the first part of your meal — we waited probably 25-30 min for our appetizer. The other thing to note is the menu changes. I’ve been going to this restaurant for years and have seen the prices increase (which they aren’t that high as it is so no big deal) and now salads are no longer included with your meal. Overall, Bella Monica is great and I would highly recommend it.

Steamed mussels with mushrooms makes me keep coming back. There are other great things on the menu, but this is my crack!

Have loved this place for years! My only complaint is that they recently changed the salad NOT to be included with the meal. Very disappointed! The entrees range from 18-25 dollars and at that price the salad should be included. They now charge $7 dollars the same salad.

Second or third experience - the food and service have now been consistently outstanding.

This is our second visit to Bella Monica and it was every bit as good as the first time! Delicious food, large portions, great service and good wine!

If you have a gluten intolerance, this is definitely the restaurant for you. They have an entire separate menu devoted to gluten free dishes. The polenta appetizer was out of this world amazing. The veal bolognese with gf penne was good as well. They even offer gluten free desserts!

Love the flatbread pizzas and that focaccia with shallots.

We were running late because of traffic and had to eat quickly before a theater performance. I called on our way, they took our order and had the meal arrive only minutes after we did. It was phenomenal. We have to eat gluten-free so absolutely love their menu. Love this place.

We decided to try Bella Monica because we saw from the menu link on OpenTable that the entrees included canneloni. Unfortunately this item has been dropped and no longer available. Because of this, we were disappointed from the start.