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Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Italian Mediterranean, Italian [Edit]
1133 Hamilton StVancouver, BC V6B 5P6
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Yaletown
(604) 688-7466
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
46 reviews for Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill
Review Highlights
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"chef pino is truly a master in his craft and i would go..." In 3 reviews -
"The service was superb, top notch, great wine selection." In 3 reviews -
"My hubby had Porcini and Chestnut Soup, it was so creamy..." In 5 reviews
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46 reviews in English
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Review from Nadia P.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2012
I don't have a single complaint about this place. And for anyone that knows me, this is about as rare as the delicious rack of lamb I devoured. From the moment I arrived to the second I left, I was met with an ultra-high standard of service worthy of every compliment received so far. The attentive and welcoming staff made me feel as though we were the anticipated guests of a classy friend rather than nameless patrons of a Yaletown restaurant- which is all too often the case at other places. The food was equally exceptional and presented with well practiced silver service (waiter held the serving-fork above the serving-spoon as a pincer in order to transfer food from serving dish to our plates). The dishes we ordered, coupled with our differing wine preferences, presented an interesting dilemma to us but a welcomed challenge to the sommelier. In a few short moments, we were set up and smiling.
Final thoughts: I was lucky enough to have been with great company in a fantastic restaurant but truly, this is the kind of place that can make an occasion with a loved one, special and a date with a bad decision, tolerable. -
Review from Joseph L.
Vancouver, BC
3/14/2012
My family had a birthday dinner for three of them here at the restaurant, my father, sister-in-law, and girlfriend. They had a nice selection of wines from the wine list they provided. We let my brother select the wine which was a merlot from Australia, very nice. The food was amazing, I had the steak which was cooked perfectly and my gf had the chicken which was just as flavourful.
It was not a very large restaurant, so I was expecting a few bumps into my chair by the wait staff but none of that happened. (Seems to always happen to me when I eat in smaller restaurants).
The wait staff was attentive, filling the water glasses and wine glasses when they were low and not making you feel crowded at all. The food arrived promptly and all at the same time.
The only thing I can criticize about this place was the extensive list of specials, which our waitress did a great job listing for us off the top of her head. By the time she finished I didn't know what was the first special she mentioned. Would have been nice to have it on paper to see in front of you. But this was a minor thing for me.
Overall a very nice place to dine at with friends and family. I would definately be back for more of the great food. Oh I almost forgot, they did ask us if we would like dessert but we were stuffed from our meal. They did bring us three complimentary desserts for the birthday people in our group. A very nice touch, -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
After dining here on such a special day that was extremely packed, I almost feel like reducing all of my other reviews by one star. Yes, it was that exceptional. I have dined here at other times and never have I been disappointed. This is my first time to review. I believe it is the best restaurant in the city, and I stand by my word. Yes, it's pricey but I would rate it a five in all areas.
Waiters were attentive. We were given one of the best private seats in a semi-private room.
Order:
"Special" rose/champagne-pricey at $16 a glass but quite dry and well worth it; similar to Joie but in bubbly form.
Burrata/Veggie plate-best burrata I've ever tasted. Grilled veggies/olives were lovely. Waiter did manage to spill some on me, and they were coated in oil, but that part didn't bother me. Luckily, I wasn't wearing white. The food def. made up for the error!
Crab spaghettini (or similar type of noodle)- cooked al dente of course; sauce was not too overbearing. Crab was perfect.
Wild boar, polenta, grilled broccolini-all were perfect. If you've never had wild boar the taste was similar to short rib, not too gamey and lean. Absolutely perfect and served as a large portion.
Dessert-chocolate mouse + tiramisu (their version). Both were wonderful and deconstructed on a rectangular plate. A perfect amount of each.
Decaf lattes/cappucino- too suspiciously tasty to be decaf
And the absolute star-TWO chocolate cupcakes with pink-mint frosting; soo delicious that Pino himself even joked, "I should open up a shop." If I had known these were our special end treat, I would have certainly skipped the other two desserts!
My suggestion to all the men (and even women) is this: take your special someone here for a special occasion. Unless she's a vegetarian, she will love you even more. :) -
Review from Carol D.
5/15/2012
We had the best meal ever! And we're rather finicky foodies. Chef Pino was very friendly and helpful. Loved the Sardinian wine and the mussels. 10 of 10. Gotta eat there when you're in Vancouver.
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Review from Evilyn T.
The BF (like most men on Valentine's Day I'm sure) waited until the day of to make a dinner reservation for us. All of his first choices were fully booked, so he booked us in at Cioppino's. Now, we have nothing against this restaurant, but as two vegetarians, it seemed a little strange to be dining at a place with the name "Grill" in it, as that usually means the menu is pretty meat-heavy, and it was.
We started with a bottle of red from Sicily, and they brought us over some fresh bread with hummus. I wasn't too into the hummus, it was probably the one thing I didn't like during dinner, but luckily for me they had a bottle of extra virgin olive oil on the table so I had some of that on my bread instead. I'm not sure of the brand of olive oil, but it kind of had a bitter and earthy taste to it, which seemed a bit unusual to me.
I ordered the warm goat cheese and the BF had the porcini and mushroom soup, both were great, but pretty small considering the cost. There was only one main dish that was vegetarian on the menu, so we both ended up getting the same thing, which kinda bums me out cuz when I am on my first excursion to a restaurant I want to try a little bit of everything, and in this case I couldn't really. Our server said that they could make us a spaghetti with vegetables and tomato sauce, but that sounded kind of boring honestly. We ordered the potato gnocchi and it was good, it was nice and soft and came with a tomato sauce with fresh basil in it. They also came over and shredded some fresh parmesian on it, and I threw on some pepper to add a bit of a kick. Sure, everything so far tasted great, but again, it was all very simple, but I guess that'w what we get for having dinner at a Grill.
For dessert (hello, you can't have a Valentine's Day dinner without dessert - this is common knowledge) I ordered the banana in phyllo pastry and the BF had the marscapone - which was too rich for me, but my banana was good, and totally hit the spot. They also brought out a little chocolate cupcake with mint icing on it and a little cupid on a toothpick as a thank-you for dining with us on Vday, which was cute, but my friend made us better cupcakes for the BF's birthday a couple weeks ago. No offence, she is a master of desserts, and she actually made chocolate mint cupcakes too, but had added in some hazlenut which totally complimented the taste.
In any case, the dinner was great, albeit very safe and simple and as a vegetarian I'm not sure I would be back since there are more veggie choices at other high end restaurants that would suit my needs a bit more. I'm glad we went here to try out the menu though. -
Review from Herman E.
11/7/2011
WOW!
This place is tops. I must have come here on a good night and happen to have a good waiter. He was extremely friendly and was quite willing to take my friendly abuse. Exceptional service.
The first thing that I noticed is that Pino (the owner) walks around to make sure that everything is perfect, and I do mean perfect! We ran out of bread at our table and as he walked by, he literally commanded one of the waiters, "Bread", with his finger pointed to our empty basket. To which a waiter (not ours) promptly came back with a full basket.
The food was a real treat. Everything had such deep and intense flavours. Starters, mains and even dessert. Mind you, the prices certainly reflected in the food and service. It is more pricey than your average Italian joint.
Wow!. -
Review from Kevin L.
Edmonton, AB
12/10/2011
Just celebrated my anniversary here and I felt like I was on kitchen nightmares right from the start. Large framed picture of the head chef on the wall as well as reviews from when they won restaurant of the year. Times have changed.
The food was average at best and quite over priced. We payed 30 dollars for a plate of three types of salami that were small in portion and not that impressive.
My wife ordered the sole that was bland and uninspiring at 42 dollars. We sent it back and they remade it with a decent 2nd attempt. It was not taken off the bill, but given the vibe in the restaurant I expected that.
There was a man dressed in black standing at the bar that looked like security. We nicknamed him Gino and were confused as to what his role was.
The quality of the food compared to the price was where the value was missing for me. There is far better eating in Vancouver than to spend another evening dining here. -
Review from Nima T.
Vancouver, BC
1/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Top service, great food
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Review from Scott D.
5/5/2011
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. I've been coming here since it opened and have never been disappointed. One of Vancouver's deepest wine cellars. Owner/chef Pino has a memory like an elephant, always remembers my favorite types of wines, going so far as to recall specific bottles I've ordered years before. The eve of Xmas eve 2010 I showed up with a date & toddler in-tow. The restaurant was completely packed. Once again, chef Pino to the rescue - fitting us in and taking great care despite the packed house.
The food is always phenomenal.
BOTTOM LINE: A not-to-miss Vancouver destination -
Review from Victoria R.
Vancouver, BC
12/11/2010 3 photos
Wow on top of wow. This place blew my mind.
I came here for my one&only's company Christmas party, and it was out of this world. The service was amazing - the servers all seemed to be intuitive, they knew what we needed before we needed it. The food was delicious - I had a steak that was absolutely perfect, the wild mushroom soup, and a chocolate cake that was sinful.
I'd take someone there for a romantic meal, hands down. It helps that Luongo walked in to pick up his 'take out'! -
Review from Sy M.
Vancouver, BC
7/5/2011
My first experience at Cioppino's was very nice. The service was great, and of course, PIno came around to make sure my friend was enjoying one of the specials, the Halibut Gnocchi.
I had the gazpacho, another daily special, which was refreshing and very tasty. As for my entree, I ordered the linguine with lobster - MMMMmmmmm!!!
My sister had the foie gras and the chicken breast.
Sure, it's pricey but really, you are getting what you pay for - excellence! I know I will go back again, and next time, I will definitely order the Porcini and Chestnut soup!!!Comment from Pino P. of Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill 7/5/2011
Thanks very much, glad you have enjoyed the food and the… More » -
Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
My first time there was 5 months ago with my gal friend and it was so impressed.
So I came back for our anniversary dinner tonight, the menu didn't change at all and the chef's specials were the same. Of coz, the food quality and service was excellent.
I had Diver Scallops to start with, scallops was fresh and the black truffle vinaigrette so tasty. Rib-Eye was good but just a bit dry today.
My hubby had Porcini and Chestnut Soup, it was so creamy, smooth and rich. Rack of Lamb was juicy and delicious.
We ordered Cannelloni to share - lobster and crab in creamy-tomato sauce. OMG!! It was so fresh and stuffed in full lobster and crab meat.
I was very full but still have room for the dessert. I had warm soft-heart cake again. It was a bit disappointed coz it was cold in the middle.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/24/2010
I heard this restaurant is good and top rated. I just have a chance to try out tonight. The food… Read more »
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Review from Janice F.
1/12/2010
Solid Italian food, hefty Yaletown pricing.
The service is polished and impersonal, but they are totally on the ball with refolding your napkin every time you get up from the table.
Felt vaguely uncomfortable from the man on guard - I'm not sure what his role is, but he's rather intimidating.
Onto the food though, the award winning (it says so on the menu) porcini and chestnut soup topped with vanilla foam is sublime. Light, creamy and flavourful and a substantial portion.
They had a black truffle menu, so we opted to try the organic egg with black truffle and house-made wagyu sausages. The egg was perfectly cooked and the sausages were juicy and tasty, but the shaved black truffles didn't provide as much depth as I'd hoped.
For mains, I had the lobster linguine in a tomato cream sauce - accented with chili oil. The lobster meat was great, fresh - comes in shell. And the pasta was perfectly cooked, but I was a bit disappointed with the sauce. It was a bit bland besides the slight kick from the chili oil.
I preferred the paparadelle with 4-hour braised veal cheeks. Lovely, tender and buttery.
For desserts, we had a tiramisu - baked mascarpone, in-house lady fingers, berries and chocolate sauce. Just a hint of coffee from the biscuits. Not the most traditional tiramisu, but I enjoyed it more than the lemon tart which was way too sweet and nothing special. -
Review from Kristen M.
8/7/2008
I am not sure if this place is the one that I am trying to review, but the address matches. The review is for Cioppino's Enoteca, which is a fancy schmancy Italian restuarant in Yaletown.
The only reason I get to eat here is because someone else foots the bill, in the name of business. And thank god, because this place is amazing. I have been twice, December 2006 and December 2007, and both times were amazing. Literally two of the best meals I have had in my life. I had the same thing both times, basically lobster, prawns and scallops in this heavenly sauce. The salads are also delicious. As are the desserts. And the wine list is intense...I don't know anything about wine so luckily the other people I went with do.
I have no idea what the price per person is and I like it that way! Man, I hope I get to go back again this December...Listed in: Van-coooo-ver, EH?
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Review from J K.
2/8/2009
I've yet to be disappointed by this place. My favorite dishes are the carpaccio and the lobster linguini. Good stuff.
The service is generally excellent, but there a a couple of staff that are less than pleasant (still acceptable though). Pino seems to run a pretty tight ship. On two separate visits, I saw Pino personally lecture his front of house staff. The first time was because a kid (busboy?) dropped a plate. The second time was because (it looked like) a waiter was talking to customers while holding some dirty plates.
Steak is something I rarely order in restaurants, since I typically do a better job at home than 99% of restaurants. But I think I'll have to go back and try it at Cioppino's, as I understand that Pino personally dry ages his own AAA beef. -
Review from Philip F.
8/20/2010
This place has top notch service and food. I was in town for business with no client dinner meeting so I decided to go by myself. I wanted good italian and was point here by a reliable food source (namely another top chef in Vancouver). Being I was by myself I brought a book. It happened to be the Danny Meyer bio (owner of many of the best restaurants in NYC). One of the managers commented on the book and even proceed to bring his own copy to the table to show me. The owner also spent several minutes at my table. He did scold me for using a spoon to eat my pasta but I'm OK with that.
As for the food- the Gazpacho soup was a perfect consistancy. The house bread made a perfect compliment with the soup. For the main dish, I went with the pasta with clams. Pasta was cooked well and the sauce was not to saucy but enough to have a nice flavor. Dessert was the banana, choc, caramel thing. It was fair. -
Review from Tom G.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Favourite restaurant in Vancouver. I have never had a bad meal here. Everything is fresh and delicious. Portions are a decent size, not too big not too small.
If someone was coming in from out of town and asked me where they should eat if they could only pick one place in Vancouver for dinner I would say Cioppino's without hesitation. -
Review from Mitch N.
2/20/2009
My first evening in Vancouver in over 7 years, and this place was great. Right in Yale Town, location is great.
Food wise, amazing.
Service really good
I will say that while our waiter was very good, his breath was really bad... -
Review from Rose N.
Vancouver, BC
3/13/2010
Wow, Wow, Wow!!
Three 'Wow's for food, service and atmosphere! I have many business and personal celebrations at this place and if you are over 30, they will exceed your expectations. The service is exemplary and it is the only restaurant that truly offers professional waiter service in Yaletown. I would put up there, to one of the top restaurants in New York or any other big European city. Food, is beyond authentic and I have travelled to Italy, really amazing from starters to dessert! Great wine selection. If you really want to impress, or entertain an out of town client and show off what Vancouver has to offer, this one place will top all the rest in Yaletown! -
Review from Kellee K.
8/2/2010 3 photos
We were seated on the patio, it was cozy and comfortable. Service was attentive.
We started with a daily special, Heirloom Tomatoes and Dungeness Crab with Avocado Vinaigrette. It was fantastic! It tasted like summer on a plate. Clean and refreshing flavors. For entrees, we selected the Risotto with Dungeness Crab and herbed peas. Simply wonderful! And also the slow cooked Halibut with Tomatoes, alongside asparagus, peas and mashed potatoes. It was excellent. All in all, a stellar meal. -
Review from Katie F.
2/15/2010
Came here for Valentine's dinner with the hubby... I've heard rave reviews from foodie friends, Van Mag and Zagat, so my expectations were high.
Nice ambiance and option for private room dining as well. I liked that the chef (Pino Postararo) came around to check on your meal.
Service is only OK - the hostesses could be more polished and our drinks went empty a couple of times. Pacing of the courses was good. Server was more disengaged than what I'm used to, even for fine dining.
Bread service is nice. I had the chestnut and porcini soup to start - light, tasty and smooth. Mmmmm. Hubby had their Caesar salad which was not like a usual Caesar at all! The dressing was quite unusual but good and it was laid out in a lasagna-layered type of design.
He had the gnocci as his main - nicely cooked and tomato base was nice but too garlicky for my liking. I went with their elk, which was served with a risotto and veggies on the side. This was quite good, especially the risotto, but again, nothing mind blowing at the $45 price tag for this dish.
I was quite surprised by the large selection on the dessert menu... there's something to please any taste! Hubby had the chocolate lava cake with ice cream and I went with the limoncello cheesecake with ice cream. Both were very good, but not my favorites. The lava cake has an exterior that it a bit too powdery and thick compared to my gold standard at Jean Georges, and I found the cheesecake not firm enough. But the flavor was AMAZING and loved the mini cake style serving with the unique crunchy overlay.
This is a pricey resto (antipasti and appetizers are $13-$20, primis are about $25, entrees around $40-45, and desserts are $12-15).
All in all, it was an enjoyable meal but nothing that blew me away. I'd only come back if someone else is covering my tab ;)Listed in: Making the most of your…
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Review from Mac D.
Vancouver, BC
1/16/2011
We walked in Cioppino's on a Friday. We hadn't eaten there before so we thought why not lets splurge a little tonight and try it. Everything went fine from the delicious appetizer, great wine to the salads. Both service and food was great.
Then came the entries. My wife ordered the spaghetti which is done with clams. After the second bite one of the clams was bad and full of sand. She ran to the washroom almost vomiting. I flagged the waiter and let him know. The chef and owner came over apologized and said they would remake the dish. Once my wife came back she said she wanted something different as she would not be able to eat the clams again. The chef suggested another pasta dish and that was ordered.
This obviously screwed up our dinner as I had may plate and my wifes was still to come. By the time my wifes dinner came mine was done.
Next we finished up desert and felt satisfied.They brought over 2 small glasses of desert wine for free which was nice. It was unfortunate about the bad clam but we understand mistakes happen. Although at this price you should not be served spoiled food under any circumstance.
The bill was brought over and I assumed we would not be charged for the pasta. Just as I was opening the bill the chef and owner came over and said I hope they did not charge you for the spaghetti. It was on the bill. He grabbed it and said they should not charge you for that. He then had them take the spaghetti off and put the substitute pasts dish on which was more expensive! Only by $2 but still why change it. In any other restaurant the dish would have been comped.
Then the next morning I realized I left my credit card in the bill folder. I then returned at opening to get my credit card. The hostess called the manager and I was told they cut my credit card up! Yes they cut it up as they said they called the credit card company and were told to cut it up. Unbelievable! I know it is my fault to leave my card but I have done this in the past several times and never had a place cut it up. Imagine if someone was on vacation and that was their only card! When I complained to them they said well we didn't have your phone number because you just walked in like somehow I should leave my phone number with them. Hard to believe but true. They offered no apologies.
Maybe we just ran into bad luck but I sure expected better. I wanted it to be a nice evening but it wasn't. -
Review from Huntting B.
2/13/2010
It just doesn't get better than this. I'm serious. The place feels like it is run by the mafia. We walked in the door and were greeted by a guy in a black suit and white shirt who made me instantly think he was the son of "the godfather." Our hotel had screwed up our reservation and made it for the wrong day, but they still found us a table.
I can't tell you a ton about the specific dishes we ordered as it was a little while ago, but this I do remember.
The Duck Confit, which was three different pieces of the duck, on a small platter was incredible. Our wine selection has become my favorite wine of all time (Alonzo del Yerro). They also had Pappy Van Winkle's (20yr) Bourbon on the menu and made the best mint julep that I have had, to date.
The red brick makes you feel like you are in an old warehouse, but the restaurant only seats about 80 people. This place isn't cheap but it is definitely worth it. This is on my list of places I have to go to every time I'm in Vancouver. Wonderful date or annyversary joint. -
Review from John D.
7/19/2011
Very expensive, but very good. I went with some work colleagues, one of whom knew the chef and staff. The chef took us back into the kitchen and had us sample some heirloom tomatoes (as we work in the produce industry). Very intimate dining experience. Very hospitable and attentive staff. Wine is expensive!
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Review from stan s.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2010
One of Vancouver top Restaurants. You will not go wrong with Cioppinos.
Pino was one of Frank Sinatra's chef before opening Cioppinos.
Service is very accommodating, food is excellent, wine menu is expensive even for cheap wines. Antipasto plate is served by hand from staff. Great entrees that use local seasonal ingredients.
Anyone is search of the best Italian food in to should come to Cioppinos. -
Review from MelonPie M.
Vancouver, BC
12/10/2010
Went there for a special occasion. Very very sadly disappointed at this place.
I was honestly excited about trying their food. I asked the server if a pasta I picked was good. he said oh that's my favorite, it is VERY nice! so I tried and looked what i got...pasta was hard. He didn't even ask me how the pasta is done. I didn't taste anything---are they using a tomato sauce? It's too weak for me to taste anything but it costed like a LOT more than it should be. I honestly think my pasta tasted far better than their pasta. I wasted my money. Not happy. I don't get why this place is famous. Their pasta disappointed me a lot. I wonder if there are any good pasta in vancouver at all. -
Review from Dontcallmeafoodblogger D.
West Vancouver, BC
12/12/2011
The best restaurant I've been to in the Vancouver area since moving here in August. This is only the second time I've ever given 4 stars to any restaurant and our meal there deserved every one of the 4 stars. The service is equally as good as the food and the food was very, very good. Will revisit soon to see if quality is consistent.
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Review from Richelle O.
Vancouver, BC
1/20/2011
Outstanding service, food, decor, ambiance
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Review from Sheryl D.
12/22/2010
What is wrong with me? I thought I had already written my glowing review of Cioppino's after our wowtastic anniversary dinner there back in October, but I have neglected my Yelping duties.
No matter. I can remember every single little detail as a.) I'm still talking from a newly married blissful perspective and b.) you cannot forget a restaurant like this. We went in for our first year anniversary dinner and had the foie gras to start, Luongo's (with respect to Chef P.) lobster linguine, a plate of tenderloin and the olive oil trio for dessert. We ordered wine which was delicious but since I'm no winophile (I believe oenophile is the correct term but winophile seems more user-friendly), I can't remember what it tasted like and what it was.
Needless to say, everything blew our palates away. My husband said he could have easily stopped at the foie gras and was planning to savour the aftertaste all night long. I was planning to savour it until Christmas (which incidentally is in a couple of days). When they came to take our foie gras plates away, I can honestly say it was one of the most bittersweet moments of restaurant dining I've had. It was like a really good movie coming to an end, and being a chef's special for that night, it's going to be a while before anyone sees it on the menu again. Husband's tenderloin was "absolute perfection" in his words and my pasta was very comforting. (It had to be comforting, for the price was a bit out of this world for pasta as well!). The biggest surprise of the night came during dessert time. We were offered a complimentary pots de creme avec madeleines and "Happy Anniversary" scribbled on the dessert plate (came with sparklers too!).
One funny (could have turned out tragically) incident that night was our attempt to order the wagyu. We had this brilliant idea that we were going to share this, and our lovely server very discreetly whispered, "excellent choice! But just to let you know, it is about $300.) That very quickly wiped all brilliant ideas we had. I've had wagyu several times before and not at this price (mind you, being in Vancouver and at Cioppino's, it is not only understandable, it's expected.) And that's how we settled on the fabulous tenderloin and the lobster linguine folks!
What a perfect night. I'm thinking of making all our anniversary dinners a tradition there. -
Review from Sarah K.
5/14/2010
Loved the food, liked the ambiance and thought the service was stellar (though I did feel like our waiter was a bit of a stepford server).
I'm not the biggest fan of Italian but we had the ravioli with lobster and almost wanted to order another serving. The lobster and prawn was also delish.
They had a great wine selection and some good recommendations for our meal.
Dessert was so-so but I wouldn't let that stop me from going again. After a meal like that who would have room for dessert anyhow? -
Review from Bob L.
9/18/2009
On a lay-over flight from Montreal to SFO, we took a cab to this restaurant to have a nice dinner. The only nice part was the exit! I had Lobster Bisque which smelled fishy as in not fresh, and a very small portion for $14.95. My wife had a mushroom and hazelnut soup and found it edible but nothing special. Then for our entrees, my wife had a crab salad that was too salty to eat. We mentioned it to the waiter and that brought the manager and the chef out. They explained it must have been the pepper she added and that it was perfect for them! The manager stated they do not prepare locally to which the chef replied he cooks the crab in brine (salt) and did not understand why she would think it was salty (duh). The salad was $14.95. I had Fettucini and meat sauce. The meat sauce was also salty and loaded with fat!
We both had 2 glasses of Shiraz from Australia and that was the highlight of the meal. No dessert as we could not wait to leave the place. Our bill for 2 bowls of soup, 1 salad, 1 pasta dish and 4 very small (about what you get at a Napa wine tasting ~3oz) was $121.
I suggest, after eating all over the world, that you STAY AWAY from this ill-prepared, pompous restaurant. ANY food in the airport would have been better!Comment from Pino P. of Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill 10/13/2009
I would really love to be at your dinner's party!!!Looks… More » -
Review from BONNY C.
12/5/2010
Loved it! Food, service and ambiance was awesome. Recommend sitting outside, if the weather permits.
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Review from Chloe T.
BC
10/6/2011
If you can afford it (we paid over $100 per head), this is the place to go for top notch Italian food. You can't go wrong coming here.
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Review from Adam M.
Surrey, BC
4/7/2009
First off, fantastic atmosphere, and a very cozy restaurant for those looking to have a nice evening out with your spouse, or a fun evening out with some friends.
The service is outstanding. I felt as if we were custom served by the best server in the restaurant, only to realize that every other server that helped us out also provided exceptional service.
While my main course (pork medallions) was not quite to my liking, both appetizers and my wifes Ahi Tuna main course were outstanding. I blame the dislike for the pork on my own tastebuds more than the food though as my wife suggested they were excellent.
The wine list, is like a small phone book. Priced from nothing to infinity.
I noticed a family let in the front end of the kitchen to finish off the touches on their families celebratory cake. It felt like a very high end, family run restaurant.
Pricey, but worth it. -
Review from Swarup B.
10/13/2008
as good as it gets....
we wanted to find a good italian restaurant and our hotel recommended this one and stated this was the best in town. by the end of the meal, this was almost the best italian meal i've ever had.
the restaurant has a hybrid feel as it mixes a kind of a warehouse feel w/ old school italian wine rooms. we were seated in one of their wine rooms and it turned out to be quite nice and intimate. the service was impeccable. this was up their as some of the best service we've ever come across. our waiter was funny and very attentive and offered great advice in the areas of wine. i had a glass of the house barbera d'asti and then later a cab sav from australia. both recommeded by our waiter and both incredible. my wife had a sav blanc from NZ and a italian moscato d'asti and while the sav blanc was ok, the moscato d'asti was killer. we ended up ordering a bottle for dessert!
for appetizers, my wife got the caprese salad and i got the fried zucchini blossoms stuffed w/ fresh mozzarella. the caprese salad was very good but the only thing my wife would change would be to add a bit more balsamic and a tad bit more salt. other than that, perfect. the blossoms were perfect in every way. the accompanying pea side was very fresh and tasty. the peas had the right amount of bite.
for mains, we were very happy to hear that chef pino had just gotten a shipment of white truffles from alba and they made a risotto dish w/ the lil nuggets of total happiness. my wife got that dish and i got the duck dish. the risotto was amazing and just you want out of a risotto. nice and soft and extremely creamy. the alba truffles added unbelievable depth in flavor. the dish must be tasted to be believed. the only critique is that cheese was added to the risotto and that the amount of cheese should be scaled back just a tad.
the duck dish came w/ 2 pieces of breast meat along w/ a piece of duck leg confit. while the breast meat were cooked perfectly, the confit was out of this world in terms of texture and flavor. i don't think i've had a duck dish perfectly executed as this one. the green beans and citrus sauce was the perfect compliment to all the components of this dish.
for dessert i had gotten the tiramisu and she got the light mlik chocolate mousse. the tiramisu was very good and light and constructed very differently than any other tiramisu i've ever had. the fresh berries added some needed acidity to the otherwise creamy and sweet dessert and balanced it out nicely. the mousse was perfectly made and the mango coulis that accompanied was spot on.
chef pino is truly a master in his craft and i would go back in a heartbeat. i recommend any local vancouver folk to go to cioppino's as quickly as possible if they hadn't already. -
Review from steve B.
6/13/2009
Had dinner in Yaletown, loved the area and came across this place. Ordered the prawns for an appetizer they were very very good, ef'ing good. I had the steak which was cooked perfect, wifey had an ice char fish which was great! After that we topped it off we had a tiramisu Cioppinos version which is different but I feel better than the conventional tiramisu dessert that you normally get served. The service was superb, top notch, great wine selection. Sometimes when you spend your hard earned money you don't always get your moneys worth I feel we got our moneys worth and more absolutely great experience
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Review from adam b.
9/1/2010
I had the cioppino and was expecting better. All the fish quality was good except for the mussels which had perfect consistency (nice and soft) but smelled bad and some tasted terrible. The dish was definitely overall of high quality but it was boring and lacking much flavor. Most restaurants totally blow this dish with so many different types of fish and this place is definitely better than average but not worth the price for the taste.
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Review from Dana W.
BC
11/6/2008
So delicious. The appetizers, pastas, entrees...all to die for. If you happen to dine there on a chilly fall/winter evening and they are serving the porcini-chestnut soup, don't hesitate just order. That paired with a homemade pasta (the parpardelle with veal cheeks is one of my faves) is a pretty perfect meal. And, if your wallet allows, the meat or fish dishes are cooked to perfection.
I'm not quite sure why it's called a Mediterranean Grill here since it's definitely Italian. -
Review from Tom W.
North Vancouver, BC
11/27/2010
service, wine and food are all the best in Vancouver. It was expensive so best to reserve for special occasions. Small servings.
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Review from katz l.
Vancouver, BC
7/28/2011
Absolutely fabulous meal. The food was fantastic and the service was very good. The risotto with morels was luxuriously splendid. The duck was absolutely fantastic. Their wine list is very good and the server was very helpful in picking out a fantastic wine to go with the meal. Definitely would go back.
