Bella's Italian Cafe takes its name from owner Joyce Shanks's grandmother Bella, a Brooklyn cook whose recipes still anchor the kitchen. Shanks and her husband opened the restaurant in 1993 to bring that cooking to Habersham Village, and the marinara and alfredo sauces served today follow recipes passed down through the family for generations.
The menu holds onto red-sauce staples built from those family recipes: Cannelloni, Manicotti, and a Pasta & Bean Soup made as close to Bella's original as possible. It's a neighborhood cafe rather than a special-occasion destination, with tiramisu closing out the meal.
Bella's was named among Savannah Magazine's reader picks for 2025.
The menu holds onto red-sauce staples built from those family recipes: Cannelloni, Manicotti, and a Pasta & Bean Soup made as close to Bella's original as possible. It's a neighborhood cafe rather than a special-occasion destination, with tiramisu closing out the meal.
Bella's was named among Savannah Magazine's reader picks for 2025.