Oh, I don't want to be too grumpy. We came in late and were greeted warmly and shown to a nice table. The lamb ribs were delicious - so, too, were my partner's lamb chops. The espresso chocolate bombe was everything you'd like in a chocolate bombe. But the service was rather unattentive and unhelpful. I'd go back readily for another try. read more

The wait staff was very professional and friendly but the food had a total lack of flavor. Even with a healthy dose of salt and pepper added, the main courses were a disappointment. Maybe it was an off night, but for this price range we expected better. read more

This review is not based on food, as we did not stay long enough to eat. We had reservations, as I saw on previous reviews, they prefer you have them. We arrived about 5 minutes before our reservation, and were taken to a table for two, not near a window. Aside from 2 other tables, the restaurant was totally empty. From the get go, the woman serving as the greeter/hostess was off putting. We asked if we could please sit next to the window, and were told "No, I have to put you at a 2 top because we have lots of reservations with 4 tops coming." She was rude and condescending. My 71 year old mother looked at her and said, if I eat dinner here, I don't want to be treated rudely. At that point, I said we were leaving. The hostess/greeter freaked out and started to back track. She was shouting "you can sit there, you can sit there, my manager is right over there!" I spoke to the manager on the way out, and he didn't seem to care that he had two lost patrons. The woman then chased us outside and began begging us to come back in. She shouted at us until I drove away. I'll never go back to this restaurant...Maybe the snootiness of the staff is supposed to add to the ambiance, but to me it was awful. I live in Tampa and frequent Bern's. That's class, this is sad. read more

The atmosphere was wonderful, the food was superb and the waiter was excellent. We were seated right next to a party of 10, they were not noisy at all but the manager thought we were inconvienced and paid our check (on the house) we almost fell off our chairs. Thank you so much, great food, service and overall experience! read more

A beautiful restaurant. The food was really good. I ordered the dirty martini, but received just plain gin. The waiter did bring 2 blue cheese olives, but that didn't make it dirty enough. A 3 dollar surcharge for sharing appetizers? I thought that was the point of appetizers were to share them with the table? Very pricey, but the food was good. read more

Had the pleasure of being Il Cielo's last table of the night and the food was absolutely wonderful - The off season on Sanibel can be a little quiet but it's nice to see that Il Cielo is still hard at work and hasn't let their standards slip. We had 2 orders of the crisp duck wings (which were in fact, crisp- and absolutely delicious). We also had the heirloom tomato / caprese salad. The tomatoes were delicious but the mozzarella wasn't anything to rave about. The white bean chili was recommended by our waiter and was absolutely *superb*. It definitely reminds me of something I would make at home and you can tell it's something they put some time into making. The lobster ravioli was incredibly light and served in a tangy sun dried tomato sauce that bordered on too citrus-y. The warm spice roasted lamb ribs were perfectly braised and seasoned. As a rib connoisseur they surpassed my expectations! Bravo! read more

Quiet, romantic atmosphere, with piano player in background. Food was delicious, plentiful, beautifully presented.

We went there for our anniversary dinner this past Saturday. We were staying on Captiva but we're told it was worth the drive. And it certainly was! We were seated immediately and our server welcomed us and gave us the history of the restaurant. We shared the Caprese salad which was not only beautifully designed and decorated but tasted delicious. Our server recommended the black grouper with crabmeat on top. I'm not a fish fan but I must say the dish was scrumptious. It was so beautifully and artistically put together I almost didn't want to put my fork through it. But glad I did because it tasted as pretty as it looked. Although we were very tempted we did not have dessert. When I return back to the island this is definitely a place I will go again and this time I will make sure to save room for dessert. read more

Outstanding. Chef Neil is a culinary genius. The hostesses were welcoming and waitstaff attentive. I ordered the Vegetarian Inspiration with strict parameters and Chef Neil concocted a feast that could convert any carnivore. My plate looked like a work of art. My husband ordered the Ahi Tuna and was blown away by the preparation. If you're looking for a special dining experience on Sanibel Island, Il Cielo is worth every penny. read more

We are Sanibel residents and its the first time we have been back to the restaurant in almost 2 years. The room is beautiful the service was excellent and the food was exquisite. Feel very comfortable in recommending the restaurant to friends and family read more

Outstanding! Loved that we could make a reservation, as that is not the norm on Sanibel. Lovely setting. We took our children, aged 15 & 10. The menu selections were varied and interesting. Our server, Uma, was fabulous! The apps we had (escargot-amazing! And caprese, were delicious. Our meals were delicious, perfectly sized and deliciously flavored. Uma was very complimentary of our boys, and brought lots of extra bread for them! Loved it and may try to go here again this week. Highly recommend. I do recommend dressing up a bit. It is a lovely setting that warrants NOT showing up in sneakers and shorts. read more

Cielo food and atmosphere is top shelf. But they need to stick to their attire recommendations. All I wanted to do is take my Wife and Mother out for a quite dinner. I had heard they had entertainment a local piano musician that plays at my Moms church. The first 20 minutes were perfect, then they escorted a large group of 20 plus people surrounding us and the musician. Dressed in beach attire and acting like it was a McDonald's they kept getting up and yelling across to the other table. When a teenager threw some bread to the other table I had had it. At one point they were so loud other tables got up a left and we could no longer here the musician. He got up and went to the bar, don't blame him. read more

We go to Sanibel every year for vacation in March and we make it a point to have a "fancy dinner" the night before our departure. The last two years in a row we have eaten at Il Cielo and we have not been disappointed by either visit. This past time we had Christine who was a delightful and engaging server. She was extremely prompt and attentive without being in our grill too much, a fine art which is appreciable. They achieved accommodating every weird dietary restriction my family has (gluten free, vegetarian, generally picky, etc) with a great menu and some really great cocktails. I had the scallops which were prepared perfectly, thought a little small. My wife had the chicken which was seasoned and prepared wonderfully. The kids had the veggie ravioli and a salad which were both great portions and flavorful. My only complaint would be that the menus (beat up and tattered) and decor (very dated) could use a lift to create a little bit more of an upscale atmosphere consistent with the cuisine (and prices!). But that said, this spot will definitely be in the running for next years "fancy dinner" as it has been a delight the last two times! read more

Fabulous food and service! I had the chicken piccata and it was amazing. Super tender, flavorful with butter and capers. A must! Kevin was a professional and attentive waiter. Come for dinner... You will love it! read more

Sanibel has an abundence of casual and fun food, but fine dining is not easy to find. Il Cielo has both great food and equally fine service. Chef Neil knows his fish, and his preparatons. My Special - Hog Fish, Tile Fish with Jumbo Shrimp was out of this world, the shrimp (frequently overcooked) was beautiful and tender. Our server was knowledgable, assisted with wine and made a recommendation for dessert - again made in house. For Sanibel, - anywhere in Florida Il Cielo is well worth a visit. read more

AMAZING! BRAVO! I don't even know where to start with how fantastic our dining experience was at Il Cielo. We were just in on 8/14/13 for our "nice dinner" of our vacation, and were really looking forward to it based on the menu and the reviews. Everything, absolutely everything, exceeded any expectation that we had, and left us talking about our experience still today! The cocktails were superb, with a very generous pour. The wine list was large, and categorized by region or country, too. We had the crab cake and mussels for apps, and I had the snapper dish, and my fiancé had the grouper...everything was gone and I do not typically finish a meal out but I couldn't leave a bite! The menu was truly inspired and unique to capture both an elegant and island flavor for the diner. The service was also incredible. We left there feeling like we had visited with old friends, like at "Cheers" or your favorite neighborhood place. Walter, our server and bartender was very kind and knowledge about the menu and pleasant to talk to; even the runners, CJ and Josh, made us feel very welcome and chatted with us when they had a minute. Finally, Chef Neil came to our table and talked with us for awhile, and gave us some tips about the island, including how to get rid of bug-bites! When we said that we liked to cook and used Global knives, he brought out his favorite knife, and we were talking about the aspects of good cooking utensils! It was such an enjoyable evening, and it was made personal and memorable by the amazing food and attentive service. I recommend coming here 500%! I wish Chef Neil would open a second location in New York so that we could frequent Il Cielo again. read more

Il cielo was fantastic! Wine selection was great and black grouper special was delicious. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Amazing dinner tonight! We sat at the bar w/ our friendly bartender Jamie and enjoyed the escargot & scallop special appetizer. I enjoyed the fresh catch topped with crab (DELICIOUS!) and my husband had their salmon special (also fantastic!). I would highly recommend to anyone to enjoy a meal (or several) here! read more

A lovely choice for our first dinner on Sanibel. Elegant but unfussy decor, with friendly and attentive service. Good wines by the glass. Escargot appetizer was unusual, with tomato and cheese, but tasty. Lobster ravioli was fantastic; rich but I ate every bite. My husband had veal and shrimp dish and said it was some of the best veal he's ever had. I only wish we'd had room for dessert. read more

They offered a prix fix menu for a 6pm reservation and didn't honor it when they took our order at 6:30 pm. A bait and switch not worthy of the other fine establishments on the island. read more

Best restaurant we went to on a recent vacation on Sanibel Island. The ambiance and service were beyond reproach. We told our server that we (a lesbian couple) were there for our seventh anniversary. When they brought out our dessert (delicious creme brûlée), it had a thoughtful, congratulatory message written in chocolate on the plate. The food was inventive and perfectly balanced. read more

We had the best dinner in a long time. We were a party of twelve picky eaters celebrating a birthday. Great ambiance, awesome service and impeccable food. The lobster ravioli, the grouper (fish of the day), and the veal were the standout dishes. But everything we ordered tasted great. Il Cielo is a gem in the island; we strongly recommend it. read more

I cannot rave more about this restaurant! It was our last meal of our stay on Sanibel, and we definitely saved the best for last! My only complaint is that Il Cielo is not in New York, so I cannot frequent this place as often as I would if it were closer! The atmosphere in the restaurant is very nice, it has an upscale island flare; the piano player was an added bonus as well! We started our meal with salads. The goat cheese is so fresh and I can tell it was not store bought. In their cappers salad the mozzarella was very fresh as well. For entrées I had the duet of veal scallopini and the two others I was with had the lobster ravioli. The veal was amazing, as were the shrimp! I have never had veal that cut like butter. The lobster ravioli was to die for as well, as I tried some of my sister's. Chef Neil even came out to talk to our group because we happen to be from an area close to where he grew up. That was such a nice added personalized touch, and it was great to see the face behind our amazing meal! Make sure you leave room for dessert because Chef Neil's wife makes an amazing Chocolate Bombe (chocolate coated chocolate mousse), an amazing twist on s'mores, and a perfect creme brûlée. We did not endulge on individual desserts on any other location on the island, but the desserts at Il Cielo were worth making room for. Next time I return to Sanibel, I will be sure to stop by this restaurant again. I cannot recommend it more! read more

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Outstanding. Best dinner experience I've had on the Sanibel/Captiva (especially Captiva) islands thus far. The food, service and atmosphere was a highlight of our SW FL vacation. I would highly recommend it. read more

I talked to my mom a little earlier this evening. And I was so disappointed to hear of her extremely poor customer service experience at Il Cielo. She was very excited at the prospect of going to the restaurant for appetizers tonight after investigating the restaurant online having past it millions of times. My father and her live on the island about six months out of the year and travel in between their other homes the rest of the year. Online, the restaurant had advertised half-price appetizers. That pretty much sealed the deal for her as she wanted to go to experience appetizers at a local restaurant, have dinner somewhere else, and then grab sherbet and a scotch at the Sanibel Grill. In fact, My mother was celebrating her 77th birthday. They made the reservations online and showed up on time to a mostly empty restaurant, explained to the maître d' that they were there to enjoy the half-price appetizer specials and were seated. They proceeded to order about 3 to 4 appetizers, enjoy what my mom said was "the best crab she's ever had", which says a lot because she has traveled all over the world, and really enjoyed the live piano music. When it came time to pay their bill there was a discrepancy, they had been charged full price for their appetizers versus the half-price special. Her very kind waiter said that he would have the bill adjusted with the manager on duty at that time. The manager came over to speak to my mom, and to her horror began to argue with her about the fact that if she were to have the half-price appetizer special she should have seated herself in the lounge. My mother understandably and reasonably explained that had she had known she certainly would have requested to sit on the lounge side however had already explained that they were there for the reservation and the half-price appetizer special when they checked in and were seated in the dining area. At that point the manager grew more upset and told my mother that she was being cheap. Said "is this really about money?!" and continued to insult her telling her "the owners are rich and don't need her business". Ew! Awe, my poor mom! She's so sweet, she said that she'd go there again if she knew that this particular guy was not there. She gave incredible compliments to the chef and to the waiter that assisted her and my father. My mother and father literally go out to dinner almost every single night that they're there on the island and were looking for another "regular spot" for themselves. They've never experienced such poor treatment at any of the restaurants on Sanabel in fact quite the opposite, always embraced with kindness and excellence. I'm so sad to hear that my mother's special day was spoiled in this way at a restaurant that she was so excited to patronize. read more

I gave it two stars instead of one due to the decor. However the service was barely adequate as the wait staff was clumsy and inexperienced. The menu was very basic and uninspiring and the food preparation was sub-par. Most entrees were priced over $30.00 with the alacarte sides in tne $5-10.00 range. At these pricing levels one would expect a much better overall dining experience. read more

Lucky that we came here during a rainstorm and had the whole restaurant to ourselves. The Asian ahi tuna was very good. The lobster ravioli and fish tacos were good. Very nice ambiance with charming hostess and waitress. read more

Five stars for food and ambience. Our waiter was only there four months and was totally immersed in both knowledge and culture of the restaurant. We were told that last night (Wednesday) was the busiest weeknight since February. Hence, our 2.5 hour dinner with our 10 year old grandson who fortunately is versed in fine dining and held strong. Highly recommend. read more

I've dined here twice in the past month, once in the casual bar area and once in the formal area. The restaurant has been remodeled, although the decor retains its original heavy, stuffy feel. It's a mystery to me why the owners didn't change the name when they reopened - why keep the name of a place that closed because it was unsuccessful? And the old restaurant was Italian, hence the name. Anyone coming here looking for Italian now will be surprised to find an eclectic menu leaning toward Mediterranean. While expensive, nearly every dish we had was very good, especially the small plate offerings. Service, though, was spotty - on one visit our waitress was friendly, helpful and attentive; on the second visit our waiter was surly and unable to answer basic questions about the menu. On balance, it's worth going back for drinks and small plates, particularly as there is no wait for a table. read more

Just want to share that I had another (3rd) exceptional dining experience at Il Cielo. Not only was the food and service wonderful, the chef, Neil Griffin, is attentive and creative and whips up superb appetizers with the best fresh ingredients as if it's no big deal. We enjoyed a special fresh pasta dish with spinach, shrimp, smokey tomatoes and goat cheese and then clams cooked in an amazing broth with a special ham that had a hint of smoke to it as well. Our entree was the filet off the regular menu that was cooked perfectly and topped with the chefs special porcini butter that had a hint of truffle. We ended our meal with a desert that had espresso poured over creamy gelato with peanut brittle. I know my words cannot accurately describe all the details but trust me it's worth a visit if you are on Sanibel and interested in a unique dining experience. In addition, the decor lends itself to fine dining but the atmosphere set by the chef and staff is welcoming and casual. We just hope we can still get a reservation during the height of the season. read more

OMG! Finally a place to eat in Sanibel that has an elegant ambience, but has a casual element about it AND the food was DELICIOUS!! Our waiter Chris was friendly, explained the specials WITH pricing and was truly a delight . Of late I've gotten into the habit of reading reviews before giving an establishment a try. My husband and a very discriminating 10 year old were in search of dinner. We went to another restaurant (different review pending and quite the opposite experience - hint that's the only Latin place we found on the island) and without a doubt I would recommend this place to EVERYONE who visits Sanibel. The lamb ribs was falling off the bone, the asian seared tuna was seared to perfection, and the fish tacos (shrimp, they were out of grouper) was also note worthy in that the flour tortilla held just a held of smokiness and the cabbage had a nice crunch with made for an excellent combination bite with the seasoned shrimp. And on a final note - my son said their restroom was the cleanest on the island. read more