Splendido!! If you find yourself in Emerald Isle, and you like world class Italian food you need to check out Il Cigno Italiano. I live locally and can confirm this is a place locals go, it's been a couple of different restaurants over the years, all have been great but we hope Il Cigno is here to stay. If you read my reviews I try to provide data and facts and set expectations. Service / Price - I have been to the restaurant no less than 20 times and the service and people are great! Our last waitress was really fun, even though the place was at mid vacation season madness. I would recommend getting reservations for sure and give yourself time to park. It's very limited. Price, you are going to one of the best restaurants in Swansboro, that has a great wine list and world class chef cooking for you...it's not a sports bar. Expect to pay minimum $18 to $22 per person on average before alcohol. Ambiance - the palace has a fantastic back porch looking out into the White Oak River. If the weather is nice and you can get a back porch seat, it's worth it. The inside is pretty much the same it's been for years, however it's not a bad thing. It's a great combo of old beach elegance (means laid back, but you can dress up or down, have a nice romantic meal or a family dining.) The bar is pretty nice to sit and have a drink or wait for your table. It's not a sports bar, so maybe not the most ideal place to watch a game. Food - it's all good. I have to recommend the eggplant meatsballs, and I don't really like eggplant. They are absolutely fantastic. The only issue is they only give you 3 per serving, which is a little mischievous on Il Congo's part .... it makes you buy to appetizers if you have a normal party of 4. Their salads all good, the house Halibut special is amazing, and my personal fav the Tuscan Salmon. It's just all good! If you are vacationing, go, you will be glad you did. read more

il Cigno Italiano - Italian Near Me - Swansboro, North Carolina

I didn't expect an Italian restaurant in a small coastal town in North Carolina to be THIS GOOD. We live out of town, and every time we come to visit, we make sure to stop here (or order takeout after long days on the beach). HIGHLY recommend the Penne Quattro Formaggio. Best pasta dish I've ever had. The chicken Parmesan is also delicious (and ginormous). read more

I'll title this review "Where Was Frankie and Dean?". I used to rave about IL CIGNO ITALIANO, but now in the summer of 2026 I took away 2 stars. It wasn't that my experience there was bad, it's just that it wasn't exceptional. The atmosphere wasn't cheerful. The service was robotic. The food was good but not fully dressed. The lemon wedges were too small, and Sinatra and Deano must have rented a kayak and got stuck in the tide. There was no music at all! I do appreciate them returning my phone call and booking my reservation. But the calamari was greasy and the basket of delicious bread didn't stay full. My clams linguini was tasty, but looked like it had been stirred together and scooped out of a pot. My son's saltimbocca was delicious, but not fully hot when served. The highlight of the evening was the polenta found under my wife's jumbo grilled shrimp. Absolutely heavenly!! The desserts were good but again routine. The chocolate mousse is sadly no longer available, nor were there any dainty cakes to catch your eye. Here's your bill. Now bag up your leftovers and get out of here so we can flip the table to someone else. Like Frankie said, we're doing it our way. And in Swansboro, that's amore. read more

I have wanted to try this restaurant for many years and it had never worked out. We went on a Saturday night and it was packed. I learned that you can make reservations, which was a pro tip to learn! We started out with the calamari and the Il Cigna Mozzarella which were both delicious. I would get them again. My daughter and I shared the Beef Short Rib pasta and let me tell you, it was absolutely scrumptious. Every bite was memorable. I can't wait to go back. read more

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Awesome chicken Marsala! We also really enjoyed the lasagna egg rolls and their complimentary bread with oil to dip it in. The oil is combined with balsamic vinegar and oregano. read more

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This was our first time & we will be back! Food was delicious! Awesome service and laid back atmosphere. Super small parking lot is my only complaint but it was worth it! Make reservations! read more

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This is a restaurant that belongs to the Hamptons in NY. Let's be grateful that is here. Everything here is delicious. The menu is rich in options. I had a Chocolate Martini that was not in the menu. My five stars go to that single gesture that our waitress Ybrace, made it possible for me. She was extremely professional, kept coming back to see if we need it anything . The atmosphere is cozy and inviting for relaxing while enjoying a great meal. Is the best in the area by far. read more

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Everything was absolutely delicious and the service was great. The house made mozzarella appetizer was a perfect start, the chicken Victoria is delicious and enough to feed you for days! And the beef short ribs were so flavorful. read more

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Great restaurant. Delicious and generous portions. Friendly staff. They allowed my wife to use the restroom before they were even open.

This was our second time coming and the food was just as good as the first. The waitress that served us was incredibly friendly and gave great recommendations. I highly recommend trying this when in town! read more

Absolutely delicious! Fantastic staff! A wonderful room for friends to enjoy a meal together with soft, live music too!!

Il Cigno Italiano Restaurant in Swansboro, NC is an Italian food lovers paradise. My wife and I have had several incredible tasty dishes like the Mozzarella Platter with grilled Bruschetta, Artichokes, Red Peppers and Fresh Tomatoes, Eggplant Meatballs, Beef and Pork Meatballs with Grana padano Cheese, Calamari and several scrumptious desserts. These are some of the good you will find during your visit. We always order with lunch in mind for the next day. The staff is to be commended for providing fantastic service and care which makes the experience very pleasant. The restaurant sits on an amazing location on the waterfront providing spectacular views of wildlife and beautiful boats and islands in the White Oak River. You will be glad you paid them a visit read more

Great atmosphere and ambience and very good service. Food was really good and the menu was really robust.

This place rocks my socks! It's so good, it could easily go up against some of the best Italian spots in Jersey where my husband's from, which is why we visit Il Congo very often. They make the BEST appetizer of fresh mozzarella right in the kitchen, it comes out warm and spreadable. They serve it with great bread and paired that with the best veggies, like sun-dried tomatoes and fresh garden tomatoes, and it's a game-changer... I always leave this place stuffed because I can't stop myself! The pasta dishes here literally are top tier! You can tell they really know what they're doing in the kitchen with all the flavors and umami bombs. I would also recommend the chicken parm as it's absolutely delicious and amazing portion sizes!! The waitresses who have served us have been absolutely perfect, so sweet and kind and really make you like your part of the cigno family. The vibe is wholesome and it's the perfect spot for a nice dinner date. This is an absolute must-try. I'll have to return soon and actually remember to take photos because I always gobble it down!!! Also for the weekends i'd recommend calling ahead to make a reservation as they get pretty busy and there may be a wait. read more

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This is a MUST GO to restaurant if you are around there!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED !!!! It is very hard to find a TRUE Italian restaurant in general and to have one in Swansboro NC that belongs in New York is amazing ! We were completely blown away by the food! We try something new every time and every time everything is absolutely delicious ! Every thing is rich in flavor ! Their Red sauce is perfect ..... not to sweet and not to acidic ! Their food is always consistent with flavor. I love their Chicken Saltimbocca, the Chicken Parm , the Braised Short Ribs , the Chicken Franchise . Pasta always cooked to perfection al dente ! Their service is amazing and so is the atmosphere. Only down fall ..... it is so hard to get in and having to make reservations sometimes a week in advance. read more

Cute interior though seating is a little tight, but worth it for the food! Every dish we had was amazing and the cocktails were good too. The service is friendly and prompt as well. Can't wait to come back. read more

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Enjoyed dinner for a date night here a few weeks ago on a Monday night and it did not disappoint. We had reservations (which I'd highly recommend) and still waited a fair amount of time despite having a reservation and many available tables. Upon sitting, we waited a long time for our waiter. Started off with bread and ordered lasagna rolls and the eggplant meatball. Unfortunately they were out of the lasagna rolls but the meatball was the highlight of our meal. YOU HAVE TO GET THE EGGPLANT MEATBALLS! My husband ordered Marsala for dinner, gnocchi dish to try, and I ordered the seafood fra diavolo. The gnocchi was amazing. The Marsala was good but we wouldn't order again. The diavolo was great, my only complaint is I couldn't change the pasta (I wanted a house made pasta with my dinner). For desert we ordered the cheesecake and crème brûlée which both were phenomenal. I'm not a crème brûlée lover but it's the best we've ever had. We had two great bottles of wine as well. Overall, great dinner. Great view. Great food. read more

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The food was ABSOLUTELY delicious! The meatballs were fresh and soft. The spaghetti sauce was delicious not to sweet not to over seasoned. My husband says the seafood was cooked to perfection (and ate the whole plate in record time) they had live music playing what was refreshing and not overly loud. Our waitress had great suggestions as it was our first time, however the customer service just wasn't there. And the 3% credit card charge AFTER we provided our card was unexpected for sure..... not impressed by that read more

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Phenomenal food and fabulous service. This is my new daddy-daughter date night spot when we are in Swansboro. I have had the chicken Marsala and the mussels in red sauce, and neither disappointed. My daughter always gets the chicken alfredo, which isn't normally my thing, but even that is wonderful in my book. It's worth the price. read more

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A local guy from New Jersey recommended this place, since he knew, being from Connecticut, we'd appreciate good Italian. It definitely didn't disappoint. The homemade pappardelle was cooked al dente and the sauce had some unique flavor. My husband's Seafood Manicotti was also cooked perfectly. The bruschetta is also unique, using their homemade Mozzarella. The service Samaria provided was perfect, and we had a table at the window with a great view! read more

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Parking: limited parking but it was in downtown swansboro so everything was close together Food: excellent food. the eggplant meatballs were so delicious and well done. the sauce they came with complimented it so well. the gnocchi was great and so flavorful but the sauce was a bit basic for how good the gnocchi was. Service: great service and our server was very kind, friendly, and prompt Ambience: it has a great italian rustic look to it with a bar in the back if you wanted drinks read more

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Service and food was fantastic! The bolognese was wonderful! The Veal victoria was good, but did have to add salt. Wonderful wine selection as well! read more

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Server was great, host was very quick to get us seated. The ambiance was a bit overstimulating the restaurant wasn't full but between the patrons and the music it was very loud. The food was okay, hot and fresh tasting but the flavors weren't there for us. read more

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So good! We stopped here on our way home from the Ohterbanks. We had a great view, great pasta and yummy gelato! Service was quick and very friendly. Will definitely stop back when in the area! read more

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Hostess was rude but I really appreciated the kind tableside server (curly hair with braces -- thank you!). Eggplant "meatballs" was delicious, crispy and accompanied by great sauce. The pasta special (penne with shrimp, basil and lemon cream) was ok - shrimp was not overcooked which I appreciated but I noticed they were not deveined; cream was light and nice; penne was overcooked and too soft. The scallop entree was very mediocre. Still, it was a nice break from only fried food options available on EI. I would eat here again when visiting, but the 4 stars is based on lack of options in the area and not an objective rating. read more

Meh. Not great. Moved here about a year ago and have been to Il Cigno twice. Both times my pasta was so overcooked it fell apart and was just a mush in my dish. For an authentic Italian restaurant, it was really disappointing to not have it al dente. Flavors were excellent but overcooked pasta ruins the dish. The second visit I observed what I perceived to be rudeness/attitude from servers- twice seeing them roll their eyes very obviously irritated when walking away from a customer. Definitely potential to be excellent, but just average. read more

Il Cigno is a wonderful restaurant. It is beautifully decorated, with a lovely view of the White Oak River. The wait staff are attentive, friendly, and efficient. The food, however, is the Star. It is absolutely wonderful. I've been to Il Ciigno often and have never been disappointed. read more

The food was fantastic. View was beautiful overlooking the river. Just a great experience. Well worth the 20 minute drive from the island to have a really great dinner. read more

On numerous occasions we visited Emerald Isle yet until yesterday 3/27/'25 had never graced their quaint premises. So glad we did. For a small town in off season it was a busy Wednesday and we were glad our window view reservation was accepted. The wait staff are young and eager to please. A shout out to Madison for her recommendations. We settled on the caprese salad with the homemade mozzarella cheese, the penne with shrimp and the red snapper with risotto. When at the coast one wants to enjoy the fresh local seafood. All was delicious. Highly recommended by us. We want to try their other house specials. At $75/person all in it is definitely up market for Swansboro and worth every dollar. read more

Absolutely delicious! We came for a late dinner and had a fantastic time. Service was great, foods were prepared perfectly, and the ambience was wonderful. Everything was so perfectly made and tasty. The sauces for every appetizer and entree were on point. This is probably one of the of the best Italian meals we've had in the area. We will be back! read more

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Great service! We arrived on a Sunday early, and were seated promptly. Fresh bread was brought to the table. We ordered a caprese salad, eggplant meatballs, penne pasta with butter, kids spaghetti with meatball, kids chicken tenders with fries, and short rib over tagliatelle. The short rib was AMAZING!!!! I will definitely be back when we visit again. read more

We like coming here food is always great and the waitresses are always friendly. Now for the hostesses they are usually smug and not that friendly. They NEVER answer their phone. It's annoying when you're trying to make a reservation. Otherwise love the food! read more

il Cigno is one of my favorite spots in Swansboro. The food, atmosphere, and service were all fantastic! The halibut & risotto were so good that I went back the week after to get it again. Highly recommend! read more

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Must have the osso bucco, veal and venison. Fresh bread with green olive oil and balsamic, could have eaten two loaves. Service wonderful. Little loud but very nice casual. Watch your check, the tip is calculated after tax. It's not a huge amount, but this should not be the way they list. read more

Food is always good Service is hit or me Our waitress was a bit cocky and kinda obnoxious read more

The food and service were amazing! I ordered the fish special--it was absolutely delicious. This place has a small-town charm with a big-city flavor!" read more

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Where do I start? Our waitress Ybrace was very attentive and polite! Our food was brought out very quickly and even though one of the dishes was missing an ingredient, they made it right by bringing out and brand new one. This place is by far one of the best local restaurants we have attended and we will be returning! read more

Stopped in for dinner around 5:30PM last night. We chose to sit at the bar and the service was awful. We frequent this restaurant and experienced the worst service to date. It was not busy, ton of side chatter between staff and we sat with empty glasses. Requested more sauce for the marsala due to it being dry and the bartender rolled her eyes. She was too interested in entertaining a little girl sitting at the bar and co-workers. Was not asked if we wanted dessert (mascarpone cheesecake is our usual goto). Did not receive an itemized bill, just the credit card slip. Visiting and recommending local restaurants is important to me, but I will have to say I left feeling extremely disappointed. The individual was a blonde with a sleeve of tattoos that was very excited to share with many that santa was not visiting her children since they had recently purchased dirt bikes. This restaurant is one of the nicer ones in the area and it sadly was underwhelming. In a restaurant it would be beat to not have your staff huddled together in one section gossiping. Following up and ensuring all needs are mer is part of the service industry. read more

Food was good, and ambiance was great. Hostess was very nice. chicken Parmesan was a little burnt. However service was my biggest gripe. Waitress seemed like we were an inconvenient stop along her night. Sort of killed the evening for my wife and I. read more

Loved the food and service was amazing we will definitely be going back there soon the ambiance was good