Ciao Amore

Small, friendly Italian cafe that has lots of repeat diners, a sure sign of good food. Outstanding Italian dishes consistently prepared well, and in five years of eating there I can't remember being disappointed with a single entree. They don& ... more

Small, friendly Italian cafe that has lots of repeat diners, a sure sign of good food. Outstanding Italian dishes consistently prepared well, and in five years of eating there I can't remember being disappointed with a single entree. They don't sell wine/beer but if you bring a bottle or go next door to Bell Market to buy a bottle they will uncork and serve your wine for no extra fee -- they're all about the food, not trying to rip people off by charging $20 for a $7 bottle of wine. I wish more restaurants did BYOB. Sometimes overwhelmed by a lot of people arriving at the same time, the service speed varies, but the ambience, great food and BYOB more than make up for a few minutes wait on occasion. And the food is always served hot from the kitchen, even when they're busy. Our favorite choice for Italian. less

Stefano (said like St-EH-fEHno ) is the real deal here. He ran a restaurant in Italy to Italian standards, and he continues it here - to Italian standards. The deserts are flown in from Italy daily, including exquisite Tartufo and sorbets that are ... more

Stefano (said like St-EH-fEHno ) is the real deal here. He ran a restaurant in Italy to Italian standards, and he continues it here - to Italian standards. The deserts are flown in from Italy daily, including exquisite Tartufo and sorbets that are fabulous, The Crème Brulèe is home made. The rest of the desserts are very good. The grilled fish and game (rabbit, game hens), polentas are excellent. The Risotto is one of the best possible - very hard to find it better prepared around here. To top it all off this place is BYOB, keeping the bill near zero by bay area standards. Always go for the specials, the regular menu is very good, but the specials are great. Every day there is a Risotto, and a Seafood linguini which is like cioppino with pasta. The grilled fish meat and game are always great. The white whine caper sauce is superior. The vegetables, garnish, polenta and potatoes are prepared to perfection, I always order more vegetables on the side - yes, they are that good. By far the best restaurant for me, and for your money, it's unbeatable. The dining atmosphere is very loud and more family oriented but very energetic and loud. This place is packed Fri/Sat nights. The service is sporadic - the place is so busy it turns over 250 tables on a busy night but the waiters are friendly, and Stefano is there. It's well worth it considering the reasonable entree pricing and the BYOB and the superior food quality. I would go for the Risotto or the Grilled fish on your first visit. less

It's been over seven years since I wrote my initial impressions of Ciao Amore restaurant. In that intervening time, Ciao Amore has improved and then dropped a bit in my estimation. I've eaten there 5 to 8 times in a year over that period, ... more

It's been over seven years since I wrote my initial impressions of Ciao Amore restaurant. In that intervening time, Ciao Amore has improved and then dropped a bit in my estimation. I've eaten there 5 to 8 times in a year over that period, so I think I'm qualified to make that assesment. It's still a great place to go for people with wine cellars (like myself) as they still do not have a liquor license. The dinners continue to be among the best Italian food served in the area. But I agree that service has become spotty at best. Also unlike Creola's management, the management at Ciao Amore doesn't seem to recall you from one visit to the next, even though we've eaten at Ciao Amore three times as often as at Creola.... less

This was THE WORST restaurent experience I had since I came to US 5 years ago. The wait staff was unprofessional and rude. The food was mediocre and the atmosphere, one huge cacophony of sound. First the waiter forgot to get us silverware ... more

This was THE WORST restaurent experience I had since I came to US 5 years ago. The wait staff was unprofessional and rude. The food was mediocre and the atmosphere, one huge cacophony of sound.
First the waiter forgot to get us silverware, then water, then plates. Each time we had to call the waiter and ask for what we want. We were vegetarins. So, one of the party ordered the vegetaring lasagna and I ordered a pasta with no meat. When the orders came, my friend got ravioli and I got pasta with sausage. We asked a waiter to take the ravioli back and get lasagna. He rolled his eyes and took it back. I managed to catch the eye of the person who took my order and showed him my pasta with sausage. He shrugged, said "I said no meat" and simply LEFT. I was totally surprised. I expected him to take it back. But no, he simply ignored and walked away. I called him again and said "I don't eat meat." He sounded very exasparated, like I have been borthering him since a lont time and said "OKAY, MADAM. I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO", as if he was doing a favor. That was the last straw. We walked out of the restuarent without eating and found a much nicer place across the street.
It was by far the worst dining experience I had. The appetizer, which was only what we ate, was very mediocre tasting. I would definitely advise against any vegetarings or those who want special orders to not to go there. I went to that place based on reviews from this site and was very very disappointed by the whole attitude of the restaurent. less

We were thinking of trying Creole La (forgive me if I spelled that wrong) but somehow changed our minds and hit one of our favorites, Ciao Amore (again)! As usual, everything was excellent from the Proscuitto(sorry for the spelling if it is wrong ... more

We were thinking of trying Creole La (forgive me if I spelled that wrong) but somehow changed our minds and hit one of our favorites, Ciao Amore (again)! As usual, everything was excellent from the Proscuitto(sorry for the spelling if it is wrong) appetizer, to the little caesar salads and of course the entrees! less

Yes, I also hate to advertise this place but I must be fair!! This is my favorite casual Italian place to eat....Delicious homemade pasta - just like Mama used to make!!! And you can bring your own wine and pay no corkage fee. You may be lucky a ... more

Yes, I also hate to advertise this place but I must be fair!! This is my favorite casual Italian place to eat....Delicious homemade pasta - just like Mama used to make!!! And you can bring your own wine and pay no corkage fee. You may be lucky and see the accordian guy on a Friday or Saturday night. Try the ravioli vegetariani - they are to die for!! Also worth a try is the whole grilled seabass and the ravioli with veal and sage. less

This restaurant is an interesting place. I really love the atmosphere. There is a guy that comes in and plays the accordion some nights which adds a really fun feel. The place is very conducive to fun and festivity. They actually don't h ... more

This restaurant is an interesting place. I really love the atmosphere. There is a guy that comes in and plays the accordion some nights which adds a really fun feel. The place is very conducive to fun and festivity. They actually don't have a liquor license so you have to bring your own booze. (When was the last time you did that!) Great place to go with a bunch of friends. Good place to bring kids. The Kids seem to really enjoy the atmosphere especially the accordion guy.
I'm really sad to say that the food is not up to the Bay Area requirements. It is above average though...
For some events though you just can't beat this place. My family owns a 5 star restaurant so I know good food. Still I really love this place!
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If you are sick of trendy expensive pretentious Italian restaurants in the Penninsula you will be thrilled to find Ciao Amore. Going to this restaurant is like taking a trip to Italy. The food is generous, delicious, and extremely fair priced ... more

If you are sick of trendy expensive pretentious Italian restaurants in the Penninsula you will be thrilled to find Ciao Amore. Going to this restaurant is like taking a trip to Italy. The food is generous, delicious, and extremely fair priced. The atomosphere is also a wonderful Italian experience. Hopefully if you go you will be entertained by a very nice man playing the accordion. Make reservations as Ciao Amore gets crowded quickly and bring your own wine. less