Bella, Ponsonby

Bella is known for its Italian-styled dishes, including pork and sage cannelloni, confit tomato and shaved parmigiano. Picture / Carolyn Robertson

We met my sister-in-law, her partner, and a couple of their friends - one of whom was a schoolteacher - on the street outside Bella. They were going to the place upstairs next door, which promised a belly dancer.

Later they told us the woman came shimmying to their table, recognised the teacher and while doing the hip-shake said her son went to her school, and engaged in a bit of conversation while jiggling.

They thought it was hilarious, but felt slightly uncomfortable that they had been the centre of attention. Better than being ignored, as we felt when we stepped into Bella, which is nominally an Italian restaurant - a number of pasta and pizza options, the breads, pasta, icecreams made on the premises - with a very good reputation.

We gazed at the menu for a while, 10 minutes later we were asked if we wanted water by a waiter who swished by in a dreadful hurry (the place was only half full, I should add) and then a good 10 minutes after that the wine list arrived. It was almost half an hour from the time we entered to the time we got our drinks.

It seems an agonisingly long wait.

That said, things improved remarkably quickly. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the extensive - and, I thought, expensive - wine list and his recommendation of the Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti ($42) was right on the mark.

Which was just as well, because we got through a couple of glasses while waiting for the antipasto misto ($30) to arrive.

I think antipasto is the eggs benedict of dinners, the one dish you check out and if it shapes up then you can guess most other things on the menu will be right too.

For years I conducted my own research on the variety and range in this city - from the divine to the one that had last night's leftover mashed potatoes and a limp lettuce. Bella's would come out near the top.

When it eventually arrived it was a generous platter that included creamy chicken liver pate, goat's milk cheese, sauteed mushrooms, a nice pile of steak tartare beneath a generous strip of prosciutto, olives, squid pieces, onion jam and other condiments, lightly toasted bread and small fresh rolls. It was so good - and filling - that after it we probably failed Bella. We passed on the lamb, beef, salmon, pork loin and so on.

My wife could only manage an entree-sized potato gnocchi with green beans, peas and gorgonzola ($14) - which she said was the interesting mix of textures promised by our waiter but a less than exciting blend of flavours. I had the snapper ($26.50), which was small but excellent and came on a bed of potato and fennel, topped with a prawn tortellini, and a lemon and caper sauce.

After that, however, 2 1/2 hours from when we first crossed the threshold, we didn't feel up to desserts (and dessert wines), or the grappa and ports on offer.

It had been a long evening, and we thought unnecessarily so, given that it wasn't busy when we arrived.

Our waiter, who was otherwise attentive and clearly knew the menu well, made an aside that he needed three hands and I took from that someone hadn't shown up for their shift.

Maybe they'd gone to see the belly dancer.

Address: 165 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

Phone: 360 2656

Open: Dinners, Monday to Saturday

Chef: Morgan Lonergan

Wine list: Extensive but remarkably few of the Italian persuasion, some pretty pricey.

Vegetarian: A good selection in the pasta, risotto and pizza menu.

Bottom line: Bella's good reputation for its menu is secure, although a common complaint is that you often have to be patient. That was certainly our experience. But that antipasto is worth every minute.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.