Ciliegino in Cardiff

Booked last minute yesterday for a party of 10 and so glad we ended up here. The food was lovely, great atmosphere and the staff was excellent they was really friendly and went above and beyond even gave birthday girl dessert on the house and we all had a complimentary lemon shot. Would definitely come here again ☺️

Ciliegino has been on my radar for quite some time. I always thought it was part of a chain due to its location, but this is not the case. Absolutely loved my pasta dish. The sauce was rich and seasoned perfectly. A far cry from the bland/processed nonsense you so often find in chain restaurants. Despite being located within the hustle and bustle of a busy shopping centre, dont let this put you off. Ciliegino takes you away from all that and provides you with fantastic Italian food and wonderful service. I can't wait to return!

Delicious authentic Italian food with excellent staff and a warm, inviting atmosphere. The restaurant provided a nice and relaxed atmosphere. The staff were welcoming, polite and charming. I ordered the calzone with additional toppings of nduja and red onions. It came within a matter of minutes straight from the pizza oven. It smelt divine as I cut down the centre and the aromas rose up. It was cooked to perfection, all the toppings inside were delicious and the shaved parmesan on top really elevated the dish. I was particularly impressed with the amount on nduja inside and the size of the calzone, great value for money. Will definitely be returning. Delicious!

Ciliegino truly deserves its Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2024 title—it’s nothing short of exceptional! The service was beyond excellent; our server made the experience unforgettable. The food was spectacular from start to finish. The Carbonara Penne Pasta was perfectly creamy, the Prime Rib was cooked to perfection, and the Mortadella, Burrata, con Pesto Pizza was absolutely divine. Every bite was a delight! If you’re looking for an outstanding dining experience, Ciliegino is the place to be.

Amazing music ❤️ We ordered pasta different types, lasagna, salad and kids menu. The lasagna was a little salty, but everything was great. We were offered table water which is nice. The staff was super kind. Thank you.

5 stars. Spotlessly clean. Fast service, friendly staff. Delicious food!

Absolutely delicious food and good service however if your table is at the front of the restaurant it is not particularly pleasant with everyone walking by about 1 foot away. Shame. The food and portions are absolutely brilliant though.

Food was amazing and the service was great

Fantastic food, fantastic service! Amiee was such a good and attentive host! Have recommended to all our friends and planning when to come again

Had some lunch here today with her indoors food was excellent once they remembered the prawns, which they were so apologetic, couldn’t do enough to remedy the issue with new risotto and complimentary garlic bread. Merry Xmas all the staff

Possibly the worst rib eye steak I have ever had. Could not even chew it. Peppercorn sauce was thin tasteless and was an additional charge. Was given a 10% discount off of the whole bill which totalled £6.06.The steak alone was £23.50, peppercorn sauce was £1.75.Moral of the story don't go to an Italian restaurant and order a steak. Very very disappointing meal. The shining light in all this was the staff. They are absolutely lovely and very attentive

We had an early dinner here after reading the reviews which seemed very positive. I also had a few email exchanges as I prefer carbonara done the "original" way without cream. However my hopes were dashed when we got there as they were very busy and as such were not prepared to cater for any customisations which was a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, we made our orders and generally it was ok. I don't think I was wow-ed unfortunately - maybe because I had high expectations based on my previous communication. On the plus side, despite the busy service, the serving staff were still attentive. They were especially great at catering to the kids' requests too. Not sure we'd be back if we are in Cardiff again, but I am quite particular 😂 having been spoilt with excellent Italian food before. However, for those of you who want good service and decent food, then go for it. It's probably also a good place for kids as they have a kids menu.

One of the best Italians I have ever had! Came here on a whim and how surprised was we, great wine list and beautifully prepared dishes. This isn't your usual generic shopping center restaurant and feels very independent and old school. Pasta was beautifully presented and packed with seafood, the pizza was light and fluffy. Service was some of the best we have ever had from Arzoo and the team. Will be a staple of our trips to Cardiff from now on Can you open one in the south east please? Xx

Was ok, but way too expensive for what it was.

Fantastic taste of Italy, with wonderful staff with excellent service. Would recommend that you do not miss the experience. 😃👌

Always go to Ciliegino, love the food and all staff, very helpful and courteous

This restaurant is amazing. I have been in a lot of Italian restaurants before, but this one is the best ever. Starting with the most kind and welcoming staff to the most delicious food. We know this restaurant for 6 years already and I can only say that it is getting better and better as the time passes. Congratulations! We will come to you very soon.

Pasta alla norma would have been better with a bit more aubergine. Pizzas were really good. Cannolo and tiramisu were super.

Good service, but neither of the specialities were available.

Very enjoyable pizza Base was good and lovely fresh ingredients for the topping including scrumptious artichokes

We had a party of 16 for my son’s 18th birthday. The food was delicious and fresh, and the atmosphere was perfect . The staff even sang happy birthday to my son, with a complimentary cheesecake and a candle. I will definitely be visiting again. Thank you Ciliegino

A great place to meet up before the rugby

Lovely food, definitely will come back. Halal food is available 😋

Pleasant and welcoming staff overall excellent service Food was hot and tasty.

Went here based on the G reviews, it was great. The pizza and salad were great, the child meal arrived really quickly, portions good, staff attentive and great value. Will be our go-to for a Saturday lunch in Cardiff going forward - thank you.

Really nice modern restaurant, lovely food, nice wine, brilliant, friendly staff. Unfortunately will probably not be back as was only spending one evening in Cardiff.

Update Nov 24, yet another really good meal. Not your usual shopping mall food, this IS really good Italian food, the sort of food that outshines many expensive restaurants. Still up there in the go to places for quality. The service still is one of the best there is. Good service, nice wine selection, the Bolognese was very good. Not a rushed dining experience in a busy location.

While the service was excellent, the lasagna was average. The garlic bread was OK.

What a fantastic experience we had here today!! Amiee our waitress was absolutely exceptional, kind, friendly and polite, everything you need from a waitress, her customer service was wonderful, considering she is a new member of staff… what an asset to your team! The food was absolutely delicious as always, and the atmosphere in the restaurant is always wonderful! Can’t wait to come back!

Excellent service, and the food was hot, plentiful and delicious. We’d highly recommend this restaurant 😊

Lovely food here, the tables and chairs are a bit basic but the food made up for that. It's a restaurant that is surrounded by other food establishments and shops. Convenient for shoppers. Not what I would call cosy but like I said good food. We will be back.

Best GF pizza so far. Staff great. Nice side salad too. I’m a shopping mall so ambiance not so great. Otherwise good experience. Good price .

The food and the service were top class, but it's a shame it's in a shopping mall. I can get passed this one minus and would definitely consider visiting again. The previous reviews encouraged me to take the chance on Ciliegino and I hope my review will persuade others also. It's worth it if only for a dish called 'Cardiff Sauce'... which by the way was delicious.

What a wonderful family run Italian restaurant. It's a shame it's in a shopping mall, but the food and service help to distract from the location.

Turned up for a 3pm booking at 14.55 and told there would be a 20 minute wait for food . Not acceptable as we had booked a table Whilst we waited in the queue Walk ins were being seated

I’m a chef and come here regularly, won’t get better pasta and pizza. Amazing food

First time here but will go again soon! The service was outstanding,very efficient and friendly.Tbe food was excellent and honestly the best pizza we have had in a very long time.Everything we ate was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend!!

Great Italian restaurant, fast service and good food. Would definitely recommend

Gorgeous food, friendly staff, overall lovely dining experience.

What a lovely little find . The pasta with Cardiff sauce was fantastic, very creamy and lush

This is one of my Goto restaurants when I visit Cardiff. The service is always great with a friendly greeting and the staff are always happy to help select from the menu. The food is beautifully cooked and is fairly priced. The atmosphere is lovely and chilled even though you are in a shopping center. I usually get sat outside but on my most recent visit, was sat in the main restaurant area which was nice as you get to see the Pizza area at work. I highly recommend Ciliegino restaurant for food. Be it a lite bite or a full on meal, you won't be disappointed.

Quality of food and superb service

Working away from home in Cardiff decided to get a take away food was 5⭐️ the tiramisu was amazing food what hot on arrival highly recommended

We had a lovely Sunday Lunch. It was really lovely and amazing. We got the Calamari as a starter to share. It was a really good combination with their garlic and spicy mayo sauces. We got two dishes for mains, Tagliatelle alla scoglio which I would recommend 10/10. I would love to try it again sooner. My boyfriend had pepperoni classic pizza which is his one of the favourite pizzas and the pizza dough taste is so fresh and the tomato sauce flavour with is delicious too. Everything was honestly delicious and we definitely go back sooner.

Lovely experience would highly recommend, Ideal place to take your partner

The food was delicious and the staff could not have been more welcoming. It was superb and good value for money.

Even though it's in a shopping centre surrounded by chain restaurants, I couldn't get over how good this place was! Amazing service, we were done with 3 courses (and a limoncello) in around an hour. Everyone was so friendly too. Would recommend the truffle carbonara. So good!

Excellent Italian restaurant serving Italian and British food

Better than the surrounding chain restaurants but would recommend an independent family restaurant if possible

Restaurant located in a shopping center. The pasta dishes were quite good, and the cooking of this one was perfect. The staff was very friendly and helpful at all times. We went with a reservation, which we made online. Very comfortable

Service was top notch. Loved it!

Very disappointed. The check-in guy very unkind. Cancelled in my Cardiff saved best places.

Excellent as always. Food beautiful, great atmosphere. All staff very attentive pleasant and helpful. Thank you

Consistent pasta dishes, very good, al dente pasta and tasty tomato sauce, they don't skimp on ingredients. The pizza was quite good, thin dough and very successful. A bit high price to end up being pasta. The service was excellent.

Amazing food and service we are here for Cardiff Half and we couldn't have picked a better restaurant. Thank you for making our evening special

Chicken salad was the best ever tasted, very generous portion and amazing sauce on top. Very quick service, reasonably priced and waitress was lovely.

food is amazing & staff are fantasic

We came here for the first time today after wanting to find somewhere new to eat and we were SO pleased with our decision. The food was fresh, tasted great and the prices were very reasonable for such good portion sizes and quality of ingredients. We chose the Calamari as a starter and it was absolutely delicious! My partner’s pizza was fantastic and my beef burger was amazing quality. Our food was served quickly too! The service was fantastic, the staff are so friendly and welcoming! Overall, we had a great experience today and we’ll definitely be back :)

Thank you for a delicious meal, and thank Fisal for his courtesy and attention

Best Italian restaurant in Cardiff and cooked by an Italian chef!! We had the penne norma, classic pepperoni pizza and beef lasagne. Ended with a complimentary espresso (or limoncello). Very authentic Italian, not salty and with the right balance in taste n flavour. They also have a gluten free menu. Really a hidden gem in St David's Centre.

Very tentative service great food and excellent staff

Food was excellent especially the pizzas and very good value.

We came last night with our class for dinner and I can say that the environment was welcoming and the food was good. In particular, I wanted to underline the kindness and helpfulness of a blonde waitress from Naples who stopped to talk to us and complimented me. Very kind, but above all very cute!

Pizza ottima e personale molto gentile

Was very expensive for what you got !!

On of the best restaurants in cardiff, had a Sea bass for lunch was really delicious and big quantity for a person.

Restaurant was very good but the booking I made via Fork was not showing when I arrived

Good Italian food at a reasonable price. Good service with polite staff

We weren't sure what to expect as this just looked like a standard chain restaurant in a shopping centre, very brightly lit. But we were more than pleasantly surprised! Service was friendly, quick and attentive. The food was very tasty, we had pizzas, pasta and chips and all were lovely. Reasonably priced too. Thoroughly recommended!

The best Italian food we've had outside of Italy! I booked online, for our stay in Cardiff. We are only here 1 night, so I turned to trip advisor for guidance as to where to eat. We were so impressed by the food! We've been to various places in Italy and can honestly say, it was the best Italian we have had outside of Italy! Perfect pasta, delicious flavours and well presented. All the staff were attentive , polite, helpful and kind..... We liked it so much that we plan on returning for lunch tomorrow, before heading home!

la qualità del cibo e la gentilezza del personale

Amazing food great service would recommend to anyone!

From the moment we arrived, (we booked online) we were treated like the most important in the restaurant, the warmth of Claudius and a server called Krystal was just so lovely. The restaurant was extremely busy, however they worked, along with others, to make everyone feel special. With the service being so great, there is always the risk of the food just being ok, however the kitchen crew did an excellent job, each of our dishes were so tasty, hot and served promptly. I can't recommend enough and a massive thank you to the whole team, hope to return when we're next in Cardiff.

Came to Ciliegino with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary, the staff were lovely and very attentive, food was amazing and very good value for money! will definitely be returning 10/10

Beautiful food ! One of the best pastas I’ve had in a long time! The staff were amazing and super friendly and the restaurant it’s self is very nice and comfortable and the food is absolutely gorgeous, so full of flavour and cooked perfectly was amazing thank you so much will definitely be coming again ! :)

Amazing food amazing waitress. Attentive cleanliness best place to eat by far

The service was exceptional, the food was very tasty…

Krystal was amazing, wonderful friendly service.

The best Italian pizza restaurant in town. They make their pizzas just like In Italy.

Nice excelente food big time Love it so much fresh tender sea Bass Service is to please wonderful and suprisinglAnd Chicken salad with fresh fucacha 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

All the food was super fresh and full of flavours. Great waitress too

Calzone good value, very tasty. It really is the best. Staff are so friendly and helpful. They can go above and beyond at times. Authentic quality food. Nice enough atmosphere.

Best italian food! They also have halal chicken and pepperoni pizza!

Absolutely lovely. The staff were excellent, very warm and accommodating - one of our party is vegetarian and they had sold out of the dish we wanted so the waiter helped us customise another dish so it could be vegetarian. We were slightly apprehensive as it’s in the middle of a shopping centre (and food there isn’t always the best) but the reviews speak for themselves. Only gave the atmosphere a 4 star because the lights are quite bright and the music could be slightly better suited. It was one of the best Italian meals I’ve had !

What a tasteful beauty this food was today ❤️ amazing italian flavours served by really lovely, friendly and welcoming people. Strongly recommend.

What a fabulous meal tasty the atmosphere and the decor was a slice of Italian would highly recommend going to eat there

Came here with my partner for our anniversary and we absolutely loved it. Friendly and attentive service, food was delicious and came quickly as well. I'm also vegetarian and loved that I felt I had a range of options to choose from. Definitely will have to come back sometime.

Nice restaurant, top pizzas and very reasonable prices

The best Italian restaurant in Cardiff. Great fresh food, excellent service and atmosphere. Will come back.

Some magnificent food and a very friendly staff. Worth every penny and was given a free drink as a celebratory gift.

The food was incredible. The atmosphere and the staff were so inviting it definitely made us want to come back again. Booking soon again.

Great and cosy place with amazing food that bursts with flavours, nice atmosphere and really kind staff. A must try!

The food is excellent, especially the dishes of Crab spaghetti and Cannolo. Bring back the memories of Sicily, Italy.

I’ve walked passed this place so many times and I’m so glad I finally stopped for food! Incredible pasta with great quantity and service was amazing. Definitely will be going back!

Always a pleasure to sit and the world go by while waiting for the best pizza to arrive. These pixzas sure tasty and freshly made before your eyes

Can't fault the service, or the overall feel of the place, but I'm afraid the food I had was very average. Perhaps I visited on an off day. I'd be prepared to give them another go, because the staff were so pleasant, particularly when I realised I'd left my cap at the restaurant. They held onto it for me and gave it back to me 2 days later, which was very good of them.

Lovely friendly, helpful and entertaining staff. We got to practice our Italian on them. Very tasty food. No wonder very popular and with queues at busy times if no reservation. Would definitely go again!

Early evening meal before a show. Excellent service, cheerful staff and delicious freshly prepared food all at a reasonable price.

Fantastic food. Great atmosphere and brilliant service. We were a party of six and ordered different winners, everyone was happy with that. The only thing which may have been better was the medium rare steak.

Pizza amazing, staff attentive price great!