Bella Vita at Dover Marina in Dover

I was super excited to try this, with it being so expensive we brought this as a treat tonight. The first issue was the delay with delivery. Our time just kept going up. Secondly, when our food arrived it was cold which is such a shame as we don’t live far from the restaurant! The food itself was nice, the gnocchi had the most delicious sauce and the seafood tasted very fresh. The carbonara wasn’t my favourite which is a shame as this was my main meal. Overall it was ok but shame about the heat.

Nice Italian restaurant by the port. We tried their Filetto Di Salmone, Risotto Pollo Pesto & Asparagi and a Chicken Fillet with mushrooms. They were all good. There is a lot of seating. The staff were very friendly.

The food was delicious, the atmosphere relaxed and the service amazing. The views on the cliffs of Dover is stunning! A perfect place if you are looking for authentic italian cuisine! I would definitely reccomend it

A great location, very good allergy advice but the service was so bland. Small gripes with the kitchen with cold bread and plates, but otherwise very very good dishes and decent portions. Everything the kitchen did was let down by front of house, nothing nice to say, mediocre at best, but basically unpleasant

Dog friendly, amazing authentic Italian food, great service. Most special part was the live music. Can’t fault it

No live music as it said and the place feel old and empty. Food quality was poor

Very very expensive for lunchtime pasta. This is an occasion dining venue. They could do better to offer a lunch priced menu. No atmosphere as there were no other customers. Young girl was pleasant. 12.5% service charge a bit hard to swallow. Won’t be back

Mama Mia, what a restaurant! A taste of Italy and a view that makes you ‘spitfire’ of glee! Best ‘dough’cation in the southern riviera. Amazing food, loads of choice and such nice people :) :) Would give 10/5 stars if I could.

Amazing location with amazing staff and exceptionall food teast. Outstanding experience leaded by Chef Larisa wich we meet at the door. So friendly she welcomed my family and she helped to choose the best dishes. I will give to her 10 stars as she is so passionate of her work and all this experience you can found it in her plates! Thank you for a memorable family day out .❤️

The restaurant were very accommodating for us ladies with our bikes. I wasn’t going to get any food but after I heard my friends raving about how good their meals were, I had to order and glad I did! I got the ravioli and finished it in minutes. It was the best I’ve had! The ravioli was cooked to perfection and the sauce was delicious and as comforting as homemade food. I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely chef Larissa who cooked all of our meals. A lovely soul and an incredibly talented chef!! My only complaint is that the restaurant and chef are not local to me!! We’ll definitely be making this our go to restaurant whenever we’re in Dover!! Thank you Bella Vita and Larissa!

The most scrumptious serving of pasta I have had the pleasure of indulging in... I offered a friend a taste but told her she had better try it now as I couldn't promise any leftovers... and I nearly had to lick the plate! The best part is I didn't feel uncomfortably stuffed after downing the entire plate! Cannot wait for another excuse to visit Dover Marina so I can bask in another heavenly moment at Bella Vita! Thank you chef Larissa, for your hospitality, personality and your amazing food!

We enjoyed lovely meal with great service. The views of the water are a plus, adding to a perfect evening. Good food, good service, a good views.

A fresh tasting meal for a reasonable price. A beautiful harbour outlook with live background music.

Our server, Kye, was courteous and polite and went the extra mile with our many requests. Seafood was fresh and delicious. We're going back tonight.!

Just okay. Food is really expensive and not to a standard that justifies the price. Wouldn't go again, definitely not worth it.

Calamaris was gorgeous, perfectly cooked but the so called salad was a disappointment..a few rocket leaves and 3 halves of a tiny vine tomato which let the meal down.

My main meal was really tasty but let down massively by my tiramisu i had for desert. It had no flavour but it did look pretty. Service was pretty shocking, was quite hard to get the waitress attention even though there were only 4 tables. Man behind the bar didn't really help her out either when i looked their way. We also had a chicken main meal and that was a bit dry too.

This place is a gem. The views, the friendly service and the food were awesome! Judy was our server and provided great service and helpful tips for us out-of-towners. Highly recommend.

What a waste of money. 5 pieces of ravioli for £18. Bill of £61 with service charge added on without option to take it off like it says on the bill. £23 for hardly any sea food in some oily tastless risotto and the wrong type of wine brought out In and out within 35 minutes too. Unreal

The food was just okay, but the service was quite disappointing. Despite requesting our main dishes to be served 10 minutes after the appetizers, they arrived very late. We were the last to be served, even though we arrived at least 30 minutes before other customers who received their meals before us. Not great value for money

Food was not delicious, I have ordered mussels and half of them were unbeatable because they were not cleaned properly I have almost broken my tooth. The food of my friend tasted like it was heated but not cooked before serving. Service was good, as waiter removed the service charge and gave us discount for the unpleasant experience

Very disappointed. I ordered ravioli and had 5 on the plate. I asked for profiteroles which are on the menu and there are none. I leave with an empty stomach Waitress not smiling

Great food, fabulous service, and an enchanting atmosphere. The welcome and help from staff was really great. The music, pictures, view, seating plan all were great and added a special something to the meal. But the food was excellent. Linguine vongole was full of garlic and I added plenty of fresh black pepper and was scrumptious. The tiramisu was amazing both indulgent and light at the same time. Perfect after a plate of pasta. The macchiato was more like a cappuccino but I forgave them that because the meal was so great. I will definitely taste more of their menu the next time I’m in Dover!

It was our first time eating at the Bella and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Everything to my liking! Will be back at some point for sure!

I was gladly surprised by this place. We visited on a Sunday around 330pm. Not much around opened so we gave it a go. Looks a bit tired & needs an updating but the view is great, food was yummy, portions are not big. I don't eat much and thought it wasn't enough. Service is nice & local. Prices are London wise, we were surprised on this too.

I recently visited Bella Vita at Dover and had an incredibly disappointing and unbelievable experience. I was with my 3-year-old toddler, who urgently needed to use the loo. To my shock, the waitress rudely denied us access, claiming the facilities were for “customers only.” I was appalled by the lack of compassion and basic decency shown toward a small child in need. This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and we certainly won’t be returning. I strongly advise other families to steer clear of this place if you expect even a basic level of hospitality.

Amazing place, the food is beyond my expectations, well presented and tastes good. The atmosphere is relaxing with a beautiful view and gentle live music. Honestly in 10 years in UK is the first Good 5 stars restaurant that I've been so far.

Fantastic location overlooking the Marina. Visited on a Wednesday lunchtime, and there were plenty of tables and could sit by the floor to ceiling windows which was lovely. My party thought the menu sounded fab, including the specials with plenty of choices for vegetarians. 3 pasta dishes were ordered and I must agree with other reviewers the portions were not generous - the ravioli in particular was meagre (5 pieces I think) barely enough for a starter. However everyone said how tasty their food was. If the pasta is meant to be an extra course rather than a main ie proper Italian style I think the servers should be pointing out the smaller portions to manage expectations. Overall I would go back as the location and quality of food was good, but they need to review portioning especially as mains were £16-21 for a pasta dish.

The best gluten-free pizza I have ever had! Thank you so much!! We sat outside. I'm sure the atmosphere inside is much better!

Ordered Steak and Mash potato. Was a little disappointed as the steak wasn't of great quality, actually tasted like rump instead of sirloin. And had too much gristle. The mash potato was extremely garlicky, so I wasn't very popular that evening when I got home. Service wasn't great, staff were rushing around everywhere, could be that they were short staffed. Took a long time for main course to be served. The best thing was the started. It was amazing, should have been a main course. Selection of carpaccio with parmesan cheese with salad. All in all I give it a 6/10

Only stopped for a drink, lovely sea view, very pleasant place, others food looked good

Little portions, the pannacotta was not tasty, tasted of nothing , surely not of vanilla!! Expensive !

Food portions very small. More like a starter then main course. Very pricey. I had king prawn ravioli. Prawns wasn't clean properly and had bad stomach afterwards. I wouldn't recommend it. Service was okay. Good spot but I wouldn't go back.

Great choice of restaurant in Dover. We were really iimpressed with the choice of food and the welcoming atmosphere not to mention the stunning location. Highly recommended.

Visited the other night with family and the food was delicious but the portion size was very small, £16 for what amounted to 2 mouthfuls was quite disappointing. The waiting staff were very friendly and welcoming but took a long time to get back to us and failed to bring us desert menu when it didn’t seem that busy. I understand that costs are very high and a lot of restaurants are struggling but I can’t help but feel disappointed when I leave an Italian restaurant hungry.

Lovely delicious food j felt I had gone to Italy for the day. I'm italian.

We ended up here for a late lunch on a Sunday, our first day in the UK. We had a great experience. We sat with our dogs on the terrace overlooking the seaside. Judy and another young lady (with burgundy hair) took great care of us. The food was REALLY good, especially the arancini and bruschetta. We also really enjoyed our cocktails, they were made perfectly.

Cod had a strange disinfectant taste, deffo not value for money .Waited ages. Such a shame as the location and views are perfect

Food was excellent, but portion size was quite small for a main dish. Server mostly ignored my table, but I was able to order eventually. The wrong order was delivered the first time. I finally got my food after it had been delivered to another table. Server took my empty plate, but never brought back the menu, a desert menu, or even the bill, so I couldn't order more food and I had to find someone to pay on my way out. I left hungry.

Adding an "optional" gratuity fee on the bill without mentioning it. Please increase your prices instead of this scummy behavior.

As someone who works with George - the chef - I know he puts his heart and soul into his food. However, it was quite satisfying to take my husband to this restaurant and see how much he enjoyed his meal. The service was very attentive and so friendly.

it tasted really good and the quality way great! it didn't take long to get the food here at all.

Thank you for lovely service and great meal!!

amazing view of Dover Harbour, food was very good and service with a smile, I will call again

Looks nice inside. Good atmosphere. They havent got the goods to back up the image. Looks over substance. The food was very salty. Moulusccs come unprepared. This is not explained or written on the menu prior to ordering but somehow I was expected to be psychic and know. Waited nearly an hour for the mains even though the restaurant was very quiet. The wine tasted watered down. The waiter obviously thinks it's amusing when people complain. Wouldn't go back or recommend this place. Spend your money elsewhere.

I ordered two starters for my meal. Both were lovely, and I asked for my first course, the mussels, be without cream, which they happily did for me. A portion of chips with my second course, prawns in a picante sauce, was delicious. I probably won't return because wine prices were way over the top!! Great views over the harbour, so I definitely recommend this place for a pleasant dining experience.

For a spaghetti bolognaise was not very good lack of taste , and the meatballs were hard like they have been frozen not fresh will not be ordering again not worth the money at all

Nice little Italian restaurant. The food is good and very flavourful, however the spaghetti dishes are a little on the small side. Extremely busy.

Great place to eat. Wonderful seafood menu. Staff excellent. 4 stars for the atmosphere because it was a Sunday evening and vet quiet.

Amazing food! Really recommend this place!

Pleasantly surprised! We've been going here for years under various managements. The Italian vibe is nice, and the food quite simple and tasty, as any good Italian should be! Not the cheapest place and they add a 10% gratuity to the bill, but I think it's reasonable. We enjoyed it!.

Fantastic location, right by the sea with a great Italian menu, plenty of seafood options, pasta dishes and salad. Must try. Did I mention great outdoor space? Bookings

Absolute Joke, came in to the establishment with family. Came to place drinks order at the bar but was told to wait as we will be serviced at the table which is not a problem .15 minutes later we keep getting ignored whilst other tables are getting served.

We have been several time since opened last year, sometimes good and sometimes very bad. We went today (12.05.24) service was dreadful. Starter came along with pasta at the same time and also not telling us that one dish had changed spaghetti to ravioli. When the main (pasta) came they’ve actually re-heated the pasta and served us so that it was mushy spaghetti. Service was slow and waitresses were hopeless.. They did managed to dish up the mains again but I had to change the order as no clams, I’ve ordered salmon pasta & it was not great. £22 for pasta dish with tiny bits of salmon… not worth it… I don’t mind the price if the quality of ingredients are good… I don’t think I’ll visit here unless they change the quality of food, chef, staff…

very good risotto!!!! MUST TRY🍚🍴very nice staff and great atmosphere

Lovely restaurant with views of Dover harbour. Superb service.

There's live music from 7. Nice views of the port. The food is good. The portion size is smaller. Especially given the price range. Good range of seafood. We got starter, main and a drink. Cost is £45pp. Waitress charged us the £10 optional tip without asking.

Staffs are very friendly, food are so good and the place isnso nice.

An evening well spent with family, tasty food, friendly staff, then the live music and a song for my daughter, it was her birthday 🥳 the drinks were amazing... The view! Oh my I could go on and on. We'll be back again soon!

Quiet when we visited on Sunday evening. Food excellent and attentive service. Lovely view of the harbour. Recommended.

Nice service, but the food was poor and very expensive. There is no fish and chips on the menu as in the attached photo. Lots of shortcomings You can shove these Google reviews up your ass 😂

It was my first time there the staff are amazing,was my daughter's birthday we had a great night. Thank you,will definitely come back again

Great food, super services !!! I will be back here for sure !! 🤩🤩

Really enjoyed our experience at Bella Vita. The atmosphere was cozy, and the drinks and food were absolutely delicious. I especially appreciate how accommodating the staff was with my food allergies.

Ordered 1 starter,2 main course and drinks.waited for an hour for our order to come.apparently the waiter forgot to give our orders to the kitchen.we have to wait for another hour.when my food came,it was a bit salty. They came to apologize,give us free drinks and my main dish was taken out from the bill Better luck next time.tonighs not our night.

I was at this location before when it was Hythe Bay Restaurant (?) Similar to before, but with an Italian emphasis (LOL:-) Looking forward to a Dover Sole,(well we are in Dover) sadly not available. I will have to return, Started with Tempura Prawns, from the specials board, followed by Shell Fish Linguine, which was excellent.

Food was ok - not great but not terrible. Some things seasoned properly other things not at all. Service was pretty lousy. There were not that many tables being served when we got there but even so the service we received was slow and often wrong. Had to ask multiple times to get basic things eg/ salt and pepper at the table, ketchup for fries. Didn't even provide water at the table. I explained all of this to the waitress before I left. Not sure if she cared or not. Wouldn't be in a rush to go back I'll be honest. On the plus side the views of the white cliffs are pretty excellent.

Food is a well below the lowest of standards here don’t waste your money the restaurant needs to change the chef asap doesn’t care about the quality he is turning out l i did like this restaurant but standards have slipped massively time to change your staff Bella!

Lovely restaurant serving great food with great views. The staff were welcoming and service was prompt. Everywhere was clean and tidy and the atmosphere was very relaxing. Very nice place to sit and eat and definitely worth a visit.

We've being going here for a few years actually had my birthday there last year but we went there tonight and the food was terrible there was no atmosphere and the staff were not interested sorry but will not recommend and will not be coming back

It was without doubt the best meal we have had in the UK. Fresh produce, authentic flavours and a lovely atmosphere. Very helpful table waiting and would highly recommend.

Lovely setting, great service. Superb food.

What a wonderful place to eat. Location is amazing and so was everything else. Highly recommended

Table for two at 6pm on a Friday night mid February. Pretty quiet but it suited us. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for and really worth every penny. Food was stunning and so tasty. Really delicious. First time we've been here but will definitely be back. Lovely outlook. Get down here and support the place, it deserves it. Awesome.

Table of 8, all had really good food, staff were nice and friendly. The chef made sure we were all happy with the food at the end of the night, too. Will be back.

4 people ordered 4 menus and it came out to 102 pounds. The pasta is salty and the risotto is bland... The view would be nice if the weather is nice, but the taste wasn't great.. I don't recommend it.

I went to this restaurant for valentine's day with my my girlfriend and bought 2 starter's, 2 Mains and 2 drinks for £90. The menu for valentine's day is different to the rest of the year, on valentine's day it is more traditional Italian food. The food was good however there is more choice on the regular menu. The service staff were very friendly and the restaurant had a nice romantic atmosphere with nice music playing.

We recently visited our usual spot, an ordinary English restaurant, only to discover it had transformed into an Italian delight! The transformation was a pleasant surprise. My wife and I were amazed by the best seafood pasta and the chef's exquisitely grilled fish. Our children, who typically favor chips and chicken nuggets, were thrilled with the flavorful soup and fish fingers. The shift to Italian cuisine has brought a delightful change, and we highly recommend this restaurant for its excellent dishes and pleasant surprises.

We had a fantastic evening with Oz looking after us, the food was lovely and the wine delicious, the atmosphere was warm and friendly and Oz even phoned a taxi for us, would highly recommend to anyone who likes Italian and seafood, we will definitely be back.

They have kindly accommodated our request to remove any kind of alcohol from the food. Plenty of fish and seafood options.

I've always loved this place! Since it first opened I've been here over 30 times..... Mostly alone and a few times with family and friends...... I've never once left after a meal, feeling like I wasn't looked after...... Happy with all the meals and drinks I've had! Staff have always been attentive and always positive and happy! I'll always return here! Good to meet Haman today and enjoyed a very nice mocha coffee! Will hopefully be back in the new year and try some of the new food.

An excellent meal with caring, helpful staff. I arrived in my electric wheelchair with my family and the staff could not have been more helpful. They seated us at a table where I would be most comfortable and with a lovely view of the beach and sea. We were given plenty of time to choose our meals and didn’t feel at all rushed while we studied the large menu. There was plenty of choice and when the food arrived it was delicious. The steak, especially, was cooked to perfection and was tasty and tender. Every one of us enjoyed our meals and the little one was quite happy to eat all of hers as she was given plenty of ketchup! A delightful experience.

Excellant service. The presentation of the food was 5 star. I had scallops these were cooked to perfection. Soft and juicy. The setting was like being on a cruise with the lights reflecting on the water. It made for a lovely evening.

Very cold and dark. We needed torches to read the menu. Not all of the food was hot

Perfecte plek voor heerlijke koffie!

Unexpectedly good Italian restaurant in a modern building on the edge over Dover harbour. Lovely staff, nice food and a tremendous pianist/singer on Friday nights.

Great food , what wonderful views

Excellent meal. Really high quality and great service. Highly recommend.

Very good food, service friendly and knowledgeable about the gluten free options. Loved it, will be back

This was our first visit since the venue became an Italian restaurant and we really enjoyed our dining experience. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Service was good and food excellent with decent portions too. We've been looking for a decent restaurant in our home town and we'll definitely return to try other dishes

We had a very noble evening with excellent food and good service from the welcoming team. Look forward to visiting again especially in the lighter evening when the beach front location will come on to its own

Tagliatelle special was delicious. Cracking view of the White Cliffs, Dover Castle and harbour.

Great Italian food! Had one of the best steaks with peppercorn sauce!

Lovely Italian restaurant has taken over the fish restaurant. On the harbor in an oasis of sea side splendor, with lovely view of harbor and all the lights on the boats, we had very nice starter and seafood pastas. Inside the interior is a bit dated but made up by the lovely staff.

There was no atmosphere in this place at all when we arrived with a party of 9 the other 4 customers were gone within 30 minutes whilst we were there no one else came in I know the weather wasn’t good that night but to be honest the food wasn’t that bad but very overpriced mind you they’ve to pay Dover Harbour Board a lot of money for the rent as it sits on the seafront.the only thing that I didn’t like about this restaurant was that they added £33.13 service charge on my bill which I thought was over the top so because of that I wouldn’t recommend or will I revisit this restaurant.

Well, you pay for the view. The mussels that I ordered were not fresh -- quite old :-). The view of port was good thats it. I felt like just boil give.

Very nice, welcoming and super food and staff.

What a wonderful experience I had in Bella Vita! Food was absolutely lovely, perfectly seasoned and presented. The atmosphere was amazing and the waitresses were fabulous. The view of the coast, white cliffs and castle were all amazing. Would definitely be coming back here again!!

We were in Dover for a quick stop and luckily found this amazing restaurant for. Family meal. The food was brilliant, very tasty and amazingly good for value. Staff were so friendly. We only ordered one child menu for the toddler, but they gave us two ice cream, my older DD was so happy. I would definitely come back in future.