The bar itself looks nice. The bartenders are friendly and the food is decent. However, the owner is terrible. He is argumentative and very insecure. He pesters women and puts them down. Uses bad language. Terrible guy. People go there because it is open late but if he left, it would be such a better place. If someone else ran the place, Cibo would get 4 or 5 stars.
Review Source:I cannot say enough good things about this place! Â The homemade pasta is reasonably priced and amazing! Â Love the everyday happy hour! Â The drinks are amazing also! Â Best yet the service is top of the line! Â All the waiters are extremely nice and professional! Drinks do not go unfilled, warm bread is brought to the table, and the free lemon cello at the end is a great finishing touch!
Review Source:I've been enjoying Cibo with my wife for about 5 months now. The management is friendly, the servers are great and the menu is tasty, filling and well priced. The wine menu is nice and the sommelier (Amy) is knowledgeable and always happy to help. Sitting at the bar is comfortable and the bartenders are great (Kelly is the best).
The Tuesday Lobster special cannot be beat, the Sunday Brunch menu is outstanding and the regular menu has something for everyone.
As a previous poster mentioned I also visited Cibo due to the Coral Gables Restaurant week. Â Here is a tip for all...
I went for lunch and discovered their normal lunch menu is $17 and includes many of the same identical items as in their Coral Gables Restaurant Week menu for $20. Â
It is easy to discover this as it is in the menu they give you when you arrive. Â One says lunch menu for $17 and the special print Coral Gables menu says $20. Â If you ask to order from the lunch menu you will be told 'We are not honoring the lunch menu'... well then why did you give it to me. Â The waiter was then confrontational rather than trying to resolve the confusion. Â With the typical remark "do you want to talk to the manager". Â All this are not steps to getting repeat customers. Â Plus I thought the idea of the promotion is to entice new customers while providing a discount not an increase. Â What a bad sample you are for the rest of the Coral Gables Restaurants that are participating in this special promotion.
The food was fine, but your marketing approach needs work. Â Cibo, if you read this I hope you understand this is not about your price. Â You can charge whatever you want but be a little smart about it. Â No body likes to be taken and worst treated poorly. Â It also brings to question where else you may be employing such tactics. Â I prefer to stay away when I am treated like this and there are plenty of other restaurants.
June 10th to June 30th is what we call Coral Gables Restaurant Week. During this time, about 35 restaurants in Coral Gables offer three-course menus with at least a 20% savings.
Out of all the restaurants we could have chosen from, my friend and I picked Cibo Wine Bar as our first restaurant for Coral Gables Restaurant Week for two reasons:
1) The price for three-course menu is amazing: $30 (menu: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoralgablesrestaurantweek.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F04%2FCibo-Dinner.pdf&s=abc0598a17418a5a6dcc4b9981f67a9fbd26e204f7e8b8b21efc7438be8a7498" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://coralgablesrestau…</a>)
2) Happy hour from 4 - 7 pm, which means half price for every drinks (or selected, I am not sure about this one)!
I believe it is normally packed during the weekend but we went on Tuesday so it wasn't as busy. We got a seat as soon as we got there. The restaurant has both inside and outside seats. The atmosphere is amazing. Once I walked in, the first thing I saw was this huge bar that took up almost the entire front space and dining tables are located behind the bar which are set really nicely - dark tones, set up against brick walls, lots of candles, and comfy dining. Every dining tables have wine glasses ready.
So my first impression of Cibo Wine Bar? GREAT. I would definitely bring my date or anyone that I would like to impress to this place. Also, they have a great wine menu so make sure to check it out.
Also, visit the bathroom while you are there, it's pretty impressive (and you should always wash your hands before you eat!)
I picked the special menu for Coral Gables Restaurant Week - I had...
Appetizer: Prosciutto Arugula Salad
- It was a HUGE salad. I feel like this could have been my main meal. Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese on top of arugula salad. I picked this one because I wanted to eat something healthy before I eat my *bad* main course. It was just like any other salad - nothing really special about it. But I was happy with it.
Main: Lobster Cannelloni
- This was amazing. 3 stuffed crepes with lobster and ricotta cheese in pink cream sauce. Just YUM YUM YUM. It is similar to Lobster Ravioli. I highly recommend it. Its size is perfect - not too big and not too small.
Dessert: Semi Freddo
- This is a small ice cream cake. I loved it. My friend got a chocolate baci bombe, if you like chocolate like my friend does, you should go for a chocolate baci bombe. But if you want something cold, fruity, and less chocolate, go for Semi Freddo. This was so amazing.
I also had a glass of red wine for $3. $3!! $3!!!!!! $3!!!!!!!!!!!
Our waitress was very attentive. She made sure we were happy with our food and had everything we needed. Our cups were never empty - there was always someone that filled our water which was nice.
After our meal was done, we got two complimentary shots - they were pretty strong, but it was delicious. I highly highly recommend this restaurant.
Ended up here by chance due that every other place we tried during the Heat playoff games was crazy packed glad we got a chance to watch the game at Cibo. Â The location is very nice good ambience and the big screen TV's were perfectly located above the bar the food is great and a good selection of wine. Â Definitely going back to watch more games there great experience.
Review Source:I wish I was giving this place a higher rating right now but perhaps when I return I will have another opinion. I came here last weekend with a girlfriend because I had been DYING to come here for months due to all the raved reviews. They provided exceptional service. Our waiter was extremely attentive and even brought us 2 free Limóncello shots with our bill! And the Manager on Duty stopped by our table to see how everything was going and to made sure we were satisfied.
To start we had the procuitto + formaggio which was delish. Then we ordered the ravioli which was not bad, it was just sub-par; 5 raviolis laid out on a plate covered in sauce, no garnish or anything; didn't taste any different than that of ravioli from Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. Now, here is where my real disappointment lies. The reason I had been wanting to come to Cibo oh so badly was because of the pear and gorgonzola pizza; that mix is my absolute favorite and I read so many great reviews on it! However, when the pizza arrived they had used blue cheese (Why? I have no idea!) Some people may not have minded this but to some who absolutely HATE blue cheese (like myself) this would've been a problem. At that point I didn't bother telling the waiter anything because I was very hungry and more so tired. I just ate one slice and picked as much as the cheese off as I could. Maybe they ran out of gorgonzola and I understand things happen but they should've let us know instead of just assuming we'd be okay with it.
Would I come back? Yes. Would I order the pizza again? Yes, but I will make it clear that it can only have gorgonzola. Till my next review on Cibo, Ciao!
Loved every thing about this restaurant! Food was delicious, service was amazing, the acrobatic wine angel was impressive, Â and the bathrooms were awesome! YES, the bathrooms, especially the art work that lights up when you wash your hands. Overall the vibe was great, Nancy our waitress was charismatic, and joyful! Had a blast with my gf. We ordered a bottle of wine (which was well priced) and got a little happy happy! This is a wine bar full of life, and CLASS! LOVE IT!!!
Review Source:COOL PLACE--GREAT CROWD--INCONSISTENT & DISORGANIZED SERVICE--SO-SO FOOD
In a space that has seen several restaurants fail, Cibo seems to have found a good vibe. Â Its a fun place, with a mind 30 plus crowd for the most part. Â But the service is really inconsistent, although that seems to be a result not of the very friendly and helpful service staff, but of the failure of management to manage a kitchen. Â Food is really inconsistent. Â One night I had the Shrimp pasta which was very good; another night I had it and almost chocked on the shrimp as the chef left the tails on..When I spoke to the manager, his attitude was basically, so what! Â Tonight I ordered a Margarita Pizza, and got something that looked like it came out of the frozen food section at Publix. Â The place was busy and clearly the kitchen is a second thought. Â
But if you like really  good bread and are wiling to gamble on how the kitchen feels that day, its worth a try once in a while
Whew, finally made it here. Â The decor is really nice, dark tones, comfy dining and bar area and the wine room with the wine angel is a nice touch. Â Of course having the angel does not come cheap, hey they must pay her. Â The wine list is incredible with some very hard to find vintages and great winery's offered including some amazing magnums as well. Â The issue is it all comes with a price. Â We all know this is where restaurants make their money but three to four times mark up does not make me want to come back anytime soon.
So why the four stars.  The night we arrived they were on a wait list  the hostess stated possibly 30-40 minute wait time.  Within five minutes some very nice waitress grabbed us and said you can come to my section if you do not mind a high top near the bar.  We were just thrilled we did not have to wait.  She was an excellent server the entire night, did not miss anything.
Unto the food, Â the calamari was not impressive but then we shared a pasta bolognese and it was wonderful and very good Tuscan bread as well. Â The pasta and the sauce with the meat had excellent flavors, fresh and very tasty.
Stefano is the GM here who we ran into on our way out. Â He came from Calamari in the grove. Â He is a good guy who cares about his guest. Â Sounds like they have a wonderful happy hour seven days a week so I look forward to checking it out. Â As the wine bottles are half priced.
Great place to drink some fine wine and our service was excellent.
We went for my brother-in-law's b-day and the food was pretty bad. Â I returned my overcooked dry meal and didn't order anything else. Â The meat was burnt!
Hubby ordered a lemon pasta something and it was super bland. Â Birthday boy ordered a pesto pasta and he couldn't taste the garlic in the pesto...how does that even happen? Â
This place is cute but they need to work on the food. Â Maybe as a tapas and wine place it is better than as an Italian restaurant.
Don't get mislead by the name "wine bar". The place is a full scale restaurant. It has a peculiar layout, elongated, sort of large scale bistro. The decor is very homey and warm, from the lights to the stone in the walls. Comfortable, relaxing, looked like we were on to something good.
The waiter served some complimentary olive oil and olives: can't go wrong with that!
Wine: I found a good offering at $40.00 for a Dolcetto D'Alba "Pio Cesare", 2011. It's a red that I would define medium bodied, with a consistency and thickness that might resemble some Sangiovese. It was a good bottle, not outstanding but good and at good price, especially if you consider we are in Miracle Mile, Coral Gables (when will you learn, West Palm Beach and Boca??).
We met one of the owners, Tullio, Canadian of Italian origins (he speaks good Italian) and he was very nice and came to our table several times. The nice conversation we had with him made the red wine taste even better, as always.
Ambience, service and atmosphere all get a point in favor. Little minus when it comes to details: no salt and pepper on the tables.
Appetizer: arugula with endive, sliced portobello mushrooms in lemon vinagrette. It was good, not excellent, it needed a little salt and pepper, it was well thought, but slightly bland. Actually, "bland" sounds too bad, let's say it needed a bit of personality. But hey, it's a green salad and it is supposed to be light (I was still half full from the night before at Caffe Vialetto - see my review on that if you wish).
I then ordered Farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta for those 3 readers who don't know) with spinach and capers. Let me tell you something: it was fresh, nicely balanced and what I needed as I was looking to eat something lighter than the night before. It was a very nice dish, the pasta perfectly al dente. Note: we had to wait some time to get it, so it looks like they do less pre-cooking than other places. Another plus!
Even better was my wife's entree. She ordered one of the specials, and it was Orata with mashed potato and spinach. I know Orata from Italy, in Trieste it's a classic fish and this one was up to par with those we used to get on the east side of the Atlantic: tender, tasty meat, little dressing, as it should be, and it was really a hit. Nice job with the potatoes and spinach as well: simple things, but well done and with some care.
By the way, Orata (Dorada if you are hispanic) is the gilt-head sea bream. It is not a sea bass, as some places will tell you. The European Sea Bass is called branzino, another great fish... but now I am wandering around.
Dessert was a tiramisu version that they make, which has ice cream inside. Not the original thing, but it was good and refreshing.
After dinner, came the espresso and we enjoyed some Grappa, which was perfect and was I expect they have in Italian restaurants that want to be considered "Italian". The grappa Brunello was my favorite, so after dinner we sat outside at another table in a breezy, cool night and sipped though a few shots of the distilled liquor.
A great experience, good service, great food, grappa (hey, I am Italian, it is a plus factor for me) and we met Tullio as said, one of the owners, very nice guy and we will definitely be back there next time we are in Miami.
This place will always be special to me. My first date with my future wife was here, and I keep coming back. I've always had attentive service and helpful guidance through the menu. Reading some of the other reviews, perhaps I should consider myself lucky, but also, I do not have the unrealistic demands or snobbish attitude that characterize many a Miracle Mile patron. Maybe that is a difference for some of the reviews complaining about slights of service.
The food is delicious. The best gnocchi I've had in South Florida was eaten here, and I love when the wine comes with a show: a hostess in a harness 'dancing' 4 meters in the air to grab a bottle of wine off a shelf.
The specific location has seen more than its fair share of restaurants, but Cibo's should succeed where the others have failed. Relative value, a mixture of seating ambiances (cozy booths, bar, outside high-tops), and tasty wine.
I'll be back there many a time.
This story starts off bad but ends very well thus the 5 stars.....
I have been to Cibo several times for happy hour since it runs every day (BTW), but yesterday i decided to go for ladies night since i was out with a friend. As a yelper, we research our restaurants and know all the specials. So i knew Thursday ladies drink free from 4-8, at least that's what it said. I always like to make sure with the waiter before ordering and he had no clue. I asked what today's specials were and he told me lobster which is actually on Tuesday. Then i asked drink specials and he just said half off. He had no clue about ladies night. So annoyed by the guys ignorance of specials, i grabbed another guy and asked him if he knew the specials. He knew about ladies night, i had already ordered a half off drink and said he was sorry for the other guy that he'd get the manager.
I didn't want to make a fuss so i said its fine, i just wish he would have told me the actual deals since i was indeed sitting at the bar. I guess the guy told the manager anyways because before i knew it, this tall handsome Italian man was bringing us a beautiful spread of prosciutto, hot salami, Italian cheeses, caponnata and olives. In addition he brought the "ladies drink" the free cocktail they give at night which is a delicious margarita.
He came and apologized explaining the waiter was new and had no idea what he was doing. The manager was very charismatic and charming. I noticed he made sure to say hello to everyone at the bar and he actually speaks Italian. Imagine that! An Italian restaurant in Miami with a real Italian!
Because of the manager's great service, i was impressed again. I'm pretty sure besides the food and fancy trapeze wine fetcher, he's the reason why they are doing so well.
This is a good place if you want good and affordable Italian food. Â I've been there 3-4 times and food has always been consistent. Â Good portions, good flavor, and very affordable. Â
Ambience is good and place is clean. Â My only comment is on the staff. Â It's a hit or miss. Â Most of the time it's ok, but I can remember twice where the service has been sub-par. Â But again, because it's affordable I guess it comes with the territory when the dishes are under $20. Â
Overall a good spot in a nice part of Coral Gables. Â I would recommend anyone to try it.
THE TRUTH
I don't know if its because I went on a Sunday night or what but I did not have a great dining experience. First off, server was not knowledgable about the menu at all. The glasses and bread plates were cracked and chipped, hazard for the guest. Ordered a cheese plate and brought the rind of the Parmesan cheese and when brought to his attention, he said it was fine because Parmesan is suppose to be hard! This guy is an idiot! So instead if apologizing, he just left and brought another little piece of Parmesan and kept the rind on our table. He would reach over us and take plates without excusing hisself...etc
Food was ok, normal.. Nothing out of this world. I would have liked more seasoning on everything.
The only good thing was the wine angel's recommendations. Very knowledgable.
Love! Â The place is beautiful, to start. Â Our party had a reservation for nine, so they seated us in a little private cellar looking room, which was great because we could get as loud as we wanted. :-) Â The wine selection is pretty good; mark-up is pretty significant, but that's par for the course in a wine bar in the Gables, so no foul there. The food is AMAZING! Â We tried the fried zucchini and artichokes (great), polenta fries (meh), beef carpaccio (good, but have had better dressed), and the salumi plate, which was great. Â My husband had the seafood risotto, and I had the salmon pizza ... both fantastic. Â The rest of the party had pasta plates, and everyone seemed happy. Â The service was VERY friendly. Â They brought us shots of limoncello at the end, and they were very willing to help and engage us in whatever questions we had. Â Sure, they weren't in our face all the time, but I can't remember wanting for something or waiting for something for any inordinate amount of time. I have no complaints about the service.
Overall, I am happy with Cibo, and I will go again. I can't quite give it 5 stars because my experience is limited, but I was very satisfied with my experience.
This place is one of my worst enemies. I have never been disappointed about the food or delicious wine, but the service is absolutely terrible. The chef would be wise to give his whole staff a heads-up to pay more attention to each and every customer or else all his hard and tasty work in the back will go to waste!
Last time I came was on a Thursday when ladies drink free. I'm happy I read that online beforehand or else I do not think he would have ever brought us the free cocktails. Once we did get it, he couldn't even tell us what it was. That being said, their happy hour is a great deal and the selection of wine is amazing. The bread to start is heavenly and unfortunately after waiting for an hour for your pizza, it's hard not to eat the whole loaf and leave no room for the actual pizza. I must say out of everything I have tried, the spinach salad with dried figs and brie definitely stands out.
The place gets crowded almost every night and I think that can be attributed to the nice ambiance and good offerings; however, the servers really just throw me off to the point where I never leave longing to go back.
Service last night - not good! Â Come to think of it, the service lately has not been good. Â Period. Hmm.
On a brighter note, the San Matteo Pizza was awesome (better than that Pear and Gorgonzola, which is also pretty darn good) and the Polenta Fries continue to tickle my pickle; I just love the white sauce that comes with them! There's still a nice ambiance and a good amount of traffic coming in and out. Â If it wasn't for those last few factors, I'd bump this place down a star based on the service.
Cibo's 3 stars are still going strong. Werd.
Great wine bar! Very impressed by the service (Nancy our waitress was fantastic!), food, and amazing selection if wine. If you go before 7 pm, great drink specials(1/2 off bottle of wine) and drinks as well. The two seater table could have been bigger but other than that it was a great evening. The ambience was very nice as well.
Review Source:Very sexy wine bar... had the best cheese plate of my life here. Â It just kept going and going and going. Â Everything just went so well together. Â Sweet. Â Savory. Â Salty. Â Umami.... it's all there. Â Anytime the honey agrees that something "small plates"/"appetizery" was filling... that's when I know a miracle has occurred. Â
Great wine and beer selection - would love to go back and try more food.
I LOVED Cibo... If you sit at the bar, ask for Nadia--she made our night everything it was, minus the food of course, that belongs in its own category of goodness! We had quite a bit of stuff so I can safely say--in very broad terms--that the food is outstanding. and all made in-house of course. including the tiramisu and gelato that finished off our evening. the ambiance is gorgeous, the "wine angel" is unexpected and mesmerizing, and the service is on point. can't wait to return after such a fabulous first time :)
Review Source:Went there this past Friday night, avoiding the toxic Tarpon Bend next door.
I had never been to Cibo before so I did not know what to expect.
I must say, I was extremely impressed!
When you walk in, you instantly notice this is a modern, spacious, classy place.
There is an entire wall devoted to wine bottles where you will find the "wine angel." She is connected to a harness of some sort that connects to the roof/ceiling which allows her to float around the area grabbing wine bottles for orders. I loved this. Very cool. I recall seeing this at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas. Dunno who thought of it first. But whoever did .. was brilliant. It added such a cute touch to the experience.
The service was okay. The server wasn't great but wasn't bad either.
We ordered a cheese/meat plate that came with salami, prosciutto, assorted cheeses, artichokes, olives, etc. It was reasonably priced and big enough for 3-4 people to share as an app. It was tasty too. It paired with the wine perfectly (pinot grigio).
We also ordered the pear, gorgonzola, honey, and pecan pizza. Â I loved this!!! The others at the table ... not so much, lol. If you like sweet pizza this option's for you. If not, the other pizzas looked good too.
The cheapest bottle of wine was $28 which was conveniently our pinot grigio that we all love (so that's what we ordered). We saw wine bottle prices going up into the $200 range.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience here and would, most definitely, visit Cibo again.
PS. I recommend a reservation. We were seated immediately upon arrival.
It was the hubby's birthday so we decided to finally give Cibo a try. Â The mixed reviews worried me but the place looked too cute not to give it a fair chance. Â
We went on a Saturday night with no reservation. Â Yet we were seated immediately although the place was packed. Â Here's one gold little star Cibo just for that. Â :)
Let me start with the decor. Â I loved it... it was like entering into a "trendy" wine bar. Â Don't get me wrong I love the traditional wine bar decor but this one was refreshing. Â I loved that they had a wine cellar and a lady was pulled up on a harness to get a bottle of wine. Â Can I try? Â Here's your other little gold star Cibo.
Now for the drinks... I didn't go for the wine. Â Weird I know. Â But the hubby and I had been pre-gaming it and had already started with Mojitos. Â We were happy to know that they serve drinks as well. Â I tried what they call an "Italian Mojito" and loved it. Â I am picky with my mojitos but this one met my expectations. Â Little gold star.
The food... we were not in the mood for a big meal so we went with the tapas option. Â I was impressed that they had grilled calamari since most places like to bread and fry it. Â It was delicious. Â We also tried the cheese platter which was impressive. Â Here's the fourth and final gold star.
Why not 5 stars? Â I told our waiter it was the hubby's birthday. Â He asked me if the hubby likes chocolate, I said yes. Â He brought him a dessert with a candle and we sang happy birthday quietly which was nice since the hubby doesn't like attention. Â However, when our check came we were charged $7.00 for the tiny piece of dessert. Â Call me cheap BUT don't most places offer you free dessert on your birthday?! ::I'm just saying::
Overall a great experience and I will definitely be back.
It was the last happy hour of 2012 and I got out of work early. Since I work in the Gables, I wanted to find a restaurant that I can eat at the bar have a drink and relax. I chose Cibo Wine Bar.
As I was walking on Miracle Mile, I noticed that the mile was bustling of people who were already in that happy hour mood. I got even worried as some of the restaurants nearby were overflowing with people at their bar and I was afraid when I got to Cibo there would not be any space for me.
However, I got in a perfect time. The hostess greeted me and I sat down at the bar. I wanted to have my last pasta plate. The bar maids were so lovely. They gave me a wine and a food menu.
For wine, I ordered one of my favorites Riesling. Very nice, sweet and cool. She even served it with a glass of water. which is what I preferred too.
As an entree, I ordered the LInguini with grilled chicken, pesto, shavings of parmigiano reggiano, and Italian parsley. I asked if it was a big plate she told me that it was therefore I was scared that it would be a gigantic plate. She told me that it would be around 10 minutes, so for me it was great. My entree then came in 5 minutes.
While I was waiting, my waitress arranged my area with olive oils, cheese bread, red peppers, parmigiano cheese, regular bread all ready for my entree.
Back to my entree, it arritved hot, tasty and delicious. It was the first time that I could remember that I had pesto linguini. The chunks of chicken were fabulous. The plate was medium size and not gigantic. I almost ate the whole thing. Both bar maids made sure that I was having a good experience which I was. Very nice.
Thank you Cibo for a wonderful meal and a wonderful last happy hour of 2012!! Will be back to celebrate more in 2013!!
Both times I've been to Cibo for dinner- it's been great food and great service. Â
The most recent was after a show at the Miracle Theater. Â We ended up at Cibo's because they're open later than most of the restaurants on the Mile, and so happy that we did.
Order the polenta fries to start... devour the warm bread with olive oil... and you can't go wrong with any of the pasta dishes. Â I've only taken a bite of some of the pizzas... but my favorite thing to choose is still something pasta. Â Good ol'bowl of carbs and deliciousness.
Oh yeah, and the wine. Â Don't forget the wine.
And a fun bonus... we got our dose of Italian and Italian accents from the staff... who were very friendly and fun! (we got free shots of limoncello... who can say no to that??)
To sum up Cibo Wine Bar, I would dub it as an Italian sports bar for the sophisticated. Although elegantly decorated, it still remained rustic at heart. The ambiance is sophisticated yet warm and inviting with stone and glass walls, wood finishes, exposed brick and butcher block table tops. This is also reflected in the service. The manager/owner personally comes to the table to check on you like most fine dining establishments, yet the staff is dressed in T-shirts and jeans. Cibo Wine Bar is the best of both worlds. It offers you a nice dining experience yet it allows you to be comfortable. Plus, with a nice bar and TV's, I can feel sophisticated drinking a glass of wine from their extensive wine list while my boyfriend can kick back and watch the game. But really, the main draw to come to Cibo Wine Bar was to witness the wine angel.
Like the restaurant decor, the food is also rustic but elegant. The menu offers guests a true taste of Italian cuisine, from fine dining dishes to pizza. They also bring the Italian by present you with a fresh Italian loaf and olives. We started off our meal with Polenta Fries. I've never had them before so I didn't know what to expect and pictured something crispy like French fries. They were fresh out the fryer and super steaming hot! They were basically just polenta served with marinara sauce and gorgonzola dip. There were nothing special to me but I assume if you really like polenta you would like it more than I did.
There were three of us so we ordered pasta and two pizza pies. The pasta was delicious. It was fettuccine with shrimp, pesto and mascarpone cheese in a touch of tomato sauce. It was very fresh, beautifully flavored, and perfectly cooked. It was rich in flavor but remained light.
The patata + salsiccia pizza was fabulous. The salty and spicy from the sausage, the sweet from the potatoes and the rich flavors of the gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese all combined to make a scrumptious pizza. It was the perfect combo and so deliciously amazing. The diavola pizza was good too but with all the original and interesting pizzas they have, I wasn't as impressive but it was good quality pizza for those with less adventurous taste.
Cibo Wine Bar provides good food, large portions that you can share, good prices and a vibrant bar scene. I am in!
Let's start with the managers. I worked at the restaurant right next door while they were building this Italisaster (that's Italian Disaster, for those who missed it). The pompous owners came in to the restaurant DAILY to bitch about something. They weren't even open yet but somehow our business was offensive to them.
Then I decided to give them a chance. I invited my sister and dad out to lunch and we sat outside. My dad had already been there for a while when I got there. I asked for a glass of water. My server  pointed at the luke warm glass in front of me that had TWO flies in it, casually swimming around. I smiled and asked for a fresh glass. She rolled her eyes and came back with it ten minutes later, after my sister had joined. Maybe their neighbor, Tarpon Bend, had me a little spoiled on what good service is supposed to be. Most restaurants have a cardinal rule of some sort dictating that guests should be greeted no longer than 45 seconds.
Our appetizer was some sort of antipasto platter with prosciutto, salami, olives, cheeses, and bread. It was plated very nicely. But the server who dropped it off did so by leaning farther over our table than he had to, and then sort of lingering there, holding our food. It took us a few to realize that he was struggling and expected us to set it down ourselves.
Forget refills - you won't get them. Beer? Served warm. Maybe that's how they do it in Italy?
Oh, but my FAVORITE part - I ordered some sort of chicken dish. Leg and thigh. Under the crispy skin of said chicken, it was raw. Yuck. We left.
Friday nights, Tarpon's got a nice happy hour going. Cibo's managers spend their Friday nights harassing anyone who dares wander too far over.
I've been a server - their service sucks.
I've been working as a chef for years - their food is appalling.
Ambiance is great. Location is great. Wine list is great.
If they'd kept the restaurant smaller and made it be just a wine bar with a few appetizers - Cibo would be the budding starlet of Miracle Mile.
Instead, I see them as the evil witch on the block that yells at you from across the street, never cleans her property, and yet always has a complaint for city council.
Not to mention, we already have a CibU on Restaurant Mile maybe a block away. You really couldn't think of ANY OTHER NAME?
Much like the hipster-esque uniforms they make their servers wear - Cibo is one word: Pompous.
Located in downtown Coral Gables on the east end of Miracle Mile, Cibo has apparently replaced a few other restaurants that once occupied this space. Â None of which have I ever set foot in. Â For this reason, I made a failed attempt at swaying my two friends who wanted to go here. Â Gladly, it turned out to be a pretty good lunch spot on this weekday early afternoon.
We sat at the bar for lunch, even though we didn't have to. Â The place was buzzing and although there were only a few tables available, there was no one eating (or drinking) at the bar. Â I ordered a nice cold glass of draft beer from Columbia, or Argentina, I forget the name of it. Â It was promptly delivered by the beautiful bartender, who also filled me in on details of the beer, but I wasn't paying attention. Â I wish I would have listened, because that was some damn good beer.
For lunch, I had a pasta dish with pesto sauce and grilled chicken breast. Â It was tasty and I was proud of myself for picking a somewhat healthful lunch option.
What I like the most about this place is how it made me feel. Â Being surrounded by a bunch of well groomed professional types in a restaurant which displays a huge glass walled wine cellar and a brick, stone and wood decor made me feel like I'm in a real city, that maybe I'm at just the right place, and that I, too, am an up-and-coming professional type instead of a bum, which is what I am.
Thank you Marlon Brando from "On the Waterfront" for that last line.
I haven't been in a while, and I must say, celebrating my friends birthday left me uninspired with aging.
Cibo has in fact aged, and not for the better. Cibo still has that great look, and the former "Wine Angel" is now the beverage manager, so good for her; however, Cibo has diminished it's food quality, to the level of "eeehhh alright". The $10.00 Kidney Bean and Tuna Salad was lots of green's, over dressed, and little tuna. The Pasta Faggioli was uninspiring, The NY Strip was bland, and the antipasto platter was minuscule. And, finally the tiramisu was 75% cream, and so little shortbread cookie, that they serve it in a bowl.
Service was good; however, we asked the waitress if the manager could change the channel on the bar's big screen from the "Simpson's" to perhaps something less adult, like "Football" apparently the manager would rather watch the "Simpson's", as our request was denied. Not really a huge deal, but, big enough to realize Cibo's doesn't give a crap about customer service anymore.
I liked Cibo, rather young Cibo, and not old Cibo........... Happy Birthday, let's see how long you last! Remember it's quality that attracts!!!
Coral Gables isn't necessary known for it's hipness factor, but a restaurant like Cibo is quickly changing  the landscape. The noise level is on the energetic level and the lighting is to die for! (Imagine a wine cellar with up-lighting)
The minute we sat down for dinner we were served a board with bread and olives, along with a tremendous amount of olive oil and vinegar. If you're looking to save money, then your meal can end here, however I kept going! We split a light plate of grilled vegetables for the table and as an entrée I had the ravioli. The portions are enormous, especially considering  that the cost of everything is in the mid-teens. I could only finish half my meal--since I was saving some space for dessert.
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I hope this place sticks around bc I really enjoyed -more than i thought I would. I liked the wine bar concept, of course, but wasn't crazy about the idea of yet another Italian menu in the Gables.
Much to my suprise and delight, the menu was reasonably extensive and had some nice options beyond standard fare.
The lemon farfalle pasta was light and bright and left me wanting more (the plates were plentiful, I was picking off my friend's plate). I tasted another pasta with prosciutto and it was also fab. And my carpaccio was fresh, tasty, and light.
I look forward to trying it again - this time with more vino!
5 stars for atmosphere. Â There is a wine cellar where a Cirque de Soleil-esque gymnast of some sort attaches herself to a pulley and hangs upside down and does other tricks while getting your wine bottle. Â Pretty cool. Knock off one star for it being really hot inside. Â Its a beautiful space with lots of seating, but on a busy rainy Friday night it still took forever to be seated. Â After the hostess quoted us 35 minutes and we waited closer to an hour, she was apologetic and offered to move us up on the list. Â We were basically stuck there because it had started raining and we weren't about to go somewhere else. Â We were seated right away after that. Â Service was friendly and adequate. Â The food came out very quickly. Â
3.5 stars for the food. Â Pear & Gorgonzola pizza was delicious and huge. Â Caesar salad was large portioned as well, but what's up with the croutons & bacon bits that look like they came out of a box? For a high end place I would expect home-made. Â At least the lettuce was super fresh and the dressing was tasty. Â Polenta fries were good, but I'm spoiled after having them at Harry's Pizzeria. Â Extensive wine list and fairly priced wines by the glass. Â
I'll probably go back for pizza and other appetizers. Â They have a daily happy hour with half off certain wine bottles, so that's definitely something I want to check out.
Given the ify reviews I was kinda apprehensive about committing to have dinner at Cibo. Â Luckily, I ignored those mediocre yelp reviews and here's what I found:
The bread. Â This is your meals first impression. Â Give me cold stale bread and I'll assume your food sucks. Â This was not the case here...warm freshly baked bread, sprinkled with a little sea salt. Â YummMm!!!
Appetizer - the fried artichoke & zucchini. Â Honestly the artichoke part was 4 stars. I wish they would have served me a plate of fried artichoke hearts. Â Now the zucchini, ehh that's a different story....limp and flavorless, 2 stars at best.
Entrees -
Linguine Carbonara - GOOD, really good! The best part was the little pieces of pancetta! O-M-G!!! Totally worth the calories. Â
Chianti Braised short ribs - I didn't care for the polenta but to be fair I never like polenta. The meat however was incredible. Â Soft, tender and packed with flavor. Â
Over all consensus? Â Totally worth bookmarking!
Tip: Â **Italian Mojito**
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