Our waiter, Ramon, was great. The food was delicious and hot unlike other restaurants I have been too. Although it was packed the service was fast!! Not to mention my husband and I sat down immediately upon arrival. I will definitely be going back. Thank you for the great experience! The dish in the photo is the 4 mushroom pasta with cream sauce.
We started out the evening with the meat and cheese board, fantastic! I had the four mushrooms pasta. It was superb. My wife went for the linguine with clams.Great atmosphere. Service was top notch. Bathroom was spotless.we will gladly be coming back here.
Was in town visiting and I ordered the Risotto Tuscany and Lemon cheesecake to-go. Although the flavor of the Risotto was good, the texture was terrible!!! It was stiff, lumpy and partially sauced. Additionally, there was fettuccine mixed in with the risotto - VERY TACKY and not a good look for $22. Clearly the chef takes no pride in his/her work. Had i dined in I would have sent this back and requested a refund. The lemon cheesecake was good though. Nice and creamy with great look lemon flavor. #terriblerisotto @ciaositalian
I absolutely love love love this place! the atmosphere. the authenticity. the staff. the chefs are awesome! the owners are so down to earth.. even though they didnt hire me when I applied 😆 ( I love it that much) I still go there every chance I get! food is delicious!
Fantastic dining experience. We accidentally stumbled into this place while looking for dinner and were pleasantly surprised. It was a very nice looking restaurant with friendly and attentive staff. The food was top quality and everyone loved their dishes. We will definitely be returning.
The atmosphere is very unique, the service is excellent and the food is delicious! I was impressed with the restaurant and I will keep it on my favorites list. The price was reasonable as a local restaurant and not over priced.
Authentic Italian food. Very friendly service. First time in many years since I lived in Italy I have seen dishes that I have not seen anywhere else. My wife and son loved it and I am sure we will be back to taste more of Italian food.You Guys are Awesome. Keep it up
We have been going here for 10 years. But moved away and hadnt been back in 5 years. It has changed so much you wouldnt believe how amazing the new remodeled Ciao, looks. First of all food was great as always. I had chicken Florentino very nice mild sauce. Second they now have a complete deli. And..... a Desert case full of pastries and BEST of all a Gelato case with about 10 different flavors. I had salted Carmel, strawberry and amaretto, Yum.It was our friends birthday and she got a complimentary Cannoli
Service: excellent!Food: next level phenomenal!Ambiance: some kind of amazing!The shrimp ciao dish was as unique as it was delicious. The bruschetta felt like I was bank in a small family restaurant in Vicenza (garlic so potent it almost felt spicy). The house bread was a mouth watering balance of crunchy crust and a warm soft center. I look forward to enjoying another meal here again soon 👍
Great place for a family. The pizzas were delicious.
Bianca was excellent, still love the place and continues to be one of my favorites!
Awesome service, excellent food, nice atmosphere, and fair prices.
Amazing food. Authentic, quality ingredients and amazing sauce. The veal was the best I ever had. The service was incredible ❤
Meal was delicious and the service was friendly. I have been coming for years and will continue to go back.
Not one dish failed is! I grew up in San Marcos and finally came here. The newly remodeled facility is rad. When you walk straight in there is a deli and gelato service. To the left is your casual dining and to your right is fine dining where you get freshly made pasta on the fine dining side. The house bread is really good they have oil and balsamic vinegar to go with it the butter is fantastic. I really like the calamari the breading is very light and crispy. My favorite dish was the short rib stuffed ravioli. We ordered the salmon linguine but I ordered it wrong and got what you see on the picture it was still really good. For those be sure to order with the pasta and if you say salmon only it will come as you see on picture. Pricing is fair and their portion is good. Remarks from their lasagna is that it was good but not the best day Had. Well I finally made it there after 30 years in North County. We will be back
Ciao is my new favorite Italian spot in San Diego! Staff was all super friendly, with AMAZING food, AND a deli so you can take a bit home with you! Great happy hour pricing available at the bar, which is exactly where you wanna be to see the wood fire action right in between the restaurant and the deli! Was in the area three days, ate there two, and wish I had brought more home. Cant say enough about this super cool spot trying to make it through a really tough time.
Really amazing food and the portions are HUGE! Seafood risotto best I ever had. Spaghetti and meatballs were huge and the salads are large and tasty. Highly recommend.
Never to disappoint. Everything Fresh. Hard to find authentic antipasto salad. On-site bread-making and of course fresh to order pizzas and rpastas. Homemade pizza. Ready made freezer items. A complete market deli, gelato freshly made bakery goods, deli needs, cheeses, olives. Complete bar and patio. Including catering & banquet facilities. A North County must.
We just had the best dinner! Service was absolutely amazing! Italian isnt my favorite, but now....it might be.
Food and presentation were both good, that being said the serving sizes were extremely small on some of the dishes especially considering the price of them.
Food was great and the service was pleasant, definitely thankful to be brought here after a 30hr drive straight through from Kentucky.
They have done a marvelous job with the remodel and added a lot of class!! The venue is really nice. Food and service have always been great. Been coming for years. Hope people start returning to support them. Easter brunch was great.
We love this place great service and food
Delicious food and excellent service. I loved the Eggplant Siciliano!! Great ricotta cheese.
A wonderful sleeper. Fine atmosphere. Great food. Excellent service. Happened to stumble on it. Now our go to place when were in the area.
After many years of dining here, SO disappointed in ALL, now that it hasbecome an Ego Palace for owner! Food is suffering and the pricesare ridiculous!! If you like sand in your clams, great chunks of raw choppedgarlic in most everything, cold frizzled calami and rude service, particularly unfriendly, apron stainedbusboy . . . this is the place for you. Only saving grace is the lovelyRussian waitress who tries her best to smooth things over. Wewill miss her.We had our LAST meal here yesterday!! No more Ciao for us!!This place is just low-class Sicilian Italian cuisine!! But in Vista,what does one expect? Not too many discerning customers tobe found here . . . the pizza and beer crowd.
Excellent pasta and risotto. Pizza, salads are excellent. House chianti is excellent.
Probably the best Italian restaurant I’ve eaten at on the West Coast. I’ve spent most of my time eating Long Island authentic Italian food, whether it be from family or restaurants. I can happily say this restaurant meets and exceeds standards for the area. There are two sides to the restaurant, one is more American traditional Italian fare, the other side is much more authentic and Italian traditional. Both are delicious and well worth it. The dishes are fairly priced and the wait staff is knowledgeable and professional. I will be eating here very often.
Pizza was good. Service was fast. They didnt have cold sparkling water for take out
The bartenders and staff for more than generous an accommodating. A good family atmosphere. Most fun Ive had in a long time. I give it a 5-star rating
My family loves this place, Im not a huge Italian food person but I love fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli... however my food here was awful and my Alfredo sauce was like water, it literally wouldnt even coat the pasta .. hands down the worst meal I have had in years... my wife got a pesto pasta that she liked wich is why they got 2 stars instead of 1 ... service was great and our waitress was punctual despite us having a larger party..
Our family loves Ciao both for the amazing food and the welcoming and prompt service. It feels like you have been invited into their home. We have never been disappointed.
Excellent food and service. The place is beautiful
The hostess Stella was really friendly and sweet and got us started off with a nice evening. Had some great pasta and took some dessert home from the deli area afterwards. Great spot and nice people.
My first visit since the remodeling. Food and service still excellent. New building more satisfied customers.
Busy restaurant with plenty to see. The owners family came by on 2 occasions to ask how everything was. I would highly recommend their lasagna. I will be back.
The food is usually really tasty. I tried the 4 mushroom cream sauce with angel hair pasta and it was a little bland this time. The desserts are great. Definitely get tiramisu and espresso after your meal. The wine and drinks are expensive here.
Ive never eaten inside... yet. We get the family wood fire pizza deal... it is amazing get it. Ive had the rum baby and a few other desserts. They were all delicious not as sweet as American desserts which I can appreciate since im from Europe. I dont know if their worth $8 a piece but they were delicious. Definitely try the pizza.
We go to Ciao’s every time we are in Vista/ Oceanside. It has two separate kitchens, one is traditional Italian and the other is a modern/creative version of Italian. We perfect the creative side and It is never a disappointment. My spouse loves the margarita pizza and I like the black ink seafood pasta which is large enough for two people to split.
Amazing restaurant been going here for more than 10 years food is great and the new redesign is very nice
I truly cant rave enough about Ciao-- the absolute best Italian food Ive had outside of actual Italy! Ive been coming here for years and have tried many different dishes from their expansive menus, but still have yet to experience anything less than perfection. My current favorite is the amazing tortellini gorgonzola, but literally all of their food is authentic and always delicious! I also love their fresh, warm bread, and the various indulgent desserts that they have to offer. And how wonderful that theyve expanded to include a bakery, deli, gelato, and mini shop with lots of Italian goods. It doesnt get better than all of this!Best regards to the lovely owners who clearly care so much about the quality of their restaurant and have created this true gem of an eatery. Love this place!
There Ciak pizza special is by far the best pie in town.
*update.. the construction is finished now since the last time I came here. And the place is fantastic. The building is great. The food is still absolutely amazing. From the warm bread the serve to start, to the really great desert options they have on display. If I lived closer I would come every week.It’s under construction on the front right now. But that didn’t stop the good food. The food was absolutely delicious. If you want Italian in this area... check this place out.
Macaroni grill does it better. Still no Italian worth mention here - but desserts are delicious.
An exceptionally fabulous restaurant! The food is of high quality and the variety such as the meat and cheese deli as well as the homemade gelato and deserts are exquisite. We love sitting at the woodfired pizza bar where Hector the chef makes everything with great care in front of his patrons. They understand the value of customer service!
Fantastic restaurant. I really enjoyed their NY style pizza. Great service and ambiance
Wonderful Italian restaurant, they had it all! Generous portions, great value for your money. Had a market, full Gelato bar. Wish we had a place like this in Auburn, NorCal.
The absolute best Italian for miles!! Great service. Amazing Italian themed dishes. Delicious cocktails!
Food okay I had lobster ravioli could taste ty lobster service good Nice place
I loved my risotto and the atmosphere was cheerful.
This was my first time here with my family. I was very impressed with the food and the service that we received. Well definitely be back again soon.
Always enjoy an evening out at Ciao for a wonderful dinner and then picking up some hard to find items in their Italian store and deli.
Best lasagna Ive ever had.
Oh my god the food was amazing, food came quick our sever was very nice
We love coming to Ciao every month for pizza or lasagna with a great glass of wine . The building is gorgeous with the new additional. The service is always efficient and feels like a family affair. A family owned business. Theres patio seating and separate dining rooms for parties or special occasions.
Its busy and still just as delicious! So glad to see a family owned business off the beaten path doing well! House Cab was tasty and the rustic table bread well made! Portion was good as we both took 1/2 home! Even grabbed some Gelato to take home! The open deli and desserts were yummy! A true gem
We love coming to Ciao every month for pizza or lasagna with a great glass of wine . The building is gorgeous with the new additional. The service is always efficient and feels like a family affair. A family owned business. Theres patio seating and separate dining rooms for parties or special occasions. You can sit at the bar. Theres also Gelato bar. Or order to go. The pizza is !
I love this place, food is great, service is top notch. My son is all about the chicken parm and lately Ive been craving wood fired pizza. Meat lovers is great and spinach ricotta as well. Desserts are great too!
What a gem of a restoration in Vista! Ask for Tomaso as your server...he was awesome!
Delicious food. Good service. Pretty atmosphere.
Come on Saturday for happy hour, it’s after 1pm where all the beers are half off. Otherwise the drinks are pretty pricey for the area. We got some pasta with mushrooms, calamari, bruschetta, and paninos. The paninos are the winner as it’s made with pizza dough and then rise and and from this hollow inside. We got the meatball and the chicken parm and it’s enough to feed 4 people. It’s so good! The cocktails are okay though. Service at the bar was great! We sat in the enoteca side.
Ciao is the best! We are never disappointed. We celebrate our birthdays here before we even consider any other restaurant. The meals are always delicious, appetizers are varied, service is always great. Brenda and her staff know how to treat a customer with the best hospitality. In this time during Covid they have taken the proper procedures and guidelines and have received certification from the Ohio Restaurant Association. I would recommend Ciao to everyone!
Amazing dining experience! Chef Emilio out did himself again! The food, the ambiance, and the service was wonderful!
We were in banquet room and had a big group of people. The waitress fir our buffet was awesome .she worked so hard and fast super friendly. She did everything by herself.
The food was excellent, and the entire staff was friendly and so efficient.
I have come here before (years ago) to great food and warm service. Things have changed however. The fish special was not special at all - bland leathery fillet, potatoes crusty, veggies soggy and tasteless. Our server was kind and did gave us the baseline attentiveness the first half anyway. We finished and paid a half hour before closing but remained seated finishing our drinks talking. The place was still 25% full with 30 min left to closing time. Then support staff made every passive aggressive effort to push us out. They even shut off the only heat lamp on us during a chilly night in the 40s. Once we paid we became intruders - no class. I guess their hospitality shrunk as the restaurant grew over the years. They dont take reservations, which means you can end up on the patio. This gives them more capacity, but means you could get stuck outside and have your heat cutoff like you didnt pay the utility bill. By the way, I can make better food blindfolded with far less training. Maybe it was the backup Monday crew in the kitchen? If youre paying the same price as Friday, it is disappointing just the same. Anyway, negative enough to avoid giving them another chance. Bye
Ciao has been a hidden secret of Vistas back hills for a long time. Its great to see more San Diegans visiting their beautiful new expansion to try the food for themselves. Unequivocally the best Italian food in San Diego county - better than any upscale joint in Little Italy or Downtown. Gnocci alla Guiseppe is forever seared into my soul. Go to Ciao, theyre the best.
The food is delicious and the service is fantastic! Very authentic.
Always great food with excellent drinks.
Delicius authentic Italian cuisine and amazing service.
Amazing service and even better staff! Especially Julia she always makes my day with her customer service. :) Their lasagna, gelato and caprese salad are out of this world. 🤩 I would highly recommend stopping by.
The food was delicious! The wait staff were attentive without being annoying. But it was pretty chilly on the patio even though there were heaters. We would go back but sit inside.
My new favorite Italian restaurant! This is my go-to spot for all of my date nights and family outings. Great marinara sauce, warm bread, carafe of wine for around $20- sign me up! I dont even like lasagna but I somehow love theirs. Super authentic and rich flavor. Some of my other favorites are the Chicken Parmigiana, Caesar Salad, and Spaghetti and Meatballs- Great classics. Several of my friends and family also love the Penne alla Vodka and pizzas.They have a large space and a wide variety of offerings so theres something for everyone. Its also family owned and operated so always feels good to support local businesses! Definitely check this place out- you wont regret it.
I ordered food from this restaurant a week ago and I find it extremely expensive and very oily, I don’t think I will ever order unless they cut down on oil and prices, too bad because taste is good, and atmosphere amazing
Amazing atmosphere and even better food. The best Italian food I have ever experienced. They make sure to get the best quality ingredients and that really comes through in the taste. Cant wait to go back for more. I really want to try the whole menu.
Great food, great service and a beautiful atmosphere!
Great food and exceptional customer service
Tried to find a quick place to get food before a movie when we stumbled upon this wonderful restaurant! Incredibly friendly service and the food was magnificent!!! We could not be happier with the view inside as well, a comforting feeling of a small deli market at the entrance and then a five star feel in the restaurant! Don’t even get me started on the view of dessert! Will definitely be back to this establishment.
Just OK. Five of us ate here for the first time on Saturday and while the service was excellent the food fell short. I came in with high expectations based on the reviews but was underwhelmed. For apps we ordered the calamari which were tough and served with a bland marinara. Bruschetta was great though. Entrees were various pasta dishes and just didn’t make anyone rave. Portions were large but no one wants leftovers when the fresh product just wasn’t that exciting. I really wanted to like it but just wasn’t impressed.
Eggplant parmigiana was very bland. Salad was not good. I think the pizza is the best bet with this place.
What a find! The outdoor seating is marvelous! The staff is fantastic-pleasant, personable, friendly and helpful. From our excellent server Tomasso to the greeter who brought our bread and water, to busers. Now on to the food. We were lucky enough to have the owner in the kitchen the day we were there. Best pizza ever.
The best Italian food.
I drove 15 miles to try out this Italian restaurant in anticipation of having a good meal but was disappointed overall. To start, we were given italian bread which was served warm but did not have any crunch to it as Italian bread should. The waiter did not provide an additional plate for the oil and vinegar which they graciously provided. The iced tea was a bit tropical and was very good although I ran dry and was never given a 3rd refill which I kindly asked two times for. The antipasto was probably the best part of the meal but we were not given plates upon delivery to eat it with. My veal parmigiana was pretty good but there was nothing special about the mozzarella cheese they used and they didnt even offer fresh grated parmigiana cheese, only provided the kind you shake from a glass jar on the table. The spaghetti that accompanied the entree was about a 6 on a scale of 10. The server provided me with a side bowl of sauce as he realized there wasnt enough sauce provided on the entree. The waiter brought the check without asking if I wanted a desert. A good waiter will cleanup your table and ask if you would like a coffee, an espresso, some tiramisu or a canola but not this guy. I ordered a gelato and got a small scoop in a bowl with a tiny plastic spoon. Additionally, the gelato did not have much flavor to it. Then they seat another couple 2 away from our table, so much for social distancing. And the bill totaled over $42/person with no wine or alcohol. So overall, a disappointing experience that wasnt worth the drive or the money.