Mia Bella Trattoria

We have been eating there for a couple of years and it is sad to see the quality of the place going downhill. We had brunch there this weekend to celebrate my wife's bday. We ordered our favorites (Fafalla ala Romana & Quatro Formagio Ravioli). The food quality has gone down on both dishes. The chef put the same average Fafalla ala Romana sauce on both dishes. My wife was very disappointed because the Quatro Formagio Ravioli used to have an excellent delicate tomato cream sauce that she absolutely loved. It appears the quality has gone down in many aspects and they are putting the same sauce on many of their dishes. We also ordered our favorite Cesar salads which were still pretty good. The only negative there is the salads are now served on little salad plates (much smaller portions) instead of the big salad bowls they used to use. This would not be so bad except they kept the same (higher) price. Finally we were sad to see the brunch drink specials were also discontinued. We left very disappointed that our once favorite restaurant in Houston is now just an average place that seems to be slipping dowhill fast. Time to look for a new Italian restaurant. I'm not sure if there was a management change but there was certainly a change in quality. On a positive note, the service remains excellent. more

I would recommend staying away from this location! Waiter was not knowledgeable about menu or their own bar. Flies flying around the place, landing on our food. I saw the guy beside me swatting at his table, too. Only parking is valet. And we were charged for an item that was supposed to be a side to my wife's dish. They did not tell us there would be an extra charge. I asked them about that, and and they said they would not take it off. Talk about good will! Joke of a place. Food was very average. more

Have to severely downgrade this restaurant for their policies. First, the food is OK at brunch, but not special. I would have liked to try at another time to judge its dinner entrees. Server was attentive without being obtrusive and it was quiet at 11:30 on Sunday. However, for an establishment that participated in a Groupon promotion, this restaurant went out of its way to alienate a potential regular customer who used the opportunity to try it for the first time. As noted, the Groupon cannot be used for alcohol. However, almost a third of our remaining bill was also excluded upon presentation of the check and these were not terms of the promotion. No non-alcoholic drinks, no tax, etc. And then, they forced a 20% gratuity on our party of three, also excluded. I take extreme exception to a restaurant's assumption of bad manners on the part of its clientele and won't be back. more

I used to be a devoted regular of Mia Bella on Lexington for a long time, but I had stopped going because the quality of the food, service and management had diminished. I recently heard that it was under new management and decided to give it another try. I must say that I had a really wonderful experience. The food was perfect, the quality was just as I remember it being, service was excellent and manager was very attentive. He introduced himself and made sure we were taken care of. It seems that the new manager is on top of things and knows what he is doing. I have rediscover my love for this restaurant once again and I can't wait to go back again. If you have been one of us that had a bad experience, I definitely recommend you give it another try :) more

WOW! I was extremely disappointed. I went there for teachers' Christmas luncheon. The waitress was really rude and dumb. Our director announced what we could choose from, and when we ordered, the waitress kept saying that we got our order wrong and they didn't have that dish. Then we showed her the menu, and she said, ""Oh, you're right."" Then when our dishes came out, sides and ingredients were missing. Everyone who ordered the chicken marsala including me, did not get our mashed potatoes and vegetables like we were suppose to. When each individual told the waitress what we were missing, she personally asked me if I wanted pasta with water or coffee! I said, ""I'll pass."" And in an unapologetic tone, said, ""Sorry."" The ones who ordered beef tenderloain pasta did not have any cherry tomatoes like it said on the menu. The place also reeked of urine. It was the worst teacher luncheon I've been to! more

I was very unimpressed. The waitress was absolutely worthless. Then I found a short, black, curly hair in my food. The manager was unapoligetic and said all the kitchen staff wore hair nets. I informed him I did not think it was a hair from the top of someone's head. They did however comp the food. The the bathroom smells of urine because there are signs up asking everyone to throw away any toliet paper instead of flushing it. This reastraunt is walking distance from my place and I would never go back. Cons: Management, Cleanliness, and staff more

This location has poor service, Management does not strive to make your experience memorable. While I was waiting, management argued with presumably an employee over the telephone about working their shifts. They seem to care about taking your money but you won't get much in return. Pros: Location, hours Cons: service, lack of attention to detail more

I LOVE this place and highly recommend it. The food is great, even my picky sister found food she loved. My usual waiter is very outgoing and entertaining, although I had a so-so experience with another server, but the food was still great! I look forward to bringing more people here! Pros: Everything is wonderful! Cons: None! more

I visited the downtown location off of Main St. on a Tuesday evening. New to Houston, it was the only place that was busy. After I received my entrée, I could see why. I ordered the Pork Tenderloin with the reduction sauce and it was great, maybe a tad down, but the sauce made up any difference. It was served with sweet potatoes filled crepes that were to dye for. I washed the flavors away with their 05 Chianti.\r \r I did get lost in the wait rotation for about 5 minutes after being seated which is not a big deal to me but I know some are quite demanding for waters and bread.\r **What really made up any short comings was when I ordered my dish. The waitress let me finish ordering, and then went through the toils of explaining the meal to make sure it was exactly what I was expecting, perfect.\r \r The only negative thing I could really find in the experience was, while being outside, beggars were constantly asking for change. There is nothing the restaurant can do, but I will set inside next time.\r Pros: Excelent pork tenderloin/wine list Cons: Beggers while dining more

Wow!! I've never had such an absurd dining experience. It was truly a comedy of errors. We went for Sunday brunch as they are supposed to have bottomless mimosas, bellinis, and bloody marys. The food was good, but nothing special. There are several other places for brunch with food as least this good. We were there at 11:30 am, which is pretty early considering the brunch goes until 3pm. Our server seemed bothered for us to ask her for anything. We were 1 of 4 tables there, and there was plenty of other staff, so you'd think she'd be attentive. I first ordered a mint julep-- turns out they were out of mint. I had to wait about 30 minutes but they did go out and get some more. The women with us ordered mimosas. When my buddy ordered a mint julep, again they were out of mint. I guess they only went out and got enough for one. So he had a maker's mark on the rock. After the second round of mimosas we were informed that they were out of champagne, but would have some more soon. By the time they got more champagne, we tried to get a refill on the bourbon but they were out. When we tried to order another round of mimosas they were out of champagne again. It seemed that there was a never ending cycle of them being out of 1 ingredient or the other. Our server basically abandoned us, but when we flagged the servers at other tables they were helpful. We were seated outside and when it started raining, we moved to the bar. Our server was MIA and the bartender refused to acknowledge our presence for at least 15 minutes-- which is impressive since the bar has about a dozen chairs and we filled 6 of them. If you want a decent brunch, go anywhere else. OH! And there apparently (I have not seen myself but have it on good authority) that there is a huge black mold population growing all over the women's room. Pros: The setting was nice-- minus the mold Cons: They don't seem to actually stock any ingredients for what you order. more

Just tried brunch at this restaurant for the first time this past weekend. It was very good. I chose the create your own omelette and my bf had the crab and poached eggs with hollandaise. We were both very happy with the flavor, freshness and temperature of the food and the service though off to a slow start was very good also. The bottomless bellini, mimosa, etc was a great price and all were delicious also. Pros: Food, Parking, Brunch more

My boyfriend and I went to Mia Bella on the 4th of July for an evening dinner while we were staying downtown at the Hotel Icon (see my review for Hotel Icon.) Downtown wasn't as hopping as I had anticipated, so getting a reservation was pretty easy. We are familiar with Mia Bella's family of restaurants and enjoy their menus, so we were confident that we would enjoy the downtown location. We were seated outside and had the nicest server ever - Patrick - who was super-accommodating, really knew his menu, and was just an all-around friendly guy! He brought us three wines to sample (because we were having a hard time deciding) and didn't make us feel guilty about it. Our meals were delicious!! Patrick was very attentive the entire time. We walked away feeling really great about our experience. You will know Patrick when you see him - trendy glasses, looks about late 30's (but told us he's 50!!), and SMILING. I would highly recommend asking for him on your next visit. Pros: Service, Food, Location Cons: Panhandlers approach outside seating area more

Mia Bella is my go-to place for Italian. Why? Great Italian at an oustanding price. Everything on the menu is high-quality, beautifully presented, and flavored well for such a great deal. Ambiance and service are also included!! Such a charming little place, you will be pleasantly surprised. The dipping sauce for the bread is the best of anywhere - you must go, if just for this dipping delight! I recommend the Mia Bella Salad and the Osso Bucco (which is surprisingly extremely affordable). This is a great place to go if you want to have a quiet conversation or have a special night out...just a great balance for any occassion. Enjoy! Pros: Value Value Value! Cons: Parking more

We went this past Saturday for a girls night out and it was truly amazing. I ordered the lamb shank braised in red wine. The food was divine. Every bite was enjoyable. The lighting is dim and it wasn't a loud place. It would make a great date spot. The staff were very attentive and we didn't have to wait long for drinks or food or even to be seated, especially being a Saturday. All of the girls enjoyed their food and all said they wanted to come back again. more

I saw the restaurant on City search and the visit didn't disappointed me at all! The menu is exciting. For the happy hour menu they have beef carpacio and tuna carpacio, which is very authentic. We ordered a baked fish and seafood lasagna, which were tasty and good looking. Dessert is free with the coupon. The chocolate cake is light-taste but extremely flavorful. Service is great. The waitor explained the items which I didn't know and give good recommendations. For those pasta lovers they provide a 'creat your own pasta' option, which you can simply combine your own choice pasta, meat, and sauce. The restaurant is actually owned by Morrocan, and they own another Moroccan restaurant just beside this Italian one. For every week day they have a day special. For example tuesday they have a five-course dinner for just 30 dollars. Cannot wait for the next visit to either of them! more

Having recently moved here from the Pacific NW this has quickly become mine and my husband's favorite restaurant! The quaint dining room and personable service are commedable, but the food is DELICIOUS and defnitely the reason to go!! You can't beat the happy hour specials ($3 appetizers!) and their frozen/blended Bellini is not only tasty and refreshing, but really hits the spot (if you know what I mean)! We visit at least once a week and try something new each time we go and have never been disappointed. I would recommend dining Monday-Thursday evenings and indulging in their daily specials - such as Tuesday half price bottle of wine! Pros: Affordable, Drinks, Great Food more

Mia Bella is located in the heart of the city off of Shepherd and 59. The wine list isn't bad and the food is really tasty. I ordered the seafood lasagna obviously. It was really rich and well prepared. Dessert shouldn't be missed here either. The waitstaff is professional and attentive. I'll be back. Pros: food, service, location Cons: parking more

the ambience is pleasant ... a bit too trendy for my preference ... and not as cozy or laid-back as most italian restaurants are. the food was great, but not all that ... i felt the smaller, mom-in-pop restaurants offer better cuisines with a personalized touch, but nonetheless mia bella's quality still satisfy the palette. great for a romantic dinner for 2.* Pros: food Cons: parking, not cozy more

Without a doubt the best Italian food to be had in the Houston area! The ample wine list and menu will please even the most demanding of dinner guests. The dining areas are comfortably arranged, and the service is second to none. Our waiter Theo was very attentive and saw to our every need. You have to check out this restaurant. With its 5 star quality food and service and very reasonable prices, you can not go wrong!! Two Thumbs Up! Pros: outstanding food quality and impecable service Cons: none at all more

If anyone is intersted in having great, 5 star italian cuisine at a reasonable price, Mia Bella Trattoria is the place to go!!! The ambience of the restaurant itself is very quaint & quiet, especially to bring some one on a first date! Even better if you are having an anniversary or birthday! There is a patio outside that is beautifully decorated with plants & a water fountain to give it that extra flare!!! The atmosphere reflects cozy, quiet, romantic, & most importantly Italy itself!!! The restaurant is beautifully decorated with pictures of Italy & its architecture. There is a private room, called the Wine Room, that offers a wide range of wines from all over the world & gives it guests a local feeling of being in a restaurant in the heart of Italy!!! The service is superb & very attentive, polite, & most importantly personable! The management staff is very kind & is always willing to visit a table & get comments from thier guests. The owner & executive chef, Youssef Nafaa adds a flare to the italian cuisine that you will not experience anywhere else in the city of Houston. Mia bella Trattoria is the place to go!!! \r \r They also offer a sunday brunch that is very reasonable on price & extremely tasty! They offer bottomless bellinis, mimosas, bloody mary's, & champagne for only $8.95 - can't get that at La Strada!!! \r \r All in all, if you want a great experience, visit this cozy little neighborhood restaurant. You will definitely be pleased with your whole dining experience! Pros: EVERYTHING more