Bella Tiarnie - Brisbane

We were only after a pizza and some chianti but it took half an hour for the pizza to arrive despite the place being less than half full, and being told twice that it was on the way. So very slow service and when the pizza arrived it was frankly overcooked. So didn't work for us and I must admit to some astonishment to see that this eatery is ranked number 30 on TripAdvisor for Brisbane. But given some stellar reviews here perhaps they were just having a bad night and I guess we'd be willing on that basis to give it another go.

I want to give Bella Tiarnie 4 probably 4.5. Really I do The service was friendly the food was great. Onsite parking at the rear made access easy. and the restaurant itself was quite nice. The big let down and the reason I can only afford a 3 is the huge wait time we experienced for our meals to be served. We were a table of 5 and we ordered both starters and mains. I should add here, that our friendly waitress confessed that she was new and needed to check some things. I always applaud honesty. The was a short and expected wait for the starters. Time filled by prompt delivery of the cocktails we had ordered. The starters were demolished enthusiastically The Garlic Prawns were unbelievable. everything presented well and was delivered with a smile. Everyone was eager to get to the mains. After sometime the awareness started to drift across our table that our starters had not been cleared and we had been waiting a while. After about 30 minutes the plates were cleared and the waitress, a different one, asked if we would be having deserts. I acknowledged Yes after the mains . When you have kids Yes is always the answer. The waitress smiled and then left. We started to crack the usual jokes like: At least we 'll be hungry again when the food comes but, After another 30 minutes or so something had to be said. We flagged down yet another waitress and politely alerted her to the wait. She seemed confused that we hadn 't received our meals yet and went to check. When she came back she informed us one of the pizza ovens was playing up. I don 't think a one hour+ wait was down to one faulty oven. I have more of a feeling that there was confusion amongst the waitstaff and kitchen over our order, maybe stemming from the new waitress. While I am sympathetic to people finding there feet, we ended up being in the restaurant for 3+ hours by the time we received all of our meals. The more experienced waitstaff should definitely be double checking orders for newbies so they have their backs. When we left we were hit with a very large bill. This bill was not totally unexpected given what we ordered however, when you have a poor experience a large bill makes you question the whole evening. Would I return? based on the food... Yes, based on the friendly service... Yes, based on the wait...No not a chance. So in a nutshell... Bella Tiarnie is a lovely Italian restaurant serving excellent food with friendly service at a moderate price. Very questionable wait times make me apprehensive of a return visit.

What a disappointment. A firm favourite of ours over the years, we have celebrated many birthdays and special occasions here. However after last nights meals, it appears that customers have got forgotten. Arriving at opening, we waited over an hour as the 2nd customers walking in to receive our dinner. An undercooked pizza with dough not cooked, ravioli placed messy, a huge disappointment. Not what you expect for $20 meals. I hope things get better as the normal bubbly owner always says hello and visits tables, but last night was not what the past used to be. Back to basics to win and keep customers. Definitely not a top 50 restaurant experience.

Lovely little restaurant with lots of character and an authentic feel. Food was delicious. Staff very friendly too.

Italy visited several times and Italian restaurants in different countries I know a good restaurant when I find one. Bella Tiarnie is up there with the best. Large varied menu, old school favourites with home specialities. Try all seafood dishes, they are excellent. Good wine selection too. Very cheap, you get a lot for your dollar friendly service. What else do you want?