Ciao Baci

I had such high hopes for this restaurant. I’d heard great things and was super excited. I sat at the bar since I’m by myself on business. The pompous, pretentious bartender made me feel like I was wrong to ask suggestions for a cocktail since «he doesn’t drink sweet drinks»… Whatever. What he did make was good, however and I hoped for a good experience. Truthfully, small talk with this guy made me wanna call my husband and thank him for being a non-​douche. The French onion soup had potential but was too salty. When I ordered the steak, he said «it comes mid rare», as if I was some sort of unqualified customer who’d ask for well done. On the contrary. I asked said that was fine and that is actually prefer more on the rare than medium side, to which he replied that’s how it’s done. It wasn’t how it was done. It was well seasoned but more towards medium. After having a ten minute conversation with this guy, I knew there’d be spit on my food if I sent it back, so I said nothing and went on my way. It was an ok meal and not the gem I expected. Sadly this was probably a great find at one point, but as with most hipster joints, once fame hits, inflated egos take over and quality suffers.

Calamari was the best I’ve had. Very tender and the breading was light and crispy. Was not greasy or tough like some calamari can be… It was perfect. Amazing wine and cocktail menu. I will be going back soon to try something else, as my first experience here was wonderful. Waitress was knowledgeable and attentive. Atmosphere was very romantic and comfortable.

OMG OMG OMG!
How lucky were we to get a reservations on NYE. After 5 hour drive of our 9.5 hour trip we wanted to enjoy the last night of 2015 and thanks to our guy with the curly hair we did! i think it was Drew (sorry buddy).
They had a special menu for NYE which normally i detest but this had enough options that i was fine. Heres our 5 star choices.
Wine– Bordeaux– ask about the wine list our server knew every single one! Found a match for BF cab loving tongue
Dirty Martinis-Tito’s with bleu chz olives
Crabcake– MOre crab than cake and a mustardy aioli and micro greens
Oysters– fried with a tasty light breading
Beef– tenderloins serve oscar style cooked rare like we like it (scalloped potatoes were not anything my mom couldn’t have done in the kitchen)
Chicken– a juicy roulade stuffed with cornbread so good, i wasnt a fan of the black eyed peas but thats just preference for me i’m sure someone else likes them.
Not from here so i hope i have a reason to go back to little rock for some more Ciao Baci!!!

Pricey but decent meal, spices may have been left out. Wait staff good, Chef asked how we enjoyed the meal, but was dismissive. Atmosphere okay, but drunk patrons allowed to disturb everyone in the restaurant, even after we complained of the noise level. I will not return until I see better results.

The perfect place to start or end your evening. Lots of friends or an intimate date? This spot is perfect for either. Full bar, plenty of wines and a warm ambiance. Refreshing to have a neighborhood bar with a little class available to the Hillcrest area.

Another awesome patio spot, gets pricey but it’s quality. Fun place for late night drinks and people watching. Can’t ever go wrong with the chef special, always unique and mouth watering

Reminds me of being in restaurants in Spain or Italy — located in a 50plus year old house in Little Rock– Fried calamari splendid– Soft cooked egg was magnificent as well as the sesame shrimp toast.

So glad we found this gem! We’re in Little Rock on business and are so pleased that we found this great spot. We always seek out local spots to patronize, and are so glad that Unilocal directed us here. Everyone was kind and gracious, and the food was incredibly refreshing! Please check out this unique restaurant — you won’t be disappointed!

Try the mussels — they are the best — you will want more of the great bread to be able to get ALL the flavorful broth

Returned to Ciao Baci last night for the first time in a few years. This place is going to be my new go-​to. My friend arrived first and had grabbed a table outside and already ordered a drink. Even so, a waiter quickly noticed a new patron had arrived and came over to take my drink order. I ordered a glass of Brut Rose, which he was more than happy to bring. However, he offered to let me sample two new Rose selections that had not made it to the menu yet. Boy am I glad he did. I settled on one of his suggestions (Blackbird Rose) after trying it!
We then decided to order a few things to share. He was very knowledgeable about the menu and again, we ordered one of his suggestions — the shrimp toast — and it was delicious. Also delicious was the soft cooked egg dish. It is served over creamy polenta with mushrooms. TASTY!!!
As our food was arriving, another friend appeared. She has some dietary restrictions, but he was able to guide her through the menu and make some small changes to a few dishes to accommodate her.
She ordered a chocolate coconut water lime martini. It was not great. I am still giving 5 stars because: 1. she knew she was going out on a limb ordering something so strange and 2. the waiter brought her a replacement drink for free. There was nothing wrong with the preparation of the drink and it was accurately represented on the menu, so he certainly did not have to replace it for free but it was very nice that he did.
When we were ready to leave, our bill arrived quickly and accurately — which is no easy feat when you have multiple people coming and going over a couple hours time.
I will be sure to return again soon. I did not make it in time but they have great happy hour specials. They also serve handhelds and plates to share until midnight!

My husband and I have been to Ciao Baci’s numerous times over the past couple of years and I must say, each time is a wonderful new experience! The drink menu is excellent and you have a lot of choices. We go each Valentine’s Day for the great food and the romantic atmosphere. We are so happy to have Baci’s nearby!

Went here for drinks after dinner. Wonderful ambiance and our cocktails were delicious. Cute little restaurant in a residential area.

I’ve never eaten here, but really want to. It’s one of those quaint places we go to for after-​dinner drinks…
With that said, it’s my all-​time favorite go-​to place for drinks! Amazing cocktail and wine menu… Servers who know what they’re serving, and the most amazing porch atmosphere. I always feel like I’m hanging out at a friend’s for late night cocktails. Just the right amount of «busy but not crowded.» Will keep coming back… They never disappoint. And I’ll definitely eat here in the near future. :)

Exquisite food by chef Jeffrey, and awesome drinks by Neil behind the bar… The wait staff is very well informed, and friendly. I definitely recommend this place!

Man tonight was awesome! You know how it is you want good food with some complexity and just not the same olé same olé !!! Well it was late in LR (shits closed) and we had an idea to hit up cia… Hoongray as HELL!!! Ask for something hardy and not FRU FRU!!! Waiter replies its 10:36 and we just stopped serving entrees (damn!) so he reccomend athe burger and Maria has warm spinach salad!!! With Parmesan fries… all I can say is «thank you» for an awesome evening and great food the ticker was pretty dope as well!!!

Here’s what you come here for:
A stellar wine list, an exceptional (if small) beer selection, and some of the snazziest hangout spaces in town!
First, the wine is simply awesome, and everyone who works here knows it (and can tell you all about it!) Second, the food is amazing. Over the top, amazing — I heartily recommend the Crawfish Fritters (yum!) and the Edamame (which are literally swimming in that chili lime butter!)
Third, the ambiance is wonderful! It’s a relaxed, casual place, but it has a very classy atmosphere. It’s a great place for a date, or a hangout with a close group of friends. There’s a set of plush chairs and a deep couch next to a fireplace filled with candles, that’s my personal favorite space — although the dining areas in front and back are better if you’re looking for tables.
I also recommend chatting with the bartender, he knows the area and the menu and is a great guy to accompany a few awesome drinks!
**Update– I had this listed as a four, but bumped it to a 5. It is pricey, especially for food, but that’s really the only complaint I could have about Ciao Baci :)

Fantastic drink menu and very romantic atmosphere. This is my #1 choice in Little Rock for drinks and appetizers. If you like White Russians and other sweet creamy drinks, the espresso martini can’t be beat!

We walked into this restaurant expecting Italian food. I am sure several other Unilocalers were just as confounded. Oh well.
We were a group of 4 and were promptly seated upon arrival. Our server was a friendly and cheerful fellow whose name escapes me now.
We passed on drinks and ordered our salads and entrees. 3 of us got the Kale, Quinoa & Goat Cheese Salad. While the kale was fresh, I thought the dressing left a bit to be desired. All the ingredients in the salad, however were fresh and tasty.
Our 4^th colleague got a cup of soup (not sure which kind) which he gobbled up with gusto.
For our entrees, I ordered the Piri Piri Shrimp. The others got the Sweet Potato Scallops, the Pork Chop and the Crawfish Crepes. I will start with my dish — I thought the Shrimp and the potato salad was a very off combination. That being said, the shrimp were well cooked and seasoned and the potato salad had a little kick. Not sure if I will order that again, though.
I tried the crawfish crepes — they were also OK. Reasonably tasty, but nothing to rave about. The sweet potato scallops were also decent, from what I heard. The pork chop was practically inhaled by the same soup gobbling colleague, who said it was delicious.
So overall, this is an OK place. I think it is a little bit on the expensive side for Little Rock. I may return to try it again. I would have ordered dessert if they had a better selection!
Worth checking out, just don’t go in expecting Italian food!

What would you expect with a name like, «Ciao Baci»???
I know what I expected… A ‘Hello with Kisses” from an Italian, and by that I mean I expected Italian cuisine.
I was slightly confused when my friend first explained it all to me. Then confused even more that it was Unilocal’d as Tapas. I’m digressing into irrelevancies in this moment so let me move on from my self induced whirlwind of confusion.
Ciao Baci, your cuisine is delicious, and I guess I can say slightly Italian. I may not have been there for the old version of YOU, but I’m more than alright with where you are, and where you might be headed.
I like the idea of a seasonal menu, because it keeps it mixed up and fresh.
I like the ambiance that they are pursuing in such a small and quaint home.
I like the friendly service provided by the wait staff and everyone else involved.
I like the food, because it was well prepared by the cooks scrambling about the kitchen.
I like the food, Did I mention that I liked the food?
All in all I had a decent experience. I like to check my preconceived notions at the door, and I am quite glad that I did. Otherwise, I would not have enjoyed the everything that was my meal. What did we have??? Well, here it goes…
Goat Cheese Stuffed Olives that were lightly and quickly fried, Mmmmm!
Mussels in a Curry suace, Mmm Mmmmm!
Then our main dishes which were a The Chef’s Duck Confit, and Pork Char Siu, Mmm Mmm Mmmmm!
In the words of my firend, «All the individual pieces of the main dish weren’t much by themselves, but when combined the dish really comes together.»
I couldn’t describe it better myself, and I’m glad for the experience. Once more «Ciao Baci», your cuisine is delicious. I wouldn’t mind another night basking in the gentle ambiance of your establishment. I wouldn’t mind at all.

Our waiter’s name was Hastings. He said, «My name’s Hastings if you need anything.» And he cannily walked away before we could say anything goofy.
We ordered appetizers but received a surprise amuse-​bouche: the Brie fritter, which is a chunk of Brie fried in a tempura batter with a hint of mushroom. It was a glorious, crispy, gooey, decadent little app. Then we feasted on olives stuffed with goat cheese and fried; edamame soaked in chili paste and Thai curry flavor; and best of all, bruschetta with goat cheese, grilled artichoke, and some kind of smoky tomato salsa. Could’ve eaten a sandwich of that.
We had one of each salad. The Caesar is very fresh, although not as salty as I like mine, but it also comes with delicious Spanish anchovies, which taste and look much better than the usual thin black salt strips. The house salad was also very fresh, but undermined by the choice of greens. Something about the greens didn’t mesh with the dressing. I found myself enjoying the pickled onions most of all.
I had the catfish special, which was served with cheese grits, garlicky greens, and a crawfish cream sauce. Absolutely the best dish in Little Rock. The flavors melted together. Crawfish and catfish! Creamy grits and tender, savory greens! A weird fusion of nostalgia and flawless technique. And huge pieces of catfish to boot.
We had very good wine and also drank the least expensive brandy, which was sweet but very smooth. For dessert we had the house-​made ice cream with cornmeal cookies AND the Rocky Road moused. The ice cream, honey-​lavender, was the best: very creamy, subtle flavors, perfect sweetness. The cookies went well with it. The mousse did not make me think Rocky Road, but it was a dense, chocolatey treat, like a chocolate cream pie trying to turn into fudge.
So yeah — Ciao Baci is delicious, pricey, definitely a gem. We used to live in San Fransisco, and this place definitely did some things that would be impressive even there. The appetizers, for one thing. Well, all of it — but especially the finger-​lickin good edamame.
And for some people complaining that you can get everything yourself much cheaper? Aren’t you missing the point of going out? And could you really get home-​made ice cream or stuffed fried olives this good at home? I don’t think so. If you want to treat a special someone, bring them here.