Bella Vita in Shepway

Have dined here on more than one occasion and it's been satisfactory but with the odd hitch. Last year, the dish ordered was available and later the server returned to say it was not available - this can happen and it's not the end of the world. Last month, I ordered the lasagne and whilst well cooked it had a peculiar acidic taste which I assumed was a citrus "twist" and speciality of the house. Afterwards, however, noticed quite a lot of digestion discomfort. Am left uncertain as to a future visit. Staff were helpful and friendly.

They had made us aware that we only had our table till 7pm their constant reminders were putting us off our food we we're reminded 3 times between 6.30 and 7pm and yet when we left in a rush there were lots of empty tables

Food was fresh and presented same as if you are dining in. Delicious!

Good value, and excellent staff, great food.

Love visiting Bella when I travel to Folkestone it’s always my go to, food is amazing (I recommend the muscles) and took full advantage of the lychee martinis. Staff was lovely and owner is very friendly. Will definitely visit again and recommend to anyone visiting!

This spot was a very great experience. Servers are very kind and food comes very quickly. Wine is good and great atmosphere. Very good to come out with family, friends or business.

Wonderful place to have dinner, amazing staff, fantastic cocktails!!!!!

Lovely restaurant lovely servers and very attentive owner, carbonara was creamy and dreamy at the same time. Would definitely suggest a visit

This Italian restaurant is a great place to bring your family and friends as the atmosphere is really nice and the food is great .We will definitely be returning again soon .

Brilliant food and great hosts. The tiramisu was incredible. Had a great night here. nice atmosphere and colourfully decorated

food we ate was OK, but not exactly what we ordered. when we called to rectify, we were told we'd need to order something further through just eat in order for them to send correct pizza. this would have cost us a further £6.50 which we'd get back in 3 days. not sufficient. we just ate the pizza they'd sent but won't order with them again.

I never even recieved my order?

The food is amazing as always xx

I think the best way to describe this venue would be Restaurant prices, cafe quality We started off by being seated from our reservation and were unfortunately given a very uneasy position in the establishment which was right by the stairs where there was lots of moving traffic and not ideal for a relaxed atmosphere when other consumers/waitresses were charging past your date on the other side. They would have been better off to get rid of this table as I have never seen this place fully booked anyway, they couldn't even be courteous enough to add a pretty flower to the table like all the others. The food itself is extremely over priced. The menu that is on Google from last year is out of date so that's already a disappointment right there. They purely offer pastas, risottos and pizzas as mains. A sad outcome after seeing last year's take on some rustic dishes which have been axed for no apparent reason. We each had a starter and a main with an additional side and it was nothing special at all! In fact I've had more satisfactory take aways than some of the food I had consumed here tonight. Fortunately the service was pretty fantastic! Our first waitress was so polite and understanding and genuine that it is on her service alone that I have given one star. The other star is partly for the mains and the other half was for the drinks as they were tasty and strong for a decent price. The sliced fillet beef starter? Was the thinnest slices of pre packed ham like what you could purchase from asda with half a pack of rocket and some cheese sprinkled on. It was almost laughable as it was presented. The hard shell prawns were ok with the smallest slithers of slightly burnt bread. They filled a gap whilst we waited for the mains atleast. The mains were fine. That's all. Nothing delicious or spectacular and believe me I know good food. These were something I would expect a teenager to cook up in their weekly cooking class that they've forced you to try and you smile with obligation just to make them happy. That is honestly how it felt and I have no clue how other reviews state otherwise. We did not even entertain the desserts. The most basic and boring of selections that I am pretty sure they could have purchased from Iceland before opening that day.. So in conclusion I think it is safe to say we will not be returning. This was only the second time we had come here and it is pretty much the same experience both times and I'm just not willing to throw good money away at a less than satisfactory establishment that is Bella Vita.

Great food and service will definitely go back

Nice restaurant excellent food and attentive service,will definitely be going again

In the pizza I ordered, the symphony of cheeses was enhanced with an extra topping of red onion. It's a true culinary masterpiece that reminds me of my travels to Italy. Highly recommended!

Pleasant welcome and service from the staff. The handsome Italian looking manager gave an added air of authenticity. Freshly cooked food and bespoke to my requests . It was tasty and sufficient in quantity and felt quality ingredients. Fractionally expensive but was enjoyable . Yes a pleasant place to visit .

Can’t say enough about this place regular customer and the food is always so good the freshness of the fish is so delightful recommend you give a try 👊

Really nice stuff and amazing food. I will come back for sure. Just wonderful

The store forgot one of the items I ordered. Delivery was quick and the driver was friendly.

It wasn't that great, and service wasn't either. I ordered Pollo pizza, and the pancetta that came with it was mostly FAT, as you can see from the picture. Waitresses didn't even ask if our food was okay. We couldn't even get their attention as it was so busy. We even had to paid a service charge, which I thought wasn't right when service and food wasn't good. Also there was only me and my partner.

Awesome food, lasagne was just like Venice 👌🤩 thank you

Very nice restaurant, quick and professional service. The food is good, not excellent. My favorite part were the olives and the pasta with frutti di mare was surprisingly spicy. Located near the main creative street, good option if you are looking for something quick to eat

Great food, lively atmosphere, really helpful staff. Definitely recommend a visit

Had a lovely meal here for 2 (though forgot to take photos as enjoying it so much). Seafood pasta and lasagne both lovely and very reasonably priced at around £40 mark for 2 people with a drink. Will definitely be coming back again.

Best pizza I’ve had in ages, thank you 🙏🏼

Love the feel of this little restaurant on the old high street, the food is always good and the service is both friendly and fast... I highly recommend this place for a good meal

Very nice. Enjoyable food, friendly staff, good atmosphere

Had one of the best Piccante pizzas ever here , great styling and good service . Bit noisy as is family restaurant but great food . Well recommended 👍

Really tasty food - the seafood risotto was perfection

Was looking for an Italian restaurant on a Monday night, and this was the only one open. Atmosphere was really good, staff very polite, the menu has a good mix, I had Calamari as a starter and Chicken pesto linguine, both excellent, and plentiful portions, two courses plus a drink £43, including the 10% service charge which was added without notice, or one that I could see, I would have scored them down for that, but there's no 4.5* rating 😄

Lovely meal with 10 friends, everything came out at the same time, which can be hard when there are a variety of meals.

Service and front of house excellent. Starters very mediocre and mains are decent. Average Italian but by no means authentic but good enough.

This is definitely not great for 17.50 5 piece of Ravioli?? For this price you kidding?? Is not started is main ! This price for this small dish is way too much ! The taste is so plain is well like soo much water that is is not even sauce is just water . Never order again !!!

The food was excellent and the service very good, would go there again 👍

Fantastic place with an absolutely Delicious food! Truly Italian cuisine! Sooo sooo Good! Highly recommend!

My first time eating here and if I'm ever back in folkestone I will DEFINITELY be returning. The waitress/staff are very accommodating and professional. We had cocktails to start which were lovely (especially 2 for £15). As starters we shared a tomato garlic and bruschetta between 3 which was completely delicious. For the main coarse we had lasagne, chicken and asparagus tagliatelle and a cabonara which was the same as the starters. And to finish off we shared a piece of homemade tiramisu which it was so light. A lovely bottle of chianti to wash it all down with. All in all it was a fabulous evening and would highly recommend.

A nice restaurant serving Italian style food, my calzone pizza was very good, and very filling. Staff friendly. I also noted that they are dog friendly as well. Will return if I am in Folkestone

Great staff and nice atmosphere

Recommended by one of the bar owners in town. This restaurant was a let down, more akin to pizza express than a proper Italian, over priced, no decent classic italian steak dishes, limited wine list, even the garlic bread is better in pizza hut. OK for a quick bite but don't go expecting quality italian food apart the price A bit dismal

This place is amazing. The decor inside is gorgeous. Proper Italian vibe. Food menu is great, also for kids too. Seafood ravioli was my favourite. Staff/waitress were amazing and also on hand. No complaints whatsoever 👌

So impressed with this restaurant. We are local and probably eat here every other month and have never had bad service. We had a party of 11 last night needing somewhere to eat after an awful experience at another local restaurant. All of the staff at Bella Vita couldn’t have been more accommodating. We laughed, ate very good food and had great cocktails as well. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting an authentic Italian restaurant with a buzzy vibe where you can still be heard.

The food was lovely. The staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely be going back.

Truly Italian! Iconic pasta and refreshing drinks

Lovely food, however the music was too loud and felt out of place in a restaurant as it was music you’d hear in a late night bar not a family restaurant. Clearly very understaffed and staff also seemed like they were dressed to go out to a bar not serve at a family restaurant.

Decent enough place for a pizza and a beer.

Third time we've been to this place the staff are lovely and the food has always been good in the past. Unfortunately on this occasion the food definitely could have been better. The menu has been reduced with only Pasta and Pizza available. My wife had Cabonara Pasta which was inedible having clearly been reheated multiple times. I had Pepperoni Pizza with a total of six Pepperoni on the whole thing ? And it lacked that freshly cooked Pizza taste. On the plus side the desserts are excellent. Sorry but overall a disappointing meal.

Very different experience to your usual takeaway. I had the Ravioli Gamberi E Zuccine which had loads of Ravioli, prawns and a King Prawn in a cream and lemon sauce. My partner had a Margarita pizza with Parma ham ( loads of it). Had a starter and dessert to qualify for the offer and we were stuffed. Will order again and happy to recommend, delicious food thankyou. You could tell it was all freshly prepared. Delivery was great and on time.

A great authentic feeling Italian restaurant/pizzeria full of character and charm. We popped in for an impromptu lunch and received great service and the food was really tasty and well prepared.

Looks perfect .didn't eat just drinks .very tasty cocktails .also ,huge recommendations for Italian ale. friendly and professional staff and beauty waitress. Normal prices.

We chose this restaurant for dinner, a nice girl served us, everything was fine until the moment they brought us pizza, I ordered pizza with a mix of mushrooms, in the end I got pizza with champignons, I think it’s different, the administrator said he would change it without any problems, we chose with a mix of seafood, but this is not pizza, there were mussels in shells, most of them were empty, was it decor or what? 2 shrimp, peeled, I want to eat the pizza straight away and not pick at the shells. Attaching photo before and after. The lobster ravioli was not bad. There is no desire to return or recommend to anyone.

Great meal, well prepared and very tasty. Good service with a friendly smile. Will return.

Excellent food. Good service. Great atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Seving staff very helpful, friendly and alert. Food is lovely. Delightful local Italian restaurant.

5 out of 5 stars ! A must when in Folkestone for great food and vaule and of course great service

Great food and a lovely atmosphere superb service by the very friendly and attentive staff thank you all for a lovely experience.

Went thereby chance, beautiful food, lover staff a d first class service. Looking forward to returning soon- thank you.

Lovely place to go to - excellent food and lovely service xx

great food, very much enjoyed my pizza that was suggested by my waitress, with great service throughout my visit, very friendly and efficient staff, highly recommend

Lovely location in Folkestone Enjoyed pasta and pizza and plenty of it Staff courteous and friendly Reason for scoring 4/5 was that it was a little too hot in the restaurant made us feel a little uncomfortable Otherwise, really nice and reasonably priced

Amazing spot, great atmosphere, amazing food, cocktails made to perfection. Can't thank Alex enough for improving our night

Absolutely incredible! Food was top noch, drinks top noch, 10/10 will be returning, thank you for the amazing service!!

I have come with friends for drinks at 9 o clock. The staff were very accommodating. We ordered some garlic bread which was very tasty. Very good service!

Went here for a birthday Meal with a friend, been here before and absolutely loved the food. Unfortunately we was both disappointed this time round. £52 for 2 pasta dishes and 2 cocktails, one a non alcoholic. I quite liked the idea of the pasta I chose from the menu, which should have been a penne pasta with roasted Mediterranean vegetables. Unfortunately this came out as pasta and tomato sauce, which I could have quite frankly cooked at home for a fraction of the price. It was not bursting with flavour nor do I think it was worth £14.50. As for my friends pasta dish she went with the chicken and asparagus tagliatelle in a creamy Sauce. There was nothing creamy about the sauce, if anything it had seperated and was so bland. Again this cost £16.90. We weee offered a dessert menu but after the mains we were both very disappointed. Safe to say we won’t be returning. Such a shame.

The food is very tasty and it is also delivered very quickly, literally within 10 minutes after ordering. The service is very kind and responsive. The atmosphere is very friendly, I highly recommend visiting there

Great food. Emma and Alex were great with service and very friendly. Vegetarian food was available and well prepared. Much recommended.

Today I had a great experience at Bella Vita . Very nice place with tasty food and friendly team . The atmosphere is amazing , with wonderful decorations that bring in Italy culture. Alex was helpful with us to choose the vegan dishes, explain everything and give us the best advises that helped us with order. We definitely will come back , for more limoncello 🍸🍸♥️

Wonderful fresh, authentic and tasty Italian food. Fantastic attentive friendly staff. Thank you so much for a great evening 😘

Had drinks at bellavita. The cocktails were beautiful and the service was efficient and friendly. The restaurant also has a lovely atmosphere with music not too loud and a cheerful service.

Great night out with lovely cocktails and the most amazing seafood pasta. Alex was a great waiter. We have really enjoyed the evening. Highly recommend.

We come here regularly with our family, fantastic food, perfect family restaurant. Great service from Alex and the other staff :)

Alex was very attentive, he made sure all our need were met. The drinks are flowing and very well presented. Would recommend coming here if you’re in Folkestone

Best carbonara I’ve had thanks I’ll be buying again in the future

Visiting Folkstone for my birthday and decided to go for this Italian restaurant as it was recommended by our Airbnb. Absolutely delicious. Should be noted that both my partner and I ordered gluten free items. I had the gluten free pizza Bella Vita and they had the gluten free carbonara. Both absolutely delicious. The pizza base was super delicious for a gluten free one too. What a wonderful treat, warm and friendly atmosphere and great staff. Thank you.

10 out of 10 all round. Pizza was in perfect condition. Thank you to the restaurant and the delivery driver

Very poor tonight! Wrong food turned up claimed to leave a voicemail but checked and didn't have one! Carbonara was really dry and not the usual pasta! Really disappointed compared to usual!

Great food at reasonable prices

Excellent food and drink. The chef knows what they’re doing. Atmosphere is just lovely. I will definitely return. Booking for five people and all different dishes which were all spot on.

We ended up at Bella Vita as everything else was shut very early on a Monday...But lucky us! Was an absaulty delicious meal and great service/vibe. One of the best Seafood Pastas uve had anywhere in the world...Very yummy.

Not halal, but good fish and veg options. Also, they have catered to our request to remove alcohol from the dishes.

Big thank you to the restaurant. Food was super lovely as always. Delivery guy was brilliant. He made sure the food was kept perfect during transit. Well done all round thanks again

Me and my family went to Bella vita for dinner, great food, service and decor, also very affordable, we will definitely be returning soon.

I love to come to Bella Vita, whether it’s for food or drinks. It has a nice atmosphere and the staff are always friendly. Especially the lovely Mya and Grace.

Food is pretty good and with generous size. I like the seafood pasta. Calzone is huge. Service is very good and fast too. Nice atmosphere. Will come back.

Food was delicious, just as nice as eating in the restaurant

Great place to eat, my wife is a Tiramisu connoisseur and this was for her one of the best. Services and food 10 out of 10. Sometimes you see other dishes past you by like the meat balls will try next time for sure. Recommend to anyone the pizzas so authentic.

A lovely Italian restaurant we've visited twice. The food is delicious but the cocktails were a little on the expensive side. Would definitely recommend and will visit again.

Party of 13 plus a baby. Great service, delicious food. Really cannot fault it at all. Thank you for a great lunch for our first meeting with our new nephew.

Staff was friendly and warmly greeted. Nice atmosphere, excellent service and scrumptious food . Totally enjoyed it and highly recommend.

Lovely attentive staff and all the food we had was 😋 delicious.

Lovely food and cozy restaurant. Only negative was £3.20 for a Coke which is a bit pricey for a can, otherwise great place for Italian food

I'm not really happy with our order it came luke warm, and only one prawn in our seafood dish I will not be ordering from here again.

Recommend the lasagne (on special). Friendly service and cosy decor. A beautiful life indeed.

As always, super tasty and prompt.

Lovely food. Great service and the ambiance is lovely and relaxed. I Would recommend a visit. The fiat 500 pizza is delicious

Our first orders from Bella Vista were great. Good portions and we’ll made and seasoned. Now however the quality and portion size have diminished. These meals are not cheap and we won’t be using them again- shame as we did enjoy them.

Mediocre experience We had a calamari starter, some olives, a bufalina pizza, risotto al funghi, pollo portafino, tiramisu, panna cotta and dark chocolate profiteroles. The best dish of the evening was... the wine, a bottle of Gavi, reasonably priced as well. The rest was mostly a disappointment. The panna cotta, I heard, was nice, so were the olives. The calamari was very rubbery and weirdly bland for a seafood dish. The mushroom risotto was, again, very bland but garlicky and greasy, didn't finish it. My companions did not seem to be impressed by the bufalina pizza or chicken breast. The profiteroles were fine (probably a bit too much cocoa sauce and not enough actual chocolate) but the tiramisu was the biggest disappointment. It was watery and dry at the same time, we didn't even finish it, and I'm sure you could get a nicer one from the nearest supermarket. We didn't try any pasta, might come back just for that one day but can't promise that.

Absolutely lovely food and great portion sizes. Decent arrival time too!

Such a little gem in the heart of Folkestone harbour. This Italian is truly spectacular and such an amazing little find. You feel like your in Italy tasting the food. The food was amazing and delicious 😊. Our waitress was very attentive which was lovely. Thank you. We would 100% be returning when visiting again 😊