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When Bella Mia first opened, I put it on a "pay no mind" list. There are only three meals a day. I've got to make them all count. And, let's face it. Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in Shanghai. What's more, it didn't help that Bella Mia had taken up residence in the former home of Bravo 10. I honestly assumed that after that mediocre Spanish joint collapsed, the owners had simply defaulted to that trusty old Shanghai fail safe, the mediocre Italian concept. It wasn't until I saw some high marks for Bella from the other publications around town that I considered giving this place a try. And, admittedly, on some counts, I was pleasantly surprised.

The first encouraging bit of news is that this is a wholly new concept under new management. Bravo 10's owners are out of the picture. But other than swapping out the furniture and hanging up some drapes, the new owners have done little to put their own stamp on the place. I suppose they figured that the dining room's ready-made "Tuscan villa" trope with its parquet floors, arched windows, and ribbed ceilings would take the place far enough. Instead, it ends up being a bit cliched and uninteresting. But as soon as the weather cools down, this won't even be a factor. A large courtyard patio complete with a colonnade and terra cotta tiles is charming enough. It more than makes up for a lackluster interior.



Adding to this charm is Francesco. This is the main guy on the floor and, more or less, the face of the operation. All evening, he floats from table to table, smiling, bantering, back-slapping, making recommendations, offering up complimentary shots of limoncello. His personality really helps to sell the place. Unfortunately, it seems he's doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Once he leaves your table and your server arrives, things change. Whether it's a shiftless Sunday night or a balls-to-the-wall Friday, the service staff here are utterly lost. None of them appear to have designated stations. They wander aimlessly. Ticket times range from a tad long to unacceptable -- 30 minutes for a calzone(?!), for instance. Anytime you want something you have to flag them down from the bar where they congregate. Moreover, few of them demonstrate any grasp of the menu. Order any drink other than a beer and you can bet you'll be sending your server on a scavenger hunt behind the bar. Granted, none of this is peculiar to Bella. We all know that poor service is the norm in Shanghai. I'm just hoping that if I keep screaming about it, restaurateurs will do something to change it.



As for the food, Bella's menu is pretty straightforward -- nothing groundbreaking or unique, just comfortable and familiar Italian standards. Antipasti portions are lovingly generous; they're trying to encourage communal eating, which is always a good thing. A 78rmb plate of beef carpaccio for instance will feed at least two. The same goes for their arugula salad with prosciutto and cherry tomatoes. Yet, I'm still puzzled as to why it's served without a vinaigrette. You're expected to mix your own from the bottles of balsamic and olive oil they provide -- woefully uninspired.

Pastas are solid enough. Again, most of what you'll find are safe recipes like spaghetti with clams and linguine with pesto. I tried the eliconi with shrimp and scallops and if it weren't for the mushy shrimp, which usually means they're less than fresh, it would have been great.

Then there are the pizzas. The buzz around them is well deserved. They come out of a beautiful copper topped oven -- crisp and brittle with a slight sag in the middle. Around the edges, there is just enough charring for that hint of carbony goodness. To top it all off, a near perfect cheese to sauce ratio. And with prices hovering around the upper 60s, they're a great value. If you go here for any reason, this should be it.

Nevertheless, this city is saturated with Italian restaurants. This place does a pretty good job, but, in the grand scheme of things, it is barely distinguishable from what scores of other Italian restaurants around town are doing. If Bella Mia wants to stand out, or, better yet, survive, it's going to take a lot more than just pizzas and a patio. Let's see some risk-taking; let's see something original.



For a full listing of Bella Mia, click here.

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