Belluci's

2 Not Recommended

Food  4      Ambience  1      Service  2      Value  1     

Maybe if we had wanted to dine in the middle of a noisy nightclub our experience would have been a more enjoyable one! My partner and I have not been to Belluci's for a few years so were expecting a Restaurant. Shocked on arriving at the level of noise and the atmosphere, we were taken to our table for two which was stuck in the middle of the room between two big tables where big groups of people were celebrating a hen's night and a birthday.

Discussing whether to leave and find a more traditional venue we chose to stay (against better judgement). We noted all the tables for two were scattered between bigger tables (rather than to one side allowing for conversation). We also witnessed Threee couples leaving within minutes of being seated at tables! We had to shout at each other to be heard, the waitress had to shout at us to be heard, in fact everyone in the joint was shouting at each other!

We dealt with several waiting staff during our evening. One or two were pleasant enough, although one of them asked my partner if he wanted black pepper, and she obviously could not hear his answering "yes" over the noise and so she walked off! One waitress actually commented on the level of noice and seemed to be struggling to keep her voice. One waitress was wearing a shirt too small for her and as a result the buttons were popping open leaving a clear view of her bra and her stomach hanging out!

The general tone of the "restaurant" was sloppy. Food nice but difficult to appreciate in the circumstances. Overpriced. Should not use the word Restaurant in their advertising, it is misleading. Perhaps, they should stick with the Bar. Upon leaving my partner asked another waitress whether it was "always like this?" and she responded with a "Yeah! Always! And Sunday is even worse!" and I explained that it used to be a Restaurant and that we were surprised.

She then informed us that she would never again offer to work Melbourne Cup day as it was terrible. She never once apologised to us for our experience. She did, however, give us a run down of her feelings about working there. Rude! Her little rant just further confirmed that we will never return. Not a Restaurant by any stretch of the imagination.

Feb 05, 2012 

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

This review is for the Sub-urban bar attached to Belluci's Dickson. I never thought it was even possible to get BAD service at a pub. All you want is to buy a drink right?? I brought a group of friends & colleagues there on a quiet Friday night to have some drinks & wind down after a busy week. Instead we were given the most obnoxious, offensive service by a "bar maid" I have ever experienced in my life. We ordered 2 desserts (which we were told must be eaten in the Sub-urban bar side of Belluci's as the resaurant was closed )Not a problem! We had wanted some drinks anyway. After 40 mins, my brother politely asked if our order could be chased up. The "bar girl" instead went to chat with her friends on another table! So after 15 mins we were told the kitchen was closed because it was a quiet night (couldn't they have told us that when we ordered?!)We opted for a refund. 15 mins after that the same "bar girl" arrived with our 2 plates & proceeded to roughly 'throw them on the table'. WTF?! I thought the kitchen was closed?! Anyhow, we were all in good spirits so ate the desserts & continued our night. She appears again, this time to clear the plates, however, this time she spills half a drink (from someone else's table) onto my brother!!! Instead of apologising, this girl then has the gall to add the sarcastic comment of "thanks for the smiles guys". WTFFFFF??!! We had been more than accepting of her incompetence the whole evening & then she proceeded to spout some smart alec comment. Wow!! Belluci's has sure fallen far in the staffing stakes....Never again. Far more drinking holes in Canberra to frequent who actually want customers...

Jan 29, 2012 

4 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  5      Value  2     

I'll say this upfront-, Belluci's charges exorbitant prices for the quality of the food presented, and hasn't inspired me to return. Our favourite Italian restaurant in Braddon uses far superior ingredients, a woodfired oven, and has a far more interesting menu.

The service was average, slow would be a polite way to put it, with the mains taking 45 mintues or so to reach our table on a Monday night. The pasta dishes showed promise, with the marinara and ragu sauces providing some good punchy flavours, but the pasta was overcooked, and serving sizes were visibly inconsistent between plates. Probably just the result of an apprentice without an eye for detail, but inexcusable at $28-$36 a main.

Belluci's Dickson is probably a great place for a few drinks, but there are far better value Italian restaurants in Canberra. Try somewhere else.

Dec 20, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  5     

Consider Belluci's fancy pub food and you shouldn't be disappointed. The service we had was great, our waiter was attentive and actually funny! The atmosphere was buzzing and quite loud, but the restaurant is attached to a pub so it was to be expected. Well cooked steaks, good pasta and excellent desserts. Price was maybe a tad too expensive to warrant us rushing back, but all in all a good time was had.

Sep 05, 2011 

3.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  3     

It was our first time dining at a Bellucci's restaurant and expected a pleasant experience upon walking through their door. However, the experience took us a couple of minutes to get seated, 20 minutes to get our orders taken and 45 minutes for our mains to arrive. It seemed like a busy night, but it was actually not busy enough to keep us waiting that long.

The food was cooked well enough and the taste was superb. However, given the quantity of their main meals, it is not worth the price. After our mains were cleared we were not even asked if we would like any dessert or even another drink. We were unsatisfied with the whole experience of the night, so we paid and left swiftly without being asked if we enjoyed our stay.

Aug 25, 2011 

5 Average

Food  6      Ambience  3      Service  5      Value  6     

Food is better than expected given the pub-like environment presented to it's patrons. It was, however, still overcooked. The customers tend to be pubgoes/dancing types so it may not be for someone looking for a quiet eat.

Mar 11, 2011 

3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  2     

My experience certainly didn't live up to the Belluci's name.

Oct 10, 2010 

4 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  3     

Over the past ten years I have been a frequent diner at all 3 Bellucis restaurants. I was bitterly disappointed with a recent visist to Suburban by Bellucis in Dickson. Upon arrival it toook way too long to be seated (they were not busy and we were the only ones waiting). We enquired about gluten free dishes and were told they were available. When we order a particular dish we were told it was no longer available.

When the food arrived it was barely warm and poorly presented. The menu used to be extensive with a lot of choice including the choice of potato or chips/ vegetables or salad with certain meals. Unfortunately, you can now only have chips and salad. A small thing, perhaps, but it just added to an already disappointing experience. The meals were also over priced for the portion size and quality.

Sep 30, 2009 

3.5 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  7      Service  3      Value  2     

This is a quite a nice establishment, however, the food is really ordinary, I was with a large group and nobody enjoyed their meal and everyone agreed we could've done a better job themself! Nice bar area but don't bother eating, there are plenty of other nice places to eat nearby. The service was also pretty bad, our meals did not all come at the same time and the staff were disorganised and not particularly interested.

Jan 24, 2009