La Bella Vista in Hastings

All in all a really good evening there - cannot fault the staff all very welcoming and nothing was too much hassle.

Maybe the best calamari I’ve ever had - the sauce was delicious. Pasta portions were large and the prawns on the gamberi pasta were so generous! Our servers were super friendly. Just a lovely place!

There is not one thing I could complain about,service was attentive from beginning to end,the food was out of this world and just before I left had to go downstairs to the little girls room and even that surpassed expectations...plus of course the view....WONDERFUL

Amazing food. Will definitely return soon!

We drove an hour especially to come to this restaurant after reading they had been in trouble with some customers who had tried to leave without paying. We didn't come because of that, but because the reviews were really good (as was the weather). Our experience confirmed the previous comments : lovely atmosphere with a very friendly and professional team (exceptional service, caring and discreet at the same time), food was authentic and delicious (cod risotto, carbonara, margerita, tiramisu, pannacotta), and an amazing location with view on the sea. Lots of regulars, which is usually a good sign. It felt like being at home. PS : I personally wouldn't be shocked if you'd ask for a prepayment or card details. If you think of it, some hospitality businesses do it already and most people understand.

Always vibrant, attentive, well presented restaurant with fantastic food and drink. Very much recommended.

Always amazing here and very welcoming, they always go above and beyond to make your time the best, 100% reccomend

Fantastic food and quality service,that won't break the bank

Unbelievably good ,xx thank you

Great food, great service and music on selected nights. The music nights are so so good.

Great service, the food is always delicious. My favourite place to eat in Hastings/ St Leonard’s.

Great service and atmosphere. The food was good, but the prices felt a bit steep. Would absolutely be 5* if you could get most pasta dishes for -£15.

Great restaurant. Fantastic food, drinks and service. The only slight complaint was the odd cover music playing!! Get a PRS license!!

Amazing risotto, pizza, lasagna, and dessert!

Had a fantastic meal here for my birthday this evening- they catered for 14 of us and the food and service was truly wonderful. Our waiter, whose name I sadly did not catch, was extremely attentive and they even surprised me with a birthday shot of limoncello at the end! Couldn’t recommend enough, thank you so much for having us!

The best dining experience we’ve had, anywhere in the UK for a long time. It was no surprise to hear that the restaurant is family run. The sense of care and warmth shown by every single member of the team was a joy to be on the receiving end of. Superb food and a humming atmosphere too. Grazie mille to the whole team.

The food and service were excellent. Both the owner and server were incredibly friendly. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience there.

The Highs We use this restaurant on a fairly regular basis, this time we were celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary with friends, as always the food was outstanding, tastes absolutely delicious Service was good but not as good as normal, it lacked attention to detail The Lows I booked this on the 11th September for Saturday 19th October, I especially asked for the round table in the window at the time of booking, when we arrived they had no booking for us and the round table was being used. It sort of tainted my day, felt let down and disappointed. Half hearted apologies.

Enjoyed beautifully presented delicious dishes at La Bella Vista from the amazing set lunch menu. And thanks again to Aldo, Deborah and professional friendly staff for a smashing birthday lunch x

I ordered takeaway and the food is fantastic. The delivery guy checked my food was for me. (Which was good) Would definitely recommend eating here. As it was takeaway, I cannot comment on atmosphere.

Eight of us went for dinner at this amazing restaurant and had the most wonderful food and wine. The staff were extremely attentive and the whole experience could not have been better. We all live in Northamptonshire but feel that we would drive down to St.Leonards just to eat here!

Wonderful restaurant and cannot recommend it highly enough. Beautiful decor with pretty outdoor seating area reminiscent of a Mediterranean street cafe. Staff were very friendly, polite and respectful and we loved Aldo the owner. The extensive menu made it difficult to choose what to have. The food was delicious and I wish I could have made room to sample a dessert. A wonderful evening and would definitely return.

I highly recommend the octopus legs starter, it's delicious! The restaurant has great ambience and looks out to the sea!

Incredible food, lovely staff who let us sit outside with our dog. He was served a water bowl and treats without us even having to ask! They also put the heater on for us, can’t fault this service. Wonderful place, highly recommend!

Amazing experience, the food was superb. The Calamari was to die for.

Great Italian food, views,family restaurant vibe and service(though had to remind about coffee order).Not inexpensive but quality isn't, and will definitely revisit.

Lovely set menu, but limited gluten free choice, but what they did have was lovely. Check the price of your drinks before you order though, as we paid £13.95 a glass and about the same for a cocktail!!

Excellent food, service and staff

Lovely food, service and restaurant - it was a lovely sunny day too we could have been on holiday anywhere in the world! We’ll be back

Ok I'll declare I work in the industry owning a restaurant in London. We have bought a place in St Leonards and have sought out places to eat there. Like everywhere it can be hit and miss. But this place is wholly consistent La Bella Vista is a place we have frequented many times in the last two years. It is difficult anywhere to find such excellence as is dished out here. Such establishments tend to be a minority in my experience and it often stems from the owners passion and how that is passed down to the staff. The attention to detail by the owners on both service and food is a joy to watch, you can sense the passion they have towards food and their business.. This will bode well for anyone working there as they pick up good working practices. It is nice to see a collection of young people working here to such high standards. We are based in London and enjoy our forays into St Leonards and this place is an absolute favourite of ours. Keep up the good work! guys!

Best breakfast in East Sussex! Food was excellent and we couldn't have asked for better service. We will be returning soon.

La Bella Vista Restaurant is exquisite. A 5-star Impressive restaurant, menu and dining experience every visit. I’ve introduced a new resident of St Leonards On Sea to La Bella Vista. She was very impressed and satisfied.

A special evening for our 30th wedding anniversary. We had the seafood tower...we enjoyed most of it. Tuna needed to be cut much thinner..it was unpleasant and chewy. The service started well, but it was clear at around 9pm the young waiting staff switched their focus from their customers to prepping ready for service the next day..presumably so they could get away quickly. We had to ask for everything ..our plates to be cleared, the dessert menu...etc..etc. There was no checkback either. I did mention this when we asked for the bill. They need to remember they still have customers.

Great double 30th birthday treat. Thank you. O

This restaurant has to be best in Hastings. So nice. The food is incredible the staff are ALL amazing I had the calzone it was incredible. Well done Bella vista keep up the amazing work.

We had a lovely lunch.....we appreciate the wonderful cooking and know that everything is cooked to order. We just felt that the service was a little slow and perhaps less attentive than we have experienced before at the Bella Vista.......it would have been nice to have been asked if we wanted a drink once we were all seated.....even when just 4 of us had arrived.

This is the best Italian around, staff so friendly and efficient. The food is perfect and the decor is gorgeous

Absolutely love this restaurant, right on the seafront of St. Leonards on Sea. Summer dining outside is a joy, and when it gets a little chilly, they have the most efficient (and attractive) outdoor heater I have ever seen. The service is exemplary, the welcome always warm, and the food always delicious. Keep an eye out for their special musical evenings, and take note of the amazing art painted by local artists, on the wall.

Bella vista is a fabulous restaurant. It's my third time there and I'm never disappointed with the quality of food. Plus, the young staff are attentive and friendly at all times.

Absolutely wonderful, how lucky the people living in this area are !

Another great meal at this lovely restaurant Staff are always so friendly and pleasant. A pleasure to come and dine here.

Our first breakfast experience at La Bella Vista. Will definitely return.

Beautiful meal with my friend Diana absolutely delicious outstanding as always YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE! Thanks Aldo and Team♥️

We had a lovely family event. Good food, good service and lovely atmosphere.

Had my wife's 60th birthday party here. There was 30 of us. The service, food and the atmosphere was excellent. Could not have been any better. A massive thank you to all the team for making the day such a memorable occasion.

Food amazing, staff couldn't do enough for you 10/10

Top tier food and service 😁 Seated outside and was even given lights and offered blankets, couldn’t have an asked for a better dinner!! Thank you

Divine. The food was delicious beyond words, the staff were friendly, helpful and the perfect level of attentive. A beautifully sophisticated and varied Italian menu. Can’t wait to go back to try more

The food was gorgeous, the time between ordering and being served was relatively quick, friendly staff. The only recommendation is for them to extend their restaurant for more space, as it was quite cramp. Also, make sure to either get to the restaurant at least 20-30 minutes early as there is only public parking which is limited.

This is our second time at The Bella Vista and once again we were not disappointed. Our waitress was lovely and very helpful and the food was great. Buonissima! We will be returning soon.

The best Italian restaurant I’ve been to. Amazing service, atmosphere and the food and drink was faultless.

This restaurant goes from strength to strength. Just the best place for beautiful food and a beautiful evening. Thank you.

I thought La Bella Vista was excellent. A really lovely meal, efficient and very pleasant staff, just the right atmosphere / ambience. It was well worth travelling 2 to 2.5 hours to eat there. My wife and I returned home very happy. Thanks again.

A charming restaurant facing the sea. I didn't have a booking but they kindly accommodated me on what was a very busy Sunday dinner service. Staff were attentive and warm, food was excellent. Calamari and seafood linguine was fresh with great flavours. An excellent experience and a highlight of my holiday.

Went and visited for a big birthday. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was fantastic. They really made us feel special.

Lovely venue. Great food. Friendly accommodating staff. Recommend.

Beautifully cooked food delightfully served by attentive attractive staff

We shared our 7th wedding anniversary dinner here and wasn’t disappointed. A warm welcome, great service throughout the meal and the food was amazing. Excited to see you have some Music evenings coming up. We’ll be looking to book one soon.

Lovely place to eat, food delicious and a friendly welcome too.

Everything was amazing:) I’ll definitely visit here again:)

What a lovely restaurant. Amazing food, superb service and great atmosphere. Would highly recommend!

The food here is always first class. The staff are very welcoming and all have excellent communication skills. The premises are very clean and the dining areas are most relaxing.

Excellent evening spent at Bella Vista. Friendly efficient staff with very good food and at no time were we rushed to leave even though we were last in the restaurant

Ordered lunch set menu, liked the prawn cocktail, didn’t not like the main course. I went there alone, waitresses are not responsive, waited 30 min to pay my bill. Maybe they lack staff. By the time finishing my food I feel exhausted by the time I had to wait.

A delightful place to eat, superb food, lovely staff, great ambience.

Outstanding well seasoned dishes that made the most of fresh high quality ingredients. The olives were beautifully marinated and had a garlic and buttery flavour. The tuna was perfectly seared and the sauce revealed a perfect blend of Italian and Japanese flavours. The sauce for the seafood pasta was complex and rich, and revealed skilful preparation and use of the fish stock by the chef. The tiramisu was the best I ever had anywhere, including the US and Italy. The chocolate mousse topped with Bailey Irish Cream and the New York Cheese Cake were also excellent.

I was prepared to be a little disappointed based on my previous two visits, perhaps because the owner wasn’t present back then, who knows. Liver cooked to perfection.An altogether excellent meal. All 3 of us enjoy it immensely. They’ve certainly taken things up another notch and even the deserts are worth a try as in the past that were just a little underwhelming.

Absolutely loved the food there ! Great view to the sea as well

What an amazing place, we ventured out for a meal with our 5 month old and we were treated so well by all the staff, they went out of their way to make sure that we had a table that has ample space for our pram. Service was quick and all our food was utterly delicious! The desserts are on a whole other level, the panna cotta is highly recommended! We will definitely be back as soon as possible. An absolute gem of a restaurant!

Food is delicious. Service impeccable. Staff charming & attentive.

By far the best local Italian! You pay for more, if you want your classic cheap frozen Picassos then fine but you can tell this is fresh ingredients

Lovely staff, service and excellent food at a very reasonable price.

Excellent food in a friendly environment with attentive staff and a great atmosphere

Absolutely stunning in every aspect. Superb friendly and very knowledgable service, excellent food, glorious wine...just perfect in every way.

My favourite restaurant and always fabulous food

Six stars for service! All the staff were so friendly and welcoming. The food was wonderful & the atmosphere lively and upbeat. Nice sea views. This is s great place to go to celebrate a special occasion.

Lovely evening, super food, excellent service and very friendly staff.

Amazing food incredibly tasty! Took a while to arrive but you know it’s fresh and was all worth the wait! Presentation was 10/10 on every course. Drinks were so yummy and made to perfection

We booked La Bella Vista simply because we wanted an Italian restaurant in Hastings. Wow what a find. La Bella Vista exceeded our expectations in every way. The service was spot on and the food top class. Interesting dishes that tasted fantastic. The tuna was particularly outstanding. We only wish that this restaurant was in Norwich so we could visit on a regular basis.

A short, romantic break prompted my wife and I with an opportunity to visit St Leonard's and we were especially keen to try out one of the town's highly reputed Italian restaurants ... And our visit to La Bella Vista comfortably exceeded our expectations! Our food was absolutely delicious and it was a wonderful pleasure to find such a high level of innovation & culinary skill combining to produce fabulous Italian food that was still capable of being genuinely surprising yet deeply satisfying! Don't expect much change left from £60 per head for 3 courses (Inc 10% tip) but we were certainly very happy with the quality of food, the largely attentive service and great sea-front ambience. Many thanks to all involved for making sure our visit was such a wonderful treat.

Aldo and staff were just brilliant. Lovely meal. Very welcoming.

Always very welcoming. Professional service. Food delicious. Our visitors think we are so lucky to have independent restaurants and Bella Vista is a favourite

The staff were so attentive and helpful. My favourite restaurant in Hastings and will keep coming back. It was my birthday and they gave the whole party a treat without even asking x

We only came to Hastings for a walk on the beach without plans to stay for lunch. Just out of interest to see what's around- looked quickly at couple menus. La Bella Vista menu was definitely well thought through, wine list suited our taste too. So glad there waa space for us for a late lunch (they are very busy and most guests have booked tables on Sunday). Staff welcoming and pleasant, nice and appropriate level music, all dishes we ordered absolutely fantastic- they can cook! ;). Definitely will go back to Hastings just to eat at La Bella Vista:)

Fabulous restaurant with great service and amazing food!

Only minor issue was that after our olives and bread arrived, straight after our meals came so we didn’t have time to enjoy the bread and olives properly.

Very tasty food and great service

Fantastic service, fabulous food and wine, many thanks *****

What a lovely lunch we had , staff are always so attentive and nothing is too much trouble , it was my mums birthday and they made a special fuss of her which was lovely ☺️

Lovely meal with family, stunning food sitting outdoors on a warm summer evening

Fantastic brunch spot with a sea view!

Lovely time at La Bella Vista accommodated a party of 10 of us. Lovely service; really attentive. Food was very good, however risotto was not good but received a partial refund for these dishes. Good atmosphere very professional atmosphere, but relaxed. Only downside is that the restaurant is very small. Needs a bigger premises (could certainly sell out a bigger restaurant as well!) 8/10 would recommend!

Great food, wine & service as always

Lovely meal with friends on their 50 th anniversary . Could not fault the service or food . Friendly hosts and good service !

We visited this restaurant on two occasions for breakfast and for lunch. Both times the food was fantastic, very pleasant staff, and a lovely location across from the sea. I would highly recommend eating here!

Wonderful restaurant, lovely food excellent staff, perfect.

Went for a meal for our 5th wedding anniversary. They asked about the occasion and made a note of it. Food was amazing, and the service was exemplary. Will definitely be eating regularly from now on. Top marks.

We have come here a few times although we live out the area. We always comment on how good the food is, but as importantly how great and attentive the staff are. Good management.

First time, will for sure return. Food was fantastic, reasonable pricing and service was decent. My partner told the young waiter it was her birthday and he brought out a suprise before we left. Very thoughtful

Friendly team, delicious food, fantastic views. What's not to love? See you again soon!