Cibo — Restaurant in Portland

This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. I finally went into the restaurant after hearing about it for so long and every single time I’ve been here, I’ve had the most exquisite food with ample portions and the most satiating flavors of Italian food and wine that you could get in Portland. It is comfort food at its finest with the best local ingredients and everything is off The chart delicious. I’ve had the pizza, I’ve had pasta, and I’ve had steak twice. Everything is delicious and I can’t get enough of it. The decanting of the wine, the sides to the bread with olives and oil/vinegar. Every single thing I eat, seems to be at the highest level of ingredients with a lot of attention to detail put into everything.

The vibe of the place with the uplifting atmosphere, the decor and the righteously amazing vibes of Chrissie the head bartender…makes me keep coming back for birthdays and special occasions. I actually don’t eat out very much with fast food or takeout because I save my money for this place. I can spend $20 at Taco Bell or I could spend $20 here and usually go home very full with leftovers. The staff is always checking up on me and my guests. Everybody is really kind and engaging. Whenever I sit at the bar other people that are there we have a nice talk usually about the food and the restaurant. It just is a very inviting open comfortable and delicious comfort food kind of place. If you drink wine, ask Chrissie. I’m not a wine drinker yet. Every time I go to Cibo I end up drinking wine! She knows.

Chrissie can make the most delicious concoctions and she literally looks like she’s creating something magical when she comes up with something new. Her cocktails are on point yet she’s always innovating her craft. Attention to detail for every single drink. The best recommendations for what they have that night. She informed me that they bake their bread fresh every day. Foods are sourced locally and every single dish makes me want more. I’m trying to get some variety in what I order yet. The steak does it for me every time. The pizza is the best I’ve had in town and sooooo good. I’m very picky about pizza as it’s my favorite food yet this crust and the delicious cheese and greens and everything they put into their pizza is so tasty.

If the Italians that I know in my community, make this a regular spot, then I also know it’s good! It’s authentic righteously on point delicious food every single time I go. All my people come with me to this restaurant for special occasions. Do yourself a favor and visit Cibo! If somebody’s coming in from out of town… Take them to Cibo! To celebrate my children’s accomplishments, I take them to Cibo! I already have two reservation reservations for the first week of January and I went there last night. It’s this good!

A lot of people post pictures of the food there and I’ve had every dish that I’ve seen online… But what means the most to me about this place is the whole experience of bringing My special people here to experience, uplifting vibes, delicious and exquisite food, the most incredible drinks, and an atmosphere that takes us out of our daily life and gives us such joy and pleasure to experience. Seriously. Just eat here once and...

This was our first, and possibly will be our only time to try out Cibo. The food was generally delicious with a few small hits. My dings are very "food snobbish" but for the price you pay for the dishes, I think those expectations aren't unwarranted.

First the really good: most of the flavors were great. The contorni we had (polenta sticks and brussels sprouts) were mostly tasty, the caesar salad was good, and the flavors of the Napoletana pizza (basically puttanesca without the heat) were on point. We very much enjoyed the after dinner dolce flight (ports, dessert wines, and etc.) afterward. I haven't have every single Negroni in Portland yet, but Cibo's is the best one I've had so far. In fact, all of our cocktails were really good. We also had the pear hot toddy and the penicillin.

Next, the OK: the atmosphere was pretty chill, our conversation flowed easily and the service was attentive but not intrusive. There weren't any condiments on the table, so we asked for salt and were offered Parmesan and red pepper flakes with the pizza. The salt came in the form of a diner shaker of table salt. For bumping up a dish after it's cooked, I prefer a little chunkier grain salt. (Here's where the food snobbery comes in.) Having to shake a tiny diner shaker of table salt into my hand so that I can actually see how much I'm adding to my dish in dinner-level lighting is awkward and a little frustrating.

Finally, the stuff that wasn't so great: the polenta sticks were wonderfully textured and comfortingly toasty, but were incredibly bland. Because the sticks were so piping hot and crispy/creamy, using the accompanying ice cold tomato sauce didn't really work well. Even if the sauce made up in flavor what the sticks lacked, the drastic difference in temperature made it hard for me to taste anything at all. The pizza was indeed delicious, but the center was soggy and the crust could not hold up to being lifted. This is a thin crust, but even thin crusts fired in a brick oven can usually hold up to being lifted, rather than hanging limp/falling apart. The crust at the outer edge was perfect. Other folks at my table enjoyed the brussels sprouts. Again, the flavor was on point, but they were cooked so thoroughly that they were mush. I could've mashed them into a paste with my fork.

In general, we enjoyed our dinner at Cibo. The small little off details will not keep me from coming back should another group happening occur there, but there's too much competition in Portland that gets these kinds of details dialed in for me to seek...

Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5

FWIW: They open at 5PM daily. Parking is limited but there is usually a spot open along the adjacent streets. Indoor, outdoor and bar seating options available. It does tend to get busy so a reservation for a group of 5+ (their minimum for reservations) is highly encouraged!

I’ve visited Cibo’s three times now - once for take out and the other two times to dine in. Each time I’ve left VERY satisfied with both the service and food.

This place is a great balance between casual and fine dining with no compromise on quality. The later you get into the night the more lavish the environment becomes - table lit candles and all!

The food itself was creative and well thought out with a variety of options depending on your preference.

We opted for the Calzone (which was HUGE!), the house pepperoni pizza (their menu says it’s “not your usual pepperoni” and they mean it in the best way!), the wild mushroom ravioli, and polenta fries (don’t knock it ‘til you try it!).

All in all, each of these dishes stand out in their own way! In general, the PORTIONS ARE LARGE enough to feed 2 people and still have leftovers to take home or they can be stretched to a group of 4 depending on how hungry everyone is!

The service was better than most places I’ve visited around the area but I wouldn’t say it was “flawless” (that’s OKAY!). The hosts, bartenders and servers were all pretty well versed in the menu items and provided a warm experience all around. Their dinner time rush is when these skills are truly put to the test. Understandably, the service declines depending on how busy and staffed they are but I WOULD NOT say it was unpleasant by any means.

You don’t get the same “red carpet” treatment you’d get at a similarly styled fine dining restaurant but IT WORKS. Like I mentioned, they find a way to toe the line between casual and fine dining seamlessly!

Overall, a great spot if you’re looking for a place to take your partner when you’re looking for a nice dinner without the kids (if you have any). I’d also recommend it for a first date. Honestly, even a nice solo evening meal would be enjoyable here! GIVE IT A TRY, YOU WILL NOT BE...