Nestled next to a busy street leading towards the Negombo Beach is a restaurant that is quaint to the eye. It stands out with its dark yet warmly lit façade, beckoning passers by to come in to experience the wonderful cuisine and comfort that the restaurant has to offer. Stepping in, amidst the hustle and bustle, you will be transported to a place like no other—welcome to Leonardo by Bella Vita.
“Opening a restaurant was a dream of mine since the year 2000,” revealed W A Nisal Appuhami, owner and founder of Leonardo by Bella Vita. A restaurant specializing in authentic Italian cuisine, Bella Vita has already become a favourite of many as people travel from far and wide to taste the scrumptious dishes on offer.
Nisal’s journey in Italian cuisine began in the year 1996 with his decision to migrate to Italy. “My father migrated to Italy in the late 1970s. I went there in the 1990s and made the decision to stay in 1996,” he said. With a passion to succeed in the food industry, Nisal joined a hotel school in Italy and dedicated his energy to learn Italian cuisines. Finishing hotel school, he joined a restaurant where he mastered the art of cooking for 20 years. “There are so many dishes in Italian cuisine and these dishes change from region to region. So you cannot finish learning,” explained Nisal when talking about the long years of experience. Steadily progressing in his career, Nisal was soon in charge of the restaurant, which also expanded from a two-establishment restaurant to a full-fledged one with 27 restaurants. Reminiscing of the journey and highlights of his career, Nisal recalled that even the Mayor in the region he lived requested his services as the Mayor’s private chef at times—an achievement that evidences his talent and skill.
Ever since the beginning, Nisal dreamt of opening his own restaurant but was hesitant to do so at the time due to his lack of experience and expertise. After gathering an ample amount of skill, Nisal came back to Sri Lanka to fulfil his dreams. “After staying in Italy for 15 years, I wanted to open a restaurant there. But at that time, I was married with two daughters and thought the best decision would be to return to Sri Lanka to open a restaurant here,” elaborated Nisal. He came to Sri Lanka in 2017 and looked for a suitable place in Negombo to start his venture. However, unable to find a suitable place at the time, he promptly opened a restaurant in Wennappuwa, now managed by Nisal’s wife, which was welcomed with open arms and hearts from the very beginning. Specializing in pizzas only, the restaurant is an absolute favourite among the locals there. Wanting to expand to a larger space, to provide the full ‘Italian Cuisine Experience’, Nisal continued his search and labour, which ended with Leonardo by Bella Vita. “The restaurant in Wennappuwa is limited by space. To get that authentic Italian experience, you need to have the bar, pizza, coffee, pasta together,” expressed Nisal. T
The name Bella Vita also holds a special meaning to Nisal. Translated to good or beautiful life, Nisal explained, “I was the youngest when I joined the restaurant in Italy. I was able to progress in my career and at one point I was in charge overlooking the functioning of the restaurants. There people used to call me Belle Vita as they thought being a foreigner and having such luxuries and a successful career was a great thing. By and by people stopped using my name and called me Belle Vita.”
Stepping into Leonardo by Bella Vita, one is bound to be enchanted by the charming atmosphere. The architecture of the building itself lends to a pleasing aesthetic with dark wooden tones, comfy leather chairs and dim lights. There are two storeys that provides ample space. “When I first arrived, I designed and did everything myself. I believed having being in Italy, I would be able to do it. However, after putting everything together, the feel was not there. That’s when I met Mr Malinda, the architect who designed Leonardo by Bella Vita. He was able to capture my idea perfectly,” revealed Nisal.
The most amazing thing about Bella Vita is of course its cuisine. With a menu that includes nearly 200 dishes, Bella Vita has a range of pizzas, pastas, risottos and much more. The restaurant also carries a comprehensive list of beverages including non-alcoholic drinks such as coffees, mocktails, juices and alcoholic drinks such as a fine selection of wines and exciting cocktails. Pouring through the menu, one could see the careful attention to detail and thought that has gone to make the selection at Bella Vita inclusive to all who visit.
“My goal is to exactly replicate the dishes that are in Italy. Except for chicken, fish and water, all ingredients are brought down from Italy to ensure the authentic taste. We might not be able to replicate the dish 100% due to water and climatic conditions influencing the taste of cheese, but we want to give that ‘Italian feel’ as much as possible. Most people who visit from Italy tell us that the food from Italy and at our restaurant tastes the same,” said Nisal.
One of the challenges that Nisal faced in coming up with the menu is that most pizzas in Italy use pork. To overcome this, while keeping the menu as close to authentic Italian cuisine as possible, he has included a few dishes that are of ‘Sri Lankan style’. “When creating the menu, we took dishes that are suitable and compatible with the Sri Lankan palate. While introducing new items, we are always mindful that we are in the Sri Lankan market. However, there are dishes in Italy that we call as ‘classic’ and those you cannot change. No matter where you go in the world, they should be the same,” explained Nisal.
Nisal revealed that in Italy innovation and technology is used in cuisine as well. “They just use salt and pepper as spices and many herbs. They pay attention to the taste of the food and also to the digestion, how it affects our body.” The same concepts are carried through at Bella Vita to make the dining experience a gastronomical journey full of delight.
The food at Leonardo by Bella Vita is scrumptious, full of flavour and each dish is a sweet surprise to be discovered. Describing the pizzas at Bella Vita, Nisal said, “when you eat the pizza you should be able to taste and experience the taste of the layer, dough, crust, ingredients and the cheese separately. And that is exactly what we provide here.”
When talking about the challenges faced by the restaurant, Nisal explained that there are many challenges especially with the current restrictions and prices. But he remains positive that even though the journey is slow and filled with hurdles, it is worthwhile.
“I want to create history, make something special for myself and for my customers. More than money what I want is to give the very best in terms of quality and cuisine and add this as an important steppingstone in history. I want especially people who know about food and who are interested in food to come and visit here. There is already a crowd who embraces the quality and the good food that we offer,” revealed Nisal.
The future holds new and exciting things for Bella Vita and Nisal as he hopes to serve exclusively Italian dishes in the upper floor of the restaurant. He also hopes to expand the brand and to open a villa and a restaurant closer to the lagoon, complete with a picturesque view and an open kitchen concept. “This is my dream and hope going into the future,” Nisal affirmed.
With such attention to detail and amazing dishes, Bella Vita will undoubtedly have much to offer for the inquisitive traveller and food lover. In your next trip to Negombo, make sure to pop in and experience the taste of true Italy at Leonardo by Bella Vita.
