Ciao

Very pleasant service in this otherwise competent but not unique Italian place. The place looks like a hole-​in-​the-​wall from the alley, but inside is clean and welcoming. Next I’m in the neighborhood and I want a good place for a plate of pasta and a glass of red, I’m there.

Ciao looks very unassuming from the outside, but when you step inside, you are very cordially welcomed into a cosy Italian restaurant, which has a real family feel. Checked tablecloths and candles added to the evening atmosphere. We ordered a bottle of chianti, which came in the traditional flask, which we hadn’t seen for a long time. The three of us sat in a tiny room at the back, accommodating three tables and the bar, and the small kitchen is at the back. What struck us most was the freshness of the ingredients– the starters: a tomato bruschetta was a very generous portion; and a really fresh prawn salad/​cocktail and mozzarella alla milanese cooked to perfection. I then ate cannelloni with ricotta and spinach– and the generous fresh spinach leaves made it quite special. The pizza and pasta, all far more rustic looking and tasting than in the corporate Italians, also went down well. There was plenty of choice for vegetarians.
I’m not sure that the desserts on offer were home-​made which was slightly disappointing, but the blackcurrant sorbet was good. The meal cost us just over £60 for three, and we were even treated to a glass of limoncello each, which ended the evening on a high note. There was a fairly brisk trade with take away pizzas too.

From the outside Ciao doesn’t look like much, a little tacky and a bit like a kebab house. But give it a go a try some of the food, some very traditional italian dishes, which are Bellisimo! (I couldn’t resist!). The Steak Nero (steak with black pepper, brandy and cream sauce — I know, sounds amazing!) was pretty good. You do find as well you are paying for the quality, around £13 for a steak, but if it’s good it’s worth it.
You are well looked after from the moment you step in till the moment you leave, which is always a plus, and I would definatly come back here again… tomorrow… today… 5 minutes ago! Get me a steak!

Serving both pre-​show dinners for venues such as The Hippodrome and The O2 Academy, and post club pizzas for those who’ve had one too many, Ciao is an Italian themed restaurant.
It’s situated on Denmark Street, and forms part of a strip if slightly tacky looking restaurants, a Chinese restaurant, a curry house, a chippy and a pub, which all resemble something out of Disney’s World Showcase.
I definitely won’t say that Ciao is the best place for pizza in Bristol, but it’s in a good location for passing trade.