Cielo Restaurant — Restaurant in Sanibel

Edited with update in summer of 2022 (and bumped to 5 stars):

We visited in the summer of 2021 (see review below) and enjoyed Cielo enough we came back a year later. The ambiance continues to be incredible. From the building, the art, the colors, and the live piano music, it is exquisite. We had 7:15 reservations and a party of three, including our 10-year-old son. The food was amazing. We started with two cups of mushroom bisque and their soup of the day (something white bean and sage sausage). We also got the caprese salad and a Caesar salad. Both were good; however, I probably wouldn't order the Caesar salad again. For dinner, our son got the kids' pasta with red sauce and a meatball. He loved it. His meal also came with a small sundae, which he devoured. For the adults, we got the burrata ravioli with beef (a special), and I got the margarita pappardalle. All entrees were exquisitely made.

Our waiter, Matthew, was also a delight. Well informed, engaging, and fun!

My biggest critique is regarding their drink menu. Their slogan includes "fun drinks" but their menu only includes six options. Of course, they have a full bar, so you can order whatever you want, but I would expect, and enjoy, more options.

Review in the summer of 2021: First, the ambiance at Cielo's is awesome. Brand new building, pianist, beautiful furniture and lighting, etc. Bravo! Second, our server Irma was a delight. She was helpful, kind and attentive. The food was also good. We had the corn chowder, crispy ribs, filet, lamb and creme brulee. Both our filet and lamb was overcooked but we didn't say anything (I am sure they would have fixed it). I thought the food was a solid 3+ (close to 4) mostly because I thought it lacked some flavor (even the dessert). However, you could tell that it was high quality food. From a drinks perspective, I ended up getting the Aquarius and it was delish!!!! My biggest disappointment was the drink selection. We were only given six cocktails to choose from which was confusing when the slogan for the restaurant is "fun drinks". I would have expected a bigger selection. Maybe we didn't get the full list? All in all, we would give it a 4....

We have been to Cielo over five times because the food is always incredible—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. This time, we were especially excited because we were bringing our friends with us, raving about how much we love this place. Unfortunately, our experience was completely ruined by our waitress, Irma. From the start, Irma was rude, inattentive, and completely unprofessional. She barely acknowledged us, took forever to bring our drinks, and when we asked questions about the menu, she gave short, dismissive answers as if she didn’t want to be bothered. Throughout the meal, Irma never once checked on us, and we had to ask other waiters for help just to get basic things like extra silverware. It became clear that our table wasn’t the only one experiencing this issue, as we noticed other guests also struggling to get her attention. What made it even worse was that Irma actively avoided us—at one point, we literally watched her walk around a column just to avoid us flagging her down. Water was never refilled after the first round, and despite multiple attempts to get service, my friend had to stand up and serve water for the entire table because no one came to check on us. When we finally decided to order dessert, we had to ask another waiter, and instead of being helpful, she responded in a very dismissive and condescending tone, telling us we had been doing that all evening—as if asking for basic service was a burden. To make matters even more frustrating, when we first arrived, the restaurant was not even full, yet service was already lacking. By the time we left, the place was packed, and it was clear that the poor service had nothing to do with being overwhelmed—it was just a complete lack of professionalism. When we brought our concerns to the front desk, the person we spoke with was just as dismissive as Irma. Instead of acknowledging our experience, he simply shrugged and said, "Oh, that’s weird, she’s my best server." No apology, no effort to make things right—just an excuse. It’s a shame because we truly love the food at Cielo, but after this experience, it’s hard to justify returning if this is how customers...

UPDATE:Went back again today for dinner This is a MUST DO while on Sanibel! 3/18/21 took my parents for a dinner there with us. Everything was exceptionally good. Calamari, tuna nachos, sea bass, filets, and the red snapper on special. Service was superb and well paced. I don't believe the 1 star reviews below. Looks like a bunch of people from the same group posting similar reviews to hurt this restaurant's score because they didn't care to respect the establishment's rules during covid. 3/7/20. In the two years since we have been there they renovated and it is absolutely beautiful. Tables and chairs are very comfortable. Piano is even better. Food was great. Even better than the last time. Had red fish on special and the squid ink and egg lobster ravioli. Both were absolutely fantastic. Also had the calamari and wagyu meatballs to start. I would have the calamari over and over again. I would not have the meatballs. We were pretty underwhelmed by the service we received from Terry. Seemed rude and was incredibly inattentive. Never asked if we would like another drink. We had to ask for water three times, despite her being next to us at other tables. We considered leaving before dessert, but we did enjoy the sundae. We would have updated the score to 5 stars if not for her.

Nice happy hour specials in the lounge. We enjoyed our meals (veal masala, scallops) our appetizers were risotto and ahi tuna. Loved the risotto, but didn't feel the tuna was very good. The meat looked oxidized and overly chopped. Not enough wonton crisps to eat all of it. We had the key lime trio for dessert. Tasted great. Felt it could have had larger portion sizes. Service was wonderful. Piano was wonderful. A fee tweaks would make it a perfect 5 starts, but I think we would go...