Ciao Bella Ristorante & Pizzeria

They have cool 80’s music and the little fact sheets are awesome. I like the idea of people maybe learning a little something before they stuff their face.
Other than that, the food wasn’t worth it. Small portions for an Italian restaurant, half the shells in a dish with mussels and clams were empty, expensive for what it is, etc. etc.
The bruschetta as a cooked tomato paste=me dead inside.:(
Table of four, and none of us will come back.

I found this little gem completely by accident, and I’m sure glad I did! We were there relatively early on a weeknight (right before the dinner crowd), so we got to avoid the long wait that everyone seems to complain about.
Our server was actually the owner, and he was very attentive and friendly. I got a salad and the risotto, and I was really impressed with it. My partner got the chicken parmesan. He wasn’t as big of a fan as I was of mine, but he still said it was good. He tried mine and said that the risotto was much better. (Maybe all off night for the chicken?)
Honestly, I felt like I was back in Italy again. It’s officially my new favourite Italian place, strictly for the food. The décor is cute, but a little quirky. The restrooms are in the back, and it’s kind of dark and awkward. The men’s restroom was out when we went, but I’m sure they’ve fixed the problem.
All in all, a great tasting Italian restaurant, and a wonderful choice if you’re in the area. Friendly service, fantastic food, and a homey vibe.

This place is so cute! The interior walls are line with fake café fronts and such. Really adorable, and the service is so sweet and attentive. Very friendly.
I really wanted to enjoy the food here, really badly… but the only thing my friend and I could think the whole time was «I could have made this at home, and better too.» We got the Penne Salmone and Penne Mosca. The sauce just was not yummy!
Cute place, awesome people, but would I rather drive to Ocean Beach for an expensive meal? Or walk to my kitchen and make a half-​assed pasta in 10 minutes? They’d both taste the same… :(

I was very sad to hear that the La Mesa location of Ciao Bella was closing, but happy to hear that it was opening in Ocean Beach. Unfortunately, it is nothing like the La Mesa location. We came on a Friday night with a party of 11, as it was one of the only place nearby that was empty enough to seat us since we had no reservation. The interior is charming, as it looks like a small Italian village, but I really missed the kitsch interior of the La Mesa location. The part I did not care for was the service. I asked if they could break up our checks… which I know is a pain, but I did not insist on separate checks for everyone, just hoping it could be broken in two or three, but they said the «system» could not do that. The people who worked there were loud, almost yelling. At first I thought the owner (or who later appeared to be the owner) was a random drunk walking through the restaurant. He took it upon himself to touch the backs and arms of a couple of the women in our group. It took a long time to ask for menus, and we were only given two drink menus for a party of 11, even after asking. Also, it was nearly impossible to catch someone to refill my wine glass, though I did finally manage to.
Now for the good part… the food was really good. I had a light pasta primavera with lots of vegetables in a garlic wine sauce. Most of the people in our party cleaned their plates. The loud staff seemed to calm down a little and we were able to enjoy our meals.
I don’t see myself making an effort to return as it was not a great experience, as all in all, the food was good, but not worth the nuisance.

I love Ciao Bella! I come here at least once a week. Here are the perks:
The food is fresh and delicious (and there is plenty of it)
The prices are reasonable
The waiters are hot, real Italian guys with sexy accents
The owner (Francesco) is a great guy and treats you like gold
It is within walking distance of Ocean Beach
It’s totally cute inside (as you can see in the pictures)
The only thing about this place that you may not enjoy is that sometimes it takes a bit to get your food, but I suggest you sit back relax and pretend you’re in Italy.
My favorite things to have here are:
The cappuccino
The caprese salad
The Piadina Al Crudo
The Piadina San Siro
Gnocchi Aurora
Also, they have this super cute space in the back for private parties.

Ciao Bella is a quaint Italian restaurant located on Newport Ave in Ocean Beach. It’s the perfect spot to grab a meal while you’re browsing the shops lining the streets. With Ciao Bella’s truly authentic dishes, Italian staff, reasonable prices, adorable décor, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a usual haunt for all of the locals.
One of the bUZZ Ladies said it best, Ciao Bella has a «feel-​good» atmosphere. The owner has obviously put a lot of work into the décor with great results. They’ve created an environment that makes you smile as soon as you walk in. Not many places can say that.
I went for the most popular Antipasti, the Panzerotti. It’s homemade pizza dough filled with cheese, ham, and tomato. The portion that was served is definitely enough to share among the table, but sharing with 10 — — should’ve ordered 2.
The Farfalle Gattuso, bow tie pasta w/​sautéed shrimp and roasted bell peppers in a garlic white wine sauce topped w/​pesto, was a huge favorite with the table — and only $ 13.95!
Overall, I loved my experience at Ciao Bella. I can’t wait to dine here again. It won’t be long, that’s for sure. Nothing sounds better than shopping and Ciao Bella in Ocean Beach!