Bella Italia family breakfast feedback thread: find out how the MNers got on checking out the new menu! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the thread for the MN families who were invited to go and check out the new breakfast menu at Bella Italia.

Bella Italia say "We're celebrating the first birthday of our fabulous new breakfast menu packed with yummy favourites like the fruity pancake stack and the gigante breakfast - so big it needs two plates! So here's your chance to join in the celebration, try our breakfast menu with your family let us know what you think!"

Reviewers - please share on this thread your responses to the following questions

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
How would you rate the food quality?
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
What was the best part about your experience?
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
And lastly, would you go again?

We'd also love you to add a review on your relevant MN local pages (find restaurant reviews under - On the High Street>Going Out>Restaurants)

Thanks - everyone who adds their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 voucher for Bella Italia

Good luck
MNHQ

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
We've been a few times before and have always found it very family-friendly. The branch we went to (Leicester Meridian) has had the full face-lift and looks very inviting indeed.
How would you rate the food quality?
Everything arrived together - a plus. There was a delay but this was explained to us; apparently the chef had dropped some eggs and someone had to go out for more! This was slightly surprising as we were one of only three groups in the restaurant and it was only 10am. He must have dropped an awful lot of eggs! Everything was served hot. Unfortunately we weren't given the kids' activity packs the DCs have enjoyed previously - have they stopped doing them?
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
I had the Omelette Diavola which came with some lovely crispy potatoes and half a tomato. It was spicy and delicious but rather too oily.

DP had the Gigante breakfast which looked great. He asked for mustard but was told they had none.
DCs 1,2 and 3 (8,6,6) all ordered the happy face pancake (see pic) which they loved but scoffed within minutes. It was tiny - maybe 10cm diameter. They left hungry and I wouldn't say that any of them have extraordinarily large appetites. The menu states the kids' breakfasts are suitable for kids up to 10 years old. No way!
What was the best part about your experience?
The waitresses were lovely. The ambience of the restaurant is just right; the lighting and heating on a rainy day was perfect. I could just imagine lazing there with the Sunday papers and the children in the soft-play centre next door.
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Yes, very good.
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
No.
And lastly, would you go again?
Yes. The children would order from the main menu though.

firstly i would just like to say thank you for selecting us we had a lovely breakfast

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
we visited silverlink branch on 31st october a friday morning during half term are table was booked for 10.30 but we arrived early at 10am and asked if we could come in and they were fine with it and very welcoming. We were the only ones in there when we arrived but another family arrived about 10 minutes after us who were also reviewing. The staff were friendly and the restaurant was nice and clean and well decorated and felt very child friendly with lots of balloons and highchairs.There was also lots of space so we could keep newborn son in his pram and also have 17 month old daughter in a highchair and the tables were spacious. Daughter was given an activty pack as soon as we sat down which kept her occupied. We placed are order and are drinks arrived within a few minutes and are breakfast arrived after about 10 minutes of placing order. we were offered refills on drinks and the dirty plates were removed as soon as we finished are food.
How would you rate the food quality?
myself and my partner both had gigante breakfasts and everything was hot and freshly made the susauges were really nice and juicy and the bacon was cooked to perfection . We eat out for breakfast at least once a month as a family and the food here tasted much fresher and better quality then other food chains who we have visited for breakfast in the past.
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
I thought that the adult menu had a lot of choice and there was something for everyone from cooked breakfasts and vegertarian choices and there was also smaller items such as pastries or sandwiches. There was also a good drink selection. However the children menu was rather limited with only two choices to pick and only one drink option. And the portions were fairly small on children menu. myself and my partner both had gigante breakfast which we could not fault and i had a vanilla latte which was really nice and partner had hazlenut latte. Oldest daughter who is 11 had a child cooked breakfast which she enjoyed but portion was small with just 1 sausage, scrambled egg and beans on so i ended up giving her food off my plate. Youngest daughter who is 17 months had a happy face pancake which was just the right size for her and she really enjoyed.

What was the best part about your experience?
The food as it was really tasty and could not fault it at all.
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Yes there was one waitress and a manger on shift the manger was friendly when we entered but we only really seen the waitress who was polite and friendly.
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
no i have only ever been once before for an evening meal.
And lastly, would you go again?
Yes the breakfast was really nice and we also looked at the main menu and there was a good selection of food and it seemed very well priced. we will be returning and have told family and friends how nice it was and to try it themselves.

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
Lovely decor and extremely clean. Something for everyone in the family to eat and great service.

How would you rate the food quality?
The quality was really good. The sausages were lovely, high-quality sausages. Lightly seasoned and not overpowering with herbs, which I find with a lot of good quality sausages. The bacon was thick, which I like. The scrambled egg tasted nice and buttery but unfortunately was cold when it came out so I couldn't eat it. The ciabatta toast was delicious. A lovely change from bog standard white toast. The potatoes were good too. Proper homemade roasted new potato wedges. I expected the cubed oven variety so I was pleasantly surprised. Our baked beans were missing - which I've only just realised! The menu was taken away after we ordered. I did say to DP, "I'm sure we're meant to have beans" but he said no! Wish I asked now because I found it all a bit dry without (I don't eat any condiments). DS finished his pancake and declared it delicious. And also ate lots of mine and DP's breakfasts too, so the food must have been a winner! The lattes were lovely (and with free refills!)

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
The adult menu had loads to choose from. The kids menu could do with a few more options. It was either a happy face pancake or a cooked breakfast. DS (3) had the happy face pancake, which was very small but I would say enough for someone of his age. I would imagine anyone aged 5 and over would be starving. Although as mentioned above, DS had a few bits from our plates too. The bits of strawberry were absolutely tiny. DP and I both chose the gigante breakfast. Mine with scrambled egg, his with fried. We had a latte each while we were waited for our food, and these were unlimited which we were told about as we were eating, so we had another round. I thought that was really good.

What was the best part about your experience?
I would say the service. I would love to go back as a non-Mumsnetter as I felt this changed things a bit. Everyone was very attentive and nothing seemed too much trouble. They really wanted to make sure we were happy, had enough drinks etc. I hope this is how they are to everyone.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
We arrived at 9.50am, with our table booked for 10. The restaurant was closed despite the website stating it opened at 9. A woman, who I assume was a manager, opened the door and said they were opening in 10 minutes as they were having staff training, then closed the door. So we waited outside. When she came back to open, I then told her we had a table booked and had the Mumsnet letter in my hand. She said, "Oh you should have said! I would have got you to come and sit inside", so it was interesting to see the change once they realised we were reviewing them! The service throughout our visit was great. The same woman gave DS an activity pack straight away and took our drinks order. She then came back to take our food order and gave DS balloons. Throughout our meal she interacted with DS. The other staff who brought us our food and drinks were lovely too and checked we were okay or wanted anything else. Oh, and to add, we had about a 30 minute wait for our food. But the lattes for us and activity pack for DS helped.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
Nope, had no idea. I've been before for lunch and for dinner. Many years ago. It's not somewhere I ever consider going to.

And lastly, would you go again?
Yes, we would. We don't go out for breakfast but if we were, or if friends suggested meeting for breakfast, I would definitely recommend going to Bella Italia. It was much more than a standard fry-up. The quality and service made it feel a bit special, so I'd go again for sure.

DS (7) and I visited the Reading Oracle branch today for brunch at about 11am

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

Very average. There was nothing major to complain about but neither was it particularly special.

The restaurant itself was nice, large and airy with attractive decor.

How would you rate the food quality?

Again, fine but nothing special! DS had the Fruity Pancake Stack and I had the Veggie Breakfast. DS enjoyed his pancakes but I thought they were a bit dry and plain and the fruit looked as though it has been cut a while ago and left to sit. The Veggie Breakfast was alright. Everything had obviously been freshly cooked but it was all very ordinary. And I didn't get the avocado! Only just realised that, checking back to the menu.
My coffee (cappuccino) was pretty bad, really weak which was a disappointment.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?

As others have said, the selection for kids was pretty limited. DS is vegetarian and so had even less option as the kids cooked breakfast offered only meat sausage or bacon. He'd have been left hungry by the pancake face too. However, the main menu was quite large and varied with a few good choices for veggies. I just think that if you are offering a children's menu, it should satisfy children and not just toddlers!

What was the best part about your experience?

It was nice having breakfast out with DS

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?

It was fine, again quite lacklustre. DS was not given an activity pack. This was not a major issue as our food was served quickly and he was happy to chat and play Hangman (always have a notebook and pen in my bag!) but it was a bit of a shame and a contrast to Pizza Express, where we've eaten recently. DS was given an activity pack as soon as he sat down and the waitress was really friendly and chatty.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?

No, I've only been for dinner, many years ago.

And lastly, would you go again?

No, sorry! If I was looking for a venue for a family breakfast/brunch I'd probably go to Giraffe, who offer a much more interesting brunch menu and have better service and atmosphere. For a mid-morning coffee and pastry I'd much rather go to the independent coffee shops in town that serve decent coffee and homemade cakes

If it was the only option for breakfast (i.e. at an airport or something) I wouldn't mind eating there again but it's not somewhere I'd choose to eat again.

Firstly thank you for choosing my family and I to participate in this trial.

I went with my DH and two DD's (15 & 6yrs)

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
We have not been to the Lakeside Bella Italia for a few years and we were impressed with the new layout and decor, we sat in a booth overlooking the lake on a very rainy morning and it had a cosy welcoming feel. The restaurant was clean and the air con was just about right.

How would you rate the food quality?
The quality of the food was good overall, nice coffee (americano and latte) with free refills, fresh mushrooms and tomatoes, the bacon was good quality but the only slight criticism was a bit of bone in two sausages, never a nice experience and it always makes me doubt the quality of the sausages.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
The selection for adults was great, the adults all had a Gigantica Breakfast/Brunch and I couldn't finish mine despite a good being starving, it was bigger than I expected!

The selection for children was not as plentiful, a mini English Breakfast or pancakes. My DD was very happy with the childs cooked breakfast however and ate it all. The portion size was great for her and would probably be big enough for a child aged up to about 10 depending on appetite.

What was the best part about your experience?
The staff were friendly and efficient, offering refills for our coffees when they noticed they were getting low. We really felt as though nothing would be too much trouble. It was a nice treat to go out for breakfast as a family, not something we usually do as it's pretty difficult to find somewhere locally that the whole family would be happy to go to.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
As previously mentioned the service was great, we couldn't fault it.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
We had no idea that breakfast was available, although we noticed promotional material on our table mentioning breakfast I can't remember seeing it when we last ate at Bella Italia (Not the same branch but recently though).

And lastly, would you go again?
We will make a point of going again as it was a great way to start Sunday, a rare cooked breakfast and one that I hadn't needed to cook.

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
Ideal for a family breakfast. It was relaxed and friendly with plenty of other families in there. No pressure to dress or behave a certain way!

How would you rate the food quality?
Good. Tbh it was no better than you'd expect for a chain restaurant, but certainly no worse and we all enjoyed what we had. Everything was hot, well-cooked and tasted fresh.
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
The menu was a refreshing change and it was good to see a wide range of different meals like breakfast pizzas and panini. We actually went at lunchtime so it was nice to have some substantial choices.
I had the veggie breakfast. It was nice to have avocado on it for some protein. Much better than the standard vege sausage! It was a decent portion and I'm still full up at tea time. As someone who doesn't eat a lot of bread, the ciabatta toast was a real treat too.
DH had the steak and eggs. He says the steak wasn't great but the ret was "alright" which from my DH probably means he thought it was fine! He really enjoyed the Big Tom spicy tomato juice with it though.
DS (5) had the kids' cooked breakfast which he loved. It was a perfectly sized portion with a decent sausage. He was another big fan of the ciabatta toast. He left a clean plate.
What was the best part about your experience?
Well, it was great to have a free meal in somewhere different. It was all good really.
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Yes, service was brilliant, though I suspect they went the extra mile knowing that we were there from Mumsnet! DS was entertained by several of the staff and we all felt well attended to and looked after without it being over-bearing.
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
No. It's not somewhere I would have thought to go for breakfast, although going out for breakfast is not something we would normally do as a family.
And lastly, would you go again?
Probably not for breakfast. Although the food and service were great it felt a tad extravagant for breakfast. I would recommend it to others though as something a bit different.

Forgot to say... Thank you Mumsnet.
We visited Cheltenham Bella Italia at 12pm on Sun 2 Nov.

We visited yesterday for brunch. There were three of us.
Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
It was great. Good atmosphere, family friendly. Homely decor without being too cluttered. The loos were nice, clean and well decorated which is great when you have an inquisitive toddler who has just been toilet trained and likes to touch everything :/

How would you rate the food quality?
DH had the giganti breakfast. Good portion size. He said the bacon and sausage could have been hotter but other than that it was good.
I had the steak and eggs. Wouldn't normally have steak so early in the day but I'm pregnant and anaemic so trying to up my iron intake at every opportunity! The steak I had medium but it was a little bit overdone. The quality of meat wasn't that great to be honest, the steak was quite thin and texture wasn't great. The eggs were good- served runny which I like and have no problem with eating even when pregnant but perhaps it might be an idea to double check. The potatoes were AMAZING. Lovely and crisp. They were definitely the best part of the meal.
There were only two choices on the kids part of the menu so DD had something off the adult bit instead. She had bacon and pancakes but we asked for them to sub the bacon with sausages which they happily did with no fuss at all.
Generally the food was fine, good but not exceptional (apart from the potatoes).

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
I thought the selection for adults was good, kids could have more to choose from. Choices are above in the food quality bit.

What was the best part about your experience?
The potatoes! They were amazing. My pregnant mind thinks it to be perfectly reasonable to go again just to get more of those potatoes.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Service was great. Our waitress was lovely and friendly.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
Nope had no idea they did breakfast, pleased to see it is extended to 2pm on weekends and might be an idea for staff to promote this a bit as we were handed the normal menus when we first walked in.

And lastly, would you go again?
Bit irrational to ask me (potatoes!!!!) but I checked with DH and he said possibly. If we are in the area then it would probably be an option.

Great experience for our family. We went to one in Sheffield and Elliott the staff member was lovely, engaging my daughter, providing her with child cutlery, she enjoyed her experience.

We haven't visited for breakfast but would go again.
We are vegetarian and find breakfast choices can be boring but we were impressed by the choice. We had the pancake stack, veggie breakfast and pancake face. Very nice and just right amount to be full nicely.

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast? Very pleasant, the waiter was very friendly and ds got a bag with crayons and stuff to colour in which kept him quiet for ages!
How would you rate the food quality? I had the veggie breakfast which was very tasty and well-cooked. I had scrambled egg which was good and as pp has said, the potatoes were really nice and cooked with rosemary. I had thought that ds would have chosen to have bacon, because I don't eat meat so he doesn't get it at home and he often says he likes it, but he said he wanted porridge, having only had it for breakfast at home that morning (we treated the bella italia meal as lunch). There was no porridge available so he chose to have the pancake stack. Tbh he hardly ate any of it and I kept asking him if it was nice and he said it was but only ate the fruit and maybe one pancake. I tasted one of the pancakes and it was ok, but probably would have been better with ice-cream, but that's down to personal taste really.
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose? See above, I think the selection was fine, would have been better for us if ds had wanted bacon etc, but for reasons best known to himself he didn't
What was the best part about your experience? The crayons etc for children, my meal and the friendly waiter
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming? Yes very friendly!
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this? No I didn't
And lastly, would you go again? I would, but without ds but only because I think he's a bit young to really appreciate going out to eat, but I would definitely go again because it was really very nice.

We went for brunch today at about 11.30ish to the uXbridge branch.
The restaurant decor was very nice, all v clean. Chilled music playing and only a couple of other tables occupied. We had a relatively stress free meal which is generally a good sign that a place is family friendly!
Staff really nice and friendly. Kids were given one colouring sheet each and some (mainly blunt!) pencils, they were fairly happy with this but it didn't occupy them for that long.
Food quality was average - DH had gigantic breakfast and said it was good but wouldn't have paid £9 for it. DS (5) had kids cooked breakfast which he loved - esp cos he asked for bacon and was given bacon and a sausage as well! DD (2) wanted the pancake face but what she actually got was the (adult sized) pancake stack - 3 pancakes with fruit, no fudge. She was pretty happy with this though! I think one pancake would have not been enough and defiantly not for a 10 year old as he menu suggested. I had the pancakes with bacon - maple syrup was good, bacon was ok but pancakes were terrible! I couldn't even cut them they were so hard. I never complain in restaurants but had I been paying I would have done (I didn't!) Dd's were not as rock hard as mine so may have just been a one off (although all 3 of mine were the same..)
Choice - loads of choice for adults, almost no choice for kids.
Best part - it was free! Also the staff were really friendly, and we never go out for brunch as a family so just doing that was nice too.
Service - v welcoming and friendly but food took ages to arrive and DS had to wait another 5 mins after the rest of ours arrived which he wasn't that happy about!
I didn't know Bella did breakfast before I saw this on mumsnet.
I might go back again if I was with friends or if I was away somewhere on my own for work and needed a breakfast place as looking at the menu there were lots of other options which looked pretty good value for money. but probably wouldn't go with the family for breakfast again. Would consider going with family for another meal as a change from pizza express type places.
We enjoyed the experience overall though so thank you!

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

The Bella we visited had only been open for 3 weeks so it was sparkly new and we liked the decor. We went on a Saturday morning and it was very quiet and the service was reasonably quick. The location is good and we went off to do our shopping afterwards.

How would you rate the food quality?

The food quality was reasonable; however, despite it being very quiet our food came out cool. We asked if warm plates were used and were told yes, but they did not seem very warm when they came out. Portions sizes were good for the adults, but the children's pancakes were poor and we ended up getting extra toast for them. The banana on the pancakes looked bruised and not overly fresh and they were missing their toffee pieces (although this was not a bad thing and we didn't ask for them!).

How would you rate the selection of food grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?

The adult selection of food was fine. My husband had the Gigante Breakfast and I had the create your own omelette with ham and mushrooms.

The Children's choice of menu was very poor - only two options. My son (8) ans daughter (6) both went for the Happy Face Pancake. In the future I would get my children to opt for the pancakes from the adult menu and my daughter would probably go for a pastry. It would be good to see cereals and maybe yogurt and grenola on the menu.

What was the best part about your experience?

Our waitress was very friendly and welcoming and made a big fuss over the children. We liked the decor and the feeling of the newly opened Bella.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?

The service was great, but it was very quiet - I did wonder how it might be if it was busier. I was pleased that the waitress asked for further details when I mentioned an allergy.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this? No.

And lastly, would you go again?

Yes and No! We would probably go for a lunch or evening meal, but would unlikely go back for breakfast. The downside is that this Bella has several neighbours who also offer breakfast and their menus seem to offer better choice and better value, so we would try them before returning to Bella. The shopping complex across the road also has places to eat breakfast and, for convienience, we would probably go there more frequently if having breafkfast before shopping.

I went yesterday with DH & our 3 DSes, aged 5, 3 & 8 months. We went at 12 as DS1 had football first thing, so we treated this as a brunch.

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast? We found the particular branch of Bella that we went to (Southend) a lovely place for breakfast. DH said it felt like a family restaurant in that it felt like it was run by a family, as it was very friendly and the service was very good. The food was good, too. The place itself was nice enough but a bit tired-looking, in particular the toilets very much needed updating.

How would you rate the food quality? The food quality I would say was good but not excellent. DH compared it to a decent hotel breakfast. The quality of food used was good, eg the sausages & the steak. It was pretty well cooked except my fried eggs were hard. I have had better breakfasts but I have certainly had worse too.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose? The selection of food for grown-ups was great, something for everybody. For children, however, it was rather poor - only 2 choices and bacon or sausage with the cooked breakfast, not both. It would be nice to see a few other options on there such as cereal, fruit, pastries etc. I had steak & eggs, DH had the Gigante, DSes 1 & 2 had the cooked breakfast & DS3 had the pancake smiley face. The size of the cooked meals was great & I would think would be fine for bigger DC, too, but the pancake was tiny. It was plenty for DS3, but he is not even 1, for any DC older than a toddler it wouldn't be enough.

What was the best part about your experience? The best part about our experience was the warm welcome & friendly service we got, the staff were really nice & attentive without being too overbearing. Also, for me, the vanilla latte refills!

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming? Absolutely, see above!

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this? I did not know, I think it's a great idea.

And lastly, would you go again? We would definitely go again, especially if there were a special offer or maybe using Tesco Clubcard vouchers. The branch we went to is a drive from us, but its location in a seaside town makes it a good place to start the day, plus we enjoyed our experience there.

Thank you so much for letting us try out the Bella breakfast

We had breakfast at the Winsor Bella Italia. I wasn't aware they did breakfast until this product review. Must say was impressed with the restaurant and the service. Husband and I had the Bella breakfast, very nice, in fact I enjoyed it more than my normal cafe, and so did the husband. My daughter had sausage and eggs on toast, clean plates all round. Very impressed. Husband wants to take me back to try the dinner menu next week!

Was a standard place to visit, not where I would usually think to go for breakfast! Quite quiet, staff were friendly

All had a cooked breakfast, which children enjoyed... Food was what I would expect, not amazing but not terrible either! Would have liked crispier bacon!
Good selection of food offered, children had cooked breakfast as they are not familiar with pancakes for breakfast!
The best part was that it was free :-) and top up of tea always good

Staff very friendly and nice to the children

I was unaware before having the opportunity to go for breakfast
If I was in the area and wanted breakfast then yes I would, but I would not think to go out of my way for breakfast there

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

It had a nice feel actually. Despite the restaurant we chose being in a retail park and it being 9.30 on a Saturday morning (we were only ones in), it felt quite exciting to be out. New baby in tow and been a while since we have taken DS out for something to eat. Clean, nice lighting level, friendly staff but not overbearing. Relaxed is how I would sum it up.

How would you rate the food quality?
Lovely food, cooked fresh, hot and very tasty.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
I had the veggie breakfast as read on here it was yummy with avocado. DH had the second size cooked brekkie as likes his food traditional. He said it was absolutely lovely too. DS had the kids cooked brekkie. V good meal too which he ate all of. Was just the right amount for a six and a half yr old with good appetite.

I would rate the selection well. Not too much to choose from. Kids selection could definitely benefit fr a range of Drinks other than orange juice ie milk apple juice. DS was given milk no probs though.

What was the best part about your experience?
Just being out with DH, DS and new DD for a meal in a very clean and friendly restaurant. And it being complimentary of course

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Very, yes. Relaxed and understated but on hand when necessary.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
No, but to be honest a little out of touch.

And lastly, would you go again?
Yes would go to that restaurant again as clean, friendly and handy for shops and cinema in our location. Would also choose Bella for breakfast over another option if elsewhere based on experience on Saturday morning.

Thanks for choosing us

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

The restaurant was lovely and welcoming and the staff were friendly. We were shown to our table which was on entrance level and had been pre booked. I was shown a space beside the bar to park my buggy. I did find that there wasn’t much room for maneuvering with a buggy. My only gripe was the baby changing facilities. The pull down changing mat was up about chest height and I was worried that my son would wriggle off.

How would you rate the food quality?

The quality of the food was great. Everything was freshly prepared and tasted delicious. The Gigante breakfast was HUGE and the omelette wasn’t much smaller.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?

The breakfast menu had plenty of variety which featured hot cooked breakfasts, porridge, sandwiches and vegetarian options. We were certainly spoiled for choice. My partner chose the Gigante breakfast and I went for the Make Your Own omelette with cheese and ham. Both kids had the smiley face pancakes (I can personally vouch for their yumminess) and we all had a glass of fresh orange juice.

What was the best part about your experience?

Really hard to say as I enjoyed all of the experience. I think I would have to say the service and attentiveness that we received from the staff.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?

The service we received was excellent. We were greeted by a waitress as we entered and shown to our table and were looked after attentively. The kids were brought crayons, colouring in sheets and balloons to keep them entertained.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?

No.

And lastly, would you go again?

I will be returning to Bella Italia for breakfast again. It was a great start to our day out in Edinburgh!

I took my DS (15) and DD (4) to Bella Italia in Oxford

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
I hadn't considered going to an Italian for breakfast before and my son did ask me why are we going here so early, are we having pizza! However, it is a good location and nice and easy to get to.

How would you rate the food quality?
Very good quality. A really good serving size and freshly cooked. It wasn't at all greasy and was very tasty. The drinks were nice too - refillable hot drinks with the breakfast was very welcome. I had two latte's and my DS had two pots of tea.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
Good range to choose from. Both myself and my DS had the Giante breakfast and my DS being fussy asked to have it without beans, mushrooms or tomatoes. They took these off and yet the plate still seemed very full! DD wanted the fruity stack of pancakes. She wasn't that keen on the syrup so perhaps if that was left off for you to add as much as you wanted it would have been better but she loved the fresh strawberries and bananas. She also had an apple juice which went down well.

What was the best part about your experience?
It was generally a good experience all around. It was easy to book a table, the staff were attentive (although we were the only people on the restaurant at 10:30am on halloween). The food was delicious and filling. The toilets were quite a walk downstairs and along corridors but I did notice a disabled toilet on the main level but this was out of order that day. Presumably when it is working it is okay to use with younger children.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Very friendly, they came and offered a refill of my coffee and there wasn't an excessive wait for the food while they cooked it.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
No, not at all.

And lastly, would you go again?
Definitely. It was delicious and a really good serving size as you can see from the photos! The staff were lovely too

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

I went to the Leicester branch with my husband and 4 of my children dd 11, ds 5, dd 3 and dd 1 on a Friday morning of the half term. I found the restrauant very welcoming, clean and designed for family dining. The decor was nice and seating area was comfortable, but i found the music a bit too loud for that time of the morning as i found it hard to hear my husband across the table, it could be that the speaker was above our table.......

How would you rate the food quality?

The food was good, but not amazing. Portion size was a bit on the small side but the food and drinks were quickly served.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?

Me and my husband had the veggie Breakfast, vanilla lattes and my dd 11 had the adult pancake stack and the other 3 had pancake faces. I thought the choice was good, there was something for everyone at different ages.
The problem was the portion size! My family love food and we found the portion sizes for kids meals was not enough, i thought the pancake was the portion enough for my 1 year old. My other 3 and 5 year wanted food from our plate after they had finished their pancakes. Also the kids pancake faces didn't look as nice as on the menu pictures but they were given a choice whether they wanted apple or orange juice.
The veggie breakfast was cooked nicely but i would have like maybe toast on the side as an extra.

What was the best part about your experience?

The best part was the friendly staff and the free brunch lol.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?

Very friendly waiting staff who were attentive throughout our visit, however it wasn't particularly busy another family apart from us. My kids enjoyed the crayons and coloring pictures on the back of their menus. There was balloons around the restaurant but it would have been nice for my children to have been given one each before they left :(

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?

I didn't know at all.

And lastly, would you go again?

I would probably not go again for breakfast although the foods good but it was too small portion size but the restaurant had a nice atmosphere and was clean so we may try it for lunch/dinner......

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
Very good - we went to a newly refurbished one in a shopping centre, so parking was straightforward, and the restaurant itself was lovely. We were given a choice of tables (we were the only ones there - it was first thing on a sunday). They were very welcoming.

How would you rate the food quality?
Very good.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
Good selection for adults - I would echo what others have said about the children's menu as it only has 2 options, which neither of my two were that crazy about.
I had the bella breakfast - all very tasty, and they swapped the tomato for mushroom with no hassle. All hot. My DH had the spicy omelette thingy. It was delicious but very spicy. And the two boys (age 10 and 7) both had the fruity pancake stack. One thought my pancakes were better, the other that Bella Italia's were. Guess which one gets the best xmas present this year?! But both enjoyed them a lot.

And both said it was the best orange juice that they had ever had (they had the fresh squeezed orange).

What was the best part about your experience?
Someone else sorting out a cooked breakfast for me, rather than me trying to time everything at home!

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Very. They were attentive but not in an obtrusive way.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
Nope, no idea.

And lastly, would you go again?
Yes, very probably. It would be quite fun to go prior to the cinema kid's morning as it is just next door. As someone else said earlier in the thread - it was also nice to eat together then go shopping and not struggle to get a coffee at 11ish when everywhere is heaving.

We visited the Leeds Briggate restaurant yesterday for brunch. Thanks for selecting us for this!

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?
It seemed very family friendly, there were lots of other families with children of various ages as well as us. Decor was nice and looked recently refurbished.

How would you rate the food quality?

Food was nice but not out of the ordinary.

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
Adult selection was great, lots of different things to choose from. Kid's selection was a bit poor with only 2 options.

DH and DS(2) had the pancakes (stack for DH and happy face for DS) and I had the veggie breakfast. Pancakes were nice although only came with banana rather than the mixed fruit on the menu. Veggie breakfast was a bit disappointing as there were no eggs available so had a sausage instead (I'm not a vegetarian, just fancied the veggie breakfast.) It was ok, think the lack of egg let it down however. Finally the coffee machine was broken so no hot drinks available which was a bit rubbish.

What was the best part about your experience?
Friendly staff

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?
Very. We were about 20 minutes late for our reservation after a road closure but the gentleman who sat us down said it wasn't a problem and pulled two tables together for us. Our waitress came over very quickly with a colouring book and crayons for DS and chatted to him. Staff were very attentive and friendly.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
No.

And lastly, would you go again?
Yes but probably not for breakfast, the food wasn't that great unfortunately. The pasta the people next to us were eating looked lovely however

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

We found Bella really nice for breakfast, it was of a good standard and the staff were very welcoming. The restaurant was really clean but it was lacking a bit of atmosphere/buzz as we were the only people there!

How would you rate the food quality?

We felt the food quality was good- better than we'd expected! The sausages & bacon were good, the ciabatta toast was a nice touch. Nothing to grumble about. Coffees & hot chocolates were lovely

How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?

DH & I both had the Gigante breakfast (both starving after long dog walk!) DS (12) had the Bella breakfast & DD (9) had fruity pancake stack . We all had hot drinks & refills. The Gigante breakfasts were good, portion size was good and everything was hot. DS cleared his plate & said 'yeah it was nice'- impressive from a 12 yr old! DD's pancakes were meant to come with syrup but she doesn't like maple syrup, the lovely waitress offered a pot of chocolate sauce instead which was a big hit. There were 3 pancakes (I think) & a fair amount of fruit but she cleared the lot quickly!
I felt the adults menu choices were good, I agree with a previous poster who suggested some granola & fruit compote would have been nice, I personally would have liked to see something with smoked salmon & eggs. I felt the kids menu was lacking & the portion sizes sounded small.

What was the best part about your experience?

Going out for brunch was lovely, it was a highlight of half term. We do like going out to eat as a treat but rarely do breakfast so this was a novelty.

How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?

The staff were lovely, very welcoming & smiley. They were attentive but not intrusive. Service was prompt & food arrived together. As we were leaving they had a big bowl of Halloween sweets which they encouraged DCs to help themselves to! Big hit!

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?

No idea they did breakfast & judging by the fact we were the only people in the restaurant on a busy Friday of half term other people don't know either. This restaurant is in a busy shopping centre & there were people in other cafes/restaurants so I'm not sure why this was the case.

And lastly, would you go again?

Family discussion has resulted in a 'yes' vote! It seemed a real treat to go out for breakfast & was a lovely start to the day. We wouldn't go very often, it would be a treat or if we were away for a weekend.

Thank you for choosing me to go, we really enjoyed the visit

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast?

We really enjoyed it. Took the kids (4 & 8 months) on a Sunday morning and the restaurant (inside a large shopping centre) was clean, tastefully decorated and welcoming. It was fairly quiet, but there were other families there so it felt kid friendly. The kids activity pack was a nice touch, clean baby change area too!
How would you rate the food quality?
It was fine - all tasted good and freshly prepared.
How would you rate the selection of food – grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
DH had the Gigante, I had the breakfast pizza (couldn't resist), both kids had the pancakes.
DH has a big appetite and he was more than happy with his breakfast. I was surprised how nice the pizza was (it was about 11.30am so passed as brunch!) The adult selection was great - lots of choice. The kids selection could be improved though. The dcs loved their pancakes but it felt like more fruit would have been good.
What was the best part about your experience? Tasty food, good service - the staff were friendly and very sweet with the kids.
How about service: was it friendly and welcoming?Yes - we left a good tip as they were all helpful and friendly.
Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this? No
And lastly, would you go again? Yes if we were nearby (there are more local breakfast places for us though.)

Generally - how did you find Bella as a place to visit with the family for breakfast
We went on a saturday at 9:30 and it was incredibly quiet. We were the only ones in there for the first little bit and were off in a side room. By the time we left there were two couples and two more families in there.

It is definitely a family orientated layout, there was plenty of room for buggies and a separate baby change. I also liked how they had different styles of table and chairs which would suit most children once out of the highchair stage.

The only thing in the toilets, which were lovely and clean, is that the sinks are too high for most younger children. A step or a lower sink would be a great addition if they are hoping to appeal more the families. A small thing but does make a difference.

We were served very quickly and drinks were quick to arrive. We were sat near to the kitchen so could hear the chefs chatting whilst they made the breakfasts. Everyone was really friendly and it added to the atmosphere.

Another point on the family friendliness front, we were brought any kids pack, which would be a nice addition.

How would you rate the food quality
The food was lovely. Like a lot of people, I think you can rate the quality of a cooked breakfast by the sausages and they were absolutely lovely. The ciabatta instead of toast was also a lovely addition.

On the drinks front the coffee was lovely as was the orange juice.

How would you rate the selection of food - grown ups and kids - what did you and your DC choose?
The selection of food for adults is brilliant, lots of variety, although we both went for the Giganti breakfast. DH is not a big egg fan and they were quick to offer an alternative. The portions are massive, I ended up giving quite a bit of mine to DH and we definitely didn't need lunch, which isn't a bad thing at all. The coffee was lovely although we weren't offered a refill. In fairness I should have just asked.

For kids the selection isn't the best, either pancakes or cooked breakfast. It would be nice for their to be a bit more variety on that front. I can imagine older children would be a bit frustrated to see they only had two options versus the wide range for adults. DS had the cooked breakfast and enjoyed it, although didn't manage to finish it, but then I wouldn't expect him to given the age range this breakfast should be for. He loved the orange juice that came with the breakfast and given the size of this I wouldn't imagine you would need to buy another drink for children as part of the meal.

What was the best part about your experience
The potatoes, they were amazing! In all seriousness the food was of a really good quality and given that and the quantity of food, it was really good value at its normal price...we obviously loved the fact it was free!

How about service
Service was in the main really good, both the manager and the chefs were so friendly. Only two minor points - no kids pack, which having looked back over other reviews are offered in Bella, and no refills of coffee offered. Otherwise great service.

Did you know Bella did breakfast prior to this?
I didn't know Bella did breakfast before this, due to the friendly layout of the restaurant it is a great idea for them to do, when DS was smaller, finding somewhere to meet up with a few buggies was an absolute nightmare and Bella would have solved this for us.

Would you go again?
If we were near a Bella at breakfast time yes. Would we actively drive there just for breakfast possibly not...but I am not sure where we would do that!