Steve
I visited Bella Italia in Birmingham New St in December to celebrate Christmas with a couple of friends. Unfortunately, while the food was enjoyable, the overall experience was let down badly by poor service and an unprofessional management attitude. On arrival, we were not asked whether we had a booking. We had booked in advance and advised the waitress that we had opted for the Christmas menu, but this seemed to fall on deaf ears. Once seated, we were not offered the Christmas menu at all. When I queried this with the manager—who stood out clearly in a white shirt—his response was abrupt and dismissive. He snapped that the Christmas menu should have been ordered online in advance when booking. When I explained that this had already been done, he placed the menus on the table without apology or explanation and walked away. To add to the frustration, I made the booking back in October, when there was a 50% off prosecco bottle offer available. This was never mentioned or offered to us. Had the booking been properly checked on the system, both the Christmas menu selection and the offer would have been clearly visible. This points to a lack of attention to detail and poor communication from the outset. That said, once we were finally able to order, the food itself was very good. The Mushroom Al Forno was particularly enjoyable, and the chocolate fondant dessert was excellent. Our table waiter, Ashcon, was pleasant and courteous, and he did his best to look after us. Sadly, it was the manager’s attitude that left the strongest impression. His lack of professionalism and customer care left a bitter taste for all of us and ultimately overshadowed what should have been a festive and enjoyable evening. As a result, I cancelled another table I had booked at this restaurant a few days later. I am a regular patron of Bella Italia, which makes this experience all the more disappointing. Good food alone does not make a great dining experience—service, attitude, and basic hospitality matter just as much. On this occasion, this branch fell well short of expectations. (For management reference: booking ref A10K3044327086189. Cancelled booking ref A12K757472026737.)
