AN ITALIAN restaurant has opened for business at a pub, after seeking a new premises where customers can dine in.

Bella Isabella, which until recently was operating as a takeaway from a shared kitchen space at Bay Tree Walk, The Square, Wickham, has moved into the Brewery Bar, in Botley.

The restaurant, run by chef Geoff Blyth, first opened in Fareham Road, Gosport in July 2019 before opening in Wickham in February 2022.

After seeing an advert placed for a chef to operate in the kitchen of the Brewery Bar, Geoff jumped at the chance and will now operate from the pub kitchen.

Geoff, 63, who is originally from Blackburn, has been pleased with his business success and vowed to keep the restaurant as close to home as possible, importing ingredients such as sauce, spices, cheese and flour from his mother's homeland of Calabria in Italy.

Geoff said: "Everyone likes the food and you can finally eat in. We're busier here and we have a pub and kitchen combined, so customers can eat in, dine in the beer garden and it's just a lot better."

Geoff said his spaghetti carbonara, lasagne and cannelloni have proved to be popular and that he's pleased customers can now dine in.

Owner of the Brewery Bar, Kay Blackman is enjoying a slice of Italy in her pub.

She said: "It's great. It's rather nice having the Italian here and it's going really well with everyone.

"Our customers say Geoff is absolutely excellent and they weren't expecting that standard in a small village pub. He's experienced and knows what everyone wants."

The takeaway offers a menu of burgers, T-bone steak, pasta, full English breakfast, pizza and desserts.

Bella Italia is open seven days a week from 12pm until 10pm.