La Bontá in Uttlesford

New owners. At last somewhere local to have a coffee in a legitimate business offering great breakfast, lunch and brunch options.

Just been for my son's birthday. Top food and cocktails. Very professional service. Decided to make this our go to restaurant.

Saw this restaurant on a website and decided to take my wife there for our anniversary. Great decor, absolutely lovely staff with attentive service and the food was amazing. I went with high expectations and they managed to exceed that.

Food was excellent with great service, would recommend

Best Italian fine dining for miles.

Beautiful restaurant that we walked in to randomly as we needed to charge our car, kill some time and eat and the charger was next to the restaurant. Absolutely delicious pizza, excellent service. I'm really impressed. Will definitely make a special trip back to try the rest of the menu. It is truly a joy to see such an establishment that is obviously run with a lot of love and not just as a commercial enterprise. Thank you for a wonderful experience..

Disgusting food terrible service overpriced and from what I know using youngsters on trial shifts not paying them even when they have signed a contract refuses to acknowledge wrongdoings when questioned

Very nice place for who loves autentic Italian food was all delicious and the attention from Zaida was perfect. Really recomend and we will be back for sure

Amazing flavours, great wine, top service. The tuna steak is superb.

Tried La Bontà last night for the first time - great meal, great service! Will definitely be revisiting

Difficult to fault anything on this great experience

Great italian restaurant. The food is out of this world

Absolutely loved the chicken. Was with an Italian and he was really impressed too

The wife and I are fussy eaters, we enjoy fine dining. I was so taken back by this place, the food was so much better than expected. This is truly the best restaurant locally, you will be pushed to find anywhere better within an hour

Absolutely Awesome!! They call this place a hidden gem for a reason here in Dunmow… can tell that their foods are prepared with fresh ingredients and culinary expertise, also experienced a friendly yet professional service to the table. Had their Prawns and avocado together and a Foie Gras to start with, for the mains we highly recommend their Filetto di Manzo ala Rossini and their Lobster Linguine. For desserts their Authentic Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse. They also offer a fine selection of Cigars and Cognacs or Whiskeys to go along with it that you can enjoy in their so called “The Garden” Truly a complete dining experience. Definitely will comeback, Good job La bonta Team!

I love the customer service they provided for me while I dined. It felt friendly. Also the food was at top quality tasting great.

Some of the best Italian food I've had, come here regularly.

Amazing food. Would recommend 👌

I purchased tea , muffin, olives , and crisps, in the La Bonta takeaway shop, my tea was so week I asked for another tea bag , they charged me £2.45 for another tea bag !!!! Disgusting, imagine if you asked for a extra stem of broccoli in the restaurant !!!

Excellent food and fantastic service! We’ll be back 🫶🏽

Freindly Owner and Staff Members and the food is esquiste! Espically their cold pasta for lunch!

Excellent food fantastic service

This qualifies as a true hidden gem. Got here by accident looking for something good to eat around Stansted Airport. Quite closely situated I gave it a go and man was I impressed. Very friendly staff, polite and helpful. Menu is simple in line with what you would expect from a Hell's Kitchen fan 😉 but very tasty. I had the fish soup and it was very fresh and tasty. Definitely recommend for a business meal, family night out or just a casual night out.

Booked for Mother’s Day. Gorgeous food and atmosphere. Service was impeccable. Strongly recommend

We have eaten steak many times and everywhere in this world. And then by chance we came to this unique restaurant and were overwhelmed this steak for 2 people melted in our mouth like butter. The sauce and the side dishes perfectly matched. We are sooo glad we spent another night in takeley after our stay in London and were so hungry. Thank you again for the great service you have a first class restaurant just wonderful. Viki and Melanie from Salzburg

Fabulous food and service from staff at La Bonta, can highly recommend, you will not be disappointed.

Another excellent meal at this family-run Italian restaurant - lovely, friendly, efficient service - recommended.

What a Gem of a place not a huge menu but great variety something for every taste , fabulous food great service .

Amazing place. Service and food was incredible. Highly recommended this hidden gem.

We were recommended this fabulous restaurant by our B&B host. La Bonta is a modern Italian fine dining restaurant. The service was excellent, with the waitresses friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. It is one of the first small eating establishments we have dined at, that use white gloves to deliver the silver service, a very nice subtle touch that adds that extra touch of professionalism. The atmosphere was lovely, the restaurant was full and felt very adult. The food was excellent. We generally favour sea food and the fish dishes were excellent. The wine list was excellent. The is a relatively young business and La Bontas delivers a high level of professionalism that I would expect in Central London. Well done La Bonta! and keep up the high standards. We will be definitely recommending the restaurant and will return.

Have used labonta since it opened and never disappointed in the quality of the food and the fantastic family service Had a special birthday here too for my partner and every guest had a fantastic meal the atmosphere everything was exceptional and I would 100% recommend this with out a blink of a eye Wonderful thank you guys ooh La La 💕 Brian& Lynda

Outstanding service, food and decor. Justly deserves its top rating.

Very nice restaurant with attentive staff, nice music, lovely food and nice toilets. Highly recommend for special occasion.

An amazing meal, wonderful food beautifully presented with excellent service.

My friend and I went to La Bonita last Friday, 23rd September 2022 and to start off the meal and service was excellent then the breast of chicken in palma ham my friend chose for her main course was disgusting & inedible, it felt like chewing a rubber flip flop!!! So of course we complained, there was no apologies & in fact they said it must be us as they’ve not had any complaints about the chicken that day!! When paying our bill we spoke to the waitress who became rude, hostile and aggressive, so we paid our bill and started to leave. Then out of the blue, an old lady confronted us, I’m not sure who she was, either the cleaner or kitchen pot washer, who started to verbally abuse us claiming we wanted a free meal and kept asking were we experts or chefs!! 🤣 I actually asked her what was wrong with her because her behaviour was very unusual. She was extremely rude and aggressive and we were then manhandled out of the building and told never to come back. My friend and I are in our mid 50’s and have eaten all over the world and never tasted chicken like it, plus we’ve never been spoken to or treated like that ever before. The whole scenario was weird, we were happy to leave after paying and the lady wanted to have a fight!! Unbelievable behaviour!! Never ever will we go back.

After reading all the great reviews we had to give this restaurant a try and we are so glad we did and will certainly return soon. What a fabulous find!! The restaurant itself is modern and stylish. On entering the restaurant we were welcomed warmly, with a smile and were offered a choice of tables. The table had a tall lit candle on it which was a lovely touch. We had fantastic large glasses for our red wine & our bottle had been decanted into a carafe, all lovely touches which you don’t often get anymore. The service was impeccable and our waitress was super friendly and made us feel at home instantly. At this point we just knew we wouldn’t be disappointed with the food. For starters we had the scallops and prawns on guacamole, both dishes were absolutely fabulous. Both plates visually looked like a work of art and the flavours were so good, I didn’t want mine to end. We also had the freshly made focaccia which was the best I’ve ever tasted. The mains and desserts were just as good. All the dishes were made to such a high standard and presented well, you can tell the chef is highly skilled and takes great pride in what he does. If you appreciate great food & impeccable service, this restaurant is a must!

Food and service always great..well done

Amazing restaurant, excellent food great wine selection. The atmosphere was great and just the right level of attention from the staff, friendly and welcoming.

Great food! Nice place! Not cheap but worth the price. The staff was super friendly! I'll recommend it!

This was super food. Fine dining Italian style. Small but lovely with friendly staff

Truly Italian and fabulous food with outstanding comfort and service.

Superb service, delicious food and a lovely place for a meal. Unexpected gem! Wish I hadn’t been driving, those cocktails looked amazing.

Really, really good food. Very nice atmosphere, staff friendly and attentive.

Super amazing food- great flavours, homemade and thoughtfully presented, very attentive staff and great atmosphere. A hidden gem we’d love to return to soon!

We didn't get a chance to try this restaurant. We arrived at 17.30, and the place was virtually empty (just two tables with customers), but were told it was fully booked. I looked around the empty tables and asked if there was any way they could squeeze us in, and we would be happy to be out quickly, but was told no. I asked if there was any way we could eat at the little table outside, since many places wouldn't take reservations for outside. 'I'm sorry, we can't cook for any more people.' I understand it would have filled up later in the evening, but it felt really disappointing to be turned away from somewhere with five whole diners.

It’s a shame when you’ve supported a new restaurant throughout lockdowns to then be told your custom isn’t welcome any more as you have a child.

To start… I 100% recommend this place! Never heard of it, and I found it on Google last minute, and luckily they had a table! And I am so glad they did! Polite on arrival, opened doors each time, quick at taking orders for drinks and food, food was absolutely gorgeous! I had steak, my partner had sea bass, and it was so yummy! We had a lot of alcohol on top and I don’t think the price was near what it should of been! (No complaints there) very small inside but I do prefer that as you can actually hear each other talk! Nice and relaxed, I would defiantly go back! Thanks for the lovely evening!

Another fab meal here definitely recommend such great food and friendly staff. Lucky to have this restaurant locally

Nothing else to say than excellent

La Bontá We’ve just eaten at La Bontá and were completely blown away. How is it possible that such an awesome restaurant is located in the middle of a housing estate Little Canfield. If this restaurant were in London it would have a Michelin star. The service is a model in how a restaurant should be run, Open the front door for you ✔ Smile and greet you with a warm welcome ✔ Offer you a choice of table ✔ Menu and introduction ✔ Prompt service and never once had to get the waitress’s attention ✔ Everything served promptly ✔ Drinks glasses chilled ✔ The waitresses wear white gloves to handle your cutlery and serve your food – when did you last see that? ✔ I could go on, but you get the idea. Now to the food. Simply and easily one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Yes ever. Chicory, Pear and Gorgonzola Salad in a Mustard dressing. How can something so seemingly simple, taste so good? Prawns on Guacamole – taste explosion 💥 Homemade Tortelli with smoked salmon served with butter lemon sauce & langoustine – So fresh, so tasty. Fillet Steak with Roast Potatoes and Creamy Truffled cabbage – no cabbage ever tasted this good. A very large piece of Steak cooked medium rare to perfection. Home-made Chocolate Truffles, butter cookies……just try it. All finished off with a traditional and complimentary Limoncello aperitif. Apparently, the Chef is named Paulo and he’s from Tuscany – how does he not have a Michelin Star? Exquisite.

Very nice place, was very surprised to found it in Takeley. The restaurant was very busy but they accomodate us even without any booking. The food quality is very good but the sauce was too much salty for all 3 of us that ordered the meat. We were going to catch a flight otherwise the sauce was not edible. The price is a little bit high if you think about the location.

Thankyou so much Zada for yet another fantastic meal..Never fails our expectations..The ambiance great as usual..unfortunate incident with the lady and very badly behaved unsupervised children but you dealt with it very professionally..Nobody wants children running riot whilst eating.Thankyou for a great meal.See you son.

Staff and food fantastic, great restaurant that would not look out of place in London, love it

Having discovered this resauraunt and had such a good meal with friendly staff that I had a problem.....if too many people find it I will have to book well in advance to get a table in future!! Don't take my word for it. Go and try it for yourself.

Now I have a good excuse to travel and fly out of stansted, food was exceptional and so was the attentive service. What a lovely place to eat. You can never beat a family run business.

Food excellent, staff very friendly and helpful , looking forward to returning ASAP

Excellent place, they know about Italian food very well, 5 stars!

Great food, great service, great people. What more can I say. Thank you La Bontà, we are your regular customers now 😀

Fabulous, friendly staff, great service, lovely wine and some of the best food I have ever eaten.

Popped in for dinner last night and as usual everything was 10/10 - food, service, decor, wine, music all top notch. I’m so lucky to live just five minutes away!

Discovered La Bontá searching for somewhere local to Stanstead Airport to have dinner, and what an amazing find! Warm and welcoming staff, attentive service, relaxed atmosphere and the food is just utterly incredible. This wonderful little restaurant is faultless and I can not recommend highly enough.

Went for lunch for my nans birthday. The staff were friendly and the food was lovely.

My son & I had another lovely meal last Friday at La Bonta. Fresh, delicious food. Amazing cocktails & great service. So lucky to have such a wonderful restaurant down the road to me. Can’t wait till we next go for a family birthday. Highly recommend.

Beautiful food and wine. The atmosphere was lovely and the service was brilliant. Have already booked again

Just the most amazing restaurant, what a find, great food and staff. This is definitely going to be a regular .

5*, it’s so good I often stop in on my own to get lunch. Superb family run business, I would put the food on par with the best restaurants in Essex, but cheaper price. Excellent service and our go to restaurant.

Food excellent, though not cheap. Impressive wine list.

Did a quick Stop in for a takeaway. Ordered a pizza which was absolutely delicious!!! We’ll be back!!

Stopped here for lunch after dropping son off at airport. Location in a local centre in the middle of a housing estate - but beautiful decor and lovely food! Shared an antipasto toscano for a starter and there was plenty! Risotto and papardelle for mains were fab. Staff friendly and welcoming, gluten free options available. Miles better than eating in the airport!

Every meal had at La Bonta is outstanding! The service, venue, food and drinks are always wonderful. We have taken many friends and family and all have been impressed! We love it here, as do our children, and can't wait til we come back for our next meal! Thank you La Bonta ❤️

Lovely family run restaurant. Good food, good service. Authentic Italian.

Working at Stansted for a few weeks and this is the best place for food in a 10 mile radius. I've tried dozens and did the hard work for you!! You wont be disappointed!

What a find! Friendly and knowledgeable service, delicious and authentic food. What's not to like.

Food was amazing and the staff very friendly. Awesome 👌

Veramente buono massima gentilezza servizio ottimo e le pizze speciali.lo Consiglio ad andarlo a trovare

Very nice place a bit expensive though but the food was spot on very delicious and the drinks looked very inviting. The service,you could no fault ..would I go again yes!.

Incredible quality and service, both eating in and delivery. Highest class Italian food I've had outside of Italy.

The best Italian resturant in the area, the pizza is delicious 😋, Staff are lovely and friendly, I always come back to eat when I am traveling from/to Stansted Airport, Thank you. 😊

Lovely restaurant with outstanding service. The calzone was incredible. Can't wait to go back!

I was looking for restaurants in the vicinity of Stansted and wow, what a find! La Bontá is a hidden gem, the service is so friendly and professional, the food is incredible. I had just collected my fiancee from the airport, but she was made to feel like she was still on holiday as we tucked into the delicious pizza and wine. Fortunately we had room for dessert too - the profiteroles were divine! Airport run or not, we will definitely be back. Thanks for having us!

The atmosphere, food, service, and cleanliness at this restaurant is amazing! Our 3 year old boy was tired and restless when we went in, but the lovely staff were very kind to him and he loved his salmon and scrambled eggs! Thank you and see you again soon!

Wonderful. bijou Italian family run restaurant. Pizza for the run of the mill.Also more gourmet style Pasta . Excellent wine and drinks list . Excellent service

Really great service and AMAZING food

Ate outside as it was a warm evening, staff happy to let me in by the easiest wheelchair-friendly round-the-back entrance so I didn't need to negotiate the inside at all. Two of our party had various food intolerances and la bonta had printed out two custom menus tailored for their individual issues. Food and service were excellent.Recommended (though I've not been to the inside bit!).

I don't usually post reviews, but after our meal last night I just had to. We booked a table last minute and they welcomed us happily. The steak was the best we had in a while, and everything we ordered was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Their service was excellent and were very attentive towards us. They even put extra effort to split our single steak order as we wanted to share, which was lovely! We'll definitely be coming back.

Wow - such a great find on our short trip to the area! We loved the fairy light walkway to the private tents at the back and the food was absolutely delicious! We had a great laugh with the two ladies working too ☺️ I’ve recommended to my friends who live nearby and they’d already heard good things!

What a great surprise the outdoor dining area was fabulous. The staff very attentive and friendly. The Anniversary lunch we just had was one of the best meals we've had in a very long time. Highly recommend a visit to La Bonta

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing atmosphere, especially in the outside, Overall, this restaurant is a must!

Had the best evening on Friday at La Bonta. The service is amazing, they are so attentive & efficient but also give you time and privacy. The food always tastes so good and is beautifully cooked. Over all just great attention to detail with everything they do. They have also done a fantastic job of the outside area, amazing! Your own cabana, heated, private and romantic! Highly recommend.

Just love this place. My family and I have been eating here since it opened, we've had nothing but great food, great service, great atmosphere. The outside pods are lovely, really well thought out. On one occasion I left a tiremasu that I wanted to take home, the owner jumped in her car and dropped it round to my home. Faultless. See you soon

Just had the most amazing take away tonight! Seafood risotto, lasagne (saved half for tomorrow!), wonderfully fresh salad and raspberry almond tart with pistachio ice cream. Very tasty. Big portions and very well cooked. Will definitely order again. Thank you

Great food either take away or, eventually, eat in!

Lovely food & attentive staff. Will go back

I took my wife on date night last night. We have never been before and all I can say. A GEM of a restaurant!!! At first was a bit unsure of its location but don't let that put you off. We were greated by lovely staff, attentive but not to much just the right amount and that's hard to find. Food was absolutely divine admittedly they got my wife's vegan pizza wrong but I said to my wife let's see how they recovered from the mistake. They did!! They took my dinner away and remade it while they corrected my wifes, because if the error they offered my wife a free cocktail on the house. They we very professional and composed. Big thanks to the La Bonta team you guys have an outstanding restaurant we will definitely be returning for a 2nd date night and to experience the Charlie Chaplin cocktail!! Real Italian experience enjoy. Cant wait to return.

I'm working my way through the menu one delectable meal at a time. My italian is definitely improving ☺️ The Almond and cherry cookies are a class act! I just polished off a delightful Salamino Piccante made as a calzone delivered hot and smoking and it was so nice that i couldn't even take a photo. I guess i'll have to get another one just to show you all what it looks like.

Stunning venue and amazing food

Been here twice in a week; really good food, nice atmosphere, and nice staff.

Amazing food, wonderful service would definitely recommend

Great service, really friendly. Lovely food.

Great tasting coffee and friendly staff.