In a city often chasing the next big thing, there’s a quiet virtue in a restaurant that simply does its job, and does it well. Bella Vita is precisely that: a casual Italian spot dealing in straightforward, delicious comfort food at refreshingly honest prices.
Now, serving all-new dishes featuring highlights of grilled squid (served like a steak), grilled lamb chops, and a generous seafood salad. That, plus their award-winning Neapolitan style pizzas.
Bella Vita has a ¥50 off coupon when you spend more than ¥200. Click here to book and claim the voucher.
About Bella Vita
Located at Tonglefang on Haifang Lu, Bella Vita Jing’an deals in Italian classics. It’s one of those neighborhood restaurants for a reliable, everyday meal that won’t break the bank. Dinner hovers around a ¥200 average check, a little more if you plan on splitting some steak.
The walls, adorned with colorful Italian contemporary pop art pieces curated by local interior stylist ESTILO, add playful character without feeling cluttered.
It’s a casual atmosphere that could easily suit families as well as date night. The venue is also dog-friendly.
The restaurant brand has been around since 2011 and currently has four locations in China; the other Shanghai location is within Florentia Village in Pudong, and they have locations in Tianjin and Guangdong. The company also operates Bella Vita Bistro in Xuhui and gelato brand Buonissimo (Wuhan, Chengdu, Foshan).
The restaurants have also received awards from Gambero Rosso (Top Italian Restaurants 2025) and Ospitalita Italiana 2025-2026 (authentic Italian restaurant certification), and is also a branding partner for Uruguay beef.
On The Menu
Bella Vita’s claim to fame is an award-winning Neapolitan-style pizza menu, with pies that have snagged accolades at competitions like the World Pizza Championship, China Selections. Add to that a sizable menu of Italian classics from aperitivo favorites to pastas to grilled meats.
The kitchen has just rolled out a series of new dishes, and they underscore the restaurant’s strengths.
For a starter, the Giadiniera di Tonno alla Piemontese (¥38) is a bright, tangy, and savory Piedmont appetizer of flaked tuna and pickled vegetables that pairs perfectly with the complimentary house bread and olive spread.
Don’t overlook the classic Vitello Tonnato (¥88), the cold sliced veal with its creamy, anchovy-laced tuna sauce is a timeless opener.
Then there’s the Insalata di Pesce alla Catalana (¥108), a seafood salad that is as impressively generous as it is thoroughly enjoyable.
It’s a huge plate featuring prawns, calamari, tuna, octopus, mussels, and clams dressed in lemon mustard and good olive oil, all sharpened by pickled bell peppers and red onions. Olives lend brininess, while fresh cherry tomatoes add sweetness.
For pastas, the Tagliatelle ai Funghi Porcini e Tartufo (¥88) is a hearty portion of egg-based pasta in a veal ragu with pan-fried porcini and shaved Yunnan black truffle.
As for the celebrated pizzas, the secret lies in the 48-hour fermented dough, which bakes up into a beautifully thin, moderately pox-marked crust that’s airy, chewy, and possesses just the right structural integrity.
The Pizza Cotto e Tartufo Nero (¥188) is a luxurious option, arriving with an intoxicating aroma of truffle. It’s topped with culatello ham, sautéed mushrooms, an egg in the centre, and freshly shaved Yunnan black truffle on a mozzarella cream base.
My personal preference, however, leans toward the Florentia Village Pizza (¥128), a pizza created by their champion Chef Liu to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Florentia Village Shanghai. The salty punch of bresaola and creamy burrata topped with fresh basil is just the ticket.
Hot Tip: Selected pizzas are buy-one-get-one on Mondays.
A standout among the new main courses is the Calamari alla Piastra (¥108). This is not your standard fried ringlets; the whole squid is charcoal-grilled and presented like a steak atop roasted home-style potatoes and cherry tomatoes.
The preparation is masterfully simple, allowing the quality of the ingredient to shine. The result is a soft and buttery texture, with a delicate, perfectly seasoned flavor that requires no embellishment.
The Costolette di Agnello alla Griglia (¥238) plays directly into the value for money category. Four pieces of thick-cut charcoal-grilled lamb chops are served with a bounty of roasted herb potato wedges. It could easily be a meal for two.
The chops are smoky from the grill, and while it presents a nice fat cap, it isn’t overly fatty. Mustard on the side to cut the richness. I’d totally order this again.
For steaks, the Controfiletto di Manzo alla Griglia (¥499) sees a 400g Longjiang A2 Wagyu bone-in beef striploin. This cut was hand-selected by GM Samuele when he visited the farm in the Northeast of China, a tried-and-tested practice that applies to the selection of all of their food products.
The quality of the local beef exceeds expectation, well-marbled and beefy. It’s another solid value dish, one that includes side dishes of sautéed mushrooms and French fries, plus two sauces, mustard and black pepper.
Moving onto dessert, Bella Vita makes use of their panettone — they produce the Italian festive bread all-year round — serving it as a slice with pistachio mascarpone cream and orange marmalade.
The Panettone Milano (¥48) proves this festive bread can be enjoyed all-year round — eggy, fluffy, studded with candied fruit, paired with the richness of pistachio.
They also have a gelato sundae, Sinfonia di Gelati e Fragole (¥88), made with their own Buonissimo gelato, which comes with vanilla, strawberry, and dark chocolate flavors, topped with strawberry salad, shaved chocolate and mint leaves.
To Drink
As for drinks, Bella Vita does all the classic Italian aperitivo cocktails (from ¥48), Italian beers (from ¥39), and stocks plenty of Italian wines.
Currently, they’re spotlighting a dozen Italian wines with their “Wine Flight,” starting from ¥50 a glass to ¥158 for four.
If you’re looking for something more elegant, the house recommendation is new arrival Tenuta Fratini Clinio (¥700/bottle), a Tuscan red predominantly made with Cabernet Franc, boasting notes of black cherries and berries and fine tannins. A good pairing with meats.
Book Now
Click here to book your table.
Claim a ¥50 off voucher after you book! The voucher is provided by Bella Vita Concept, applicable in-store at any Bella Vita location. The ¥50 off voucher is limited to one per bill, and is only applicable when you spend more than ¥200. The voucher may not be used in conjunction with other promotions.
Panettone
Bella Vita produces panettone all-year round, delivered in a cake box suitable for gifting. The traditional panettone is available for ¥138 (450g) — scan the QR code above to order.
Bella Vita
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