Martin at Ciao was honestly the greatest server ever, always bringing energy and making every experience better. He had a way of making people feel welcome while still being quick, attentive, and on point with everything. It's rare to find someone who balances personality and professionalism as well as he did. I hope to hear his response because he truly deserves the recognition. GIVE HIM A RAISE!! read more

The secret menu item here is the Tuscan Sacchetti pasta but with the bolognese sauce instead of the Alfredo sauce. They are so popular here they ran out of my favorite go to dinner the lasagna. A waiter recommended the above way of ordering the Tuscan Sacchetti and ever since it is now mandatory. Bolognese sauce is off the hook tasty.,Throw in the the hot bread and oil dip and BOOM!! read more

I have visited Ciao 2-3 times per week over the past year and have spent hundreds of dollars there. The staff has consistently been one of the reasons I enjoyed coming back. Recently, my perception of the restaurant changed after observing management interactions that I found concerning. As a longtime customer, how a business treats its employees matters to me, and those observations have affected my decision to continue supporting the restaurant. While I have had many positive experiences with the staff, I no longer feel comfortable spending my money here based on what I have witnessed from management. read more

Folks, if you are craving pizza and a cozy family ambiance, Ciao should be on your radar. Visiting for a few days, my husband and I found this local Italian restaurant, packed with patrons. We decided on individual pizzas-- A pepperoni and the house, Sayeed. Both were nothing short of Magnificent!!! Our waiter, Martin, fit the bill for a very friendly and welcoming presence. He was very accommodating and told us he has just completed his management training. I think he will be phenomenal in the role of Manager! Big thumbs up here!!! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Yummy Sangria--- - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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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. read more

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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 !! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Tuscan steak and shrimp. Two shrimp. Count 'em. Two. Service was great. Always like the place. Costanza - the ocean called. They're running out of shrimp. Oh, that's why. read more

Ciao is a mainstay; reliably excellent food and friendly service. The wood-fired pizza is to die for and salmon (two types) is consistently wonderful. read more

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

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. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Bar area - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Not impressed food was terrible. Portions were small. Won't go back or recommend. Ordered the chicken parm was absolutely terrible. My friend ordered the lasagna. It was paper thin and it costs 24.00. The salad was sour . The worst dining experience I've ever had. read more

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 ! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Margarita, pizza with onions and roasted peppers - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Chicken Parm with Rigatoni. - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more

Good food at a reasonable price. There was a good wait on this Sunday evening. I would go back. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Romano Pizza light bake - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Special of the day! Summer Tortellini - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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 ! read more

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 read more

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 ! read more

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!! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Arancini balls - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Chicken Balsamico - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more

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. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Ciao Fettuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Ciao Fettuccini Alfredo & Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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... read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Rigatoni Scarpiello - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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! read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Ciao Wood-Fired Pizza & Pasta - Ciao Fettuccini Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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. read more