Bistro Bella Vita Restaurant | Downtown Grand Rapids

Location

44 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

HOURS

Monday – Thursday • 11 am – 9 pm
Friday • 11 am – 10 pm
Saturday • 4 pm – 10 pm
Sunday • Closed

RESERVATIONS

Reserve your table below or call us at 616.222.4600 for parties larger than 8

Book your Bistro Bella Vita reservation on Resy

Holiday HOURS

December 4 • 1 pm – 7:30 pm
December 10 • 12 pm – 10 pm
December 11 & 18 • 4 pm – 9 pm
December 24 • 4 pm – 8 pm

December 25 & 26 • Closed
December 31 • 4 pm – 11 pm
January 1-8: Closed

30% Off Gift Cards Online

Redeemable at all three locations—grove, Bistro Bella Vita and The Green Well—give the gift of exceptional dining this holiday season!

PLUS

Visit us in-store for a $30 BONUS Gift Card for every $100 spent on Gift Card purchases!
Offer available at all Essence locations.

20% Off Gift Cards Online

Redeemable at all three locations—grove, Bistro Bella Vita and The Green Well—give the gift of exceptional dining this holiday season!

PLUS

Visit us in-store for a $10 BONUS Gift Card for every $50 spent on Gift Card purchases!
Offer available at all Essence locations.

FOOD FIRST, GUESTS ALWAYS.

At Bistro Bella Vita, we’re driven by passion, servant leadership and most importantly—exceptional dining experiences. We strive to exceed your expectations and captivate senses with creative cuisine, a superior beverage program and memorable experiences.

Modern French & Italian Cuisine

Taste the difference of the highest quality cuisine made from scratch with sustainably sourced ingredients and delivered to your table with exceptional, accommodating, professional service. Delight in everything from homemade pasta, brick-oven pizzas, rotisserie-roasted meats and freshly prepared tiramisu. We also accommodate gluten-free, lactose intolerant, vegetarian and vegan diets.

Superior Beverage

Led by our very own Level III Advanced Sommelier, we invite you to experience Old and New World wines to be enjoyed on their own or expertly paired with your meal. You may also enjoy a rotating list of creative, hand-crafted cocktails.

Reviews & Awards

"One of my top Grand Rapids restaurants. The food is always fantastic and the wait staff is top notch. Cannot recommend enough for an excellent date night."

"A staple in the Grand Rapids dining scene since the 1990s, it would be easy for Bistro Bella Vita to rest on its laurels and let its name and history carry the menu. Instead, the restaurant continues to kick out new menu items to help keep pushing the Grand Rapids dining scene forward... That’s why Bistro Bella Vita has been in Grand Rapids Magazine’s Best Restaurants issue each year for more than a decade."

"Excellent downtown restaurant in Grand Rapids. Always tough to pick what to get on the menu as everything is great!!"

"Tristan Walczewski—General Manager of Bistro Bella Vita and Beverage Director for the eatery’s parent company, Essence Restaurant Group—achieved level three sommelier designation out of four possible levels... His knowledge will help Essence take an even more thoughtful approach to wine curation."

"We booked with Bistro Bella Vita for our rehearsal dinner and the food was AMAZING! We had two staff members for our whole party and they were on top of the many drink orders. We were able to create a limited menu for our guests and we even got a private dining area. Prices were good as well. It was perfect in every way!"

"The restaurant’s classic décor is warm and inviting while the waitstaff is always charming and going above and beyond to make your experience memorable. Bistro offers a variety of experiences from romantic booths, an energetic bar, urban patio tables and an option for private parties in one of its spacious dining rooms."

"Great atmosphere and legendary service with awesome food and cocktails. A Grand Rapids must."

Our take on Happy Hour

Happy Hour is about much more than food and drink specials—it’s about sharing exceptional food and beverage among friends and good company. Join us every Monday – Friday from 3 – 5 pm for select food and drink specials.

exceptional private dining experiences

Host your event in one of our four private event spaces

Bistro Bella Vita’s Private Event spaces offer unique private dining experiences—from intimate dinners and meetings to grand celebrations like wedding receptions and company parties.

join our wine club

We invite you to enjoy an ongoing experience, where you receive thoughtfully curated bottles on the 15th of every month that rotate between Old World and New World wines. Monthly selections include a handwritten note for each wine that tells the unique story about the winery, region, tasting notes and includes food pairings so you can fully appreciate the world of wine. Available in two tiers, our Advanced Sommelier will curate a wonderful selection of wines exclusively for you!

TIER 1

Representing the world of wine, our Tier I subscription encompasses some of our favorite offerings meant for the table. We aim to source wines at an exceptional value to our members—at times classic, at times part of fleeting allocations. Our thoughtful selections are often gateways to premier producers and an introduction as to why wine is a vital component of life!

$50/month

TIER 2

As an expansion of our Tier I subscription, we work to provide a distinct wine experience that champions the latest allocation of French and Italian producers from Kermit Lynch or highlights a small release from Snowden Vineyards—one of our favorite producers. We work hardest here to tell our producers’ stories and honor the legacy of vine and glass.

$100/month

our culinary experts

Dan Blanchard

Head Chef

Tristan Walczewski

Beverage Director

Connor Guikema

Bar Manager

WORK WITH US

If you have at least two years of experience, value a “Food First, Guests Always” philosophy and are interested in joining one of the most established restaurant teams in West Michigan, apply online below!

Bonus: We offer a competitive salary and benefits at a reduced cost, including shared medical and generous employee-dining discounts! But more importantly, the Essence team quickly becomes a second family.