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Cioppino’s is an award winning Italian and Mediterranean restaurant specializing in fresh ingredients. Executive Chef owned and operated.
I ate here with a friend last friday night. This is a beautiful restaurant and we sat out on the patio area.
We ordered an appetizer each.
-Porcini and Chestnut Soup: low fat vanilla Chantilly (Gold Medal Winner 2007) $ 14.95 - This was a good soup, I wouldn't give it an award but overall good. I guess when I read that it's award winning I expected perfection. 4 out of 5.
- Burratta (special appy for that day) $25 - This was tasty but seemed very expensive for what we got. 4 out of 5
Entrees
I had the Pappardelle: 4 hour-braised veal cheeks and porcini mushrooms $ 25.00 - This dish was great, a 5 out of 5 for me. I have no complaints here.
He had a rack of lamb for $40 that he enjoyed. He said portion was too small.
Dessert - I had the Light milk chocolate mousse, raspberry cream centre, amarena cherry, mango coulis $12. For a $12 dessert I wasn't impressed. I've definitely had better mousse before. This was small portion and all fancy looking but that's about it. Still was good but I am fussy when the prices are SO high, 3.5 out of 5 on this dish.
With 1 beer each the bill came to $146 taxes in.
Overall, great place, great service, great food, Very expensive. If I were to return the only thing I would order again was the Menabrea beer and the Pappardelle, that was an excellent dish.
Went to Cioppino for lunch. This restaurant is not open for lunch and they only do dinners. It was not very busy at lunch time. Service was good and food was not bad. It was very expensive. It's a good thing that i was not paying otherwise I would have not been happy. It's overrated for what they serve. Their coffee was average. The portions were small and it cost us about $250 for lunch without drinks. I think there are much better restaurants in the city if you want to pay this kind of money. Parking was also hard to find.
Went here on a weekday night and it was still quite busy. The chef makes a effort to be seen around the restaurant which is good and he was actually clearing tables. Good to come around and greet customers. Tried the medium rare, thinly shaved veal as an appy. Very good with a nice sauce. Tried the traditional osso bucco and it was actually a bit on the dry side, could of used a bit more sauce. The rissoto was very good. Service overall was excellent, with great recommendations, folding of your napkin each time you got out of the seat and never rushed. The value was just good as there seemed like more thousand dollar wines on the list then under one hundred dollar wines. Food prices are resonable for the quality. Great room and decor. Would return for a special occasion.
I am still fuming as I'm typing this.
On sep 9th, my girlfriend and I chose this supposedly highly rated and much anticipated restaurant for our girls night out. The food was okay, but the service was a different story. Our server was a middle aged Italian man with a very heavy accent. He did not understand what personal space was, and we found him very offensive and extremely inappropriate!
When I asked the difference between one particular appetizer special and another app in the main menu, he quickly slapped my menu shut (which was still in my hands) and said abruptly "NO!! they are different!" Of course I know they are different. I am not an idiot. I am merely asking about the difference, as the main ingredients are the same. We are two young looking girls, but we do not appreciate this kind of abrupt treatment. But I didn't want to argue with him as I didn't want to ruin the night.
I ordered for the both of us because we wanted to share everything. We have always done that at many high end restaurants with no problem. However, this server of ours replied "um...." with the longest pause, to which I replied, "what's wrong?" He said, "let me think." and then the longest and most uncomfortable pause. He said, "OH!!! you want to share EVERYTHING? Just like Chinese! You Chinese like put it in the middle of the table and share (with exaggerated hand gesture)...." and on and on. We were in shock! Yes we are Asian, but what makes him assume we are Chinese, and it's the tone that really put us off!! What an ignorant remark. The worst is yet to come.
In the middle of the service, he came to our table and said "Oh Louis Vuitton is soooo expensive!!!! What are they now? $2000 $3000? How much did you pay for yours???" I couldn't believe my ears! My friend has a Louis Vuitton bag, and he actually went as far as touching it! He then went on and on and said "oh I want to buy it for my wife but soooo expensive..." We just wanted him to shut up and let us be. It's just a bag. I wanted to complain to the manager and change table, but my friend didn't want the hassle. We decided to ignore him as much as possible to avoid any potential inappropriate comment. But that doesn't stop him from coming too close to our table a couple of times.
Service can really make or break an evening regardless of the food. The food doesn't come cheap. Sadly, this high price doesn't warrant this kind of unprofessional service at all. We could not enjoy our food, and the service left a bad taste in our mouth. This is one expensive meal yet with the worst and most uncomfortable service to date. We both regretted going there.
I am still in disbelief of what happened that evening. The server just didn't seem to have any savvy.
This weekend we wanted to try a new restaurant in Yaletown and stumbled upon Cioppino's. The menu looked appealing and we both love beef carppacio so we were hooked. It was a busy evening but luckily they managed to find us a table on the patio. I have dined in several high end restaurants before but I just found the experience to be pretentious and the prices over inflated. Although I ordered the carpaccio and enjoyed it, I didn't think it was worth almost $20 nor was a small bowl of pasta worth $25.
Made reservations for a thursday night, arrived on time, and was seated immediately.
The server was superb, polite and attentive.
We ordered an appetizer of diver scallops on barely risotto with romesco sauce.
For my main, I ordered the pasta with spotted prawns, dungeness crab & cherry tomatoes, and my dining companion ordered the daily feature item of seared halibut with vegetables. Both were absolutely exceptional.
The room is warm if slightly dark, the dining area in the wine room is amazing.
This is my second experience to better assess this so call "top rated" eatery in GVRD. We were there on a Friday night. It was busy but not over-crowded. As usual Pino the owner spent a lot of time on the floor than in the kitchen. I believe he had the menu formula down to the tee so his sous-chef could step up and follow his plan. There are too many servers and bus people on that night but it was not a good sign. They ran into each other 1/2 the time or "over-served" the customers and some are simply looking for something to do. The main dining room is already cluttered and with that many people running around, it was a caotic scene and a disruption to the patrons. We were knocked and bumped by the servers several times because there were not enough lanes for them to move around.
The appetizers were good but not fantastic. The lobster bisque is consistent and the texture are very well balance. The osso buco was tender but a touch on the dry side and the sauce was average. The lobster linguene was average and the presentation was disappointing. It would be nice if the kitchen staff could be more creative to stack the lobster pieces on the pasta bed instead of tossing in and mix with the dish (similar to a fast food chain outlet). After all, this is a hefty $35 plate. The sable is pricey but it is still the winner of all the entrees. It was perfectly broiled and extremely delicate.
The wine selection is extensive and the price is not for the faint of heart. So be prepared to dose out a couple of hundred for some fine grape juice.
In my opinion, this place is overrated because of its celebrity status. There are inconsistency in the overall food quality and presentation. There are just too many good eatery in and around the area with better and more intimate ambiance for 2/3 of this price.
I took my family for a dinner there. I was impressed by the service, it was attentive; however, I felt the floor staff was not really calm. They looked a bit stressed.
All the entries were delicious, some of the appetizers (prawn salad) were a little disappointing. Cherry tomatoes tasted fishy, and the butter foam did not tantalize my appetite. Pricy menu, I don't recommend it for family. It is perfect for date or business meetings.
Ambience was nice, beautiful washrooms, good music, open kitchen. I might return for a special occasion.
We had a family dinner here this evening. I was impressed with the service and the way we were treated on arrival. Whilst we waited for our family and friends to arrive my wife and I were remarking on the high prices for each food item.
Whilst we were not paying the bill we were still congizant of the food prices. Entrees average around $40 each. Having said that I must admit the quality of the food was spectacular. We were also waited on hand and foot whilst we ate on a busy evening.
I would say this place is a bit exorbitant, though if really want to make sure you dine at a fine Italian place then this is it.
Truly a fine restaurant and we enjoyed our meal. When my wine arrived I asked the server if that was a sample as the glass seemed so small. He claims it was 5 ounces and I must wonder why they don't provide six ounces which most restaurants seem to do. We had a nice bowl of soup which was $ 15.00 which seemed a little pricey but we shall return
I love the prosciutto and melon served here - have it every time. Whether I have sat at the bar for drinks and appies or dinner in a private room, I have enjoyed the food and service here. The chef/owner really takes care of you as reflected by the bill. You do get a great quality Italian dining experience here every time. The architecture and design really creates the atmosphere here but dinner on the patio in the summertime hits the spot too.
If you love pasta this is the place for you. We went to Cioppino's last night for a business dinner and it was fantastic. The service is top notch, very knowledgable and attentive. I had a Warm Goat Cheese salad with portabello mushroom, artichoke and a maple caramel reduction drizzled on top. It was sooo tasty. For my Main Course I had a Lobster and Crab Pasta with a Tomato Cream Sauce. It was some of the best pasta I have ever had, the sauce was simple but so flavorful. To finish off the meal I had an espresso and a Rasberry/Mango Sorbet. It was a perfect way to end the meal.
It was horrible. I should not believe in what others were saying positive about this place. Their pastas, are you kidding me! I can cook better than what they gave me. The waitress told me the pasta is sooooooooo tasty. But it tasted so blunt and didn't even taste anything. I wasted money there. I won't go back. I need to find a good pasta. Maybe will try Cincin next time. I just don;t get why this place is reviewed so positively. No worth going to me. We made a bad choice. it was way too expensive for what I got. Not worth the trip at all. Not worth eating to me. Eeverybody has a different tastes and likes.
As time wears on, and I keep trying other newer restaurants in town, i find that I am more and more attracted to come back to Cioppino's (or its lunchoen neighbour Enoteca). The reason is that you are guaranteed a most memorable meal every single time. Years ago, my only reservation was that the desserts were merely good but not spectacular. Not any more. They have improved on the desserts, and they are now as memorable as any of the appetizers or main courses. I have never had a disappointing dish here, and the service is always top notch. Combined with great ambiance and a friendly handshake from owner/chef Pino, the dining experience here is hard to beat. I always take my out of town guests here, and no one has ever left unimpressed. However, be aware that prices are high (but you get what you pay for). The wine mark up is also slightly higher than at most other restaurants, but your reward is that the same wine does taste better here than elsewhere. The reason? Riedel glassware, and the correct wine temperature every single time (which you will be hard pressed to find at most restaurants). So, again, if you want the best, you have to be prepared to pay for it.
This place is incredible! Definetely the best restaurant in the city. The food is to die for. Their pastas and rissottos are perfect. The ossobucco is one of the best. Others will agree that evenings end perfectly with warm truffle filled chocolate cake. Service is top notch & professional. Room is beautiful. Recommend
I'm not too critical of most places, so keep that in mind when reading this. I ordered the Warm Octopus Carpaccio and it was quite nice, very warm, soft textured, and the garnishes complemented well. My friend had the Prawns with Chorizo and they were also brilliant. The duck was great...I'd give the duck 7/10...my Atlantic lobster was about a 5/10...definately was not spectacular, the scallops were a bit overcooked on my dish, as were the prawns.
Their wine list is amazing though, and the service is brilliant, everyone there is so professional...if only more restaurants could have this grade of service!
Overall I'd go back for the ambiance, and the food aint bad either!
I loved this place, never been before. We walked so parking was not an issue but I see how it could be being in the center of Yaletown. To start off I have very high standards on Italian food so maybe I cannot properly judge (as I am bias) Service and greeting is true to the previous reviews. As for the food, I rated it a solid, firstly, kind of small portions and one thing I did notice was the menu was not that extensive, I do not even recall seeing spaghetti on the menu. Positives, appies were delicious, I had the typical Osso Bucco and my husband the ribs…yum yum to both, and my goodness the wine menu was a binder! many bottles into the thousands of dollars- now that’s impressive. The restaurant itself is huge, yet still manages to be cozy for us couples. This certainly seems like a place to smooze the boss, or important male clients. Btw my husband loved both food and ambiance.
what a great experience, our servers were knowledgeable, made good suggestions, and had excellent timing. The complimentary bread and pate was an appetizing start to our meal, both were also replenished long before we ran out. My honey started with a grilled Caesar salad which was artfully presented and topped with freshly shaved Parmesan, for our entrees we had pasted with braised veal cheeks and Porcini mushroom and Osso Bucco with risotto, both were delicious. We finished with a lemoncello cheesecake with an odd crunchy topping which did grow on us but while pleasing to the eye didn't initially sit well on the pallet. All in all an excellent experience that was worth the price.
My friend and I dined at Cioppino's for the first time on weekday night.
The restaurant was about 90% full, and the service was excellent.
The appetizer: Beef Carpaccio was delicious, but I had a better beef Carpaccio at CRU for a better price.
The pasta: Although the price was twice as expensive as Anton's, the taste was twice as good. The portion is about 1/4 of Anton's, but very satisfying. I feel like I finally found a restaurant where they cook the pasta perfectly.
The dessert: Simply delicious. For me, the most impressive part of the dinner was the dessert... I had a warm apple tart, and the flavor just burst in my mouth.
What I loved the most about this restaurant was the service and ambiance.
Tables were distanced well, so that I didn't get bothered by another table's conversation.
The waiter was very knowledgeable and courteous.
They are very prompt when we need them, and never arrogant like some snobby places. The food was simply delicious. May be I will skip the appetizer next time, so that I can come here more casually.
My boyfriend and I went to Cioppino's tonight and I can say that it surpassed my expectations. I'm not the biggest Italian food fan or the biggest pasta fan (I won't usually order pasta at a restaurant), but my sister had bought us a gift certificate here. Furthermore, I had heard that it was the best restaurant in Vancouver according to Vancouver Magazine, so we went with high expectations. The restaurant ambiance itself is really nice. It's romantic but lively, a perfect date night combination.
Our waiter was great - friendly and informative. He helped me decide on a wine (I got a red wine from Argentina which I was pleased with while my boyfriend got the Cioppino's martini, which was a citrus-flavoured type of martini that he enjoyed) and was overall attentive without being fawning. We were served bread right away with some kind of spread that reminded me of hummus. I thought it was pretty good, but my boyfriend wanted some butter. He flagged down a waiter but Chef Pino himself came by and so my boyfriend had to sheepishly ask him for the butter. Chef Pino was really good about it, but I was laughing inside. He was probably thinking, "The nerve! He wants butter instead of my delectable spread?!" Ha ha! A funny moment.
Anyway, I had done some research before going so I had heard about what the critics had recommended ordering - and I'm so glad I did because they were bang on. I started with the "Porcini and chestnut soup, vanilla chantilly" which Chef Pino had apparently won a gold medal for, while my boyfriend ordered the "Classic lobster bisque served with Pacific crab rémoulade", both of which were $14.95. My soup was so good - rich and flavourful, and I savoured every bite. My boyfriend's soup was excellent, too. For our mains, I ordered the "Pappardelle with 4-hour-braised veal cheeks and porcini mushrooms" ($25) because the critics had raved about that particular dish, while my boyfriend ordered the "Risotto of Carnaroli rice, wild porcini mushrooms and herbs" ($25). Oh my gosh, I cannot get over how amazing my pappardelle was! It was the best pasta I have ever had. I can't even explain what they put in it to make it so delicious - all I know is that I'd definitely order it again. It was the highlight of the whole dinner for me and I highly, highly recommend it. My boyfriend's risotto was wonderful as well and he really enjoyed it. Finally, for dessert, we ordered the "Limoncello cheese-cake, citrus-vanilla confiture, aged Balsamico caramel, mascarpone-citrus sorbet" ($12), something I had read that Chef Pino had served at the James Beard Award dinner. It was the perfect ending to dinner, almost with a palate-cleansing quality.
I know the prices at Cioppino's are quite expensive, but this is a place you go for special occasions or for when you want top-notch food. Honestly, the food was incredible and I still can't forget the taste of the pappardelle. I need to start dropping hints to my friends to buy me gift certificates to Cioppino's so I can go back!
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