Review Ciao Ciao Italiano - Prahran

A nice small Italian restaurant that provides gluten-free option (extra $5) on pizza and penne. They've missed my booking from Dimmi (reserved a few days prior) but luckily the restaurant was pretty empty so they could accommodate us. Food was very average (pretty hard and stiff 8" (they said 10") pizza base and pasta), and the Nutella pizza was merely a smear on the cardboard base. Wine wasn't as good and my friend's glass was a bit sour. We ordered tea and coffee at the end and 10 mins later they let us know there was no coffee! Service was OK in general, the air conditioning was barely on so most customers were sweating at 18 degrees outside. Pretty disappointed with the overall experience.

Pizza was tasty but a little bit burned! Pasta tasty but small portion . Dessert was great and good size specially Affogato. Should give 4 star for food but decided to give 5 just for very friendly staff called Kim I guess (if I spell her name correctly!

Delicious food and very friendly staff. We went at 7pm and the restaurant wasn't very busy but that was great for us because we wanted a quiet time. The staff occasionally checked on us to make sure we were OK, which is nice. We had the Arancini balls & two pastas - Seafood ('Di Mare') and Bolognese. Everything tasted great and you'll leave very full, I would recommend this for dinner :)

Staff and service were awesome 10/10. Must try their Moscato if you are into dessert wines. Caprese is lovely and the pasta would be perfect if it was a bit stronger in flavour. I'd definitely try their pizza and dessert next time. Promising new authentic Italian restaurant, I look forward to returning soon.

Had to wait a while to get served and food ordered. The food was okay but didn't stand out. We were looking forward to having the Marinara Pasta but they changed the menu. There were too much Anchovies in the Marinara Pizza making it too salty. The best part was the dessert Creama Di Cafe. They even got our bill wrong and overcharged us.

I discovered Ciao Ciao Italiano on Dimmi - they had a great 50% of all food, so I immediately made a booking for that night. When we arrived, it was mostly empty as it was relatively late on a week night. We were immediately seated and offered some water and menus. We ordered: Cozze (Steamed Mussel), Calamari, Patata Tartufato, Penne Bolognese, and Pizza Picante (with Hot Salami). The entreés arrived first and were all presented beautifully. The Baked Potatoes had a nice crunch on the outside and beautifully-fluffy on the inside. There was a lot of fresh Rosmarin, a good sprinkle of Parmesan, and an irresistible aroma of the Truffle Oil. Calamari - exactly what you would expect - melting in your mouth and served with Lemon Aioli. The Mussels were a the star dish here - the White Wine Tomato Salsa had just the perfect amount of garlic. The actual Mussels were cooked to perfection and were to die for. They get served with some nice warm Garlic Bread, which is perfect for dipping into the delicious sauce. We were then asked if we’re ready for our mains and they arrived shortly after. The Pizza is from a woodfire. The base was fantastic - charred and chewy - exactly how I like it. The Salami they use is really delicious too, and, of course, there’s a generous amount of Mozzarella on top. The Pasta was very good too, however, I don’t believe the actual penné was made in-house, which is a little disappointing (if I’m right). The beef was nice and rich. The dish wasn’t very salty either. This is probably the only dish I’d give 4/5. Together with a Peroni and a glass of Sav, we paid $56, which was fantastic value, thanks to Dimmi. I have to make a special mention about the service - the girl (whose name, unfortunately, I didn’t get) was from Latvia and was simply fantastic - attentive, yet definitely not disturbing, with a great sense of humour, and a warm, genuine smile. She’s a real credit to this restaurant. The owner came to make sure we were happy too. Overall, extremely happy and will definitely return without any vouchers.

The best Italian food!! Been here a couple of times in the last few weeks and have loved it every time! Amazing food, great atmosphere and lovely staff. Will definitely be going back again. Dessert pizza is a must if you're a chocolate person! Update: really sad to see their menu had changed and most of the amazing starters and pastas are no longer available. Still great food but the old menu was what had me going back again

Authentic pasta and pizza but was disappointed because most of the items in the menu was not available. So had only limited options but what was served was really tasty and on the mark..

Wow! Amazing pizza (especially the Contadina - woodfired eggplant, capsicum and zucchini) and beautiful pasta (can recommend the carbonara - made with crispy pancetta) � Such hospitable service too, if you're in the mood for some authentic Italian, give this place a try! I'll definitely be back soon.

This is the best place I have ever eaten at. The food amazing, I couldn’t stop eating! And staf were awesome.

I’ve worked in fine dining, for a celebrity chef in America and also in the huge events of Melbourne. Wrong orders coming to our table, bad excuses and food is unexceptionable ! I don’t care it was 50% off as I would of rather of gone to hooked for fish and chips or a nice sushi place in the surrounding aria of Chapel St. Forgetful food and horrible service. Will never return. Good luck to those that enjoy as this is our experience and not your experience of what happened.

BEST Italian! Totally recommend, staff were lovely and food was amazing! When it's mainly imported from Italy guess it will be but best Italiano I've had in Melb's! � � try the prosciutto bruschetta and mussels �

Great place with amazing food. Great atmosphere and very friendly staff � Definitely one of the gems on chapel, especially if you like real Italian pizza. Spacious venue, good drinks and massive servings. Will come back many times �

After an exhausting day of shopping in Melbourne on a girls weekend away and not feeling like anything else but pizza, we were so glad we walked until we found ciao ciao. Incredible, attentive service from the owners, who were invested in making their customers feel welcome and satisfied. Not only was the food exceptional the staff, including the chef, were gorgeous in personality...and looks � Thank you.

I dont know what possessed me to go shopping with the girls on Chapel St this afternoon. But the allure of dinner at Ciao Ciao Italiano made it all worth it. Fantastic mains pizzas, and we topped off the night with a nutella, choc sauce and strawberry dessert pizza which was pure indulgence, Delicious food and friendly attentive service all at the right price. We will be back.

I’m never one hundred percent confident in my pronunciation of Osso Bucco, but I’ll confidently recommend Ciao Ciao Italiano.

Amazing service and some of the best food ive ever had, definately recommend ��

Amazing pizza! Amazing canelloni! Amazing patatas! And the coffee cream dessert, amazing! Which is huge for a non coffee drinker. Great vibe, wonderful service. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes!

Ciao Ciao Italiano is the best new pizza restaurant on Chapel Street! Friendly staff, great atmosphere and the most delicious Tiramisu ever!

Absolutely loved this place! Amazing service, pizza and pasta! And to top it off it's byo with NO corkage!!

Ciao Ciao is a lovely little restaurant. Great for a meal if you are heading to Chapel off Chapel for a show or for any other reason. The food is wondeful and the service is great and speedy. Last visit we had Fettuccini Carbonara and the Mussels. Absolutely cooked to perfection

Average food, somewhat deceptive advertising.<br/><br/>So we got a 50% off deal on the Fork and thought we’d check it out. Turns out when we arrived they had a sign out front saying $10 Margherita pizzas and $14 pizzas all day everyday; of course the discount was taken off their full priced menu. The discount did not include alcohol either. <br/><br/>Anyway, moving on, they had a wood fired oven and the smells were good. Nonetheless I wasn’t sure how authentic they were trying to be; despite all the attempts to come across as Italian. I thought it was slightly odd that the cheese was baked in and there was visible tomato on the pizza (so it made it a bit wet and acidic); couldn’t see any fresh basil on the Margherita either. We also then ordered a Quattro fromaggi and all I could taste was Gorgonzola and not much else. <br/><br/>For the discounted price you’re getting what you paid for; but I’d prefer something with quality. If i has paid full price I would feel ripped off.

Ordered a takeaway from this place with an EatClub discount. The place looks a bit dated and the owners didn’t invest to create a good ambience at this place. Perhaps that is what the restaurant can work on to encourage more people to dine in. I had Low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. Had the di mare pasta and pizza carne. The pasta was seasoned well, had clams, prawns and calamari (though I wish they gave more). The pizza was delicious and it was pity it got cold during the journey back. They need to reduce wait times - we waited nearly 30 mins for our food! Will be back especially given the good discount!

Ordered the arancini balls, margherita pizza and prosciutto pizza. Arancini balls were absolutely delicious with the sauce they used. Margherita pizza was lovely

We booked in at 8, arrived we were to wait for additional 30 min even we had a reservation. After that at 8.30 they given to us a table, without fork, knife, menu, glasses. The waitress make a empty table and our was with nothing. We were to go to take all the stuff alone because the waitress were really useless. After 1 hour and 40 mins we received the pizzas that we ordered. The pizza that they making is really small and it’s ridiculous call it pizza. Worst dinner ever.

The food was blend with very little ingredient.  Presentation was poor with no attempt to garnish it with anything.  It basically looked like it came out of a can.  Won't be back if you pay me.

Thought we would try this out after finding special on fork! Pizza's were great, and we were also introduced to an amazing Hot Chili Sauce (Savage Hombre)! The pasta however was a little dry, but had great taste with the sauce! Would definitely come back for the pizza! Also, service was great with friendly waiters and food coming out without too much of a wait. Will be back!

Came here Saturday for dinner and had the arancini and a couple of pizzas. Was disappointed that they had a different menu to what is on there website and zomato, with basically most of what we wanted to eat (e.g. Osso bucco) no longer on the menu. In addition, once we sat down (after being left to stand at the door for ages), we were told that they had run out of several ingredients, which meant there were even less options available.<br/>Food was pretty bland and unexciting.<br/>The only shining light was the female waitress, who was super busy but offered great service (5 times better than the male waiter working that night).

Menu was only pizza and a few entres. They’ve clearly changed the menu with the original menu taped inside the new menu. Pizza was average. The base was ok- a little over cooked but the cheapest ingredients made it taste like something you could have made at home. Service was incredibly slow as well- understaffed. Will definitely not return.<br/>

The place lacks soul - lacked flavor, taste and sufficient produce on the Pizza & Pasta we tried.<br/><br/>Service is just below ordinary and Ambiance (even after being in Chapel Street location), is kind of boring and lacks soul and energy..<br/><br/>Pizza had next to no toppings and was half burnt and the Pesto pasta dish didn't had much taste or produce either.. would have been good to have some protein or something apart from just the bland pasta...<br/><br/>Much better options available, irrespective of the price, which is also on the higher side, for what is on offer..

Ok, the decor is a bit dated but that is more than balanced out by the great service, delicious food and really good prices. You should try the patata tartufata - so, so good. <br/><br/>Only one slightly negative point, the drinks are about 10-20% more expensive than you would expect in this type of place - trying to balance the low meal prices?<br/><br/>Definitely recommended.

We came here as a group of 8 on a Tuesday evening. Staff was really really attentive (especially the owners!!!!) and they made us feel like home! We celebrated our friend's birthday here and staff were really helpful with the plan.<br/><br/>Food was exceptional. The pizza with anchovies and the risotto was top notch. If I were to come back it would be for the pizza with anchovies. It was amazing and we'll be back.

If you’re after a pizza with a light, fluffy and soft wood fired pizza base, than this place has nailed it!!!! <br/>The toppings were a bit hit or miss, but there were some gems available to select from.<br/>Best of all, these pizzas as a whole were easy to eat, easy to digest and didn’t leave you feeling heavy.<br/>Very enjoyable and therefore worthy of a visit!

Came here for dinner tonight for my birthday. Once walked in I was greeted by lovely staff. The owner is lovely he was telling me majority of their food is made in Italy, so being here makes you feel like your in Italy eating authentic food. The staff were very prompt and keen to take our order and the food came out quick smart. Ordered the calamrai for entree which the portion could of been bigger however it was very nice. Other half ordered the chicken snitzel which he loved and the sizing was massive so we cut that in half and took that home. I had a ham, cheese and mushroom pizza (can't remember the name) but it was so delicious it was wood fired, nice thin and crispy with the right amount of sauce and cheese. I will definitely be back as this is my new favourite Italian place to dine.

Unfortunately this place has a lot of room for improvement! We ordered a pizza with pancetta on it and it was tough, the fat was solid like grissel and it needed to be picked off. The antipasto platter was alright, however not anything impressive. The bread served on it would've been a lot better fresh out of the oven. Luckily had 40% off otherwise would not have been value for money

This was a great relaxed dinner out, the staff and the owner worked very well together, he was training a staff member and it was a fun and interactive experience, lovely people! <br/>They were personable and attentive <br/>The food was fantastic, we got the muscles and risotto... the size of the muscle dish alone was impressive, the white wine and tomato base sauce was really yum! <br/>Thank guys, great dinner out experience.

Worst experience. Came hungry and ordered. 20 minutes after ordering we were told no mains available, only 1 salad, a couple of entree and only<br/>Pizza and pasta. No apology. We left so can’t rate the food. Can only assume what that would taste like

Came here with a booking for 5 at around 6.30pm-7 on a Saturday night. Busy, but not crazy busy. Able to order drinks fairly quickly but was half an hour before we were able to order food .Pizzas arrived a bit late ( about 20-25 mins) but acceptable. My friend ordered muscles that was nowhere to be seen. We were all Almost finished our pizza and asked the staff if the dish would be long. The waitress did her best to follow up and apologized twice. However , it was about an hour from ordering to when it finally arrived. By this time the rest of us were just waiting for this dish. Pizzas were nice but nothing to rave about. Wouldn’t return .

Things to save: the nice wood fired oven and the gentleman running the show is polite, friendly, welcoming. However the staff has a long way before catching up with him. Ordered 2 pizza - both were 30s overcooked a bit dry and would have done with some extra coverage since large portion of the pizza were just made of dry dough. At the moment it does not compare with the best pizzeria in Melbourne, but they have potential for improvement...

It's a pity to rate this place so low as the food is actually good...when it finally arrives! There was more than a half hour wait on a booked table. We were then told to order pizza as there was a 45 minute wait on the pasta. I don't like being told what to order when I'm the paying customer. So we ordered both. The pizza was good. A great base and topping. After an hour the pasta still hadn't arrived so we tried to order a dessert only to be told the kitchen was closed. It was only 9.30pm in bustling Chapel St and new diners had just been seated next to us? After some pushback on our part our pasta was served 5 minutes later and was delicious. The tiramusu also arrived soon after but was a disappointment. Too much cream, wet biscuits, lacked coffee kick, sweetness and any flavour.

I heard good things about this restaurant, so I decided to take my partner there on a Saturday night. Excited to dive into some Italian cuisine, we ordered Arancini balls. They came out surprisingly quick. We soon found out why. They were warm (at best) and the cheese inside was still cold and not melted. We brushed that aside and couldn’t wait for our meals. 1 hour had passed and we finally received our delicious meals. Or so we thought. I ordered the seafood risotto. It tasted like a chilli rice. Extremely bland. My partner ordered the carbonara, he devoured it, only because he was so hungry from waiting. He commented saying it was bland and tasteless also, the only thing that got him through it was his beer (which also took 20 minutes to receive) as we finished our meals, we hear the people behind us talk to the manager saying they hadn’t got their meals yet and they’d been here since 6:30. It was 8:08 when he said that.<br/><br/>Wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

More of a 3.5 review. We came as a large group, which was great bc we got to try so many dishes. The service was okay, but the waiters didn't seem to understand when we had finished dishes and wanted them cleared to provide more room for the other dishes that were coming. The food was decent, nothing mind blowing but they all tasted good. We got the antipasto to share, cozze and calamari for entrees, potato and sausage pizza, seafood risotto, cannelloni and osso bucco (absolutely loved this) for mains. If you're looking for value for money, I would focus on the main meal and the pizza menu. Overall decent experience, but nothing incredibly stands out.

Food was delicious, particularly the carne pizza and lasagne. Wine list was great with a number of Italian options. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Not the most beautiful restaurant interior but the food & excellent value for money definitely makes up for it!

The Pollo E Funghi risotto was the best thing we ordered with a lot of chicken chunks in it. Pizza Piccante was ok with less taste of the salami and the cheese and more of the pizza base occupying the taste. The Canneloni pasta was also ok, good portion though but not for a person who doesn’t like a rich tomato taste. Found the place a bit over priced as well along with the staff not being aware what the main ingredients of the dishes were and she had to go check with someone for everything we asked.

3.5<br/><br/>I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for some time so I was excited when my friend invited me! She’s raved so much about this place and for good reasons.<br/><br/>We ordered the Di Mare Fettuccine Pasta (Seafood), Pizza Carne, Tiramisu, Nutella Pizza and chips.<br/><br/>The portion sizes were good, with the pasta abundant with seafood. Through booking on Dimmi we received 50% off the entire meal which was a great value for the amount of food we got, with heaps of leftovers! At full price though I don’t think I’d be running back.<br/><br/>Overall, the food was enjoyable but didn’t all quite hit the spot for me. As a local, I would still love to try their other dishes. Lucas, the owner, is lovely and very accommodating in fixing errors or catering to requirements.

Located on the Main Road .. easily accessible .. bookings are must on the weekends . A nice place for good food ..<br/>Wide variety of menu .. there desserts seemed to be very interesting but unfortunately couldn’t try as the mains and entree was stomach full for us 😬.. <br/>tried the arancini balls which was the best I felt when compare to the other places I have eaten.. the pizza which we tried was ‘pizza contadina ‘ which was fresh and delicious . Must try the place when mood for good pizzas

I’m not sure where all these 5 star reviews are coming from.We came in a group of 8 people and all agree we would not<br/>return. We even came on a Dimmi promotion which reduced the bill by 50%.<br/><br/>The customer service is non-existent. We had to get our own<br/>serving plates. <br/><br/>Food took forever to come, even the bill took about 15mins.<br/>The chilli oil, well, was pretty much just oil.<br/><br/>The entire time we were there, there was only about 5 tables<br/>of customers, so it’s not like they were busy, plus they had plenty of staff.<br/><br/>Not saying the food was bad, but it definitely wasn’t<br/>anything above average. Nothing on the menu stood out, and we ordered a lot. Also<br/>the lemon lime bitters was more like flat lemonade.

Overall experience at Ciao Ciao was quite average. First of all, the restaurant was in chaos when we walked in. Despite having made a reservation online, there was no tables available for us, and the couple who walked in after us were tended to and seated before us. The wait staff had to scramble and get some tables together for the line that was quickly building up out the front. We had made a reservation through dimmis as had most people I think, and the restaurant just didnt seem to be equipped to handle the traffic.<br/><br/>The food was tasty, but average. We ordered the arancini balls that although crispy, were a little dry and flavorless. I had the pizza with eggplant and zucchini. The crust was delicious however too much tomato sauce, which made the already thin base quite soggy. For dessert we had the tiramisu which was overall tasty, however had too much cream in the serving and there was a lot of liquid from the sponge biscuits.

So glad we gave this place a try. A small, cozy family restaurant that makes the best pizzas in Melbourne! I don’t usually like to spend too much for food, so with the 50% eat club voucher, we found this extremely satisfying and will definitely return!! <br/>The food took a while to come, but the waitress was friendly and welcoming. We ordered 4 cheese pizza and pizza carne. The 4 cheese was absolutely delicious, but when it got cold it wasn’t as good, so definitely eat it ASAP! <br/>Pizza carne was amazing too, but my friend wasn’t used to the saltiness of certain meats (while I found it perfectly fine), so I guess it depends on people’s palates! <br/>The pizza dough was fluffy on the edges and just lip-smackingly delish! <br/><br/>We highly recommend this place and will most definitely be back!!

Came here after seeing their 50% off deal on EatClub and I was not disappointed. Ordered two main pasta dishes and two entrees and the total bill was something close to $25. The food was fantastic, I ordered the carbonara and was thoroughly impressed with it. Great serving sizes as well, which is a big plus considering the serving sizes in other restaurants around the area can be rather small. The restaurant itself was quiet, but cozy and the owner was lovely and very attentive. All in all, would recommend it to friends and will definitely be back again!

Went last night for dinner on a whim, we are from Adelaide, the pizzas were the best I’ve ever tasted, brilliant service, lovely staff. Owner very friendly too. You guys need to open a branch in Adelaide soon. I’m getting hungry!

Great pizza base. Very delicious actually. Ordered half and half (upon request), their sausage and potato, their one with grilled veges mainly. Both were delicious. Their bolognese was salty. Due to location I think the pricing is ok. Casual dining atmostphere is great. Service is excellent, although only one staff do it all.

Average food, good serving sizes though . <br/>Ordered chicken Parma and chicken cacciatore <br/>Pricing a bit expensive for the food , but the atmosphere is cosy and staff are warm

Pathetic service; won't be around long <br/><br/>The manager apologised due 'damp' wood for their pizza oven and had set back plans I guess!? However after ordering entree (fried calamari) for us, plus margarita pizza for our daughter; and then after waiting 25 minutes we ordered our mains; a pizza and gnocchi. 5 minutes later BOTH pizzas and calamari come out. 10 minutes later we asked where the gnocchi was, which the waitress came back with the dish a couple minutes later. It was Luke warm at best!<br/><br/>Manager and waitress apologised for the obvious issues and again went back to the pizza oven excuse yet the pizza was not the problem- staff clearly very green throughout the restaurant.<br/><br/>By the looks understaffed and communication between pizza chef, pasta/mains chef and waitress was non existent.<br/><br/>Don't attend if you want a quick pizza/dinner!<br/><br/>Lots better Italian/wood fire pizza restaurants out there- eg DOC, La Svolta, Gradi etc sh#t on this joint from a height- AND it will only take half the time!!<br/>

I came here with an EatClub deal, so with the 50% off it was definitely worth it but I don't think I would pay full price. The ambience was lacking, and the staff were often distracted talking to customers they knew. We had the potato and sausage pizza which had a great pizza base but was otherwise average. We also had the assorted entrees which again were good but nothing spectacular.

came here with a 50% dimmi deal which was extremely worth it. Carbonara was a little bland, and potato appetisers were not crispy enough, but still quite alright. Pizza was really nice though with a nice dough texture and flavour. Coffee was nice also - I quite enjoy italian style coffee. Seemed a little understaffed, but service was still alright.

So well-fed and well looked after! The owner and staffs are extremely friendly. Nice atmosphere and prices are rrasomable.<br/><br/>We had Patata Tartufata, Prosciutto Pizza, Aglio e Olio, Chicken Parma to share between the three of us. Everything was delicious and generous in portion. Definitely coming back. Give it a shot when you're around!

The pizza dough was great but the sauce wasn’t good, quite tasteless. It didn’t have any cheese on the base and in the description there was fresh basil with extra virgin olive oil but there wasn’t anyway. Really disappointing and over priced.<br/><br/>Further to this review, I went back to Ciao ciao through Dimmi. My dining experience wasn’t great, my pizza was soggy and the pasta wasn’t homemade. This was my response from a representative of Ciao ciao - <br/><br/>Hi Kirsty Thanks for your review. I guess all the 700+ reviews in total that are highly praising our pizzas must be wrong. Perhaps Dominos or Pizza Hut is more suited to you. All our ingredients are from Italy. The pancetta, the prosciutto, the ham, the all the cheeses, the flour to make the average pizza and the oven directly from Napoli Italy. <br/><br/>Restaurant owners/managers/workers need be able to take criticism and not get sarcastic with the customers when reviewing. This type of response has been the same for a lot of customers who had negative reviews, just take a look on dimmi. Instead of being rude, look to figure out why this happened and how you can improve. My review still stands; average food and clearly average behaviour.

An unassuming little eatery on the quieter end of Chapel Street, Ciao Ciao Italiano surprised in more ways that one.<br/><br/>The beautifully home made pastas and desserts were authentic and holds true to their Italian heritage. Coupled with such a friendly and hospitable owner, you know you’ve got yourself a winning combination!

Went here with a half-off voucher. I'm glad I did, because I would not have wanted to pay full price for what I got. I ordered a buffalo Margherita, arancini and garden salad. Salad was delightfully large for the price (even before the discount) but a bit overdressed and very salty. Pizza and arancini were good but not great. I can't fault the taste but feel the quality could be better. The staff were nice but ambiance is definitely lacking. I would rate this place for takeaway pizza but wouldn't be back to dine in.

Best pizza in Melbourne. The capricciosa is incredible. The owner is also a massive legend! Will be back many more times to dine in and take away.

We came here with an EatClub voucher and could not have been more impressed with both the service and food. All the waiters (and presumably manager) who we dealt with were friendly and attentive, while the food was tasty and fulsome. Nice ambience and friendly environment. Highly recommend.

Absolute gem of a place!<br/>We drove in from Berwick & first time tried this family run italian restaurant and were very impressed by the excellent customer service & delicious pizzas.<br/>Thank you Lucas we will be back!<br/>

Went here as it featured on the EatClub 50% off deal. <br/>I can tell why it was 50% off.<br/>We ordered the Nutella Desert Pizza and the Tiramisu.<br/>Our Nutella desert pizza had drops of garlic on its side.<br/>I wouldn’t even call the Tiramisu a Tiramisu, it was virtually a cup of runny cream with the smallest base of sponge that had been soaked in instant coffee.<br/>Do not recommend!

Service super unimpressive and lack of staff numbers, truly didn’t help their case here with that fact.<br/>Starters nice, but 3 oysters didn’t open so was disappointing to see this.<br/>Calamari was tasty as well as the diced potato’s.<br/>Mashed potato with main was more like a purée though as it was very much soup like.<br/>Chicken in the salad dry as an Arizona summer !<br/>Hamburger was very sad looking and taste wasn’t there.<br/>Bathrooms a mess and truly need a cleaner on board.<br/>Also when I asked for the bill off the Asian waitress, we waited 25 minutes and had to ask another staff member whom done it immediately after.<br/>Price didn’t have the 50% off marked and had to ask for another bill to correct it.<br/>We wouldn’t return unless more staff are added to be of service as wait times were atrocious.

Good food... very busy night and the staff including the boss were all super overwhelmed. Despite the huge wait time and the number of times we had to double confirm our order the meals were delish. Some improvements on branding especially the signage as well as and the staff experience would make it SO much better. Maybe best for a mid-week meal.

We came in for dinner and tried the pizza and a risotto. The woodfired pizza crust was perfect, the sauce was flavourful, and the toppings were generous but not overbearing. The risotto was also delicious and perfectly done - not gluggy, not undercooked. Would come back!

After recommending Ciao to many friends and family, my boyfriend and I came for dinner (probably about the third time for me, fifth time for him) tonight, using EatClub. Look - we like the food, we like the atmosphere and we love the owner, but GUYS. The service needs to be improved, enormously. We had to ask twice for tap water, sat with dirty entree plates for 20mins and had to ask for cutlery for both entrees and mains. The table next to us complained because they ordered a bottle of wine and it still hadn’t arrived after 15mins. My boyfriend’s main came out a good 20mins before mine finally followed - I understand there was a mistake in the kitchen but the fact that it took 15mins for someone to realise I was still waiting for food was kind of ridiculous. The owner apologised, and the pizza was lovely. I work in a restaurant, so I know mistakes happen, but the overall service was just appalling and I could see other tables were unhappy too. Teach your staff how to look! So many walked past our table without picking up plates, or checking all the food had arrived. Ciao Ciao has potential.🤷🏼‍♀️

As I live locally, my fiancé & I thought we’d give this place a go. We went on a Sunday evening after the footy and struck up a chat with the owner, who was very friendly. We ordered the entree mussels & the prosciutto pizza, which we were told was their signature pizza. The mussels came first & were absolutely delicious. Perfectly cooked with a tomato base sauce, which was fresh, light & full of flavor. There was some sauce left over & the owner offered to cook us up a focaccia free of charge! Amazing! We were so grateful as the sauce really could not go to waste. Then the pizza followed, & honestly, it was one of (if not the) best pizza we’ve ever had - It was a thin base with a fluffy & light crust topped with thin slices of italian prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella & rocket.. seriously good!! We’ve been craving it ever since. Overall a wonderful experience. Will be back !!

It was pretty quiet when we went on a Monday night but they were pumping out the delivery orders! Fresh ingredients and a decent serving of seafood for both the pizza and pasta.

Went here for dinner with some friends on a Friday night. I had the best vegan pizza of my life. My non vegan friend had the linguine of his life. And everyone had the best espresso martini's. Staff and chef were lovely. Can't wait to dine again.

Owner is a top bloke. Pizzas are divine (that’s an understatement - truly). Do yourself a favour and check it out. This place deserves all success and is a credit to the quality product they serve. Keep it up!

Very friendly, great customer service, food, presentation. They cater for vegetarians which is great. I also want to point out that despite being a Authentic Italian Restaurant with awesome reviews.....their staff arent just Italian. Great to see that in Australia this is one of the few restaurants who will hire you based on experience, and not where your from. This is my second visit, will definitely come again.

We have been to ciao ciao a couple of times now. Each time the owner has greeted us and the staff have been very friendly. Having said that, even if this was not the case we would come back - because the pizza is spot on. Thin base, crunchy crust and fresh ingredients. Highly recommended.

the only reason I'm giving 2 and not 1 is that the kitchen saved them. the food was good and out in a good time, we sat for ages once our food was done waiting to be cleared, we wanted desert and couldn't get the attention of any staff for a good 15-20minutes to get menus for desert, after finally ordering desert and coffees it took staff another 15 to notify me that what I wanted they didnt have, so i didnt order anything else, again kitchen got the desert out in a decent time which we finished before we got our drinks which was a soft drink, coffee and iced chocolate. when the drinks were finally bought to us I was told that they didnt have what they usually have to make my iced chocolate so they experimented with it and what I was getting was free. I would of preferred to get nothing as what I got tasted like sour cheese and coco powder. honestly left a little disappointed as I've been here before when the owner was in and it was great that night. I've worked in hospitality and can honestly say the way the staff were last night was sad to see just cause the owner wasnt about, all massive no no's is what I saw last night. will be going back but only when the owner is in unless maybe a change in staff.

Found Ciao Ciao through the 50% Dimmi offer. <br/>Nice little Italian place in the heart of South Yarra. <br/>Service was terrific and pizza was delicious!<br/>Will be coming back for sure

The pizza here is really, really good the bases are chewy a little charred and absolutely amazing! They're some of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. We had the calamari and seafood pasta, they were nice but the pizza is the star here! Definitely try the pizza!<br/><br/>The decor is nothing to write home about it seems there's a lot of renovating going on at the movement but the service is warm and friendly and the food is good.

Yum yum! Discovered the restaurant through Eat Club as they were offering a discount. Really tasty carbonara and pizza! Will definitely recommend to friends and will keep going back !

I guess I expected more from ciao ciao. We ordered Cannelloni which was dry and a bit cold and chewy. Mushroom pizza was the saving grace. They forgot my friend's drink and the dishes were coming out of the kitchen but they missed out on which table ordered them. Happened a couple of times. Guess I landed on a bad day. Not impressed.

Returned here for the second time because there was a 50% (!) off food offer on Dimmi’s and the first dining experience was pretty pleasant although the second time round was a let down. <br/>The mussels, while tasty, was very salty. The cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta was okay. The pancetta on the pizza tasted a bit foul and together with the olives and artichokes, the dish was just too salty. However, I must say their pizza texture is one of the better ones I’ve tasted in Melbourne. <br/>Apparently their executive chef has worked under Gordon Ramsey before (according to their website). Unfortunately, without more food deals I would have to say ‘ciao’ for now.

Food was so super salty! Mussels was extremely salty! Pizza was also salty i couldn't taste anything else but salt. Maybe the chef forgot he already added salt to the dish and added more. Not going back ever

Been here twice already and both times, it has been spot on. The staff and the owner’s service is impeccable. Will bring more of my friends and recommend this place!

I discovered Ciao Ciao Italiano on Dimmi - they had a great 50% of all food, so I immediately made a booking for that night. <br/><br/>When we arrived, it was mostly empty as it was relatively late on a week night. <br/><br/>We were immediately seated and offered some water and menus. <br/><br/>We ordered: Cozze (Steamed Mussel), Calamari, Patata Tartufato, Penne Bolognese, and Pizza Picante (with Hot Salami). <br/><br/>The entreés arrived first and were all presented beautifully. <br/><br/>The Baked Potatoes had a nice crunch on the outside and beautifully-fluffy on the inside. There was a lot of fresh Rosmarin, a good sprinkle of Parmesan, and an irresistible aroma of the Truffle Oil. <br/><br/>Calamari - exactly what you would expect - melting in your mouth and served with Lemon Aioli. <br/><br/>The Mussels were a the star dish here - the White Wine Tomato Salsa had just the perfect amount of garlic. The actual Mussels were cooked to perfection and were to die for. They get served with some nice warm Garlic Bread, which is perfect for dipping into the delicious sauce. <br/><br/>We were then asked if we’re ready for our mains and they arrived shortly after. <br/><br/>The Pizza is from a woodfire. The base was fantastic - charred and chewy - exactly how I like it. The Salami they use is really delicious too, and, of course, there’s a generous amount of Mozzarella on top. <br/><br/>The Pasta was very good too, however, I don’t believe the actual penné was made in-house, which is a little disappointing (if I’m right). The beef was nice and rich. The dish wasn’t very salty either. This is probably the only dish I’d give 4/5. <br/><br/>Together with a Peroni and a glass of Sav, we paid $56, which was fantastic value, thanks to Dimmi. <br/><br/>I have to make a special mention about the service - the girl (whose name, unfortunately, I didn’t get) was from Latvia and was simply fantastic - attentive, yet definitely not disturbing, with a great sense of humour, and a warm, genuine smile. She’s a real credit to this restaurant. The owner came to make sure we were happy too. <br/><br/>Overall, extremely happy and will definitely return without any vouchers.

This is a new Italian place on chapel. I went with a group of a 11 people and I have to say the service was excellent and the owner was lovely and making a genuine effort to provide service for our group. The food was authentic Italian with a basic menu focussing on pizza and pasta. The carbonara gnocchi was very tasty- freshly made. I definitely recommend this place.

I've eaten here twice now, and on both occasions I could not fault it! The wait service, atmosphere, pizza and crema de cafe all go hand in hand to make this place perfect for any occasion.

The chicken and chorizo risotto was delicious. We also enjoyed the potato pizza. The service was attentive and enthusiastic. A very enjoyable experience.

Pizza, service, everything was great!<br/>Came here with the family and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. From gnocchi to risotto, all the dishes were delicious!<br/>Thanks for a great night

Yummy food and great service. We highly recommend the gnocch, the antipasto platter and any of the pizzas! The only feedback we’d give is the furnishing could do with a revamp.

The best pizza so far in Melbourne since I arrived!! Truly italian. Stunning service. Well done, I will be back next time with friends. Raccomended

Pizza is okay, but the pasta tastes a bit soggy and seems like it was frozen and heated. The friendly manager checked with the kitchen and gave us refund for the pasta.

Stumbled across this fairly new Italian joint on Chapel Street, Prahran via Eatclub. Wood fire pizza on a thin base with generous toppings, they were seriously good. Service was excellent and attentive. Left the restaurant, feeling like a glutton. A happy one at least.

Visited this place last night.  I absolutely loved the service, atmosphere & the food of this place. <br/>We ordered patata taratufo, simple dish yet so much of flavour that one cant stop at one bite. For main we ordered Pizza Picante - again full of flavour! Would love to try all the different varieties of food this place has to offer. Strongly recommend for anyone to try it

Been here twice now and both times have been perfect! the staff are friendly and helpful and the food is amazing. their Wood-fired Pizza's are some of the best I've ever had, and the Arancini are light and beautiful.

New pizzeria on the block at the ever competitive chapel St which has become a graveyard of restaurants of varying quality. Ciao Ciao offers a traditional Italian experience with a fully imported pizza oven offering some of the best pizza in Melbourne hands down. Having visited dozens of pizza restaurants in the past I could not fault the 3 mushroom pizza we were served, The dough was a stretchy but soft consistency and the mushrooms of high quality. Entree dishes we had were Calamari and arancini. The Calamari was soft and tender, lightly salt and peppered just enough, and beautiful flavour. The service? Unbelievable and genuinely nice. I rarely give a perfect review and score but Ciao Ciao deserves it and it deserves a visit if you want seriously great food and service.

Went here during the week and the food was absolutely delicious ! Service was very warm and friendly and I will definitely we going back , make sure you try their pizzas

Wow. Delicious prosciutto pizza and spaghetti carbonara balanced by a tasty rocket salad. The staff were friendly and the setting relaxed. Byo was great. We will be back!

Delicious pizzas, attentive service and nice atmosphere.  Some of the best pizzas I've had in Melbourne.  Reasonably priced and close to Greville St.

This is a new woodfired authentic pizza place. The mushroom pizza and carbonara was delicious! The stand out was the mussels we got for entree they were incredible! It was also great service and it’s byo for free which is a plus! Only deducted half a point for ambience, I think because it’s new not many people know about it yet and maybe the lighting needed to be a bit softer... but overall amazing authentic Italian food and will definitely be back!

Wow! Amazing pizza (especially the Contadina - woodfired eggplant, capsicum and zucchini) and beautiful pasta (can recommend the carbonara - made with crispy pancetta) 👌🏻 Such hospitable service too, if you're in the mood for some authentic Italian, give this place a try! I'll definitely be back soon.

Really authentic Italian food, the pizza reminded me of my time in Italy. It's great to see these guys doing the basics so well. I think this will become my local favourite if the standard is maintained.