Review Belluci's Trattoria - Canberra

We chose Belluci's Manuka on review strength and the location. Essentially an upmarket ltalian Eatery with Pizza and Pasta the core of the menu. Went with a group of Seven and everyone found dishes to order. I should start by saying it is very pricey with Pizza bring $26 each and Pasta ranging from $30 -$38. I am not sure what l expected with my $31 fettuccine carbonara but it did not redeem itself as a $31 meal. I shared a Pizza with my son which was their Calabrese. I assumed it would have the traditional tomato and cheese base as well as sausage, roasted capsicum, mushrooms and fresh herbs. It didn't. So everything you picked up the pizza everything fell off. Sure it was tasty if you could keep it all on the base. Most everyone eating was reasonably pleased with their food, although my daughter could not eat the ricotta gnocci. I tried it and it was not great. The meal was somewhat saved bu multiple flavours of gelato/sorbet which l must say were smashing, especially the blood Orange and Passionfruit. Overall l felt like we paid about 40% more than it was worth. The finisher on the meal was an entire row of lights behind us that kept flashing on and off and back on again. By the time we were finishing up main courses and getting our dessert on, they had gone out completely. Talk about a real mood killer. We were a group of Seven and it was nearly $800!!! I know they have been there a long time, but it seems to me the need to adjust the pricing as it is hard to justify the large prices for some pretty plain food.

Happy had lunch here. even though so many customers, service is quick and friendly. Food generally was good, but I felt: 1. Risotto rice was overcooked; 2. Spaghettis too soft, bolognese sauce not no any aroma ; 3. pizza seems like all parts separated, just individual origin tasting together; 4. The cucumbers in insalata seemed not so fresh, one or two days prepared. Anyway, it is a popular restaurant.

Had a go at some fine dining at Belluci's Manuka. Food was a good size with interesting flavours. The great things about this style of food is the attention to detail and this is a good example as all the food looked great. There was some items however that felt over cooked, whether the fact they were busy or just missing there flare for the night it did not feel value for the price charged. Calamri was tough and the pasty tacky it was just cooked to long to be perfect. The atmosphere was awsome, waiters were great and i could see myself going back, i would just hope there is more attention to the cooking times.

We celebrated a millstone birthday here on Saturday evening. We enjoyed the banquet menu… great value and delicious food. The staff were very accommodating and the complete atmosphere was very special. Would come again!

I ordered Ragu, I was surprised to find it actually tasted like water, my pasta was over cooked breaking easily and the beetroot was from a can and not roasted well if at all. Overall it tasted like a thrown together home cooked quick meal with whatever was in the cupboard after a night out. My partner had pizza he said the taste was nice but had effort chewing the base. The atmosphere was lovely, warm and staff were friendly.

What a wonderful dining experience. Food was delicious and the staff were attentive but not smothering. Nothing was a problem and they made me feel so welcome. 100% recommend Belluci's if you're looking for a great night out

Ordered 2 pizzas, both were very disappointing! The bread was pale, no hot oven power, no flavor either! No olive oil flavor, no sauce flavor or actually no sauce at all! Ingredients were good I can see that! But wasted on a very bland overall pizza! Just good prosciutto or good quality cheese does not make a good pizza! You need to know how to put it all together you need olive oil you need a good sauce, or at least salt! It felt like I ordered pizza from weight watchers program and needed to add ingredients and cook it more in the oven to barely get some taste! Never again, I use to be a fan of this belluci’s but I find their food is inconsistent and I have been disappointed on occasions over last year. But pizza very disappointing!

Don’t bother ordering delivery from here. I enjoy this restraunt and I’ve persevered with home delivery from them - but enough is enough. This is the third time I’ve had missing items in my order after waiting an hour and half. I ring the restraunt and no one picks up. Not good enough, I’m going elsewhere and suggest others do too.

My partner and i came to camberra and decided to dine at Belluci's Manuka. I commend the chef, i had pasta marinara, it was delicious as expected and the seafood was so fresh. We also ordered the oysters for entree and we both loved it. I recommend Bellucis to anyone. I rated it 5 for the delicious food and great staff service. Excellent in every way.

The staff was amazing. The girl that served was great. Drinks were refilled quickly. The staff was very attentive. The food was amazing. Everythkng was cooked perfectly. Highly recommend this place.

When in Canberra, Manuka is a must and Bellucis is one of my favourite restaurants. Food is on the money. Wonderful staff and service. Highly recommend.

The best gnocchi I've had in a long time, the gnocchi was light and fluffy and the beef in the sauce was well seasoned and just delicious. The beetroot with the horseradish cream balanced the dish nicely - my parents enjoyed their meals as well. Our waiter was excellent and even brought the specials board over to our table. It was his bubbly personality and attention to detail that stood out. Bringing more water over to the table without us having to ask, offering an extra spoon for my mother so she could sample our desserts, etc. The other thing that stood out about this restaurant was the way the wait staff worked together as a team. If one was busy the other would help. It was also great that dishes were cleared and tables reset quite fast which meant that you were not sitting in a restaurant full of tables with dirty dishes on them. The dishes and glasses were also clean and free of water marks/stains. I found the chairs a little uncomfortable for larger people, but this is minor and wouldn't stop me from going back when in Canberra next. The worst thing about this restaurant is that it is in Canberra and not Melbourne! Thank you to all the staff (kitchen and floor) for a wonderful evening and great food!

Food was undercooked, pizza was just a ham, rocket and cheese sandwich, risotto was inedible, polenta fritta was undercooked and soggy, the only good dish we has was the entree of calamari. We use to be regulars but won't be any more!

We had an excellent experience at Belluci’s. Service was great, staff friendly and switched on, knew their menu. We had the Squid � and calamari for entree, beef cheek and beef fillet � for main. All washed down with a nice bottle of Italian Red. See you next time. As a suggestion maybe a more creative range of desserts �.

The whole family had a lovely lunch (an early Mother's Day), great food, and excellent service from Phil, Cameron and Alex. Thank you to the chef as well for creating a penne dish my mother loved.

Food was excellent but was very impressed by the staff especially by our main server named Hutton. He was informative and very helpful.

Lovely ambience, magnificent food and attentive, personable staff who really made the whole family feel welcome. Two thumbs up Bellucci's :)

The best service and amazing food.. thank you for giving us a fantastic experience on our anniversary. We will be back very soon.

Fantastic service and very tasty food. Thanks for being so flexible to cater for our large group. Everyone commented how good it was �

Sadly very dissapointed. I spent 60 dollars on 2 carbonaras and a garlic bread to go. I get home and am very disappointed to find the pasta full of onion. The menu didnt mention onion. I even called to confirm that the carbonara has onion in it and was told yes. The menu should state that. So I ended up having cold garlic bread that only tasted heavily of salt and charcoal.

Didn't like it at all. Pizzas had little taste or were too spicy. We ordered 3 pizzas and my 9 year old son refused to eat, so we got him a Macca's happy meal that he insisted on. First time ever in Canberra a waitress told me that they do not allow BYO food. Definitely, not going back.

Food was excellent, lovely pepper and Persian Feta Bruschetta, Veal was cooked to perfection and the Risotto was the best I have eaten. Highly recommended.

A small group enjoyed the lunch special. We were all happy with our meals as they were great value got the money. We also enjoyed good service, I would highly recommend.

The food was great and the service from the waiter/waitresses was flawless, but the average guy that greets you and showed us or pointed us to our table couldnt crack a smile and didnt stand out as someone who worked there. But was all smiles as we were leaving??

Pork belly was great but the Creme Brûlée was divine and my partner’s seafood marinara was excellent �

Went here for our weekly date night with the Entertainment Book - great service, great food, and great atmosphere. The biggest letdown was that we couldnt order everything because it all looked so yummy! We thoroughly enjoyed the scallop special and pizza. Will be back! Reccommend booking online ahead of visiting though as it does get rather busy.

Great service. ..great food...we loved every bit of it

We went here for a special occasion on a Friday night. Would definitely recommend booking prior especially if it's the weekend. It was quite noisy and really busy. We started with polenta fries for entree and then went for the vegetarian cannelloni as well for the mushroom pizza.<br/><br/>The polenta fries were ok with 2 different dips which tasted nice. The cannelloni was a bit bland to our liking a bit more spice or something it needed. The mushroom pizza on the other hand was really good. It had a thin crust and the mushrooms were still so juicy. <br/><br/>A special mention about the staff it was a really busy night but they still remained polite as well as were happy to help with food suggestions or taking pictures for the guest's

Wonderful ambiance, great staff and tasty food!<br/><br/>I have walked past Belluci's several times in the past and have always noticed how busy it is. I can totally see why.<br/><br/>This restraunt is ideal for date nights and family/ friend dinner a alike. The staff are wonderful and do their best to make your experience noteworthy.<br/><br/>The food is wonderful too! Exceptional pizzas and some well ranged wine options!<br/><br/>

A pleasant dinner where I had the warm mixed olives as an entree and the barramundi special for dinner. My meal had some green beans and which still had bean strings on them. Taste was definitely there however the purée that the fish sat on was pretty much cold to luke warm. I guess dont notice it if you rubbed it into the warmed fish and ate it all at once. Service was friendly and prompt and great ambience and intimate lighting. <br/>

We were booked in at 6.30, two of our party were there, we arrived 6.35 we were give water. Food was good service below par. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant for a large group<br/><br/>

Belluci’s is one of the best spots for a weekday lunch in Woden, and so Belluci’s Manuka has long been on the wishlist. It has a prime and inviting location on the corner of Franklin and Furneax Streets. Is also just across from the medical centre where parking is nearly always easy (and very reasonable), even during business hours.

Over rated and over priced. I ordered the marinara pasta which was $32 for a small amount. Garlic bread $10 lol. My partner ordered the bellucis pizza which was meant to have chicken on it and no chicken was on it at all just some cheap ham and horrible sauce all over it, very disappointing

Came up for the Floriade weekend <br/>Was told this is the best place for nice Italian food and decided to bring my Italian girlfriend to be the judge <br/>Sorry but fell short on all fronts <br/>The saltimbucca was nothing like that at all <br/>No veggies on the plate and tasteless <br/>The spaghetti marina was ok but could have had a richer sauce <br/>Our other guests felt the same with their meals <br/>The desserts were the only standouts but had a good time laughing and catching up with friends so the food really played second fiddle

Good food!!! Would like to go back to try some of their other stuff on the menu! Service was good too!! Went with a couple of friends and it was a good dine out experience!

Bleach's has always been a favoured restaurant within our family. The food is always fantastic, and the atmosphere is great. We went there on Saturday evening, and it was wonderful (as usual!). I would definitely recommend going there for dinner!

They seemed in a hurry to get their table back. Service was beyond rapid, like a food eating contest. Ok wine list and beer list, house made ciabatta was excellent, cottaletta burnt, chips not fully cooked, tomato salad was ok.

Belluci’s is one of the best spots for a weekday lunch in Woden, and so Belluci’s Manuka has long been on the wishlist. It has a prime and inviting location on the corner of Franklin and Furneax Streets. Is also just across from the medical centre where parking is nearly always easy (and very reasonable), even during business hours.

Great find in the Manuka area. Very friendly and helpful staff who knew their menu and understood dietary requirements. Catered beautifully for gluten and dairy free - the chicken risotto and seafood risotto were sensational!

Easy eatery near the centre of Canberra. Decor well presented. Hot olives were lovely. Pity about the flies outdoors. Should have picked a table inside.

Love this place! What a great find! Very authentic Italian food, lovely service, had to wait an hour for a table of 10 but so worth it. It's great being able to see into the kitchen, interesting while you wait. Prompt service of drinks, the waitress was great, checking back with us often. <br/>The fettuccine alla carbonara was awesome! Lovely fresh pasta, sensational mushrooms and nice smokey bacon. Everyone was happy with their meals especially the ricotta gnocchi, and we all loved the delicious gelati and sorbets for dessert. <br/>Would make this a regular if we loved in Canberra. We'll be sure to look it up when we come back. <br/>Roughly $30 per person although four people shared two meals. Including several soft drinks. <br/>

I came here with my Mum tonight and we could not fault it. The food was outstanding and the staff were wonderful. Mum had the beef cheek pappardelle and said it was the best pasta she had ever had. I had the Penne Belluci and it was delicious. The only problem is that we live interstate so we can't come here again!

Not the same Belluci's anymore. I've had a few faultless meals at Belluci's but last weeks visit was awful. First thing we noticed was that the menu has changed and it is not fine dining anymore but very casual, although the prices haven't changed. I booked a table for 730pm but we were not seated till 8pm because they had given other customers the table. Walk-ins were getting better service than us and no offer for a free drink while we waited. I ordered marinara, a $30 meal and it was packet pasta with 3 prawns, a few tiny mussels and a couple of bits of fish. I told the waiter and he said they don't have time to make fresh pasta anymore. The manager did not give a stuff about anything. I would never return here, ever.

Fabulous food. I had dinner at Bellucci's Manuka on a Friday night. It was very busy but the maître d found room for us even though we did not have a booking. We dined near the open kitchen and were impressed with the efficiency if the staff working in the kitchen, as well as the wait staff who knew what they were doing and did it well. I had a pea soup with mint and marscapone to start which was simple and delicious. Importantly for me as I am not a fan of mint, there was no dominant mint flavour. It was accompanied by fresh, warm tasty bread. I had a pumpkin and walnut pasta dish with prawns which was beautifully presented in a light sauce and decorated with pea shoots. It could have done with a tad more seasoning but I am not complaining. I had a chocolate terrine for dessert, accompanied by raspberry gelato, with plenty of raspberry seeds in it to let me know it was for real. The meal was fabulous.

AMAZING!!. Love the food and the wine. Great service and atmosphere. <br/>Little Italy.

Delicious, immaculately presented food; great, tip-worthy staff. 8.5/10

Food a bit bland.. I found that the food was generally a bit bland and overpriced. The shared antipasti was expensive for the amount of food - the calamari was average, pork belly good, would have liked some more bread and cured meats for $18 pp. Partner had the lamb pizza which tasted under seasoned and lacked flavour from the lamb and cheese. I got the seafood risotto, which was ok, but again I found it was a bit cheesy but in a way that overwhelmed the delicate flavours in the seafood and left the dish a bit bland. Decent amount of seafood included though. Happy we got the cannoli for dessert because that was good - nice and crunchy and the orange ricotta was flavoursome. The service, in comparison to some of the reviewers here, we were very happy with though! And also, the setup is very nice. But in sum, food is over priced and a bit under seasoned

Loved the food. I have to say the manager or owner was not friendly, I didn't feel welcome, we stayed because we were hungry. The food was excellent. We had the fig and prosciutto as a starter, I had a risotto excellent, my husband had the gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce, and a nice tasty pizza for the kids. Everything was very good.

If only i could eat like this every day. I travel to Canberra from Sydney every month for work & am always in search of delcious food. Canberra has a few gold nuggets and Bellucis is one. I have tried a few dishes now, their Barramundi, pork belly and tonight slow cooked beef cheeks. The beef cheeks were so succulent & full of flavour. It came on a bed of cauliflower & horseradish puree..as delcious as that sounds i had to ask for a side of greens instead due to food sensitivites. <br/><br/>The staff accomodated this request, which i value as such great and refreshing service. When a mistake was made when my meal came out, the sweet waiter was extremely apologetic and quickly rectified the minor issue. <br/><br/>i will most certainly be back (maybe in disguise so to avoid being labelled a "groupie" :) ) & recommend this venue for its delicious memorable food and attentive service. Bellucis does not disappoint..

Really disappointing. I was part of a group of 10 with a 7:45pm booking. We were stuck in a tiny, crowded bar for almost 45 minutes before we were seated. We ordered drinks and almost ever order was incorrect and it took almost one hour for a single drink to come out for a member of our party. We were unhappy but decided to give them a second chance and ordered food (after waiting 20 minutes for wait staff to attend to us). The food took almost an hour and a half to come out, during which time we were incredibly hungry but were offered no bread or anything while we were waiting. Once it came out, the food was quite good, however our night was already ruined by that point. The biggest shock of the night came when we asked for the bill and found that they had added a 10% surcharge to our account because we had chosen to dine on a Sunday night. We explained that this was contrary to legislation at the time and that even if they were entitled to levy a surcharge, they needed to inform us. They basically told us it was out of their hands and that we had to pay the additional 10%. We stood our ground, they called their manager and eventually agreed to remove the 10% surcharge. We were incredibly disappointed and stressed after having to argue about the bill, after the terrible service we had. Needless to say, none of us will ever be going back to Belluci's.

We tried belluci's In manuka for the second time last week after having a very disappointing first experience. We dine out a lot in canberra and have high expectations and were really looking forward to our meal as we had heard good reviews.<br/><br/>When we arrived we were told to wait at the side until our table was ready. We were seated and ordered our wine and meals. Our starter arrived and was disappointing and after only 5 minutes, out main course arrived as well even though it was extremely clear that we had only just started our e tree! I was very annoyed at this and to top off the meal, instead of putting Parmesan on my risotto, the waitress put pepper, which I cannot eat, which then ruined my meal entirely! I tried to eat the risotto that was not covered in pepper and found it bland and unappetising. My partner had the seafood linguine which was also very dissapointing!<br/><br/>After eating a few bites, I had had enough and wanted to leave. We asked for the bill and also asked if we could use our entertainment card. The very rude supervisor said that we could but then proceeded to ignore our request and hand us the bill without the discount. My oartner then had to go up and ask him to amend it.<br/><br/>It was clear that the food was being fired out of the kitchen as quickly as possible as the restaurant was so busy. <br/><br/>i was disgusted at the way we were treated and the fact the we felt as though we were being rushed through our dinner so someone else could have our table! An extremely dissapointing experience that had put us off ever going to a belluci's restaurant in the future!

Loved it. We put together our own "tapas" menu from primi and contorni & over-ordered. The entrees are VERY generous! Everything was wonderful : friendly, efficient wait-staff and great kitchen harmony - we enjoyed watching the chefs in the open kitchen. The best of all great dishes was the rhubarb & apple tart with vanilla bean icecream at the end. Recommended!

21.07.13. At 6.00pm on a Sunday night in an empty restaurant, we were advised that there was a one hour wait. <br/>We went elsewhere and spent our money in a place that appreciated our custom.

We arrived after an online booking, requesting a window seat. We didn't get a window seat, and were also asked to move tables once we did sit down. The specils weren't read to us, however they were read to the table of customers next to us. The entrees were tasty, the mains were nice, but not fantastic. <br/><br/>The wine was never shown to us before it was poured, and they found it difficult to make an alcohol-free Dacquiri. We didn't stay for dessert and went elsewhere.

Great night had by all. Three 'life experienced' gents catching up for a meal, and we weren't let down. Service was attentive and accommodating, three courses were very well presented and timely, and a pleasure to enjoy. Even our host using the wrong card and seeking a change after the transaction processed couldn't flap the staff.<br/>Scallops, prawns, and pork belly entree's, beef cheek and spatchcock mains, chased down by a trilogy of desserts. All dishes very enjoyable.<br/>Good fun, not a busy night (Tuesday) and can only offer praise to the kitchen and floor staff.

Beautidul food. A bit pricy but worth it for sure

For a Saturday lunch awesome location but food just ok. I had seafood marinara it had small pieces of broken crab and mussel shells throughout the meal. It was a little crunchy, and meant I had these dig these small broken shells out of my mouth several times throughout of my meal, getting worse towards the end, as the sauce was runny, which was extremely un-pleasant and dangerous. I pointed these issues of un-pleasantness out to the waitress, my disappointment was not acknowledged at all, and charged full price...ummmc I'd be disappointed, if I'd served crunchy shells to my guests. <br/><br/>Pork belly was ok, but not worth the premium price, needed heeaaaps more crunch! <br/><br/>I'd only go back only for location, won't eat again though, coffee and beers perhaps.

I would have liked to review the food, however the stunningly poor service saw us leave before ordering. Apparently the alfresco area three meters from the door is to far to walk for their precious wait staff and we were told we would have to move to be served. Why go to the trouble of setting up an alfresco area with umbrellas up on a sunny day, then tell people to move to another area?

Just sat down on a busy Saturday night. I would advise a booking even though I just walked in.<br/><br/>The wait staff are friendly and the atmosphere is quite enjoyable.<br/><br/>Overall a good experience and would defiantly come back.

Poor food - very expensive with limited flavour. Both pizzas we ordered had very little to no toppings.

Overpriced bland food, bad service. This was the most disppointing dining experience I've had in Canberra. The wiat staff and manager were teenagers and had no clue about hospitality or service. The food was overpriced and I will certainly never be dining there again. Spend your money elsewhere!

Poor service and food was far too oily

Overpriced and normal menu, lacklustre pasta and overcooked meat. Reliably average to below average. Good ambience and nice fit out and chirpy waiters

We had a degustation plate of Antipasti, it was great. The hand made pasta with goat meat ragu were absolutely amazing. Service was a bit nonchalant but the food was exceptional. Wine is a bit pricey. Chef takes a great care of its kitchen. It's a must with an open kitchen like this.

Bellucis Woden two for one deal mon, tues, wed is good, but you must buy a minimum of four meals (and pay for two). Meals $23-24. Risottos excellent and rigatoni ciacciatore. Good to get a selection and share.

Great food, awesome service & great wine & beer list. A must experience eatery in Canberra

Recently had a banquet with some friends here. The food just kept on coming, and it was all excellent. We all left feeling quite gastronomically satisfied and for a good price. I never used to like the Belluci's in the Manuka because I thought the portions were tiny, but this was great. Great to see the restaurant improve. High recommend.

I must admit from the delicious fresh-tasting salad, to the rich heavy duck pasta and the spiced bird (which needed a little more salt/seasoning for my liking but was still good), that I actually like the food here. I do appreciate that the prices are extremely high for Italian - $30 pasta and $36 poultry.

A group of friends and I dined at Belluci's Manuka for a birthday dinner. The inside of Belluci's Manuka is relatively new and fitted out quite nicely. Belluci’s serve nice Italian food but I’ve had so many bad experiences with the chain (there’s another Belluci’s restaurant in Phillip). I’ve found the wait time is ridiculous – over an hour on a busy Fri/Sat night is fine. But over an hour when there are only 5 tables of diners for a weekday lunch? That's bad. Truthfully, I find it’s hit and miss and would rather avoid it and head somewhere else. In saying that, the set menu ($60) at Belluci's Manuka didn't take too long to come out. --> A few snapshots of the food: Pork belly Risotto di pesce Rotolo Pollo cacciatore In summary, the fish risotto was excellent and so fresh with great flavour. I'd order that again. The freshly made rotolo filled with caramelised pumpkin, fetta and pine nuts was also impressive and done well. Both the pork belly and the chicken dish were pretty average. 

The share plates were fantastic! I love Portobello mushrooms so I was probably already biased when I started eating it. The salad was refreshing..