Biagio's Bistro is a cute place. The food is average, though the desserts were fantastic. Service was hit and miss. We came here before a show at Ludlow Garage. The 6 pm reservation was perfect. We finished our meal in plenty of time. The place was pretty empty when we arrived. It was maybe half full by the time we left, which was @ 7 pm. The bread, as many have stated, is pretty blah. Thankfully, the butter in the tiny little container was room temperature and spread easily. Our server promised us plates for the bread... twice. Plates for the bread were never brought to the table. Two of us ordered Penne Boscaiola - Homemade penne pasta folded in a tomato meat sauce with mushrooms, peas, and a touch of cream. Mark had Pesto Pasta - Fettuccini pasta sauteed with garlic, Parmesan, fresh basil, olite oil, and a touch of cream w/ Chicken. All servings were large. Had we not been going to a show we could have had a second meal at home with the leftovers. Mark and I started with Tomato Basil (House Specialty) - Creamed tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream. It was a nice serving and it was delicious. Julie had Greek Salad - Romain lettuce, black and green olives, croutons and tomatoes topped with crumbled feta cheese. Served with olive oil and red wine vinegar. She said it was good and fresh. The Penne Boscaiola was okay. It was a bit bland. I found the peas to have a skosh too much crunch for my taste. The mushrooms, and I love mushrooms, seemed overwhelming? I know, it's weird. They were slightly rubbery in pieces that were larger than needed. The mushrooms required plenty of chewing. Mark thought the Pesto Pasta was good. He did clear his plate. There's something to be said about that. Mark and I both had Tiramisu for dessert. It was delicious. It had a very light, boozy flavor though I'm sure it didn't contain any alcohol. Our third got a piece of banana cream pie. It was large. Thankfully she wasn't able to finish it so I got a solid taste. It was phenomenal! It was SO creamy! A tiny bite would explode in my mouth and fill it with the intensely creamy banana flavor. The mouthfeel was extraordinary. The server didn't ask how to split the bill. As a result we needed to wait until she separated out the meals, by hand, and rang us up (two bills instead of one) while we waited. I don't think we'd go back. read more

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This was a very charming Italian restaurant. The service was incredible, they were truly on top of everything from the moment we walked in. We came on Valentine's Day and were not disappointed one bit. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with classic Italian music playing softly in the background, which made the whole experience feel romantic and authentic. The portions were a very good size, generous without being overwhelming. I only wish I had saved room for dessert because every single option looked amazing. You could tell everything was made with love and prepared fresh to order. Watching the food being made right in front of you just added to the experience and made it feel even more special. 10/10 I would absolutely come back just for this restaurant alone. read more

Biagio's Bistro - Chicken Alfredo and Pesto Pasta - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

EXCELLENT Italian! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with the warm, inviting, smells of garlic and sauce. I had the pesto pasta with chicken and a Greek salad. The garlic Goodness. Your Nona would be proud. Definitely recommended! read more

Biagio's Bistro - Greek Salad - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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It's a small location on Ludlow that's easy walking distance from the Esquire. After our movie, we stopped in to eat and discuss. Service was a little lackluster initially. Our server was nice when she arrived, though. The food was fine but nothing special. I found the Alfredo to be particularly bland. read more

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A lovely Italian Bistro; charming, romantic and elegant vibe, just the right touch of sophistication. Beautiful decor. Italian music playing very softly. Family run, homemade pasta! Open kitchen front and center and the sizzle of olive oil and scent of garlic really stimulate the senses and get your appetite honed. Then comes the wonderful food to delight the tastebuds. It's truly a bistro; the menu is small, but the recipes and methods are perfect, and the food comes quickly. It is a joy to watch the chef in action with multiple burners in operation. The prices are very reasonable especially considering the included soup or salad, and the entree portions are not skimpy! We both got Italian Wedding soup and they give you a generous bowlful. It was full of tender little meatballs and very comforting and tasty. My husband had the chicken fettuccine alfredo...so flavorful and a perfect sauce, not too heavy, and loved the chopped green onion mixed in. Yes I had a couple forkfuls. I had the delectable chicken salad, some of the best ever; the inclusion of grapes really elevates the flavor. Pro tip: get this on a hero roll (a/k/a hoagie bun). This was toasted and I really liked the lettuce and tomato on the side so I could build it myself. Desserts! SAVE ROOM or take one home. Chocolate cream pie was a mile high, delicate chocolate crumbs atop an amazingly creamy whip, just sweet enough. I took a slice of Limoncello Torte home and we also got an order of Penne Bosciola to go to share tomorrow. The pasta is penne rigate and also homemade. There's a parking lot behind the buildings on the opposite side of the street so prepare to walk a bit as the likelihood of finding a spot on the street is slim to none. But I'd walk a mile (or drive 100) to eat here. Delicioso! read more

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Meh. I've lived in Clifton for 13 years and have only been here twice for a reason. The first time was years ago when a server messed up the tip I gave and double-tipped themselves. The management straightened it out the next day, but I remember telling myself I wouldn't go back. Fast forward to 2025 and I let a friend talk me into going again. This was disappointing from start to finish. We seated ourselves in a window seat on a really slow Thursday afternoon/evening, and it took our server a strangely long time to come to the table after we received water. I normally might not notice, but the place was kinda dead, so it was weird. When the server finally comes to the table she looks at us and says, "Been waiting long? So do you want a drink?" I was stunned. No, "hi, welcome to Biaggio's, my name is Susie-Q. Have you dined with us before? Would you like to hear our specials? Is this your first time?" Nada. None of the customary niceties you expect when heading out to eat. We weren't very hungry, just peckish, and had decided to split an appetizer and get some soup before walking the neighborhood. Apparently this was an issue for our server who said, "You're not gonna get an entree?" after we ordered. If disdain had a tone, she absolutely used it. We politely declined as I ordered from my dirty menu (there were bits of someone else's food smeared across the top) and settled in. The meal was just so-so: * there's nothing special about the bread, just run of the mill small slices * there's nothing special about the butter, just margarine in cheap little plastic packets * the pasta pearls in the soup were overcooked (they'd clearly been sitting in a broth all day) * the spinach artichoke dip had a mealy texture (like the proportions of mayo/cream cheese/asiago were either off or a cheap brand of something was used because it didn't melt completely/properly) and there was an overly-brine-y taste (like they use canned artichokes). Our server "forgot" to bring us the olive oil and balsamic we requested when the bread was first served, and rarely spoke directly to us. Anything we asked for she'd walk away from the table and respond with her back turned as she walked away. At one point she said, "Oh, you could have had him bring you that," in reference to the oil and vinegar we'd requested that she'd promptly forgotten (another server had just dropped off our soups and we asked for our server so we could get the old and vinegar to go with the bread). When it was finally time to leave, our server FINALLY tried to strike up a conversation with us...on our way out the door. Nobody wants to talk to you about the weather after you've spent the past 30-40 minutes behaving like it's a hassle to serve them on a slow night. Who knows? Maybe being in our workout clothes wasn't reflective of the clientele they wish to serve, but I've walked by this establishment 2-3 times a day almost every day for more than a decade and seen plenty of people NOT turning up in their Sunday best. Who knows? Maybe we didn't have a big enough ticket for her to care about good customer service? Perhaps she could SENSE her tip would be generous, so why bother with good service? I tipped exactly 11% at the end of the meal and my friend was appalled. Being Black I felt the pressure to leave SOMEthing, even if it wasn't deserved, because I didn't want to contribute to her treating the next Black folks in her section some kind of way. All in all, I walked away happy we only spent $25 and realizing I'd have been better off getting a can of Campbell's Italian wedding soup, making my own spinach artichoke dip, and snagging some artisan ciabatta bread from the grocery store. Or just going to Arlin's for a burger and fries. Either way...meh. read more

Still thinking about their delicious chicken scallopini dish. It was amazing. Great, quaint restaurant in Ludlow, close to UC's campus. Surrounding neighborhood is beautiful and interesting, too. read more

Biagio's Bistro - Exterior - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I had lunch here the other day. It was great!! I will give a slight warning, if you do not love garlic, do not order the artichoke dip. If you do, it's amazing! I had that and the tomato basil soup. Both were fantastic. The service could not have been any better! Can't wait to go bank for dinner! I am usually a big food photo person, but I only grabbed this one photo half way through my dessert. The tiramisu was really good! read more

Biagio's Bistro - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Pasta was great. Generous portions. Only complaint was the bread service was interesting for an Italian restaurant the bread wasn't great like day old Italian. Also served with butter was expecting evoo. My only complaint kind of seemed odd. Why 4 not 5 stars. Pasta was killer tho. read more

I don't even know where to start with this. It genuinely pains me to leave bad reviews, especially during rough financial times and both my partner and I having worked in food service. But our experience was so bad, and seeing others who've had similar experiences, I am extremely confused by all the good reviews. We came here because of all the rave reviews. We were a bit perplexed by the ambiance (feels more like a diner) but willing to give it a shot. They were understaffed so we gave a lot of grace to the slow service. We could see that the person cooking and the female server were very busy and constantly working while the male server seemed to be on some type of substance that made him pace around mumbling, but not really helping. At one point he made a very strange comment to us. Every thing we ate was either very average or worse. Other reviews talked about how the bread was cold and did not taste fresh or homemade. I would agree with this. The butter packets were warm, practically melted, and the bread was stale and cold. The artichoke dip was more like oily cheesy garlic dip with a hint of artichoke. The soups were probably the best part of the meal, but still disappointing. I had the special, which was extremely bland and the steak very overcooked. My partner had one of the pasta dishes that the server said was the owners recipe. Neither of us ate even half the meal. Nobody asked us how our food was or even checked on us until the very end. We waited long time to pay and eventually went up to the front to pay so we could leave. Again, understand that they are understaffed but this all rolls together into a disappointing experience that does not call for another return. read more

Food was so very good, I'm craving that tomato soup with the shredded parm on top right now! And the crème brûlée (yay!!!)! Service was speedy and that worked well for us. We're glad to have found this bistro, a nice warm cozy spot on a cold blustery Friday night. Thank you!! read more

I used Yelp to find an Italian restaurant that I hadn't been to before, and I certainly agree with the numerous 5-star reviews. We chose to sit in the booth at the front, but there are two dining rooms, as well as high tops that look into the open kitchen, where the magic happens. We both started with a nice Caesar salad, although garlic croutons would have been a welcome replacement for the plain dried bread cubes. They were nicely crunchy, though. A plate of chewy Italian bread with butter (nicely soft) accompanied the meal. My date had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, with a cream-heavy sauce. I had the chicken scaloppini, which was nicely poached in a mushroom white wine sauce, served over fettuccine (homemade). We both took some home, so she could have crème brûlée, and I had limoncello torte. Both of us were happy with our choices from the well-stocked dessert cooler. read more

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Food was incredible. Had the Shrimp Fettuccini but started with the Italian Wedding Soup. I love Italian wedding soup and this was one of the best ones I've ever had. The service was extremely attentive and personable. The restaurant was quiet and a good temperature. Amazing experience! read more

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Generous servings, given the price, a friendly proprietor, Owner cooking on burners right in front of you and participation in witty repartee read more

Food was amazing. Top notch service , extremely attentive.. Ambiance was intimate, old world.

We had a great meal at Biagio's Bistro last night. The portions were very large and the food was served hot. It was a very nice atmosphere for a Saturday night. We will return. read more

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Biagio's never disappoints. Shared dinner there this weekend with friends who never knew Biagio's existed. Wonderful experience. Romantic, quiet'ish, service outstanding, food absolutely delicious (and at a very reasonable price point). Yes, we will return, along with our friends. Anxious to try some of their homemade desserts. read more

This was a fantastic little bistro we found in the Ludlow region of Cincinnati. While they have a more elaborate dinner menu we were there for lunch and while the menu is smaller there are still plenty of great options. We started with an appetizer of Artichoke Dip. It artichokes blended with garlic and topped with parmesan cheese. It is baked and served with pita pieces. It was one my favourite dips of it's kind that I've ever had and was a super delicious appetizer. For my main course I tried their Chicken Alfredo which was a basic version with fettuccine, chicken, with the cream sauce and of course topped with Parm. A very good version of Alfredo that was fairly easy on the wallet too. The restaurant was very spiffy looking; kind of smallish but very classy. Our service was excellent and when you put it all together it was a tremendous visit. read more

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hidden gem..... we are so lucky to have this great place. Everything cooked right in front of you. when you walk in it's like a smack in the face aroma. read more

I wish this place was good. It's cute, they make their own pasta, and they cook it right there. Except it's not. We got the "most popular dish" which was essentially a carbonara of sorts. My husband got a seafood pasta. It was the very definition of meh. Pasta was no better than dried, sauce was lacking, seafood was murdered in the pan. Our bill was about $80 with tip and a drink apiece. I took mine home because it was expensive but it wasn't even worth eating the next day. I really wanted to like this place. Olive Garden would've been a better choice. read more

I've eaten here a few times and each experience is different. Whether it be the taste of the food or the quality of the service. It all depends on who's cooking or the server you get. It's a quaint bistro and a great location, but people don't care about that. They want good food. The meals are cooked in front, not behind walls in a kitchen. That being said, they need to think about appearances. The "chef" uses the same pair of tongs for every dish!! Huge red flag for me as a former restaurant manager. Nothing is measured, so you might get a lot of mushrooms or garlic in one dish and not so much in another. Jugs of milk and cream are on the counter for the "Alfredo" and that isn't measured either. My biggest complaint is the Parmesan cheese that tops every dish. It's in a Kraft container with the label peeled off. The green cap is a dead give away...so not even fresh parm on the dishes. The food is decent, but the inconsistency makes it a restaurant I'll go to sporadically rather than regularly. read more

This place is fabulous ! Reminds me of being in Europe -food , ambience and service!! All wonderful!!! I always get the filet special and whatever pasta it comes with! read more

Went for dinner with my mother, amazing atmosphere, food, and service! Smaller menu but great options!! Highly recommend.

Delicious food! The friendliest staff. Generous portions. My first cannoli was amazing!!!

It's a nice looking place and it's bigger than I expected. It was odd because the guy doing the cooking took the first table, added an office chair, his laptop, half eaten banana, and several styrofoam cups, and sat there almost the entire time except when he had to get up to make our food. The service was good. The food reminded me of the pasta bar at the Marriot. Not terrible, but definitely not a $20 pasta dish. Especially since it was topped with the good Parmesan. You know, the one in the round canister with the green lid. Haha It's probably a good spot for neighborhood regulars but I wouldn't go out of my way again. read more

Lasagna (available on Fridays, not sure about other days) was delicious, cream of tomato soup was very tasty also. Chicken Alfredo was very good too. read more

Everything here is top notch! Great food, great service and cozy ! Also the homemade desserts and to die for. Truly one of my go to's. You'll love it ! read more

I cannot believe as often as I am in Clifton I just discovered this place. Very reasonable prices, Biagio does all the cooking and the barramundi was delicious. I will be back for sure! read more

Came here for my first date 5 years ago and just returned. The staff was incredible and the food was delicious. We enjoyed a chicken dish with a glass of wine and salad. We can tell the chef takes pride in his work due to the burst of various flavors in every bite. With the extra touch of freshly ground pepper and cheese, you cannot go wrong. We finished the night with an in house made banana cream pie which has turned into our new favorite dessert. Don't miss this place read more

Biagio's Bistro - Chicken Scaloppini - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Decent food, nothing outstanding in appetizers, entrees and desserts. Low rating due to v poor table service and v low energy of wait staff. (They kinda look miserable.) The collection of used dishes, glasses, empty bottles on the table when we finished was impressive! But not in a good way. read more

Food and service were both great. Our whole group was very happy with our pre-concert family dinner.

It took me awhile to get here but a friend recommended it. He also said the pies were some of the best he'd ever had. Went here and it was not disappointed! I had the special the day which was a sea bass with gnocchi in a white sauce. Was very delicious! My friend had the pesto pasta which she said was okay. But I think this place still deserves five stars because my dish was amazing, the service was great, and overall the pies were some of the best I've ever had. Literally, the banana cream pie was the best. Sorry grandma, someone has a better pie than you. But that's okay because that just means the world keeps getting better! We went on a Wednesday night and it wasn't too busy. Overall it was very cute and romantic and definitely a place to go to again! read more

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This restaurant seemed to be a re-creation of an Italian bistro in every way -- it has a limited menu, but what the restaurant offers, it excels at. The appetizer, an artichoke dip, was a tribute to Parmesan cheese and garlic. The tomato basil soup was exemplary -- so much that I was pretty full by the time the main dish arrived -- but definitely found room for it. All the pasta was home-made -- thick, fresh, and held the homemade sauce well. I had one of the daily specials -- fish and pasta -- and the fish was fresh and well-cooked. Plus a great intimate atmosphere. The service was excellent -- we were a large group and the waiters and waitresses went out of their way to help. All in all, a wonderful full dining experience!! read more

The best local Italian I've had in a long time. I'm from here and our go-to has to be Biagio's Bistro for quiet, perfectly prepared pasta. Chef's Kiss! read more

We tried this place in a Friday night and were expecting a wait, but even though it was busy we were able to get a table right away. Service was prompt and speedy. What I loved most about the experience was the restaurant ambiance! It felt very cozy and homey as if I were coming to a family dinner. I ordered the chicken scallopini and my fiancé ordered the pesto chicken pasta. Portion sizes were perfect and flavor was great! It was a fun bonus that we could watch Biagio cook our meals right next to us. Of course, we can't forget the wine or the desserts! There was a great selection of wine and pricing was incredibly reasonable - probably the cheapest glass in the city, but without sacrificing quality. We took dessert to go because we were too full at the end of our meals, but we couldn't pass up the dessert case all together. I got the cannoli and my fiancé got the chocolate cake. Both were amazing! The cannoli had a perfectly crispy shell with a slight cinnamon flavor and the filling was luscious and smooth. The chocolate cake was rich and dense - exactly what I want in a chocolate cake. All in all, I would definitely come back and will keep this in our regular rotation! The ONLY drawback is that parking is very difficult, but it's worth the struggle in my opinion. read more

Quaint and charming. Our table ordered a pasta dish, Greek salad, tilapia , and wedding soup. Food was delish. Atmosphere quaint and charming. Sam was our waiter and he was great ... all other employees were very attentive. Oh and the food all came out PIPING HOT and together .... read more

Fantastic Lunch. This was my second visit. I'm hooked. The tomato basil soup is to die for. We had the Chicken Scallopini. The portions are huge. And, absolutely delicious. There is definitely enough to enjoy again at home. Tiramisu for dessert was yummy and shareable. Last visit i had cannoli and would not share. Service was impeccable and friendly. I was just a very nice lunch. read more

Good great! Service slow but worth it. Be prepared to stay awhile. Great ambiance Aroma hits you when you walk in. Makes for a great evening but go when you have the time read more

We came for dinner before going to Clifton Performance Theatre. You could pass by the outside if you didn't know it was here. The interior is nice and simple. Loved rewarding the history of the restaurant. My husband got the salad with shrimp on it. The shrimp was prepared perfectly - not too much oil. Our son got a Caesar salad - he liked a lot and a tuna sandwich. I was shocked about the sandwich since he loves Italian food. I got the tilapia dinner that comes with a salad. The house salad was great and I got the dressing on the side. Their garlic dressing is made in house - you can tell. They should sell it! It's great!! The tilapia is pan seared - cooked very well with vegetables and then home-made fettuccini. The dinner made 3 meals. The pasta was great. But, too much oil!!! That's why the 4/5 read more

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Ate here first the first time. Seated right away and we were given bread and ice water promptly. Olive oil for the bread would have been a nice touch especially being an Italian restaurant. Our server was good. Wine was very reasonably priced. We all had the Caesar salad with anchovies. I had the Branzino fish special. Over cooked and thin. Asked for lemon for the fish and got one slice. Not even a wedge! Pasta was not seasoned at all. My husband liked the chicken scalloping with vegetables instead of pasta. He liked it. Restaurant filled up after we arrived. They take reservations. We took cannolis home they were delicious. read more