Bellaggio is a family-run Italian pizzeria on Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, and has fed the surrounding area since 2012. Its reputation rests on a simple idea executed well: genuine stone-baked pizza from hand-thrown dough, cooked in a purpose-built oven and served in a spacious, tastefully decorated room that is divided into a separate bar area and the main restaurant.
The food
Pizza takes top billing, though there is more to it than that. Head chef Rafael Scarano leads a kitchen that, besides the stone-baked classics, makes its own pasta and risotto, among them a seafood risotto and a carbonara, along with grill dishes such as steaks and chicken stroganoff. To finish there are Italian desserts: tiramisu, profiteroles, cheesecake and gelato all feature. Both gluten-free pizza bases and vegan options, vegan cheese included, are available, so with notice most dietary requirements can be met.
Atmosphere and service
Two separate areas make up the restaurant, one for drinks and nibbles and one for a seated meal, so it handles a quick pizza with a glass of wine as comfortably as a full sit-down dinner. You can eat in or take away, and over its years on Wimborne Road the restaurant has accumulated a large body of online reviews.
Good to know
Lunch and dinner service usually runs through the week, with somewhat longer hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. Independent restaurants tend to adjust their hours around holidays, so phone ahead on 01202 536655 or look at the website before visiting, particularly if you are a bigger group.
Our food & drink guide has more Italian and pizza places nearby, and our things to do guide covers what else is happening in Bournemouth.