Ciro Food And Drink, Wilmington DE

If your like over priced, mediocre food this is the place. The best thing was the couple arguing next to us highlight of our night

We went for the New Year's Eve tasting menu. It was all delicious. We especially enjoyed the filet course and the trio of chocolate treats for dessert. As always, Joe (server) was friendly and welcoming.

We entered ciro with very high hopes. As in, we sat down, were greeted by the owner, and I said, "I really feel like this will become one of our places. " I say this to preface that we really loved the concept and presentation of the restaurant publicly, and this review is meant to be entirely constructive.

Ultimately, what we experienced was a restaurant that seems caught between wanting to be a high end dining experience, certainly the price of one, and an ambiance and meal that was more in line with a local gastropub, and one that needs to work on its menu at that.

We had the five course vegetarian tasting and supplemented with the shrimp. The food itself was lackluster, none of the ingredients were transformed by the cooking approach or combinations. Each dish was essentially the ingredients thrown together on a plate, only sometimes presented well. The chef seemed to be standing around staring at diners the whole time, so I assume everything is pre-made. We also were very suspicious the shrimp must have been frozen from a bag. If not, I'd get in touch with the "farm to table" supplier immediately if I were the owner, as I've never seen fresh shrimp so small and sad looking. The cocktails lacked any particular appeal, and the wine we wanted was not available.

The ambiance of the restaurant is a run down dive bar with the accessories of a fine dining experience. Half the bulbs in the chandelier lights are out, there are boxes and cobwebs everywhere, and the staff is dressed as if they are going to a pajama party. There is actually a kayak in storage in the bathroom? I am all about laid back and dive bar type places, but for the presentation they're going for, this was all way out of step with the branding they've chosen.

Overall, Ciro seems to have too lofty of ambitions for what they are able to deliver. If I were the owner, I would revisit the branding and consider becoming a local gastropub. Ditch the tasting menus, and narrow your focus in the main dishes, to try to do something really special on a few things, rather than disappointing on all things. We need more fun and tasty places to go in wilmington, sadly Ciro failed to impress but shows potential if they're willing to adapt to the reality of what they're able to offer.

Can’t say enough about how good the food and service is here. Small place, with high gh quality and creative dishes. Would recommend getting a 6 course and enjoy the art that comes out on your plate.

One of the better places in Delaware and worth your time and money.

This was my first visit to Ciro for dinner. The entire dining experience was simply exceptional.
Venu, the owner, was gracious and very friendly - he stopped at our table, answering our questions about the cocktails and the menu.
He exuded a passion for his restaurant, the partnership with local farms and the unique food offerings.
The ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and pistachio in a silky broth alongside gnocchi and topped with basil was a divine treat. The fig puree sitting underneath striped fig halves and a creamy cheese ball topped with prosciutto showcased beautifully the sweet and salty complement.
The bronzino was steamy and tender and took on the luscious sweet tang of the warm "late autumn" tomato and garbanzo compote.
DO NOT miss dining at this incredible restaurant that offers the experience of notable food pairings.
The unique and innovative combination of ingredients by Chef, the relaxing and embracing ambience and outstanding service made for a meal that tingled my tastebuds and left me desiring another meal in short order.
Cheryl C. Wilmington DE

Arrived and was seated promptly. The individual who greeted us at the table introduced himself as one of the restaurant’s owner. He shared how most menu options were from local farms. The space was annoyingly small with patrons and restaurant workers walking very close to our table. Cobwebs were visibly hanging between the ceiling lights, and what seem to be a smoke shop next-door that sells smoking items/ cigars.
35 mins in a big tall fellow arrived at our table, standing tall with our order below his chin “Shrimp” did you order shrimp! It was apparent that his saliva was falling into the plate. We advise that we are uncertain which option we had chose for first course portion. He abruptly thrust the plate on another desk behind our table and visibly appeared annoyed. Not even an ounce of care …. Was blatantly rude, at that point I won't let someone with that much disregard and lack of decency serve my dog. At this point, we requested the cheque for the beverage and left. Major services failure, the manager came over to provide cheque.no questions asked. We did not eat.

Amazing.
The space is very warm and relaxing.
Great wine abs customer service.

Food is good here and the chef is definitely talented but service has been off. If you pay your check online via their receipt QR code beware and be prepared to be ran down by the waitress a block down the street asking for proof that you paid. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. It’s your system I’m sure they get a print out.we won’t be back

A tiny restaurant with absolutely extraordinary food. We did a five-course tasting menu. Each course was creative, using the freshest ingredients and designed and prepared to perfection. Highly recommended. (Oh, and quite reasonably priced, as well. Dinners were around $100 for the two of us, with a bottle of wine on top of that.)

Went and had the tasting menu and left very disappointed. Expected a variety of options with some unique dishes but ended up with an overdose of tomato dishes along with a pretty disappointing dessert of banana pudding. A couple of slices of banana in a bland pudding. One of the dishes (pork belly) was so over cooked, tough, and crunchy. Read other reviews of the quality food despite the lackluster ambience but ended up getting the short end of stick on both. Oh well, lesson learned. Service was overall good but wish was more observant on the food being pretty lackluster. Also odd as the chef didn’t seem to be even cooking at any point. Seemed like everything must’ve been prepped and was just simply plating.

The quality of the food is like 3* michelin restaurant, and yet you get your food fast and without a theatro. Absolutely recommend!

Hands down the best place to eat delicious food and get a drink in the Riverfront area. The bar is cozy and the food is amazing. Their menu is flexible and diverse, they can make accommodations for dietary needs as well.

Had dinner off of the menu- decided to pass on the 21 spoon tasting- maybe that was a mistake. Crust on the flatbread was soft and soggy. Everything else was soooo SALTY. The bacon fried rice (which I expected to be a bit salty) was so salty it stings the tongue. It was not rice, but vermicelli. Herbed mushrooms had no herbed flavor- only salt. Pork chop wasn’t too bad but again, the main flavor was salt. Lighting had cobwebs and you have to walk right past the bar’s trash can (narrow passage- practically bump into it) to get to the dining area. Atmosphere was “ meh”and just had an overall questionable appearance concerning cleanliness. Someone must have been taking their smoke break next to the air handler because mid- meal it started smelling like cigarette smoke. Our table skipped dessert and don’t plan to return.

My wife and I attended “21 Spoons” essentially a menu tasting event. Seven courses with tastings of 3 dishes per. As a previous restaurant owner I was delighted w the food. Truly unique chef creations. We have been searching for this type of dining in Wilmington for years. Food will not disappoint the discerning pallet.
The facility is very small and lacks anything that resembles fine dining ambience. But if it’s fine food you’re after this is the place!

I don't like to write bad reviews but.as per the website, I thought this was a "Mediterranean" cuisine. NOT AT ALL.
I had the worst rib eye ever and for $48 that made it taste even worse. It was more like a sirloin cooked medium as requested but tough. My wife had the crab cakes: salty and over seasoned, couldn't finish (for real lump crab cakes: Woody"s, Northeast, Md). No atmosphere, no ambiance, not going again.
Sadly,
Joe

Very disappointed by the Seven Fishes tasting menu. The only good courses were the 1st and tiramisu. Everything else was bland, from the risotto that you could barely tell there was clam in besides the chewiness, to the rock shrimp and gnocchi which tasted like a garlic parm shrimp sauce that you'd make in a college dorm, to even the branzino which was too salty even with capers set aside. Really not worth the price, thank goodness we didn't get the wine pairing. Also the ambience is cramped, boring, and forgettable. Go elsewhere for tasting menu dinner.

Cozy and friendly environment. Owner is hands on. Be ready to make instant friends. Once you go, you'll be back. I went to a couple of their tastings and throughly enjoyed it!