Ciano

Came with my wife and another couple for dinner on a weeknight. It was not busy at all which made the service very good. Unfortunately this lack of business has forced Ciano to close and relocate to the Upper East Side. Hopefully it does better there. The appetizers and the pasta dishes were all great. The pasta was al dente and the sauces had great flavor. The main issue was that the main courses were just OK. The meats didn’t have much flavor and were slightly overcooked. The bar was set pretty high with the entrees and secondi but fell short of expectations with the primi. Still worth a visit when they re-​open.

We’ve been here many times, but I have to say last week was the best. We went early because we had our toddler with us, so in case she wasn’t on her best behavior we wanted to scoot out early. Turns out she was amazing as was the entire meal.
I had the rainbow beet salad, which not only looked gorgeous, but was completely delicious with many flavor combos that really worked together. Next, my husband and I shared the chicken and it was so juicy it reminded me of the chicken I had at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
We ordered the tiramisu and pana cotta for dessert and the owner also sent over the biscotti and the cioccolato. All were yummy, but the tiramisu was my favorite.
I love the room and the fireplace and the staff is very good. Great place for family, a group of friends or a romantic one-​on-​one.

I went to Ciano for Valentine’s Day and had a 8 pm reservation and sat down at the bar for a drink before heading to the upstairs dining room (there’s also a dining room in the back). The wine selection is great but that is pretty much where my night ended in terms of talking highly of Ciano.
Ciano serving a special $ 95 prix fixe menu consisting of an appetizer, small portion of pasta, entrée, and dessert. On the phone I was told there was a wine pairing that comes with this but when I showed up there was not, but I’m not one to cause a scene on Valentine’s Day… rather I’m a passive-​aggressive mofo who will review you on Unilocal the next day (kidding, but not really).
Food breakdown:
Appetizer: Veal Meatballs: I love veal, one of my favorite foods to eat. I can eat it almost without any flavor what-​so-​ever. However, the meatballs were really drenched in an extremely powerful sauce whereby the taste of veal could have been any other product (pork, meat, venison, duck, etc).
Pasta: Tagliatelle with clams: The pasta was slightly undercooked and it came in a garlic sauce that left much to be desired. It lacked appeal.
Entrée: Duck breast. Amazing! Simply amazing! 5 stars all the way on this option.
Dessert: Chocolate cake. Again, fantastic option
Service: Horrendous. The dining area is not very large… probably 10 tables in total upstairs, yet it took us a good 15 minutes to figure out just who our server was. There were numerous people that came by (hostess, busser, server) and my date was like, «Do you even know who the f*** our server is?» I was close to just packing up shop, asking them to not run my credit card because I had to pre-​pay it, and then Seamlessweb it or something for Valentine’s Day. Finally our server shows up and we order.
At the end of the night when there really was not anyone around, I asked our server to pull the check and we waited, and waited, and waited, and finally I grabbed a busser walking by and told him to get on it and he brought me my check.
Much better Italian places to go to in a city known for Italian descendents.

I came here for a holiday client lunch and enjoyed the experience. I would come here again with a client. I wouldn’t come here with friends, though, because there are other Italian places I prefer (Scarpetta).
FOOD
Ciano has a prix fix lunch menu with three courses.
— First I ordered the shaved vegetable salad with mixed greens, carrots, fennel, peppers, and ricotta salata (acceptable but not special).
— For my entrée, I ordered the penne with a ragu of pork, sweet onions, and smoked pecorino. The dish was well-​sized. (I always find it daunting when served a giant plate of pasta — who needs to eat so much??) It was hearty and delicious with the meat and somewhat creamy sauce.
— For dessert, I had to get the Nutella cheesecake. I didn’t taste much Nutella but sweet enough to be a great end to the meal.
DECOR
There’s a warm, cheerful, large room with a real fireplace. While you can’t feel the fire after 3′ away, it’s a nice look. I like the rustic décor.

Delicious!!! And amazing service!
While waiting for our table my friend and I had a lovely glass of wine at the bar, and because it was taking longer than our reserved time the host came over, apologized, and gave us a round of drinks on the house!
The duck pappardelle was amazing! My friend had the ravioli which was equally delish.
Romantic candlelight atmosphere. Will definitely be back with my boyfriend.

Came here after reading a positive review about the place in a magazine. I thought it was a mixed bag.
First, the wine list is phenomenal. Love it.
Second, the food was kind of a mix with some good dishes and some atrocious ones. I’m not one to judge other people’s tastes but the chicken liver was very puzzling in a negative way.
The prices are very high.

Very nice rustic style restaurant. I came here for a birthday with a party of 17. We were seated promptly and the service was as good as it can be for such a large group. I did have to ask for my drink a couple of times, but no biggie.
The food was very good. My favorite by far were the veal meatballs. DELICIOUS! I could have eaten just this and been happy as it is a very generously sized appetizer. My pasta was just OK. I ordered the Cortecce with baby octopus, pancetta, fennel and garlic bread crumbs. If there actually was octopus in it, I didn’t taste or see any. It was mainly pancetta.
I found the prices to be high, especially for the alcohol. I also thought that for such a large bill and party, something — anything — should have been given for free. We were charged for everything, even the $ 5 glass of club soda we ordered because a friend spilled sauce on her and wanted to use it to take out the stain. That may sound ungrateful on my part, but I think one free club soda would be a nice gesture.
I would definitely revisit for those meatballs though :)

Very romantic spot for fancy date nights. I came here after watching an afternoon Nutcracker play with my boyfriend. They sat us on a corner booth seating, so we could be alone with a candle light. Service was amazing, it wasnt too much or too little.
However, food wise its pricey for the food served. It was good, but not great. great presentation but the food was ok. Scallops for appetizer was good, and the monk fish for entrée was great but a little spicy. and personally i did not like the sea bass, it was too salty and had beans inside (it wasnt stated on the menu).
all in all, i would come here again if i was in the area already. i would not specifically the subway to here to come to eat. enough said.

I had a really average experience at Ciano. For the price of the food and the quasi-​tired atmosphere, I think there are other Italian places I would rather go. The service was a bit spotty with out waiter disappearing for stretches of time.
I will say though, that some dishes really shined. The veal meatballs were delicious, while my entrée fish was dry. The pastas were very good.
The tiramisu is made for 3 people — it’s gigantic. Just get one for the table to share.

Great Italian restaurant in midtown. They are very accommodating on seating and was able to seat me as a single diner at the bar with minimal fuss to the other guests already there.
The pasta portions aren’t entrée size but were still sizeable. The pappardelle was definitely worth it. The broccoli rabe is also really good here. The prosciutto serving is decent and tasty.
Nothing to complain about.

The Times recommended Ciano because of it’s deep wine list… but they failed to mention that a good third of it is available as a half-​bottle. Fantastic development! How many restaurants offer you the chance to try a fine wine for half the price and half the bottle. I’ll be coming back to Ciano for sure.
Now let’s get to the food. It was great. Properly portioned, well-​paired with my wine, and served promtly in a warm and inviting environment. Think library bar meets Tuscan farmhouse.
A great meal from start to finish, and a restaurant I plan to make a regular destination out of.

We don’t get to NYC much and if my friends continue to recommend totally mediocre and overpriced restaurants, you will really have to twist my arm to get me to leave LA at all.
The icing on the cake is that we were celebrating my 61^st birthday. My 86 year old mom complained that the room service in our hotel was much higher quality the night before. I could go thru the details of the micro-​sized pasta, kind of adequate monkfish, Nothing special-​salads and overpriced wine served in a small upstairs room that didn’t feel too special. Just pass on this place.
One more thing, the slow service got our group of 8 kicked out 15 minutes after desert arrived. All of us left feeling a little worse about our lives-​The management seems to be in a bad mood and it kind of rubbed off on me whenever i think of my party. I hope I can take Mom somewhere more special when I turn 62–

We decided to come here last minute for a very late dinner. 11pm seating on Saturday night. Knowing full well that the kitchen was probably closing early, the hostess was still very friendly and let us select our table. Booth, corner table please. Already, we were off to a good start.
Our server was also very friendly and inviting, albeit his shpiel was a bit rushed… probably because of the time. I do believe we were the very last party seated that night.
Loved the décor…it’s warm and inviting… complete with an active fireplace… the fire was burning… and exposed brick, which I absolutely love.
The drinks: Sicilian Sidecar (delish! And, I’m just now starting to dip my toe in sampling drinks mixed with cognac) and Nero d’Avola (mmmm…had more than a couple glasses of this).
The food: Had the Pappardelle with Duck (scrumptious! I’d come back here again just to eat this dish, and more of it.), the Roasted Veal Meatballs with Creamy White Polenta with Herbs and Truffle Pecorino (more please!), and the Duo of Lamb (amazing…we couldn’t decide which way it was prepared we liked more.).
By the time dessert came around, we were quite full and looked at the menu anyways. Nothing jumped out at us, so we passed this go-​around. (I probably would have given this 5 stars if we liked something on the dessert menu.)
As far as the savory dishes went… we loved them all. Definitely a place I would recommend… and return for more.

What a horrible spot! Ciano invites you to run the hell out of there. Total disaster. It looks like Bepes ghost will appear at any moment there. Even the sound seems from the crypt. I dont know who in Zagat named this place a Big name newcomer. Zagats ratings are very strange sometimes.
The hostess wanted to seat us at the second floor, we didnt allow her to seat us in that claustrophobic space, so we were seated at the bar.
Ciano is one of the most boring and forgettable places ive ever been in my life: The sound, the floor, the décor, the audience. The entrance of the place is horrible.
The food was ok, i had their famous veal meatballs, really good. The waiter told us the pasta comes in appetizer size, so we ordered a double order, it was too much, there is no need to offer a double size pasta. The wine was ok.
This is the kind of place where you never ever in your life will go back.
Zagat says; Newcomer. I say: Good Bye.

At Ciano, I’ve had my very first experience of ordering the ENTIRE menu (or damn near close to it) to pass around family style. Ah, the perks of dining on company dollar! So here’s my play by play:
Appetizers:
— Crostinis — we tried the one with pesto and spicy burrata, a topping which was extremely salty and piled too high, not to mention a rip off at $ 4.25 a pop (!)
— Sopressatta — standard fare
— Arancini — amazing, but it’s easy to impress me with rice and cheese
Pasta:
— Tortellini — filled w/​pumpkin and dancing in a butter sauce, tastes every bit as yummy as you can imagine
— Pappardelle w/​duck — a little salty and greasy
— Cortecce — really flavorful, and the mixed textures of the baby octopus and garlic bread crumbs was perfect
— Spaghetti arrabbiata — another dish that’s hard to mess up, but I wish I had more of this!
Secondi:
Everything in this section of the menu (monkfish, sea bass, chicken, grilled veal chop, pork tenderloin) was tasty, but not exactly memorable enough to comment on. I could definitely appreciate the portions though — had we not been dining as a group and had to split each dish 6 ways, I would have left with a full belly.
Contorni:
— Memorable items: white polenta (all the creaminess and flavor of the best mashed potatoes you’ve ever had, minus the guilt) and pearl onions (what an interesting way to prepare an underappreciated veggie)
— MEH-​morable items (but I never resist an extra portion of greens on the table anyway): the broccoli rabe and baby spinach
Other considerations: Service was impeccable — from the presentation of the food (and their willingness to accommodate our sharing) to the sommelier’s picks. The upstairs provides a nice intimate hideaway. Overall, a good experience, though a little pricey.

Places like Ciano are why NYC is considered one of the 2 – 3 top cities in the world to enjoy a fine meal.
I was hosted for a business dinner on a weeknight and ordered off a small bespoke menu. We sat upstairs along the front of the space in a long table with one side a banquette.
The sommelier was first rate. Our hosts worked with him to select some Super Tuscans and Brunellos for the meal. He was very knowledgeable and ultra friendly.
The food: In this day of food reality TV, pseudo gourmet restaraunts, Ciano stands out as being the real deal. As mentioned in previous reviews, the Veal Meatballs are not to be missed. Thy sat on a sauce made of white polenta, pecorino romano and truffle. The combination was both flavorful and delicate, despite having a hearty peasant food identity. Wow. One of the best appetizers I have ever eaten. My main course was a sautéed rainbow trout filet over an heirloom tomato, basil and red onion combination. The fish was perfectly cooked and was complimented by the caprese like flavors of the base.
Desert: I usually never eat desert, but in this case I am glad I did. I had the Quince Napoleon, which consisted of vanilla custard, butternut squash and spiced vanilla gelato. It was delicious, but not some massive and decadent 2000 calorie monster.
The waiter was very attentive and friendly. I plan on returning on a subsequent trip to the City to sample other delicious items.

Went here for dinner for a 4 year anniversary with my boyfriend and very much enjoyed it.
The lighting and ambiance was nice, though it was a bit loud.
The staff was very courteous and did well not to bother people during their dining.
We ordered the 4 cheese raviolis (4 pieces, maybe 5) and the pappardelle with duck bolognese as appetizers which were pretty good and the Giannone chicken for 2. The chicken was very nicely done — so tender and surprising. We enjoyed our dinner here and would come back again.

I wished it was worth another star. I wanted to love it, I do. but it just didn’t have the X-​factor for me. It wasn’t that it is not good, like I would eat it again, but I won’t suggest it.
Shared the arancini — which is like fried risotto. interesting & you don’t see it everywhere.
Started with the atlantic fluke crudo — love how it was paired with muscat grapes.
the saffron tagliatelle was the only pasta that caught my eye. love saffron, love dungeness crab. it was yummy, but not life-​changing…
shared the panna cotta which was much too rich for my liking.
am I expecting too much lately? recent restaurant visits have been… blah-​boring!

This place is a desert for lunch, but the food was shockingly good.
I tried the following:
Sea trout with sea urchin: this dish was very good, but with only one sea urchin on the plate, I felt very jipped for this $ 19 plate.
Cortecce with baby octopus: extremely flavorful and hearty. A must-​try.

3.5 Stars. A sad shaving of stars considering I had high hopes for this rustic Italian joint but there were hiccups with food, and MAJOR hiccups with service that just can’t be ignored. I’d like to think it’s because they’re fairly new but still, it’s no excuse.
Came here on a Monday night at 7:30 for a nice, family dinner– there were 6 of us. The meal ended at 11 (you get my point already: TOO SLOW. Even for a 4 course tasting menu). We all opted for the tasting menu because, well, that’s what the head of the table wanted to do.
The bread basket was nice; came with a spicy olive oil dipping sauce/​truffle butter (which didn’t taste that truffle-​y). Got two flat rye (I think? pieces), grilled slices of a baguette, and oily foccaias (? or something like it– this was the best bread).
4 course Ciano spring market menu is described as: 3 savory/​1 sweet. There’s a 5 course option as well where you can get a 5 course; 4 savory, 1 sweet (only the head of the table, my cousin got this option– lottaaaa food. The portions, contrary to what some say here, are pretty decent and not traditionally «tasting» small). The nice thing is you can choose any various items for your menu, not constrained to one of bla bla bla from each category.
My lineup:
1. Farmers Poached Egg– awesome. Very creamy, perfectly poached egg with a nice gooey yolk. Pesto was spot on and flavorful, and I did actually like the roasted red peppers (usually hate this, probably because there wasn’t much of it– ha). My cousin got this too and felt it was more French, but I guess the veggies/​pesto makes it Italian.
2. Cortecce Pasta– nice al dente pasta shaped as thick squares, I liked the oiled red sauce, the crispy bread crumbs (adds to textured) and parsley but overall the dish was WAY salty. Bad aftertaste of salt. The grilled octopus was also a bit rubbery/​fishy tasting– and I LOVE grilled octo. Sad this was a let down.
3.Stuffed Squab Breast– Don’t know why this was called stuffed; nothing was in it. Ok, admittedly I never had squab before and if this is it, then I’m not having it again. I’ve had gamey rare duck breast before (worship this at JG) and this was a far cry– way too tough, way too red (almost bloody) and legit tasted bitter, fatty, gummy and chewy. Again, maybe it’s me– not the squab. Considerably so many considered this bird delish, I can’t imagine Ciano did it right. Liked risotto like medley, beans, and mushrooms though. Hucklberry sauce could have had more flavor.
4. Tiramisu– Not bad, also not tiramisu. Note the menu has it in «quotes». Because there are no lady fingers, no coffee liquor, nothing that resembles my favorite traditional dessert. Not bad but just a warning– you taste the semifreddo, Mascarpone and White Chocolate Gelato but note it’s nothing like a cake. Very liquid-​y texture; there wer also some interesting gelatin cubes.
Other comments on food: my brother’s gnocchi was very good, good texture, creamy– traditionally good, my sister said her skate was oversalted.
Service: Needs serious improvement. I don’t know if they were understaffed on Mon night (though it was filled to capacity, I’d say) but our meal took way. too. long. There must have been an hour between 1^st and 2^nd course, and at least 35 min between the rest (except last and dessert). Seriously. They took note themselves because they gave us a bread basket in between meals. I like taking my time and chatting with family, but seriously I went to bed way past my bedtime cause dinner was so slow. Our waiter was also 1) unknowledgeable and 2) forgetful. He failed to deliver my brother’s wine glass after being asked twice. He also gave my sister the wrong glass (or a wine not to her liking). He also whispered in my ear while I was eating my squab to quote «eat the leg with my hands.» I beg your pardon? I appreciate joking and all but isn’t that a little unprofesh? Or just plain weird?
Tasting menu, depending on what you get, was some $ 80 – 100 dollars so you can do the math for 6. Guess value isn’t too terrible but again, the food was not stellar and nor was the service.
Décor is nice. You can smell rustic Italy as the big wood fire place burns throughout the restaurant (setup as a narrow, railroad floorplan) and the bathrooms are beautiful (they have two sets for the seemingly not that big restaurant– curious).
Final word though: I wouldn’t come back; too many nice Italian joints in the city.