Ciaobella 85th & 2nd

[acpi]

Has anyone been to Ciaobella yet? It just opened on 85th and 2nd where Panorama Cafe used to be. I am going there tomorrow night and would love recommendations on menu options. Thanks so much!

[chaz]

Panorama wasnt worth it and neither is this place.

[sharoni345]

i disgaree i had the fig gnochi with butter sage and truffle w cheese it was deliccc...perfect sweetness and saltiness...and light essense of truffle...i also had the warm artichoke salad which was just amazinggg..the warm artichokoes had a greatlight dressing and slightly melted sheet of parmesan cheese on top,,greatcombination..dessert we got ricotto cheese cake was amazinggg..rasberry sauce and sugary orange peels were a nice touch...very subtle flavor of cheesecake but great crust and very smooth all around...whet penne pasta was just ok as was the bread..but the sundried tomato and oil dipping they gave at the beginig was good and it had a little spice(kick)..i would say this place gets a solid 8..i liked it!!! server was great as was the wine....outside seating nice though it was a tad tight,,overall like i said it gets a solid 8...over and out

[Wolf_Range]

The place was really good. I ate at the bar and had a top notch dinner. Food was excellent for UES and bartenders were super friendly. They gave us free champagne, free limoncello and free calamari (i guess the fact my date was a playboy bunny didn't hurt) :)

All around, a solid experience. definitely going back.

[UESGENT]

warm waiters, warm greeting, wonderful menu undone by a chaotic kitchen - 52 minutes wait for a main on a sunday night at 715 - good but not worth the wait - at a 300 ftab or three people it just isn't worth it. we won't be back and you shouldn't try it.

[tinnyc]

I was really looking forward to eating at Ciao Bella, and choose it for a nice dinner with my college roommate. I could not have been more disappointed all together. The service was awful - no offer of water, waiting 20 minutes for drink refills, etc. The food was even worse - my friend had a charred black steak and rock hard potatoes. When she asked for her steak to be re-done the waiter huffed and said he needed to talk to a manager. 15 minutes later (with her plate still in front of her) we had to call the manager over. I can't imagine that service from Panorama Cafe... It looks pretty, but that's about it.

[UES Eats]

We ate there recently, and we were not impressed at all. I will start with what is important, the food. My pasta was mediocre, which is OK but the prices are not set for mediocre anything. One of our dining partners called his appetizer inedible and his main course just bad. That might be a harsh assessment, but it is safe to say our experience with the food wasn't a positive one. That said, the service was worse. Very tight quarters, 2-3 managers on the floor with little control over anything. The waiter disappeared for very long spells at a time. Busboys in a hurry to remove dishes prior to the proper time. I assume these issues are because they are new, but with the prices they charge and the food they serve, things had better improve on the service side if they want to thrive.

[UES Mayor]

Went there twice this week. Food was decent-vast array to satisfy everyone. They start you out with a sundried tomato dipping sauce w bread basket. First night I had octopus salad which was too tender for my tast-i like octopus w a little chewiness to it! Then had whole wheat pasta dish which was quite comforting. 2nd night had t bone steak-i ordered it cause i saw someone else having it-decent but not for $70!! yikes-whole staff was great except one obnoxious bartender with a loud intrusive manner who kept butting into our conversations at bar-sooooooooooo annoying!! otherwise a nice addition to neighborhood but no comparison to my fave which is Spigolo! btw- ciao bella is same owner as Baraonda, bella blue, per lei etc

[acpi]

Thank you UES Mayor! Sounds like they still have a few kinks to work out, but I really enjoy both Baraonda and Per Lei so I'm excited to see what they have to offer. May have to check out the whole wheat pasta!

[BratleFoodie]

Oh dear -- they open in time to be messed up by the 2nd Ave subway construction!

BTW, in case any of you missed this article, it delivers the bad news about some neighborhood favorites (Afghan Kebab House!) getting displaced.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/nyr...
Nerves Exposed, Second Avenue Waits for Its Subway

If this doesn't link, do a NY Times search on the above title. Check the map out.

Sorry this is a bit off topic, but there are some great eats on 2nd avenue...

[TipsyMcStagger]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/495416

[MMRuth]

I think someone posted a review on it ...

[acpi]

Hmm...I searched, but couldn't find anything. Will keep looking

[Lucia]

I couldn't find it either (and don't remember a recent review), but you'll have an easier time finding past posts if you search for "Ciao Bella." I haven't been, but here are some posts mentioning Ciao Bella:
http://www.chow.com/search?search%5Bq...

[MMRuth]

I could have "misremembered" - just seemed to think that I'd seen a mention of Ciaobella recently that wasn't referring to the gelato place. Apologies if I've misled - that place is in my neighborhood, so I'm interested in any feedback!

[acpi]

Thanks - I tried that too and they all reference the Ciao Bella ice cream brand.

[samiam123]

Is it the Ciaobella that used to be on 76th and 3rd?