Cibo

My baby shower brunch/unch took place at CIBO in July. If you are looking for great food, great staff and a great place for an event, this place did it all. It impressed all who attended and really made it a great day. Here are a few examples of what to expect at CIBO:

- staff: since I was opening gifts, I didn't have a chance to enjoy the wonderful desserts. The waiter must have noticed this because after all was said and done, he came over to me to make sure I got dessert and was able to enjoy it! I thought it was just me (given I was the focus of the party) but nearly everyone - from my picky NYC-based foodie friend to my elderly grandmother, said they felt so taken care of by the staff.
-menu: my mother spent a lot of time looking for a restaurant to meet our needs in NYC which is never easy (party size, times, menus, etc). The staff worked with her on all details, accommodating and suggesting just the perfect touches and the perfect menu options!
-location: parking was easy, given location, with garages nearby and great for folks coming in from LI (only a few blocks from the midtown tunnel) and easy for subways/trains (Grand Central for WestChester trains and subways nearby).
- other: the bar was a great spot for some of the husbands, boyfriends, etc. who had to come and go. They could watch the yankee game, have a drink and the bar area was perfect for that.

Try CIBO! Great spot!

Posted 09/01/08

Very disappointed in the service and the food. The waiter checked on us only three times, randomly placed plates on table, didn't announce what the food was or ask who had it just place it and we had to sort the hot plates while the waiter watched. Our bill was nearly $400 yet not worth $50. Despite the fact that we ordered dessert with our entrees, we still had to wait 20 minutes. My creme brulee was only custard no brulee as they forgot to finish it. Even though it was busy, the service was unacceptable and below par. Would never eat there nor would i recommend it to anyone.

Posted 12/24/07

I have eaten at Cibo many times and every single visit has been incredible. The prix-fixe menu is one of the best values in the city, and it changes slightly each season to reflect a new sauce or flavor. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating, from the host to the bartender to each server I have had. I have been here for business lunches, group dinners, and romantic evening with my husband and it never disappoints. The scallops have great flavor, and the flourless chocolate souflee is pure heaven. Check out this hidden gem!

Pros: Value, taste, service

Cons: quiet neighborhood

Posted 05/30/07

This is one of the worst meals I have had in a long time. We dined at Cibo yesterday afternoon and it was a terrible experience. The service and the food were both poor. I ordered a pre fixe lunch - a salad for an appetizer and angel hair pasta for the main course. When our main courses arrived, I asked the server why I never received the appetizer. Oops. The waitress then explained that the kitchen forgot, as if it isn't the waitress's responsibility to ensure that her customers receive each of the courses that they order. The pasta was undercooked, and well below average. Cibo managed to screw up a simple dish. While it was a business lunch and I wasn't concerned about price, on principle, when a restaurant forgets a course in a pre fixe, there should be some sort of discount or other remedy. Not at Cibo. Most diners offer better service than this, and given that Cibo sells itself to be relatively upscale, such service was unacceptable. Will never eat there again.

Pros: No wait despite lack of reservations - although that may very well be due to the cons.

Cons: Pasta was undercooked, service was poor

Posted 03/14/07

Anytime I have a lunch appointment for business near the Grand Central area, I always recommend Cibo. The unfailing service and excellent quality of their dishes always impresses my guests. It's a neighborhood favorite and a fresh change to dining at overpriced Grand Central restaturants.
The butternut ssquash soup is a fav this time of year and I love the seasonal changes to the menu.

Posted 12/03/06

By far the most below average meal I have ever been a part of. Wilted lettuce, bulky balsamic and braised short ribs, sans bones for 36$!! Ladies and Gentlemen, do yourselves a favor and steer clear of here. Please discard the ridiculous rave reviews and tear page 68 out of your 2006 Zagat.

Posted 10/07/06

This is a wonderful restaurant - great food, fantastic friendly service, variety of dishes on the menu. I particularly enjoy the Prix Fixe which provides a selection of 6-8 appetizers, 6-8 main courses and I always have trouble deciding between the rich chocolate souffle and the peach cobbler. The decor is attractive and classic, but it is the food and service that really stands out.

Posted 09/25/06

Great food, great service and great decor. If you want ultra-private, ultra-romantic request a booth. The service is knowledegable, friendly and very accomadating while the food was delicious and the wine was even better!

I highly recommend making the trip.

Pros: cuisine, wine, service

Cons: location

Posted 03/05/06

I'm so glad I live only a short cab ride from Cibo. It's the perfect place for my business lunch meetings and getting together with my friends. This is the only sane oasis I've found just block's from Grand Central.
The kitchen is consistently on the money - I've yet to have a bad meal there. One time my pork chop was a little underdone and it was just a few minutes before I was tearing into it again. The prices are tame by NYC standards and I'm a big fan of whatever they're offering by the glass, for wine. Very comfortable and chic, too.

Pros: spacious, good value, consistent

Cons: no after theater

Posted 01/13/06

I was recently at cibo for a holiday corporate event and I was amazed with how wonderful everything was. It inspired me to return a few weeks later and I was again thoroughly impressed.

Pros: great food, great service, cordial atmosphere

Posted 01/06/06

Called for reservation for 5 - got there on time, no reservation noted = no table ready!
Salads were wilted and brown - Pastas were ice cold - pre-cooked and microwaved and all the dinners were served lukewarm, including supposedly fresh fish. The service was terrible and the only one working hard was the busboy serving water. Very disappointing and an expensive mistake to go here.

Cons: area needs restaurant, location

Posted 10/20/05

i cant figure how this one got a 9.3 rating! total tourist trap, way way over price for its value, microwave quality food, cutleries and plates are blurry and somewhat not restaurant caliber. old and tired!

Posted 07/18/05

This is my favorite restaurant in NYC. The service and food are superb. Equally capable of handling dinner for two, a large party of 10 or more, or, they will close for a private party. Their menu changes seasonally and is excellent. Try the mussels, sliced Burrata mozzerella salad, any fish dish (especially the soft shell crabs, my favorite), all the desserts. A very good price fixe, for lunch and dinner. Brunch is great, includes many items from their regular menu, and is a very good value. Try it--these people will make you feel truly cared for.

Pros: Moderate prices, Excellent food, Attentive wait staff

Cons: None

Posted 06/01/05

The place was so snotty, too expensive and It was Valentines day to boot! The food had to taste for how much money I paid!

Posted 02/17/05

Lets face it, there are few restaurants in the 40s on the East side, with many bad places. This place is one of the few places where I know I will be happy with my meal. I have been to Cibo numerous times, even on Thanksgiving one time and have always been satisfied overall. No the service is not like a 5 star French restaurant, but it is average. One time the air conditioning was blowing right on our table, making it uncomfortable and they took care of the problem. Between myself and everyone I have taken to this restaurant, we have never had a bad dish.

Pros: Consistent, Cozy Place

Posted 07/28/04

Having eaten there a number of times in the past, I recommended it confidently and took a party of 12 clients. Dinner, service was fine but unfortunately, we were in a corner which was quite overheated. My clients were sweating, mopping their brows, etc. One of the wait staff enthusiastically agreed that it was indeed quite hot at our table. No attempt was made to adjust the heat. Afterward, the senior member of the party provided his Diner's card to pay the check and was advised 'we don't take Diner's over $500'. This is especially annoying as acceptance of Diner's was one criteria for selecting Cibo. Guess they would have been happier if we gave them 12 Diner's cards and told them to split the check 12 ways. I won't return or recommend the restaurant again.

Posted 02/04/04

I had visitors from out of town and all 11 of us went to Cibo for Saturday brunch. There was no one at the door greeting us to start with and the waiter didn't seemed to care about us at all. The waiter didn't ask if we wanted anything to drink until 20 mins after we got seated and he never came back to explain why the food didn't come out for another hour. I understand that preparing food for 11 people can take some time but, we would've appreciated some attention. Letting the costomers know what's going on and be attentive is one of the basic things a restaurant should offer.

Posted 05/31/03

Best restaurant in the neighborhood. Always good. The menu is seasonal, which makes me confident you're dealing with a "real" kitchen. The service is proficient and equally "real". I'm especially impressed with the gorgeous decor: fresh cherry blossoms, abundant flowers and candles on the tables. What's not to like?

Pros: best in neighborhood, real kitchen, friendly atmosphere

Posted 03/04/03

I have been at cibo for lunch in Feb 2002 and I wasn't really crazy about the food. I had the rugula salad and the rib-eye steak, which were both very plain and not exciting at all. However, the pana cotta was great. Overall, not a good value.

Posted 02/25/03

The Prix Fixe is an unbelievable deal and the food is great no matter what you order - the wine list could be better - but there is something to suit most palates. The atmosphere is where CIBO really wins - it has a very stuylish bar in the back and a cozy dining room to the left as you enter and a more expansive room to the right... the decor is tasteful but trendy... you feel as if you are at a much more expensive restaurant... only downer is it is occasionally closed for private parties.

Pros: value, great atmosphere, food

Cons: wine list, random closings

Posted 01/21/03

The brunch, which begins at 11:30am, was delightful. The prix fixe and a la carte menus had appealing options and the service was attentive. Of particular note was the Maitre D', who treated me and my party of 20-somethings with as much respect as the older customers, which seems to be rare at some of the "finer" restaurants in town. The atmosphere was quite sophisticated, simple yet elegant and not too stuffy. I look forward to going back for brunch and trying it out for dinner sometime.

Pros: great brunch, good find in area

Posted 01/19/03

2nd Ave and 41st is not an area bustling with fine restaurants, but this is a destination, not just a "happen upon". Any salad with seafood in it is worth a trip from California! And they are one of the (very) few restaurants in the city who actually know how to prepare duck properly and know the main ingredient in a crab cake is about 80% crab! The service is consistently superb- they are casual, but smooth in delivery and attention to detail. Go out of your way for this one and let's hope for CIBO II in the future. They got it right. Oh- and their bar is even more of a treasure- large enogh to be comfortable, but not a loud scene. great for singles or a group.

Pros: superb cuisine, stellar service, perfect atmosphere

Posted 10/27/02

We enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service. Going back very soon.

Posted 08/22/02

You will not be disappointed! The 5 of us ate off of the Prix Fixe menu and were completely satified. Attentive, knowledgable wait staff. Extensive menu choices. Fantastic confection creations. We chilled, were filled and thrilled with our dining experience. Will definitely go back.

Pros: Prix fixe, Extensive menu

Posted 08/19/02