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    Ciao Cafe

    4.2 (39 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    CIAO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Bbq chicken pizza
    Brittany C.

    First time coming here as part of the coffee crawl, but we decided to get some pizza as well. We got the barbecue chicken pizza and a penne vodka chicken pizza and both are very good. The slices are big enough for two servings. There are a lot of pizza choices and other lunchtime go to. On the Café and pastry side of the shop, there is coffee with cookies, desserts, and other specialty baked goods

    Gluten free breakfast sandwich
    Alicia N.

    What a wonderful experience at Ciao Cafe over the weekend ! Recently went to catch up with a friend and we loved it. Cant wait to go back already! My Pistachio Latte was perfectly made. My gluten free breakfast sandwich was very filling. It was amazing!! They served it on a Gluten Free grinder roll. Tasted nice and fresh! Normally gluten free breakfast sandwiches are served on a roll but I loved this. Worth the price! My friend was very satisfied with her sandwich as well. They have breakfast bowls, sandwiches, pastries, pizza! Looks like I have so much more to try when I go back! Service was great. Workers are very helpful, and the cafe is super cute , nice and bright with enough seating. Loved the decore.

    Kathleen S.

    Came here as a part of the Hartford coffee crawl. We decided to get some pizza because it looked so delicious. We got vodka chicken parm pizza and Bbq chicken pizza. Both were yummy and sizes were big !! Staff here were pleasant and prices were fair. Food is good so I definitely will be back!

    Decor
    Paula E.

    I met a friend here for breakfast at 9 AM on a Sunday. It is in a strip mall, with plenty of parking, which is very nice! It is a very large café, and when you walk in, it is a very open space with a counter and menus posted up top. You order, and if you are dining in, you are given a number to place at your table, and your order will be brought to your table. There are a variety of breakfast sandwiches and breakfast bowls. You may get your sandwich on a croissant or bagel and there are a variety of coffees to choose from. There is a separate space where there is plenty of seating. I ordered a ham cheese and egg sandwich on a croissant and an espresso latte with oat milk and cinnamon cold foam. The total came to a little over $21, and I left a tip at the counter, so this place is a little expensive. It's not somewhere I would have breakfast often. Both the sandwich in the coffee were very good, but again, a little steep in price and if it were a family going in for breakfast, you might be spending quite a bit of money.

    Blackened Pizza Slice
    Jason P.

    I was excited to hear that a new place, Ciao Cafe, had opened where Michelangelo's used to be. Ciao does a number of different things. Coffee. Sandwiches. Treats. And Sliced and whole pizzas. I see they're off to a good start review-wise, and I'm sure they do a number of things well. I recently visited and tried two pizza slices. I have to say that Ciao's slice game, needs some work. I ordered two slices. A Chicken Vodka Sauce Slice. And a sausage with peppers Slice. The Chicken Vodka Slice didn't work for multiple reasons. Being a CT Pizza Fan, I like Char. The bottom of my slice was mostly blackened. Pic posted. You have to have better quality control than that. They should have thrown it away and started again. Also, fans of vodka sauce, like me, would not have called this vodka sauce if they hadn't seen the sign. Didn't have the right color (it was red rather than orange-ish). Didn't have the right flavor (No discernible cream, parm or vodka). Also, if you're going to include sauce in the name to feature it, there wasn't enough sauce. If they're going to continue serving this slice, they should call it Chicken Parm. They need to go back to the drawing board on the Chicken Vodka Sauce concept. I ordered the Sausage and Pepper Slice because I noticed that it was the freshest pizza for slices. It was a whole pizza that was sitting back in the kitchen and hadn't even been brought over yet. If they had just given me the slice when I ordered it, and brought the other slice after it had been re-heated, it would have been fine. But they brought the two slices together about 10 minutes later, and the Sausage Pepper Slice was room temperature by that time. Also, the peppers presented similar as jarred peppers, although the restaurant owner has told me that they are fresh roasted daily. In any event, I didn't love the texture. The sausage and chicken cutlet pieces were about average. The crust was a thicker New York style. Also, about average, except for the blackened slice as discussed above. I would not rush back for pizza slices. I will say that service was friendly. They generally did a nice job of transforming the space from Michelangelo's. As you enter, the pizza slice area is to the immediate right. There is a cashier at the back of the room, adjacent to a case that displayed things like cookies and dressed up cinnamon roll-looking treats. They looked like they might be good. The seating area in the rooms connected to the ordering area were inviting and comfortable. I do have one note concerning the atmosphere as it presently exists. As you enter the front room with the pizza slices and display case, there is a lot of open space that makes the room feel empty. They either need seating to fill some of that space, or a few tables with merch to make that space feel more lively. Based upon my experience with the pizza slices, I can't give more than 2 Stars. Perhaps I would have connected with other areas of Ciao's business in a more positive way. In any event, I wish Ciao the best with their new business.

    Hot honey chicken cutlet sandwich. A little messy but super tasty!
    Angel S.

    Oh boy! I was in the area and I stopped by Ciao Café and ordered online, knowing they'd probably be busy. I got the hot honey vodka chicken cutlet sandwich, and it was seriously packed -- I could only finish half. A little messy to eat, but loaded with flavor. There was a long line to order, so if you're in a hurry, definitely order ahead. Highly recommend if you're craving authentic Italian Hero (NYC Style) sandwiches or Grinders!

    Muffaletta Grinder
    Jazzlyn S.

    Fresh made to order Breakfast Lunch and Dinner. Full service Espresso bar with lattes, cold brew, hot coffee, espresso, cappuccino and more. Beautiful show stopping eye catching pastries. Grab and go items available. Giant Cookies are 10/10. Congratulations to Ciao on their opening. This space is newly renovated and built for success!

    Jessica P.

    Ciao cafe is beautiful inside and a very relaxed vibe to hang out in. The pepperoni pizza my daughter and I had was good. A little greasy and a tad under seasoned but generally good. The smores latte I had was delicious, but I wish I had gotten it iced since by the time it made it over to our table it was cold. My biggest vice is the way you order. I don't usually understand the ordering and going to a table with a number and your food is brought out to you instead of just having a to go place and a sit down restaurant. There were so many runners, but it takes forever for them to find your table and by then the hot food and drinks are lukewarm at best. This may be my last time visiting, but it was not bad.

    Caitlin K.

    This spot is a new favorite! It is spacious and inviting and the people are all extremely friendly. Love that they have such a large menu and everything is of high quality and freshness---it just makes you want to keep coming back for more! Their service is fast and their environment was created with such detail. Whether it's to-go coffee/ food or enjoying a full sit down meal, I can't recommend it enough!

    Strawberry and cream lobster
    Alyssa F.

    This place is so cute! They have a variety of sweet treats, iced coffee, and pizza and dirty sodas. Didn't try the pizza or dirty soda however must try next time. They have ample space to sit and chat and or work on your computer. Service is great, they clear your table for you, and bring your food to your table. Food is great and coffee really hits the spot.

    The inside
    Ana B.

    My coworker Aldelis recently went to the brand new Ciao Cafe and raved to me about it. You can see her review below. I went there to meet a friend this afternoon. What a beautiful, well lit, well organized, yet brand new cafe! I first heard about them on the radio, it's rare for me to listen to the radio, but when I do it's even more rare that I'd catch an ad for something that interests me. I don't know what was here before Ciao Cafe took over, but they're operating on like they've been here awhile. First you'll find a counter where you may purchase a slice of pizza. Other options include sandwiches, soups and full size pizzas. If you arrive in the morning there are some breakfast options. They also have some Cannoli, cookies and cinnamon rolls. They have a wide menu of coffee drinks and tea. My friend and I each got a S'mores latte. We also got a slice of pizza. I got the Bianca and she got one of the chicken pizzas. After we placed our orders we sat in the dining room. It is spacious and bright with comfy seating. The walls are covered with perhaps celebrities? I couldn't get a close look. I love the comfortable vibe of the place. Shortly after our coffees and pizzas were brought over to us. The coffee was pretty good, but as expected very sweet. Next time I'd like to try a more basic latte. The Bianca pizza was a very solid pick. The slice is pretty thin and a generous size, with ricotta and mozzarella. It was cheesy and flavorful. I don't know many places in the area that offer pizza by the slice, so it's a win for Ciao! We also got a dessert to share. We got a Strawberries and Cream Cinnamon Roll. This was sweet, fresh, and very tasty, particularly the very center. They don't offer drinking water, we had to buy bottled water. My experience was pretty flawless at this brand new cafe. I will be back very soon.

    Rick S.

    I have been dying to try the newest spot in town and I have nothing but praise for these folks. @ciaocafect has opened in the old Michangelos location in Rocky Hill and undergone some massive changes and improvements. This cafe is absolutely gorgeous and the food selection fantastic! **Ciao Cafe is a fresh Italian-American spot with New York-style pizza by the slice, an espresso bar, Italian grinders, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and desserts. It's a pizzeria, sandwich shop, coffee house, and lounge serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- all under one roof. - I had to try their class steak and cheese grinder. Fresh sliced beef, caramelized onion, mushroom, provolone, on a seeded bun. I added some cherry peppers for an extra kick. Absolutely fantastic!! - Then a couple slices of their New York style pizza! Nothing but good things to say! Can't wait to get back and try some more of their many options! Welcome to the neighborhood!! * #foodie #foodies #sandwich #pizza #delicious

    Hannah C.

    I was so excited to the try this new cafe in town and it didn't disappoint! The place itself is spacious and I love the layout. Especially how you can see the delicious looking pizza. The first time I went I ordered the chicken orzo soup to-go. It came with a super fresh 5 inch piece of bread and the soup was loaded with chicken which I loved!! It was prepared within 5 minutes after ordering and was the perfect meal to have on a cold day. I also got the s'mores latte. This was very good. It has lots of flavor, the cold foam on top was the best part. At first I thought the coffee was on the pricier side, but it's really a similar price to a special coffee at Starbucks.

    Peppermint mocha with oat milk

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    4 months ago

    Friendly staff, wonderful atmosphere and food! Will definitely be back. Our breakfast sandwiches were delicious!

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    4 months ago

    Food was great! Good selection of breakfast sandwiches and sweet treats. Coffee was fantastic but it was a little pricey.

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    5 months ago

    Food was good, service was great, ambiance was good. The price on the food is typical to other coffee shops.

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    5 months ago

    The bacon, egg and cheese sandwich was probably the best I have had in Connecticut. Quick service and kind staff.

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    Marina C.

    Thank you for the kind words Lexi! Hope to see you soon!

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    Sally’s Apizza

    Sally’s Apizza

    3.3(132 reviews)
    3.1 mi
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    Came to Sally's Apizza on the weekend with no reservations. We were able to get seated. However…read moreit gets busy and to be honest the food can take a while since it's oven fire. That's the downside and I would give it 3.5 honestly because of it. Service was alright, our waiter wasn't bad, but he told us pizza will be right out and we still waited 20 minutes. All we ordered was a small firebird pizza. Sally's apizza describes it as "Mozzarella, Sally's tomato sauce, oven roasted chicken, diced sweet and hot peppers, onion" The flavor is really good and I do like how thin crusted the pizza is. Next time I would like to try the meat specialty pizzas. Last time we got cheese and pepperoni and it was good. The pepperoni is a but greasy but it's expected.

    This is such a bad representation of Sally's. It's not even Sally's…read more Dined in with a coupon for a free pizza because the last time we came here it took them over an hour to serve us. I wanted to give them a second chance. Sometimes businesses have bad days and I don't like to judge based off of one experience unless it's super bad. Well, this time was worse. Ordered the chopped salad. All you could taste was dressing and it was soggy and swimming. Barely any meat. Then the pizza came. One half had pepperoni and hot honey and the other had meatball and ricotta. The pepperoni side was literally disgusting. Like the salad, it was completely drenched in hot honey and sickly sweet. It was pooling on my plate. You couldn't taste the sauce, cheese, and toppings. Speaking of the sauce, there was little to none, had no flavor, and it was canned. I know canned sauce when I taste it. This was especially shocking because Sally's is known for their sauce. I'm very disappointed because I usually love the sauce at Sally's l, but this wasn't it. And then there's another problem: the pizza came out burnt and cold. New Haven style is slightly charred, not BURNT. It wasn't just the crust; it was also the undercarriage. See the photos I attached. It also took 50 minutes from the time our order was placed to get our one pizza when the restaurant wasn't even at half occupancy. Service was terrible!! We weren't even offered red pepper or parm with our pizza and weren't asked if we wanted dessert. Not like we wanted to stay after that mess, but it would've been nice to be asked. Our server was never near our table and it took a long time to get the things we wanted. We felt completely ignored all night. I feel like this is totally understandable on a busy night, but the place wasn't packed by any means and there were only a few tables occupied. We had to wait an extra 20 minutes after we finished our pizza before our server came around again and just handed us the check and walked away without a word. Not coming back.

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    Village Pizzeria & Family Restaurant - Pepperoni and onion large

    Village Pizzeria & Family Restaurant

    3.8(162 reviews)
    4.7 mi
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    The food is just okay. Extremely overpriced. There are so many other pizza places in the area. I…read morewouldn't waste my time.

    The pizza you get in central Connecticut is very special to me. I've lived in a bunch of states and…read morehave been chasing the square, sauced, and toppings filled pizza from places like Village Pizzeria for years now and absolutely nothing comes close to it. I was in Connecticut for a wedding a few weeks ago and ended up in old Wethersfield around dinner time, so obviously we had to return to my wife's old pizza place to order up a pizza. The place was absolutely packed when we arrived so we decided to just order a large pizza to go, half pepperoni and half sausage and meatball. The pizza took maybe twenty minutes or so to make and when it was done, well, it looked absolutely spectacular. My half of the pizza was the sausage and meatball and it was like a whirlwind of nostalgia punching me in the mouth with each and every bite. The crust was perfect, the sauce was perfect, the toppings were perfect, and the overall pizza was everything I've been craving for over a year since my last visit to the nutmeg state. Overall, Village Pizzeria & Family Restaurant is everything you expect from a central Connecticut pizza joint. The restaurant looks cozy and nice inside, the staff was super busy but still friendly, and the food was top notch. This place is definitely an old Wethersfield gem.

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    Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - Doppio Roni

    Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

    3.7(412 reviews)
    6.5 mi
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    Pepe' shows up in some of the "best pizza in the world" polls and I agree. I know you Chicago /…read moreNew York fans will argue but let's agree to disagree but if you tell me California pizza is a thing we can't even talk. The West Hartford store is consistently excellent even if it doesn't have the charm and history of the original New Haven restaurant.

    So, I'm sitting here, about an hour after having a white clam pizza and I still taste garlic. Not…read moreclams, not cheese, not crust--just the allium family's most fart-prone, overhyped stepchild. I may or may not be contemplating a couple of Tums. I'm conflicted on this 2/5 rating since I wish there was a 2.5/5 option here. There are some promising things about Frank Pepe's: a coal-fired oven, photos of the same white clam pizza I ordered that look more like pizzas I had in Italy than the one I got, and other options for toppings that might work out better. Perhaps asking for light garlic and maybe the addition of the calabrian chilies from the seasonal special pizza (or pickled jalapeños, if available) would've fixed the balance (and topping palatability) of this pizza. A different pizza also may be substantially tastier, but goshdarnit, we're close enough to the ocean that I'd like to think the white clam is a slam-dunk. It's even listed in neon in the window! As ordered, unchanged, off the menu, though, I feel like I need to leave this state for a pizza just to feel something. Connecticut calling itself "the pizza state" has thus far been a lie; a cruel joke wherein a few outstanding outliers try to gloss over the fact that most of the state's pizza is mid-to-bad. "Mystic Pizza" being one of the state's most famous audiovisual exports sort of fits given that the availability of standout pizza here appears to be a mystical unicorn I've yet to find after moving here last year. Pepe's gets serious props for using large chunks of clams that don't look like the typical, uniformly cut, restaurant-supply-can chunks, but they were a bit rubbery and almost completely drowned out by the amount of garlic. It's like they were cooked too long, and the moisture from the clams evaporated accordingly. The crust had a little crunch to it as well, but lacked the crispy bubbles and heavier charred spots I expect from this style of pizza and from the assorted menu photos. Either go foldable or go harder on the fire--anywhere in between lands in disappointment territory. Commit to a bit. $8 a pint is a bit much for basic beer selections like Sam Adams and Peroni, too, but that's sort of my least concern. We live in Hell where everything is expensive lately, and at least beer prices haven't shot up as badly as gas prices. I probably should've ordered the sangria in hindsight. White peach? Here for it. Also, the staff was friendly, and service was prompt. I really should give it a second chance with a more traditional tomato-sauce pizza, or maybe a margherita. If you go, expect it to fall short of the hype unless whoever made the nicely bubbly white clam pie in the photos posted here is manning the oven. Unless you like garlic as much as I like cheese, consider asking to go light on the garlic for a better-balanced pizza if you order this one.

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    Ciao Cafe - pizza - Updated June 2026

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