Bella Roma - Vancouver

Order the muscles in the house Pinot Grigio and you will fall in love.

Love this little gem! Very authentic Italian food, really good pizza and always great specials! They make their own pasta here and it is to die for! I've

I ordered take out from this place, asked for bread twice and was assured that it was in there.

Went with a reservation (ours was the only one) for 7 PM on a Wednesday. Not busy, seated at our reserved window table. Service prompt and friendly (Zuzanna). Water came and was kept toped up. Serice started with a complimentary plate of small crostinis with tomato topping. Ordered a reasonably priced (for Vancouver) red wine, 3 orders of the Baked Lasagna (three thumbs up for size and flavour). It could use a thinner thinner noodle. 4th order was a Penne Con Pollo. Enough chicken but lacking on flavour. Overall we had an enjoyable evening in a small cozy setting. Credit cards accepted. Of note: Wednesday is mussel night done various ways.

These folks took over our favourite pizza joint (which made a great seafood caesar salad) a few years ago, and I'd been boycotting it out of spite ever since, but last night I got dragged in with a crowd of my son's friends and regretted putting it off for so long. I mention this in case there are others withholding their patronage for equally silly reasons. Not only were they friendly and welcoming ("service" doesn't seem an adequate term), but the appies were great, the beer and wine fine, and the menu excellent. Most importantly, the menu includes bouillabaisse, my favourite chef-testing dish! Many is the restaurant I have excoriated in print for calling their tomato sauced cioppino or other garlic- and saffron-free fish soup "bouillabaisse"... but this time it REALLY WAS bouillabaisse! Delicious! That makes a total of four places I have ever enjoyed the real thing. I just hope this chef sticks around. Everyone get in there and give them your business! Upper 10th Ave. is for some reason one of the hardest places in town to keep a good restaurant going, perhaps because of the excellent competition. Here's another good one!