The restaurant is beautiful. The menu is unique but also has a good variety to choose from but what stood out more than anything was the service. Our waiter was Striker and he was so knowledgeable about the menu, but also extremely personable and engaging. I have two daughters who are picky eaters and he went out of the way to talk to the kitchen to find something for them. He really made the experience for us. read more

My first time here! A little pricy, but we'll worth it ! Our entire staff enjoyed every dish. My fillet was tender and full of flavor, melted in my mouth. Potatoes were smooth and the vegetables steamed perfectly. The ambiance is beautiful and elegant and the grand piano and musician played beautifully throughout the evening. My Pineapple Upside down Cake was very good with ice cream and whipped cream. Several enjoyed the scallops as well. read more

We have been to this restaurant many times and decided to go for a special occasion to celebrate. The atmosphere and food are always so wonderful, but had such a disappointing experience celebrating a birthday. We called, confirmed when we arrived and double checked and they forgot our special ones birthday. We asked before we were ready to leave and they seemed very mothered by it, and then charged us on it and rudely said "just bc it's your birthday doesn't mean you get dessert for free". Our bill was over $400 and it was just so disappointing on the principle and how rude they were. read more

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 Irma show up in that moment 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 are treated. read more

Fine dining on the island. Most expensive meal of our 2 week trip. The food was good. The place has nice decor. The service wasnt the best. This was supposed to be my birthday celebration and he told them this when we made the reservations. They said happy birthday as we were seated but that was it. No candles in the dessert or decorating with birthday wishes. They never even refilled our ice tea.. we both ran out. This is disappointing. Part of the enjoyment is the live music. They seated us far from the music by a table of drunk old entitled white folks that were SUPER LOUD AND ANNOYING. I'm guessing they were all hard of hearing and trying to be heard over each other. They did nothing but brag and all 8 NEVER SHUT UP. As they were trying to stand to leave they mentioned being load and some would be glad they left. Several tables around us mentioned that was a firm Yes. They were so load we couldn't hear the music till they left. Unfortunately by that time our meal was nearing an end. It was highly annoying. We couldn't even have conversation..couldn't hear anything but them. I even said in a LOUD voice ... I WISH THEY WOULD SHUT THE F___ up. The meal was good but it was a stressful and disappointing experience. I ordered the mushroom bisque..hubby got the fish soup. We shared the escargot. I got f the seabass he got the pasta and we shared the keylime tarte. Wouldn't recommend the tarte. if the loud jerks at the other table read this I hope they know they ruined the experience of all the tables around them. For an hour we heard about how much they paid for wine ,, cars ect. We get it you have money but no class. read more

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Reservation were made for two the evening 2/26 at 6. This is our first time back since Milton and not sure what to expect. Our lodging was located in Captiva but we left early to deal with afternoon traffic. We sat in traffic on Periwinkle for over 25 minutes and made frequent calls to update our situation. Realizing that small local restaurants need to be precise in reservations we were trying to find a compromise and Cielos presented nothing other than to say our reservations were canceled. A seat at the bar and reservation on another evening would have been appreciated. This beautiful island is in transition from a devastating event but Cielos couldn't or wouldn't give advice to major traffic issues or obstacles that confronted guests on their website. Who ever this guy was that we spoke to with a British accent kept asking us when we expected to arrive but we were at a standstill. He sent my husbands phone calls to voicemail. I used my phone and told us we were cancelled. This guy was just a jerk. read more

We went here for our anniversary dinner and had a top notch experience. Service was fantastic and the ambiance of this place is very nice. We started with the Caprese salad as an appetizer and they gladly split the portion in half for us. The freshness of the tomato was mouth watering. For entrees we had the North Atlantic Halibut and the Apricot Pistachio chicken. Both were incredible in taste and also very nicely plated. Cocktails were also very tasty and they wrote Happy Anniversary to us with chocolate around the creme brûlée dessert dish. It was a very nice touch to an already amazing experience. read more

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Food & service is excellent! Never be disappointed again at this fine dining establishment.

Last night's dinner was a spectacular evening at Cielo. Food: Wagyu Meatballs, Halibut, Mahi, and Keylime Tart Drinks: Sanibel Fairy and the Grace Under Fire The dishes offered the same protein as so many others on the island, but the seasonings are a delightful twist. Bold, deep foundational flavors highlight the seafood and provide a different tasting experience. The drinks were so good too. Well balanced. The Grace Under Fire reminds us of Santa Fe, our other home away from home, with its light smoke release at the table when served. It is pricey and elegant, but worth every penny and extra getting ready time! Everything was so delicious, Cielo has made it to our repeat list. read more

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A must for those with a pallet for excellent food and awesome service. Ask for Irma, best waitress on the island. Great service, awesome wine selection and fantastic cocktails. A must if you're in Sanibel, Captiva or Fort Myers area. You will not regret it, but make reservations as this is a diamond in the rough. Pork chops and raviolis are to die for. Have the tuna appetizer, it's outstanding. read more

Our food was delicious! Our waiter was delightful. I loved the atmosphere & piano music. What a talented pianists. !

Very pricey for average food. Service is great, but host is border line rude. Many other better options on the island for the money.

This restaurant has to one of the nicest restaurants in Sanibel but it has mediocre food. Nothing bad but nothing amazing either. Highly recommend for grabbing a drink at the bar and enjoying live music. But other than that nothing else. I don't recommend getting the meatballs they were very dry. The portions were little on every appetizers not easily shared. Service was alright, nothing terrible. Overall I say you go somewhere else for a great meal. read more

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Beautiful restaurant and bar! Friendly helpful staff!! Great drinks and wine list!! Many starters to choose from! Good salads. Had porcini ravioli and beef pasta, both excellent! Highly recommend read more

Great find on our beloved Sanibel Island.Food is delicious and the service is excellent. Highly recommend.

Sometimes you want to dress up & go somewhere special with white table clothes, excellent waiters, piano music & of course great gourmet selections to enjoy! Cielo provides all of that & more! Great wine selection, unique specialty drinks & an upscale decor! read more

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wow- zero stars if I could. Everything we ordered was served luke warm to cold. sent 2 dishes back and would have sent it all but we got tired of flagging down the staff. no one refilled water unless we asked. spent WAY to much for a completely horrific experience. go any where else! complained to the manager and he didn't care. read more

There was a live piano player which set the mood just perfectly. I miss white tablecloth dining so it just brought a little nostalgia back. We ordered the October Carpaccio appetizer. We have never eaten it that way before so that was adventurous. Too much of the orange kind of drowned out the octopus. We ordered the Seafood Pot Pie. That's a lick-your-plate-clean kind of dish. I ordered the scallops. They were perfectly cooked but there was a texture that didn't quite work, leaving me chewing long after the scallop was gone. The dessert was good, but I didn't get too much of that salted caramel profile we were looking for and I would have like a few more swipes or drops of the berry on the side. Great service. We ordered a bottle of wine as well. The bill came to about $140-$160 including tip. It is $$$ but worth the value for an appetizer, bottle of wine, two entrees and dessert. read more

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Atmosphere very good, food as well. It was confusing that restaurant said they were fully booked however when we arrived and throughout dinner majority of the tables were empty. We wanted to add 2 to our reservation for 4 and were told they had no space. read more

Been there 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Recommend the Zuppa de pesce and the pork chop. Pasta primavera disappointing, flavorless and overpriced. Service is top notch. I would say it's the best restaurant in Sanibel currently. read more

Beautifully done entrees and appetizers. We especially enjoyed the octopus carpaccio and the lamb and pappardelle. Good music. Great bartender. read more

Cielo Restaurant - Pappardelle Pasta - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Had a wonderful dinner there last night. The dinning room and bar are beautiful, soft piano music playing in the background. The food was delicious, our server, Paula was amazing. We haven't had that great of service anywhere in Florida. Thank You Paula!! Looking forward to going back. read more

Three old friends had lunch after a morning or birding at Ding Darling at Celio's. we were impressed with the classy decor. The waiter was very friendly and kindly snapped a few pictures. The menu was just what we were looking for - fresh ingredients lots of options to the typical fried food often found in Sanibel. I had grilled fish tacos and a very good IPA. My lady friends enjoyed their salad and hamburgers and both raved about the French fries. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I had left something under the table They were so kind when I called immediately mailing it to me and saving me a very long drive back. What a classy place! read more

I can not say enough great things about our experience. We all had different things and we shared everything. I would love it if they put the tempura shrimp in a Thai chili sauce on the permanent menu. It was the best I've ever had! I consider myself a shrimp connoisseur ;) The escargot, caprese salad, grouper, the scallops and the veal were amazing and the desserts were absolute perfection. Talking about perfection I can not forget to mention Matthew, our amazing and informative waiter. The ambiance is beautiful and the piano man was so fun and played beautifully. Next time I'm coming early to have a drink in the beautiful bar. Almost forgot, the bathrooms are even fabulous and they have real towels. I highly recommend and will be back many times! I'm so glad my sister lives her and now I'm even more jealous! read more

It's an old school, white table cloth, piano player throwback but with good food and friendly service. We enjoyed our Memorial Day weekend date night, quite a change from the usual Sanibel/Captiva vibe. read more

Cielo is a wonderful place where one can enjoy delicious fare in a beautiful atmosphere that is elegant without being stuffy. Marcus, Chuck and crew, see that every diner enjoys a fantastic hand crafted meal with great service from start to finish. Be sure to order the Calamari, you've never had it like this! We enjoyed each dish that Irma suggested and sincerely look forward to our next visit. The wine selection was excellent and varied, sure to compliment the entire menu. Be sure to save a bit of room for dessert! The salted caramel mousse was mind blowing. read more

We stopped here for drinks and appetizers to kill time before a very late night dinner reservation at another restaurant. The bar has some cute neon green chairs in little nooks around the outer edges of the actual bar stool seating. We were a party of 4 and it was a slow night. The bartender was anxious to make us happy and succeeded. The appetizers were hit and miss. The Wagyu meatballs were a bit of a disappointment (smaller) but the Escargot Rockefeller was delicious. I agree with other Yelpers who've said the appetizer portions are smaller. If you're thinking you'll dine here on appetizers alone, good luck with that. They do serve the dinner menu in the bar so if you arrive to the restaurant without reservations and can't score a table, you can have the same meal in the bar. Pricing here is what you would expect for Sanibel (expensive) but the venue and the ambience at this restaurant and bar is impressive (marble floors, crisp, modern and fresh!). What we liked most about our experience at Cielo was the obvious extensive mixology knowledge of the bartender. My son ordered an old fashioned (surprising choice for a young 26 year old guy). The bartender asked a lot of questions and pointed out how certain bourbons lend themselves better to this choice of drink rather than others (chemistry). We got a good education from the bartender and landed on a great combination for the old fashioned. My son's fiance was also impressed by the number of great bourbon choices this bar had in stock (including some expensive ones). They clearly cater to folks who know good bourbon! Cielo includes a unique feature for wine lovers. Some of their more expensive wines can be tried before you make the leap to purchase a full bottle. I've forgotten the terminology but the wine is pulled from the bottle without removing the cork thereby preserving its integrity. Not all of their wines can be tasted this way but it gave us a chance to try a wine we probably would not have tried (because of the bottle price). I was glad the bartender made us aware that this option was available. He was eager to please and we appreciated that. We thoroughly enjoyed our bar experience at Cielo and will most likely be back to try the restaurant. We live nearby and have the option of going whenever we like. Do keep in mind that if you can't score a table right away, do not hesitate to stop in at the Cielo bar. You will be pleasantly surprised and will learn something if you are interested. read more

Fabulous food! The calamari was not your normal deep fried version but a deliciously tender and flavorful version that sets the tastebuds on fire! The tuna wrap that followed was also great. As a side note their french fries were also on point along with the cocktails. read more

This was our first visit to Cielo on Sanibel Island. All the food was excellent, the Barolo wine was superb, and the fish dishes were amazingly prepared. The ambience is upscale resort island with well done interiors. Service was exceptional especially for our service Dog, Rodger, a 13 year old Golden Doodle, and a cancer survivor. It was a very enjoyable. evening. Highly recommend it. read more

For a fairly expensive restaurant the meal we just ate here was pretty poor. Wagyu meatballs were over cooked. Corn chowder lacked flavor and texture was poor. The Mahi was poorly seasoned (although perfectly cooked). I saved the worst for last. The pappardelle margarita Pasta dish was potentially the worst pasta dish I've had in the last 10 years. Supposed to be a white wine and garlic sauce but pretty much was swimming in water. Once again. No flavor. Borderline inedible. I let the server know about the pasta because it should not be served to any more guests like that especially since it's 28 dollars. He just nodded. No response. Nothing from management. I would not recommend. Will not return. read more

The food is the best on the island, nothing even close to it. I love the escargot app and always order it. Great bar and beautiful setting. Matthew, our server, is the best and always welcoming. It has always been a five star restaurant for us but the pianist has retired. I hope that he is replaced during the season or it will be a distinct loss to the restaurant. read more

I mean. It was OK. For the amount of money we spent I expected a bit more. We started with the calamari, husband really liked it, I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce. Got a caprese salad as well and really liked it -- would have liked a few more tomatoes but it was good. I had the Mahi for dinner and like others said, it kind of lacked flavor. My piece was also super dry and overcooked. Husband got some pork shank thing that he enjoyed. Sarah our server was great -- super attentive but not overly annoying. We had reservations so no issues getting a table. Really enjoyable piano music playing too. read more

Such a wonderful meal and restaurant! Beautiful decor and ambiance. The food was fantastic! We started with the Calamari, which was unlike any I've ever had before - so delicious! We each had one of the specials for our entrees. We ended with the Key Lime Tart which was good, but a little bit too tart, very limey though! Service was excellent, and we will certainly be back! read more

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Chielo is definitely the finest dining on Sanabel. The ambience the service, and the quality of the food are all outstanding our favorite place to dine. read more

Absolutely love coming here & cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Always a treat. The specials are always fresh & absolutely felici read more

Cielo Restaurant - Sticky Crispy Ribs - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Celebrated a birthday- meal was incredible from start to finish! Excellent salmon and the cocktails were creative and delicious. The "tiramoussu" was excellent for dessert. Everyone was so friendly and although they were in between live piano performers, the atmosphere was lovely and my dad who has hearing impairment did not have any difficulties! read more

The restaurant was sophisticated but not at all stuffy in part thanks to our nice server Christine. Loved the mussels, fish was nicely prepared, and a delicious chocolate mousse for dessert. Happy to see the business thriving after such a tough winter. Yum read more

Thank you for helping me pull off my husband Stephen's 40th birthday dinner. The staff was amazing of course and the food, delicious. read more

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Cliffs notes version: elegant fine dining with zero snobbery We dined here tonight as a couple with two school-age children. Ambiance: Very relaxing atmosphere, a fantastic piano player on a grand piano lit by candles, and greeted by a polite and down to earth maître d' who made us feel welcome despite us having two young children in tow. Drinks: excellent selection on the wine menu, delicious creative cocktails, and fantastic mock-tails for the kids. My jalapeño infused tequila with chartreuse and lime was outstanding. Food: The kids menu was excellent. Not the usual chicken nuggets, but healthy options including salmon with vegetables. If you have rowdy children, you may feel out of place. However, reasonably behaved young children do well here. The cioppino was amazing with a blend of local seafood in a well balanced tomato broth. read more

Cielo Restaurant - Cocktails - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

My Mum and I came here for our last night in Sanibel. The food was really delicious and we were serenaded by a pianist while we ate. I had a mojito, and it was a little too heavy on the rum (who actually says that?), but otherwise good. The bread was served with a pesto/oil dip and it was soooooo scrumptious. We got the Pan Seared Grouper, and the Ahi Tuna, and the entire dining experience was excellent. I am a little disappointed that I wasn't offered some cake for my birthday, but the South continues to disappoint me in many ways, so I'll just add this to the list. read more

Cielo Restaurant - Pan seared grouper and ahi tuna. - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida