La Bella Vita in Leeds

We've been coming to this restaurant for years, so we were really disappointed by our experience last night. My husband, who always orders the lamb shank well-done, was served cut up lamb cutlets instead, without any explanation. When he asked why, they said it was because the lamb shank takes longer to cook, and since we didn't order a starter, they'd given him this instead. We've never heard of anything like that-being served a completely different dish without asking first. By the time they brought out the lamb shank, I had already finished my meal. When it came, it was practically raw inside, so it had to be sent back again. Then, the sides were another issue. We both ordered the same side salad but my husbands came without the dressing, and when he pointed this out, they brought it back with the dressing just slapped on, and it was all over the spoon, not even mixed properly. Why are the dishes so inconsistent even when we both ordered the exact same thing? Not that it should be an excuse but this was a Tuesday night and wasn't particularly busy. What really made things worse was the service. The Italian waiter was rude and defensive when my husband said the experience had been "rubbish." He actually called my husband disrespectful for saying that. My husband was just stating the facts, and he had every right to express his frustration at that point. To be treated that way as paying customers is completely unacceptable. We've always loved coming here, but this experience has really put us off. It's so upsetting that my husband's birthday was ruined by a staff member who clearly doesn't know how to handle customer concerns. We're disappointed that we've had to rule out ever returning to one of our favourite restaurants in the future.

Back in France, I allow myself this comment. I ate there last Sunday, it was a wonderful dinner. Thank you very much for your welcome, your wonderful cuisine. This establishment is exceptional, I highly recommend it.

Always delicous, fabulous service. Loved it.

Took my fiance for a meal, wasn't disappointed, the food was amazing recommend the lasagne and the Italian sausage, rhe cheese cake we chose was delightful, excellent service and reasonably priced, we will be going back

Tuve una excelente comida anoche con mi familia, la comida era excelente y el personal era amable y atento no podía haber pedido un mejor servicio

Amazing food as always , excellent service and lovely atmosphere

Food was beautiful and tasty. The service was first class and a lot better than last time I went there. Especially considering how busy it was. Atmosphere good and not too loud. The only negative was I'm intolerant to Bell peppers and they couldn't make the dish I wanted, even with me ringing up earlier in the day to ask if they could leave them out.

££18.95 for a burger and chips,never again

Been here lots over the years, and as usual, the food and service was great, can't fault it. But, and it's a big but in this day and age. As, with their new restaurant up the road, they offer no alternatives to milk, for hot drinks. This is unforgivable, seen as though everywhere else does. Come on guys, go and buy a carton from th shop around the corner, it's not difficult.

Decided to book this restaurant for a meal out with Family after hearing some good things from others Straightaway staff were Belligerent got told we must sit down immediately an order as kitchen was too close at 3:30 pm Although our booking was for 3:30 pm, and we arrived at 3:25 bar man sighing after each drink was ordered Food was bland Not as authentic Italian restaurant as they make it to seem Staff had horrendous attitudes, even though we spent over £400 Was rushed through our starters and mains Then waiter came clicking his fingers asking what dessert do we want hurry Absolutely Awful way to treat customers Definitely will not be returning Any time soon if I could give service less than one star I would, as it was at least minimum -5 star Take your hard earned money To a restaurant where you will be treated with respect And be able to enjoy it your food Without staff, rushing it down your throat

Great food good service and I would recommend it..

Amazing food, brilliant service 👏

Todos tuvimos entrantes y platos principales que todos acordamos que eran definitivamente deliciosos. Personal amable y servicio impecable. La única decepción de este restaurante italiano fue ¿dónde estaba el licor digestivo después de la cena? Especialmente después de que gastamos 60 libras por persona. Creo que es lo menos que pueden ofrecer.

Visité aquí con mi pareja y mi familia, éramos una fiesta de seis. La Bella Vita ha sido un alimento básico, ir al restaurante para mí y mi familia durante varios años. Sin embargo, he notado que hay ciertas cosas que se han ido deslizando en este establecimiento y no puedo poner mi dedo en la llaga, pero La Bella Vita simplemente no parece tener esa chispa que una vez lo hizo. El servicio fue golpeado y fallado. Al llegar nos quedamos esperando casi 10 minutos para sentarnos, incluso cuando no había nadie más allí esperando. Nos mostraron a nuestra mesa y luego nuestro camarero se apresuró a preguntar si queríamos alguna bebida y luego más tarde para tomar nuestros pedidos. Tengo que decir que esta fue probablemente la comida más decepcionante que he tenido aquí y no es agradable tener que escribir. Pedí los espaguetis con langostino real y salmón. El plato en sí era muy sabroso. Pero, fue una suerte - cálido y el tamaño de la porción que recibí para un plato de casi £ 17 era mediocre en el mejor de los casos. Mi padre pidió el risotto de pollo y por el precio que pagó, le sirvieron un plato frío y lo que parecía ser una porción infantil. En general, la experiencia gastronómica para todos nosotros fue que la comida es encantadora, pero nadie tenía un plato caliente y nos fuimos sabiendo muy bien que íbamos a cenar en casa. Si bien no era necesariamente un problema que ocurriera, no se ayudó a que hubiera lo que parecía ser una inundación emanando de los inodoros en la noche y casi todo el baño de hombres estaba fuera de acción y sin agua corriente o capacidad para lavar los inodoros. Muy triste escribir esta crítica, pero por el precio que pagamos por la comida en general, sin duda no nos apresuramos a volver en un futuro próximo. Podríamos haber gastado la mitad del dinero y recibir comida caliente de una de las muchas comidas para llevar en Garforth y habría valido mucho más la pena el dinero.

Service very slow, has gone downhill since our last visit

Tuve un almuerzo encantador aquí. El menú del almuerzo del domingo a un precio muy razonable y tenía una gran selección. Olvidé lo bonito que era aquí. Volveré pronto. El servicio era muy atento también.

Una cálida bienvenida a la llegada fue el comienzo de una noche fabulosa. Excelente calidad, comida bien cocinada, muy bien presentada y con un sabor increíble. Buenos precios para alimentos de tan alta calidad. Personal amable y un ambiente agradable, sin duda recomendaría.

Food was delicious. Service impeccable.

Lovely food,great pleasant service xxxxx

Quality meal. The food, service and atmosphere was perfect. Highly recommend.

Came as a group of 7 for my grandma’s 86th birthday. My grandma went to order salmon however we were told the restaurant was out of stock. The waiter came back shortly after to say they’d managed to bring some in from their other restaurant nearby. All of us were very touched that the staff went out of their way to do this. Food was excellent and the waiters then surprised my grandma with a dessert for her birthday. A lovely and memorable night thanks to the staff :)

As someone who despises pasta and most Italian food, I can honestly say this is one of the best places I've eaten. The rack of lamb ribs in red wine sauce (I cannot remember the dish name) was amazing, puddings were delicious and the waiters didn't mind us ordering in the most botched Italian pronunciations you've ever heard. Will definitely be returning

Love meal with my daughter, pizza for both, fabulous vegan pizza for me. Would highly recommend for a freshly made vegan pizza.

great food, super service, beautiful decor and a nice atmosphere. we recommend to anyone who wants to feel like in Italy.

Fantastic restaurant. Staff very friendly and attentive Food was wonderful Highly recommended

Excellent food and very well served especially by Ben.

Amazing food and service. The wine was fabulous and very reasonably priced. Our food was delicious and the prawns were to die for. The dessert selection was great; I would highly recommend the baked cheesecake! The service was second to none and all of our needs were catered for. An amazing place to celebrate my Dad's birthday and will certainly be returning.

So disappointed. Poor service and poor food. Couldn't hear anyone of my table it was so noisy and loud. We had to send a garlic bread back and it's was completely overcooked and in parts burnt. We used to love coming here so upset with tonight

For a first visit I have to say it met my expectations from all the people who have told me to try this Italian restaurant. Well furnished and quick service along with Very good food. Will definitely be going back 👍

Great food, great night, lamb in minted red wine gravy with veg and profiteroles for dessert cooked to perfection staff very good nothing too much trouble

Overall just a really good restaurant

First time dining here, won't be the last. Top class service, nice ambience and the food absolutely spot on. Great value for money. Thank You

Just love this place, best Italian food

Great Italian on Garforth Main Street, this restaurant came hightly recommended to us by our new neighbours and I can see why. The restaurant was very busy on a Monday night but the service did not fault. We were taken straight to our table and served very quickly. We had the Garlic Bread and Calamari to share for starter and we both went for steaks for our main course. Everything was cooked beautifully and is fantastic value for money. Just short of £90 for 2 of us for starters, steaks, sides and drinks seemed very reasonable. We can't wait to go back!

Lovely food, good atmosphere. It gets very noisy though. Catered to our table of 10 very quickly and well. I would like a couple more veggie specific options though (preferably without mushrooms)

Food was well below average , and was made of cheap ingredients. More worryingly the waiter with the big bald patch on the top of his head with slicked back hair trying to cover it, decided that we were obliged to pay a 18% tip! When i politely asked him to remove this ridiculous cost he became passive aggressive and started trying to argue with me that i was directly responsible for his salary. In which i said he should have some courage to ask his Boss for a respectable salary as opposed to arguing with paying customers in front of the whole restaurant! One of the worst restaurants in NYC in my opinion. Avoid at all costs!

Been before but best meal yet. Staff very attentive. Food was fantastic, prawn, linguine and semi freddo. Def worth a visit if hoteling nearby

Been here many times with no issues. My last visit in June 24 would have been my last had I had not been before. Poor food and rude staff.

We recently visited here with our 2 grandchildren, although busy it was not full. The food was hot and tasty no problem there, the problem is how long you have to wait to get served and then again for the food to arrive. This was well over 2 hours for a starter and main, and not once were we asked if everything was OK or would we like this or that, but when it came to the drinks that was a different matter, plenty of service there, trying to get you to have more drinks. They just need to improve on quality of service, customer service and manners, all of which don't cost anything but make for a good dining experience: which this unfortunately was not!

Having visited this restaurant on several occasions before with my family last night was not a good experience. The service was poor in terms the waiters looked as though they did not want to be there and the food was served like slap bang there you go. Two of the meals had to be sent back as the pasta was cold.....no apology. To top it all when I asked for the bill the waiter first words the waiter said was there is not service charge would you like to give a tip and give me the bill......disgusting in my opinion. Not the experience we have had in the past.

I love authentic Italian pizza, I've eaten it here many times, however, to my disappointment on this occasion that is not what I received, instead I got a very thick doughy more takeaway style pizza. When I brought this to the attention of one of the waiters I was rudely reminded that I was in Garforth not Italy and I shouldn't have voted brexit.(very strange). Anyway, if you order pasta and get served alphabet spaghetti don't be disappointed, remember it's Garforth not Italy. 😄

Food was ok, wine was terrible bits floating in the drink. Took 45 minutes to get the starter. Was a special occasion, but no mention of it.

One of my favourite restaurants, always nicely presented, great menu selection, excellent cooking, we will be back

Friendly staff great atmosphere and a large variety of food to choose from!

Excellent service and food. Very friendly and open. Offered loads of things. We ordered great food and had amazing service Would completely recommend xx

Good Italian food with friendly waiting staff. Never disappointed, the food is always spot on.

Monday night . Very busy great atmosphere & good food & service

overpriced, doesn't include veg in the pricing

Lovely food options including a small vegan set menu with options of a starter and a main for £18. Vegan friendly.

Absolutely first class restaurant in every way. Had my retirement meal here last night with 13 members of my family and colleagues. We were made welcome on arrival and was led to a very lovely eating area. Our orders were taken without a hitch and the food served was very well cooked and delicious. In addition, everyone's meal came at the same time and no one was left waiting. All staff were very polite, efficient and non-intrusive. Also my Irish coffee was one of the best I've ever had! Thank you to all staff for helping to make my retirement celebration evening perfect xx

It really was good but very expensive for what it was

Nice setting, will decorated place. Service is very good. And the place was recently featured in a list of great restaurants in Yorkshire. Unfortunately the food didn't stack up. The calamari I had was obviously from a frozen pack, it certainly wasn't freshly made on-site. I also ordered halibut, a nice chunk of it was served on asparagus, but the sauce was way over seasoned and spoilt the dish. I've been to the restaurant a few times, and the consistency of the meals seems to vary. Sometimes it's flawless, others not so good. Unfortunately my last visit was a not so good. Give it a try, if you drop on a great night you will not be disappointed, on a not so good night the food will be mediocre. It is a rather pricey place. £50 a head on average for starter, main and a drink.

Really good food and varied menu. Only disappointment they had run out of tomato juice at the bar so limited choice of drinks for diabetic who was driving. Staff friendly and as the restaurant was busy they did an amazing job as there were only 3 in the front of house. Definitely on to revisit

Visit this restaurant frequently and have for years and always loved it however last visit our waiter was so rude booked online for 9pm arrived at ten to to a comment they had been waiting for us at 5 to 9 the waiter very rudely asked to order as the kitchen was closing when I explained to the waiter we weren't booked until 9 he basically said I was lying after showing him the email he stated " I'm not the owner not my problem" disgusting service such a shame .

Visit this restaurant frequently however our last visit was awful. The waiter was so rude we arrived at 8.50pm for a 9pm booking and was treated with we have been waiting for you . When sat down we were asked to order immediately as the kitchen was closing when I explained I has booked for 9pm was basically called a liar when I showed my reservation email the reply was " well I'm not the owner not my problem" . Really disappointed was one of our favourite restaurants but don't go for a nice evening to be treated like that .

Poor service hour wait between starters and mains food cold and sent back when it arrived. Asked to leave our table as soon as we finished others were booked in due to the hour wait between starters and mains. Food not value for money local take away does better.

Food and wine excellent. Service was a little on the slow side. Be prepared to be patient. The food is worth it !. Will be back.. we have returned. Food still really good. Great value for money. Service much improved. We will be back.

Brilliant food and staff Great Service from all members, Head Man Franco very professional.

I cannot fault the place. Amazing service and fantastic food.

This was our second visit for our company Christmas meal and was a delight. The calamari starter was cooked to perfection and I decided to go for a full pescatarian meal by trying the Salmone Allʼ Orientale with Asparagi Picanfi on the side. I rarely eat salmon outside the house because (although I’m no chef) I’m pretty good with steaks of any kind, but this dish was sublime. Really looking forward to taking my family for the first time on Mother’s Day and am confident they’ll enjoy it as much as I have in the past. (Pretty sure it’ll be salmon again too 😉) ¡Saluti!

Recommended by a friend, we came here for the first time. Parking is very easy. There is a car park next to the restaurant and there are plenty of spaces. The restaurant was lovely decorated and felt posh. We were actually very impressed with the menu - plenty of choices to choose from! The seafood grill was nicely presented and in good portion. However I did feel that the king prawns were a bit overcooked and tough otherwise a gorgerous dish. There were only two staff and restaurant was quite busy. The service was a bit slow especially we had kids with us. Another suggestion - some kids' acitivity pack/crayons would be good to keep kids occupied when waiting for food. We would be back again and we hope our next visit will be perfect!

Lovely food, party of 10 and everyone very satisfied

We truly enjoyed our Thursday dinner at this very presentable restaurant! They accepted us as a walk in even though the restaurant was at a 70% capacity (on a Thursday night haha). At the table there was italian olives and marinated oil with bread sticks, all were delicious. For starters we had the sea food salad (very good portion for the price and all sea food options were delicious) and the soup of the day which was vegetable soup (fantastic flavor) which came with a couple of mini loaf breads. For mains we had the sea bass (it was literally melting in your mouth) and the halibut fish steak which oh my god was the best fish i've ever had. nice lemony-buttery flavor with delicious asparagus on the side and loads of sauce to dip your bread or chips in. Luscious! For dessert we had a tiramisu (very good and loved the glass as a presentation) and a cheesecake (not strawberry cheesecake, baked cheesecake!) Friendly staff without being annoying like other posh restaurants that waiters are creeping behind you. One more thing that we really appreciated about this restaurant is that tips were not included, not because we are cheap but, we always preffer to leave as a tip whatever amount of money we want rather than other restaurants that force you a 10-20% which is absurd.

Where to start went into this lovely looking restaurants my meal was lovely my wife's steak wa so tough it wouldn't cut so sent it back Waiter then asked if she wanted a dessert WHY ??? Went to pay bill the waiter was rude and patronising so i told him that's a little offand don't take the proverbial when we have had a bad experience then a man claiming to be the owner told me to leave i hadn't paid yet so told him I need to pay when I paid the waiter laughed in my face I said to owner is that customer service to be told nobody says my restaurant is s--t I NEVER SAID THAT and told to leave if you want great customer service like that then this is the place for you

This Italian restaurant offers you good quality food cooked to an excellent standard. We were a party of 11 but we did not have to wait an unreasonably long time before our food appeared. If you have a very hearty appetite you might be disappointed in the portion sizes. However, the quality is excellent so if you are worried then just order a side. I'm sure the portions would satisfy most people.

We went for an evening meal for our friend's birthday. There is an extensive menu with all the Italian favourites you would expect to find. My seafood starter was delicious, however my main course, although tasty, was slightly disappointing as it was just lukewarm, not as hot as I would have liked. The atmosphere was cheerful as there were several birthday tables and everyone was having a good time. We will be going back to try again, thanks

One of my favourite places. Food is the best

The food was good, service was prompt but I find the staff can be rude reaching across in front of ppl as they eat and drink.

All ways great just need to book well in advance to get in .

The most beautiful restaurant with the most friendliest staff 🫶🏻 The food was so so so well priced for what it was, freshly made and so tasty. Me and my partner cannot wait to return🤍

Second time coming this month and was once again amazing. Staff extremely friendly and really helpful with our one year old. Would definitely recommend to anyone in Garforth

This was my first visit here and had previously been recommended to visit. I found the restaurant itself a very warm and welcoming restaurant with a great atmosphere. I ordered the lobster ravioli which I found to be very reasonably priced. The waiter was very friendly and requested for the mushrooms to be removed from the sauce. A bit of a strange combination, but I ordered sweet potato fries on the side. The lobster ravioli was divine, al dente pasta in a beautiful sauce with some large succulent prawns. The only reason I marked down one star is because unfortunately the sweet potato fries were soggy. Will still happily revisit but will avoid reordering those.

I cannot praise the staff enough. It was a difficult family reunion for us and the staff were helpful, kind, and attentive to 3 generations of our family. The food was amazing, great atmosphere, fantastic service, did I say the service was good. 😂 Only slight negative comment, the music was quite loud but it was a busy and popular restaurant. I would highly recommend. Thank you. Xxx

We were a walk in and managed to get a table straight away, really good food, amazing service and would highly recommend. Will definitely be returning, a very enjoyable experience.

Great place and a great service. Always enioy Sunday lunch there and the set menu is a great value for the price! The only thing I want to mention is that the music tends to be quite loud. If you want to have a small conversation over the table, sometimes you really need to shout. A bit distruptive for elderly customers especially. Stil highly reccomend the place!

Another superb meal and experience at LBV. Providing the perfect venue for special 18th and 90th birthdays for separate parties. Good choice of ALC menu for all diets. Always ready for another visit.. 👏👏👏

Been visiting this place since they first opened. Never had a bad meal or bad service. Came this afternoon for my sons 18th… there were 21 of us.. great service, gorgeous food, good atmosphere! Thanks for making it such a great experience!

Our party of 12 (eight adults, four kids) enjoyed the food and the ambiance but felt they were taking the mickey by applying a non mandatory "service charge" of over £40 to the bill. We halved it as we would have tipped £20 anyway but it struck us as a bit of sharp practice.

Lovely place lovely staff. Meatball and pate starter was gorgeous, pizza and lasagna was delicious but the steak on top of pate with red wine sauce was flat cold and arrived with the wrong chips. Offered 20% off the meal but that’s not the point when the meal was not enjoyed.

My favourite place to eat. The best Italian around. All the team are so friendly and helpful. Franco, Tan, Lucas and Ben. The gamberoni starter and the ribs are my fave starters. Pizzas and pasta are lovely and their steaks, fish dishes and lamb are to die for. Highly recommend. Thank you guys

Good Italian food, always a lively atmosphere

Best beef ravioli! Work colleagues an I stumbled on this restaurant whilst on a work trip . The food , service and style of restaurant is excellent. The waiter recommended the beef ravioli and I believe it to be the best I have tasted . The over all experience was spot on and reasonably priced . Clearly a popular place as it was almost full on a Tuesday night ! If I am near Leeds on the future I will make an effort to visit again

Always a pleasure. I've visited many times over the years and always received excellent food and service. Great for family meals and parties. Lovely restaurant

My partner picked this restaurant for us to visit one of the nights! The restaurant looks beautiful! A nice and warm look to it and very elegant! There is a lot of choices on the menu but I went with my favourite…a pizza! We had some garlic bread for starters which was perfect! I really enjoyed my pizza but was a bit disappointed that the dough inside the crust was underdone. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it! And we did stay for dessert which was also lovely! Thank you for the experience!

October 26th 2023 We had booked a table and it took five minutes before anyone came to take us to the table. We ordered drinks and food. The portions were quite small but nicely cooked but when a couple in their forties came to a table three away from us and the woman got out a vape and when she was ordering pointed out what she wanted with the vape the waiter said nothing and she vaped and also filled it up at the table. I was going to celebrate my anniversary and did not want to spoil the evening BUT the waiters saw and did not do anything. That is the last time I will visit. Very disappointed that they did not point it out that she could not vape,

What a lovely place to dine out, great food, decor, staff and value for money

What a delightful restaurant, been on several occasions now and never been disappointed, lovely food and superb service.

Great place fab food and the staff are really friendly and helpful

Picked a pasta dish tagliatelle campanula which consisted of egg pasta ribbons cooked with garlic cherry tomatoes goats cheese and asparagus topped with parmesan shavings and chopped beetroot what a total disappointment only picked this dish because of the goats cheese which was hardly any - when complained about the lack of goats cheese was advised it melts into the pasta - what a disappointment as did not say this on the menu - will never go back to this restaurant or the one that is going to be opening at the top of Garforth main street old Barckays bank if does not put customer first - waiter was not interested what so ever when confronted just paid the total bill also asparagus starter was totally cold will never go back even though lived in Garforth 25 years and been to restaurant on multiple occasions ( false advertise.ent)

I personally would have given all 5 stars, unfortunately my granddaughter who is a medically diagnosed coeliac had supposedly gluten free spaghetti, she was sick 6 times when she got home, the pasta either wasn't gluten free or it was contaminated in the cooking process. A birthday celebration ruined.

Good atmosphere. Friendly staff. Amazing food.

Excellent food, not cheap but very enjoyable.

We arrived early for our booked tabe but we were shown to a table straight away. The staff were very friendly, the food didnt take long and it was beautiful and a good choice of menu. Desserts were yummy and the cost of 2 deliciouz pizzas and 2 desserts with 2 drinks came to £63 including a service charge/tip. Slightly more expensive than others ive been to but well worth it. Nice treat.

First visit here for a mate's surprise birthday meal. Lovely atmosphere and great staff. We were a party of 13 but still the food came out quickly and was gorgeous. An extensive menu too. Will definitely be going back again! Thanks guys.

We visited La Belle Vita in Garforth twice in September 2023. The food on both occasions was excellent. However, again on both visits, we were left without greeting and basically ignored in the waiting/drinks area on arrival 5 minutes before our allotted time. I approached the bar person twice, but sadly he was clearly too busy serving the seated Customers to attend not only us but all Customers awaiting attention. I would respectfully recommend extra staff for this purpose. Sadly we were at least 20 minutes unattended which did mar t.he overall experience.

Absolutely love it here. Never had a bad thing to say in all the times we've been. The food is brilliant, as good as you'll find pretty much anywhere.

Amazing atmosphere and great Italian food, a must visit for Garforth.

Lovely food fantastic service. I would say this is the best restaurant in the area by far!

Not been here for a few years so was looking forward to taking my family for a treat. I had booked a table for 6, but unfortunately one of my grandsons could not make it. They had not seen our booking obviously and was hurriedly placed at a table they just made up seeing 5 of us. Once seated and after a short while, we were handed a Sunday Menu only. We had to ask if they did a Childs menu for my 9yr old grandson who was seated with us. I then enquired if they were only serving the Sunday Menu as I had looked on line and thought served Al a carte as well? Yes madam we do but don't just hand the menus out ?????? The meal we chose was lovely I have to say and were selected from all three different menus. I think the service could have been much better, more attentive and look more interested in serving customers. I wouldn't rush back in a hurry or recommend the restaurant, even though what we had was lovely. Better service and ambience been had not too far from there.

Went for friends birthday lunch/dinner and food was great. Service was great and even sang happy birthday when my friend and I dessert came out.