Ciao Bella

What a gem of a restaurant. Took my family there today including a poorly mum and the staff couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. The service was the best I've ever come across in Central London and the food was exceptionally good. Every dish lived up to its description and more. I would highly recommend this lovely little place for its overall provision of the Italian experience you would normally only get in Italy itself.
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Sherrie Caygill
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, October 30, 2011

what a fab meal we had there !!! why so many bad things on the review. we had a fantastic meal. prices were really good and service faultless !!!!!! Stop moaning you obviously aint been to a real bad place yet. Nothing to fault at all.
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clare/shaun ford
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Would never have gone to his sort of restaurant, but was invited by a friend. Bruschetta had stale bread and watery tomato; my pasta with aubergine and mozzarella was solid and completely tasteless and had watery tomatoes again.. Table far too small, waiters charmless and occasionally actually rude, noise levels dreadful, not helped by the entirely pointless pianist. It was full by the time we left: why oh why do people support dreadful places like this? Cheap I suppose.
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operamuso
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 23, 2011

Went in on Saturday night and was disappointed. Stale bread with the bruschetta, and one of the pizzas was inedible - the other was Pizza Hut standard. Starters took over half an hour to arrive, and mains were slapped down with two minutes of the starters being cleared.
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3 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2
Monday, May 16, 2011

probably one of the best kept secrets in the WC1 area. Food is consistantly good (and reasonable).

Hard to look past the Saltimbocca which is always excellent.

A wonderful wine selection and as others have suggested it's est to get a table outside.

The pub next door (The lamb) is also excellent.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 07, 2011

I've been going to Ciao Bella for years and I'm not entirely sure why.

Regularly, food arrives around 3-4 minutes after ordering so its either microwaved or hastily reheated and is often tasteless, with staff hoping that slathering it in parmesan will mask the tastelessness of the dish.

The staff are, without fail, at best disinterested, at worst downright rude. On our most recent visit we asked for a table for two, only to be seated right next to a huge table of drunks who'd been in for lunch and now that it was heading towards 6pm they were settling in for the night. The restaurant was by no means busy and my companion and I we were unable to hear each other or enjoy our food without being disturbed by this boorish rabble. We didn't complain because we decided that we'd had enough, and after many years of putting up with it we were through with Ciao Bella.

Londoners deserve better.
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scrumptious - View all reviews by this user
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Saturday, March 19, 2011

It's always the way on a Bank Holiday Monday...the majority of restaurants decide to close...or do some light decorating work...after walking around the various chains in Covent Garden...we decided to walk to Bloomsbury.

We've been here before and it was OK...just.

We were given a table outside.This is one of the main reasons to eat here.We ordered the bruschetta as a starter and the bread was so hard one feared for our teeth.Not good.

The main course of spaghetti vongola was too salty.

The bottle of white wine(Laguna) was excellent.

This place will continue to thrive...the service is rushed...almost rude at times...but their location on Lamb's Conduit St is ideal...and it's not expensive.

People go for the pleasure of dining with friends outside as the food alone isn't enough.
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- View all reviews by this user
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I work nearby to Ciao Bella and have dropped in pretty regularly over the years. It's an authentic Italian Tratt, in a big city sort of way (think Rome or Naples rather than Florence or Milan).

The food is very average. I like their ludicrously heavy, creamy, massive carbonara. But the quality of their ingredients is quite low, presentation is non-existent. So stick to big and bold.

The staff are often off-hand, sometimes rude, but always brisk.

The wine is usually good (not the house wine though...).

I agree that this place is best enjoyed sitting out on the pavement.

Go to enjoy the company of friends, where the food is fuel and an excuse for another bottle of wine rather than the main event.

This place is always rammed (not sure why really). Someone's making a mint here.
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Kwev
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, July 06, 2010

My wife and I live nearby and have been here several times. The food has been very good, the prices reasonable and the service generally good...in an Italian restaurant sort of way.

A tip - if you arrive after 6:00pm they have olives, cheese and bread at your table at no extra charge. Many restaurants place this on your table it and you see a charge on your bill when you get it, but not here. Also don't arrieve too late as they get crowded as it is a very popular local place. Around 6:30-7:00pm would be best.
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Don
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, June 01, 2010

We went to this restaurant yesterday as it had been recommended. I had tried making same day reservations on previous occasions but this place gets full quickly, in a sense this only raised my expectations. We were really disappointed, this is an appalling restaurant for a number of reasons. The food is at best indifferent , the bread accompanying our starters was stale, my pasta overly salted and resembling something quick and cheap I used to cook as a student. My friends "Tagliatelle a caio bella" was cloyingly cheesy and had the texture of thick porridge. The portions are big but this just exacerbates the misery. The waiters are surly bordering on rude although you may not be able to hear them grumble as this place get noisy. For the life of me I cant understand why people eat here.
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kanwal
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Saturday, May 22, 2010