Biagio’s Bistro

When I walked through the front door of Biagio’s last Monday night at 6pm, there was no one else in the front room. The owner, the server and the busser were standing together behind the check-​out counter near the front door. Not one of them greeted me, but when I looked quizzical, one told me I could sit where I wanted. I mentioned that a friend would soon be joining me, after the busser brought water and a menu; he didn’t ask if I’d like a glass of something while I waited. Once my friend arrived this same kind of ‘you’re no big deal to us’ attitude continued (counting ours, there were 3 total tables of 2 in the restaurant)…we had to flag down the busser to ask the waiter to take our order, we weren’t asked how our meal was once we were served, each of us wanted a 2^nd glass of wine, but skipped it when we couldn’t get their attention, we weren’t asked if we wanted dessert, so I finally got the busser’s attention and asked if they served dessert. You get the picture… it was a slow Monday night, none of the 3 wanted to be there, and those of us there to dine were a nuisance! Was the food good? Yes, it was delicious… absolutely, but will either of us go there again? No, because in Clifton there are other great restaurants whose owners and wait staff are delighted to see and to welcome every customer! So don’t bother with Biagio’s!

You get a lot of food and they have a lot wine and liquor to enjoy. It’s in a quite location and has an enjoyable atmosphere.

Such a quaint little place. The owner, Biaggio is full of energy and very personable. The food is delicious and comes in quite the portion size! I enjoyed the tilapia plate while others had the seafood Alfredo and the Chef’s Special — which was 4 cheese ravioli this day.
They also have a delicious dessert cabinet. Fresh made cannoli for me!
Be aware that it is on the pricier side.

I came here on a week-​night and there were 2 other tables besides me. It was very cozy and quiet, with the subtle sounds of the kitchen. The chef literally was cooking at some stove-​burners facing the restaurant so that you could watch him cook. It was pretty neat but he was also watching me… so that was awkward…
I wasn’t too hungry and didn’t want to have to bring any leftovers (planned to go to movie theatre right after) so I only ordered the bowl of tomato bisque (based on many positive reviews) and a side of the house salad and house vinaigrette. The bisque was definitely on the sweet side, but it was very good. fresh, flavorful, and hearty with a swirl of cream. The salad was very fresh and had your typical fix-​ins, but I absolutely loved the house-​made vinaigrette despite how simple it was. It reminded me of my mother’s dressing, which is primarily vinegar, maybe sugar, and minced garlic. My only complaint about the food was the complimentary bread. it was very dry and almost stale tasting. and the butter was just a solid chunk and was difficult to spread.
Overall, I was satisfied with my meal and would like to come back and try something else. I am hoping that their pastas are equally delicious! Think tasty home-​cooking and don’t expect an extravagant, over-​dressed Italian meal.

I love this place loads and I’m always worried that the next time I visit home that it’ll be closed due to lack of business. It’s the cutest, most quaint little bistro, with some very good, very fresh pasta. Service is prompt, it’s neat to watch them cook the food right off to the side of the dining room, and everything smells heavenly. Not sure why so many people are dinging Biagio’s with the one star ratings, but this place is truly a wonderful, well-​kept secret of Cincinnati.

I met a friend here for dinner not so long ago and while food was decent our evening was ruined after listening to this bully curse & yell at his staff in front of the entire dining room. I was completely mortified for them. I’ve been in the business for a long time & never seen anything like it even behind closed doors. Shame on you.

A garlic lovers dream! The second you walk in the door, you smell the garlic. I came here with my realtor and I’ve very unfamiliar with the area. It’s a little while in the wall restaurant, but has that old Italian charm. We sat by the window because it was light and beautiful but there are plenty of romantic tables too.
My realtor insisted on trying the artichoke dip, which was essentially cheese, garlic and olive oil. I don’t think there were any artichokes in there. The pita points seemed a little stale.
Be prepared for super big portions too. Both of our pasta dishes were enough to feed 2 people. I had the veggie pasta with chicken. I wish mine had a little more salt, but it was good. My realtor was a little disappointed within his pasta dish too but said he’s had a lot of rest dishes there. Obviously the pasta is fresh and amazing, and the chef cooks it out in the open, which is cool.
They have an awesome dessert case that I wish I would have taken advantage of! Maybe next time…

I love to dine at Biagio’s. Biagio, the proprietor, always greets me when I come in and also personally prepares the entrees. The food is always fresh and delicious.

First of all to all the negative reviews, these people must not have ever eaten at Biaggio’s at any time that I was there. The reason for stating this I’ve been there hundreds of times and have never been disappointed, and I don’t consider myself lucky. My go to at Biaggio’s is to start off with Bruschetta. Now I’ll be honest if you are scared of garlic do not attempt this appetizer. If you do you should be all up in it. Secondly I personally love the Tomato-​Basil soup, it is on the sweet side but I like it like that. To each his own. I usually ask what the special is or I’ll go with the Bascioli (I know I spelled that wrong). If you like deserts go for it there’s plenty to choose from. I enjoy the crème brûlée. Listen folks this is not American Italian ie. Olive Garden, fazolis or even Carrabos (I like actually like Carrabos) this is Biaggio’s. Biaggio is from Italy and this is what they make where HE is from. Try it out, hopefully your there the same day I am so you get a great meal.

A group of friends stopped after a movie. My girlfriend was raving about it, so I was psyched. The ambience was nice. The waitress was efficient but humorless. There was a small basket of thinly sliced Italian bread with a bit of butter on the table — nothing special. The house salad was dissappointing; the vinaigrette was sharp with no trace of good olive oil flavor. It had about ¼ cup of sliced olives on top, which I guess would make most people happy. I ordered chicken scalloppini that was generous with capers. The homemade pasta was long past aldente and there was no particular flavor other than garlic and salt. I won’t be back.

Pasta is always deliciously fresh and dessert never disappoints. Will continue to come here time after time.

We loved everything about our evening here. My husband had been years ago and last night was my first time. We will most certainly be back in the near future. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was amazing. I tried the fillet special with risotto and my husband had a chicken pasta. Both meals were absolutely delicious. (Including our bruschetta appetizer). We are fans and will bring others there!

Everything about this place was a miss. I haven’t had a meal in a restaurant where everything was just pretty terrible in a long time.
The bread brought out to our table had been presliced awhile ago and was not warmed so it had this really blah dry stale quality about it. I also found a hair on my first slice. *Gag*
The tomato basil soup was overly sweetened. I couldn’t finish it, but it helped to have this around to dip the cold stale bread into.
My pasta dish was an enormous portion. It, like everything else, was unfortunately not very good. The meat sauce had absolutely nothing going for it. The peas had a freezer bite texture to them.
I tried a bite of my husband’s Italian sub and it was just fine, but again not that great and very very forgettable.
I’m not sure what the prices are about. $ 17 for a very blah plate of pasta? $ 9 for a sub you could find at a pizza shop for comperable quality?
Yup. Not coming back.

I have walked past this place about 873 times in the past few years while living in Clifton, and didn’t stop in for dinner, until a friend suggested it, and then I was there again a month later!
What a great option on Ludlow! I’ve had sandwiches, pasta, and soup and all were good-​the pastas have probably been my favorite. Portions are sizable, but not overwhelming and not paltry. All were prepared with great care. The tomato soup was good, but didn’t change my life.
What I think sells me on this place is the ambiance. The bistro/​café ambiance with dim lighting keeps this place great for a quiet dinner. This can be hard to find in Clifton. There’s one or two seating areas for larger parties which can be boisterous, but there’s also more intimate tables on the right side.
If the delicious food and ambiance were not enough, the element that set (both of my) visits over the top was the service. The servers demonstrated great consideration and intuition while I was there, having lengthy conversations with my companions, we were not interrupted, not pestered when we hadn’t opened the menu for the first thirty minutes after sitting down while we caught up over drinks. And, as the conversation continued, we were not brought the check to push us out while we sat and talked after our meal.
Great option for lunch or dinner, catching up with a friend, or a date!

I feel compelled to add a review here to offer a counterpoint to the negative reviews that have been left, because this truly is a great little gem of a restaurant. I have never had less than an excellent meal here, and every single friend I have referred has come back raving about the experience.
The pasta dishes are fantastic and flavorful (the person who posted that they were «bland» must have been spending too much time at chains like Maggianos, where every dish is over salted) with generous portions and a salad or soup included in the price. I love the pesto pasta with chicken, but have also had several specials (including the Lasagna) that were extraordinary. I’ve never had a problem with special orders and — in fact — have received several dishes not on the menu just by describing what I wanted and letting Biaggio take care of the rest. Plus, the tomato soup is some of the best I’ve ever had.
The actual place itself is functional and clean, with a café vibe. The wait staff is mostly college kids (shock — you’re right next to UC) so the level of help can be hit or miss depending on the night, but you expect that eating so close to campus. Having said that, I’ve never received «bad» service.
Ignore the middling reviews, this is the best kept secret in Cincinnati.

This was our first time here! We were visiting the Children’s hospital and wanted to try a local spot for lunch. I had the chicken salad sandwich on a croissant, which was delicious! The croissant was flaky on the outside and soft in the middle. The chicken salad has the perfect amount of mayo and the grapes added a sweet taste. My husband had the fettuccine alfredo, which was garlicky, but we love garlic. Nice and creamy, but short noodles. Everything is cooked right in the dining area (off to the side like a bar) which was a great feature. Friendly staff and prompt! If we didn’t live so far away, we would come back often.
Oh, it was very clean and well organized bi did not check out the restrooms or else I would give 5 stars.

My husband and I love Biagio’s. The aroma, walking in, says it all. Great food, cozy neighborhood atmosphere… so Clifton! Like tomato soup? Always delicious.

I’ve lived on Ludlow for over a year and always wanted to try this place. Boy have I been missing out! This is a cute little bistro right at the corner of Ludlow and Clifton. I went for lunch and decided to follow my fellow Unilocal reviewers’ advise and try the Tomato Basil Soup. It’s as amazing as everyone says! The small bowl is $ 4 and perfect to pair with a ½ salad. I had more then enough food for a grand total of $ 9 and was totally satisfied. Great service, great food, great area. Try this place out!

Went here last night with some friends for dinner. We tried the Bruschetta and Spinach and Artichoke Dip, both of which were good. I ordered one of my favorite pasta dishes, Fettuccine Alfredo, which was rich and creamy. This also came with a nice little side salad. Biago’s really lost points in my book based on the fact that we had ordered a carafe of the house wine for the table (pretty good deal at $ 23), but we did not receive it until our entrees came out.

I’m going to go with NO. Chef was yelling & swearing at the staff when we came in. Uncool and very unprofessional. I thought it was a joke and we were on that terrible show, «What would you do?» Really who behaves like that?
He also berated the staff when they reported to him a customer special request (ie extra spinach)
What a loser, really. If you can’t take the heat…
It doesn’t matter if the food was good or not. The guy’s behavior was too much acid, not enough balance.