Bella Italia restaurant reveals new location in west Fort Worth
Bella Italia, a little-known but insiders’ favorite westside Italian restaurant for 38 years, will move 1½ miles west and reopen in spring 2026, a spokesperson said Monday.
Bella Italia will replace Fitzgerald in the Village at Camp Bowie shopping center at 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd. It’s the fourth location for chef Carlo Croci’s traditional Italian restaurant with a close-knit neighborhood following.
Bella Italia will close its current location, 5139 Camp Bowie Blvd., about Dec. 31. The land has been bought for a Fort Worth investor’s new development that is expected to include a restaurant from Aspen, Colorado.
Bella Italia moved to the boulevard in 1988 after leaving a smaller location in the Wedgwood neighborhood.
At the time, that corner at Camp Bowie and Merrick Street was considered a star-crossed location. Seven consecutive restaurants had failed.
In a 1988 Star-Telegram interview, Croci said: “I’m not going to worry about why other people didn’t make it. I think I can.”
The restaurant also opened a location in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bella Italia is known for game dishes such as ostrich, pheasant, antelope, venison, elk, caribou and bison along with house grappa.
The restaurant is open for dinner by reservation weeknights and Saturdays. It enforces a dress code; 817-738-1700, bellaitaliafortworth.com.
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 4:46 AM.
