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Ciao Osteria

4.4 (2.4k reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Order Ciao Osteria Takeout or Delivery

Ciao Osteria Photos

Business Info

CIAO OSTERIA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Ciao Osteria

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Candice F.

Amazing food. Seafood dishes are exceptionally fresh with just enough lemon, capers and balance. The cheese is fresh and pasta sauce is a delightfully balanced ratio of tomatoes and spices. Came during the lunch hour and the atmosphere had a great energy. It's worth the drive to come to a place that just treats you like family. The serving team clearly enjoys their jobs and it shows. Enjoy this hidden gem!

Smoked burrata with garlic flatbread for dipping.
Mickey J.

We went out for our 29th anniversary. We've been here before so we knew what to expect. Their staff is very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Without telling them about our special day they made us feel special. The food was delicious and well presented. Our waiter helped us pick out the special bottle of wine which went down way too easy. No doubt we will be back!

Praying over dessert!
Robert S.

Good experience. Good food. Good service. Reasonable prices. No problem. No priest. No devils.

Dante M.

It's always so good here and the servers take such good care of us! This time I had the vela parmigiana and it was amazing!! Definitely will continue coming back here!

Niki T.

It really does feel like "Good" Italian restaurants are impossible to find these days... people have gotten lazy and don't bother with quality ingredients.... It sounds silly to say, but this place uses good cheese, so much so, they make a really good Caesar salad! Was very impressed with everything! Cute little ball rolls my kid loved! Nice fluffy airy! Gluten free pizza was very doughy and undercooked but my kid loved it still and really liked it the next day! Gluten free pasta seems to be fettuccine, I wish that was noted, it's my least liked pasta.... But I still ended up really enjoying it so it worked out. Lasagna was a really good one too, amazing variety of cheese, flavors really came together. We will come back.

Special garlic bread
Michelle Y.

One of my all-time favorites. I've been going here for years. This is our go-to for friends' birthdays (among 6 of us); and anytime we want good Italian, we say Ciao! The food never disappoints and the service is always top tier. I've never had a server I didn't like! The ambiance is cute little Italy - love that you can see them make the pizza.

Fettuccine Alfredo, add Chicken
Jessica F.

Food - 2 stars Service - 5 stars Honestly not sure what all the hype is about. The fettuccini was not fresh/hand made, the sauce was mid and extremely one note - no depth or layers of flavor and def lacking salt. My husband's food had good flavor but the sauce was extremely greasy and his food was not hot- lukewarm warm at best. I would choose North Italia or L' Ardente 100 times over this place. Our sever was good. The pasta came so quick they didn't deliver (maybe forgot, not sure) the focaccia before we were done eating. The server apologized, didn't charge us for it and sent it home in a Togo box for us. Tiramisu was ok, I've had better. We didn't try the pizza but it looked good and there were a ton of pickup orders for the za. Maybe that's where the hype is.

Prosciutto e Funghi Pizza
Vincent M.

Ciaos never disappoints. This is my second time coming here and the service is great along with their Italian dishes. This time I got their prosciutto and mushroom pizza because my friends recommended it (and the fact they've won awards for it) and I could not stop thinking about how GOOD the crust was.

Calamari
Shawn H.

Took the 20 min drive to centreville to try out this place. It's one of the sole Italian places with relatively higher ratings I hadn't yet tried and I didn't want the typical brunch- I wanted an all out Italian feast at 11am. I thought we'd be the first in but there was already a family of 6 seated. It quickly starting filling up shortly after our arrival. We started out with the $1 bread basket- it came out warm with a side of oil & balsamic with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It's for a good cause, so why not. We then ordered grilled calamari- delicious and well cooked. I ordered the farfalle salmon dish which was good as well. I didn't want vodka sauce so I got regular red sauce. Everyone else was happy with their food as well. The pizza also came out of piping hot and was a hit. I usually don't like white pizza but it was a hefty slice of love. The music was interesting- who doesn't like godfather? lol. Service was par and we were overall pretty happy.

Lobster ravioli
Nilsu G.

In the most unassuming strip mall in NOVA, you get a hidden gem that is well reviewed on Yelp, but may not be so obvious to many in DMV. The VPN- true Neopolitan pizza- certification makes the pizzas a must try, but the menu does offer a lot more. Every time we have been so far, we had a selection of antipasti (excellent bruschetta), pizza (do try a VPN, but others are as airy and light, as well), eggplant dishes, and seafood pasta. Very reasonably priced. Admittedly I haven't cracked the code on the dining room reservations: We always get seated in the smaller one, which is sometimes quiter but depends on the group sitting. But this is the epitome of comfort food.

La Carbonara
Steve N.

This has been an amazing local restaurant for years. We had the pleasure of having lunch there and experienced great food and service. Eating at Ciao is always a treat and if we lived closer we would be frequent customers. The Spaghetti Carbonara is excellent and the pancetta in the dish is perfectly cooked. The Chicken Milanese was breaded and crispy yet tender covered with shaved parmigiana. If you haven't tried Ciao I would encourage all to try it and you will not be disappointed.

Rigatoni ragu
Tiffany T.

This place is always busy and even when we went on Sunday around 5:30 it had a 30-45 minute wait for two people. Luckily they have an open bar that's full service so we decided to eat there! The workers were all friendly and it's a cute homey feeling restaurant. Rigatoni Ragu - 3/5 on the less saucy side but had a lot of flavor be so much meat! The pasta was fine and the meat had some juicy and some slightly dry pieces. Overall, good and flavorful! The cheese is pretty unique and matched well. Lobster ravioli - 4/5 I feel like there were lot of sweet juicy lobster pieces inside! I loved the sauce and flavor.

Vanilla and pistachio sorbet

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This place is great Italian food, great service, and top quality. Best Italian I've had in Nova.

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Ciao Osteria Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Ciao Osteria

How are they with nut/sesame allergies?

We do not have any sesame products in the restaurant, and we can accommodate any allergies. Please inform your server prior to ordering.

Is take out available during weekends?

Yes, take out is available during their regular business hours. Sunday through Thursday from 11am - 9:30pm and Friday & Saturday from 11am - 10:30pm.

Is the pasta made in house?

Some yes, some no.

Is there outdoor seating?

No outdoor seating.

What is your corkage fee?

Hi, thank you for reaching out. Our corkage fee is $35 per bottle.

Are you open on memorial day?

Thank you for inquiring. We are closed on Memorial Day.

Is any of the meat halal? Hearing it is!

Anybody know what the outside seating situation is? Are you out back adjacent to dumpsters or out front?

Out front seating!

Do they sell Zeppoline di Alghe? I've not seen that anywhere other than in Napoli ...

Chef periodically puts this on the specials menu.

Are there vegan options?

Yes! However, it may be limited. I would ask your server for specifics because they will make dishes that are not on the menu if they have the ingredients. I'd also check to make sure their pasta isn't all premade with eggs because that's pretty… Read more

Is there a kids' menu, if so where can I find it?

I think there is a kids menu, but it's on one of those coloring sheets. You would probably have to call them to find out the menu items.

Are there gluten free options?

Almost our entire menu can be made gluten free!

I've heard they have a cheese and lobster dish that's amazing but not on the menu, does anyone know what this is called?

If you're looking for the one with penne pasta, it's called lobster mac 'n cheese...I had it once when it was listed as a special, then returned the following week and although it was no longer a special, they had the ingredients and made it--just… Read more

Are they open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Yelp reservations show tables available Christmas Eve but not Christmas Day. Suggest that you call to confirm.

Do they serve cacio e pepe (cheese wheel pasta)?

if this is the pasta where they bring a flaming cheese wheel to the table and then proceed to mix your pasta in front of you with the newly melted cheese, then yes they do this. i'm not sure how many dishes they do this for, but they do it for the… Read more

Do you deliver?

No they don't, but you can do pick up!

View All 23 Questions

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Ocean Paradise is a must-visit, we are fortunate it's next to our neighborhood. Ocean Paradise…read moreabsolutely lives up to its name. A special shoutout to our server, Sandra, she was fantastic. We started with the bang bang shrimp--perfectly crispy with a delicious sweet heat that wasn't overpowering. Easily one of the best appetizers we've had. For my entrée, I had the twin lobster tails they were tender, buttery, and flawless. The seasonal vegetables were fresh and perfectly seasoned. My husband ordered the Connecticut lobster roll, which was loaded with generous chunks of lobster, lightly dressed, and served on a perfectly toasted roll with crispy fries. Simple, fresh, and absolutely delicious.

Ocean Paradise came to our attention when Yelp sent an email with restaurant suggestions. After…read morelooking over their menu, we decided to give it a try. It's in a newish shopping center, which, for us, had a bonus-- there is a Harris Teeter there. We needed to pick up some items, so we did before having dinner. We were here for an early dinner. Now that it's getting darker so early, we try to avoid driving after dark, when possible. Thus, we were here around 3 p.m. and were glad to see they were serving dinner at that time. To drink, I chose a mocktail called "What a lychee" which consists of "lychee, pineapple juice, club soda". It was garnished with a lychee. I did enjoy this drink. My husband had a non-alcoholic Stella Artois. Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated immediately. Having looked at the menu before arriving, we each knew what we wanted. I chose to try the "Blackened Pan Seared Yellow Fin Tuna" which (supposedly) consists of: "Topped with jumbo lump crab meat, sundried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, creamy lemon sauce served with rice." My husband chose the "Shrimp platter," which (supposedly) consists of: "crispy beer battered shrimp, coleslaw and chipotle sauce served with hand cut French fries." It took a while for our food to come out. As I was eating, it dawned on me that there was no crab meat or sundried tomatoes. Also, the sauce sure was a creamy lemon sauce. It was more like a miso-flavored sauce. Hard to say if the menu got changed, but no new menus were printed up to fix it. Or was it that the young man who cooked the food wasn't familiar with the entrees? Still, despite the discrepancies, I did like this dish, although it would have been even better if they had prepared it correctly. My husband noticed that there was no Chipotle sauce on his dish. Instead, there were two small containers: one with ketchup and another with tartar sauce. He, too, thought that his shrimp was well prepared, although the breading didn't cling to the shrimp. This experience left us with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we appreciated the friendly, attentive service. Yet, on the other hand, we wonder whether it's worth going again, given the possibility of not getting all the ingredients for one's entree. We liked the ambiance, which evoked images of the beach. They have some nice paintings on one wall depicting the seashore, a lighthouse, and beach houses.

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PaellaDeliciosa - Initial paella prep!

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Ordered a to-go meal ahead of my arrival. The restaurant was slightly busy, but appeared clean. One…read morething I wasn't a fan of was the graffiti on the doors and walls - It just feels like vandalism that the owners didn't care to clean up! Not sure if this is part of the chain's aesthetic, and if it's like this at every location or not... It was even in the bathroom, and clearly people took it too far, because next to the only urinal was a giant "F*** YOU", and it was crossed out by one big line, and not at all removed or attempted to be removed. To me it just seems too chaotic and encourages deviant behavior... This is not somewhere that I would bring my kids or family members, because of stuff like that. The food was ready when I got there, but I still had to stand around for a few minutes before someone finally came along and handed my order to me. I got the Catfish Basket with onion rings. It was about $16. I took the meal home and surprisingly the food was still piping hot when I sat down to eat it. The fish was excellent. There is the comment being made that the food is 'greasy', but I mean, it's fish - and it's fried... what do you expect? ...So, yes, the food was greasy, but that's part of the joy to it. If you want to eat healthy, go to Wegmans or Kroger. The fish was excellent. The breading was crunchy. The fish was soft and tender. No odor. Great seasoning - not too much, not too little. Not spicy at all (trust me, I'd be the first to tell you!) The onion rings were a bit on the less crispy side, not quite soggy, but still delicious none the less. The inner breading was just a bit spongy. They aren't like Outback's fried to a crisp onion rings/petals. The bag contained two moist towelettes and a pair of food grade disposable gloves, for those who indulge in the messiest of foods from here - not for simple fish. Also, when at the counter they wanted to know if I wanted any sauces. I did not, but I appreciated the gesture. I was happy with my service here and with the food overall. The restaurants appeal and decor gets a 5/10, because while the decor was nice and the wood facade of the furniture and structure were great, they were caked in a myriad of profanity and anarchy, as mentioned before about the graffiti-like markings. The food gets a 9/10, while it did have minor issues, it was overall an amazing lunch! The staff gets a 9.5/10 as well - While I was acknowledge once by a passing staff member running food to a table, I still had to wait a little while to be serviced, at the busiest time of day. I appreciate their time and efforts.

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Ciao Osteria - italian - Updated May 2026

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