La Vita E Bella - Maltkiln Lane

This is a tough place to review! I was torn between 3 and 4 stars and wish I could give 3.5. It was so hit and miss from the get go. We made a reservation, but stood at the door for at least 7 minutes before being greeted. It looked like they were understaffed for how busy they were, although not very busy, they had what looked like two or three servers for the entire restaurant, and no dedicated bartender. Our appetizer salads arrived before our drinks did. The drinks were good and the food was good, but the quality of service needs to be improved. Our server was very sweet and friendly but clearly new to the restaurant, not great at prioritizing tasks and even though I am from the industry and understand that servers need to eat when they have the chance, it dampens the experience to watch your server sit down at the bar near your table to eat her food when you are needing service. The food itself was delicious; it’s hard to go wrong with Italian food, but it was classically prepared and the portion sizes were generous. Another note to mention is the restaurant is in need of some deep cleaning. We noticed thick dust on many surfaces, stains in our menus, and the men’s bathrooms were very poorly maintained. All in all, not a horrible experience, but with so many other Italian restaurants to visit in the city we are unlikely to be back the next time we visit.

Me and my family went here, AMAZING food. Especially the pizza, we had a pepperoni but if you want a good pizza you gotta go here. The bread and olive oil is good. Everything about this place is perfect.

Second time here, nice time again! Pastas were delicious, nice wines by the glass and exceptional service by all! Looking forward to coming back soon!

Delicious Italian food! Big menu selection, super friendly staff and warm /inviting atmosphere

Celebrated my 70th birthday here. Everything was wonderful. Since moving to the PNW, I haven't found restaurants that matched the Italian cuisine like it is back home In NY/NJ. This will be a favorite from now on. I loved the Ravioli bolognese. My husband enjoyed a cavatelli special. It’s so nice to eat in an authentic Italian restaurant where the food tastes homemade. Bravo.