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- Neighborhoods:
- Alphabet City, East Village, Downtown
At a Glance
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100% ambiance
“Ambience is casual & cozy, the food is terrific, and the price is right.”
83% drinks
“Food and drink still excellent, especially the gnocchi, linguine & white clam sauce and meat dishes.”
69% food quality
“First of all our water glasses were dirty, then the wine glasses had lipstick marks, and food arrived cold.”
100% menu variety
“Romantic enviroment and personal wine menu.”
100% overall
“Seriously, a good waiter can open a bottle away from a table and keep confidence, however, this place is basically, "rustic" italian, which means, thank god americans think being italian accounts for something so basic mistakes can be overlooked as "idios”
0% return potential
“We had pre-set plans to eat dinner at a place nearby, but I will definitely be back to have a full meal here!”
43% service
“Tried to order a bottle of wine, bartender disappeared.”
100% value
“Ambience is casual & cozy, the food is terrific, and the price is right.”
37% wait time
“long, long wait for food that's GREAT”
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Ciao
Tips for Ciao
February 02, 2007
Stay away from this place!. I remember this place with very fond memories, I went back there again the other night and it sucked! It was worse than your average pizza takeout. First of all our water glasses were dirty, then the wine glasses had lipstick marks, and food arrived cold. We got our basket of bread after our appetizer and while waiting for our main course that was cold. There was nobody around when you needed something and on top of everything they only accepted cash. There was no one thing that they got right. Such a place does not deserve any customers! Stay away!
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Heart
January 17, 2007
Great experience!. I stopped in here with my mom randomly for a glass of wine... and loved the place! After ordering some, we got a free round and a free appetizer, just sitting at the bar. Granted, it was early and the place was pretty much empty, but our apps were great, wine reasonably priced, and the bartender/server was gracious. I LOVE that atmosphere of the place...so incredibly rustic Italian. We had pre-set plans to eat dinner at a place nearby, but I will definitely be back to have a full meal here!
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Heart
December 05, 2006
They should retrain their Management/Staff.
Well, I've been here a couple of times now - and its official, I will never go back again!!!! I went with a date, we wanted to share a bottle of wine and have an app., I am in the business, sooooooo I understand NOT taking a table during dinner time. So we sat at the bar. The bartender, who was obviously also serving the ENTIRE dining room, barely had time to recognize us, let along take our order. After a couple of glasses of wine each, we were chatting away, we realized that 30 minutes had passed and we STILL had not gotten the mussels we had ordered.
They came - mediocre at best! Tried to order a bottle of wine, bartender disappeared...gone, still gone, still gone, STILL gone. 15 minutes passes, comes back, "Um, I don't think I can find that one." Please note, I had watched him walk over to the wine-wall, look for all of 30 seconds - then go to a table.
The kicker, was the manager. She was too busy playing with her Ipod and eating HER MEAL, which since we watched her walk in and say hello to her staff - was served 15 minutes before ours - I am not kidding! I asked her for a couple more glasses of wine - our plates were dirty, she didn't even offer to clear them, she was too busy fixing her blonde hair in the mirror.
The final straw was today...my check-card debit just went through today - I was at the place on the 17th of November!!!! Do yourself a favor and skip this one...they think they are too cool, slick and chic for their own good!
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Heart
September 27, 2006
Romantic enviroment and personal wine menu.. In the Garden the grape vines are hung so eligently, in the dining room the flickering candle light reminds you of sunset bouncing off the ocean on the Italian coastline and the international jazz, lounge music took you out of NYC for a moment. This and a combination of the staff made a great first impression of Ciao East. My favorite was the manager Robb. He is the wine menu. They offer him at tableside instead of a wine menu on your table... He recommended a perfect bottle of wine and has an amazing knowledge of the business in general. I would bring anyone I would like to impress. One thing! you or they must be open minded and relaxed! As it is one of those interesting NY experiences, it is very true to East Village. Eclectic!! As some reviews have said the service is a little slow, I just feel it is because they are taking time to make your experience relaxing and a little different. They take time to make you feel special.. So if youre looking for a speedy experience without a real smile, try going to time square..
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Heart
April 26, 2006
Bad time had by all. Overpriced for poor service and poor food. This is a chain restaurant with another one on Bleeker Street. Wine selection based on high price for very ordinary wine.
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Heart
April 21, 2006
Atmosphere worth of a 9.3, food is not!. I went here last night with four people. The atmostphere is awesome, very laid back and rustic in a good way. Great wine. However, the food is average....I would rate it a 7.5. Out of four different appetizers and four entrees at our table, nothing was outstanding. The service was so slow that it caused us to miss a play we had tickets to. With some management changes and a new chef, this place would be much better.
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Heart
November 28, 2005
WOW! Tuscany in the East Village!. From the moment I walked in I felt like I had stumbled upon a true Italian kitchen...the atmosphere is outstanding! And the outdoor patio in the back garden has real grape vines growing! The food is really good as well...I had been for a party a long time ago and then rediscoverd it for a wine tasting recently -- and they changed a few things, but the flavors are still fabulous. The staff was perfectly pleasent to me...the food may have been slow, but I really didn't mind...I don't like feeling rushed. Bravo!
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Heart
November 27, 2005
Renamed Ciao but largely unchanged and enjoyable. Have enjoyed this restaurant for a number of years under the name of Baldo Vino. It has been renamed Ciao but the menu and dishes have remained largely unchanged. Food and drink still excellent, especially the gnocchi, linguine & white clam sauce and meat dishes. Ambience still cozy and prices are still very reasonable. All in all, will keep me coming back. Service can be slow at times but all in all friendly.
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Heart
November 04, 2005
Horrible food and service. The service at this restaurant is extremely slow. The staff speaks limited english and they have a haughty attitude. The food has far too much salt... which can be a problem because once you run out of water its next to impossible to get more. This excess of salt was not only present in the pasta, but inexplicably in the salad as well. The furnishings may look rustic, but the tables are in fact rickety and the wooden chairs are very uncomfortable. If you go , expect a salty substandard meal in uncomfortable seating with terrible service. Don't go - I wish I hadn't.
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Heart
July 14, 2005
Go there now!!. This restaurant is FABULOUS! We always sit outdoors (because it is a little crowded indoors) and the food is wonderful! The butter and sage gnocchi is mouth-wateringly good, as are all their pastas, and they have a lot of great wines by the glass. The food never disappoints us, and we've been there several times! And on the one occasion where we had bad waitservice, the managerial staff really picked up the slack. We take everyone we know there, and you should too!
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