Ciao

I have visited Ithaca several times and every time I am in town I eat here!!! Prices are modest and the food is delicious!!! Service is friendly and courteous!! Facilities are kept clean and orderly! Plenty parking and plenty to choose from!!! Bring your friends, family and colleagues you will love it!!!

We have only done takeout… Lobster ravioli was great… enough that I am torn between repeating that each time , but guessing the other options would have to also be that good. We have ordered their baked wings a few times. They are not buffalo wings-they’re an Italian restaurant, but they are a very tangy caramelized onion sauce. They taste great and are VERY moist and plenty meaty! (It’d be nice if there were an option to add Calabrian peppers for heat, but they are really good as is!) They were super busy with takeout orders, a lot because people were not ready with their payment, but the staff remained pleasant, helpful and all hands on deck.

Palento fries were lacking flavor and I was expecting way more from them. The sacchetti pasta and ravioli were good but the lobster ravioli was on the sweeter side wheras the sacchetti was very rich with cheese. Portion sizes for both were on the smaller side.

$20 for 4 lobster ravioli. Thats $5 each. In this economy that is just ridiculous. Not to mention the water they force on you is disgusting. Im not happy with the price and the staff was ok but a bit slow. I cant really recommend this place. If you do go I would definitely ask how many your getting of something before ordering

The food was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing! Amy was our server and she was so kind, high-energy, and genuinely sweet. She made the whole experience even better. We ordered pizza and it was incredible. Highly recommend!

It's an okay experience. If I wasn't vegan I'm sure it would be better. I did enjoy the Bruschetta. The dish I ordered for my entrée was just okay, the gnocchi.

Visited on a busy Saturday evening and was seated in roughly 10 minutes. Service was prompt and friendly. My server AB was very pleasant and attentive. I ordered the pizza Giordano, polenta fries, and a cannoli of course. Pizza was fresh and tasty as always and the polenta fries were hot and crisp. I definitely could not finish everything, yay for leftovers. Will be visiting again.

The food here is so, so good! I love a good Italian place and this is definitely it. The atmosphere is intimate and the lights add to the restaurant for sure. I went there on a date and there was so many other couples there too so it’s for sure a nice place to take your significant other. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the service. We’re both in our early 20s so I guess we looked young but I didn’t like how the waiter called us “kiddos” and attended us a lot less than the other tables around us. Two tables left before us that got there at the same time. We had to wait a while to get refills and when we did it wasn’t even from our waiter for another worker who saw us looking for our waiter. Overall though, Ciao is a gorgeous place and it has great food. Finding parking was also really easy when we went.

The pizza at Ciao is very good! Definitely a place to visit again with family and friends.

Quick trip to Ithaca to thrift and stopped by here again, started off a little rocky because they were absolutely packed. The waitress was super polite and apologized for late food and pizza having sausage which we didn't order but was really good. All the food was gone and then they gave us 2 free deserts for the mess ups. We weren't upset at all but we definitely love free deserts lol. We will be back again.

5 stars so delicious, from the start with the bread and oil , I had lobster ravioli, yummy !!!! My wife always gets pizza . I would say my favorite pizza !!

Came here to try the chicken parm, and was not disappointed. The cutlet was relatively thin and crispy, and the sauce was a mix of sweet and tangy. One suggestion would be to have the cheese melted a little longer. I would have also liked a bit more sauce on the pasta. Other than that, the service was average. My waiter was quick to bring out the food, which was extremely desirable, but I waited over 15 minutes to receive the check. Nevertheless, throughout my meal, she frequently asked if I needed anything and was attentive. The atmosphere at Ciao was spectacular and definitely creates a comfortable dining experience. I would say it is one of the best Italian restaurants in the area all things considered.

Ordered fettuccine Alfredo and tiramisu for pickup on a Wednesday night. As a dinner menu item, I would think that bread/salad and Parmesan may be included as part of the $18 price point. Nope - just the pasta, sauce, 3 chunks of mozzarella and a garnish. The dessert was alright - middle of the road. The hostess was pleasant enough when I paid and picked up and the restaurant was busy.

Went to Ciao with a few girlfriends last Saturday night and was really pleased with my experience. The last few times I've been here I've been kind of disappointed, but this time made up for it. I now realize that for me, Ciao is all about the pizza! I don't think I'll be ordering their entrées from now on, but their pizza was amazing. I ordered a margarita pizza and added onions and roasted peppers to it and it was absolutely delicious. I also wanted to shout out to our server Rachel who was extraordinarily sweet and helpful. It was a super busy night, and Rachel kept checking in on us and had a smile on her face the whole night. It's unusual these days to have a waitperson with such a good attitude! So thanks, Ciao and rachel for a great birthday celebration !

My family has been coming here every Saturday night for years. Always a five star experience for us. I don't believe they take reservations, but if you're willing to eat dinner on the earlier side around 5:30, there shouldn't be a wait. My go-to is always the eggplant parm. The right mix of crisp yet tender and love the angel hair pasta that comes with it. Need to shout out Heather and Brandon, who always provide such great service.

Great pizza, great drinks, and great vegan options! Since a recent food allergy in my family, it has been harder to find restaurants that work for everyone. Ciao was very accommodating and the food was great! The service was super fast and friendly as well.

Took a day trip to Ithaca with the family and was a great outing. I was researching restaurants that are family friendly and this was one of the top spots open today. The service was great not pushy and servers didn't hover. The food was fairly priced and generous portions. The only criticism I have is the complimentary bread could have been a bit better ration bread to oil. Also a side salad for main dishes would be a great compliment.

Fresh bread was to die for! Reasonable prices for such a high quality meal. You can tell everything is made fresh in house! Definitely recommend taking advantage of the call ahead to ensure prompt seating when you arrive. Friendly and attentive staff. Very cool to watch the pizza being prepped. My go to Italian spot in Ithaca!

Have been going here and/or taking out for years. I love their wood-fired pizza! I know I should give other dishes a try, but I almost always order the same thing!! Hubs enjoys their pizza too, but he also really likes the salmon. We have always had good service as well.

Nice choice of Italian American food in cozy atmosphere and excellent service . Had baked meatballs as appetizer and lobster ravioli- absolutely delicious. Busy most times but worth the wait even if need be.

So I have to give Props where props are due. The chicken parm is the best I've had! Our waitperson was lovely and attentive. Now for the bad news... This past week Ithaca, NY has seen some record highs and Heat Advisorys and warnings. This was the main reason for going OUT to dinner. Once seated, I did not feel a breath of AC! I'm guessing the temp inside the restaurant was at least 80 degreees. I was fanning myself and another diner said "it's always like this in here in the summer! They don't turn down the AC". I asked the server if they could ask to turn the AC cooler and they said "I can ask but they won't do it"! It was so uncomfortable it made the experience unenjoyable. We had to ask for our food to go. 0/10 !

This is one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to. We had Orancini, gnocchi, chicken parm, and lasagna. Service was excellent as well. Their "blush sauce" is amazing- creamy and delicious. The marinara does not disappoint and the olive oil/bread was superb! I don't live here but I will definitely remember to stop in again if I'm in the area.

FOOD STINKS !! That's not Italian. No spices. Over frien chicken pArm , no home made anything. !! Pasta and meatballs are all off the food truck. Nice bar area, service is great. But food is overpriced for the American Italian junk they are serving

The service and food here was amazing. The was a timing issues with being seated and getting food took a little longer as well, but it was worth the wait. The steak was tender and juice like i like it and the drinks they served was topnotch. I am definitely going to go back in the near future.

Very disappointed. We have been wanting to eat here for a long time. Finally found ourselves in ithaca after 4:00 pm. The atmosphere was nice, the waitress was great ! The wings were different but very good. The +, crust was a cracker ! Personal size pizza I'm SO glad we didn't order two ! Left half on tablet. Grabbed a Chapolte on the way back home. We definitely won't return !

Great service, friendly atmosphere, tasty food! It was BUSY on a Saturday night before a comedy show, but so good.

We had a family dinner at Ciao recently to celebrate a birthday. We arrived right as they opened and were greeted and seated promptly. Our server introduced himself and took our drink orders. He was friendly, helpful and attentive. I started with Arancini for appetizer and it was delicious! My main course, however, was not so good. Though the portion was generous, I found the chicken to be dry and the potatoes to be too salty. Everyone else at our table enjoyed their meals....so I chalk it up to a poor choice on my part. For dessert, I ordered the Limoncello Marscapone Cake.....and it was SO GOOD!!! Overall it was a very nice dinner with excellent service so we will be back!

Too expensive for mediocre food and the dessert we got was rotten/spoiled. Was so dark in the restaurant we couldn't see our food very well.

Today was the 27th wedding anniversary of my wife, Evelyn, and me. Ciao is our usual choice for our anniversary dinner unless we are away on vacation. Our daughter treated us. I had the Tuscan Steak (sans shrimp as I am allergic) and a glass of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon. My wife had the Shrimp Savona with a glass of Lambrusco. My daughter had the Steak & Gorgonzola with a strawberry daiquiri. Our server was Mollie, a pleasant person and a professional server. Mollie even took the time to make sure that everything was well with us and asked if our car windows were up, as it had started to rain. Erica, the General Manager, had also stopped by to make sure that all was well with us. For dessert, I had Cannoli. My wife had a New York Cheesecake, and my daughter had a Chocolate Mousse. Our meals were well prepared and tasted superb. The price was reasonable for a family of three. I would definitely recommend Ciao Restaurant to anyone interested in fine dining with a relaxed, ambient atmosphere.

A very good Italian restaurant in a small town! In town for a baseball tournament and in the mood for pizza so we tried this place that was a 2-3 minute drive from the hotel and we weren't disappointed! I went with a pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella and roasted red peppers and it was very good! My son went with just a cheese pizza and, the pizza connoisseur that he is also thought it was very good. We started with the arancini balls (risotto stuffed with mozzarella) with red sauce and pesto. Those were very tasty, even my son liked them and he doesn't usually eat stuff like that. Nice quiet atmosphere, service was very good. They also had a bar with a TV and it looked like a nice place to sit and have a drink. Give em a try!!

We have been to Ciaos a few times and it was decent. Last night, we ordered takeout and it was the absolute worse! We ordered 2 wood fire pizzas and the chicken parm. First of all, the pizza was tiny in stature and very little sauce or flavor. They were both the size of personal pizzas for $20 each. The chicken parm was overcooked, had no flavor, and once again, zero sauce. The pasta was edible, but again, no sauce! After this, we are done trying. We like the atmosphere but it is not the Antlers quality. You do not get what you pay for here! I wasn't expecting the $64 dollar tab for 2 personal pizzas and chicken parm when I picked up.

Great service and excellent food. Waitress was quick with orders since we had two young ones with us. Our food came out fast for the amount of people within.

Prompt friendly service. Our food was tasty and well prepared. It was not as crowded as many Ithaca restaurants and is handy to Cornell University.

I have to say, this coming from a first generation Italian, this place knows good food. Usually any chicken dish is a good barometer of the kitchen and this place is on point. Not overcooked or dried out, just right! Pizza was also right on. The wood oven really does the trick giving you the perfect crust. We also had the bruscetta and most places give you some under-ripe pink substitute for a tomato, not here. They were ripe and flavorful. This is the place to go.

Wanted to try a new spot for Italian and was hopeful as the place was teeming with locals! Unfortunately, I was disappointed. If anything, the price and portions are at least generous. Bread service was sad, with basic slices and basically raw garlic in bad olive oil. I had the Rigatoni Scarpiello and my friend had the Lobster Ravioli. The ravioli was actually good, with a garlicky cream sauce. However, my rigatoni was served with the pasta under al dente and dry chicken. Perhaps their pizza is better, but not that excited to try again...

Can I just say Spettacolare!!! Imagine this: a group of a dozen touristy types show up 15 minutes before closing time and all want to seat together... and they accommodate all of us. And the waitress obviously had superpowers as she handled all of us ... did I mention there were six tweens? What about the food Mr. Reviewer? you must be asking... can I say Spettacolare again! Tasty, good Italian food at really decent prices... especially in somewhat pricey Ithaca area, where I've been dropping some mint eating, I affirm that this joint has really good food for really decent prices. I saw a lot of different dishes being scarfed up at the speed of good food, and good wine being consumed. At the end, incredibly enough, the super hero waitress gave us individual checks! I most highly recommended this place!

Make sure to stop here if you want great Italian food. The food was well prepared and delicious. On top of that, our waitress was friendly and attentive. We will be back to ciao!

A nice Italian/Wood fire pizza restaurant near Ithaca. Our waitress was outstanding. The menu is a bit limited, but the dishes that they do offer are quite good. I tried the Tuscan saccheti, which was delicious. Portion size was a bit small. They limit every party to one loaf of bread and oil, which I think is ridiculous. Bread is not something to be trying to save money on.

This was a real disappointment. The food was subpar, but no it was bad. The lasagna was overcooked. I couldn't eat it. Thankfully I ordered the house salad which was great. Service??? What can I say? I another world. It's a shame this was one of my go-to places. Off the rounds for a while.

Had this place twice. Both times I've ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. The first time the Alfredo was amazing; the chunks of mozzarella and basil really made the dish. The second time was not so great; there were no chunks of mozzarella or basil (just parsley bits) also the sauce was very broken. The service is great but the food consistency really needs work.

I usually always order the Alfredo and it's pretty good with the chicken, has lots of flavor within the chicken but without the chicken it has slim to none of what I would call Alfredo flavor, I usually have to add lots of cheese. WHATS different about the Alfredo tho is the noodles for example : you get fettuccine slim to no flavor, you get penne it has flavor and it's amazing which I find odd. Service: The serving size is usually too much or too small ( not blaming them on me being small.) but personally i ask for no parsley at all on my Alfredo yet the one time i had no parsley on my Alfredo was on my birthday and that was the only time at all. Most servers are actually really good but some don't listen and i find that annoying. Ambience: Its a enjoyable atmosphere, you get a fun vibe and its usually packed around 6-7 , I find the waiters quite nice.

This is one of our go too take out spots. The food is always fresh and delicious. It's a good place to dine in or sit at the bad as well.

I don't live in the Ithaca area but when we do go /ciao is a must for the margarita pizza! Love it

I purchased a number of pasta dishes for takeout that were ok. Sadly, the $16 I spent on shrimp scampi was a total waste of money. There were FOUR small shrimp in a sea of lemon slices and fettucine. I wish I was exaggerating about these little bitty shrimp. Not bigger than the top part of my thumb. I called them and asked if there was an error. The man on the phone said, "Yeah, so? That's how it comes." I continued to respectfully express dissatisfaction. He hung up on me. I eat take out dinner 3 x per week for my family of 4, and I live locally. I don't mind paying for what I get. BUT, unless they make this right, I WILL NEVER EAT FROM CIAO'S AGAIN! This person's attitude was abysmal. And I sincerely regret the 25% tip I left.

Great family restaurant! Their portions are MASSIVE , the chicken parm is the size of both my hands combined. I was able to replace the spaghetti noddles with fettuccine and have bolognese instead of marinara, so they seem quite flexible about substitutions. One of my friends was even able to get a red cream sauce (half marinara, half Alfredo) which was great. The bread is also delicious and highly recommend both the chicken and eggplant parm, especially considering what a great deal it is - enough for two meals for me. note: I visited in March.

For a local Italian-American restaurant, Ciao provides great food and service, and I'd call it a step up from your regular Olive Garden. We came around 3pm on a Sunday, and there were still a good number of parties there, so expect crowds during peak dining hours. The menu has a pretty standard selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, and other entrees. Don't expect anything really innovative and unique, but what they have, they do well. We ordered the arancini, which were perfectly crispy on the outside, cheesy and gooey on the inside, and complimented by a tomato sauce and pesto. I had the eggplant parmesan, which came with a lot of pasta, enough for two meals. The eggplant itself was really well done and flavorful. I'd also recommend the chicken wings, which are baked and not fried, and are really meaty and delicious. Service was great. Our waitress was friendly and very attentive to us. She packed up our leftovers, which is always a really nice touch. They use compostable containers which are prone to absorbing sauces, so she put a layer of foil at the bottom of each of them to ensure that wouldn't happen, again, going above and beyond. Overall, a good place for lunch or dinner, if you're okay with the busyness of the place. The menu isn't a groundbreaking culinary adventure, but they have the classics and they do them very well.

My party of 2 walked in to Ciao on a Saturday night in June and we were seated promptly without any wait. We shared a Caesar salad, linguine pomodoro, and margherita pizza, and we really liked everything! The greens on the Caesar were crisp. The pomodoro was flavorful and appeared to have been made with fresh tomatoes. The pizza sauce, crust, and fresh basil were all excellent. The only parts of our food that weren't top-notch (but that were still perfectly good) were the croutons and Parmesan on the salad and the mozzarella on the pizza. The service was fast and attentive, though a little faster than we would have liked for savoring our meal. All in all, we were very happy with our trip to Ciao.

On a visit to Ithaca NY my husband and I were looking for a lighter dinner. We chose Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza and Pasta based on good ratings from Yelp. When we arrived the parking lot was packed (on a Monday night). We expected a wait, but were seated immediately. We ordered the Quattro Formaggio pizza. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive. The 11 inch pizza arrived after a short wait. It was perfectly cooked with bubbly cheese lightly browned in spots just the way I like it. The cheese blend was in my opinion great with herbs mixed into the cheese. The restaurant was attractive and clean. Also obviously very popular with a variety of ages. I would definitely go again if I was to travel through the area. I recommend it.

We called ahead to see if they could get our party of ten in on a Saturday night. They said sure when many other restaurants could not accommodate. Waitress was not super friendly but was fine. Food was good. Three people had the chicken parm which was huge and all said it was very good. The bite I had was as well. The Tuscan Sachetti and Rigatoni Scarpiello were both good. The sangria was good. Reasonable prices. Would go back if in town again.

food was really good service was pretty recent and wait time was fairly fast. While I was there, I paid my bill and thought I had placed my wallet in my backpack. Apparently it fell to the side and I did not notice it. I left the restaurant and apparently my wallet. In my wallet where my credit cards all the money I had saved waitressing all summer along for this trip with my grandchildren. Apparently somebody must've picked it up. Did they know that there were more than just credit cards and money in that wallet special memories, and some pictures of my disease children which I may never ever ever replace. I don't care about the money I can work and make that money again it'll take a while, but I can. The credit cards will canceled when I am upset about is that no one returned that wallet even if you had taken everything out and left the wallet with the things that I hold cherish there I could live with that but apparently the person who took it doesnt have a conscience . if only that person would return it, I would be very grateful my license my Medicare cards for my insurance for my health insurance is in it replacing those things as a great deal of trouble and the pictures that held close to my heart wish there was a way for me to keep my faith that people can do the right thing.

Our realtor brought us here after we bought our first home in Ithaca. It was lovely to dine there and I had Ravioli which was delicious. I would recommend this if you like Italian food.

Food: great food for a visitor. Ambience: What's the right etiquette when dining in? keep your conversation to your own. Two guests (lady and a guy) who annoyingly been talking loudly the entire time (treats this like a bar)... and the 'like' counter has gone home due to the numbers of 'likes' I heard. Hope the restaurant does something to this type of guest.

Came here on a Friday night and waited ~30 minutes to be seated. Was rudely greeted by the hostess when I arrived exactly 5 minutes after the text that my table was ready. Ordered the bruschetta to start, was really delicious and served quickly (5/5). Ordered a pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and peppers and it was alright, nothing special (3/5). Finished with tiramisu which is always good at Ciao (5/5). I had half a pizza for leftovers and asked for a box, to which the server returned with a TINY pasta container (see photo). I asked for a regular take out pizza box instead and she very rudely provided it. The entire dinner service the waitress was unfriendly and couldn't explain anything on the menu when I wanted clarification. I couldn't wait to get out of there. Food was very good, but the terrible treatment by the hostess and waitress caused me to knock down a star.

This restaurant has become a family favorite, and clearly we're not the only ones who are really enjoying this place. I just brought my grandmother here for her birthday dinner last night and the place was packed. We were still seated quickly though and service for the entire night was really fantastic. Anyway, we started off with the calamari fritti and zucchini, and the dish was delicious. I order my personal favorite dish on the menu, the linguine with red clam sauce, for dinner. My grandmother and mother, on the other hand, split one of the wood-fired pizzas. Considering the number of people in the restaurant especially, the food was served promptly...and it was all cooked perfectly. The ambiance is comfortable, even if some people here on Yelp have mentioned they think it looks like a chain restaurant inside. I can't say that was ever my first thought when visiting...I just consider it a nice, casual place to go when you're looking for something a bit classier in style than what you may find in college-town or whatnot. Take the time to visit Ciao for a great meal and you won't be sorry. By the way, the Limoncello Marscapone Cake is scrumptious and I would totally recommend it - ya know, assuming you have any room for dessert by the time you've made it through your meal. :)

I was looking forward to eating here because the reviews suggested it would be a really good meal. I came on a Monday evening and they were already busy but I was seated immediately. It took only a quick minute for my waitress to come and take my drink order. I order the chicken parmigiana. They brought out some bread with oil which was ordinary at best. I was disappointed that my meal didn't come with a salad, this is the only Italian restaurant I've been to in years that didn't serve a salad with the meal. My meal came out in a good amount of time. However, the chicken was either over cooked or had been frozen at some point because it was not tender and juicy but rather dry and tough. The meal was $14.95 which based on the quality and lacking a salad , I think was overpriced. Will not come here again because there are other places better and less expensive than here.

Very good food and lively atmosphere. Highly recommend. A great local gem. Had the chicken parm there as well and it's fantastic. Great staff as well.

Good food and good service is hard to find in a college town. I used to attend SUNY Oneonta and even though they have two different colleges (SUNY and Hobart) nothing as good as this place. I highly recommend eating here.