Cibo

I have never written a review before but feel compelled to - Cibo is a fantastic restaurant with a genuine flavour of authenticity in its dishes, its people and its service. I have been eating there with friends and family for some years and am yet to have anything other than brilliant food and a great time which is a rare and precious combination.

Am I the only one who finds the extensive plate commentary below a little odd? If it bothers you that much then bring your own - I am sure management would tolerate your strangeness. For what it is worth I eat at the Dorchester from time to time and know precisely where I would rather spend my money.

This is a wonderful restaurant which I could not recommend more highly.
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Ben
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, August 11, 2008

The restaurant itself looks rather cheap even though prices are quite high. I was shocked to see the plates, too ! These are the most cheap and rustic plates I have ever seen. Gosh, that shows that there is no respect for the customers . The food looked horrible on those plates and I wanted to leave right away. But the food turned out fine. Overall, my visit to this restaurant was nothing special, I would not reccomend it either. You get the impression that the owners think that they are the best in the world - but they are not. The might be good in the kitchen but the clearly do not know how to run a restaurant and make it nice for a customer. I found the price of the meal quite high - the other reviewer is right. Not worth visiting. Oh - we asked if they do aslo take away ( considering those bloody plates that they use we rather order and eat at home ) but they said, that they haven´t done that in 20 years. That shows a limited mind with no vision.
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jane
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Went to Il Cibo for the first time last week. I ordered fish carpaccio as a starter, pasta mezzaluna with crab and baby carpaccio with spinach as a main course. The food was absolutely fantastic. I am Italian and I would say, this is one of the best Italians in London. BUT: the food is served in the most horrible plates I have ever seen, blue or orange, chunky and rustic plates. The food looked disgusting in those plates. I wonder why on earth they do not have proper withe plates !!! The service was not really professional, one of the two young girls looked a bit arrogant and did not have any clue about serving. The older lady who seems to be in charge is lovely. The lighting in this place neeeds an upgrade as well as the art on he walls. There seems to be no one in charge of making this place a bit prettier. Which you can with just few basic and inexpensive changes. It was good to see Italians cooking in the kitchen downstairs. I would say for the food the price was o.k. but still too expensive considering those terrible plates, bad lighting and sometimes poor service. Why should I pay 28 pounds for a lunch in a neigbourhood restaurant if I can lunch for the same price at the Dorchester?
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elisa
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Sunday, May 11, 2008

Felt I had to write a review to counteract some of what's been said below. Cibo is my local Italian restaurant, and I've been going there for about 3 years now, once every few months or so. Every time I've been the food has been great, and the staff friendly and helpful. This is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants in London - it's not Michelin level food but neither does it claim to be.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, October 05, 2007

I have been dining and lunching at Cibo for 10 years - and in that time have rubbed shoulders with a number of household names. It is the choice venue or all my festive occasions - the food is fantastic as is the service and the wine - and all for a very reasonable cost! This is the far and away the best Italian restaurant in London and it is no accident that those of us who go there cannot find a better place to eat - and usually end up experimenting only when entirely in the wrong part of town - and then end up wishing we had caught a cab west

I cannot disagree more strongly with the negative reviews below - and it is in the interests of representing Cibo as it really is that I am posting this

Guaranteed you wont be disappointed!
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Moz - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I eat all over the world and have rarely had the pleasure to eat in such a 'real' restaurant - with style.

The food and atmosphere are perfect.

Delicious original food, ambience ideal for relaxed and intimate lunch or diner. A place where I feel very comfortable to take guests of the very highest calibre.

The staff take a pride in giving a stylish service. None of the Californian smarm - just a perfectly balanced experience... always a pleasure
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Q - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 18, 2007

Visited Cibo on a busy Saturday evening.

Delightful atmosphere, polite staff and superp food yet again. I have been dining here for over twelve years with friends and business associates.

My favourite Italian restaurant.
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Anthony
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 18, 2007

I dined there with friend a couple of friend a few nights ago and was curious to see what other people thought of it on london-eating.co.uk. I'm afraid my experience does not in any way reflect the majority of the comments below. Having been there once before, I knew that the atmosphere- with its garish plates and cheap contemporary art - would only add to the relative blandness of the food. But the 2/3rd empty restaurant was not aided by its front of house staff: 2 girls who acted like their first service-orientated experience began approximately 10 minutes before we arrived. Over the course of our meal, they did not get any of orders right, were not attentive in any way and spent 25 minutes trying to figure out what the bill came to with 6 people paying it. If I was the owner, I'd be obviously trying to add a little excitement to the food but would certainly be more concerned with the state of my front of house staff as the temptation to come back couldn't be further from my mind.
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Olivier
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 2
Friday, March 16, 2007

I must start by saying that, having visited Cibo a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to read the conistently good reviews published here. Firstly, the interior was less than second-rate, resembling more closely one of those over-ambitious restaurants on the Kings' road that always seem to close down after five minutes, than the house of haute cuisine frequented by the well-heeled, as I was let to believe it was. I wish that I could say that the food made up for this. Having waited half an hour to have our order taken, my dining partner (incidentally my father) and I both decided upon the carpaccio of tuna and swordfish to start. It arrived after a further half an hour and although the swordfish was fine, the tuna (judged both by smell and taste) was clearly off. We sent it back, and received no response. When asked, the off-puttingly nonchalante waitress replied that the chef did not agree, a slightly more diplomatic way of saying "it's fine, you ignorant fools!" My mezzelune of crab that followed was uninspired, and well over-cooked. Every item on the desert menu, bar one or two, contained alcohol, which immediately alienated me, one of the ever growing number of recovering alcoholics in London. All in all, a waste of a meal. They didn't even remove our carpaccii from the bill! I must say that the only redeeming moment of the evening was that my father paid.
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Sarah Berry
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Friday, November 10, 2006

What a pleasure to have an outstanding Italian restaurant in London. The food is always delicious and nicely presented and generous in portion. They offer you nice olives as a gesture of welcome when you arrive while making your mind about your food and wine. The service is very good and attentive. Certainly of of the best place for a real Italian experience.
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Massimo
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Saturday, July 29, 2006