As long time patrons of Cucina Bella, we had high expectations for my daughter's bridal shower, which were far surpassed. We had 56 guests; the restaurant was closed so we used the entire dining room and bar area. The exposed brick-walled room has such character and warmth; we added only a few table centerpieces and candles. The delicious food was served family style and each table had plenty (we took leftovers home)! It was high quality, very fresh, and all dishes were served at the correct temperatures. Our menu included bruschetta, grilled calamari, house salad, penne marinara, gnocchi with vodka sauce, chicken Francese and tiramisu. This penne marinara is a flavorful departure from a typical mostaccioli dish. My daughter's favorite is the gnocchi with vodka - the gnocchi were pillow soft and the sauce perfectly robust. The tasty chicken was tender and savory. Can't tell you how many guests said they literally wanted to "drink all of the sauces"! They raved about the scrumptious food, mimosa bar, bloody Marys, ambience and service - and they are still talking about it! Kim and Lindsey were amazing and did not miss a beat in providing top notch service for the large group. I have no idea how they did it all and did it so well - all in good cheer! Erin is a terrific event coordinator, very responsive, thorough and professional, offering suggestions and lots of patience! High praise to the kitchen staff as well. All helped to create a most memorable experience for us. Thank you!

I am a frequent diner at Cucina Bella. My favorite dish is Zuppa Di Mare. Again I ordered the same dish. New menu with an increase in prices. Oh, I get it. Came chuck full of my favorite seafood but a little short on the linguine side. The red sauce is succulent. Superb. Another new touch is the special dishes. My wife got the shrimp risotto. It was a little undercooked. Risotto was crunchy not creamy. After setting my stop watch after ordering it took over 1 hour to receive our food. In the meantime we were content to wait and have a few beers and chat. Only one problem, it is extremely loud on a crowded Saturday night. I regretted not being seated outside on a beautiful evening where it isn't loud at all. Maybe next time. Some sound proofing is in order for this environment. Seriously. Also, service is not up to par. Waiters took a long time to check up on drinks during a long lull between ordering and delivery of our food. Drinks were often empty waiting for refills. Including water. The food is excellent. Always.

I have been to Cucina Bella in Algonquin many times. I was really happy to hear they just opened a location in the heart of downtown Galena. From the moment I walked in the door I was greeted with friendly, warm smiles. The decor is really nice and rustic. The 1/2 booth table was very comfortable. The tables are not overcrowded which is nice. The owner Tony was gracious and kind and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect. The waitress Mia was very nice, attentive and her service was on point from start to finish. The red sangria with raspberry was outstanding and the bartender was very sweet. The warm bread with sun-dried tomatoes was excellent! The grilled calamari with sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus, was outstanding, fresh, delicious and ample for two people. The chicken piccata with capers and lemon butter sauce was fantastic and also ample for two people. I will always be back next time I am in the Galena area. The restaurants around the Galena area have some tough competition! Cucina Bella definitely earned their five stars and they never disappoint!

The dishes are huge, the service is efficient, and the ambiance is bustling. I love their sauce in their pastas, and you can purchase them on your way out!

Most of our food and drink order were good except for the Chicken Marsala that my son ordered (bland) and the house martini drink that my daughter ordered. It tasted like Nyquil. Yeesh. Our server was attentive and quick. The ambience was quite nice. Although it was packed, we were still seated quicly since it was already 8p. Acoustics was not bad either. We didnt have to yell across the table just so we can hear each other. I would go back.

Absolutely delicious and the ambiance is romantic. Lights are dimmed , Italian music in the background, topped with some fresh baked bread and you order a bottle of your fav wine. The food was amazing , I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo and also had a delicious minestrone soup, so good! We had the calamari and it was crispy and delicious! Let's talk about the service... our waitress was amazing! She liked our vibes so much she bought us dessert. Tiramisu on her.. she was the best! The whole meal was amazing, the night was perfect! That's all

We stopped with a group of four ladies. I had the tortellini paglia fino and it might be the best pasta dish I have ever had. It was so good. I also upgraded the salad to the chopped salad which was a great decision. So good! Others had the lasagna, penne with bolognese, veggies and baked mozzarella, and risotto with sun dried tomatoes. Everyone loved their meals. Each one of us had enough leftovers for at least two more meals. You won't leave hungry. Then the dessert! We all had it to go because we were stuffed. The carrot cake is enough for four people and delicious (I have had it before)! The pumpkin cheesecake was like a quarter of a cheesecake and yummy according to my friend. My other friend really liked the tiramisu. I had the chocolate mousse cake and it was amazing. Again it was enough for multiple people. I can't wait to go back the next time I am in the area.

First time here! Fabulous restaurant, food, servers and atmosphere! Ambiance is old world Italian. We came on a Sunday evening and it was busy! Glad we had reservations. I'm Italian so I'm rather selective about Italian restaurants. Cucina Bella exceeded our expectations! Great cocktail menu! Menu allows to create and add to your selected pasta, sauces and extras, shrimp, ricotta etc. With the entrees you can have a cup of soup, I had the minestrone and it was excellent! Or a salad, up charge for the Caesar and chopped salads. We had the gnocchi and chicken saltimbocca. Both were excellent and we had lots of leftovers to take home. Gabby was our server and though she had a lot of tables was personable, knowledgeable and had excellent customer service skills. Highly recommend!