I ❤ JHB : Bella Restaurant

I've decided to start a 'series' on this blog.  It's called the 'I ❤ JHB' series.

It's about all the little places that I've found in Johannesburg which I absolutely love and adore :)  So let's begin the first post :)

A friend called me for a quick lunch date and mentioned a lovely little restaurant and deli that's tucked away on Rivonia Road.  She texted me her easy-to-follow directions and I found myself at this quaint little place in a complex which plays host to other stores and offices.  It's a bit of a hidden treasure and if she didn't know about it from a previous visit, I wouldn't have found it by myself.

We chose to be seated outdoors and I simply adored the decor of neutral shades and loved the atmosphere. It has a laid back vibe about it even though many people had their laptops open and were obviously on business meetings. Patrons included Mommies and their little broods who were also there enjoying a quick bite. It was the perfect setting for a warm Summer's day.

Being a halaal-only type of person (i.e. Muslim), eating meat at non-halaal establishments leave very limited resources for one to eat. However, Bella had over 10 different non-meat items on their menu which one can choose from. I was ecstatic!

I am a big fan of salmon, so I decided to have a delicious salmon salad topped with cottage cheese, avocado and gherkins. It was delicious (and quite large in size!).

My friend had a roast butternut salad topped with other yummy salad items.

I've never been a person who only has a salad for lunch, but this was something I could get used to as it was quite filling.

The price was not as crazy in comparison to other Sandton restaurants (thank goodness), and their service was quick, efficient and full of smiles.

I especially loved the fact that they gave real Chappies as a parting breath freshener.  Who can resist reading the 'Did you know?' tidbits that's printed on the reverse side of the wrapper?
A part of me enjoyed the fact that it was called 'Bella' as it reminded me of my teenage/early adulthood years of using the word Bella or Belladonna in online handles.  I loved using Belladonna especially as it was a deadly, yet nurturing plant of nature to be reckoned with :)

All in all, I enjoyed my meal there and I can't wait to try them again soon.

You can visit Bella at:

66 Rivonia Road

Sandton

Open Monday to Saturday

Website

Facebook page

(images courtesy of 66 Rivonia)