Bella Napoli

                             

 

Serving some of the finest Italian cuisine this side of Rome, Bella Napoli is now regarded as a Glasgow institution. Run by Scotland's very own Italian celebrity chef Domenico Crolla, this ristorante in Shawlands on Glasgow's south side is one of its best. And don't just take our word for it...

It's regarded as the best Italian restaurant in the UK by the highly-respected Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association! Step inside its glass doors from the busy Kilmarnock Road and you will discover why Bella Napoli deserves the title.

By day or by night, this two-in-one restaurant is a firm favourite with south-siders as it has something to offer everyone, whether it's a sandwich and a famous Bella Napoli espresso in the cafe/delicatessen upstairs - perhaps in one of its two stylish leather booths - or a three-course meal downstairs in its plush 100-seater fine dining restaurant.

By day, Bella Napoli is a vibrant meeting place for ladies-who-lunch, families and businessmen and women entertaining clients. And at night, the lights are dimmed and candle flames flicker on the tables, as couples, friends and families come together for a typical Italian-themed night out to be remembered.

Owner Domenico Crolla, who took over the running of Bella Napoli from his father Alfredo in 2005, says his aim is to have his restaurant “respected” and to have it “stand out from others”. And you only have to visit it once to realise that it is, and it does.

 A big family man, the father-of-two is proud to call Bella Napoli a family-run restaurant in every sense of the word. And here's why — not only are the Crolla Family (wife Genny, son Alfredo and daughter Cristina) often seen working here, they are often spotting dining here too. So when Domenico is consider what ingredients to buy, he is thinking about your family - and his own.

In a bid to ensure that his chefs have the best quality ingredients to work with, Domenico personally sources produce and wines from regions across Italy. Did you know the restaurant's delicious mozzarella is all the way from Naples and Domenico has personally visited the mill where his flour is produced?

 The restaurateur, who regularly visits Italy, says: “Once you have got good ingredients, you are half way there. “If the basics are good, even a bad chef can still make a good dish.”
Of course, there are no ‘bad chefs’ in the Bella Napoli kitchen, far from it. Only those who are talented and have a breadth of experience in preparing Italian cuisine - to Domenico's high standards of course - gain employment in the Bella Napoli kitchen! The restaurateur says: “I really want to give my customers the best. When I go dining, I enjoy a really good meal, and I like to be satisfied with what I have eaten. “I can give my customers that same sense of pleasure, satisfaction and value for money, plus amazing food.”

Look out for big changes in the downstairs restaurant - where the former bar has been converted into an exclusive VIP area. This private dining room has been refurbished to replicate a celebrity's luxury yacht - complete with plasma screen and comfortable leather seating - and is the perfect hang-out for any ‘wannabe’. Splash out for that special occasion by booking the VIP area, and you will be given star treatment.

For those who have not frequented Bella Napoli before, and experienced the true taste of Italy on your plate, one must ask... why ever not?

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Bella Napoli
85 Kilmarnock Road, Shawlands, Glasgow, G41 3YR
Tel: 0141 632 4222