Cibo Ristorante
289 Gloucester Rd
Bristol
Birthdays are always a good excuse to try out a different restaurant in Bristol (not that we need one), and as the birthday boy has an obsession with all things Italian, it seemed only right that we sampled the much talked about Cibo Ristorante on the Gloucester Rd.
Arriving without booking (the birthday boy has an aversion to plans), we got there just in the nick of time to be greeted by an energetic, stereotypically Italian waiter who eagerly walked us past the wall of fine Italian wine, espresso makers, pasta and amaretti biscuits, to our table.
From the exterior , Cibo (which is Italian for food) is at risk of looking a little tacky, with its fluorescent lights and Italian flags, but step inside and prepare to be transported to a fine Italian ristorante.
The red table cloths and soft lighting compliment the displays of high grade Italian goodies that were enough to set off any stomachs rumbling, and the atmosphere is the perfect mix of relaxed and fun.
After much deliberation over the extensive wine list and menu, our buoyant waiter returned and we ordered a mixture of pasta dishes, pizza and house salads (there were five of us), while our resident wine connoisseur agonised over which wine to choose – he eventually went for a middle of the range Chianti.
What I loved about this place is that although we went for the traditional pizza and pasta option (November is birthday heavy amongst this group of friends meaning budgets are a little stretched), the menu also offered some top notch traditional Italian meat dishes, including Ostrich fillet, pan-fried with a wild mushroom sauce, and other delicious sounding steak and chicken dishes.
The food arrived promptly and was everything we expected and more. The Spaghetti Alla Bolognese was rich and meaty, the Tagliolini Umbra, mushroomy and delicious, and the Pizza was something special. However, given our rather boring selection of dishes, it was the Cibo salad that blew me away – A plate full of delicious antipasti that made me wish there were less birthdays in November and that we had gone the whole hog.
I love finding places like this – a small, family run business that blows corporate joints like Zizzis, Pizza Express and Strada out of the water. Long live the local, family run restaurant.
You’re a Really Professional Blogger, You either have got quality knowledge of what your discussing or you did some great research. Thanks for this excellent post.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.
we bumped into the lovely people from Cibo and Bristol’s food and wine festival 2010, not only did they ply us with lots of yummy food but we also tried an amazing white wine from their deli/wholesalers – the wine was called Gavi is highly recommended at around £11 a bottle won’t break the bank either! well worth a trip up Gloucester Road to pay them a visit. Gemma
I will recommend your blog to my friends.
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It?s the old what goes around comes around routine.
Thank you for share very good informations What a cool site.
This is very intresting, You are a very skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It?s the old what goes around comes around routine.