Reviews for Bello by Sandro Nardone in Newport Beach, CA
My favorite Italian restaurant in Newport Beach. I enjoyed all the dishes that I ordered. The grilled octopus was so tender and... cooked perfectly. Pasta are homemade and the food is prepared with the freshest ingredients. This is a quality authenic italianrestaurant with a modern flare. Sandro the chef/owner is very friendly and caters to the customers needs. Waiter and staff werealso attentive. Read more
I ordered the ravioli - shrimp with truffle cream - and it legitimately is the best pasta I?ve ever had. For appetizers, we had... the bruschetta, which utilized roasted red peppers for a delicious twist on the dish. We also had friendly and fast service.Could not recommend this place more. Read more
We had a family dinner here. The atmosphere was excellent inside. Nice music and modern interior. The server was nice and gentle... and food was so good specially Octopus was so delicious. Everything was perfect. Read more
What a charming place in a not so charming shopping center. This place deserves five stars for its service, food, and... ambiance. The service is spot on. We were greeted and waited on by the owner who is from Lake Como and is dedicated to his job.Very outgoing, friendly, and honest. The other wait staff seemed very approachable and helpful when interacting with othercustomers. The food is absolutely delicious. You can tell the chefs care about their work by the taste of the fresh ingredientsused in the homemade pastas. The ambiance is nice. We sat outside on a hot evening and it was quiet and comfortable. If youwant more hussle then stay inside near the full bar. The decor is neat as well. Definitely worth trying. Read more
Everything here is amazing from the food to the drinks to the staff but I'd like to give a special shout-out to the... lasagna-bianco. I'm not sure who sold their soul for this recipe but it was totally a fair trade. I'm usually more intotraditional red sauce pastas, but this was life changing. I'm officially converting from church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsterto church of lasagna bianco. It's that good. Also amazing is the pizza. The crust is chewy and toppings are nicely balanced.Nothing gimmicky here, just great pizza. (And no screaming children with your pizza which is a huge plus ) I recommend finishingthe night off with a lovely glass of limoncello which is what I did. It was so delicious I finished it before I remembered totake a photo. Read more
While exploring Tock, I discovered a restaurant that looked nice in Newport called Bello by Sandro Nardone. Along with... occasional prix fix chefs tasting menu experiences, Tock lists normal reservations for a nice dinner out. With a menu promisingauthentic Italian cuisine ?the way it?s served in Italy?, I thought I?d give it a try. The menu selection contains some smallplates and appetizers, large entrees, and a selection of pizzas and pastas with weekly rotating specials. I do admire the blackand gold aesthetic that the restaurant has going for its interior design. And my favorite touch, a gold Jeff Koons balloonanimal figure watching over the kitchen. There are a number of dishes vying for my attention such as the Polpo, a crispyoctopus appetizer, or the Culatello di Zibello which is described as ?Italy?s best ham?. Furthermore, there is the Aqua Pazzaentree which is Branzino prepared in a fish stock with lemon, parsley, and tomatoes. Call me basic, but I feel like I want totry some of the staple pizza and pasta dishes. The recommended pasta and pizza that catch my attention are the Amatriciana andthe La Diavola pizza, which is recommended over the margarita, as it is essentially the same thing with added spicy salami. Thepasta appears to be an embarrassingly small portion, but I think this effect is amplified by the large plate the pasta is servedin. The Amatriciana is served with a home made bigoli, which is like a very thick spaghetti or spaghettoni. It has the taste andsofter doughy texture characteristic of a fresh pasta. I do think that, in general, Amatriciana is a dish that benefits from anal dente pasta, but the flavors on this dish are very delicious regardless. The sauce had a fantastic creaminess to it thatelevates it above a simple spicy red sauce and is what makes this dish shine. Every so often I catch a hint of a lovely mix ofherbs in the sauce, which is truly special. Finally, the cured pork jowl cooked into the sauce is diced ve Read more
One of the best places in Newport Beach!!! They have weekly specials so the menu stays fresh. Last night I had the crudo app,... arugula salad, spaghetti and the most amazing un expected dessert that was on the weekly menu. They now have a chefs table bythe kitchen that is on my list. ???? Bar ???? Nice and Big and the Bartender is so great, so are the drinks. I love how allthe dishes on the menu have suggested wine pairings. Food Octopus appetizer is amazing one of the best dishes I?ve had intown. Pizza so so good???? Pasta ???? Cooked perfectly and very satisfying. Read more
Got a reservation here for two very easily with many time slots. Came here on a Friday night, atmosphere is on the louder side... upon entering since the bar is at the entrance. Food: Salad felt like a regular Cesar salad. I am usually excited for salad atItalian places for the anchovy dressing. This one didn't have the taste I was looking for. Market crudo with pomegranate seedswas good. Pasta - we ordered the daily special cacio a pepe and was very disappointed. It did not have the Pepe aka peppertaste. The noodle was smaller so it reminded me of ramen with cheese. I know cacio a pepe is mainly parm and pepper but I wish Ididn't go for the special. Nothing going on here. Pork chop: I like the arugula and potatoes it came with but the pork itselfwas very dry and chewy. Nice presentation though. Drinks: my friend got the negroni and I got the margarita. Negroni was verystrong. Marg had a lot of artificial syrup flavor. Would have preferred real juice. Also would've liked the drinks to have morecreative cocktails. Dessert: Panna Cotta. Good, no complaints. Total for two people with tip was $230 The service here was topnotch. Staff was great and enjoyed interacting with the host. I was disappointed in the food and drinks but I don't think I gotthe real Bello experience. If I do ever come back I'll have to try a regular pasta dish and maybe a pizza. Read more