La Bella Vita (Leeds)
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Quick info
About La Bella Vita (Leeds)
La Bella Vita is an Italian restaurant in Leeds at 17 Main St, open daily for evening service, with lunch added on Sundays. Its beef comes from Sykes House Farm, a third-generation family business in Yorkshire, and each order is hung for 28 days before it reaches the kitchen. That beef supplies the steak dishes, including the Rossini steak. The head chef builds the menu from both traditional and contemporary Italian cooking, so pizza and calzone sit alongside pasta dishes such as lobster ravioli. Tiramisu is among the desserts, with baked cheesecake and gelato also listed. Waiters provide table service.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention bruschetta, rossini steak, filetto don Emilio and lobster ravioli.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention bruschetta, rossini steak, filetto don Emilio and lobster ravioli.
Customer Review Summary
Steak draws the most praise here, with diners singling out the Rossini steak and the filetto don Emilio, one calling it among the best steak dishes they have had. Staff come up almost as often, described as friendly, helpful and welcoming, with one waiter called attentive. Reviewers also name the lobster ravioli, goat cheese and chutney, calzone mezza Luna, fresh pasta and the zucchini, which one returning diner has not found anywhere else. Opinion splits on cost. Some call it reasonably priced and generous in portion, while others find it expensive for what arrives, one saying an adult carbonara looked like a child's serving. One reviewer found the bruschetta bland and only a small slither of bread, and the pizza notably undercooked. Another reports rubbery steak, soggy chips and a dismissive waiter across two visits. Desserts such as the baked cheesecake, tiramisu and a fig, walnut and pear gelato round out the praise, and one table appreciated the limoncello.
Customer Review Summary
Steak draws the most praise here, with diners singling out the Rossini steak and the filetto don Emilio, one calling it among the best steak dishes they have had. Staff come up almost as often, described as friendly, helpful and welcoming, with one waiter called attentive. Reviewers also name the lobster ravioli, goat cheese and chutney, calzone mezza Luna, fresh pasta and the zucchini, which one returning diner has not found anywhere else. Opinion splits on cost. Some call it reasonably priced and generous in portion, while others find it expensive for what arrives, one saying an adult carbonara looked like a child's serving. One reviewer found the bruschetta bland and only a small slither of bread, and the pizza notably undercooked. Another reports rubbery steak, soggy chips and a dismissive waiter across two visits. Desserts such as the baked cheesecake, tiramisu and a fig, walnut and pear gelato round out the praise, and one table appreciated the limoncello.
Featured reviews
- Shel Thomis
“Lovely place and the food was superb. Our waiter David was really friendly and couldn't do enough for us. First visit but won't be the last 😊”
- Julie Lowe
“I've been coming here since it opened, and I've always had amazing food, and excellent service. This is my go to restaurant. I can't fault a thing. The staff are lovely and welcoming. Thank you!”
- Dining under cover
“Utterly unacceptable. I gave this place a second chance, hoping the first rubbery steak was a fluke. It wasn’t. The food was just as poor, the service even worse. Limp soggy chips as if cooked in dirty oil. The waiter’s attitude could sour milk — dismissive, rude, and clearly uninterested in customers. When a restaurant fails twice in the same way, it’s not bad luck; it’s bad management. Suffice to say will not be returning.”
- W O
“Bella vita is a nice restaurant, but a very expensive one, especially considering what you get. Most of the food was absolutely lovely including the goat cheese & chutney, alongside the lobster ravioli. Where we were let down was the bruschetta. For 7 quid it was the most bland peice I've ever had. Made worse by the fact it was only a small slither of bread. (Reason Im mentioning bruschetta specifically is cause last year it was one of the best I've had, alongside getting two slices) The pizza was also notably undercooked and disappointing for the price. Staff were very friendly and helpful though and appreciate their efforts.”
- Richard Rhys Lloyd
“Yesterday evening, we had an absolutely brilliant meal. Went with my wife and mother. Staff were an absolute joy. Very pleasant and friendly, great service. Meals were delicious. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended. We even had friendly banter with 3 ladies sat opposite us. Such a relaxing atmosphere. Definitely be back”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Opening on the evenings Monday to Sunday and then also for lunch on a Sunday. The restaurant has quickly become a favourite amongst locals and attracts customers from all over Yorkshire. Head chef Antonio has created a truly mouth-watering menu that is a mix of traditional and contemporary Italian cooking. We are often asked about our providers and our effectiveness in using locally sourced produce, its provenance and supply chain. Our meat providers are Sykes House Farm, a 3rd generation family business based in Yorkshire. Their prime beef range is hung as whole sides for a minimum of 14 days and then quartered and hung for a further 14 days, making 28 days in total.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible car park · Wheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Location
Italian restaurants near La Bella Vita (Leeds)
- 6 mi away£30–90
birthday celebration treats, oysters, tempura prawns
- Gino D'Acampo4.61,9416.3 mi away
stunning decor and interiors, seafood tagliatelle, seabass
- Bibis Restaurant4.42,5236.4 mi away£30–70
dinner and a show, three course meal, live tribute acts
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Bella Vita (Leeds) | 4.51,040 | — | — | bruschetta, rossini steak, filetto don Emilio |
| Flying Pizza by San Carlo - Leeds | 4.31,250 | 6 mi away | £30–90 | birthday celebration treats, oysters, tempura prawns |
| Gino D'Acampo | 4.61,941 | 6.3 mi away | — | stunning decor and interiors, seafood tagliatelle, seabass |
| Bibis Restaurant | 4.42,523 | 6.4 mi away | £30–70 | dinner and a show, three course meal, live tribute acts |
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