Caffe Bella - Randolph
Has anyone been to Caffe Bella in Randolph. I've seen it rated very highly, but do not know anyone personallly who has been there. Unfortunately they don't have a website that I'm aware of, so I'm not even able to look at a menu online.
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I've been to Cafe Bella once and remember being disappointed. It received 26/30 from Zagat and I was really expecting an amazing meal for that kind of rating. Instead the food was sort of average with no exceptional flavor. The portions are large and I don't recall the meal being overly expensive, but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. My husband and I like the Square Cafe in Hingham a lot more.
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TomH
Aug 6, 2007 01:22 PM
I have eaten there on quite a few occasions and have always found the food and service to be very good/excellent. The noise can be a bit much sometimes (i.e. Friday and Saturday nights) but I can't say it has ever come close to ruining my meal.
Last time in I had a stuffed pork chop special that was to die for.
Hope this helps,
Tom -
Our favorite restaurant in the greater Boston area. The noise never bothered us. We've always had excellent service. You can go at 5:00 and put your name on the waiting list. Yes, if they don't want to have to deal with reservations, they could have phone-ahead seating. We tend to go fairly early, before six, planning to have leisurely drink in the bar before dinner. By the time our table is ready, it's when we would have eaten dinner if they took reservations.
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I've been to Caffe Bella several times, and I agree with people tht the no reservations policy can be vexing, particularly on peak weekends, when it will possibly take an hour to two hours to get a table. That said, I think the food is excellent and the service is friendly (though not always flawless). I agree with others that the noise can be off-putting. In terms of food quality, I prefer Tosca in Hingham (my favorite Italian in the Boston area), but Caffe Bella is more affordable and more centrally located.
In terms of the food itself, the pizza appetizers are good, wood-grilled and will leave enough for leftovers (or to split). I've always liked the pastas (bolognese and carbonara) as well. In terms of dishes I've particuarly enjoyed, I found the rack of lamb and duck I've had there (both wood-grilled) noteworthy. I've had a lobster ravioli appetizer that was good but fairly ordinary, as well as stuffed zuccini blossoms that were a bit underwhelming. The apple tart and the ice creams they offer are both excellent. Ultimately I'd recommend it as excellent ingredients prepared simply but well rather than anything particularly innovative.
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I've been to Caffe Bella many times, almost always with my in-laws, who are regulars and can call ahead to be seated immediately. The one time I went without them on a weekend, we waited for hours, and it clearly wasn't worth it. During the week, especially early, the wait isn't bad.
Once you're in, the food is very good, certainly the best in the area. The waitstaff are very friendly and professional. The wine list is excellent, with an especially strong list of "reserve wines", and they serve their wines in Reidel stemware, which is a big plus.
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hiddenboston
Feb 8, 2007 10:03 AM
The one time I went I remember it being good, but not memorable. Plus, as finlero says, going there is not the most pleasant experience in the world.
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finlero
Feb 8, 2007 08:59 AM
I recently posted on the New England board about Caffe Bella.
I love the casually upscale Italian food. I'd say it gives both Federal Hill and the North End a real run for their money.
I truly dislike the deafening noise levels, harried service, no-reservations policy, and long waits. Much of this stems from the low density of legitimate competitors in the area, but regardless, it's fairly off-putting.
