Head to Belltown for old world flavors nestled amongst new world comfort and charm.

We agree: life is beautiful!

However, we will also argue that it gets much more beautiful after a couple glasses of fine Italian wine and a hearty helping of creamy linguini with salmon followed by the most delicate, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth Tiramisu you will ever have the pleasure of eating.

The fragrant smells of slightly charred pizza crust wafting out onto the street are more than enough to draw you inside for a peek—once there, the gracious Italian hospitality and seductively traditional menu guarantee an unforgettable meal.

La Vita E Bella and it’s adjacent counter-part, Forte Café and Wine Bar both provide picturesque, cozy settings for a quiet lunch for two as well as the perfect location for larger groups to gather, eat, drink and be merry in the spirit of Sicily.

Since 1999, owner Giuseppe Forte has been serving up some of the most delicious and effortlessly authentic pizza, pasta and Panini that Belltown has to offer. The dinner menu expands to include crepes as well as sinfully simple, classic dishes such as Vitello Saltimbocca ($19.95) and Pollo Cacciatora ($17.95).

The espresso is bold, the pizza is delightfully thin and the pasta is politely unadorned yet bursting with flavor–created partly by the use of high-quality ingredients imported from Italy as well as the finesse, charm and incredible attention to detail by the chefs and owners.

Whether you want to treat yourself to a candlelit dinner on La Vita E Bella’s patio with friends, Spaghetti di Mare ($17.95) and a seasoned bottle of Chianti, or order a number of pizzettes, antipasti and bruschette (all priced under $10) to-go from Forte Cafe and Wine Bar for a (hopefully) sun-soaked picnic off of Lake Union–you will find yourself in good company at either of these restaurants.

La Vita E Bella | 2411 2nd Avenue,  Seattle | (206) 441-5123