Cibo Bistro

I can honestly say, when someone asks me for a «good» Italian restaurant, I always recommend Cibo. For the price point, the service AND more IMPORTANTLY, the food, it does not disappoint. On the evening I went with a friend to celebrate her having completed her graduate studies it was to my expectations and more :-)
We went on a Wednesday evening and it was nicely busy, but not noisy busy. The big windows during this time of year are a wonderful reminder that Spring is here and the days are getting longer :-)
Our waiter was quite attentive and very good at pacing himself for us. We had a nice long dinner and also were not hurried along as we spent our evening talking and really visiting. To start, we had the Arancini (thank you for not having them in sauce!), the polenta «french fries», and the bruschetta (they changed two of the pairs, one to grilled pancetta – EXCELLENT!! – and the second with caramelized onion and a quail’s egg). She ordered the ravioli and I ordered the pappardelle with the mushroom ragu. For dessert we shared an order of the panna cotta which was a delicate vanilla flavour.
The food was well plated and tasted very good. Not too salty for anything and despite our long and drawn out visiting, our mains came out fresh and just made :-) Another wonderful thing that happened is that we were not kicked out as the kitchen closed… rather, once we were done (as well as the party of 10 and another table for two), we were able to leave in our good time, realizing ourselves that it was later than we all thought. Though we apologized for the tardiness on our part, our waiter kindly said, «it’s all good. Glad you enjoyed your dinner with us» :-) And this we DID :-)

my first visit to cibo on a saturday night was a positive one.
first off great wine selection. my better half had the lambrusco red bubbly (11.5/glass) and i had a glass of the omari ($ 16). both delicious quality wines.
we stated with the bruchetta (16 $) which came in three pieces of three different kinds, so 9 pieces. all were great, but my favourite was the pancetta. but you can’t go wrong with quail eggs either.
we then went with the bistecca steak (37 $) and the buckwheat pappardelle (25 $). the steak was perfect. juicy, perfectly cooked. however, the star of the night for me was the pappardelle. that pasta was sheer perfection! i’ve been lucky enough to have visited some italian restaurants in my day, but something about the pasta this night that was off the charts.
we finished with the panna cotta. it was delicious.
server was extremely helpful and the atmosphere was very intimate. my only criticism is that the menu can be a little difficult to read so you might want to look at it on the website before going in.

While I understand that we came in with the expectation of lunch in an hour, and they allocate 1.5, I don’t expect attitude when we ask for our food to go. It was soup and salad. There is a way to handle this with finesse and grace.

The restaurant focuses on simple italian food. They cure their own meats, make their own cheese, and hand roll their own pasta. They also try to buy everything locally! They change their dishes seasonally, so some of the dishes from my review may no longer be served. For dishes, we got the Trio Di Bruschetta and grilled octopus for appetizers, and went with the Mezzaluna and Tagliatelle for entrées.
For three different bruschettas, there was pancetta, roasted fennel aioli, apple gremola; wild mushroom ragu, tartufo, moliterno; and 24-​month prosciutto di parma, quail egg. This was probably my favourite dish of the night. Each of them had a lot of depth and elements to it. This is a fun dish to share and eat with someone.
The other appetizer we got was the grilled octopus. This was grilled octopus served with cavolo nero salad, toasted almonds, oranges, chili vinaigrette. The two appetizers were my favourite dishes of the night. This was probably one of the best octopus dishes that I’ve ever had. It was cooked perfectly, and was tender. It went really nicely with the salad and vinaigrette. Definitely recommend this dish.
One of the pastas we got was the mezzaluna. This was pasta stuffed with roasted cauliflower, taleggio, and 12-​year old balsamico vecchio in a sauce. This was a relatively good pasta, but I’m not sure if it was worth 25 dollars. I always find that the balance between quality/​quantity is difficult, but I didn’t feel like this was worth it. Especially since I just recently dined at XIX around the same time as Cibo Bistro, which are similar price range, I would much prefer to go back to XIX.
The other pasta we got was the Tagliatelle. This came with wild boar bolognese, basil oil, 2 year aged vacche rosse parmigiano. I preferred the mezzaluna over this pasta. This dish was a little bit underwhelming as well. The pasta was good, but there was not very much bolognese. Overall, I was left pretty unsatisfied.
Overall, my experience at Cibo bistro was mediocre. The night started off really great with the appetizers, but the entrées were not on the same level. Their lunch menu and prices seem a lot more appealing to me, and I’ve heard great things about their lunch. If I were to eat here again for dinner, I would probably try multiple different appetizers. This seems to be the trend for Cibo in the most recent reviews that I’ve read. Maybe I came on an off night, but I’d definitely recommend trying this place out for lunch and trying one of their pastas!

Everything about this restaurant is outstanding. The food, the wine, the staff. Who knew Ed Monotone had it in her.

This is a great little gem. The food is delicious, very original, and the service is excellent. I’ll definitely be back!

Whoa! Total Italian perfection… can’t get any better than that. We have never been disappointed! We started with the ricotta cakes (my fave!)…wonderful service. Waitresses are professional and knowledgeable. I highly recommend it :)

This place has so many great reviews but neither myself or my boyfriend were overly impressed. I had the butternut squash ravioli. I’ve had it better at both Craft Beer Market and Cactus Club. The ravioli itself was really good, but it tasted like someone just sprinkled a whole bunch of raw brown sugar on top. It was weird. it didn’t taste good and the texture was really a turnoff.
My boyfriend had the beef and tomato gnocchi. His was better than mine but he wasn’t crazy about it either. It wasn’t bad, just not as good as we had hoped after all we had read about this spot.
I’d like to give it another chance but I think I’d rather check out the other Italian restaurants in the city before coming back here.
I do love the atmosphere though, more specifically the patio space in the summer :) I can’t remember the particular appetizers we had but they tasted great over a glass of wine and good conversation!

Had the gnocchi and it was pretty good, but the service was brutal. Slow and on the snobby side. I was frustrated that there wasn’t more documentation for the special, just a quick by-​line from the server as we walked in. I can understand that some folks will really enjoy it, but I don’t think we will be heading back.

Enjoyed most everything. A bit pricey, but I was expecting it. The wait staff was not very warm; even though my wife and I were appropriately dressed for the occasion, we were a little new to fine dining and the server didn’t go out of her way to accommodate and explain things.
My only complaint about the food was the goat cheese pasta filling. I know that goat cheese has a unique aroma and taste, but this stuff reeked. I worked on a goat farm one summer so I can say from experience that the cheese tasted like goat barn.
The beef, on the other hand, was done to perfection. The herb sauce was fresh and very enjoyable.

First time here last night. Exquisite. I had the braised beef gnocchi in tomato ragu. Lip-​smacking, scrape the bowl good. My companions had the halibut special and could not stop raving. One compared the potatoes to his Mennonite mother’s home-​cooked potatoes. We had the bruschetta trio appetizer, delicious. Next time we will try the polenta frites that we saw pass by our table. We concluded with a cheese course, very uniquely served with pistachios and melt-​in-​your-​mouth but still crunchy bread. Service was attentive and well-​informed about all the menu items including wine selections. It’s pricey but you get what you pay for and this was worth the price.

A month and a half ago I would not have given this rating. But they definitely made up for my first visit. My friend and I ordered a great bottle of wine, the polenta fritta, pan fried ricotta cakes, polpett and the black tortufo moliterno cheese. It was all amazing and I can’t wait to go back for more.
Thank you Cibo for a great experience.

Cibo Bistro is definitely a winner! Hidden in oliver square right next to Hudson. The service at Cibo is excellent, my waitress was wonderful and very pretty to.
On my bill: for appertizer salmui charcuterie board which featured in house cured pork tenderloin (thinnly sliced similar to porcustio)$ 16 plus a 2oz piece of lighted baked talligieo (soft ripped cheese)$ 9.
For the entrée:
pan seared duck breast with spicy, warm, delicious yummy kale as a large side.
The duck breast was flavorful but slightly overcooked (medium) for my preference.
Pork and arugula stuff rabbit and perfectly cooked carrots with a cream chive bernaise sauce.
Dessert:
in house cannelloni with marscapon and chocolate concoction.
Repeat: Yes

Good upscale Italian
Went recently with a couple friends from out of town. I had not been here previously so it was a new experience.
To start, we ordered a bottle of red, the Trio di Bruschetta and Arancini.
The Arancini were wild mushroom and fontina. They were adequate, perhaps a bit under seasoned. The trio of bruschetta were goat cheese and beet, prosciutto and pear and winter kale and mozzarella. These were very good
For entrees, we all went with pasta. We ordered the Agnolotti, the Garganelli Verdi and the Tagliatelle. All were well done though a bit too heavy on the salt with the pasta. One could debate value given these were all roughly $ 25 a serving.
For dessert, we had the Zeppole which really were wonderful.
It wasn’t a cheap meal, with tip $ 70 a person, but it was overall a good meal.
I need another trip here to try a few more items before I decide how much I like this restaurant as there were a few minor misses this time. But it showed enough promise that I’ll be back soon for seconds.

Just dined here tonight. Appetizer was really good. We had a trio sampler. My spouse ordered the #1 feature which had pulled veal with pasta. I ordered a pork tenderloin dish. We shared also a Brussel sprout vegetable dish. For dessert we had the vanilla pannicota. Over all the food was really good and the server was really nice and gave great service. My spouse thought her plate was a little salty, however i didn’t. Guess it’s dependent on each individuals palette.
If you go to Cibo’s, expect to go there as a smaller group or date as tables are typically good for two to four people. It is a nice smaller intimate setting. They looked like they had a good wine selection. The price is a little higher than normal though say compared to the amount you would get if you spent that amount in a Keg or Joey restaurant. It is definitely a scale up in the class of dining though than the Keg or Joey.
Would eat there again, if your on a budget, it would be once in a very long while.

If this is your first time here, the entrance might be a little confusing. When driving by, you would think the entrance is facing the parking lot, but it is actually facing the dental clinic, in the space that was formally the Tesoro Café.
This place hits the head on the nail for being cozy, intimate and romantic. There is even a separate room for something such as a birthday party. The staff here were friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. .
Vast wine selection (duh! It IS also a wine bar), per the glass or by the bottle and the cocktail menu has lots of interesting options. Had the pleasure of trying several. My favorites were the Apreol Spritzer made with blood orange which wasn’t too sweet but very refreshing and the Romarina Agro Dolce for all you gin lovers out there.
To start, we had the:
–Ricotta Cakes –absolutely delicious, melt in your mouth goodness and the plating was beautiful!
–Bruschetta — yummy and generous portions, more than enough for two people
For the mains, I opted for the daily special which was a cauliflower black truffle ravioli. I loved it. Anyone on here complaining that the portions aren’t big enough here or smothered in sauce, THIS ISN’T THE OLIVE GARDEN. My better half had the lamb Agnolotti, I find lamb to gamey for my tastes, but he loved his meal and had no complaints.
Unfortunately, we had no room in our bellies for desserts, but the options looked scrumptious.
I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have any risotto on the menu anymore but I guess this just means we will have to come back.
Definitely recommend!

I wasn’t blown away by Cibo but I can see why people would be. When I want Italian food– specifically pasta– I want big and then bigger. I effing love pasta and wanted a heaping bowl of saucy/​cheesy noodle goodness and it’s not what I got. I ordered what I did specifically so that I could halve the dish and have leftovers for lunch.
When my $ 28 dish came out however… there was like, 15 penne noodles and that’s it! I was so, so disappointed! Especially at that price. Needless to say I ate the entire dish and was still hungry afterwards.
Maybe if I had different expectations going it it would have been different. Or maybe if I had gone for lunch– where the menu is cheaper and that portion size is more appropriate I would have liked it more.
I think I will return for lunch, now that know what to expect and see how that goes.
On a positive note they serve dry sodas and they are SO GOOD. The rhubarb flavor is my favorite! The food is delicious though– so I can’t knock the quality, just the quantity

Best lunch deal! That’s all you need to know about Cibo Bistro. We finally were able to try Cibo out on a Friday afternoon and it met all of our expectations and more. Well, almost all of them — only hiccup was our waitress who gave us some serious attitude (no idea why, it was a glorious sunny day not to mention my bday). Lucky for me, I don’t let things like poor service get in the way and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Someone should probably teach her the good ‘ol saying «at least fake it».
Anyways, for food, we ordered:
— Arancini ($ 8) — four lightly fried, stuffed balls of risotto, sweet peas and mint, lemon mascarpone, fontina cheese and pecorino. Nicely battered, gooey and hot inside, it was a good way to start off our meal.
— Meatball sandwich ($ 13) — prosciutto, wilted arugula, tomato basil jam and smoked mozza. Your choice of soup or salad — I picked the latter which was arugula salad with walnuts, honey crisp apple slices and thinly sliced pecorino. A slightly tangy sweet lemon vinaigrette dressing. Yum.
— Grilled pizza ($ 14) — calabrese, smoked apple, beach mushroom, arugula and fontina. The dough was definitely homemade and almost like a pita but more hefty/​chewier. It was, for better lack of words, delicious (my buddy and I split both of these dishes. Sharing is caring).
— Bucatini ($ 13) — tomato sauce, peperoncini, asparagus, roasted garlic and parsley.
— Panna cotta ($ 10) — vanilla panna cotta with fresh raspberries, black pepper and Limoncello syrup. The raspberries were so sweet and complimented perfectly with the panna cotta. The cotta was light and the syrup gave it just the right amount of lemon flavour to the dessert. Perfect.
— 2x Coffee — my two co-​workers said the coffee was excellent. Funny how people are so obsessed with coffee. Apparently, it’s better to put your sugar in first, then stir it in before you pour in the cream. Gives it a smoother, better taste to it. My response — who cares (quick backstory — I don’t drink coffee).
A MUST if you are free during lunch to check it out. Prices are very reasonable ($ 13 – 14 for your main) and the quality is top notch. I guess you could go for dinner but it’s going to cost you a pretty penny ($$$ if you know what I’m saying). I’ll stick with lunch!

Lunch specials are fantastic. All under $ 15. Service is attentive and helpful. Easy opentable online reservation system. I had two courses for $ 25 with tip. Not bad…
Located in the oliver square where there are plenty of choices to eat, I finally made my way to cibo. It has that dark wood modern feel to it which hasnt changed since it was a french bistro a few years ago. But concept remains the same. A board displays the menu with several options for appetizers and 2 options of a pasta or sandwich dish.
I was feeling happy and wanted some good ol comfort food so I opted for the aracani balls and some mushroom prousitto pasta dish. The aracani were fantastic. Crispy outside with a creamy rich cheesy center. The risotto was nicely mixed with peas which oddly complemented the dish. The pasta was good too. A bit odd since the noodles were more hearty and starchy than I am accustomed to but are exactly how I remember pasta in rome to be like. Only problem is that I found them too be too stiff that they were difficult to eat with my spoon. (I couldnt roll the pasta in a ball to cleanly put it in my mouth). Instead the pasta was a super thick spegetti that just kinda hung funny on my fork and made me feel like a slob eating it… think lady and the tramp… lol. it was kinda messy. And the knife was too fancy that when I set it on my plate it would roll and fall off my plate. It was difficult to eat. Either the knife was falling on the table or it was all over my chin bc it couldnt be rolled properly. So minus a star for the annoying knife and the too long noodles that needed to be cut so it could be eaten properly. Despite this my pasta dish was great, on the saltier side but it was tasty.
The service was fantastic. Attentive and helpful. My drink was replenished timely and my appetizer and entrée were served at the perfect pace! I even got the bill super quick. Making it a super efficient lunch in 30 minutes flat! Perfect!
Overall I would come bavk bc this place makes great traditional italian pastas. Simple and not overpowered with sauces that make the great tasting noodles stand out. My only gripe was the rolling knife. So ill be back!

Wow! How have I previously missed this gem? HUGE thanks to our Edmonton CM for recommending we have a lunch at Cibo Bistro!
The food was phenomenal! We, of course, had the meatball sub which is on Avenue’s top 25 things to eat in Edmonton! It was delicious! The meatball sub came with your choice of soup of the day or salad as well. And there is no way I could forget the Arancini balls we had for a starter — risotto, sweat pea & mint, lemon marscapone & fontina cheese! Umm… Yes please! Golden to perfection on the outside and delicate on the inside — Mmm… my mouth is watering right now.
Located in Oliver Square, parking is not a plenty but if you get there by noonish for lunch you should be safe for close by parking (2 hour maximum).
From an outdoor patio to a little open room inside perfect for a party of 6 – 8, this place is awesome! I loved the floor to ceiling windows and exposed industrial ceiling — bright, open, and modern! Everything I love to remind me that spring has sprung!
For lunchtime, the items chagne regualarly and are displayed on white boards — they had 2 pastas, 2 sandwiches, 2 salads, soup of the day, and brought back their wood fired pizza — every entrée under $ 15! There were several starters and desserts but I was too full to think about that. If you need a place to have a lunchtime meeting, I highly recommend Cibo!
I’ll definitely be returning soon to give their dinner menu a try! Check it out at:
PS — Looks like they are closed Sundays and Mondays from their current website.