Largest and best outdoor dining in town . Great food and service . Never disappoints .

First time visit to this restaurant and was extremely satisfied. We were celebrating a birthday dinner for my wife and made a mistake on seating. They added a seat with no problem. From the apps to the main course, the food was fresh and delicious. Service was great and the bill was far less than expected. Will definitely be back. read more

When I walked in, I was seated immediately. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, bruschetta, and crab cakes as appetizers. All of it was absolutely delicious...I mean really yummy :-) For the main dish I ordered shrimp with a very spicy red sauce. I don't remember the name of it but I didn't really care for it. It tasted more spicy then flavorful. I didn't particularly care for the dish and wish I chose something else as my main course. A bottle of wine was brought in so I'm aware they have byob. All in all, I was pleased with most of my food choices, the service was stupendous and the place was very clean and tastefully decorated. I will definitely be back and would most definitely recommend this place. read more

Wow, I came in with very high expectations due to Yelp, and left very underwhelmed. I ordered via Grub Hub and the food was delivered on time (1 hour) as promised. I appreciated the complimentary bread and extra Parmesan cheese. I ordered the gnocchi and penne vodka. The pasta was a cooked al dente, and had adequate amount of sauce. Only problem was that the sauce didn't have any flavor. The gnocchi was in a marinara sauce and all I tasted was tomato. The vodka sauce wasn't as tart but it was still bland. It was edible when we added salt, but not something I would have eaten if I wasn't starving. I may order again, just to try the non-pasta dishes, but I'm in no hurry to return read more

Ciao Bello - Gnocchi Dinner (very tart; big portion) - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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Great Italian food, excellent service and a lovely outdoor patio! Highly recommend and looking forward to dining there again.

Giving this place a 4.5 rounded up to 5. I had the salmon which was delicious!! But be forewarned that there is a really good chance you will end up on the toilet within a couple of hours, I think it's the sauce which is really creamy. However, bathroom time and all it was well worth it and if order it again. My only issue was that the salmon is pretty small, so don't come hungry if you're planning on ordering just the salmon. Every dish I tried was really good, I was with a party of 4 so I couldn't take pictures of every dish without moving bottles and glasses around and annoying the fukc out of everyone so I took a picture of my plate and the dessert. Sorry I normally like to photograph everything. Oh the service was really good and it's BYOB so you can't beat that!!! read more

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My husband and I have had dinner at Ciao Bello a few times and have always enjoyed it but today we held a party there with about 30 people and they did a fantastic job. We were able to select a fixed menu with a pasta course, salad, entree and dessert. The staff did a fabulous job serving such a large group and many of our guests told us how much they enjoyed the food. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a large party. read more

Ordered a large cheese pizza. Crust was doughy and undercooked, the sauce and cheese were soupy and runny and created a mess in the box read more

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

I came here last night with two of my friends who both live in Cranford. It was nice weather so we sat outside. This was the first time I came here so I had nothing to compare it to. I wasn't too hungry so I only ordered the Benny's salad which was not something to die for. I thought for the amount of money I paid they would give you more but that is just me. :P My one friend ordered the white pizza and added mushrooms and eggplant (additional $1 per topping). I did not try it but it looked really good. She liked it. My other friend also ordered a salad but she didn't say much. She ate all of it so I am assuming it was good. Our waiter was decent. He was nice and asked us how were doing with our food one time during our dining. Would I come again? Yes. I might try the pizza or one of the pastas next time. If I do, I will write another review. read more

Let me just clarify how I star something: 5 stars means its pretty darn amazing. 4 stars means it's very good, and 3 stars means it's just plain OKAY. 3 stars for Ciao Bello my first time there. We sat outside in order to enjoy the patio seating which was pleasant... Then the carpet cleaners for Pastosa came by and punctuated the night with the din of vacuums.. I KNOW, not Ciao's fault but it still affects your mood. Also another note on the ambiance: The two TV's inside were playing Jeopardy during dinner.... I mean, I love me some Trebek but REALLY??? Turn the TV's off man... You're making your restaurant look more like a diner than a place that I'd wanna come back to. Food: We ordered Bruschetta which we enjoyed. Had a sweet taste to it with sundried tomatoes and Balsamic. Def. good. Would get again. I ordered Shrimp Fra-Diavolo which came out as Shrimp Marinara. They told me it was Diavolo but I couldn't find a red pepper flake anywhere. The wife got Fusilli with shrimp and spinach. In both dishes, the pasta was cooked Al Dente. Nice work. However, in the wife's dish the shrimp were WAY overcooked and came out hard and tasting bland. Though my dish wasn't Fra-Diavolo, the red sauce was good and had a nice plum tomato on top that I cut up and incorporated into the dish. The service was a little slow and I'll attribute that to kinks in a newly opened restaurant. Our waiter, Derek, was friendly and polite. We enjoyed having him but unfortunately, he had never tasted any of the dishes. Again, new restaurant. Hopefully with time, the servers will sample more and be able to give informed suggestions on dinner. Would I go back? Maybe. But I'd have to look out for the Cleaning service first. Oh, and if I'm eating inside.... I might bring my own remote and turn off the freaking TVs.. read more

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Ordered catered lunch for 12. Sandwich platter was sloppy and pizza, which was nothing to rave about, was cut unevenly into huge slices and tiny slices. Chicken wings were undercooked. Italian salad was nothing. Food wasn't bad, but sloppy presentation and undercooked wings really detracted from the experience. Might try them again, but not a good first experience. read more

Good food. Lousy delivery. Food was so late we had to call twice. Got different stories from 3 people. And this time the order was wrong and the food was cold. Never again. read more

Very nice Italian Restaraunt just opened in cranford neighborhood. We ordered steamed mussel in Mariana sauce, it was soon delicious! The mussels are fresh and juicy, the Mariana sauce is so yummy and well balanced the sweet and sour flavor, they also added a little bit minced basil to give it a little bit spice. We also ordered the arugula salad with dried cranberry, mango and roasted almond, which, I think the dressing could add a little more lemon/lime juice to balance the sweetness from dried cranberry. But the salad is delicious too. We definitely will come back and really happy that Cranford has a decent Italian restaurant in the neighborhood read more

Ciao Bello - Arugula salad with dried cranberry and roasted almond - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

I NEVER write reviews but in this case I must! I wish I could give 0 stars! Ordered take out- Food was cold (I live less than a mile from the restaurant) Received a call that the desserts I ordered online were unavailable. Order was already placed so I was forced to pick between dessert choices I didn't care for. I requested strawberries onside as it came with the initial dessert and was told over the phone I would have it with my order, I did not. "Crab cakes" were 70% filling, french fries were soggy, mozzarella sticks soggy and grossly oily, chicken strips over cooked. I called to have the issues corrected and was told they were "too busy" to deal with my order. Then to add insult to injury suggested that I pay for the items to be delivered that should've come complimentary that was already discussed (the initial dessert requested came with strawberries I asked to still have the strawberries with the substitute dessert and alfredo sauce in place of marinara for another order) Granted it's mother's day however, I'm still a paying customer like everyone else and was treated with rude, condescending, horrible customer service. As a former hospitality industry employee- this is simply unacceptable. I've ordered from this restaurant once before and received burnt pizza and didn't complain as I'm relatively easygoing... I picked off the burnt areas and ate the pizza without complaints. So disappointed. Will never order from them again! There are better restaurants nearby. read more

Good food but our waiter, Paul, never picked up our checks. We waited over 40 minutes before asking two different waiters to help us instead. The second waiter took our checks to him, he didn't even pick them up himself! Very disappointed, the time wasted completely messed up the experience and we would've had a great time if it wasn't for this. read more

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

We love Ciao Bello! It is the perfect place to hang on a weekend afternoon. The food is simple but tasty (Italian "comfort food") and the service is always friendly. We hosted an event here as well and had an excellent experience - it was simple, easy, and relatively affordable to host about 20 people. The staff made the planning process seamless, and they went the extra mile on the day of the event. Thank you so much, Ciao Bello! Grazie! read more

Food is definitely fresh and made with quality ingredients. For COVID there is outdoor seating, which is always a plus and it's BYOB. Staff was attentive. My only thing is a wish the dessert menu was more authentic (it's very Americanized). Maybe focus on two or three desserts and master them. read more

I ordered the Shrimp Scampi for delivery. It comes with a salad, which was very good. The dressing was really nice and it was a good roll. That's the end of the positive review. The Scampi had almost no flavor. The prevailing flavor was fishy shrimp. I took 3 bites, hoping maybe stirring it up a bit would help.... no. I threw out the entire dish (minus the 3 bites). Counting on the wine I'm drinking to erase the memory of that scampi. read more

Just ok food Nothing excellent. Would not go purposefully but worked in a pinch for lunch. Nice patio seating read more

Went to eat Dinner here with a friend, came in at 8 pm and got seated right away, ordered two appetizers and salad and a penne vodka. Appetizers were okay and came 10 min after we ordered. Entrees came at around 9:30 during which time the waiter came once to check up on us. Terrible wait time for having only 7 tables inside. Food was not that good. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Ordered takeout during covid and had a great experience! They wrapped hot and cold separate and nothing was soggy. My favorite place in town for Chicken Milanese! Seafood specials are always a hit too. read more

First time, last time. Average food at best, rude waiter... It's your $$ and time so do what you will but once is enough for me! Not surprised, in retrospect, that average rating is 3 stars. read more

To start for the people of Yelp, you need a zero star option and this restaurant would qualify. First and last visit. I had a reservation for 8 people, saw it was written down correctly when they crossed off my name. At this point they were 'setting the table.' 15 minutes later they attempted to seat 8 of us at a table for 6. This was after the hostess says to me table for 6? I reply, no 8, and she says right this way. After we get to th table for 6 and they realize their error a waiter points at a larger table and says they are paying the check. 10 minutes later we see their dessert come out. We headed for the door. No apologies, not one member of their staff seemed to care, even when one person in our party said to the host we are leaving. In short, don't bother. read more

Very slow service when it wasn't busy at all. Pizza was good. Boyfriend got the lasagna and did not enjoy it.

Got takeout the other night. It's very basic pizza, nothing special. Crust was actually a little under done.

I got take out from here and the food was fantastic. The thin crust Brooklyn pizza is amazing and the wedge salad was super fresh. Definitely looking forward to doing business with Ciao Bello again. read more

Just had an amazing lunch - chicken pastina soup was amazing with large pieces of fresh chicken. Whatever I had for the special was off the charts. Pieces of breaded chicken, sausage and green beans with mashed potatoes- what made it amazing was the sauce. I can't describe how good it was with capers, garlic shavings, just unbelievable. Any time I am in the area I will be coming here. BYOB, great WIFI connectivity and a prompt and attentive wait staff. Also an amazing patio area with plenty of shaded areas if you'd like to sit outside. Great place! read more

I loved the outdoor seating area and service was decent! The appetizers we had were delicious the mozzarella en carroza was super cheesy so it's definitely a plate to share with a few other people. I could tell that the mozzarella was fresh and the marinara sauce complimented it perfectly. The beets tower was delicious as well. I loved the arugula that complimented the balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the mozzarella and beets. I ordered a special salad which was described as having baby greens with mango and pomegranate. I was disappointed to see that it was iceberg lettuce with no mango and pomegranate (see photo). When I asked about it, they had said that I had waited too long for them to do anything about it and the salad special got mixed up. While the salad was still pretty good, it wasn't what I was expecting. At most restaurants, they usually would have brought out a comped dessert or app if they realized they messed up, or brought the correct salad. I figure they just ran out of the ingredients and put what they did have in there. Everyone else I was with seemed to enjoy their pasta dishes. I would come back for appetizers but would probably try something else besides the salad. read more

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I have been here about 4 times and each time I am blown away by deliciousness. If you're craving Italian food, this is the place to go. There is a pizzeria side and a more formal dining area. They also offer both indoor / outdoor seating. They are always playing traditional italian music which is one of my favorite things about this place. The outdoor area can get crowded around dinner time if the weather is nice so come early! They have a good wine selection but also offer BYOB. I could go on and on about the food but there are just no words. It's too good! read more

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I am quite disappointed with this place. This is my 3rd visit and I believe it will be my last. The young lady that took my order was never rude, but she was not attentive either. As I am placing my order she was on the phone and I had to repeat the order twice. I sat to wait for the food while it was being prepared. I waited 20 minutes max. No problem. Food was bagged nicely, before I left I asked if she provided utensils. She said no because they ran out. I explained I am in an office I don't have dishes there that's the reason I came to order lunch here. She was gracious and provided spoons. I am trying to be positive and not too negative, but if you own a restaurant that has take out isn't it your responsibility to make sure you always have utensils! This restaurant is by no means cheap. They are rather pricey. For this reason I feel they should keep up with their inventory. read more

I've been here a few times and every time has been for a day among party. The food I is alright. I've had their chicken parm and chicken francaise both were ok not great. What I will say is that their penne vodka is amazing. It has prosciutto in it as well def the best dish I've had there the two times I went. The service for both events we're very slow.. they bring out the salads and pasta quickly but we waited a long time between the apps and the dinner like 40 mins, this could be due to the party (12 people). However for a cake that we brought it took them a long time to bring that out as well and the same for the check, we waited 30 mins to get the check. I plan on going back just for two at dinner, their penne vodka is that good that I will be back. I wouldn't suggest having more than 5 people with you though. read more

This place is not good , Saturday night dinner with friends , not enough wine glasses, wrong food , 1 hour wait for the wrong food , not enough waiters Ha !! Do t go!!! read more

Wish I took pictures of how awful my order looked before I tossed it in the garbage! Two hours for delivery.. cold, stuck together like it's been sitting out for a while... I picked up my mozzarella en carrozza and it was laying in a layer of grease, I also was able to squeeze another layer of grease out of it... when I complained to Grubhub about it, the restaurant refused any type of refund. So I threw $72 in the garbage and cooked dinner at 830 at night instead... thanks for nothing! read more

Ordered buffalo chicken pizza, chicken parm and penne vodka. Pizza was nice thin crust perfect amount of hotsauce and ranch. . Penne vodka was good; tasty sauce wish there was a little more sauce on it. When delivered was a little dry. Probably better if you eat in! Will def have to go in an try it. Loved the prosciutto in it. Chicken parm was tasty red sauce was very good! Would definitely try again. read more

Ciao Bello - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

We had a great meal here. The Chicken Benny, with poached pears and cranberries in a wild mushroom sauce, was excellent. The chicken was moist and worked well with the combination of foods. The tilapia fish special, on a tomato sauce with risotto, tomatoes, and julienned vegetables, was delicate yet terrific. Our pistachio gelato dessert was actually ice cream, but still good. Perfectly prepared cappuccino and latte topped off this meal. We'll definitely return here! read more

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

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Wondering if there is a new chef? The flounder francaise is my favorite but ordered it tonight and it was very bland. The sauce was very watery and had no flavor. There was no lemon or garlic like it usually has. A little disappointed. read more

Food was delicious, service attentive and outside seating perfect on such a beautiful day. Returned for dinner last night after several lunch time meals. They were very friendly and accommodating and the food was very good, service perfect. Excellent informal place to dine with consistently good food and atmosphere. read more

Took about an hour to deliver and that was at 3:30 in the afternoon. The pizza was barely lukewarm and bland. The calamari was rubbery and tasteless. My first and last order. read more

Totally love this place. It's simple and delicious and the service is wonderful! My hubby and I came back twice in 3 weeks for lunch because the outdoor seating was perfect with our meal! Both times we got the Balsamic Calamari which is so bomb- totally try it! The balsamic sauce is creamy, sweet, and salty and the calamari was cooked to crunchy perfection-not overly oily at all. Totally worth a try. Once we ate this we couldn't go back to regular calamari! The square pizza is what we got the first time to share which was pretty good! The lasagna is what we ordered the second time around and that was bomb. They even split up the order to two dishes for us which was really nice of them! Totally want to try their other dishes when we go back! read more

Ciao Bello - The balsamic calamari is totally something my hubby and I became obsessed with! - Italian Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

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This is a very cute place. The service is fast, polite and friendly! The food was good. We got a Cesar salad, chicken parm sub, and pizza. The best part was the dessert. I got the canolli which was the best I've had in a while! read more