CAVEAT EMPTOR. HELLO I'M NEW IN DURHAM, SO I LOOKED IN CITYSEARCH FOR A GOOD ITALIAN RESTAURANT TO EAT AND THIS PLACE CAME-UP. HAD A BAD REVIEW, BUT THE REST LOOKED GREAT, SO I GAVE IT A TRY. HERE IS MY REVIEW: BAD SERVICE, BAD FOOD, AND ATMOSPHERE & DECOR THAT IS AT BEST ?????????????

FROM MY SEAT IN THE RESTAURANT, I SAW LOTS OF PAPA JOHNS PIZZAS BEING DELEVERED TO ROOMS, I GUESS THE HOTEL GUEST KNOW BEST.

P.S. I NOTICED THE BAD REVIEW HAS BEEN REMOVED. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THIS CITYSEARCH MEDIUM IS JUST AN ADVERTISEMENT, WHERE THE HOTEL PLACES THERE OWN REVIEWS, AND REMOVE ANYTHING THEY DON'T LIKE. CAVEAT EMPTOR…

Worth a Visit. My husband and I recently visited Bel Gusto on our Anniversary, and we both enjoyed the experience. We were pleasantly surprised by the menu, which is not the usual standard Italian restaurant menu. Although some entrees are pricey, there are plenty of reasonably priced options in the $15-$20 range. The chicken dishes we tried were very good.

Apparently the reviewer who thought the location was "in the hood" was someone unfamiliar with Durham. Located near Duke and Duke hospitals, it is in one of the nicer areas of Durham. We felt perfectly safe and had no trouble parking.

As residents of Durham, we will be back to Bel Gusto.…

Delicious and lovely ambience. I found the restaurant had a lot of character with candles on the tables and low lighting. The service was good and the waitress was helpful about ideas on what to do during my visit. Most importantly, I enjoyed having a martini with my seafood and pasta dish. Also, if your staying in the hotel, you don't have to find parking.…

Don't get your hopes up. My mother-in-law suggested we dine at Bel Gusto because she was staying in the hotel where it's located, so we thought we'd give it a shot. On a Friday night at 6:30, ours was the only party there, which had me concerned. Two hours later, there were only 2 other parties, a worse sign still. The bean soup was tasty though much too salty, and my entree (linguine with a veal meat sauce and sausage) was very good. The food is considerably better than the decor, which reminds me of a cheesy Italian restaurant trying to look expensive. There was no salad bar, which was surprising because their website advertises it, and overall the dining experience was pretty bland. Not a place to take anyone to impress them. Maybe that's why it's located in a hotel.…