Cibo Restaurant

Another great authentic Italian — lovely place.

Walking into Cibo Restaurante Deli and Espresso Bar is like being teleported to Italy and then stepping back in time. It’s truly delightful in every imaginable sense. The Italian waiters are dressed in neatly pressed traditional garb, starched white collars and black trousers with waistcoats to match. Tables, all dressed in white and red, stretch back into a seemingly never-​ending space. The centrepiece, a huge deli counter, glistens and sparks, the beautifully curvaceous plate glass, spotlessly clean. The contents, a mouth-​watering array of speciality Italian desserts, are simply fabulous to look at, let alone eat.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand time, family businesses beat the big corporate chains hands down. And Cibo is prime example of why this is the case. They are doing what they love and they’ve been doing it for a long time, so quite simply, they cannot be matched. Quite remarkably the prices are extremely reasonable, especially considering that the quality of the food is so superior to its competitors (perhaps with the exception of Papadelis in Clifton, which is similar in quality, but different in approach).
As with other commercial concerns that enjoy a niche in the Bristol market they have diversified into other areas of business including wholesaling and outside catering. It is interesting to note that, as with many restaurants and fast food places in Bristol Cibo has recently restricted its opening hours to six, which makes me wonder whether they are finally doing well enough to rest on their laurels a bit, or, if the recession is biting a little too hard, making it necessary to rationalise the operation a little.

Cibo Ristorante offers authentic Italian dishes with acute attention to detail. Each dish is served with great care and passion — just like Italian food should be. They serve traditional dishes which always go down well with the guests, and boast a good selection of more unique dishes — the seafood dishes are particularly tasty. In Cibo Ristorante you are bound to feel like you are in the heart of Rome, enjoying an authentic Italian meal in a piazza. This is because the waiters are friendly, put the customer’s needs first, and have a passion for food and life. They do private outside catering for small venues and parties so you can bring the Italian flavour to you.

Do you ever get bored of the bog-​standard Italian food chains?
Well, I could eat pizza for England but sometimes I hanker after something a little more authentic, a little more rustic, a little more Italian.
Set near the top end of Gloucester Road (just opposite the Sainsburys local) Cibo’s comes close to satisfying every need, café/​deli in the day and restaurant by night the wide ranging menu is sure to get everyone’s mouth watering. You can choose from freshly made pizzas, including calzone — or as better known ‘the foldy over pizza’ — pasta dishes, tasty meat options, as well as a number of vegetarian choices. I had a spicy sausage/​pepperoni pizza, which they were happy to exchange the jalapeño peppers for normal peppers, which was quite lovely, my only feedback was it was slightly too thick on the mozzarella to be perfect, but that’s really just personal preference. To accompany your meal there is an extensive wine list, with some nice ones at decent prices, there’s also a special wine of the month if you fancy trying something new.
Cibo’s are currently offering two courses from a set menu for £9.99 which includes a glass of wine, but main meals on the a la carte menu are still very reasonable.
To complete Cibo’s authenticity you are greeted by a slightly greying, olive skinned, friendly Italian owner!

An Italian delicatessen/​restaurant at the far end of Gloucester Road, Cibos has been here many years. They started life as a delicatessen, offering beautiful Italian cooked meats, cheeses and pastas (among other things), but gradually expanded into a café, then restaurant.
Their menu is mouth wateringly tempting, with ‘innovative’ pastas like pasta quills in a smoked salmon, cream and vodka sauce, and mains like pan fried ostrich fillet, all circling around the £8 price range. There’s plenty of seating inside, and also a nice covered area outside on the street — granted, not the most picturesque views, but they’ve made a real effort to give the outdoor seating a nice atmosphere, which they have succeeded in. A perfect place for a date or special celebration, I highly advise giving Cibos a go.

great food, very friendly staff, family run, interesting specials board, great deserts. good value buffet on Sunday. ideal for birthday celebration or romantic. meal for two.

This is a ‘genuine article’ brilliant Italian restaurant and café. The food is absolutely delectable and excellent value for money. Today I paid £6 for myself and £3.50 for my 4-​year old to have an exquisite buffet lunch including (all home-​made) pasta with bacon and tomato, home-​made meatballs in a rich ragu, two kinds of fresh stonebaked pizza, gorgeous ciabatta, grilled aubergine/​courgette/​peppers, tuna and bean salad, Caesar salad, artichokes, tomato salad, avocado salad… and more. Every single item was singing with flavour. Plus, they are really friendly people and the atmosphere is relaxing. What more could you ask for! The menu on offer throughout the day and into evening is also extremely tempting.

Cibo on Gloucester Road is nothing if not ambitious, attempting to be a deli, coffee shop, sandwich bar and restaurant all rolled into one. A genuinely authentic Italian experience (why do we, the English, insist that all of our eateries conform to one very specific definition: i.e. ‘pub’, ‘restaurant’, ‘café’?), this family-​run establishment has two important things going for it: the outstanding quality of the food and the passion and knowledge of the staff.
On entering it’s like being transported to the motherland, with a counter and shelves heaving under the weight of authentic Italian produce: coffee, cheeses, meats — and, of course, wine. And rest assured that this is all authentic — Chibo also runs a wholesale wing which imports directly from the Old Country. It’s almost impossible to decide on a particular favourite, so I would recommend popping in for the lunchtime buffet menu and trying as much as possible!

I love Cibo! I go regularly with my husband for an evening meal or with friends for the buffet lunch. They are polite and friendly and the food is consistantly good. There is a good selection of wines too. There is also a delicatessen so you can take some Italian food home with you! I’m so glad it’s there and highly recommend it!

I have been going into Cibo for about 9 years now and know them very well. The food is always excellent and is served with Italian charm. If you are feeling peckish at lunchtime then check out their buffet — a wide selection of hot and cold dishes, salads, soup, pasta and pizza. You can take away if you are in a hurry.
The coffee is the best in Bristol!