Great business lunch location!  Dined here recently with a group of my local business partners and thoroughly enjoyed the great food, atmosphere and service.  There are always nice  seafood specials - today it was an organic salmon dish and it was delicious. If you are in the mood for pasta, I highly recommend  the Tortiglioni Rossa.  This place is always my first choice for business lunches as the menu has a great variety of great food.
Review Source:The food is excellent, and I love that they have small portions ,which really aren't all that small. Â Salads are ala carte, but worth the extra price. Â
The down side is the noise. Â The waiter at the next table, his voice was hoarse from having to shout the specials. Â I have great hearing, and I could barely hear our waitress. Â There was no music at the time, and it wasn't packed. Â It must be the high ceilings. Â
I'd go back, but would maybe sit next to whoever was with me rather than across the table.
I had dinner here for the first time last night. Â We were able to get with last minute reservations despite a very busy restaurant. Â The food was delicious. Â We had the meatball appetizer which was pleasantly spicy. Â My dinner entree was the braised short ribs and they were melt in my mouth tender. Â My dinner companion had the pesto sea bass and enjoyed that very much. Â
My only critique was that the noise level was a bit high in the table seating area. Â However, all in all, the ambiance is very romantic and comfortable. Â I look forward to dining here again soon.
Once a month I have a meeting with my bosses. Â It's a meeting and I find it pretty hard to get excited about meetings. Â However, I do look forward to this meeting if for no other reason than it's a lunch meeting and I get to pick the location. Â As it happens, Ciao Bella is conveniently located between myself and my bosses, so we've met there a number of times. Â I can't recally ever having a bad experience there.
The food is mostly Italian inspired, with a lot of emphasis on seafood. Â My usual goto is the crabcake sandwhich with a side of the tomato basil soup. Â The soup is outstanding, slightly chunky, full of flavor and served with a nice parmesean crusted piece of bread. Â The sandwich is excellent as well, full of very fresh crabmeat with a bit of dijon aioli, some greens and bacon. Â I've tried a few of their burgers as well and found them to be very good. Â If I'm in the mood for pasta, the tortiglioni rossa has not let me down. Â Pasta, sausage, peas and red peppers in a creamy red sauce. Â It sounded a bit like a weird combination to me but it works very well.
Whenever we've been to Ciao Bella, they're quite busy. Â That being said, we've never had to wait for a table and the service has always been excellent. Â I'm looking forward to my next lunch meeting already!
I've had the pleasure of eating at Ciao Bella a few times for work. We have some partners in Bloomington, MN that like to go to swanky dinners - this place certainly fits that swanky subset.
For the small plates, I think everything they do with Ahi Tuna is great. Â The spring rolls win with their crispy flaky crust; and the seared Ahi has a tart vinaigrette that starts the meal light. If Ahi isn't your thing, the Tuna Tartare here is great - I have Tartare bias.
They are known for their fish. If I had been in LA, I would have ordered Sea Bass. Â But here, they have a local fish, Walleye. Â I had the Walleye Malanese. I'm surprised there wasn't a fishy taste considering it's a lake fish. Well seasoned and served on top of a bed of mashed potatoes, I felt like I got a good taste for local cuisine. Â I had it served with a cup of wild rice soup. It was a cream based soup that is seasonal.
I've had their steaks and a couple different pastas, but I would stick to the local flavor if you're an out-of-towner coming here for the first time.
Excellent restaurant , my girlfriend and I went there for dinner on Saturday night and had an awesome time. Â The waiter made a great recommendation on a bottle of wine that we both loved. Â The dinner menu is also not that big which is great because we always have a difficult time choosing what to eat. Â I had the salmon which was cooked perfectly and I would recommend the chicken spring rolls to everyone as they were amazing. Â Excellent service and great time, would recommend to everyone and we'll definitely be back again
Review Source:This is definitely a case of style over substance. The restaurant is beautiful and tastefully appointed. The bar looks like one of those places where you could just camp out and spend an evening. Great ambiance, except that it's far too loud. Very difficult to carry on conversations while competing with all the background noise.
The food was, to me, merely average. I can get pasta of equal quality at Applebee's. I had the red pepper linguini, and was not impressed. It was not served very hot, was not overly flavorful, and was just...pedestrian. I expect more for $19. I sampled my wife's Ciao Fusilli and, again, found it okay, but not of the "wow" variety.
On the recommendation of one of our party's members, we had the crab cakes as an appetizer. They were very good, but then they ought to be for $7 apiece! The bread served was pretty standard; again, nothing out of the ordinary. After waiting a considerable time for our order to be taken, we had good service from then on. Sometimes too good - our bread and utensils were stolen from us before we had a chance to say we still wanted to munch a bit. Water glasses were filled rapidly, and the check - surprise! - was brought molto rapidamente.
If I pay $80+ for two pasta meals, a salad, and appetizer - not including tip - I expect it to be memorable. This was not. What you are paying for here is the setting, to be seen, to say that you were at Ciao Bella. I'd rather have more substance.
I was very pleased with Ciao Bella and have dined here 2x in the past year.  I recently  brought my mom here for her birthday and she loved it, it was exactly the type of food she wanted.  We ordered the chicken spring rolls appetizer which is amazing, and for dinner we had the herb grilled organic salmon and the heirloom grain salad which my waiter recommended.  It was seriously amazing, both were very delicious. I was incredible pleased with both dinners and the service was great as well. Â
I really like the dinner time atmosphere as well, it's classy and business like, although the noise level can get a little loud but it's because everyone really enjoys their experience I believe and is having a good time with their party. Â I was just really thrilled that my mom had a great birthday dinner and enjoyed it as much as I did.
I will be back soon! Ciao!!
Ciao Bella is one of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. Â The menu offers a nice variety of American to Italian to Mediteranian-styled dishes. Â Overall there is a simple elegance to the place.
Soups change often, the always offered Tomato Basil rocks. Â The walleye entree is a staple and usually very good (order extra tomatoes for more kick to it). Â The seafood dishes are all very good.
Service is usually excellent and the servers know the menu.
Only negative is the noise level. Â It can get loud when busy, especially in the side tables in the smaller rooms off the main area.
Nice outdoor area during the summer.
This is one of my go to lunch spots and occasionally dinner place. Â At Ciao Bella you are usually getting top quality ingredients that are often local/organic. Â The meals only use the number of ingredients necessary to make the dish taste balanced and right. Â I have tried most of the menu over the past 2 years and there are only 1 or 2 things I would not order again. Â Ciao Bella always does a great job with their fish dishes.
Review Source:This used to be one of my favorite places. I haven't dined here for a couple of years and tonight, I was disappointed. Server was very nice, but had empty glasses for most of the dinner with no offer to refill.
Food was okay; I had the pork chops which I found to be bland. My husband had pasta which he enjoyed.
I don't think we'll be back based on this experience. There are too many other restaurants that offer a better experience for the money.
This place is OK at best. Â The service is good I will give them that. Â The food is way overpriced for the servings they give. Â The assortment on the menu is very limited. Â The patio that everyone raves about is nothing special. Â It's just a normal patio with no views or special amenities in my opinion.
There is plenty of parking and the restrooms were clean. Â Big place inside and the decor is cool. Â One thing they could do is put a sign out front that a person can actually read and understand what the place is for those that have never been here before. Â The one they have is some symbol and makes no obvious indication what the heck it is. Â The place is in an odd location too.
I have been to much better places and wouldn't put this place at the top of any list to visit soon. Â There's better to go to in this town so try the others first!
Luckily this place was just down the street from our hotel so we decided to come here one night. Â What a fantastic Italian restaurant.
We came on a weekday around 7pm and the wait was none since we sat in the bar area. Â They have a pretty large wine menu. Â We ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna for appetizer and I had the Red Pepper Linguini with Scallops for the main course. Â
The menu said that the Ahi Tuna was Sushi grade, and it was as fresh as it could be. Â It came with a little bit of salad, and the presentation was great, as well as the taste. Â The linguini came with a couple pieces of fresh scallops and was delicious. Â I'm glad I ordered the full plate. Â
The service was wonderful as well. Â The waitress brought us the wrong appetizer by mistake, and we mentioned it as she was setting it down, she took it back and ended up comping us for the one we did order. Â Now that's what I call amazing customer service! Â
Yelp currently has this place classified as "Classy" dress code and $$$ price, but we were in pretty casual clothes and they had no problem letting us in, so don't let this deter you from coming here. Â The entree prices were also more suited to be $$ than $$$. Â Another plus in my book.
Happened across this restaurant while searching for a location for a family dinner. Â Upon arriving, I was a bit concerned that we may be underdressed - the place has a bit of a swanky, upscale decor and quiet, classy vibe to it. Â Once we entered, though, it was apparent that it was all about taste and not about expectations.
We had a table FULL of food, including appetizers (try the caramelized brussel sprouts...TRUST ME!), flatbread (best in Minneapolis) and seafood (not exceptional, but hey...it's an Italian restaurant). Â Everything was amazing, including the service. Â We had a party of ten and not once did we pine for refreshment or twiddle our fingers for a check.
Most recently, we returned to check out their patio. Â I would HIGHLY recommend that you make haste and capitalize on what summer we have left by grabbing a bite on their patio. Â Equipped with a standalone bar, while waiting for your table outside you can even enjoy a tasty libation - OUTSIDE! Â Great setup!
Lots of parking, very accessible location, great patio, fabulous decor and wonderful authentic Italian food! Â We will definitely return - and that's saying a LOT considering we live in Blaine!
My wife and I have eaten at Ciao Bella twice now and it doesn't disappoint. The decor is lovely and the food is wonderful. The wait staff and bussers could probably do a better job of attending to customers, but overall they do a good job.
I specified in my rating below that Ciao Bella is dressy. It certainly lends itself to being an upscale restaurant but when we ate dinner there last week I was slightly disappointed to see other customers dressed down, as in some men dressed like absolutel slobs. A t-shirt, shorts, baseball cap and flip-flops may be acceptable at Fudd Ruckers down the street but I didn't think it was acceptable here. It kinda ruined the dining experience, especially when you're looking for something intimate and classy.
For all you men out there, how about showing a little pride in yourself and stop dressing like a bum.
I thought this place was fabulous. Â We sat inside but it appeared they had a lovely outdoor seating area as well. Â For appetizer we shared the bruschetta which featured heirloom tomatoes as they are in season right now and was delicious and the Parmesan shrimp -- I loved it with the lemon garlic aioli. Â For dinner I had the spaghetti and meatballs and got the smaller size which was plenty. Â For dessert we passed the tiramisu and the budino (aka chocolata lava cake) and both were really good. Â The wine list was extensive and I thought the menu was reasonably priced for the quality and size of the food. Â I would definitely go back if I'm in the area again.
Review Source:I've only ever been to Ciao Bella so far for lunch during the work week. It is a little pricier for lunch but the atmosphere and service are always great. It's a fairly casual "white tablecloth" restaurant so it's very good for business lunches or taking clients out for a bite.
I've had a number of their soups including the tomato basil and gazpacho, haven't been disappointed yet. I typically order a sandwich or burger during the lunch hour and have found them all to be quite good. The fries are nicely done and well seasoned.
Highly recommend getting a reservation if you can. I am usually able to snag one on OpenTable.
Ciao Bella is nice place and with a fantastic patio. During our visit, the service had a couple of minor hiccups, but the staff went above and beyond to ensure that we left satisfied. The manager, someone from the kitchen and our waitress all stopped in throughout our meal with an abundance of apologies, just to confirm everything was going well.
We started with a couple of small plates. The Bruschetta was good--it seems like one of those things that is hard to screw up, but it was good nonetheless. We also had the Brussell Sprouts, which were prepared very nicely with a honey glaze and almonds.
For our main courses, I ordered the Fettucini with Pinot Grigio sauce, and my fiance had the Red Pepper Linguini with Scallops. The latter was the better of the two, but everything was good and I'd recommend either.
We'll definitely be back.
A-OK pretty much says it all.
Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, so no complaints there. As a matter of fact every staff person encountered was cheerful and welcoming. Â I was impressed by their pretty patio area.
My Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes tasted alright, but the odd combo of very large crab clumps, some the size of a raspberry, nestled amongst the breading/filler was a bit off. Â As I made my way through these two small-ish cakes I'd get a bite of crab, next just a forkfull of filler. Â
The Wedge Salad had lots of delicious crispy bacon and some very delightful diced tomato. Â Their blue cheese dressing is one of the best I've ever had.
I had a date night here, and it was amazing! Â The service was AMAZING and our waiter was awesome. Â He had a personality that made us feel so welcome but not overly trying to grab the night. Â
We started with the app of Grilled Beef Tenderloin Crostini (SO AMAZINGLY GOOD) and I think I was obsessed when they brought out the Truffle dip :)
I had the Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna (that was with a truffle oil - yes obsessed) and this was delicious but very rich. Â My boyfriend had the Meatball Spaghetti which was so delicious. Â They were made with veal and were stuffed... delicious!
We each had a glass of wine (yum) and they had a good selection of by the glass, but they also had a lot of bottles.
I will be returning! Â We did make reservations for a Saturday night - and it was a great call since we probably would have been waiting for a while.
I went here for a working lunch with a group of coworkers. It was my first time going to Ciao Bella, but it was a positive experience!
I ordered the daily special, which was a Mediterrian Salmon on a bed of root vegetables. Super tasty! The salmon was encrusted with cinnamon and other spices. So good.
The bread service was great and my water never went below half a glass. The price is a little high for a lunch, but it was good quality and great service.
One of my FAVORITE places to eat. Â I've never had a bad experience here, the location is a bit off the beaten path, but that's fine.
Service is always great, food is well done and well prepared and it really has a nice PLACE to eat your food and chat with the wife, friends or just be in. Â Is it as good as the places back home in Chicago? No, but really pretty good. Â I'd come back more often, but it can get expensive.
Great summer happy hours!
Going there for lunch today.
Stopped here on a weekday while traveling for work for a small late-evening meal. Â Opted for the Ahi Tuna spring rolls. Â Lesson learned, don't get raw fish from a busy italian place. Â Got food poisoning from the tuna so I can only wonder about the kitchen's sanitary practices.
If I ever happen to return I'll order something safer and update the review, but the very few 1-stars I've handed out have usually come down to getting sick from the food.
I'm not sure if I keep ordering the wrong thing, or if the food is really just OK? Â I've been there a few times for dinner and once for happy hour and every time I have left fulfilled, but nothing more. Â I will say that the service is top notch and they treat everyone in an amazing fashion, however, there is just something about the entrees that haven't put me over the edge yet.
The flat breads are very tasty and just about the only thing I go back for. Â I do wish they had more choices, being that it is so easy and quick to make, but I do understand why they don't. Â They have an open fire grill in the middle of the restaurant they use to bake the flat breads which makes them even a little more entertaining to order.
That being said, I have still been yet to be blown away (like some of these other reviews have said) by anything else. Â To me, it's a little pricy for what you get served. Â I'll go back, for the the flat breads.
My first time at Ciao, was a good experience while having dinner with family.
So when we were in the neighborhood, I decided we should go back for a snack and dessert...as I couldn't pass up the great ambiance!
Ciao has a very warm and classy feel to it, you feel right at home. Â Most importantly, they have great food! Â I tried the Sausage Ciabatta which was great...the only problem was that I already agreed to share it!
After the "snack" we had to have some dessert. Â We settled on the Limonetta Bella, which is perfect for a warm summer's night. Â The lemon flavor was just right and the graham cracker crust added great texture. Â But the best part was the candied almonds, which gave depth and a crunch to the dessert.
Ciao is a great place for dinner or just appetizers and desserts...I will definitely be back and will need to sit on the cute patio!
Ciao Bella pretty much blew my expectations out of the water.
Sure, my expectations weren't terribly high (Italian place near Bloomington? I expected Olive Garden's deformed twin.), but that doesn't make the feat any less welcomed.
1. Amazing service. I was with some co-workers and a couple of out-of-town actors (read: former/current servers) and even they kept remarking--unprompted--"Damn, she's *good*". I can't remember our server's name, but she was truly great at her job. Friendly and personable and snappy and witty without being forced. Service itself was moderately paced (everything is made-to-order, so you're not getting 5 minute faux-complex pasta here, it takes some time).
2. Good pour on the Jameson & Ginger Ale. Oh, how easily I can be won over by a generous hand with the alcohol. Our server started calling me Ms. Jameson...which, after one strongly-poured drink, I found very endearing.
3. They offer two sizes of most pasta dishes. This means you don't have to/aren't tempted to gorge yourself or, if you're traveling, throw half your meal away. The smaller size was *perfect* and very budget friendly.
4. The food was so good. Sure, spaghetti pomodoro is deceptively basic--but they had so much flavor in the sauce that I was truly impressed. The calamari was also worth a share--fresh-tasting and crisp.
It's a cozy little restaurant that is definitely worth a stop. And a stay. And a few strong drinks.
There's no question, at this point, that my parents have great taste, but I seem to get a pleasant reminder of this fact every time I head back to Minnesota for a visit. Â I've been to Ciao Bella twice in the last year, and both times the food was basically perfect. Â The ambiance is so relaxing, dimly lit with comfortable seating, and the decor is very unique. Â The staff are all wonderfully kind and professional as well, which completes the experience with hardly a flaw to speak of. Â Even the bar, which I only visited briefly, is gorgeous and perfectly maintained. Â No Stella on tap caused a brief frown but four Pinot Noirs by the glass won me over once again. Â
The bread that comes before the meal is delicious, which is almost unfortunate, as you don't want to find yourself filling up on bread prior to having food of this quality. Â The Edamame and the fried shrimp appetizers were both delicious, and the aioli that came with the shrimp was spot on. Â So good.
I have to have Walleye at least once per vist home, and this time it happened to come in the form of Walleye Milanese. Â The fish was cooked perfectly, the garlic mashed potatos were delicious, and the tomatos were ripe, juicy, and delicious. Â If it weren't for relying on Bank of Dad to finance the meal, I'd eat at Ciao Bella four times a week (ignoring geographic impossibility). Â
The Tiramisu was great - It was technically the least spectacular part of the meal, and still gets a 4.5/5. Â Texture was dead on and the flavor was great, but just a shade off of the best I've had. Â
Expensive? Yes. Â Worth every penny? You betcha!
I was very impressed with Ciao Bella. I just landed in Minneapolis and was starving so the concierge at the Sofitel directed me to this restaurant. A reservation was made but when we arrived the place was not packed quite yet.
The restaurant was contemporary with private rooms, large booths, large outside patio, and nice bar area. The restaurant was dimly lit. Very nice atmosphere.
The staff were very friendly with exception of the one host. He was just OK. The waiter was friendly and relayed that most of the staff were long time employees. That shows that this place is managed well to have people stay around for so long and enjoy it. One of the managers did stop and ask how the meal was and took care of our requests. Nice touch.
The food was excellent too. I tried the walleye Milanese and one of the preparations of the copper river salmon. Both were prepared well but I enjoyed the salmon more. The local tomato bruschetta was a very good appetizer. To finish off the tiramisu was right on the mark.
The price was about $90 with tip but I have spent more on much less with worse service.
Overall, a great restaurant even if you can only try once. Since I came back from my trip I do not know when I will be back but if I am I will come here.
Ciao Bella was just what I needed after a long day of canceled flights and trying to get back to DC I sat at the bar and had the Spicy Ahi with Avocado on sesame crisps and the Heirloom Grain Salad (heirloom farro, organic quinoa, asparagus, red pepper, spinach, avocado, palm hearts, Provolone and Parmigiano Reggiano, with lemon vinaigrette) with a glass of Shiraz. For dessert I had the chocolate budino and an Irish coffee. Both we very yummy, but the budino was so rich I could only eat half (would be better for sharing) Overall the food was AMAZING, especially the salad and tuna.
The service was excellent too ; The bartender, Damian, was very friendly and attentive. He knew the menu inside and out and was attentive and chatty without smothering me. Would definitely recommend Ciao Bella.
Ciao Bella is located off of France Ave S. near the 494 Interchange. It's on Minnesota Drive at the top of a small hill. There's a kind of funky sign for it, a large parking lot, and a nondescript exterior. Inside, it's dark and somewhat cavernous, but not very intimate. It's a good place for a business Dinner. Â There's a large bar area right inside, and a smaller, more interesting "outside bar" with tables and sliding glass doors so you can drink there year round. Â The food is pricey and good but not great. The wine list is good for bottled, but had almost no decent Italian wines by the glass. I've been going there for about 10 years, and have not found any changes.
In summation, it's similar to Macaroni Grill and Maggiano's, but better for intimate conversation.
Ciao Bella is a large, semi-upscale restaurant in Bloomington that is pretty popular.
5 of us came on a Tuesday night and they were doing pretty good business. We didn't have to wait, but this place can seat probably over 100 people. Many of the tables are set for 6. It was almost full when we arrived.
The decor is upscale, with interesting ceiling treatments in curving lines of dark brown and terra cota, the walls are faux terrcota painted with some original art hanging throughout, and the lighting and mood are decidely trendy but subdued dining elegance. It can get noisy when it is busy, too. This place is large with a higher ceiling, increasing the sound.
The menu is only partly Italian, mosty with a northern influence, but mixed with an eclectic range of whatever trends are popular now. For example, there are some asian flavorings sprinkled through (i.e. wasabi mash potatoes). They have a separate fresh fish daily menu to go with the large main menu, offering Alaskan Salmon, WallEye and other usual suspects. A good selection from the seafood menu is the Pesto topped Sea Bass, stacked on top of regular and wasabi mashed pototoes, and when plated and served, looked more like a cheesecake dessert.
I had the Porcini Mushroom Risotto, which I had after my Ciao Baby greens salad with blue cheese and balsamic vinnagrette. The Risotto was rich and tasty and offered with whole grain brown rice.
Many of the dishes, especially the pastas and salads, are offered in small or large portions/prices. I guess with Maggiano's only a mile away, they are following suite to that standard set by Maggiano's.
The spinach lasagna was also good, and again looked like a large fancy cake slice dessert when plated rather than your Stouffer's lasagna dish. Two in our party had this and both liked it.
Ciao Bella offers many dishes using Molinari's meats (is this from the famous Molinari deli in SF? Don't know, didn't ask!)
They also offer steaks of the usual variety, desserts that you are probably too full to eat, and a pretty good wine list. They have a decent selection of Italian wines, from a dozen Pinot Grigios, to a handful each of Chiantis, Barollos, San Gioveses, and Brunellas.
This is a good place to eat italian, seafood, or steaks, to make your entire party have something they can be satisfied eating, in an elegant but relaxed environment.
Atmosphere: Beautiful, well done
Prices: Reasonable
Food: Excellent
Service: Above Average
Bathrooms: Clean
I love this place, these folks clearly know what there doing! From the moment you step in the atmosphere takes you away and wanting for more as you walk to your table or the bar.
The food is fresh, upbeat, eclectic Italian. Chicken and Fennel soup delicious, Fusilli Pasta great, Salmon with side salad amazing!
A place and experience not to be missed when in Minneapolis (Edina, Bloomington)
Rick
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