I ordered the lamb “special,” but the joke was on me. They never gave us a menu beforehand — just rattled off the specials — and only at the end did I find out it cost $50. Honestly, I wouldn’t pay $20 for what I got. The portion was small, the flavor was bland, and the whole thing felt like a scam.
The service didn’t help. The owner was flat-out rude, and while the server was friendly, they were also completely incompetent — forgetting things, moving slow, and clearly untrained.
Between the surprise price and the awful service, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. Definitely not worth it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sandeep Malhotra
Absolute gem in Monticello. The food was outstanding! Starting on the appetizers which included calamari, spinach pear and goat cheese salad and arugula roasted beet salad. The lamb chops, seared tuna, branzino and chicken Marsala were all to die for. The tiramisu and Italian pistachio cheesecake were sumptuous. Wine was great. Service was courteous, attentive and prompt. Great outdoor seating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julie Bradford
In a world in which we have become accustomed to a lower standard of quality of food and service in restaurants, Ciao Bella is a breath of fresh air that reminds one of how good it can be. They have mastered their craft. The staff are warm and kind and welcoming. They are knowledgeable and professional and never miss a beat. They treat you like family. The food is inspired. The presentation is fabulous and no matter what you order, you will savor every last mouthwatering bite. Ciao Bella and their magnificent team maintain a standard to which other restaurants can only aspire to achieve.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Valentino B Borrelli Jr.
Third time eating here. Excellent Restaurant and Service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carpaccio Salads
Frank Scangarella
Everything was spot on. Staff was professional and accommodating, atmosphere was great, and food was excellent. A gem in Montecello.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ronald Rockwood
Outstanding Italian food and great atmosphere. I highly recommend Ciao Bella.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
eli gold
Ciao Bella is a true gem! The food was delicious – full of flavor and beautifully presented. But what really made the experience unforgettable was the service. It’s rare to find such genuine hospitality these days. The owner, Gunny, went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. He’s incredibly personable and made us feel like family. If you’re looking for great food and even better service, this is the place. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Roberta Fizesan
Best restaurant in town !! Food is great, attentive service and a warm atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Debbie
This was our second time there and would give the restaurant a 5 star rating! The beet salad is amazing, so large we shared it! Our entrees were delicious. They give you an olive appetizer to start, what a treat! Can't wait to return!
Alicia Killeen
We ordered pickup and as I’m calling in, I politely ask before ordering anything first, if they have eggplant parm. The man stated very matter-of-factly “ma’am this is and ITALIAN restaurant, we don’t have eggplant here…” like, what? (That could have just stayed an inside thought) I should have taken that as a sign - but I continued on with my order - I picked it up and there was barely 2 entrees in the bag - no salad? No bread? For $70??? Not worth in for a Monday dinner - of any day for that matter. Won’t be returning although I still tipped.
Went for my dad’s birthday dinner! What great service! Food was hot and fresh … I can’t wait to go back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John
Food was very good but would not substitute. Example, instead of mash potatoes and vegetables, ask for a side of pasta. Owner? Said NO substitute. Why does a restaurant ask if it's a special occasion and does not acknowledge it! It was our anniversary. A plus was the white tablecloths.
Susannah Wright
Ciao bella catered our wedding celebration dinner and everyone loved it. They were helpful through the whole process and worked with us to meet our budget and needs. Customer service fantastic. All of the food fantastic, especially the Pollo Martini & penne vodka.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TODD
Food and drink consistently high level quality. Ciao Bella is our “ go to” for family dinners.
Aaron Herzog
Nice al dente pasta, food is very good although charging city prices ($30+ for mains on their 'special' list). So why 2 stars? 1. Charged $13 for plain pasta (we came with a toddler), only found out when getting the bill 2. Charged $12 for tea ($4 per tea bag) again only found out when getting the bill 3. Found out several days later on credit card statement our bill had been rounded up with a service charge tacked on. Overall ended up paying about 50% more than at a comparable place in the upper east side, and this was without ordering wine! Shame they have a nice kitchen but far too much nickel and diming happening here. We won't be coming back.
I ordered the lamb “special,” but the joke was on me. They never gave us a menu beforehand — just rattled off the specials — and only at the end did I find out it cost $50. Honestly, I wouldn’t pay $20 for what I got. The portion was small, the flavor was bland, and the whole thing felt like a scam.
The service didn’t help. The owner was flat-out rude, and while the server was friendly, they were also completely incompetent — forgetting things, moving slow, and clearly untrained.
Between the surprise price and the awful service, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. Definitely not worth it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Absolute gem in Monticello. The food was outstanding! Starting on the appetizers which included calamari, spinach pear and goat cheese salad and arugula roasted beet salad. The lamb chops, seared tuna, branzino and chicken Marsala were all to die for. The tiramisu and Italian pistachio cheesecake were sumptuous. Wine was great. Service was courteous, attentive and prompt. Great outdoor seating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
In a world in which we have become accustomed to a lower standard of quality of food and service in restaurants, Ciao Bella is a breath of fresh air that reminds one of how good it can be. They have mastered their craft. The staff are warm and kind and welcoming. They are knowledgeable and professional and never miss a beat. They treat you like family. The food is inspired. The presentation is fabulous and no matter what you order, you will savor every last mouthwatering bite. Ciao Bella and their magnificent team maintain a standard to which other restaurants can only aspire to achieve.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Third time eating here. Excellent Restaurant and Service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carpaccio Salads
Everything was spot on. Staff was professional and accommodating, atmosphere was great, and food was excellent. A gem in Montecello.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding Italian food and great atmosphere. I highly recommend Ciao Bella.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ciao Bella is a true gem! The food was delicious – full of flavor and beautifully presented. But what really made the experience unforgettable was the service. It’s rare to find such genuine hospitality these days. The owner, Gunny, went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. He’s incredibly personable and made us feel like family. If you’re looking for great food and even better service, this is the place. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best restaurant in town !! Food is great, attentive service and a warm atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our second time there and would give the restaurant a 5 star rating! The beet salad is amazing, so large we shared it! Our entrees were delicious. They give you an olive appetizer to start, what a treat! Can't wait to return!
We ordered pickup and as I’m calling in, I politely ask before ordering anything first, if they have eggplant parm. The man stated very matter-of-factly “ma’am this is and ITALIAN restaurant, we don’t have eggplant here…”
like, what? (That could have just stayed an inside thought)
I should have taken that as a sign - but I continued on with my order - I picked it up and there was barely 2 entrees in the bag - no salad? No bread? For $70??? Not worth in for a Monday dinner - of any day for that matter. Won’t be returning although I still tipped.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Went for my dad’s birthday dinner! What great service! Food was hot and fresh … I can’t wait to go back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was very good but would not substitute. Example, instead of mash potatoes and vegetables, ask for a side of pasta. Owner? Said NO substitute. Why does a restaurant ask if it's a special occasion and does not acknowledge it! It was our anniversary. A plus was the white tablecloths.
Ciao bella catered our wedding celebration dinner and everyone loved it. They were helpful through the whole process and worked with us to meet our budget and needs. Customer service fantastic. All of the food fantastic, especially the Pollo Martini & penne vodka.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and drink consistently high level quality. Ciao Bella is our “ go to” for family dinners.
Nice al dente pasta, food is very good although charging city prices ($30+ for mains on their 'special' list). So why 2 stars? 1. Charged $13 for plain pasta (we came with a toddler), only found out when getting the bill 2. Charged $12 for tea ($4 per tea bag) again only found out when getting the bill 3. Found out several days later on credit card statement our bill had been rounded up with a service charge tacked on. Overall ended up paying about 50% more than at a comparable place in the upper east side, and this was without ordering wine! Shame they have a nice kitchen but far too much nickel and diming happening here. We won't be coming back.
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