Bello by Sandro Nardone in Newport Beach

Bello is one of the best Italian restaurants in Orange County, even after losing their head Chef, Zach. Their new head chef, Drew, has picked up the mantle and keeps their seasonal options fresh and interesting.The hamachi crudo is what they’re known for and it is not only incredible but also unique EVERY WEEK. It’s really dangerous because it makes me want to come every single week so I don’t miss a variation of it. Their pastas are handmade and are all delicious, and their lasagna bianca is an absolute treasure.Parking is limited and dinner gets busy, so reservations are recommended, but lunch is more lowkey and is the secret best option. Most of the time you can just walk in and get a table for lunch.

Food is great but a little spendy. The hamachi special was out of this world!!! Life changing even. The burrata was tasty. Caesar is solid. The pizza was great...the dough is perfection. Wine pour felt a little light for the price.Service is only fair. They were distracted and hanging out with their coworkers and not super attentive. Would probably only go back for lunch.

We came for our wedding anniversary and was swept away with immaculate service, incredible food, and refreshing atmosphere. We will definitely be back!

A truly unique gem offering an inspired take on Italian fine dining. Having previously lived in Italy for several months, I can tell you it is not easy to find true Italian food in the U.S. (as in,NOT garlic bread with chicken parm and overcooked spaghetti smothered in a thick mass of cheese). Bello is a refreshing reminder of the time I lived and traveled throughout Italia. Focused on celebrating the natural flavors of fresh, high quality ingredients, each dish was a joy to the senses - taste, texture, and visual presentation were all top notch.I was here for a private event, and we had a set menu which had to be an incredible challenge - preparing and presenting over a hundred entrees to be served at the same time without over or undercooking. Yet each dish appeared to have been given the same level of attention and care as if we had simply been out for a typical dinner date night.Service was impeccable, as the owners/managers enthusiastically explained each of the small plate hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour. Once we were seated for dinner service, the waitstaff were attentive to dietary restrictions and made sure we always had our beverage of choice filled. The entire evening was simply magical and I would not hesitate to book this restaurant again for the next special event.Favorite Highlights:- Pre-dinner small plates featuring burrata, frittura di calamari, margherita and spicy salame pizzas- Acqua Pazza (Branzino) - impossibly buttery-tender fish poached in a beautifully light, savory broth brightened with a touch of lemon and accented with baby heirloom tomatoes and chopped parsley- Rib Eye - juicy grass-fed Wagyu steak cooked to perfection accompanied with just the right amount of velvety chanterelle Marsala sauce- Panna Cotta - this one surprised me as I was expecting a sweeter, custard-like consistency topped with what looked like blueberry preserves. Instead it was a tangy, almost Greek yogurt-like dessert offset by crunchy pistachios, black sesame seeds, and tart Amarena cherries.

Updated: The last couple of times I went were a less than fabulous experience. My husband and I went in after the Barbie movie (so we were dressed kinda fabulous) and the was a new guy there (maybe a shift manager or something?) that was giving us the most dirty looks. We sat at the bar and always tipped well. The bartenders have always been great by lately the vibe has changed its not a very welcoming place. The food has also taken a dive lately.The limoncello is still good though.

First time at this restaurant and I thoroughly enjoyed it! For great dishes reasonably priced (for an upscale restaurant) - I highly recommend stopping by a giving it a try yourself.The restaurant - it’s pretty, great vibes, great ambience. The service was on point, everyone was so friendly and so attentive. Even the owner came by our table and chatted with us, made us feel very welcomed! Very clean and a wonderful cozy atmosphere.The food - delicious! The hamachi crudo of the week was really good. So fresh and bright. The octopus appetizer was amazing, perfectly cooked with complimenting flavors and textures. The pastas were made to perfection. You can never go wrong with handmade pasta and deep flavors. Pizza wise, it’ll just depend on what your preferences are. For desserts, we tried the featured of the week mushroom semifreddo and it was not for us. Couldn’t get around the interesting earthy flavor in a ice cream type of dessert. But the panna cotta was on point! It was balanced with sweetness and tartness with the crumble and black sesame adding the right textures and essence. Love love loved the amarena cherries on it!Parking - it’s in a strip mall lot of sorts. Gotta love open free parking!

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 other customers.The food is absolutely delicious. You can tell the chefs care about their work by the taste of the fresh ingredients used in the homemade pastas.The ambiance is nice. We sat outside on a hot evening and it was quiet and comfortable. If you want more hussle then stay inside near the full bar. The decor is neat as well.Definitely worth trying.

The quality of the food was SO TERRIBLE.Nothing tasted good, absolutely nothing!Everything came out lukewarm but tbh they wouldve tasted equally bad if they came out hot..they were just that bad.Server was definitely not one of the fastest :/Ambiance of the overall restaurant was pretty meh as well. Very loud, whatever lighting, not the best.I had been the one to recommend this spot for our gno and was so embarrassed to have chosen this spot.

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 italian restaurant with a modern flare. Sandro the chef/owner is very friendly and caters to the customers needs. Waiter and staff were also attentive.

This was fantastic. We came for my birthday yesterday, and Sandro has made a fan out of me. I am not usually wowed by Italian restaurants, but this was easily top 5 restaurant experiences for me.We started off with a cocktail. They still had their Christmas cocktails up, and the Rudolph in the City pleasantly masked the bourbon twist of a Manhattan with black cherry. 8.9/10 We also had the Tangerine Margarita, substituting Mezcal. It was deliciously refreshing, and would be a perfect way to introduce someone to Mezcal. The tangerine really balances the smokiness of the Mezcal.10/10For our appetizer we had the Porchettina. We were not expecting the spicy kick, and we loved it. The pork belly was rich and flavorful, while not being overly seasoned. The heat really amplifying the flavor, the texture just right. 10/10.Our entrees we split the Ibérico Pork Chop and the Amatriciana. The noodles were absolutely perfection, arguably my favorite part of the dish. The thick, chewy texture adds a richness to a standard pasta dish (really what won me over). The sauce was packed with flavor, and the richness of the guanciale melting in your mouth from the acidity of the tomato sauce. 10/10. The Ibérico Pork Chop is like the wagyu of pork. Very rich, very flavorful. The sauce was earthy and savory, and paired well with the charred greens draped over it. The polenta was good, but missing something. The richness of the Ibérico was a little too much when paired with the polenta. The contrast too stark. All in all, the dish was still amazing. 9.8/10.Sandro even personally came out to the table to ask about the food, and we were able to thank him personally. A great intimate touch to the experience.For dessert, the Panna Cotta was sublime. With what tasted almost like very subtle key lime, the pistachio crumble and black cherry drizzle, I was wowed. The perfect dessert to close out the main dishes. We also had the Tawny 20 year, which was delicious. Sweet like honey. However, the Grappa Moscato was not. I dont know if the glass was bad, but it distinctly had the aroma of dry dogfood. Once the aroma was placed it was hard to get over that. The flavor was very medicinal, and heavy anise. Now I like anise, but the dogfood aroma was difficult to get over. My only bad choice of the evening.