Bella Vita Bistro is an Italian restaurant in Xuhui, serving unadulterated Italian flavors in a gorgeous villa location complete with a spacious rooftop terrace.
About Bella Vita Bistro
Located in one of the villa-style buildings in Hengshan Fang on Tianping Lu, Bella Vita Bistro feels like it was lifted right out of Italy. Spread across two floors, sleek dining rooms on the ground level face the open kitchen, where warm hues bounce off copper pots and pans above the marble countertops.
The second floor is cozy and more intimate. Then, there’s the terrace, a beautiful 24-seater rooftop space.
It’s evocative of bistros in Italy—it really has that look and feel. Perhaps it’s those ceramic tiles and show plates that have me all nostalgic.
It’s locale and setting makes it a destination restaurant. Evenings for intimate dinners and dates, and daytime for brunch, especially on the terrace come warmer weeks.
This is actually the fourth location of Bella Vita. The brand first opened in 2011 in Florentia Village, one of the first luxury outlets in China. The brand operates restaurants in Foshan and Tianjin in addition to the two in Shanghai, Bella Vita Bistro (this one) and Bella Vita on Haifang Lu for more casual Italian.
On The Menu
The food is traditional, straightforward, and unapologetically Italian. It’s similar to what you’d get in bistros in Italy—three to four ingredients with simple sauces to let each product shine.
Behind the menu is chef Andrea Botti, a newcomer to Shanghai, who was previously based in the Maldives. Antipasti, pasta, and grilled meats are the main features.
Here is what’s on the menu:
The buffalo mozzarella arrives with neither salt nor balsamic. Peculiar at first sight, given all the fluffed up burratas around town. Light, milky, and stringy, this creamy cheese is lifted up by the subtle notes of the aged parma ham, which is more nutty and buttery rather than salty. Unlike burrata, buffalo mozzarella, which is imported directly from Naples, is much more delicate.
The Frittura di Pesce (¥168) presents lightly battered and deep-fried cod, calamari, prawns, and vegetables, served with garlic-pepper mayo.
A specialty is the Gorgonzola Baruffaldi (¥108). I associate gorgonzola with a potent and sharp blue cheese flavor, but this 50-day aged gorgonzola is the contrary. Instead, it’s buttery and mild in flavor, and is closer to mascarpone. The creamy, heady cheese is served with homemade fruit marmalade, a jam that nearly steals the show.
For something lighter, there’s the Slow-Cooked Cuttlefish Salad (¥168), served with raw, seasonal vegetables and a gentle spritz of lemon oil dressing. Fantastically tender cuttlefish, so soft it near melts in your mouth. Light dressing to let the ingredients shine, also very summery.
A signature dish is the Whipped Black Cod (¥118). Black cod whipped to a fine flaky finish, seasoned with black pepper and salt, shaped into quenelles. Garnished with fried polenta for crunch. Has a good punch of acidity, and makes for a great appetizer.
Onto the pasta, there’s Sautéed Spaghetti with Scampi (¥499), thick spaghetti cooked al dente with scampi bisque until slick and reduced. A little light on the intensity here, but delicious all the same. For a burst of unctuous flavors, try the Chitarra with Sea Urchin (¥199) — house-made chitarra spaghetti in a luscious sauce made with sea urchin, garlic, basil, and chili.
Al dente, gummy noodles in a rich sauce tinged with heat from the chilies. Excellent.
Unique to Sardinia is the Crab Meat Fregola (¥199). Sardinian broken pasta with chunks of fresh crabmeat. Kernel-sized pasta finished in a herb-rich tomato base with fresh flakes of crabmeat and roe. A few dollops of lemon curd brighten the dish. The winner of the three pastas.
To share, there’s a robust Pan-Roasted Octopus Leg (¥298) with fresh burrata and spiced bell pepper sauce.
Otherwise, go directly for the showstopper: Fiorentina Alla Griglia (¥1,599), a 1.2 kg Australian wagyu M6/7 porterhouse steak served with a side salad and fries. They do it well, too, charring the steak appropriately, cooking to a medium/medium rare. Served with a green sauce, similar to chimichurri meets pesto, and whipped mustard.
For dessert, Millefoglie (¥68), crispy layers puff pastry intersected with custard, pistachio cream, and red berries. Light in body yet punchy in flavor. A strong finish to the meal.
For something heavier but ultimately more comforting, the Warm Chocolate Cake (¥68). An Italian flourless cake called torta tenerina, which translates to “very tender cake.” Crispy edges with a soft, melty center, this cake comes from Ferrara, north Italy, Chef Andrea’s home city. Served with amarena cherries and pistachio gelato.
As for drinks, it’s predominantly wines, which start at an affordable ¥68 by the glass, and bottles from ¥268.
They also have a handful of cocktails, created by bartender Filippo Sacchi, formerly of Rosewood Guangzhou.
Signature drinks are riffs on classic cocktails and start at ¥88.
Bella Vita Bistro also does lunch sets during the week, ¥238 for three courses. They’ll be launching brunch in March!
Bella Vita Bistro
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