Ciao Cielo

The staff are absolute superstars, they were so kind and had amazing chat with them. The food was beautiful, for entree we had oysters and the chargrill octopus. Fantastic, fabulous. We even ordered more oysters. The mains were also amazing, we had the prawn pizza and the crab ink spaghetti, a side of the cauliflower. The superstar was the crab ink spaghetti pasta, highly recommend. For dessert we got a Nutella icecream and tiramisu. Both were fantastic, the nutella icecream wasn’t heavy nor overly powered Nutella, it was perfect.

Gorgeous ambience and space. Super friendly warm staff. Food was nicely flavoured. I adored my pasta, but our we regretted our choice of pizza as it was soggy which made it unenjoyable. Will try a different pizza next time.

2nd visit. 3 adults ordered garlic focaccia, prawns pizza, duck ragu pasta, calamari and salad. All delicious, good temperature and cooked to perfection. Wine and cocktails well made. Good service. Lovely sitting outside. Casual dining outside more sophisticated inside. Price appropriate. Food was so good almost forgot to take pics!

Enjoyed a $10 Aperol Spritz & garlic cheese focaccia during happy hour. The focaccia was absolutely delicious and you can’t beat a $10 spritz!

Ciao Cielo has great potential. We decided to try after every time we drove past it looked amazing and it was great but there were a few things that were a bit disappointing. We asked if we could make a side dish vegetarian and just move the pancetta to the side, but it was completely removed and we still paid full price. Our dinner came out and we requested a few drinks. After 10 minutes we let the friendly staff know, 10 minutes after that our mains were finished and still no drinks, we had to eat my food with tap water... Besides that some of the staff were lovely and helped out the best they could. But when it got busy, things went wayward. I still recommend Ciao Cielo, The food was good and they have a unique menu. I will be going back and giving it another go.

We visited this place based on strong recommendations, but unfortunately, it was a disappointing. We waited at least 80 minutes for a pizza, which turned out to be dry and tasteless—far below our expectations. On a positive note, the wine and other snacks were enjoyable, and the ambiance was cozy and pleasant. However, the long wait for food seemed to be a common issue, as most tables around us waited over an hour as well. 😔

Let me start by saying, WOW. Ciao Cielo isn't just a restaurant. It's an experience. From the moment we walked in, the entire team made us feel welcome and celebrated. (Special shoutout to Zane for rocking that fresh fade – inside joke, you legend!) And not forgetting Tristan for not failing to recommend the most delicious food. Really it was an amazing experience. The food was nothing short of incredible. My daughter had the pizza, and my Bistecca steak was to die for. After our first few dishes, we kept on ordering to try more dishes. It was clear the kitchen put love and passion into every dish. But the true stars of the night were the staff. They were attentive, friendly, and made our birthday celebration truly unforgettable. Pro tip: Booking in advance is a must! This place is clearly a local favorite, and with good reason. In short, if you're looking for a fantastic meal with exceptional service in a warm and inviting atmosphere, look no further than Ciao Cielo. You won't be disappointed!

We were a party of 8 and the staff were so patient and helpful, I noticed staff giving service to the tables around us and front-of-house was really fantastic. We ordered some focaccia to start and others ordered pizza - the dough was perfectly light and fluffy. I had the gnocchi which was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed their meals, definitely a great choice to dine.

Stepping inside Ciao Cielo, you are awed with the great decor. It's gorgeous inside and was possibly an old small church or something. It's quaint and pretty and not too loud, which always is a big help when making conversation. I did find the menu a little limiting. There's not a super wide variety of items, but we made our minds up and dug in. Some of the entrees were really big, and some tiny and pricing doesn't always reflect that when ordering. The mains began to take forever to come out, and tables that ordered after us got theirs first, and eventually when anyone cared to offer an explanation, there were two different answers (which always makes me think they forgot a table). In spite of that, the food was good all around. I had the smoked barramundi croquettes, the margherita pizza and the most delicious brownie with an orange mascarpone. It was SO good. I'd come back again for that alone. Overall ... parking was good, staff were friendly, service slow and spotty, very small pours of wine, staff wearing masks under chin (either wear one or don't), clearing plates away while some are still eating, but the food - which is what you come here for - is really good. I wish there were a few more pastas to choose from, but whatever you order, you know it's going to be delicious. I'd definitely come back again.

A classic Italian restaurant in Port Melbourne! Their decor is absolutely beautiful with high ceilings, and on top of that, the service provided is always above and beyond. We come here quite often to take clients out for lunch. The latest dish we had from here was the grilled fish fillet and it was, as usual, delightful to savour. Their house made pasta and wood fired pizza are also of high quality and delicious. We highly recommend for people to visit Ciao Cielo to catch up with important people as the food and ambience is perfect!

Unfortunately this place suffers from a bit of an identity complex. It wants to position itself as high end dining, but just doesn't have the follow through to pull it off. The food here is really yummy, I gotta say that. We all loved our dishes. But the seating environment and service and prices just don't add up. For example, our six seater table was made up of different sized tables meaning people had to sit in awkward positions and we had to be careful to stop glasses falling off. The chairs and tables were also all uneven and rocking about, which is really annoying. When I raised these things, one waitress kept telling me "mate, they're two tables" as if I was stupid and didn't understand that we were six people sitting at two tables brought together. I mean, sure, usually I would be willing to laugh that off or overlook it if she just straightup said "hey sorry we don't have standard sized tables". However, why the attitude/sarcastic remarks? And also at $75+ per head, you expect a little more quality/attention to detail than a bunch of mix-matched cafe tables. This sort of inadequate vibe/experience applies to everything in the place, except the food. Just incompetent and half-way service, which really put a damper on everything. Small dish adjustments would really confuse the waiter. The waiter insisted on keeping our wine bottle in the back but we sat with empty glasses for most of the night. Just stuff like that, a lack of attention to detail, constantly. That said. We had a variety of steaks and pastas for mains, and they were all pretty good. However, the bread was hard and seemed like it was straight out of the refrigerator, at which point I couldn't be bothered interacting with the staff anymore and just wanted to enjoy our meal. Basically, at the end of the day, my issue with this place boils down to the pricing. You're paying premium prices for really basic service/ambience and some above average (but not jaw dropping) food. I wouldn't come back I don't think, but we had an okay night all in all.

This place is FANTASTIC !! Best meal and service in Melbourne. I have been walking past here for years and never noticed this little restaurant (big mistake for me) The service has always been brilliant and the food is amazing Highly recommend that everyone has a meal here at least once !!

How have I been bypassing this amazing restaurant all this time? What a little gem. Beautiful, classic Italian / modern European meals, perfectly presented, beautifully fresh and so beautifully balanced. Fresh Italian style bread made on site with house made herb butter & black salt flakes. Yes please... Delicious wine list. Delicious desserts. Flawless & friendly service. Intimate space, beautiful Art Deco style interior, lovely atmosphere. Beautiful lunch menu, an absolute steal at $35 (two courses including wine). Will be bringing friends and family here for sure. x

Ciao Cielo is one of my favourite finds of this year. I have been quite a few times. They do modern European / Italian executed perfectly. It has a relaxed ambient atmosphere and top quality amazing food. At nights they have a Diner menu of which I have sampled a number of dishes; the Prawn Pasta, lamb rack, and the and the Glazed spitchcock Quail stand out in memory. All of the dishes have been fantastic. The Wine List is really great and the staff are more then happy to help in selecting the best drop to go with my meal. Also on weekends they do a great Brunch. The Duck Arrancini balls are a staple I always order. There is a breakfast and lunch menu available on the weekends, with really good coffee to go with it. The service is always friendly and professional. I keep going back as every time I know it will be a consistently good, enjoyable experience.

My partner and I were after a quick coffee before I headed off to the airport and found Ciao Cielo. An amazing little Italian cafe. I ordered my usual hot chocolate and I have to admit after travelling through Europe and never thinking Australia could top my tasting experiences, this by far was the most delicious and mouth watering hot chocolate I have ever had. I cannot wait to go back there again... I think it has become my new local and I am definitely looking forward to trying some of their food on the menu!

The place has moved but largely the same. Good food but totally underwhelmed by the lack of service; we had to continually ask for drinks throughout the night". They had to come back to retake our food Ofer because they threw out the order. The head server has a bit of an attitude being rather indifferent to the poor service. Would I go back again? Well the food was good but not that compelling to outweigh the rest of the experience. Melbourne has a lot of better experiences very close by on offer.

You shouldn't yelp during a meal - it's generally considered impolite. But I couldn't help yelping at Ciao Cielo, especially when I tasted the Beetroot and Ricotta Ravioli with Moreton Bay bugtails. This was summer on a plate and showed cooking skills at the highest level. It's a fresh, light dish and this is a fresh, light restaurant, with service and a welcome to match. Whether you are passing through Port Melbourne or live nearby, I would really recommend a visit.