Opening in October 2021 in Hengshan Fang, Bella Vita Bistro is the fourth (of nine) BV Group outposts – spanning fast casual Bella Vita, upscale Bella Vita Bistro, café Buonissimo, and more.

And it quickly became a staple in the neighborhood, garnering quite the following amongst Italians, other expats, and locals alike. 

The split-level Italian bistro features an expansive 40-seater patio, in addition to indoor seating both downstairs and in the florally-decorated second floor dining room, with an attached bar for aperitifs to digestifs. 

The conventional, pan-Italian menu is curated by chef Andrea Botti, a man who – for Bella Vita – left the Maldives to move to Shanghai in 2021.

If leaving one of the most beautiful places on Earth doesn’t demonstrate utter dedication to deliver the absolute best, we don’t know what does. 

Aside from traditional Italian cuisine and wine, the menu also proffers up a lineup of Italian cocktails, available all day.

From lunch set specials to afternoon tea to happy hour evening libations and sharing dinner plates, Bella Vita covers all of the promised bistro bases, encouraging guests to stay from day to night to experience it all. 

And so we did. 

Kickstarting the day, there’s the Lunch Set (RMB168) – that includes:

• One antipasto: Vegetable Salad, Burrata Pugliese, Prosciutto Serrano, or Octopus and Potato Salad
• One homemade pasta: Tagliatelle al Ragu, Spaghetti Carbonara, Spaghetti with Crab, or Pacchero alla Sorrentina
• One coffee beverage

There is also the option to add on any dessert from the restaurant’s signature Dessert Trolley for an additional RMB38. 

Let’s take a deep dive into some of these lunch options...

The Octopus and Potato Salad sees Spanish-imported slow-cooked octopus tossed with steamed potato cubes, olives, carrots, bell peppers, and rocket leaves in a fragrant lemon dressing.

Homemade egg Tagliatelle al Ragu hones in on comfort food at its finest, with ribbon-like pasta tossed in a seven-hour braised beef and pork sauce, and 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano shaved tableside. 

Available for both lunch and dinner, and utilizing a signature Sardinian grain, the Crab Meat Fregola (RMB199) sees a pungent dollop of whipped lemon cream placed in the center – meant to be evenly mixed amongst the spherical grains.

The lemon cream is created by cooking an entire lemon and blending both the skin and pulp – lending equally tart and bitter notes to the plate, balanced by the crab’s natural sweetness.

The Spaghetti al Granchio is all about the lump crab meat sautéed in a seafood stock with garlic and extra virgin olive oil, flecked with chili flakes. 

Tossed in a seafood bisque with arctic shrimp, the Homemade Spaghetti with Red Prawn (RMB199) is an oceanic undertow of sweet umami flavors, the supple marinated prawn’s melting mouthfeel contrasted against the pleasant chew of the homemade spaghetti. 

Smoked M9 Wagyu is at the forefront of the Carpaccio di Manzo (RMB288), fanned out amongst 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano and a fresh rocket salad. 

The Dessert Trolley – serving up freshly baked sweets all day long – offers daily rotating selections spanning Classic Tiramisu, Strawberry Torte with Mascarpone Cream, Choux Pistachio Cream with Raspberry, Blueberry Mascarpone Cream Tart, Raspberry Lemon Tart, and Pumpkin Crème Brûlée with Vanilla Gelato, to name a few.  

As the lunch hour passes, Afternoon Tea (RMB98) offerings begin, including one dessert from the aforementioned Dessert Trolley and one spring drink.

Bevvies range from the Te’ al Frutto della Passione – hot lemon tea with orange, passion fruit, strawberry, and mint – to the Estrazione di caffe – a cold brew coffee extracted lemon and passion fruit tea.

Coffee beverages and both floral and classic hot tea are also available. 

From afternoon into evening, every day sees free flow drinks from 6-7pm for just RMB99 per person, including both a Bella Vita Bistro Cocktail and Seasonal Daily Special Cocktail to choose between. 

Onto the main event – the sharing-heavy dinner lineup, featuring Italian classics and nothing but authentic cooking. 

Ultra-traditional, the Italian Wagyu beef and minced pork Meatballs (RMB158/6 pieces) incorporate milk-soaked white bread for added fluffiness, before being simmered in a refreshingly bright tomato sauce and 24-month aged Parmigianno Reggiano – the ultimate Italian comfort food. 

A classic on almost every Italian and French menu around town, the Duck Foie Gras (RMB158) is served up as a dense pâté with pistachio crumble, flanked by homemade blueberry jam and a julienned mix vegetable salad.

A zippy reduction of must – or freshly crushed wine grapes – cuts through the liver’s minerality. 

A mix plate of flash-fried seafood, the Frittura di Pesce (RMB358) proffers up deep-fried black cod, soft shell crab, sweet prawns, calamari, and mixed vegetables tossed in a tempura-like light and lacey batter, presented still steaming.

A gasp of lemon and a dunk in garlic aioli round out each crispy morsel. 

Similarly seafood-forward, the Seared Yellow Fin Tuna (RMB298) is crowned with confit orange segments and Italian taggiasche olives, topped with a sliced fennel salad.  

Succulent Mozambique scampi make a showing not once, but twice on the dinner menu, and for good reason. Served up in XL sharing portions – perfect for families and groups of friends – both of the featured scampi plates boast an impressive 500 grams of langoustine, with each individual crustacean clocking in at 20-25cm long, warranting the RMB499 price. 

The scampi are freshly caught and blast frozen to preserve the utmost freshness, affording them the ability to even be consummable raw or marinated. Grilled and presented in a coastal Italian style, diners can enjoy them in their purest form as the Scampi alla Griglia (RMB499), first seasoned with parsley, basil, anchovies, garlic cream and breadcrumbs, before being cooked over charcoal, permeated by smoke and heat. 

Or, the more substantial Spaghetto agli Scampi (RMB499) sees the Mozambique scampi and its bisque sautéed with 200 grams of spaghetti, plated up as a true family-sized portion, finished with a fistful of fresh herbs. 

Bella Vita lives by the motto, “enjoying Italian cuisine is more experiential, not intellectual.”

Here, they want to keep it simple, giving their guests exactly what they expect – in a cozy, familiar setting fit for celebrating special occasions, going on a nice date or engaging in a business dinner. 

Bella Vita Bistro, 318 Tianping Lu, by Huashan Lu 天平路318号, 近华山路.