[Travelogue-Dolomites Part II] Ti amo, Bellavista!

Bellavista

relates to many things… First and foremost, it means “Beautiful view” in Italian. It is also the name of a famous climbing route in Dolomites, Italy. I reckon the view at the peak to be quite breathtaking. For me, it is the restaurant that we fell in love with here in Dolomites. Discovering it by accident on Boxing Day, the restaurant was quiet when we stepped in but we were immediately charmed by its rustic, warm atmosphere. Not to mention the smell of fresh bread in the air…

Situated along the main road leading to Selva Di Gardena, this simple restaurant cum pizzeria whips up a mean pasta and pizza among other classic staples.

*The sweetest and freshest of mussels and clams accompany perfectly cooked spaghetti.*

al funghi — *Fettucine Al Funghi… sweet juicy mushrooms in a creamy sauce.*

We dove straight into their house specialty (seafood) with 2 Spaghetti Seafood Vongole, a Fettuccine al Fungi and a Pizza Margherita. All three were phenomenal. Nothing fancy, fusion or molecular goes on here… Just good old home style cooking with passion! The pastas were soooo delicious we were tempted to order more after we wolfed down the first two plates!

But fortunately we held back our greed and saved room for the pizza which was absolutely delicious! Amazing how the paper thin crispy crust held up all that cheese and fresh tomato topping! Even the non pizza fans in the group had seconds! Restorante Bellavista has a cozy setup with old wooden tables and chairs, the kind of mobile trolley bar you see in a small town bistro holding just the necessary spirits and charming antique-ky wall memorabilia and photographs of the family. Service is quick and friendly despite very, very little English spoken.

We enjoyed some wonderful homemade Limoncello compliments of the Chef, who also humored us with 2 sentences in English, multiple “Grazies” upon our endless commendations on the food, and a photo for remembrance. How do we squeeze in another meal at Bellavista before the end of our stay in Dolomites… We thought and planned hard but did not succeed as it was already our final day on this beautiful mountain. Next time, we promised ourselves, next time!