Chef's Soup of the day
Tomato Crostini
toasted garlic rubbed foccacia bread, sliced vine ripe tomato, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil
Grilled Calamari
poached garlic, black olives, capers, fresh diced tomato & lemon olive oil
Mussels
garlic white wine sauce, diced tomato, fresh basil
Caesar Salad Bella Notte
Baby Greens
with a honey balsamic vinaigrette
Beet Salad
heirloom beets, maple toasted walnuts, avocado, Quebec blue cheese, baby greens & cherry vinaigrette
Bella Notte Chicken Salad "Cobb Style"
artisan lettuce with grilled chicken, avocado, hardboiled egg, Quebec blue cheese, focaccia croutons & crispy pancetta
Panzanella Tuscan Summer Salad
with fresh tomato, sweet bell peppers, foccacia bread, red onion, basil, capers topped with grilled tiger shrimp
Arugula & Sliced Steak Salad
with strawberries, shaved Asiago cheese, toasted pine nuts dressed with a white balsamic & olive oil dressing
Pumpernickel Goat Cheese Salad
roasted bell peppers, hearts of artichoke &artisan lettuce
Spaghetti Classico
fresh tomato basil sauce
Penne with Sausage
hot Italian sausage, fresh diced tomatoes, roasted hot peppers, tomato basil sauce
Angel Hair Pasta
grilled chicken, arugula, roasted red peppers in a rosé sauce
Rigatoni Bolognese
classic Italian braised tomato meat sauce
Stuffed Pasta
ravioli stuffed with oven roasted butternut squash in a sundried tomato rosé sauce, topped with goat cheese
Pasta Primavera
penne pasta with seasonal vegetables in a creamy rosé sauce
Spaghettini with Shrimp
shrimp, capers, kalamata olives, fresh diced tomatoes, lemon zest in an extra virgin olive oil and fresh herb sauce
Chicken or Veal Parmigiana
panko breaded, topped with tomato sauce, a three cheese blend, served with Rigatoni in a tomato basil sauce
Balsamic Glazed Atlantic Salmon
with baby greens and herb roasted potato
Filet Mignon
wrapped in double smoked bacon with a green peppercorn & red wine jus served with daily potato & market vegetables
Served on Ace Bakery Rosemary Foccacia Bread with a side of roasted mini red potatoes
Veal or Chicken
caramelized onions, mushrooms, fresh tomato sauce and melted provolone cheese
Meatball
homemade tomato sauce topped with melted fresh mozzarella
Sausage
spicy Italian sausage topped roasted peppers, onions, melted fontina cheese
Grilled Vegetable
grilled peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots with black olive tapenade and goat cheese
Caprese
sliced vine ripe tomatoes, Bononcini cheese, baby greens, pesto, honey balsamic dressing
Caesar Salad Bella Notte
romaine hearts, crispy double smoked bacon, shaved parmesan cheese, garlic crostini with our homemade Caesar dressing
Antipasto for One
grilled vegetables, sliced vine ripe tomato, buffalo mozzarella, dill mascarpone smoked salmon
Beet Salad
heirloom beets, maple toasted walnuts, avocado, Quebec blue cheese, baby greens and cherry vinaigrette
Caprese
vine ripe tomatoes, fresh bocconcini cheese, basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic reduction
Pumpernickel Goat cheese salad
roasted bell peppers, hearts of artichoke & artisan lettuce
Arugula & Strawberry Salad
with shaved Asiago cheese, toasted pine nuts dressed with a white balsamic & olive oil dressing
Panzanella Tuscan Summer Salad
with fresh tomato, sweet bell peppers, foccacia bread, red onion, basil, capers topped with grilled tiger shrimp, extra virgin olive oil
Crostini Bella Notte
toasted garlic rubbed foccacia bread topped with choice of:
- sliced vine ripe tomato, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil
- sautéed mushrooms and blue cheese, vin cotto
Shrimp Cocktail
with avacado and a citrus horseradish sauce
Crisp Crab Cakes
with a passion fruit citrus glaze on a bed of mixed greens
Asparagus & Smoked Salmon
baby greens, hardboiled egg & capers
Prosciutto Wrapped Sea Scallops
maple pear compote, drizzled with vincotto
Salumi Plate
house made cured meats, salami, olives and homemade warm bread sticks
Grilled Calamari
poached garlic, black olives, capers, fresh diced tomato & lemon olive oil
Chilled Shell Fish Platter for two
Shrimp cocktail, fresh shucked oysters, lobster tail
Cured Meat Board
an assortment of cured meats, grilled spicy sausage, cheeses & olives, toasted foccacia bread, marinated grilled vegetables
Antipasto Platter for two
grilled vegetable, smoked salmon, grilled calamari & shrimp, pumpernickel crusted goat cheese, toasted foccacia
Antipasto Platter
grilled vegetable, smoked salmon, grilled calamari & shrimp, pumpernickel crusted goat cheese, toasted foccacia
Cured Meat Board for two
an assortment of cured meats, grilled spicy sausage, cheeses & olives, toasted foccacia bread, marinated grilled vegetables
Chilled Shell Fish Platter
Shrimp cocktail, fresh shucked oysters, lobster tail
Mussels
House Made Beef Carpaccio
AAA beef marinated in port, marsala & brandy, thinly sliced, topped with shaved Parmesan cheese, capers, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice
Mista
Artisan lettuce, fresh tomato and celery, house made honey balsamic vinaigrette
*gluten free pasta available
Spaghetti Classico
fresh tomato and basil sauce
Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
arugula, artichoke hearts, tomato basil sauce
Fettuccini Double Smoked Bacon
double smoked bacon, assorted mushrooms in a light creamy garlic sauce
Spaghetti & Meatball
homemade meatball baked in a tomato basil sauce and a blend of three cheeses
Penne with Sausage
hot Italian sausage, fresh diced tomatoes, roasted hot peppers, tomato basil sauce
Angel Hair Pasta
grilled chicken, arugula, roasted red peppers in a rosé sauce
Seafood Linguini
shrimps, calamari & mussels with black olives & capers in a tomato sauce
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Caribbean lobster and elbow pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with toasted herb croutons
Rigatoni Bolognese
classic Italian braised tomato meat sauce
Spaghetti Carbonara
egg, cream, double smoked bacon, sweet peas & parmesan cheese
Linguini Lobster
garlic butter poached lobster, asparagus, fresh diced tomato and basil pesto sauce
Stuffed Pasta
ravioli stuffed with oven roasted butternut squash in a sundried tomato rosé sauce, topped with goat cheese
Linguini Salmon a la Vodka
capers, sundried tomatoes in a vodka cream sauce
Oven Roasted Salmon Fillet
with grainy mustard, apple cider maple vinaigrette, served with scented basmati rice and market vegetables
Mixed Seafood Grill
grilled lobster tail, black tiger shrimp, grilled calamari, served with a Asian rouille lemon sauce, scented basmati rice and market vegetables
Chicken Supreme
stuffed with caramelized apple, pine nuts, goat cheese served with a honey balsamic thyme cream sauce daily potato and market vegetables
Black Angus Strip loin
grilled, served with horseradish Malbec red wine beef jus daily potato and market vegetables
Chicken Piccata
chicken breast scaloppini and proscuitto ham in a lemoncello butter parsley sauce served with spaghetinni in an Alio Olio sauce
Rack of Lamb
honey and mustard crusted served with mint chutney and Porto wine jus, daily potato and market vegetables
Veal Scaloppini Marsala
sautéed with assorted mushrooms, marsala wine veal jus, cream, served with daily potato and market vegetables
Veal Scaloppini Napolitano
sautéed in a fresh tomato sauce, olives, capers and poached garlic served with penne pasta
Mixed Meat Grill
lamb chop, bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and spicy house made Italian sausage in a peppercorn red wine jus served with daily potato and market vegetables
Filet Mignon
Beef tenderloin medallions wrapped in double smoked bacon with a green peppercorn & red wine jus served with daily potato & market vegetables
to add to your salads or mains
to add to any dish
* Please notify your server with any dietary needs or allergies
Basket of warm homemade bread sticks
Grilled Shrimp Skewer
Sautéed Mixed Mushrooms
Garlic Foccacia Toast
Garlic Foccacia Toast with cheese
Side of Pasta - alfredo or tomato
Lobster Tail
Market Vegetables
*Now serving gluten and dairy free options for your dining pleasure.
Apple Pie Bella Notte
served warm with Tahitian vanilla gelato & toffee sauce
Orange Cintrus Crème Brule
with mix berry coulis
Flourless Chocolate Cake
with warm chocolate sauce
Limoncello Cheesecake
with blueberry compote and candied lemon
Tiramisu
Traditional Italian dessert
Gelato
A creamy rich Italian style ice cream
Cheese Plate
A selection of imported & domestic cheese with fresh fruit, nuts and crostini
* Please notify your server with any dietary needs or allergies
Café Late
Cappuccino
Espresso
Double espresso
Brewed coffee
Teas
Cappuccino Bella Notte
Espresso, cocoa milk, crème de cacao, Brandy & Rum
Café Amaretto
Amaretto, Kahlua, coffee, whipped cream
Café Don Juan
Grand Marnier, Kahlua, whipped cream
Café Coretto
Espresso with grappa or white Sambuca
Spanish Coffee
Rum, Kahlua, Triple sec, whipped cream
Tawny Port "20 yr old"
Grappa "Rialto"
Averna Amaro
Luxardo Limoncello
Remy Martin VSOP Cognac
White Port, Borges
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Myself, and a group of 8 others had made reservations to go to Bella Notte in Whitby for my lovely girlfriend's father's birthday party. Traditional Italian family with a flare for food, reservations had been made and we had shown up on time and seated promptly. After hearing their specials from one of the waiters the owner came out to question us about a bottle of wine my girlfriend's brother had bought for the occasion. The owner informed us the corking fee for this bottle of wine was $35 CAD which we said we were fine with. Dinner was had, and although there was a few problems (calamari was very undercooked and rubbery, other elements of dinner were not al dente or soggy) we didn't really complain and continued on. As the rather large bill for 9 guests came to the table, the brother (whom was paying for the meal) noticed the owner had silently increased the corking fee to $50 CAD. We decided to question him about this, which began this restaurants downfall. The owner quickly danced around the question of the increase in price and decided to take us on a business lesson of his margins, and how if we had purchased this "rather generic" bottle of wine at his restaurant he would've made more money - and thus, should punish us for bringing it by increasing the corking fee, even though he had simply stated earlier it was $35 as he picked the bottle up. The owner began to tell us the bottle was larger than he expected, and this was the reason for the increase. I can assume the owner who had quite a good wine selection on the other side of the restaurant had seen a bottle of this size before, and upon grabbing it could tell it was larger and thus inform us of the increase, but he decided to sneak it onto our bill. After a few exchanges, excuses, and rude comments in regards to giving us a measly $15 refund, he came back with a $15 gift card and threw it on the table. At this point, he might as well have given us a blank piece of paper as we weren't coming back to this restaurant ever. As a small business owner myself, there's a larger lesson here - if you make a mistake and tell a customer something, suck it up and make it right. $15 is nothing in this transaction where he probably had made hundreds of dollars in profit on us that night, and to satisfy a customer (and have a repeat visit), as well as accept you made a mistake it would've been no problem for him. We had left upset, and angry at the fact the owner would not accept he made a mistake, and charged us for it. I would seriously consider not visiting Bella Notte any time soon if you are interested in going. If the owner is not willing to bend a bit for customer satisfaction, it shows a much larger problem trickling down from top, to your plate.
We've gone to Bella Notte quite a few times since moving to the neighbourhood, and the food and service USED TO BE fantastic. However our last two visits have been quite disappointing. At the beginning of summer the menu was the same as in the past - amazing. But the service wasn't what it used to be; having to sit around about 10 minutes after your dinner, because your waiter forgot about your table, didn't make for a pleasant ending. This time - we waited at the beginning for our appetizer, which never arrived. And when our mains did, and we asked what happened to the appetizer the response we got from the servers and waitress was did you want to bring it now? Thank you but no, I prefer my appetizer before my meal, not after. A few menu items seem to have changed as well. The seafood pasta was quite bland and disappointing. The type of pasta used was not complimentary to the seafood. Couple of the mussel shells were empty (The old seafood/pasta dish was one of the best). The steak special was good, perfectly done, but definitely over priced for what you got. The only saving grace was the phenomenal dessert! Should've passed on the whole dinner and just had dessert.
Since moving to Durham, we have been more disappointed than not trying to find a quality restaurant. Our friends had been mentioning Bella Notte for some time, and we finally had the opportunity to try it and we are glad we did. The restaurant has a cozy, family style feel to it. Very unpretentious and lots of family photos covering the walls. They have two rooms and one seemed to be in use for a private party. The restaurant owner was quietly friendly and gracious, helping out the wait staff when necessary and keeping things flowing. Our meal was exceptional. We started with a rustic anti-pasto platter, beautiful veal carpaccio and grilled calamari. Truly authentic Italian flavours in each dish. My wife had the rack of lamb with herb crust, one of our friends had the signature veal dish with shrimps and boccancini, another had the pasta special, while I had the salmon with a side of spaghettini pomadorro. The portions were expertly done, and despite the large portion sizes, all our plates were cleaned completely. We shared two desserts as there was little room left and the homemade tiramisu and white chocolate semi fredo were a fine ending to a really great meal. Our waiter was very professional, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and recommended two wines for us, a Sauvignon Blanc and a reasonably priced Super Tuscan. Although the restaurant became very busy, service was attentive throughout and the owner hovered in a helpful way all night. We look forward to our next trip back already.
This wasn't our first and won't be our last. Each time we come here there is always something different that intrigues us. The night we went it was very busy, there was a small wedding going on in the private room and the main dining room was bustling. There was an old world feel to the place, how I would imagine a quant restaurant in Tuscany would be like. There was a sense of a "real family" run restaurant with wait staff and management(probably the owner)talking to customers, joking around and making people fell at home. We enjoyed a variety of appetizers (gotta have the mussels, WOW!) the antipasto platter for 2 comes on a rustic wooden board with the Italian essential meats and cheeses, olives and grilled vegetables. Our mains were outstanding from the traditional fettucini in a meat sauce, mushroom risotto, veal marsala and the amazing pork loin special with peaches. Portions are always substantial, we all had enough for lunch the next day. No room for dessert but who can resist homemade tiramisu, topped the meal off. This place is our favorite restaurant in Durham. We seem to go around to other places and always compare them to Bella Notte, a tough act to follow. Keep it up! Can't wait to go back.
We arrived at 5pm before the crowds. we ordered Shrimp Bella Note( very good ) as a starter. The main entres were seafood liguine and a pan-fried halibut. The seafood liguine was very good. Portions were good and taste was very good. My wife was very disappointed in the halibut. Basically a dry piece of fish. The wine we ordered-2009 cab sauv from Argentina was very nice. It was $100 for the 2 of us with 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 1 bottle of wine and no dessert( I was too full)no coffee. Probably would have felt better about the money if my wife had enjoyed the meal. She had been here 1 month previous and had to wait a very , very long time for her meal.
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