Ciao Papi at River Lodge

Easy onsite parking, easy access off hwy 101. Outdoor poolside dining, pleasant modern decor. Had a margarita, pasta primavera, and a pizza. The food was a disappointment, margarita was okay, but I sent back the pasta, it was cold and the taste was not appealing, the pizza was eatable but there are better pizza options in Paso. Unless its for a poolside drink, I do not anticipate a return visit.

The little motel is so cute! All the decors is so beautiful and you are able to take in all its cuteness while dining at the restaurant. The food is simple yet delicious and our waitress Cody was very attentive. Definitely coming back!

Everything was fine except portions. The cheapest food a restaurant can make is spaghetti and they give children size portions. Check the photo. Is that worth $25+ tax &tip? The quality of food and atmosphere are amazing but you should never leave hungry after a $25 meal. There was so much sauce left over they could have included $.50 more spaghetti and given a good meal.

Last minute plans brought us to Ciao Papi for drinks and apps. Our waiter, Rockie, was helpful in choosing a share app for us. You have to try the salumi tray! It was perfect! Cara, our bartender, made our drinks perfectly! We even got to sample her upcoming seasonal drink that will be added to the spring menu! Atmosphere was nice and cozy. We thought it was going to be cold but they have plenty of heaters and a fire table that kept it warm and very comfortable. We will definitely be back!

Based upon an earlier visit where we ate in the restaurant the atmosphere is lovely. Based upon tonight's takeout order the food is not good, tasteless and ill prepared. The veggie pasta with chicken was so bland and the past undercooked. The fig pizza lacked any seasoning including the "hint of Rosemary" and the buratta salad? It was a box full of chopped tomatoes, no arugula as the description said, and totally no flavor. The bill was over $100 and one of the worst wastes of my money in along time. Will not be returning or recommending.

A gem … even on a chilly night. All the food we had was so yummy! Great bar drinks too. We’ll come back for this appetizer again soon!

Great Tasting food, really nice and chill environment (felt like we were back in Fiji), eating area poolside is a plus, plenty of comfy seating, a good variety of alcoholic drinks (red &white wine, champagne, beer on tap) plus cocktails are surprisingly tasty for how simple they are. Overall a fun little adult date place for an enjoyable little dinner and fun place to stay for a night. (It's all 21+ so no kids) Would definitely come back again just for a cocktail and food.

Full discoluse, one star because my wife and I got food poisoning from Ciao Papi on Christmas Eve, which has ruined our Christmas holiday. Even without that, Ciao Papi is looking at a two-to-three star review. The atmosphere and decorations are top notch. The server seemed pretty green, and the food wasn't great. Lots of little "we don't know how to run a high end restaurant" things like having mismatches between years on wine labels and the menu, "whole" branzino without the head, etc. If this were a moderately priced restaurant, a lot of this would be excusable. At $100+ per person, it's pretty bad. Focaccia: $7: Served with a tellingly un-Italian pre-mixed olive oil and balsamic cup. It is good that they managed not screw up focaccia. Broccolini Florets: $10: Yeah, sure. Nothing wrong with these, but I don't see why an underwhelming little pile of 3 grilled broccolinis draws a $10 price tag. Shrimp and Polenta (part of $75 prix fixe): The shrimp was quite good, but otherwise this dish missed hard. Polenta was loose without being velvety and lacked flavor and salt. Underdone onions didn't help things at all, and the peppers sort of barely worked. As a dish, this was a mess. Scallops (part of $75 prix fixe:) The scallops themselves were good, but the bacon they were wrapped in was overcooked and sort of grey. The brussels sprouts salad they were served with was good for a few bites, and then became a chewing fest. Some softer greens to offset the brussels would have gone a long way. Branzino with confit potatoes (part of $75 prix fixe:) the fish was fine. Underflavored, but not egregious. However, it was listed as "whole," and did not come with the head. We asked for the head, and we were informed that those get thrown out. The potatoes were terribly overcooked. There's a good sauce here, but it's hiding under the fish and potatoes. Better plating to make this more obvious would really help the dish. The server was also pretty clueless about wine pairing here. She was unable to make any recommendation beyond "Lots of people get the red and say that they like it." Asking "which red" made her nervous and she rushed back to the kitchen. Hangar steak (part of $75 prix fixe:) terrible. Low quality piece of beef, heavy on the red wine, light on the salt. Could maybe work if cooked slow and low, but this seemed like a braise n' sear number. Obviously I'm not impressed with the menu overall, but this was exceptionally bad. Go to Denny's for a better steak. Pasta Putadesca (part of $75 prix fixe:) the only impressive bit of cooking we had. Excellent flavors, elegantly balanced, with pitch-perfect pasta. I could gripe about the olives being heavily concentrated, but it really would just be a gripe. This was genuinely quite good. Struffoli (part of $75 prix fixe): Fine. Like the focaccia, it'd be more impressive to see someone screw this up. Ciao Papi shows some promise, but they either need to drastically cut prices or bring their kitchen and service staff up to speed. Paying $400 for a meal that most people present throw up 6 hours later is obviously a very negative experience, but even without food poisoning, there is not a good value proposition here.

The most amazing, gracious, hospitable people especially when my morning brain fog, uncaffeinated self misorders and they offer to make it right for me despite the fact it was my fault. Their espresso and matcha lattes are amazing and we can never get out of there without buying a plant. Great coffee, cute merch, amazing staff.

A casual outdoor eatery. Good for lunch but pricey for the type of food. Nice setting. Service seems slow at times.

atmosphere is gorgeous, but not enough to make up for the food experience. spices didn't work in the dishes we ordered and the pizza was a disappointment. prices are high.

Beautiful open air restaurant, food was delicious had pizza and Ceaser salad all very good. Customer service was great. Next visit I want to dip in the pool.

Kodi, Louie and Anthony (sorry if spelled wrong) were simply amazing. We had pool passes two days in a row at this lovely place. We ate amazing food had great liquid refreshments and some sun. The service, friendliness and professionalism exhibited with their servers was profound. Thank you!

Delicious pizza and the lettuce wraps were perfect! The setting is perfect. What a cool roadside hotel!

We visited again over the weekend and still love this place but the food is really off. Someone please buy some salt and teach the cooks how to use it. The sourdough they are proud of could be delicious but is so bland. The bruschetta, pizza and Caesar salad with the sourdough are all ruined by the blandness of the bread. The burger had no seasoning and either did the bland frittata. I think we spent around $400 on food and drinks during our stay. The drinks are great but the food leaves something to be desired.

Love this little hidden gem in Paso Robles. Beautiful setting and great food We definitely plan to go back soon.

The place is casual, by a motel pool. Warm even in the shade... The waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was very good, with a limited menu.

I love Ciao Papi! Paso really needed a place like this - keep adding! The ambiance is great - it feels like you're in retro Palm Springs. It's an entirely outdoor restaurant, but they've done a lot to keep it comfortable. I probably wouldn't go in the height of Summer, but in the Fall/Spring it's perfect. The food is a highlight!! They have this brussel sprout and caper pasta and I literally went back twice in a week to get it, the textures and flavors were perfect. Their pizzas are super tasty too. The price is slightly high, but not egregious for the area or the quality of food. The cocktails are also pretty good, too - not my FAVORITE but they're tasty. Service has been a little hit or miss when we've gone - everyone has been super friendly, but we had one server the last time we went who seemed a little spacey/out to lunch. Didn't ruin the experience though. Overall I'll definitely keep going back!

We decided to eat here after a long drive up to Paso Robles. A new restaurant within the renovated River Lodge motel, I ordered a "Pool side Hugo", a gin based cocktail with mint. It was so refreshing while sipping away next to their restaurant firepit. Food-wise, we ordered the roasted chicken, the seabass sitting on top of a bed of polenta, and we were served the ciao papi on the house. Everything was fresh and delicious. Service was friendly, the poolside view was great.

Stopped by with some girlfriends for Holiday drinks and appetizers. We had heard so many good things about this place. It was a little chilly. You have to eat outside. They had lots of lap blankets we could use as well as overhead heaters. We had great service from Charlie. We felt like we had made a new friend. The appetizers and focaccia bread were so delicious. They were nice enough to bring us an extra order of bread as we just couldn't get enough. We will definitely come back, but might wait until it is a little warmer.

This was my second time eating food from Ciao Papi. The first was in June. We had eaten there and it was actually really good. Nice server too. Good selection of items. Atmosphere nice. Fast forward to tonight. Got take out. First the Buratta Salad in the website showed greens on the plate. Last time I had an arugula based Panzanilla salad that was delicious. What i opened in the box tonight was a box of cut tomatoes and peaches and a side of very little buratta . No greens like the photo where the description said "a bed of arugula ". Right. The fig and pig pizza was lacking as well. Flavorless. Ever hear of seasoning? The pizza i had last time was the mushroom one and it rocked! My son had the veggie pasta with added chicken and it also was very bland. The total was over 100$. For 2 salads - we got an innocent Caesar that is virtually unable to be messed up- and a pizza and one entree. Seriously the worst take out price value I've come across lately. Me thinks there is a new crew in the kitchen since June...and it's not a change for the better. Not likely to go back any time soon.

Hoping the Panzanella salad was vegan because I love this place. Super dog friendly and chill updates 50s vibe with a creative menu. Great service. Brave the elements and check it out when you're over downtown Paso. The hotel is adorable too! Would love to see vegan options highlighted on the menu.

Full discoluse, one star because my wife and I got food poisoning from Ciao Papi on Christmas Eve, which has ruined our Christmas holiday. Even without that, Ciao Papi is looking at a two-to-three star review. The atmosphere and decorations are top notch. The server seemed pretty green, and the food wasn't great. Lots of little "we don't know how to run a high end restaurant" things like having mismatches between years on wine labels and the menu, "whole" branzino without the head, etc. If this were a moderately priced restaurant, a lot of this would be excusable. At $100+ per person, it's pretty bad. Focaccia: $7: Served with a tellingly un-Italian pre-mixed olive oil and balsamic cup. It is good that they managed not screw up focaccia. Broccolini Florets: $10: Yeah, sure. Nothing wrong with these, but I don't see why an underwhelming little pile of 3 grilled broccolinis draws a $10 price tag. Shrimp and Polenta (part of $75 prix fixe): The shrimp was quite good, but otherwise this dish missed hard. Polenta was loose without being velvety and lacked flavor and salt. Underdone onions didn't help things at all, and the peppers sort of barely worked. As a dish, this was a mess. Scallops (part of $75 prix fixe:) The scallops themselves were good, but the bacon they were wrapped in was overcooked and sort of grey. The brussels sprouts salad they were served with was good for a few bites, and then became a chewing fest. Some softer greens to offset the brussels would have gone a long way. Branzino with confit potatoes (part of $75 prix fixe:) the fish was fine. Underflavored, but not egregious. However, it was listed as "whole," and did not come with the head. We asked for the head, and we were informed that those get thrown out. The potatoes were terribly overcooked. There's a good sauce here, but it's hiding under the fish and potatoes. Better plating to make this more obvious would really help the dish. The server was also pretty clueless about wine pairing here. She was unable to make any recommendation beyond "Lots of people get the red and say that they like it." Asking "which red" made her nervous and she rushed back to the kitchen. Hangar steak (part of $75 prix fixe:) terrible. Low quality piece of beef, heavy on the red wine, light on the salt. Could maybe work if cooked slow and low, but this seemed like a braise n' sear number. Obviously I'm not impressed with the menu overall, but this was exceptionally bad. Go to Denny's for a better steak. Pasta Putadesca (part of $75 prix fixe:) the only impressive bit of cooking we had. Excellent flavors, elegantly balanced, with pitch-perfect pasta. I could gripe about the olives being heavily concentrated, but it really would just be a gripe. This was genuinely quite good. Struffoli (part of $75 prix fixe): Fine. Like the focaccia, it'd be more impressive to see someone screw this up. Ciao Papi shows some promise, but they either need to drastically cut prices or bring their kitchen and service staff up to speed. Paying $400 for a meal that most people present throw up 6 hours later is obviously a very negative experience, but even without food poisoning, there is not a good value proposition here.

Everything was fine except portions. The cheapest food a restaurant can make is spaghetti and they give children size portions. Check the photo. Is that worth $25+ tax &tip? The quality of food and atmosphere are amazing but you should never leave hungry after a $25 meal. There was so much sauce left over they could have included $.50 more spaghetti and given a good meal.

Food was delicious and fresh. The meatballs, pasta, and salad were dinner. Loved it all. The fries we had by the pool with some wine earlier.

So happy to see what they've done with this hotel and restaurant! The ambiance is amazing! The food is interesting, but could use some fine tuning. The prices are a bit high for the portions, and the flavors could be punched up a bit. Both the Sea Bass Crudo and the Burrata Salad could have used more citrus, and the Electric Boots cocktail could have had a bit more intense flavor. The Ciao Papi cocktail was great. Hopefully they'll get the food a little bit more dialed in.

Popped in here impromptu with a friend to see what it looked like after all the renovations and was blown away. You can tell the design team here really knew what they were doing. It felt so chic and trendy without being pretentious and definitely the kind of place that begs to be taken a picture of. We each got a cocktail which was 10/10 and the fries which were super tasty. We went in the afternoon and there were a couple of hotel goers lounging by the pool and some good music, it made us feel like we were on vacation after a mundane trip to target. We were told we were their first ever customers and the service was great as well. I will definitely be back again in the evening for a date night with my husband. Only thing better would be if they offered day passes to the pool for locals as it was really beautiful and calling my name!

5 Stars from me! The food was great, the atmosphere was relaxing and everyone was friendly to me. I really just enjoyed my time here. I will absolutely stop by here the next time I'm passing through!

What a delightful dining experience. We just so happened to stumble upon this place as we were traveling home from visiting relatives and were lucky enough to not need a reservation. First off, we loved the atmosphere, not formal but not casual, it was perfect for us. We ordered a drink the waiter suggested, Kiss by a rose, a vodka drink with a cute little heart shaped candy, it was so good, we both enjoyed ours. We decided to split the Panzanella Salad and Chicken Milanese, both of us kept saying "delicious" as we were eating. The way the flavors complimented each other, I knew I had to write a review to share this wonderful place. Obviously, the chef knows what he is doing, I hope this review helps them get the attention they deserve. Bravo Ciao Papi, we will be back!

I came in for a quick bite/beverage and Cara delivered the best service! She recommended the margherita pizza along with a delicious whiskey drink (I forgot the name but it was good). Sat by the pool in the sun and had a great lunch. Definitely recommend stopping by for some good food, quiet environment, and good drinks.

The ambiance is spectacular. The food is amazing and so full of flavors. The server was very kind. Definitely a spot you need to check out.

Love the atmosphere and the food and drinks are amazing! I'd been here over the summer and asked for their delicious Parmesan garlic fries I had before and was disappointed they were no longer on the menu. Then they surprised us with them along with the other appetizer which we had ordered and both were absolutely delicious. Staff is so friendly as well!

We were at the restaurant a few weeks ago. The service was excellent and as a long time paso resident I am just in awe of the remodel. Definitely want to try brunch

Brand new when we got there, Palm Springs resort vibe. Rooms have cool mid century deco with modern touches. Great bar by the pool serving nice cocktails and mimosas. We had a table with f 8 for brunch, really nice outdoor setting.

We had a wonderful experience here! My fiance and I came here after I told him how much I enjoyed it the first time I came with my friend. It reminded us a lot of Skyview in Los Alamos. We love the vibe and aesthetics! We sat at the bar and were warmly welcomed by the bartender, Louie. Honestly, this review is being written because he was a rockstar. There were others that sat at the bar too, and we noticed how attentive and friendly he was to us and the others. He checked on us and provided exceptional service. There was a sense of camaraderie cultivated by him as the others also knew him by name- we talked to them, too. After a few drinks (which were meticulously curated and refreshing), we ordered food and that came out in a timely manner. The pizza and spaghetti pasta were delicious! We also enjoyed the music, and can remember that Sade, Brittany Howard, and Khruangbin were playing. Our evening was perfect and unforgettable. Thank you, Louie!!

I'm not really sure how to start. The remodel is quite lovely however finding the actual entrance to the restaurant is tricky since there only a small sign at the actual entrance and no signage when first pulling into the parking lot. The parking lot itself is very small rocks and women navigating this in CFM heels were having a rough time not to mention the damage being done to their shoes. The restaurant at this time is completely open air ,so no heat, no air conditioning, no wind blocks and at 6 pm on Friday night the Paso wind was at its finest, the temperature was dropping, the heaters are not yet hooked up and from a comfort standpoint it was miserable and only got worse as the sun went down now directly into our eyes. Started with an interesting take on a margarita pizza, be aware the cheese whisperer barely touched the pizza, excellent crust just not much on it. Sea bass crudo was fishy and I love crudo. We sent it back and it was comped. Flat iron steak was tender, one piece was cooked perfectly the other was way over done. Spaghetti and meatballs were very tasty. At this point we were all so over the wind and the coolness of the evening we didn't even attempt dessert and instead went to Bueno Tavola. We had never so appreciated being in a climate controlled environment with no wind! Not sure if the developers of this property realize how windy, how hot and how cold Paso gets all in a normal spring and summer day. They are putting in heaters and apparently some sort of wind screen but at the very least fans are going to be a necessity in summer.

Worst experience ever, fell sick because the steak I ordered was supposed to be medium-rare but was too rare, and twice in a row! For dessert, the panna cotta was so dense it tasted like iced yogurt, terrible quality for the pirce! This place is all hype and no good. Don't waste your money and time here. The service was terrible too, we waited for 20 mins with our crying baby to get the food ordered, and for the final cheque. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone unless there's no alternative in town.

Food was soooo good! All the staff were very nice. It's such a cool spot to eat at. The ambiance is really nice and even though it's outside they have heaters everywhere and it was very comfortable.

Great ambiance; love that the restaurant patio is right by the pool. It took quite a while for our order to come out. We were told the kitchen was backed up ( even though there were only 2 tables occupied before we ordered) The place is still pretty new so hopefully that's why. Food was just okay. Hope they up their game once they get going.

We had a great dining experience. The Halibut Picata was fantastic, as was the margherita pizza (the vodka sauce was a nice touch!). Our server was attentive and knowledgeable, making us feel right at home. The ambiance is cozy and inviting, we will definitely come back for poolside cocktails. Can't wait to see the spring and summer menus!

10/10 amazing food amazing service. It's tucked away with a nice firelight ambiance. Will be going again.

I can honestly only review the bar. That being said, my drinks and service were great. The ambiance is quite cute and inviting. I have not stayed at the hotel as I am local . I can say it's stylish and is located near Hwy 46 wineries and about 5 minutes from downtown. I plan on coming back for drinks and appetizers and bringing friends

Went with party of six. Three of us ordered the starter octopus. Very mushy. Had brown butter mushroom ravioli. Pasta overcooked. No flavor and very little mushrooms. Ordered limoncello. Served in an unchilled water glass. The Affogato had chunks of ice like it was old ice cream. Risotto had hard pieces of rice. Server not engaging and seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask for forms several time for meal and desserts.

The food as yummy. They even made gluten free toast for me. The server was wonderful and had great suggestions. We loved the interior. It was a very busy restaurant but the service seemed personal.

Our family had brunch there today and it was absolutely fabulous! My 16-year-old had the crème brûlée French toast with drunken strawberries and we shared the avocado toast, burrata salad, fungi, pizza, and Seabass Crudo. All of the food was incredible. This might have been my favorite family brunch in Paso Robles ever! The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a hip Southwestern bohemian style. We sat outside by the pool and the weather was gorgeous. Our server was attentive and kind and was very quick to check on us for drinks and refill water. They have an excellent selection of craft cocktails. We absolutely loved the electric boots and patron patron! We are local and we are so excited about this new option for dining! And it's poolside which makes you feel like you are on a stay-cay!

A small group (5) of us recently visited the newly renovated River Lodge Restaurant, Ciao Papi, for a birthday celebration. We all agree it was a wonderful and delicious experience! Such an artistically cool ambiance. Open-air, poolside, very tastefully done Ciao Papi is within a small boutique hotel, 21+. The cocktails are unique, handcrafted and absolutely delicious. The food menu is short, but what Ciao Papi does, it does very well. Those in the kitchen and behind the bar, know what they are doing . Our server Alana, was very gracious and efficient and it shows that the owners care about who represents their beautiful venue! We all look forward to going enjoying this wine country venue again soon!

Cara and Angie are so amazing!!! They went above and beyond and kept us laughing the whole time!

I liked the food! We were staying at River Lodge, the staff was really friendly and made us some lovely cocktails, the food came to us poolside and we had a really great time. The dessert was nice too.

Lovely setting, attentive staff, extremely fresh selections. We had lunch but will make a point of returning for dinner ~