Cippolina is one of my go-to restaurants, not only because it has a beautiful, quiet, inviting atmosphere, but the food is pretty darn good too! My date and I went to Cippolina last week for Austin Restaurant Week (although we went there before...our first date actually...awwww), and had a great time. I ordered off of the Pre Fixe menu and he just ordered off of the regular dinner menu. I started with a Tomato Soup, which was delightfully creamy and warm. He had a salad (I think just the House salad) which looked good but had a bit too much dressing for my taste. My advice would be to order the dressing on the side (if you can) and add as much as you want. Otherwise, it might be overpowering or just downright soggy. Anyways, the soup was fantastic...I think I could have made a whole meal out of that. For the main course, my date ordered a Bacon Pizza and I got the Duck Tortellini (not the official name of the dish, but you get the picture). To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by my selection. The tortellini plate only came with 5 pieces and was sitting in a boring broth. The flavor was tender and juicy, but there was just so LITTLE of it. I ended up sneaking a piece of pizza from my boyfriend, since I was still a little hungry. The pizza was DELICIOUS. Definitely give it a try. Really, I am a huge fan of anything with bacon on it, but this was actually pretty good. For dessert, we split the Chocolate Pot-De-Creme, which was extremely rich. I enjoyed it, very creamy, whipped texture and delicious chocolate flavor. Great for chocoholics, not so good for people that like milder dessert flavors. (It was pretty strong). Overall, I would say it was a great experience. The server was extremely attentive, bringing us everything we needed, and there was no wait at all. I would definitely go back. The only reason I rated this restaurant 4/5 stars, instead of 5/5 is because of the tortellini dish. For a main course, it just lacked. Otherwise, fantastic time! read more

S-S-Service please. I agree that the service is spotty at best. The woman that took my order at the counter suggested a wine to accompany my entree, and before I could finish glancing at the short wine list, she whipped around and handed me a sample in a matter-of-fact manner. Now I am a fan of sampling but I did not really choose what I'd like to sample, nor did I have a choice as a glass was pretty much thrust into my hand. I did not really like it, but at that point I felt it was better to say yes to the $8 glass and learn to like it. The paparadelli was great and very flavorful. The calamari looked like a tiny coffee mug portion, which was surprising. Everything from the salads to sandwiches looked really healthy and fresh. For some reason the dessert order was entered as a to go order and 25 minutes later it appeared in a plastic container. Note: The cobbler looked like a blob of canned berries, no crust, poured into a way too big container. Had it been served in its proper presentation, I'm sure the impression would have been very different. But it looked really unappetizing. The coffee never appeared and a return visit to the counter to check on it 20 minutes later, was not greeted by an apology for the delay, but with an excuse. A big pet peeve of mine. The uninterested, inattentive service cast a cloud over the otherwise impressive food. I also had a little piece of cork in my wine. Time for a staff change. read more

Perfectly ok neighborhood restaurant but I find it always a little lacking. Specifically, the salads are always just a little wilty and warm, as if they are prepared too close to the stove. The desserts are fine but a little uncreative and uninspired and never change. The wine list only has one or two that aren't standard corporate wines available at any supermarket. Besides that I do frequent the place because its in the neighborhood and its clean, has friendly service and does an ok pizza. The pasta is usually tasty, the meat dishes are great. read more

Spaghetti and meatballs were good. Was not wild about Bolognese. Starmont Chardonnay was wonderful! Our waiter, Horacio T was very helpful in explaining menu items and making suggestions! read more

Coming from a waiter the service here was impersonal and lack luster... I'm not asking for a performance, just used to another sense of guest appreciation. We all ended up thinking our money would have been spent better elsewhere. read more

We've been 3 times and are going back soon! We loved it every time. Locally sourced food is what it's all about. My only beef with Cipollina is that the prices could be a little more competitive. If you've got the money, and appetizer and entrée from Cipollina will make your night much better! read more

On this visit to Cipollina, I shared a mixed green salad, and even thought e dressing came on it (we ordered it on the side), it was very pleasant menagerie of greens, goat cheese, cranberries, and seeds. Lovely but a bit oily. The lamb, red onion and mint pizza was, as my munch companion coined, "One of the best pizzas I've ever eaten." Can't argue with that! read more

We found this place on a visit to Austin this summer and honestly weren't sure what to expect. It is located in the corner of a small shopping center adjacent a neighborhood grocery store. It was a Monday night so not too busy. We were seated at the far side of the restaurant at a semi-quiet table. The service was excellent and our server seemed quite knowledgable. She was extremely attentive and professional while still being friendly and personable. We started with a cold cucumber soup that was a perfect starter and quite refreshing. The salad that followed was very well assembled and quite colorful. What followed the soup and salad was quite possibly one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The special of the night was braised oxtail tossed with handmade pasta. It was so good that I am wondering if they thought I washed the plate myself. I mopped the plate clean with their wonderful bread. The red wine suggested by our server was a perfect compliment. Somehow we found room for creme' broulee and coffee. By this time we were buzzing from the wonderful meal we just ate so the creme broulee seemed awesome to us. A perfect end to a darn near perfect meal. The next time we are in Austin we will make a return visit. read more

Why I haven't I come back to this wonderful west Austin bistro more? Maybe it's the location, not exactly on a "restaraunt area". I need to think outside those little boxes more often. This is a great place! If you are a fan of steamed mussels, you must eat them here. They simply are the best ever! The best broth (with plenty of crusty bread to soak it up witk), clean plump mussels with no grit. Delicious! Then on to the Margarita pizza and proscuitto pizza. Perfect thin tasty crust. The margarita had the BEST tomatoes (it was summer when I was there). Prosciutto, gruyere, & white truffle oil. Yummy! Service is excellent (and good looking, as were most of the customers) The wine selection was spot on (not too big but good selections). Free parking. Very comfortable atmosphere. It's as close to Italia as you're going to get anywhere around here. read more

I received a nice note from the manager of Cipollina after my review. To clarify something I mentioned in my earlier review: I did not think that the waitperson's comment about being out of items was inappropriate. What bugged me was the fact that they were out of so many items that it limited the choices on the menu. The manager did make a very good point that many of the items that the restaurant has on the menu are from local suppliers and not from large restaurant suppliers. This makes for fresher, more vibrant flavor in the food. But it also means that when they are out of something, they are out until more can come from the local supplier. So keeping this in mind, I returned to Cipollina by myself for lunch recently. To their credit, Cipollina prepares a very good salad. The freshness of the ingredients does make the salad. There's nothing worse than a salad that was prepared hours in advance and left in the refrigerator and Cipollina gets high marks for preparing their salads before they are served. The rest of the meal went off without a hitch. As promised, past issues with service have been dealt with apparently. I do stand by my earlier comment about dessert. I tried a different dessert this time and it was the same. Dessert should not taste healthy. If I'm going to deal with the guilt of having dessert, I want something to be guilty about. The desserts just taste too healthy and aren't worth the price. This is a good restaurant. I do recommend it for many reasons. And the fact that the manager cares enough to read reviews, take them as positive criticism and then took the time to write me a personal note does say a lot about the restaurant. read more

So, I want to preface this review by saying I have eaten here close to 50 times since I moved to Austin in 2003. Back in the day I would have given this place 5 stars, it had a to go counter, the best sandwiches in town, and amazing coffee/espresso. That being said, I no longer feel that way. Cippolina used to have a charm about it that made me want to go there all the time, I also miss the cafe-esque atmosphere. The food is good. For sure. Very good. If thats all you want, and you are not looking for a whole-experience type of meal then you will not be disappointed. But....we went in for restaurant week because I had been wanting to go back since I hadn't eaten there since it was more casual. The waitress we had was not trained to pair wine and had not tried many items on the menu. I'm sure she was new, but a restaurant that takes pride in their food and service and also charges $20+ for an entree better have a service staff that knows what they are talking about. She was very nice, but you could tell she was nervous when we asked for wine suggestions and also for digestif suggestions with dessert. It doesn't speak well to an establishment when a server has to run and ask a manager every time a customer is curious about an item on the menu. The kitchen staff looked miserable. The soup they brought out to us had a giant splash going down the outside of the bowl that I actually had to wipe of myself. COME ON. Ok now to the good stuff.... The three bean soup is super tasty. The salads we had were perfectly balanced. The scallop special was amazing, I loved it, every bite bursting with flavor. And the creme brulee and brownie desserts were both very satisfying and well done. The chicken liver terrine was the best thing on the menu. SO GOOD. Seriously, SO GOOD. The lamb polenta crepes had some issues... 1. it needed a sauce. It was really dry. 2. Side salad? why serve an entree with salad on the side when a salad was one of the options for the first course. It seemed lazy. --The flavor was good, the polenta crepe was creative. But overall, 3 people at our table were disappointed with it. So I know this was a rough review. But, I truly believe this spot has the potential to great. They just need to pay a little more attention to detail and put more into training their servers. read more

The service was average but that was better than either one of the dishes. We enjoy the atmosphere at this neighborhood bistro, but they really have moved their food too far from spicy as it was downright bland. The cioppino was full of seafood but little flavor and the bolognese lacked fennel seed, salt, garlic or even pepper. Disappointing. read more

I'm a frequent business traveler. I was so impressed with the service and quality of food at this neighborhood restaurant. Austin traffic as we know is bear. I stumbled on this place as I was googling and close restaurant after a meeting. I was surprised that I could actually get a table based on the reviews however it was a Wednesday. Great vibe. In what we call a small mall setting. A few tables outside, but inside it is modern, a bit masculine (not over the top steakhouse masculine). Just a nice blend of Austin clean lines, awesome music and great use of space. You could be dressed up not feel completely comfortable in jeans and casual. Most importantly the staff is genuinely nice. Which is not always the case Nice wine list- great variety but something for every budget. read more

Well, I think it might be okay for meat eaters, but for vegetarians, go elsewhere. All three of our dishes were bland, and relatively overpriced. The sauce with the cheese ravioli was pretty good, but not good enough to make up for the rest of the (lack) of flavors. They don't really know how to cook vegetarian. read more

Great location, great building, nice atmosphere inside. Clean, classic decor. Great menu. But it all sort of fell apart when the food came out. Ordered a lamb sandwich. The meat was dry, overcooked and full of fat :( I found it curious that they used what appeared to be sliced lamb shank for the sandwich, when they list lamb sausage as an ingredient on one of their pizzas. A lamb sausage sandwich would be awesome! The bun was pretty bland and tasted as though it was a bit stale before it was reheated. The garnish of slaw and a pepper on the plate was just bland and unappetizing. I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't use a rosemary focaccia or some other softer bread for a lamb sandwich. It was ok.. but nothing was very impressive. I honestly expected a lot more from what was listed on the menu, and all the local ingredients they are using. I will give this place another try... because I really want to like it. Maybe I jut caught them on a bad day. read more

Food- 4.5 Stars Service- 2.5 I want to LOVE this place. I WANT to eat here every week. The Kale pizza and fresh fig appetizer were so heavenly, it made me almost want to bathe in the cheese that were in each dish. Yummm. BUT, our server was just not even giving a hoot about us. He was doing well at first, but after our entree order was placed, he must have gone on a break, because we did not see him for 45 more minutes. My friend and I were there for two hours on a Wednesday night, and we only had two glasses of wine. Let me tell you, if I'm staying at a quaint Italian cafe for two hours, I would normally be loading up on the wine. But he was nonexistent, thus the sub par rating and lack of a good buzz at the end of the night. I'll be back in hopes that we get a more together server. read more

Very good! All the food was fantastic and service was great! Would definitely come back.

For years, I swooned over the prosciutto pizza with truffle oil. Sadly, they stopped using the truffle oil, and now it's just a tasty prosciutto pizza, no longer a must-eat indulgence that could convince me to stay in the neighborhood The rest of the menu is good on average, but without the truffle oil, I just don't go back as often as I used to, considering I could hit it with a rock from my sofa. It's a cute place for an enjoyable-but-affordable first date, and the service is usually quite good. Classy ambiance read more

Really enjoyed this restaurant. Good selection wonderful trout. Wilted spinach and good wine selection. Almost NYC atmosphere and charm. Wait staff are very attentive but not overly. Great tiramisu A little noisy but it also gives a level of privacy to your conversation read more

Cipollina - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

The pasta claimed to have procuitto and sausage but tasted like pulled pork. The food was super average, no need to come back unless they up their game. Wine was overpriced as well. Servers seemed not that excited to be there read more

O Cipollina, how I love thee! My wife and I first dined here last year during Austin restaurant week and treated ourselves to their prix fixe menu, which included such delicious items as day boat scallops, antelope tartare, and red wine risotto. None of these unique dishes disappointed, and we were so impressed that we have been back several times since. Highlights of their menu include a wonderful pork belly sandwich for lunch and the aforementioned risotto on the dinner menu. They offer a variety of pizzas for both lunch and dinner which are thin, crisp, and quite tasty. There is wine by the glass on offer as well as a nice collection of bottled craft beers. We have not worked our way through much of the dessert menu, but I can say that their tiramisu is quite delightful. The atmosphere is classy without being too snooty. Sort of a neighborhood restaurant meets upscale bistro, if you will. I have never been there when it is overly crowded, and it has never been so noisy that I cannot carry on a conversation. Protip: Cipollina often offers special menus for things like Valentine's Day or Austin Restaurant week. These are definitely worth your while. In particular, I ordered a bouillabaisse on New Year's Eve that absolutely blew my mind. Cipollina, if you are reading this, please make this again! read more

That sausage pizza was the best pizza I've had in a while...maybe ever! The staff was so friendly and helpful as well, which made our experience even better! read more

I do not get how this place has over 3 stars. The chicken parm was burnt and had bone in it, the capers was $9 for three pieces of tomatoe with mozzarella and a few tiny slivers of basil, chopped salad was off, now the pizza that was good. Our server was horrible not very good at his job. I do not write a lot of negative reviews but I'm sorry this place was aweful. read more

Cipollina had been one of my favorite local spots, the fact that we could walk there any time made it even better. The price point was always a bit high, but the service and atmosphere made up for that. My recent visits have not been good at all and I am done treating Cipollina as a local go to place. The Price: Usual fare is to split an entree ($18 for some Rigatoni) and have one glass of wine each. ($20). With tip, the bill is in excess of $40. Once desert or an appetizer is added, you are looking at around $50 or $60, keep in mind, this is splitting an entree ! The prices are aligned with downtown not the West Lynn neighborhood vibe. The Service: Cippolina needs to decide if they want customers dining at the bar or not. Time and time again there is no server assigned to the bar, customers get ad hoc service from staff as they walk by on their way to help dining area customers. This makes for little to no service at all for bar customers that are paying good money. The atmosphere is fine and for a special occasion Cipollina dining area is a decent option but gone are the days when this becomes a weekly trip. Yet another restaurant that needs to realize there are hundreds of options in Austin, take care of your customers, especially the regulars. read more

WOW my mouth thanks you and my belly will add you to his Christmans (Winter Holiday) card list. We went for a birthday and received exceptional service from door to door! We were greeted and seated promptly and received our drinks within 2 minutes of sitting down. I was a bit overwhelmed by the menu and our server took the time to explain all the different options. We selected a cheese plate and I soon discovered that I did like blue cheese! My wife had the pork chop and I devoured the Kale pizza. All the food looked and smelled great as it passed by our table. Great layout with a view of the kitchen, very open. See you soon read more

Probably the best meal I've had in Austin yet. The mussels are AMAZING. No matter what else you order, make sure you get them. $12 for a huge bowl full of those delicous little suckers seemed like a great deal to me. We also had the "Sausage" pizza, which has sausage and goat cheese among other things. The pizza was really great. One of the better thin crusts I've had. Good service, good food, and a nice vibe. I'll be back. read more

Great pizza. Solid salads. Nice neighborhood spot. Underrated. Priced right. Easy pick up or dine in. Outdoor eating is in parking lot.

I have to give this place a 4 stars for the food they served to me and for the quality of service from the staff. One star has been deducted due to the price, but it is the price you pay for a quality meal. First of all, I placed a reservation just in case the place was going to be full of people on a Friday night. Definitely a star just for having the convenience of that option. When I arrived the restaurant was small, just as it looked from the photos on Yelp. I walked in and noticed there was virtually nobody around near 7 PM. I saw a lot of waiters/waitresses chatting. Not necessarily a BAD thing, but always kind of a concern when you do not see a whole lot more people eating. We thought maybe it was due to ACL weekend, but shouldn't that draw more people? It could have deterred customers from wanting to get caught in the possible traffic and crowd. In a way this is good, service was very attentive. My entree was the wood-fired quail bacon, green lentils, turnips, arugula. Ordered a romaine salad in case the meal wasn't enough to fulfill my appetite. Once I took a bite I realized how delicious the meal was, I really enjoyed it. The quail was moist and tasty, I think I've had quail a long time ago and have had "dry" tasting quail meat before. My friends had wagyu flank & fries salsa verde, fleur de se and bacon apple, gorgonzola, arugula pizza. Everything was great and well cooked. I guess the only problem we felt was that the portion was small for the price. Don't get me wrong, we believe that the portion is actually the correct "healthy" portion, we are just spoiled (my friend said this) by all the Texas-sized portions offered everywhere else. Either way it's not really like a place where we can afford to dine every week. This is considered more of a luxury dine out place. The place is pretty clean and the kitchen is "open" for all to see. We saw plenty of waiters/waitresses standing around so my tea glass was always refilled on time without me asking. Definitely a place recommended to try at least once and I would suggest the wood-fired quail dish if you do not mind a smaller portion (aka, the correct HEALTHY portion!), but just add an appetizer and/or salad and you should be good to go. We did not bother with ordering wine, even though we love drinking wine. The price is comparable to other restaurants, but I just wasn't in the mood to drink wine Parking lot is small because they share it with other stores next door, so if the place is packed I don't see how that front parking lot area would have enough space for a lot of parking. There are probably side street parking and other back lots, but I did not look into it. This is really a place for adults, not really designed as a place of interests for kids... meaning they might get bored easily here. read more

i really like this place mainly for the ambience. It's nestled in the West Lynn neighborhood, right next to Fresh Plus. It has a really nice simple interior. it's not crazy big. Pros: The food is pretty good for a moderate price. Last night, we got the calamari to start, and he got the sausage pasta dish and i got the snapper. The calamari was very good, particularly the shrimp. The breading was spicy and the sauce was really nice. Cons: The biggest reason I gave this 3 instead of 4 stars was my snapper was pretty underwhelming. It was in a tomato sauce of sorts, but other than that, it was mostly tasteless. I was a bit disappointed with that, but my boyfriend's pasta was fantastic. The service was decent and the drinks were good, although this is not the place to go for cheap drinks...For two people, an appetizer, 4 drinks (2 wine, 2 beer), our bill came up to about 80 before tip. So if you're looking for a moderately priced bistro with nice ambience, this is the place to go. Oh, and the pizza looked amazing. read more

A total Austin Gem!!! I'd been hearing about this place all of the time and kept seeing friends of mine checking in here, but never seemed to make it here myself until the other day!! We sat at the bar and ordered the most delicious rose moscato EVER!! OMG! I had two glasses before even ordering our meal! LOL We ended up getting a cheese platter and they were very generous with the freshly cut french baguette and all of the wonderful cheeses on the plate!! Great place!!! Can't wait to go back!! :-) read more

I was disappointed today. I didn't tell my server. I have been here a handful of times, prior. I haven't been in for about 9 months. I assumed it would be great. My husband started with a Kale Salad. He mentioned after eating it to the server it was Salty. I had the Kale Salad for lunch. My husband had the chicken. He took a bite of his and told me it to was very salty. I tasted my Kale Salad and it was so Salty and a very strong Lemon flavor I forced it down. The shrimp I had on the salad were great. So I ate some Kale and all the shrimp. I didn't tell the Server, my bad! My husband and I usually do not have time for lunch together so I tried to enjoy. I just do not know what happened? I use to love this place when I got to go. I was really surprised by the change in the flavors. Same menu, but so so different. I am disappointed. read more

A comfortable restaurant with a contemporary/classic mix. Greeted immediately as you enter the establishment and was seated immediately. Ordered the sausage pizza. Delivered timely and it was hot. The pizza has the New York style crust and flavor tinged with Italian flair. Our waitress Brooke was attentive and spot on in customer service. The lighting during the evening meal made for a relaxing and fun filled time. The food and atmosphere are worth going to for a romantic or relaxing night out. When I return to Austin again I will visit for another meal. read more

Cipollina - Sausage pizza. - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

staff was very sweet and friendly. food came out fast and was delicious. highly recommend the gnocchi and calamari.

I know others have rated this place somewhat poorly, but my husband and I have been here many times and we like this place. Last night was a Friday - we were not stoked about our initial experience at a restaurant so took to OpenTable and landed a 6:45PM reservation here. I got the muscles (made dairy-free), the salmon special (which came with braised broccoli and house-made penne-style pasta), the Chardonnay special, a glass of the Nebbiolo and a couple bites of my husband's tiramasu. The muscles were good and everything else I had was incredible. The salmon and greens were cooked perfectly, the pasta was exactly what I had a hankering for, the Chardonnay was the best I've ever tried, the Nebbiolo was on par with my Chardonnay, and the tiramisu was fresh, light and killer. However, my husband got the prosciutto pizza and he said it was "alright" as far as pizzas go. Service was on point and the menu was laid out well. Our other experiences there have ranged from good to great. One Sunday night in the Fall, years ago, my (now husband) and I were there seated in the window at Cipollina. It was so romantic, we got to talking about honeymoons and the idea of getting married... So, even if this place went completely downhill, it will always hold a special place in my heart. A couple things that took away from the experience last night - 1. Some dude at a table was watching the Astros game and hooting and hollering up a storm. :| Nothing against his excitement, but that would have gotten old had we not left the restaurant ~20mins after his excitement began. 2. Parking there is not great. We made a couple laps around the parking lot, connected eyes with another car doing the same, and resolved to give up. Husband dropped me off and showed up 5-10 mins later. read more

After a visit during a Saturday brunch and a Saturday evening with the Spouse, I really like the place. Great food, Good service, But a very slick floor. My chair kept sliding away from the table the entire time we were there.Weird... We will be going back, but with tennis shoes on the next time. read more

So disappointed- great atmosphere. We live right down the street so I really want it to succeed. We arrived at 5:30 & not many people but they had lots of reservations. They were nice & put us at a table that was not scheduled until 7:00. Calamari was very tough & bland. They must just buy low quality that is cheap. I find that inexcusable. I had shrimp & pasta & it was pretty good. My husband had chicken parmigiana & it was burned & had a bone in it. Really - a burned $26 entree! Too many good restaurants in Austin to spend $110 on a pretty bad meal! I really hope they up their game because love the atmosphere & location - I want them to be a great restaurant! It is far from it at this point read more

I'm giving this place three stars because my wife and I want to return and try their pizzas. Tonight, the best thing was the wine. The hostess and our waiter appeared sour-faced and in poor moods. I have had tons of friends in the service industry and understand the many bad days caused by obnoxious patrons, real life, etcetera, but seriously a friendly smile can't hurt. We had two dry watercress salads. She had the crépes, which were closer to pancakes with undercooked spring peas. I had the wild boar cutlet. Even though boar has hard fat, I thought it was dry and chewy. My mustard vinaigrette was way salty. Overall, our impression was of a bistro that wants to share the class with daddy, Jeffrey's, but misses. We both really wanted it to be so much more. I'll update after we return. read more

While I don't eat there too often, we have eaten there a number of times. It is a great place to eat and we are fortunate to have it in our hood. I heard from friends that it was sort of suspect in its early days, but I have only had great experiences there. Salads are always very fresh and made of somewhat eclectic blends and dressings. The pizzas are great as appetizers (or for our 3 year old son). Decent beer selection...would love to see a little better wine list. It is not a great list for a small Italian joint, but it doesn't keep us away. Would definitely recommend going. read more

I can't believe I have never written a review of this place! This is in my boyfriend and my top 5 places to eat in Austin. I'm a vegetarian, so I could only have a few things from their older/smaller menu. Their pizzas as amazing! Not greasy, super thing crust, wood-fired...delicious! I can eat an entire one on my own, and have several times! :) We stopped in last week and discovered they have re-vamped their menu. It now has more pasta dishes...OMG to the gnocchi and basic pasta with olive oil and anchovy paste! This is a great place for a date, birthday dinner, or girls night out. They have an excellent wine menu as well. I personally love the malbec. read more

They are always the best! Service is wonderful. Meatballs? Great. Pizza? Great. Enough mirrors to make you think you are in an episode of Sopranos? Great! read more