Bella Italia, Salford Quays Reviewed

Kids Confidential rating: 4/15
Family-friendly service 2/5, Facilities 2/5, Kids Food 0/5
This is a family review of a venue and appeared on Kids Confidential, it's not a full scored Manchester Confidential review.

IT WOULDN'T have been my first choice of restaurant, if I'm being honest.  But on this particular day, I had a few reasons for choosing Bella Italia. 

Firstly, I'd spent the morning at The Lowry at one of their family art activity classes (review to follow) so I was in the area; secondly my in-laws had given me some 'money-off' vouchers they'd been awarded for the chain Italian restaurant. A half-term of kids entertainment had taken its toll on my bank account so it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of them.

The cheese tasted of ham and the ham tasted of cheese. It was topped with an avalanche of dried oregano, like a bag of pot-pourri had been accidentally dropped on top of it.

And finally, I was simply intrigued to see what it would be like.  Besides, what can go so wrong with a couple of pizzas?

From the outside, Bella Italia looks dated.  That theme followed through the front door. 

Framed pictures of 'Italian' things are scattered all over the stained and tired looking walls. Round wooden tables are squashed so close together,  it was almost impossible to pass by without sending something crashing to the floor; knives, forks, people.  A sensitive soul might be fooled into thinking it was their derriere that had grown.

It was lunchtime and the restaurant was quiet. We were one of five tables.

I opened the adult menu.  A highlighted box says 'under 600 calories, look for the sign'.  Perhaps someone was trying to tell me something?

The kids set menu was antipastini, main course, dessert and a drink for £5.25.  I'm told you have to pay this even of you decided to have only one course.

I ordered the cucumber and carrot sticks with a pomodoro tomato dip for James's starter and Pan Bella, mixed bread with warm mascapone and spinach dip (£4.95) for me.

After what seemed like a lifetime, it arrived.  A bowl of sliced yellow and red peppers, not a  cucumber or carrot in sight.  I looked around, was this my order? When I asked the waitress she told me they'd run out of cucumber and carrot sticks. 

“Why didn't you let me know”. 

“Sorry...”

I ask where the Pomodoro tomato dip was and she went off get it.  She came back with a small pot of ketchup. 

 “Seriously, is that it? ” I said, horrified

“Yes” she said hurridly.

“But it's just tomato ketchup”

“Yes, tomato dip,” she said rushing off again.

James looked at me and pushed it to one side.

My order of mixed bread was just random off cuts and broken bread sticks in a basket. They looked like they'd been nicked from previous customer leftovers. The mascapone dip had a skin over the top of it that was thick enough to walk across.  I pushed my order aside too.

Dried up and depressing

On to the mains. We both ordered ham and mushroom pizzas.  James's was sliced and was cold. The ham was long streaks of parma ham plonked on top.  He picked them off and chewed on the base. Each bite took him five minutes to swallow.

My pizza (£8.75) was almost inedible.  I'd seen it sitting under the lights at the pass for about ten minutes before it was brought over. I tried it and it wasn't almost inedible it was inedible. The cheese tasted of ham and the ham tasted of cheese. It was topped with an avalanche of dried oregano, like a bag of pot-pourri had been accidentally dropped on top of it. I returned it to the kitchen. 

The manager asked me what was wrong with it, so I told him. He offered me something else but the dried oregano was like wood chip in my throat and I was having problems swallowing. I declined and opted for a refund.

The final insult came when I went to order James's dessert, part of the set menu. They didn't have any ice pops, they didn't have any mini doughnuts. Ice cream it was then.

Whilst we were sitting there a table opposite me complained about their child's pizza, it was burnt.  They were also annoyed that they had not been able to order what they'd wanted from the menu because there was nothing left. 

This was one of the worst lunches I've had in a very long time.

The service was cold and slow and the atmosphere utterly depressing. No restaurant should insult a paying customer like that.  

The food was appalling and should never have been allowed to leave the kitchen. The fact that we couldn't ordered what we wanted, from a menu that was already restricted was annoying.  The waitress should have told us there were problems and not left it for us to find out.

There are chain restaurants out there getting it right, this place is getting it wrong. Bella Italia needs to address its problems if it can be bothered of course.

Bella Italia faces the Lowry at Salford Quays, M50 3AZ. We'd supply the phone number so you could book but we'd really rather you didn't go.

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Kids Confidential restaurant reviews are from a parent's viewpoint.  Restaurants are rated for their family friendly service, the facilities for children, the children's food and the overall experience as a parent with kids in tow. It's not intended to be a main Confidential food review as found on Manchester Confidential.