I'd say this is more of a 2.5 but we did get the food to go so I will handicap to the 3 star. I cannot speak for the service or ambience but my understanding from the locals, it is a nice place to dine for what they consider 'fine dining' in the area. The positive was that my Filet Mignon was cooked to perfection and tasted as it should. The concerns were that while advertised as an 8 oz cut, there is zero chance of this, more like 5 oz. - I'd also say that the potatoes lacked any real depth, just an average potato - and lastly the side veggie was some very sad and bland half sized roasted squash that truly lacked inspiration. Again, I'm will to maybe let the veggie and the potatoes go, as they were a to go situation but the size of the steak and the portions in general underwhelmed for a $43 dish. read more

Food was very good! The ravioli was made with meat, most restaurants only have cheese. I grew up with meat ravioli more flavor. Order a meatball which they placed right in the center. It was huge and delicious just like I remember in my childhood! read more

Let's be clear that my desired score is a 4.5. It is always a bummer this app doesn't allow for 1/2 stars. I was part of a large group celebrating the birthdays of two group members. It was my first time, but everyone else had been several times. We were seated in a private room, past the kitchen. It was great to have a private room; however, the room could be improved upon to further heighten the dining experience. Our waitress did a solid job throughout the night; keeping track of all of the drink, appetizer and meal orders. The appetizers were well done. From raw oysters, calamari, bruschetta and smoked pork belly with red cabbage, there were plenty of options. Several people ordered salads. Both the Caesar and the beet salad were nicely prepared and enjoyed thoroughly by our group members. While the lobster bisque was really good, the garnishment of lobster was somewhat underwhelming. We sat down at 7PM and were advised there was one Beef Wellington left to order. I was the lucky recipient. It was prepared perfectly and the sauce accompanying it really finished it nicely. Whether it was crab cakes, Chicken Parmesan, pork chops or braised beef and pork, everyone in our group enjoyed their meals. At the end of the night, many people in our group found some room for dessert. Carrot cake, cherry cheesecake and salted caramel budino were all well received. A sample of the budino almost convinced me to place a late order. While a little pricey to go to on a regular basis, it definitely is a great special occasion restaurant. Don't hesitate to give it a try. read more

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Wonderful evening. Cozy spot. Good service. The food was amazing! I had the oysters appetizer and the scallop risotto entree. We split the tiramisu. My husband had the French onion soup (said it's one of the best he's ever had) and gnocchi and sausage entree. The portions sizes were just right. Even the coffee was delicious. read more

Ciao - Tiramisu - Bars Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

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Went here last night for dinner. Great service and a fantastic meal. Would recommend the pork chop--it was perfection!

I gave this place another chance last night when I was in town and took my in laws out. I ordered a beet salad and in the description it was supposed to have 2 varieties of roasted beets and there were only red beets which appeared to be canned and chopped and put into the salad. It was disappointing. It's gone downhill. read more

I took an uber from the other side of town and arrived at ciao just before 9 on a Friday (posted hours open til 10 and no additional signage) There were quite a few people seated and eating but the lady looked at me and said "we're closed" It felt personal but certainly not professional read more

Great pub style bar and restaurant. Large bar with lots of seating and dining area is pretty big. They decorate for Christmas so it's festive and comfy. Ordered the cinnamon old fashioned. 10/10 recommend. The bar tender was tentative and made a fantastic cocktail read more

Ciao - Cinnamon old fashioned - Bars Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Caio has become one of my go-to upscale restaurants in Wausau. TLDR: you won't be disappointed here. If you want all the details, continue reading. After enjoying a few NA cocktails down the street at Forward Beverage Company, we worked our way over to Ciao for a last-minute reservation and were happy to be seated on a high top right in the center of the restaurant. The decor is beautiful, and the charming atmosphere would be perfect for a date night. Several people in the establishment were wearing blazers which was nice to see. To start out, we were immediately happy that they offer non-alcoholic wine on the drink menu (it is January, after all). Surprisingly, this option proved to be remarkably complex and delicious, despite the lack of go-go juice. We were intrigued, after looking at the appetizer menu, at the Wagyu steak offering. For the hefty price of $95, we ordered a 4oz cut of it - and it was worth it. The four people in our party each got about two slices, and it was well worth the price. The melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked steak, with a delicious accompaniment of arugula and Japanese soy sauce, ensured that this appetizer was a knock-out-of-the-park choice. Recovering from the appetizer, I ordered a wedge salad to start. For dinner, I opted for the Beef Wellington - another limited time offering. My wife got a risotto, my brother ravioli, and sister-in-law got a gluten-free pasta. There was certainly something for everyone on the menu. My wedge salad was excellent, and the Bibb lettuce was an interesting take. The flavors were all there, and it hit the mark. The Beef Wellington was superb. The puff pastry surrounding the perfectly cooked tenderloin, coupled with the garlic and mushroom flavors, all atop a truffle hollandaise simply continued the well-established procedure of exceeding expectations. I couldn't turn down dessert despite having stuffed myself. I was able to talk my wife into ordering the tiramisu (partly because I wanted to have some of it for myself) while I ordered the creme brûlée, my favorite dessert of all. I was pleased with the presentation of both, and again, all the marks were hit. Needless to say, I was unable to stand completely upright after such an indulgent and filling meal. It was pricy, especially given the dining choices that I had made, but it was absolutely worth it. Suffice it to say that I am already looking forward to my next visit. read more

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Second time here in 3 weeks. Both times great food. Both times, weird servers. Let me explain... First time, the server didn't tell us about the specials. We heard them after we ordered from the server behind us. Tonite, server ran thru them with zero explanation. Walleye Almandine and Chicken Marsala. The server behind us explained what comes with them and described them SO much nicer. I mean, this isn't Olive Garden. There is GOOD food here. Tonite's server didn't come back to the table until 15 min after she brought the food. We needed a bit of salt and grabbed another server. That server mentioned to her table behind us about their anniversary, and she'll bring their free desert. So, since we knew our server was very much lacking, my wife mentioned today was her birthday-hoping to see what she does. Answer...nothing. Great food. Great cocktails, but if I'm dropping $150 for 2 people, at least make an attempt to be a server...‍ And yeah, we'll be back. Love the place! read more

Good service tasty food, reasonable value homemade pasta, which is a plus Nice ambience read more

Male Bartender very rude to us. We didn't even order. Got up and left. If they keep this guy around it will hurt their business for sure.

Service was wonderful. Ambiance also. I couldn't give a five star because for most of us the food was very heavily salted. I forgot I hadn't eaten there for awhile for that reason. read more

Beef Wellington on Saturday is delicious. Can't wait to go back.. Service was excellent

For the amount of food you get it is a fair price. I got the classic spaghetti and meatballs and it's not 2 or 3 it's more!:)

We celebrated our anniversary at CIAO and were totally impressed with the atmosphere, wait staff and most importantly the AMAZING meal! We came in to town from Seattle for a family memorial which happened to correspond with our 17th anniversary. My husband had the pork chop with mushroom risotto (CHARRED , MOIST, SUPERB) and I had the special which was sea bass with spinach bucatini (MOST EXCELLENT). We split the beet salad with house made ricotta, which was an excellent start to our meal. This was one of the best meals we have had eating out in a long time. We love good food and good wine and CIAO did not disappoint! Gracie Mille Don & Sandy read more

I was really expecting my experience to be better based on all the glowing reviews but it was somewhere between ok and good. I thought it was odd when I walked in just after 6 and it was very empty. I'm not local and usually eat later but I thought at that time they would be busier. Atmosphere was good with a bit of an elegant look with black linen tablecloths and napkins. Although the music was distractingly bad, should just have a music station on rather than one that tells you the history of every song, it was distracting. I needed a comfort meal and chicken parm is my go to in an Italian restaurant when I'm needing something familiar. The chicken was cooked well with a good crust and very flavorful cheese. However the red sauce on the chicken and the pasta was bland, not a lot of flavor. Too bad because the pasta was cooked perfectly. Service was good as well. read more

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Just had dinner here tonight and I must say this is such a hidden gem in downtown Wausau! It came highly recommended by a family friend who's also a foodie. Everything about this intimate, romantic and cozy restaurant exceeded my expectations! DECOR-- it reminds me of a quaint Italian restaurant in a small village that boasts a fantastic food and drink menu! The dim lighting, warm wood tones and crisp white table cloths are very inviting and welcoming! Great spot for a date night or special occasion! FOOD- A+ from start to finish! Thoroughly enjoyed the burrata, olive tapenade and bruschetta appetizers. So flavorful and fresh! My friends ordered the Ciao de Pepe and other pasta dishes and they were extremely tasty. The size of the shrimp is enormous! How can you go wrong with house made pasta, right? I had the special of the night which was grilled snapper with black rice! The savory and lightly spicy sauce perfectly complemented the mild snapper. SERVICE- A+ from start to finish! Attentive, prompt and extremely friendly! VERDICT- what a fantastic local restaurant in the heart of downtown! If you're looking for an intimate ambiance, excellent service and gourmet cuisine, Ciao surely disappoint while supporting a local business! read more

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Ciao is a great restaurant. Service is wonderful. Parking is somewhat questionable. Near The Grande theater which is nice

The food, service, and ambiance was outstanding, and far above and beyond what one will generally find in the area. I took my mother there for her birthday and casually mentioned that at some point and the chef personally brought out a complimentary course and the desert was presented with a birthday candle, which was a very sweet touch. If you want a high-end dining experience that you'd be more likely to find in Chicago or New York, Ciao is a great place to come for special occasions, client dinners, date-nights, and everything in between. I can't recommend this place highly enough. read more

Ciao - Flourless chocolate torte - Bars Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Food as always very good. The Rossa red wine is delicious. Our visitor asked for Compari and they had it. But service was disappointing for such a high end restaurant. Inattentive. Our bread request took forever. I had the feeling that since we weren't regulars we were not a priority. They can do better. Take a lesson from the Mint or Bunkers. read more

A great place for a romantic cocktail or glass of wine. I highly recommend the Burrata appetizer... it looks as good as it tastes. The bartender offers great service and great drinks! read more

Ciao - Burrata appetizer - Looks as good as it tastes! - Bars Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Server was excellent, food was very good. Family owned.... not a chain. Definitely a place to explore again.

We had a reservation yet we waited over 15 minutes before we had a server come to the table. The restaurant was not busy at this point. We ordered espresso martinis. They had ice in them with no foam and no espresso beans on top. Extremely sweet. Lemongrass served a much better version. Our food did not all come out at the same time and one of the dishes was cold by the time it got to the table. It seems like for what is supposed to be a nicer restaurant in Wausau that it was lackluster. It seems odd to me that our food would not come out at the same time as well. Pretty disappointed. read more

Went to Wausau Wisconsin for the weekend for @midwestmunching on Instagram for more Had the opportunity to try Ciao, a new restaurant in the area founded by Adam Jamgovhian @adamjamgochian. He founded @michaelssupperclub and wanted to open this Italian spot. Poolin was the host, who moved from Maine in the east coast. So they really know their seafood! Prices were pretty decent for homemade pastas, fresh seafood(eg. Fresh oysters, king scallops, grouper, etc), and imported wines (mine is a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand) We got the chicken Parm, cacio e pepe, onion soup, and creme brulee. They ran of the chocolate caramel boudini Cacio is VERY cheesy, way more salty and cheesy than I can eat when normally it's just pepper and light cheese. However the chicken Parm was DELICIOUS. The sauce was clearly made for a while, chicken was crispy, and it came with a bit of homemade pasta Homemade pastas are all made within 24-36 hours , including super flavorful braised meats and ragu sauces that are braised for 6 hours! They wanted to open this spot after having a supper club. They recently opened a sandwich shop too What a nice group of people here with decent food, awesome getaway with just a 4 hour drive read more

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Awesome service and food! I highly recommend ordering their specials if the day, never disappoints. When visiting Wausau, Ciao is always on my itinerary. read more

We had an exceptional time. Amanda made our evening very enjoyable. It was our first visit to Ciao and she took great care of us. We had Shrimp Chartreuse,lobster bisque, Cacio e Pepe and Ravioli with bolognese. All were delicious. read more

Ciao - Bars Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Back in Wausau from Minneapolis in the last 25 years. I am a total foody. I had some great experiences of at some of the finest places, in Mpls, Nashville, New Orleans, Memphis, Austin, Tampa, etc. This place is very good, and very good. I had Oysters, and for the Midwest they were fresh. The only glitch was I was going to get the salmon, but they said it was frozen. So, they said that Ahi Hai Tuna was on special. What a Home Run, it was fantastic. This is big city food in Jerk water USA. I love jerk water USA. This is a Bullseye for Wausau Wi. read more

Wow! Ciao! One of the best meals I've had in a while. Delicious beet salad and veal Marsala special that was so flavorful! Our charming waitress was very patient with my food allergy, and I appreciated her help. Apparently others agree with the quality of the food as it was busy for a Tuesday night. read more

If this reviewed only the quality of the food and their attention to social distancing and COVID-19 safety, this would score a 3 or 4. Unfortunately, service is part of the deal, and the place either didn't prepare for this Wednesday night crowd or our server forgot about us. But the safety measures were extremely well done. Service: This was incredibly problematic. After being seated, we should have taken note of how long it took for our waitress to come to the table. After that, it went downhill. After taking our order we waited. She finally came back and said our bread would be up soon. And it was...20 minutes later. When she said our drinks were at the bar we knew better. Ten minutes later they finally arrived. Only the glass of Pepsi hit the right notes. Deceptive practices: Train your wait staff to make it clear that the soup or salad is an add-on. After taking the entree order, train them to say, "Would you like to add soup or a salad to your order?" Rather than, "Soup or salad?" Trust me...the lobster bisque was only OK. My wife found it had a funky taste and my daughter stopped after two bites. I didn't mind the soup and ate the whole bowl. What I didn't like is how high my total bill was with the $18.00 bowl of tomato soup with flecks of lobster in it. Food: I ordered Cacio e Pepe, my daughter chicken Parmesan, and my wife fettuccini Alfredo. My daughter loved how thin the chicken cutlet was and said it tasted fantastic, but she was not impressed with the pasta. Her quote? "I've had better at Olive Garden. My wife disliked everything about her meal. She said the fettuccini was too thin and almost "ribbony." The Cacio e Pepe was "Okay." I'm wondering if they created the sauce in the pan, poured it in the serving dish and the placed the bucatini on top. My first bites were far too tough. There is al dente and then there is al notdonete; this pasta fell into the latter. I wish they had allowed the sauce to finish the pasta. Too little pepper in the first bites but after I thoroughly mixed and coated the pasta with sauce (something that should be done in the pan in the kitchen, it allowed the pepper to stand out. To sum up, I believe staff needs training to make clear that soup and salad are add-ons. And, if Wednesday evenings are going to be busy due to "dine on the street" have adequate wait staff or close the dining room to allow a focus on customers in whatever space is deemed the priority. It's just a shame because we were excited to try this place because of their homemade pasta. But given the service and extra $18 for lobster bisque that was presented as if it came with the entree, I don't know if we will return. I make a better Cacio e Pepe at home, and we don't have to worry about being ignored. read more

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Friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable staff. Menu does not offer many gluten free or dairy free options. Atmosphere is quaint with great wine selections. read more

I do love this restaurant. Took my sister and brother in law (from Florida) for dinner. My husband had the ravioli - excellent. My brother in law had the special sea bass- excellent. My sister had the meat balls- good but a tad dry. I had the pork and beef braised Pappardelle pasta. The pork/beef braise was delicious. The pasta itself was too thick and way under cooked. I make my own pasta at home all the time so I know pasta. I love al dente pasta. But my pasta was almost raw. I should have sent it back but I didn't want to ruin the dinner of my guests. I hope Cioa takes the advice as constructive criticism and not a dig. I will come back but they just need to be more diligent. read more

I very nice find while visiting from out of town. Had the recommended beef Wellington which was outstanding. Only served on Saturdays as a special and they run out every time (no wonder). Pastry outside was perfectly light and crisp with an excellent mushroom mixture between it and the beef which was perfectly cooked to medium rare. A special sauce went with it that really put it over the top to make it such a unique and memorable flavor experience! Wait staff was friendly and attentive. Best restaurant in Wausau! read more

Great atmosphere. Great service (Jenny really knew how to guide us to Great selections). And of course, Great food. A nice place for a special meal. We'll be back. read more

My first time at Ciao was absolutely excellent. Although I had to wait to be seated, I was greeted promptly upon entering, and that same phenomenal service stayed throughout my whole meal. The staff was very friendly, upbeat, and made haste with anything that I requested of them. My server, Anna, was especially helpful, even taking some time to converse with me as I was eating alone. I decided to start with the Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus, and I don't believe the dish could've looked or tasted better! The greens that they were served under were great, and the asparagus itself was perfect. After finishing the asparagus, here came the highlight of my evening, the swordfish! Once again in perfect presentation the dish hit my table. I almost didn't want to eat it because it looked so nice, but I reluctantly dug in and was astounded at the flavor. Everything that was in the dish was so complimentary, and I had chose a Pinot Grigio to drink, which paired very well with the meal. I would've gone for dessert as well, but due to time and other matters I had to get going. Overall, Ciao was the perfect place for a candlelit dinner, the friendly staff making sure every need was anticipated and taken care of with a hustle, and I would personally recommend trying the swordfish. It was a meal I will not soon forget, and I will definitely be back to try something new! read more

I love love LOVE the vibe here. We always get a warm welcome when we stop in. We like to sit at the bar and eat because it's great way to meet new people from out of the area. The food is always good. The arancini recipe changes daily so it's always something new. Oysters Lobsterfeller is also a guaranteed favorite. And the wedge salad is the best I've ever had. If you go on a Saturday, order the Beef Wellington. But order early or they will run out! I can't recommend this restaurant enough! When in Wausau, go!!! read more

Great addition to the Wausau dining scene. Food, service and wine selection were all as expected and we all really liked the decor.

Top notch, we had a reservation so we were seated right away. The service, ambience, and food were all delicious! What a wonderful evening!

Great food, quiet atmosphere. I enjoy coming here for both lunch and dinner service, and the staff has always been pleasant

Everything was wonderful! Service, ambiance, the flavors in all of the dishes we tried. So good!!!