Ciao Bella

We took a chance on using our Groupon for Ciao Bella tonight and I admit to being hesitant because of the many mixed reviews that I read on many sites. So glad that we took the chance and tried it out. Ciao Bella is decorated in a Mediterranean style, much like you would see in many of the homes of the Baltimore Little Italy. Oil paintings adorn the walls and the windows all have beautiful window treatments that complement the style. For those who are looking for chic and minimalistic furnishings, this may not be for you. I'm not sure how the style of a restaurant affects the dining experience to begin with. I care about the presentation and taste of the dishes that I order. Besides, many of these places in Little Italy were someone's home at one time and that's what makes them special. It's almost like you are being warmly welcomed into someone's home. more

Every meal (6 total) were terrible. The cook apparently got sugar confussed with salt. The minestrone soup... more

From the lazy waiter who was never around on a Tuesday night when the place was practically empty, to the... more

Every meal (6 total) were terrible. The cook apparently got sugar confussed with salt. The minestrone soup was sweet, the main dishes Piccato,Veal... more

From the lazy waiter who was never around on a Tuesday night when the place was practically empty, to the lengthy time it took the food to arrive a... more

Poor parking, over priced, poor service. Great ambiance good sauteed mushroom more

Terrible all around. We waited half hour for table and was not offered drink or a seat. The bread was burnt and cold. The server looked like she wanted a bullet in her brain and the staff was ambivalent. The rum and coke was $8.00 and small and everything was ala carte', which is Ok for high quality, this was not.We go the crab toast app and it was two teeny pieces of the same cold, burnt bread we had with dinner and the crab was good, but about the size of a half dollar and was cold. Not good for $12.00My wife got the 12 Oz. Steak Pizziola and it was maybe 7 oz. at best. The rissoto was a big glop of goo that looked like oatmeal and no salad, but about 3 or 4 red peppers in a tasteless marinara that tasted like puree with parsley. All this for $26.00I got the lobster ravioli for $24.00 and got 4 little ravioli that were cold and tough. No discernable lobster meat as it was ground up and looked like tuna fish when I opened one up. The sherry reduction had congealed, so it sat for awhile before it was served. All in all, it su_ked. Waitress checked on us once in the hour + we were there, and for $85 we could've gotten a much better meal at Carraba's and had about 4 drinks each. Carraba's is always good and their Sirloin Marsala for $18.00 with a salad and side is FAR SUPERIOR to the garbage served at Ciao Bella and Carraba's Lobster Ravioli for $17 is far superior, has real pieces of lobster, about 12 ravioli's and is served hot with salad and a side. Plus, the service as far above Bella's and the people are nice.What a waste of $95, plus $10 to park. I tipped $10 and she's lucky she got that. Iccck!!! more

Terrible all around. We waited half hour for table and was not offered drink or a seat. The bread was burnt and cold. The server looked like she wanted a bullet in her brain and the staff was ambivalent. The rum and coke was $8.00 and small and everything was ala carte', which is Ok for high quality, this was not.We go the crab toast app and it was two teeny pieces of the same cold, burnt bread we had with dinner and the crab was good, but about the size of a half dollar and was cold. Not good for $12.00My wife got the 12 Oz. Steak Pizziola and it was maybe 7 oz. at best. The rissoto was a big glop of goo that looked like oatmeal and no salad, but about 3 or 4 red peppers in a tasteless marinara that tasted like puree with parsley. All this for $26.00I got the lobster ravioli for $24.00 and got 4 little ravioli that were cold and tough. No discernable lobster meat as it was ground up and looked like tuna fish when I opened one up. The sherry reduction had congealed, so it sat for awhile before it was served. All in all, it su_ked. Waitress checked on us once in the hour + we were there, and for $85 we could've gotten a much better meal at Carraba's and had about 4 drinks each. Carraba's is always good and their Sirloin Marsala for $18.00 with a salad and side is FAR SUPERIOR to the garbage served at Ciao Bella and Carraba's Lobster Ravioli for $17 is far superior, has real pieces of lobster, about 12 ravioli's and is served hot with salad and a side. Plus, the service as far above Bella's and the people are nice.What a waste of $95, plus $10 to park. I tipped $10 and she's lucky she got that. Iccck!!! more

I have to say, Chef Gambino gets it right each and every time. From the first time I moved to Baltimore back in 2007, the place has definitely hit a note with me. I moved down from NY, where food is superb, but after trying Ciao Bella for the first time, I would say they have taken a bit of the Big Apple and placed it here in Little Italy Md. The atmosphere is inviting and the staff makes you feel like a guest in their home. I have done lunch on the run and sat down for an evening on the town, and each time feels like an experience. I have a bias to the Penne Carbonara, but have ventured at lunch to try different soups, salads and entrees. A must try on any trip to Baltimore or just an evening out to impress. You wont be disappointed...and even might run into me. more

I booked the rehearsal dinner for my wedding here several months in advance. I signed a contract and paid a $500 deposit. The WEEK BEFORE the wedding, he called my fiancee and said he double booked and had to cancel us!!! He took another party on short notice because they had more people than us. He has yet to return our deposit check! We then had to find a restaurant downtown the week before our wedding in June that could take a reservation for 40 and was reasonably priced. This guy is the worst restaurant owner in all of Baltimore. more

What a wonderful night we had at Ciao Bella. Tony the owner and chef was super accommodating for 26 people. The banquet room was beautifully laid out. The food was enjoyed by all. Food pricing was good and drinks were great. Vallet parking was a plus. Cia Bella is a warm and inviting find. Hope to go back soon. If you are in Little Italy to dine and don't pick Ciao Bello it is your loss. Our Yacht Club thought you did a great job. more

This is my favorite resturaunt. I ate there two nite ago and it is so gooood. I love their desserts, butreally all of it is wonderful. Home style itsalian cooking, the best! more

I travel for work about 40 weeks a year and eat at a lot of restaurants. This is the worst place I have ever ""tried"" to eat a meal. I had eaten here before so I said let's try it. My wife, 2 year old son and I went on a Sunday night. The hotel concierge said Sundays were not busy and we did not need a reservation. We showed up at the restaurant and were told to wait in the bar, it would be about 15 minutes. Two other groups showed up after us without reservations (3 adults, 2 kids and an infant) and 4 adults. Our table was right next to the host station and we overheard every conversation. The host (who was the owner) seated the group of 6 first (we said OK, maybe they had a 6-top open up), but then he was seating the group of 4 and leaned down and told us that ""they were busy back there so he would just set us up at the table we were at in the bar"". This might have been OK 45 minutes earlier, but not after he seated 2 groups ahead of us. Besides, who wants to feed their child in a bar. So we told him no way and after a heated argument about how rude he was, we walked out (the door was loose and banged on the way out). Then, he followed us out into the street and started calling me an *ss and told my wife that she married an *ss. There is absolutely no excuse for a restaurant owner to A) treat customers like that and B) to yell those kinds of comments at us at the top of his lungs on the street. Please find somewhere else to go. If you don't want to put up with things his way, you are in for a very rude treatment. We went a half a block down the street to Germano Tratorias and had a great meal and great service. Go there instead. Pros: The food might be good if you can get in..... Cons: The owner is very unpleasant more

We use to eat at Da Mimmo but not anymore now that we found Ciao Bella. One of the best Italian restaurants we have been to and we eat out alot Pros: Excellent Service/Great Italian Food more

One of the best Italian restaurants in Little Italy. Great service and very elegant ambiance. There are also great vegetarian options and the wine selection is extensive. more

Ciao Bella has the best Italian food my Fiance and I have ever had. The service was outstanding and the owner had a true interest in how our experience was. Not only would I recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone, I plan on taking my parents there as well. Go to Ciao Bella, I promise you wont be sorry you did. Pros: Everything Cons: nothing more

Ciao Bella is in the heart of Baltimore's Little Italy on the north side of the Marina. Incredible food, Very friendly staff. The price was reasonable considering the atmosphere and food quality. Being Italian, I highly recommend it more

My boyfriend and I made the trip up to Baltimore for the weekend, and after a long day of sightseeing we made our way into Little Italy. We went down High St. looking at the menus beside the doors until we stumbled across Ciao Bella. We were immediately greeted at the door by who I eventually learned was the owner, and after telling him that we didn't have reservations, I guess he took pity on us poor tourists (carrying bags from the National Aquarium) and fit us in. The service was incredible- the wine selections and food were fantastic! We got the Sangiovese wine, and the Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi a la Pesto- both are highly recommended. We finished up with the Tiramasu- probably the best I've ever had- including traveling to Italy. Probably a good idea to make reservations though- the place was busy and it would have probably been much easier to get in. Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Food, Wine List more

I had the Chicken Primavera -- very runny, chicken was almost in cubes. My wife had the Eggplant Parmasian, which was very undercooked. Pros: Nice atmosphere, good service Cons: Food needs to be improved more