Vita Bella in Chelmsford

“Authentic Italian” seriously? Romanian owner operator pretending to be Italian doesn’t make the food Italian. It’s about as authentic as the tourist traps in Rome serving spaghetti bolognaise. Spend more money on the ingredients and less on the laundry bills for the pretentious white gloves. We’ll never return. What a shambles of a place.

The attention to detail was incredible. Food was very good. Also made an effort for my sons birthday. Would definitely return

We came here for our 2nd wedding anniversary, it was a great experience, the food was lovely and fresh. Andre was serving us and was brilliant. Would recommend to everyone!

Went for my birthday and they were so lovely without going over the top

We had a lovely time enjoying a romantic evening for two. We ate off the set menu as there were too many choices, causing my husband to have option paralysis 😂 The staff were fabulous, with real attention to detail. It really was a five-star experience all round, and we will certainly be returning.

A great place, you feel special the moment you drive in, fantastic service and good food.

Last night went for a meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was our first time visiting Vita Bella. The evening was really wonderful, lots of attentive staff were on hand but we never felt rushed. The food was really tasty. 👌 But they went the extra meal, a fabulous ice cream with a candle with rolling dry ice was spectacular. Another nice touch was a bar of chocolate with Love on it and complimentary limoncellos. Fabulous! Thank you for making our anniversary so special

Outstanding! Fantastic food, service and ambience. Setting has changed since we last visited, and it is beautiful, we never felt rushed and the staff were attentive but not overbearing. If you want to have a wonder evening with family or as a couple then Vita Bella is the place to go!

Today myself and my family at Vita Bella, we where treated to a dining experience that surpassed all expectations. The food was exceptional, each dish a masterpiece of flavor and presentation. However, what truly elevated the evening was the unparalleled service provided by the remarkable staff. From the moment I walked in, their warmth and professionalism made me feel like a valued guest. With attention to detail evident in every aspect of the experience, dining at Vita Bella was an unforgettable delight. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an extraordinary culinary journey. Will definetly come back here very soon. And I would like to add that we traveled all the way from London, and yes, it was really worth it! Thank you.

Occasionally if you're very lucky you may find an absolute gem. For us today was such a day. Try it for yourselves, you can thank me later. We were made welcome from the moment we drove into the car park. Staff were attentive, polite and friendly at all times. The food was stunning. I had the pate to start and my wife had the baked Aubergine. Both were very good and highly recommended. For the main I had the Salmon Sorentina and she, the Pork Belly. Again both were delicious and cooked to perfection. For dessert we both had the cheesecake. By the time we left it was fair to say we were satisfactorily stuffed. We will most definitely be back again soon. Thanks to everyone who made our visit something to talk about.

The Food And the service was phenomenal. Best service around hands down ! I highly recommend this place…..

Great Italian Restaurant. Been here a few times and does not disappoint. First time for lunch and went on a Monday, didn’t book just turned up. Staff very attentive and food was excellent.

Food was excellent, service was not intrusive but very attentive, in fact as good as any 5* establishment in London.

Used to love this restaurant .. but I went for Valentine’s Day ‘set menu’ ; £89 a head … but only able to have either one portion of potatoes OR vegetables .. & they were barely enough for one portion . Asked if we could buy extra , but not available - as only the set menu …. so not a full main meal, in my opinion .. very disappointing when you think peas & potatoes cost so little ; pennies !! & the set menu being very high . I wrote to them twice regarding this as I never wanted to leave a negative review .. but no reply . They pay so much attention to little details , I just don’t understand why they ignore speaking to their customers about fundamental expectancies, when eating a meal . There was no other menu offered on this day . Not sure I’ll go again, because of this . I don’t mind paying high prices but expect to be able to eat a full dinner and I felt like they were making tiny cuts for profit - why else ? I ave finally got a reply from them, having left this review & despite whet they reply below, due to me leaving this negative review .. they were quite threatening & have asked me not to attend their restaurant again ; quite unprofessional and rude, considering my comments were not that harsh, but accurate & I tried to contact them via email, before leaving the review . Make what you will . Heaven forbid we have freedom of speech . I would not want to support to people with such views, anyway .

An absolute gem of a restaurant serving first class Italian food. The menu is varied without being overpowering with excellent meat,fish and vegan choices. The food is cooked perfectly and nicely presented. I must say that the staff are among the most helpful and pleasant people that I have ever had the pleasure of being served by, nothing is to much. Waiting time is reasonably minimal for each course considering each dish is freshly cooked. Considering the class of food served the price is reasonable, in fact many "gastro" pubs pretty much rival the cost without equaling the same high standard. I would recommend booking a table as Vita Bella is understandably popular. I will no doubt be booking again. In addition to my earlier review I booked again in March 2024 for my wife’s birthday and endorse my previous feedback with a few other observations. I cannot think of a better restaurant to book for a special occasion. It goes without saying that the food is top class with a wonderful selection to choose from. It is the attention to detail that deserves a mention. You are welcomed upon arrival and after a few pleasantries shown to your table. The ambience is excellent with nice music and lighting. The white gloved staff at Vita Bella go the extra mile, nothing is missed, well mannered and friendly. Within Essex I would plump for the Vita Bella over all other restaurants for that special occasion. I will definitely be returning…40 years of wedded bliss next August!

Wow how much more can I say about this restaurant other than it’s absolute perfection from the minute you pull in to the carpark until the minute you leave it’s more than just amazing food it’s a complete dining experience from start to finish will 100% be coming back very soon thank you to all the staff for making our visit so enjoyable be proud of your team they are simply fantastic

Great food, great service, that's all anyone needs to know.

Been several times. Eating in London is very expensive but here you get good food and wine at a more reasonable price. Nice people good service. Good menu. Four of us. Able to have a good variety of dishes. Also toilets kept very clean, always a good sign.

A superb Italian restaurant, the staff are 💯 professional, a superb experience every time

Sunday lunch, lovely food and excellent friendly attentive service

Fantastic wonderful delicious. As always staff attentive food wonderful and can't wait to return very soon.

Great food, very attentive staff. Nice location and decor. Definitely we'll return.

This place is genuinely average. Not sure what all the fuss is about. Many a better Italian either in Maldon or towards London. Rude as well.

14/2/24 We came for the Valentine's lunch, it was excellent. From the moment you arrive at the restaurant, until you leave, the staff cannot do enough for you. As usual, the food was well cooked, nicely presented and hot. This was the best lunch I've ever had. This restaurant is so good, that we treat ourselves to lunch on a regular basis. 10/6/22 Came with our family to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had a great time from start to finish. There is an extensive food and wine menu. The food was very nicely presented, tasty and hot. The staff are very professional, attentive (but not over powering) friendly and polite. All the staff made a very special occasion, perfect. Recommended

Best "Grown up" dining experience in Essex.

The atmosphere was lovely, took my wife and a few friends for her birthday, the staff were great, attentive but not overbearing nothing was too much trouble quick and efficient, the food was wonderful, Can't wait to go again.

It was our first visit and from the moment we were greeted in the carpark with an umbrella we were made to feel special. The restaurant was full but at no point did any of the staff appear hurried or stressed. The service was attentive but discreet. The food was absolutely lovely, I rarely have a pudding but this time I thought it would be worth it. It was. We came away still feeling special. A rare thing for a restaurant to achieve. The menu is not cheap but it was really good value for money. We will be back for our next special occasion.

Just a wonderful restaurant to visit. If you have a special occasion to celebrate then you should consider booking a meal here.

Lovely food and lovely staff. Definitely recommend.

Excellent service and excellent food A great experience all round Thoroughly recommend

Celebrated our Wedding Anniversary with the folk at Vita Bella. They made us feel like family. Definitely going back and soon!

Excellent, efficient service. Great choice of food and drinks. Recommend the fillet steak.

What an absolutely amazing dining experience! The owner and team were faultless, nothing was too much trouble and The food and atmosphere was sublime! Cannot wait for our next visit!!

Absolutely fabulous evening with the owner & staff of The Vita Bella. Beautiful food and atmosphere, then when our cab driver let us down, they took us all home. Above & beyond the call of duty. Can't recommend this place highly enough. Massive thank you to you all. ♥️xxxx

Absolutely outstanding from start to finish! First visit. Blown away by the service from the moment we drove into the car park, met by Vallet, who took us to a parking space, warm friendly welcome at the door, then again at reception, coats taken, taken to our table, chair pulled out, napkins placed on our laps ... attention to detail was 10/10 and then some! We never had to wait to order at all, but also not rushed, staff were extremely attentive (but not overly intrusive) professional, busy, courteous - couldn't do enough to ensure everything was OK. Food was absolute amazing! This is literally the best service, ambience, food that I have encountered in a restaurant in a very long time! Not precocious at all, reasonable prices, servings perfect! Thank you so so much for a stunning, perfect evening. We will be returning AND recommending to all our friends and family! Thank you! Above and beyond! Xx

Outstanding restaurant, great food, great atmosphere, great staff, allocated parking an added bonus, couldn't fault them. Will definitely go again.

Went to this restaurant for lunch with family & it was great! Staff are friendly, however had an issue with the Lasagna which was very bland and mushy - my family tried and agreed. They didn’t make a fuss or anything and were very apologetic, after they took it back I ordered the fillet which was amazing so that made up for it!

Incredible service, food and atmosphere. I would highly recommend Vita Bella

Outstanding service and food. Thank you

If you want a fantastic dining experience then this is the place for you. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel special. The staff are polite, well spoken and nothing is too much trouble. We had a terrific 3 course meal choosing from the different menu options and every dish was just superb. The restaurant is well laid out with plenty of space between tables and there is a very relaxing atmosphere. We will definitely be returning.

Great food and service as always

I discovered this restaurant last week and what an experience it was! Warm welcome provided by the owner as we got in, very customer-minded and caring staff throughout the meal and, last but not least, scrumptious food I am still raving about. Special mention to the menu that offers original dishes and tries to be different.

Arrived with my friend to purchase gift vouchers and decided, on the spur of the moment, to have lunch. Food lovely and we were made to feel very welcome by all the staff despite my rather casual appearance.

Visited this evening for my partners birthday. Have visited before a few times and as each time before everything was amazing, all staff friendly, happy, food was amazing of course and presented beautifully, service was fantastic.

We had another excellent meal here on Saturday.Yes it's not cheap but the value for money is exceptional. A good wine list and the service is very good. Looking forward to our next visit.

I traveled almost all over Europe to get to know gastronomic tastes and people's habits. It is a nice quiet place where you can serve both lunch and dinner .The service is impeccable with professional people, the food is cooked fresh and with quality products. It is a restaurant that deserves a Michelin star.

So just had my second meal here and yet again made to feel like a king and my wife a queen! That’s it for me, service is exemplary the food is better than most of the London places I go by a country mile, this is by far the best place I have been to and the people are incredible

What an absolutely wonderful place! The service is so nice & beyond amazing without being in anyway intrusive. The attention to detail is really quite outstanding. The food is so delicious, every course & every mouthful and very reasonably priced. Will definitely be recommending this place from the rooftops and beyond! Thank you for everything quite literally (er-hum petrol 🤦🏼‍♀️🙏🏼🥰) See you again soon!

What can I say? Everything was fantastic! Highly recommended 👌

When for a 30th anniversary celebration, it was a Monday and staff made us feel special.

I am not an Italian food person, but visited today to celebrate my youngest daughter's 50th birthday. The welcome we received and the overall experience was absolutely brilliant. Thank you for making her day so memorable. My chosen savoury items were prepared minus items that I don't like and a big thank you for that. We left totally overwhelmed by the experience, and I have to say that is the finest restaurant I have ever visited. We were made to feel very special and a birthday she will never forget. Thank you

Love it every second. The food and the service were great. Staff was friendly and polite, they were interested in our opinion about food, but weren't intrusive. Nice and romantic atmosphere. Definitely I highly recommend it.

Great food. Amazing service. Great atmosphere. Great price! Loved it. Got some gift cards too for xmas pressies.

Absolutely incredible, service, food, the beautiful restaurant. Amazing... I cant thank the owner enough for making our visit so perfect. We are over from Perth, Australia... and can say this has to be one of the best restaurants I've been too. Thank you so much

Brilliant, our best restaurant. Great be back again soon. Many thanks.

A fantastic restaurant to visit, highly recommend you visit. Staff can't do enough for you, and the food is incredible.

Lovely food. Staff were rather over attentive.

Wow, absolutely fantastic restaurant. I felt like I was in a 5* Hotel restaurant in the West End. Love the little extra touches like the car park attendant and the staff wearing gloves. Sanitizer on the tables and around the restaurant also nice added extra not seen since Covid. Will definitely be back for a birthday celebration.

Excellent restaurant, amazing staff one if my favourite restaurants to eat 10/10

Food and service are exceptional

Not the first time I have been here. Every time I have had an impeccable experience. Every aspect is fantastic if you want to feel special this place manages it every time.

Our 2nd visit to Vita Bella and we were as impressed as before. Great food and service. Thank you.

Loved it All fantastic Can't rate this place enough It deserves 10 🌟

First experience at vita bella this afternoon and it was unbelievable! Literally from when you enter the car park you can tell that you're in for a treat. Amazingly fresh oysters served on dry ice. The sardines in a rich tomato sauce were divine and the veal was so tender. A panettone bread and butter pudding to finish with some proper Italian coffee. Heard great things about Vitta bella and now I know why. Amazing place can't wait to visit again

Really lovely restaurant. First class experience from the moment you enter the car park. Service outstanding. Food beautifully cooked and presented.

Exceptional service and food was fantastic

Two weeks ago today we dined for the first time at Vita Bella to celebrate mine and my mums birthday, and we were not disappointed. From start to end we were looked after so well by all the wonderful staff, from the car park greeter, to the hospitable front of house team and of course the brilliant manager, who was so lovely and welcoming. The food, service and ambience were all of a high standard and exceeded our expectations. We are already deciding what to have from the menu on our next visit. Can't wait to return! Katie & George

It seems to me like it is trying to be an upper class restaurant, but at the end of the day it all boils down to the food I'm afraid - which I found to be poor. To coin a food phrase, 'mutton dressed up as lamb' comes to mind.

Visited in a large group of 14 people for mums 60th birthday today Brilliant service from start to finish despite the restaurant being busy and she really enjoyed the day in her ‘favourite restaurant’ and catered for very well by the manager and rest of the staff We were never waiting long to be seen to, the food was brilliant and the portion sizes were very generous and exceeded my expectations The service provided at the end with a birthday celebration was the perfect end and couldn’t recommend these guys enough

Very smart restaurant with great food and very attentive and pleasant staff. Would definitely go again.

Once again could not find fault with anything superb food and service

Thankyou so much vita Bella for a fantastic evening and would like to thank the staff for the excellent service can’t wait to come back

Just superb remains the place to eat in Essex

This is a first class restaurant, with amazing food and service. Thank you so much. We will be back soon

Can't fault food or service, I'll go to this place again. Good relaxing atmosphere.

We had a nice dinner for two here on Saturday evening. Everything, from a great and warm welcome on the premises, to food, drinks and desserts. Lobster and Panettone is a MUST. Staff is great, they've been looking always after us. Cyp is a great host who is making sure that everyone gets a Hello from him and that put a smile on our faces. For sure we will be back. Thank you!

We visited this lovely place last Saturday evening! One of the best dining experiences we’ve had in absolutely ages. The food and service were first class. Not many restaurants get it right but this one does. We will definitely be coming back.

If you are coming to enjoy Italian food, then this is not the place. Unfortunately the food is not up to standard.

Myself and my dear wife have eaten at this establishment previously. But this time round was dreadful, I'm not sure if the chef or supplier has been replaced. So very sad that its not as it once was.

💛The best seafood risotto I ever had! My parents had the lobster pasta : AMAZING was the word used most times 😋😋 Can’t wait to go back. Service TOP Class!!

Apologies. I meant to take a picture of the food before hand!! So delicious. Filetto Rossini was outstanding. Even the spaghetti bolognaise which is served as a side to the Veal Milanese was perfect. As always the service could rival any Michelin star restaurant. Bravo!!!

Honestly.. by far the best Italian I've ever been too.. the staff make you feel like royalty. Uniform was marvellous Food was spectacular Atmosphere was incredible Service was impeccable. All round 10/10

I came to Vita Bella for my 30th birthday; it was a wonderful experience and the attention to detail with regards to customer service is remarkable.

One of my Favourite Restaurants. Staff are brilliant and well trained. Same owners for many years and never complacent. Never embarrassed to recommend as you know they will be throughly look after...

Cannot fault anything really. Even parking up was a pleasure. From first entering, the food and even leaving, everything was great.

My grandson's birthday was made special due to Vita Bella on Sunday, Thank you.xx Staff first class. Food excellent,

Lovely atmosphere, very friendly, attentive staff, beautiful food. Well worth a visit

Excellent service Excellent food 👌

Fantastic. I visited with my wife for our Anniversary. The food and service was absolutely amazing. Many thanks to everyone at Vita Bella. Genuinely the best restaurant around.

Fabulous food. Service outstanding! We will be back

The best restaurant in essex the owners and all the staff go above and beyond to make sure you have the best time.

Portions a little small, but nice.

This is a wonderful place, not cheap but the food and the service is well worth it for a good celebration!

It was an absolutely amazing experience. Thank you very much. We couldn't have asked for better service, and the food was delicious.

Just got home after having a fabulous lunch to celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary. The whole experience was great from the ambiance of the restaurant to the stunning food. The professional staff made us so welcome it’s like spending time with the family. If we...

I’ve been to Vita Bella several times and it’s always been 100% perfect every time. Cip and his team are always so welcoming and attentive m, nothing is too much trouble and they always provide perfect service. The food is amazing with great quality ingredients. Always a great atmosphere and a perfect evening at Vita Bella, thoroughly recommended.

Had a fantastic lunch with my wife in the Vita Bella, to celebrate her birthday. What a wonderful experience! The food, the wine, the service, all top class! The staff even threw in a little "birthday surprise" for my wife in the form of a unique dessert, complete with "dry ice" smoking ice cream, which came with her Tiramisu. It's the little touches like this that entices diners back, and rest assured, we will definitely be coming back! Thank you one and all 👏👏👏

Wonderful from start to finish. The welcome from the car park person. To the owner greeting people as if he has known you all his life. To the service at lunch. To the exquisite food. And the complimentary aperitif at the end. If I had...

Was disappointed with the food, sauce on the Spaghetti and meatballs flavourless. Also toilets are women and gents combined so not the best for ladies after a gentleman has been to the loo if you get my drift. Over £200 for the meal nothing special...

We have been visiting this restaurant for about 10 years now. So probably about 20 meals. We have never had anything less than a wonderful experience. The food is fantastic. The staff are brilliant and the manager feels like a long standing friend who really...