Ciao

I was recently here with friends for a cozy dinner on a chilly icy evening. The ambiance at Ciao is very comfortable and relaxed, so it was perfect for a girls' night out. Our server was superb! She was very friendly, relatable and cool. When we commented that we were surprised the restaurant didn't offer filtered water or even bottled water, she agreed with us that it didn't make sense in an upscale restaurant like Ciao- as opposed to the manager's more defensive reaction. Her overall demeanor was very chill while professional and efficient. By the way, they did offer San Pellegrino sparkling water at a price, of course. Our dinners were excellent! Our salads preceding our meal were very fresh and more than you would expect from a basic salad. I had a chicken Alfredo entree light on the sauce and it was perfectly delicious. My other friends opted for a fish special and both raved about it. Pictures of our dinners are posted below. Highly recommend this restaurant!

This place...Of all the restaurants in Toledo, this is one of the most confounding, inconsistent places I can think of. One visit, it's one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Hands down, blows away Mancy's, Incorvia's, M-Osteria, Sebastiano's, Rosie's, etc. The thought and creativity in some of the dishes is so far beyond the others that it makes the competitors look like they're serving canned ravioli. Unfortunately, the next time, it's reminiscent of a sophomoric attempt at what a nice restaurant with fine dining should be. I've been disappointed here more times than happy or satisfied. It's frustrating as I know how good this place can be. This was a visit of satisfaction and fulfillment. They hit the mark every time on this visit. OUTSTANDING!Main Street Ventures (I believe that's the corporate name for the owner) is based out of Ann Arbor. Real Seafood, Zia's, The Chop House and the former Grazzi's are all theirs. There may be more places, but this is a fairly representative list of their restaurants. They use an on-line service for reservations (Resy???) that has a link on their website. I tried to make a reservation for 3 of us at 6:00 last Saturday with no success. I will say that Resy is a great thing. I've never had an issue with them. Now, I know they don't reserve the tables in the bar, so I thought we'd give it a try without a reservation. I really like sitting in the bar at Ciao as it has a nice vibe to it.Anyway, the hostess and dining room manager (?) greeted us at the reception desk and explained that they had no tables, but we were invited to grab seats at the bar, have a drink and a table should be available in 20-30 minutes. We took them up on the suggestion and low and behold, our table was ready by the time we were served our cocktails. I'd say it was no more than a 10-minute wait. My Martini was pretty good (I had to request it to be stirred and not shaken), but I ordered it dry and that's how it was made. Nice!We were seated in the bar and things just progressed very nicely. Our waitress was great (sorry, I can't remember her name, but she had long, blond hair and was just great). She didn't rush us but was available for requests/needs. Our water glasses were always full, extra bread was brought to the table pretty quickly, etc. The meal started and it was great.Started with the house salads and one of our dinner guests wanted the soup instead. The salads were wonderful - fresh, crips greens, gorgonzola cheese, and that nice balsamic vinaigrette. My only quibble is the croutons aren't homemade anymore. I was told the soup (Tuscan Tomato???) was great! The entrees...Two of us ordered the shrimp scampi with fettucine. The shrimp was cooked to perfection. the pasta was fresh pasta, and it was perfect too. The sauce was a nice balance of garlic, wine, lemon, sundried tomatoes, spinach, etc. The dish wasn't over-sauced, the garlic wasn't too strong, etc. It was as close to perfect as one could hope for! Absolutely delicious! The other dish was pollo mostarda. It's a chicken dish with figs, goat cheese and kale (WOW!). I believe the sauce is made of a wine (I didn't try it, but I bet it's a marsala wine) and a grainy mustard with some herbs, etc. It looked AMAZING. It's served with a deep-fried risotto cake (it could have been pan fried - either way, it looked delicious). I almost ordered it, but I really don't like kale. I guess they would have subbed spinach if I asked, but I really wanted the shrimp. Next time for the pollo!My dining companions split a chocolate mousse and said it was one of the best they've ever had. We all ordered coffee. The coffee wasn't that great. Tasted like Keurig. Weak, thin, no body, nothing great.So, I don't go here very often because it is expensive, yet inconsistent. Drinks are $10 bucks for the well booze. Entrees are $20-$40 depending on what you order, of course. Desserts are around $10 bucks, and coffee is something like $3.50. With the tip, it's an easy $50+++ per person. That's a lot of money for something that may be a huge disappointment. If it was consistent, I'd put this place back on the regular rotation.If you've not been, I would suggest trying it. The kitchen staff appears to be on top of their game and the floor manager is paying attention. The wait staff is doing a great job, and we had a wonderful time last Saturday. Ciao managers, please step back and take note of what's going right. You're nailing it!!! Don't change anything (except stop shaking your Martinis!)!!!Ciao!

If you're looking for a fancy dinner out with a cozy atmosphere this is your spot! Staff is always on it and so is the food. Not much room for substitutions but their are enough choices for everyone, maybe not for kids though.

Get the Alfredo da Tavola delicious! It's enough for two or more to share as an appetizer. Always great service with inventive Italian courses. Old school dark, cozy and romantic.

Has a great experience overall at this restaurant. Our appetizers fell as little flat (calamari wasn't crispy and pizza was supposed to have mushrooms) but still were eaten and enjoyed by the table.The real star was the cheese wheel experience, which both looked and tasted excellent. As was the bolognese and dessert.Very affordable and great warm staff made this a must recommend. FYI, there's also a bar area for a more casual hang out and live music.

Ciao has excellent food! A great place for a free birthday meal. The table-side Alfredo is amazing! The filet was also top notch. The service is good, but their policy for reservations stink. You must call an hour and a half before the time needed. Even if there are tables available they will only seat you in the bar without a reservation. They don't open for lunch so you really need to make the reservation the day before. The ambiance is nice, but could use a little update. Maybe some bright white Italian pottery and get rid of the fake grape vines and bad art. Overall, a great experience.

It was my first time at Ciao, late on a Monday evening on the way home from a business trip. The place was surprisingly packed. Live music was playing, and the atmosphere was upscale delightful our server made great recommendations and was highly attentive. The food was absolutely delicious. From appetizer to dessert, we loved every bite. We will definitely be back..

Food 5/5Service 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 First time in and had no wait time (no reservation on a Friday night) which was unexpected, but was sat in their bar side booths. Wine was good and food came out promptly. Would come back, but would recommend a reservation for better seating.

Atmosphere is upscale, relaxed and welcoming. Staff were amazing from start to finish. The food was prepared and cooked really well. I cannot wait to try more of this amazing food. Highly recommend! FYI, approx. 40 per person. It's worth it!

I remember when Ciao opened. I was in high school, and it was a great location to have dinner on prom night. 30 years later, and it still fits that bill. The atmosphere is friendly and approachable, if not outdated, and the menu follows suit. Everything is textbook elevated American Italian fare, with very few risks being taken. The quality and execution are high, and the service is attentive and welcoming. As with all the restaurants involved with "Main Street Ventures" you'll find some issues, like the clunky and slightly malfunctioning digital menus, but overall, Ciao is a wonderfully predictable restaurant, perfect for a very casual evening out with friends or family. ////////////Ricordo quando aprì Ciao. Ero al liceo ed era un ottimo posto per cenare la sera del ballo di fine anno. 30 anni dopo, e si adatta ancora a quel conto. L'atmosfera è amichevole e accessibile, se non antiquata, e il menu segue l'esempio. Tutto è un libro di testo di alta cucina italiana americana, con pochissimi rischi da correre. La qualità e l'esecuzione sono elevate e il servizio è attento e accogliente. Come in tutti i ristoranti coinvolti in "Main Street Ventures", troverai alcuni problemi, come i menu digitali goffi e leggermente malfunzionanti, ma nel complesso, Ciao è un ristorante meravigliosamente prevedibile, perfetto per una serata molto informale con amici o famiglia.