Ciao Vito Restaurant

Ciao Vito is definately one of my FAVORITE places to go for a nice dinner out. I live no where near the location, but will make the drive out there when I'm feeling like really good food! The steak is the BEST!!!! And I never even liked brussel sprouts until I had them here, who knew they could be so good?!?! The food is amazing, wine amazing, and I don't really remember the service that well, but I don't go to restruants for service, I go for great food and some help getting it to me! I would absolutely recommend Ciao Vito for a great date night in a very impressive, low light, bustling restaurant. IT is amazing and very romantic! Pros: Low lighting, GREAT FOOD!!!! Cons: Hmm, can't think of any! more

We always sit at the bar and we have a great time. Daisy is awesome! Sometimes it gets super busy and service can be delayed, but isn't this normal? Everyone is always really nice to us and we are always well taken care of. I love the razor clams and have a hard time not ordering them. This place may not know your socks off but it is definitely a good, solid neighborhood restaurant. Pros: Great place for a relaxed and tasty meal more

We have eaten there 9 times. The last three times we have had very awkward service and have only come back for the food. The receptionist is snobbish, inexperienced, and makes unprofessional decisions not to mention she treats you like you are a lower class citizen if you don't have reservations. We asked for a special table in the back next to the window and were told no because it was a 4 top and we only had two people. However, no one else sat there the time we were there. And then, the place she sat us we sat with no server for literally 10 minutes. The busser gave no eye contact and servers made no eye contact. 15 minutes later some one figured it out. The server asked the receptionist about us and she had been chatting with her friends and acted like it was an inconvenience that the waitress asked what was going on with us. She recovered. Pros: Food, ambiance Cons: snobbish inconsistant service, rushed to turn your table, if you don't have reservations prepared to feel like a second class citized, they are not flexible or profressional. more

My partner and I eat out a lot, and enjoy that Portland has so many wonderful restaurants to choose from. Ciao Vito is not one of them, unfortunately. We are down to earth people who enjoy friendly service. It doesn't have to be perfect, but we feel that good service should be inviting, warm and friendly. The overwhelming majority of restaurants we visit offer exactly what we consider friendly service. From the very start at Ciao Vito we encountered a holier than thou kind of attitude... a server brought water and glasses to our table right away, but didn't even acknowledge our presence -- no hello, no smile, nothing. I made a point of saying ""hello, how are you?"" to try to help get her started and she barely answered back. Another server came to take our order, and she was a little bit friendlier, but only because she was being compared to the first server. She told us of the specials with no enthusiasm at all, then took our order. Server #1 came back and put down bread and oil, again saying absolutely nothing to us. Still yet another server brought my salad, a bland and boring butterleaf lettuce salad with oil and vinegar. A fourth server brought us our entrees. The entrees were no better than what we prepare at home, and we are not great cooks. Very disappointing. Before my partner could finish her meal (she hadn't even put her fork down), server #1 was attempting (without asking first) to take her dish away. We were never offered more water or a refill on beverages. After finishing our entrees, dessert menus were plopped down in front of us without explanation or presentation. After declining dessert, our bill was brought to us. Not once did we feel that anyone who worked at Ciao Vito cared whether or not we were enjoying ourselves. And the food wasn't nearly good enough to make up for the very unfriendly servers and atmosphere we encountered during our visit. We will not be visiting Ciao Vito again. more

After reading on Citysearch about the great service, I was really surprised by our experience at Ciao Vito. Our server was cold and snippy, and the other folks working seemed no friendlier. I am VERY rarely disappointed with the service I get here in Portland, but the employees at Ciao Vito were mostly serious, snobby, and unfriendly. We brought a sleeping infant into the restaurant with us for dinner (on a Wednesday... it's not like it was Saturday night), and received the Stink Eye from more than one employee. This is the first time that's ever happened to us. Two of the entrees were good (the chicken and the pork chop) but the mushroom crepe was overly rich and pretty bland in taste. The gelato was great but the tiramisu was pretty awful. The decor is beautiful. For the price of the food, I probably won't return... The unfriendly vibe left a bad taste in my mouth. more

Ciao Vito is what Portlander's are looking for in an establishment. They ""get"" the service, food and beverage. The chef's creations are not lost in translation, thus, Italian themed with fresh, local ingredients. We adore hard to find Italian wines, and Ciao Vito has several of our favorites. We started with green salad and calamari. Both excellent! For our entrees, skirt steak with Gorgonzola, it was prepared perfectly and so delicious. My broccoli was over cooked for me, but it's a personal preference. My husband had the lamb, it was similar to a stew and oh so tasty. Dessert was very good, not too sweet. Would prefer the creme brulee without the crust, however. Make certain you have reservations. You may wait a few minutes for your table, but staff are very friendly and attentive. It can be a bit dark inside, which adds to the romantic atmosphere. Our only ""complaint"" would be the chairs on the side walls (tables for 2), they were reminiscent of college patio furniture and not comfortable for a long, romantic 4 course meal with wine. All and all it was perfect and we'll be back. Pros: fresh local menu, wine list-superb, A+ service Cons: crowded, could be larger, but may lose it's niche, chairs small and uncomfortable more

I think the atmosphere here is great (except for trying desperately to exit stage left through voluminous velvet curtains when attempting to enter and exit the bathroom); my 3 dinner mates had AWESOME dishes--succulent meat with fantastic sauces. I, however, made the huge mistake of ordering the pasta w/hamburger meat. I have never actually eaten Hamburger Helper, but I imagine that, if for some bizarre reason I were actually to purchase a box of that so-called food, it would taste just like the pasta I was served at Ciao Vito. I hereby invite Vito to my house to taste MY pasta: this Jewish gal can cook some Italian pasta way better than Vito, baby! more

This place is a perfect example of what Portlanders want when dining out. The service is orchestrated like watching a corregraphed ballet with symphany. No one goes without, meaning if your server is busy, the others will take over. Very smooth! Now onto the food: wonderful!! It couldn't be better. It's truly PNW Italian with local flare. And the Italian chef makes no mistake to put his own stamp on each dish, which makes it truly special. We are still raving about the wine list. Very hard to find wines, which we haven't seen since Italy, truly well crafted to compliment every budget and meal. It can tend to get a bit loud, but you still feel it is romantic and sets a perfect back drop to a marvelous, fun evening. Chairs on the side walls need upgrading, as they are similar to outdoor chairs we had in college. Bravo Chef Vito!! We strongly recommend not to give this a miss. Pros: fresh local menu, wine list-superb, A+ service Cons: crowded, could be larger, but may lose it's niche, chairs small and uncomfortable more

One of the best Italian restaurants in the Portland area. Food is delicious. Service is exceptional-one person is tasked to replace your silverware/plates when dirty, refill on drinks is automatically asked/filled, bread is put on the table as soon as its close to being finished etc etc. Decor is very trendy. Will definitely try again. more

We dined with another couple on a rainy Friday night, having made a reservation 30 mins in advance. We were seated immediately. Our server greeted us promptly and got us our drinks in short order. The calamari appetizer was wonderful - a large portion shared among 3 of us, cooked to perfection. We both ordered the halibut with roasted peppers, which was superb and a nice large portion to boot. Our friends had the eggplant parmigiana and the special, which was chicken & pork meatballs with penne pasta. Both enjoyed their entrees, but they gave the nod to the meatballs. Pros: Service, food. Cons: A bit noisy. Lighting made it difficult for reading. more

We went to Vito's after a Last Thursday walk on Alberta..The food was great..I'm Italian and this is not ""traditional"" Italian food but it's definetely a new Italian/American contemporary cuisine worth trying..The polenta is great! If you like off-dry whites try their Vermentino.. Pros: new cuisine, great wine Cons: limited menu, poor selection for vegetarians more

My boyfriend and I ate here the other night and enjoyed the atmosphere. The server was friendly and the restaurant was not too crowded or loud. In fact, when we arrived, I was hoping that some more people would show up.... Pros: atmosphere, service, coffee Cons: bolognese, weird flavor combos, dessert a little off more

What a great treat! My girfriend and I went for dinner last night and had such a wonderful meal. I had heard about Ciao Vito but had no idea what a great find it is. I had the razor clams with a fabulous mixed salad and she had the crispy duck with creamy polenta. Ever bite brought smiles and yum, yum noises. The service was excellent, the chef even came out to say hello. I have already told several friends and can't wait to go back. Purely, simply wonderful. Pros: all the food is great Cons: I can't eat like this everyday more

I am happy to report that I left a bad review for this restaurant in September soley because of the bad service, but I took my parents there two weeks ago and it was fabulous! Our server was very attentive without being over-solicitous. He was polite and engaging. I think the food is always fabulous. We had the calamari which is always good. We each had a different dish and raved about it. I think their steak is to die for, but I chose a chicken dish special and was very happy with it. I think their meat dishes are the best , but my mom had the pasta bolognese and loved it. Even the dessert (choclate and walnut cake and pear tart) was to die for! Yay! I am so happy to give it the highly recommended rating I wanted to some months ago. Go to Ciao Vito soon before the service staff changes! Pros: Yummy food, geat service Cons: You sometimes have to wait even if you make a reservation and it can be loud there. more

Crowded, noisy and popular enough that even with a reservation you might have to wait almost an hour. This has happened to me twice with a party of four and a reservation made well in advance during the winter season. Still, the servers are some of the best around and the food is satisfying in every way. Delicious, fresh, robust flavor. I haven't tried the marinara that other reviewers have been unhappy with but I had a plate of steak frites that was day-dream worthy. Pros: Bold flavors and great service Cons: Everyone likes to linger so you'll often wait even with a reservation more

My dinner companion had the pork, which they enjoyed. However, I ordered the marinara. Folks, just go to the Olive Garden if yu're going to order this - better yet, just open a can of Chef Boyardee - it will taste the same and save you $14. Very bland and NOT worth the price. I will not be going back. The wait staff was fine..... I just can't get over the meal. more

ciao vito is one of my favorite places. great service, great drinks, great food - what more could you want? the antipasti is wonderful, the spaghetti is simple and good, the atmosphere is warm & relaxing whether you're there for a fancy dinner or happy hour. highly recommended. Pros: everything! Cons: tables a little close together more

I love the loud open kitchen ambience. Very nice over the phone taking reservations. Very attentive staff. The food however was just okay. I had the crepellini- italian crepe with wild mushrooms and asparagus. I didn't taste any mushrooms- and it was very dry- no trace of the bechamel sauce promised. Perhaps it was overcooked- it steamed all through the meal. The steaks looked good- the Halibut with olive tapenade looked really good- but the broccoli side was infused with an olive flavor as well. The razor clams lacked interesting flavor- but were fine. The frittata on the antipasto plate was excellent. The spaghetti with marinara was just okay- kind of a boring choice- it didn't add any excitement- no cheese with it either. more

I called to confirm a reservation for four of us an hour prior. They had no record of it and weren't able to suggest any other alternatives. The reservation was made one week prior with all the usual names, phone numbers, etc. more

I was a little disappointed in the lack of pasta dishes on the menu. The spaghetti with marinara was not much better than I could make at home, but the nightly special (filet mignon with mashed potatoes) was great! The selection of wine was almost overwhelming (in a good way), but the server was very informative and offered a suggestion, their house red wine, which was excellent. The shades on the windows did not block the setting sun, which made conversation across the table awkward as I leaned to my right to get out of the sun. But, once the sun was down, it was great. The support staff to the server were very prompt with filling water glasses and replenishing bread supplies. All in all, I'd go back again. Pros: Great service, Reasonable prices, Great wine selection Cons: Not many pasta dishes more