This is a great place. The service is great and the staff is friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and everything we ordered was enjoyed by all. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is BYOB and when the weather is nice they have a ton of outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a good place for date night and has a friendly neighborhood vibe where everyone knows each other.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I have been there 3 times now and my experience is always consistent read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Delicious food in a warm and inviting atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is also above expectation. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We love going here and having meetings, as well as family gatherings here.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommended!!! read more

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Really great spot for a good Italian dinner. Came on a weeknight after work and was really impressed. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was empty since it was later on a weekday so service was really good, and the place was clean as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I've gone in the summer and the outdoor dining has really nice ambience, they set up lights outside and it's a good vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ciao Bello - Penne Vodka - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Eight here for New Year's Day, one of the few locations that actually open for the holiday I was very impressed. The pasta was perfectly cooked. I couldn't have asked for anything better. It's a family tradition to eat here every now and then gonna do my best to keep it consistent because this place is so good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great staff service and ambience as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

My coworkers and I went to Ciao Bella for our group dinner, and we had a great experience. The staff welcomed us and sat us right away. The place was beautifully decorated and their outdoor decor was equally nice. We enjoyed our appetizers as well as our entrées. Aside from the regular menu, we had the option to choose from their special. The overall dining experience was great. The only thing is those from my group who chose the creme brulèe for dessert didn't like it. Despite that, all of us are willing to come for another dining experience the next time we come to NJ. read more

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Been coming here awhile and the food has always been solid! My favorites are the salmon and the chicken parm. Highly recommend this place!

I went there with a group of people. Food was very good, but something really upset my stomach. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint exactly what is was, being that we did order a lot of appetizers and I had the Chicken Benny as an entree. read more

Ciao Bello - Chicken Benny - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

If I could give 4 1/2 stars I would. Borderline great. I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. Food is plentiful. Staff and servers are great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outside dining (seasonal of course) is very nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I really have had nothing to complain about with this place. Food is always fresh. It's a secret hidden gem in Cranford. Plus... It's a BYO! But, they still do sell wines. I am a BIG BYO fan. Having worked in the wine and restaurant industry for over 40 years, I know the price markups on alcohol. Now, with that being said, I understand that restaurants have to make a profit. But a 300% markup on a bottle is just thievery to me. I'm NOT cheap... But I do not like being robbed. Anyway... Check this place out! It's worth it. Just make sure I have a table for me when I get there. And, oh yeah, If you're up for dessert, get the "Benny's" dessert! (I'm not a huge dessert person, but I don't miss this when I go there.) You'll thank me later! It's enough for 2! Enjoy! read more

We came in early so service was fast because there were only few people. I have the Penne vodka, it's so-so to be honest. Place is clean and ambiance is nice. And dessert is delicious. read more

Ciao Bello - Penne Vodka - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Everything was terrific. The antipasto is amazing. All the dishes were great. Service was a little slow but there was a wedding so we forgave them. read more

We visited today and have always loved this place--but today was a real disappointment. We ordered the well-known New York strip, but instead, we were served two rib steaks. I even asked the waiter to confirm they were NY strips, and he assured me they were. Frankly, I have no idea why this happened. A steak is a steak, sure--but the flavor and texture of a NY strip and a rib steak are very different. Maybe it was a simple kitchen mistake, or maybe there was an overstock of rib steaks they were trying to move--who knows? I didn't send the food back because you never really know what might come back out, but I did make it clear to the staff that something wasn't right. I still like the place overall, but today's experience fell far short of what I expected. read more

Ale: I ordered the Osso Buco. The veal was cooked pretty well but the risotto could've been better taste. The ambiance was average but maybe outdoor seating would've been better. The service was very attentive and everyone was nice all around. Alo: I ordered the Gnocchi with Italian Sausage and fries. It was okay. I felt like it was overhyped and vodka sauce would have complimented it better. The staff was nice. read more

Ciao Bello - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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Here for Mother's Day dinner. The service is CHAOTIC AND VERY SLOW. It's almost as if Mother's Day came upon them by surprise. We had a 5pm reservation. We arrived at 4:50 and checked in but were seated at 5:20. Fine. Big deal. But now it's 7:30 and we still don't have our entrees. It took the 3" minutes just confetti's water and silverware. The appetizers they did manage to serve us were good any maybe this place worth trying when they are not busy but stay away on Mother's Day. read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! 1/10 of food and service! We ordered many times in the past and never received this service or poor quality of food! We waited one hour for the delivery (as reported by the worker), opened it immediately, and received COLD food including Buffalo Wings, Fries, and chicken parm! We called back and they stated, " We just sent out the food and its impossible that's its cold!" We were so taken back by the unprofessionalism and lack of understanding/respect towards the customer! The owner, Benny, told us - " I'm the owner and you don't want to pay." We did pay and paid the driver cash. No refund or any other option. Very disappointed and NEVER ordering there again. read more

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Totally fine Italian food. Not exceptional, but tasty enough. Service was good though PS: the placemats are confusing read more

Ciao Bello - Placemats have a photo of Amsterdam - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Went here for Valentines Day and had an overall great experience. Once greeted by the hostess, we did have to wait a bit to be seated but not too long . The waiter was really nice and made sure to check in on us. They also had someone walk around periodically to refill water glasses. Once we were done with our meal the waiter gave me a fresh rose for the holiday which I thought was a nice touch. I felt the service was excellent The food was equally amazing my boyfriend and I decided to start with the lobster bisque(menu special) and it was so good, had a fresh lobster taste and was topped with toasted bread. Then we wanted to try the pizza. We got the white pizza. This was okay. Ricotta does not have much flavor so I would have preferred some oregano, salt, pepper and garlic but they do have table salt and pepper if you are like me and want to season your pizza For our entrees we ordered the chicken-parm and the truffle stuffed gnocchi, asparagus and sun dried tomatoes with a lobster cream sauce (menu special). The red sauce was super fresh and the gnocchi dish was really good as well the truffle was not overpowering and it comes with a lot of lobster Last thing we ordered was Bennys Famous Banana Crunch for dessert. Literally the best thing I ate all night. It has bananas, toasted bread, vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries in a crunchy cup on top of a chocolate sauce! So good! I shared all my photos with my family and friends and they were all jealous. Safe to say Ciao Bello is a great choice for any occasion. I will definitely be back and this time I won't forgot to bring my own bottle lol read more

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I'm surprised this place doesn't have a higher rating. It's easily some of the best pizza in the area and may be the best pizza in Cranford. If you're looking at these reviews please trust this place is worth ordering from. I've been told I am a snobbish foodie and when it comes to pizza I am straight up rude if it's not good. Dough and sauce is the foundation to any good slice and this place has it figured out. I found this restaurant late last year by accident and have been ordering here ever since. I'm leaving a review today, because recently the owner revealed why the town of Cranford should be thanking their lucky stars he decided to open here. I ordered their Margherita pie which normally comes with tomato slices. When the order arrived I noticed it was incorrect. I decided to just eat it but I wanted to let the manager know that there was a mistake so he/she would keep an eye on the kitchen. I called to inform them of the mistake and they put the owner on the phone. I sent him a pic of the pizza and he was mortified it was wrong. He insisted he send another one free of charge but I assured him I did not need that. The pizza they sent was still good and the call was quality control and nothing more. He apologized profusely and we hung up. About 15-20 minutes later I received a telephone call. Someone was at my door with the correct pizza...piping hot and absolutely delicious. I had not told the owner my address, but he looked through his previous orders, figured it out, and sent another pizza. The delivery man simply said "that's how he (the owner) is..." Well...good on you, Sir. You now have a customer for life. Order here. The pizza is delicious and the customer service is great. What more can you ask for? You won't regret it. read more

Outstanding service, food was top notch. I have been going to Ciao Bello for many different occasions and was never disappointed. Highly recommend going. read more

This is some the worst pizza I've ever had. If you are looking to grab a slice this isn't the place. The quality of ingredients is awful. No pride whatsoever in the pizza. Also don't think they are Italian. I cannot comment on the other food or service when dining in read more

I was super disappointed in Ciao Bello for our takeout meals. We had heard from friends that this place was rather hit or miss but during these times where supporting your local community is so important, we wanted to give them a chance anyway. That was a mistake. I had ordered the Chicken Ciao Bello and something was terribly not okay with it. The chicken was tough and tasted completely wrong. I spit it right out. The marinara on the pasta that came with it also was no good, and I was surprised it didn't come with potatoes since that's how I had seen it pictured. My mother tried a piece of chicken herself and she said she thought it could be veal or bad, bad chicken. Neither my mother nor stepfather, who had also ordered takeout meals, thought their chicken was fresh and good either. It was edible, unlike mine, but still not good. The balsamic dressing that came with my side salad, the only thing that I could eat then, was way too salty and tangy. Totally burned the inside of my mouth. I called the manager to sort out what happened with the Chicken Ciao Bello and he was, reasonably, on the defensive but because of that it took forever to reach any kind of solution. Finally he said he wanted to send someone over to pick it up and find out what went wrong and he asked if he could send over anything else -- I told him no thank you. That's why I'm still putting two stars instead of one. He said he would give us a credit for a free chicken meal next time but he didn't follow up at all. Once the employee came to pick up the Chicken Ciao Bello I never heard another word, and none of us enjoyed our meals nearly enough to return and try to sort through the promised free meal. I still wonder if that was veal or not. read more

Ciao Bello - Supposedly Chicken Ciao Bello as takeout. Really not good. - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

My Partner was having a rough day decided to take her somewhere nice to eat. The service was great. Our waitress and servers were very attentive. When we were there it was only two tables occupied, us and another table of two. It wasn't busy, it was good. Not sure about the bread some folks mentioned but we didn't get bread served on our table. I thought was odd as well. Ordered the calamari (it was ok) little soft. But edible. Two entrees we ordered (baked ziti & bolognese). The baked ziti was ok. Basic flavor. The bolognese was very good. My partner wanted to also try the Mac and cheese as she's been craving Mac and cheese. And that was a big No! No flavor. Tasted like boiled noodles, sauce added on top. Mixed and served. Not good at all. Horrible. I was expecting really great Italian food. Italian food is our favorite and we are foodies so we try different restaurants. Unfortunately this experience was not that great. Maybe it was an off day but not the Italian experience I was expecting. read more

Don't waste your time or money dinning here. Food is absolutely atrocious and lacking any flavor. Gave it a second chance after a bad experience many years ago due to their extensive gluten free menu but I'm sad to say I will never be returning. Food was lacking so much flavor I felt as if I was eating paper. Veal was very under cooked and pasta over cooked. The pizza sauce was very bland all it did was add moisture to the crust. If you are looking for gluten free options there are way tastier options in town. read more

Went there for lunch for a birthday celebration. The 2 stars are because the wait staff was very nice. Very attentive. The food, however, was disappointing. I started off with a beet salad. It was to have goat cheese. There was barely any goat cheese. Then I ordered the grilled salmon. It was bone dry and had zero flavor. Everyone at the table complained about the dryness of the food. I had a relative order pizza. She had one slice and threw the rest away. It was way too expensive for the lack of quality. There is also absolutely NO PARKING. we had to park a block and a half a way in a paid lot. Not worth it. As an Italian, the claim that this food is authentic is a criminal claim. Perhaps the chef was having a bad day. I'll never return to find out. read more

Omg, I got a burnt lasagna on one side, took a bite Of the other side couldn't eat it was so salty! Hubby ordered the shrimp bolognese, he took one bite started choking from the spice, maybe ghost peppers? And he likes spicy food, service was good appetizer was good, drinks were ok, we won't be back after they comped me lasagna, bill was still $100! read more

Delicious dish. It was prepared like my grandma was making. I highly recommend this restaurant read more

Ciao Bello - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

They have good outdoor dining. This is typical Jersey Italian: heavy on the cream sauce for everything with shrimp that's super salty and frozen. It's exactly what you think it is. Salty. Creamy. Even their butternut squash soup was heavy on the cream. Lobster ravioli - terribly salty. Shrimp frozen and salty. Where's the lobster? It looked like cat food: mush on the inside. read more

Had my daughters shower here. They did a great job. Food was great , service was good and the room was very and bright. Very happy overall.

Recently went for dinner midweek with my fiancé. Service was great. Immediately sat, served bread, and orders were taken promptly. Food; on the other hand, was a poor 2/5 rating. We had shared balsamic calamari which was just okay, pretty hard to butcher deep fried calamari, though. The balsamic was a bit bitter, was expecting some more sweetness. We may have been better off with just marinara. Entrées included penne vodka and eggplant parm. The penne vodka was served severely undercooked. In between a quick 3 minute boil and al dente. The vodka sauce was more of a pink sauce with way too much oil. The eggplant parm seemed to be previously frozen and then just baked/broiled straight from the freezer. There was a layer of water underneath the eggplant. Tomato sauce was sub par- very watery. The side of pasta was sitting in starchy water as if it were never strained. Will likely not go back on our own accord. Their outdoor patio does look very nice for al fresco dining. read more

We've ordered from here a few times and have been satisfied each time. This time we had the iceberg wedge salad, Italian salad with grilled chicken, large plain pizza and an order of the fried calamari appetizer with the sweet sauce. All very good. A little pricey for iceberg wedge salad but it was good. We also asked for no onions and they had our order correct! If you're picking up the food, parking can be a little bit of a challenge as there are limited street spots on Fridays & Saturdays. They also have coupons in the local coupon clippers which are good for $10 off orders of $45 or more. If I could give a restaurant 4.5 stars, this is what Ciao Bello would get. read more

Ciao Bello - Our receipt to prove we were real customers..... - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

After ordering through UberEats we only received half of our order, the main course (the pizza) was missing. I attempted to contact UberEats and of course was given the run around and "we are sorry for your experience" apology. I called the restaurant and they informed me that they called the UberEats driver and he refused to turn around. The asked for my address and they delivered it themselves within minutes and apologize endlessly even though it was not their fault. This is amazing customer service and they will now have our DIRECT business instead of UberEats & the pizza was DELICIOUS !! read more

Ciao Bello - a pizza in a box - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

WOW! Let me tell you, the pizza they make is the best. I ordered Brooklyn style that wasn't even on the menu and instead of saying no.... My man Randy hooked it up and made the best Brooklyn style pizza. I ever had!! read more

phenomenal food and service. I was looking for a nice Italian restaurant that actually is nice and formal. They are very nice and have amazing cooks. The way they cook is better than most restaurants. I believe this restaurant should be number 1 in NJ. I felt like I was really in Italy with there amazing food. This is the place to come when wanting Italian food. read more

Good little spot in Cranford where I find myself ordering take out for lunch The menu has a little bit of everything, but pizza was my choice this time around with an order of fries ( sometimes I don't want adult food ). The fries are crispy and yummy and the pizza being a plain slice, well tasted like a good plain pizza. Considering how close it is to my office, I'll be trying out other adult like menu items to come! read more

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Good local place. Nice area. Staff is friendly. Mostly all dishes were very good. Balsamic Calamari is excellent.

I recently dined here and unfortunately, I was not impressed with the Italian cuisine they offered. The food lacked flavor and seemed like it was cooked without any passion or care. The pasta dish I ordered was overcooked and the sauce was bland. The bread was dry and seemed like it had been sitting out for hours. Additionally, the service was disappointing. Our waiter seemed uninterested in helping us choose a dish and was not attentive to our needs during the meal. The ambiance of the restaurant was also lacking, with no Italian-themed decor or appropriate music to set the mood. Overall, my experience was underwhelming and I would not recommend it for anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine. There are definitely better options in the area. it's actually sad. read more

Have never dined in person, always for delivery only. Delivery is always prompt and food delicious. Chicken and broccoli rabe wrap is wonderful and surprisingly difficult to get in this area. The meatballs are the best around. read more

As a person not really a fan of normal Italian food like pizza, my hopes weren't that high but still, the food was a banger and hit the spot, place as empty though. I don't really have much to say but; I suggest going if you want some real good Italian cuisine. read more

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This is my go to place for lobster ravioli. They are the best. It is always well seasoned with just the right amount of creamy and delectable sauce. The fusilli was needing more seasoning but was overall good and the pasta al dente. read more

Ciao Bello - Lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Good food.. great service..Ana was our waitress..there was 11 of us..we all had a blast and everyone loved the place...

First dining experience since pandemic, friendly service tasty food and good value! We order coconut shrimp for appetizer and signature pizza which was great, chicken and salmon entrees were delicious also read more

Ciao Bello - Ciao Bello Pizza - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey