Cafe Bella Sera

Do not waste your time here! We orderd pasta and meatballs for dinner, come to find out they both come seperately. Plate of pasta 24 dollars and 2 meatballs 23 dollars. This place is way way overpriced and the food sucks. The most unprofessional management Ive ever experienced and in the worst possible location. STAY AWAY from this place unless you want to get robbed from the minute you walk in the door. Salads did not accompany our 50 plate of pasta and 2 meatballs. This place will not last for long!!!!!!!! more

Went to Cafe Bella Sera and the food was terrible!! I must say the bread was allright and the gorganzola salad was excellent. That is where the enjoyment ended. I ordered the bone in veal parm. It was covered with way too much salty mozzarella and the blandest of sauces. I only ate a quarter of it thinking I would eat the rest for lunch. Its still in my fridge. I havent touched it in 4 days. My girlfriend got the chicken francaise. the chicken was overcooked and stringy. The francaise sauce was lemon juice. They totally messed that sauce up. We never ordered a dessert, our tab was already just over 100 dollars. I felt extremely bloated and we decided to skip the overpriced outsourced desserts! I have eaten at the best restaurants all over south florida and this italian food was bad! I will never eat at Cafe Bella Sera again! more

Worst food ! Terrible service ! And insane prices !\r \r I have lived in south Florida all my life traveled all over the USA dining at some of the best eateries around but I can honestly say Pete's Cafe Bells Sera is the worst Italian food I have ever had ! I will try not to be to wordy so here I go. Upon sitting we were handed the dinner menu and a wine list. Before even looking at the wine selection the waiter asked ' Can I start you with a glass of wine" ? I replied just water right now while we look at our choices. He replied " Would you like a nice bottle of sparkling water " ? I said no we will look at the wine list. He replied " you just want water out of our tap than " ? I was shocked at this statement. At that time I decided to not order any wine or drinks at this place due to his rudeness and comment. A second waiter came to the table with two slices of bread and poured some plain olive oil on a plate and said enjoy. I asked the waiter if it was normal to receive some garlic in the oil as I have in the past and he said " Yes it is, the other guy is just being lazy. He came and put the garlic in the oil and brought a full loaf of bread. The bread we first received looked like the left over from another table. We placed our order and my son who was getting penne al a vodka was asked if he wanted to add protein to his food. He said he would like an order of shrimp in his pasta. He was than asked how many shrimp ? He said how do they come and was told its $ 12.00 for each shrimp added to the $24.00 dollar bowl of pasta! We both looked at each other and said no thanks. Almost everything on the menu says m " market price " which translates to " RIPPED OFF BY PETE " On a scale of 10 the food was a solid 3. I have eaten in family Italian resturants in the local area which put Bella Sera to shame ! NEVER again will I spend one red penny at this want to be big time Italian eatery..... This was my third time only because someone gave me a groupon to go back.\r \r P.S When the waiter handed me the bill I put my credit card and the groupon in the bill folder he opened it at the table and asked me " you will be using the coupon to pay for the meal " ? Really or was that just to announce it to my guest ? It did not matter we all felt like we just got ripped off.\r \r Screw me once shame on you ! Screw my twice shame on me ! Screw me three times and I am telling the world so no one else makes the same expensive mistake ! more

Prince higher than noted$$$$ untrained servers mostly young men they dissaper long periods reach across customers can't find them for deserts 5 dinners 1 good service Signature items very good love deserts if it doesn't take forever to get more

All these reviews are either people that work there or family! My husband and I along with three others dined there the other night and was surprised by the attitude we got by the "very young" girl at the front, but decided to shrug it off and just eat. So we sat close to the front and waited. First the server had a very distasteful odor, and seemed distracted, then the specials. They all sounded good but not good enough. My husband ordered the special shrimp, which had no taste, then I ordered the chicken parm with the burnt sauce. The chicken was good but the sauce was bad. I was so ashamed to have brought my friends in there. For one the prices were insane!!! We didnt like some of the items and still had to pay. Whatever though. As I was about to leave no one said goodbye like the other places, so I decided to pick up a business card on my way out. Looking though the reviews I came across one that had the same email as the business card had, then noticed more and more! So now I know it's friends and family that write these bogus reviews. We will NOT be back to this low class restaurant ! more

Went there the other night despite hurricane conditions outdoors. I figured it would be empty inside due to bad weather. The place was PACKED!!!! The bar was buzzing with people dancing to a live entertainer. We were told there was a short wait. We had a few glasses of wine and dried off with some linen napkins provided by the bartenders. We had no reservation but were sat in about 20 minutes. The table was up front near the open kitchen where I could see and smell the action. The whole dining room was full and there was a large party of about 40 people in the back of the room whom seemed to be having a great time. Our waiter Pasquale went over the evening's specials which already had my mouth watering! My wife had some questions about some dishes and suggestions since it was our first time. He sold us on the meatballs and calamar bella sera appetizers. The meatballs were HUGE and tasted great. The calamari dish blew me away!! The calamari is deep fried and tossed with marinara sauce and spicey long peppers the topped with balsamic reduction. Crunchy, spicey, sweet, moist, AMAZING! For dinner we split a seafood risotto which had shrimp, lobster, clams, scallops, mussels, everything, and a filet mignon. Both were excellent. Afterwards my wife and I were stuffed but Pasquale still brought the dessert tray out anyway. Ricotta cheesecake and 2 cappuccinos and we were done. Great food, service, ambiance. Ended up having after dinner drinks and dancing in the bar trying to wait out the rain. I had the chance to meet the owner Pete and his wife. I thanked Chef Pete for the delicious meal and complimented his staff. Will be back again!!! more

A totally wonderful dining experience. My husband and I always start with a drink at the bar. The bartendars are always cheerful and happy to see you. Once seated in the main dining room, we always seem to be drawn to the stuff peppers appetizer. I for one always have a petite filet, while my husband enjoys a ribeye. Of course, we MUST have Pete's homemade Tuscan chips. I truly believe this item should be packaged and sold in the Potato Chip Aisle. The staff is courteous and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. more

I have dined at Cafe Bella Sera many many times. The food has always met or exceeded our expectations.The steaks are tremendous and if you enjoy a good Zuppa de Pesce ... then this is the place to eat. I can honestly say that I have never had a meal that was sub par!\r Even during the busiest times the servers and staff have been attentive to our needs.\r The bar atmosphere is great and the bartenders are very friendly.\r If you are looking for great food or a complete evening out I highly reccomend Bella Sera! more

I can't understand the bad reviews. I eat at Bella Sera atleast once a week and never had a bad dinner. It's a great family resteraunt with amazing food and drinks. The specials are pricey, but where else can you eat a 16 ounce stuff veal chop for under $50. You get what you pay for. I read all these reviews about people being upset because they have coupons and don't realize how expensive the food is, they simply don't belong there and would have never ate fine dining without there cheapo coupon. Who orders eggplant anyway at Bella sera..? Get a veal chop get a steak get a lobster order a seabass somthing else besides the cheapest dish on the menu. To some things up this resteraunt is outstanding and belongs on everyones favorite list. I do recommend sharing because of the portions are large and I also recommend making a reservation on the weekends.. I never lie, you will love this place more

Hit or miss ..in past was outstanding...now u can flip a coin if u get an outstanding meal of the past or a frozen reheated dinner of leftovers .. more

We wouldnt know how the food was because the service was so bad we didnt get to the food. We got there sat down and waited 15-20 minutes and no one came over to our table. So we approached the manager let her know what happened and walked out! more

I've tried so many things on this menu and have NEVER been disappointed. The meatballs are the perfect appetizer and the Gorgonzola salad for two is the best salad to share. The portions are quite large and worth the money. Plus they offer an All Inclusive menu in the early evening for only $20. The service is top notch and the bartenders are like family. Bottom line, I love this restaurant. more

Ok its time to write a review on Pete's Bella Sera we hear so much about ! This was the second time I ate there in the past 3 months. I always give a place two shots to empress me. The first time I was there I was shocked at the pricing and most items say " Market Price " next to them on the menu ! Buyer beware of " Market Price " !!!!!!!!!!! The menu is very limited in options and verity. We ordered the Fried Calamari Bella Sera Style, it came out fast ,fresh and steaming hot it was awesome ! It was all down hill from that point ! I ordered the Beef Bracciole it was the driest meat I have ever tastes, and the flavor was lacking ! My wife had the Eggplant Marinara it was just Ok no better than any diner plate or pizza place. The second time I was there we again ordered the Fried Calamari Bella Sera Style , again it was really great ! I had the Fusilli Bolognese it was one of the worst pasta dishes I have EVER had in my life ! The meat was dried out and chewy , the pasta had very little sauce and I did not see any fresh Creamy Ricotta on the side ! When I told the waiter he asked if I would like more sauce on the meat ? I guess so I could get it down. My wife ordered the stuffed shrimp with crap meat and scallops spiecal. It came with 5 jumbo shrimp stuffed with what appeared to be just bread crumbs and egg that tasted like saw dust ! No scallops or crap meat was to be found and at $49.00 dollars very disapointed ! The waiter was nice but service took over two hours on a slow weekday night. I left wondering how this place is in business with the food I just ate and the prices !\r I have lived in So Fl all my life and that was the worst dinning experience I have ever had in my life ! I would give Pete's Bella Sera a ONE STAR ! Try at your risk you have been given a heads up at my expence! more

Hands down, the best Italian restaurant in South Florida. Anyone who doesn't appreciate the amazing food served at this restaurant doesn't know much about fine dining. I have eaten at 5-star restaurants around the country and am lucky to live so close to one of the best for Italian food. Cafe Bella Sera creates a delicious one-of-a-kind dining experience that leaves you hungry for more. They give high quality Italian food in large portions enough for two to share. I recommend the arugula salad to start and the veal chop for dinner. It will be unlike any Italian meal you've ever had! I highly recommend. Great for families and for dates. more

My boyfriend and I had one of our best nights at Cafe Bella Sera & Steakhouse Saturday night. We started off with (of course) Pete's Famous Meatballs, which were better than my Nana's (SHHHH). I then ordered for my dinner the tasty Shrimp Mediterranean, which was outstanding! Ive never seen shrimp so BIG. My boyfriend went another route, he ordered a steak. The Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, cooked to perfection with a side salad and crispy Tuscan chips. Where can you get a steak that comes with 2 sides? NO WHERE. We then finished off with a simple dessert, the homemade chocolate mouse. The service the whole time was great, we never had to look or ask for him once. The staff there is friendly and experienced. I AM GOING TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS PLACE! more

I had a coupon from gottahalfit and had never been there because of how expensive it is. At first they said that the coupon does not apply to happy hour even though there were no orginal restrictions on the coupon). So, I ordered off of the big boy menu. I ordered fusilli bolangese. First the pasta was not al dente as described on the menu and tasted like it came out of the box from the Wal-Mart across the street. Moreover, I never thought I would find anyone who could serve meat drier than my mom's, but I found it. That was the dryest meat I EVER had. Not only that, the sauce had no San marzano tomatos as advertised. I did make it better by dousing it in olive oil. For the cost, you could go out to dinner three times for what it costs in this place. STAY AWAY!!! more

Very disappointed ... for the amount of $$ that the charge the food was worth half the price. The waiter was inattentive once it got busier...would not go back!! more

Cafe bella Sera is one of the best Italian Restaurants Period!This Dr. Glenn must have a persoanal vendetta against the owner,ChefPete would take his shirt off his back as he always does as he is involved with over 20 charities. His Rest. is fantastic, portions small? Dr. Glenn OBVIOUSLY has NEVER eaten there! Ragu Out of a jar? San Marzano tomatoes are used as it states on the menu.the food is not cheap but you get what you pay for. The Big Ass Shrimp from Thailand , the Meatballs ,the Calamari with the Peppers , maybe the best I have ever had and I am from NY, not like Pete who is from Boston if people must know.I would like Dr. Glenns business name so we can all Bad mouth him, because what he did in form of slander is just downrite un-professional, If you have a personal problem with ChefPete,then keep it to just Pete, but writing bad things that are absolutely untrue about his business only hurt the staff and jeopardize there jobs.Next Time really dine there before you comment! more

The food was good but not great. Nothing special. You have better local choices to choose from. more

My husband and I went to Pete's Cafe Bella Sera & Steakhouse in Parkland for the first time on Saturday evening, and what a delight it was! A friend of ours had emailed us a special promotion and highly recommended the restaurant , so we decided to try it. The food, service and ambiance were outstanding. We enjoyed the famous meatballs with ricotta cheese, the big ass shrimp parmigiana, New York strip steak and Roasted cauliflower (yum!). The owner Pete personally came over to our table to make sure we were enjoying our meal. The Gottahalfit.com promotion may have been the reason we tried Pete's Cafe Bella Sera & Steakhouse, but the amazing food and great atmosphere is why we'll be back! more