Lovely Italian :O)

Rating - Overall: 5  Food: 5  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

lucibelle
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Apr 11
Rating: 0

12 Apr 2011

i have visited Zio's a number of times. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the owners always make you feel welcome. The waiters are lovely and always polite. You dont feel like you have to rush through your meal. Excellent Service!

The pizzas are a must!! Also the cherry cheesecake is amazing! I can't wait to go back to try the Lasagne and the Clifton Mess.

Visited: March 26, 2011

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A lovely place to eat

Rating - Overall: 5  Food: 5  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

SLloyd
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Apr 11
Rating: 0

7 Apr 2011

I visited this restaurant in December and I came back for more in January.

The place has a lovely atmosphere and on both occasions the waiters were very friendly and polite.

On my first visit I chose to have the Pizza con Salsiccia Picante which was delicious followed by the most amazing Cheeky Cherry Cheesecake which I would definitely recommend trying. I had a few lovely glasses of wine and a great night.

I decided to come back again with a few friends and was greeted by the same cheerful waiters. This time had Spaghetti Alla Carbonara which was really tasty, followed by the Clifton Mess which almost out did the cheese cake but not quite! If you are looking for a nice authentic Italian this is the place to go.

Visited: January 28, 2011
What I ate: Pizza con Salsiccia Picante

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Fantastic

Rating - Overall: 5  Food: 5  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

seamus
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Apr 11
Rating: 0

7 Apr 2011

What a charming restaurant, the food was excellent value for money and the service superb. the restaurant has been recently taken over by new owners and what lovely Italian family they are. we were taken in a given a real authentic italian night. we had a fantastic time and will definately be going back for more

Visited: December 23, 2010

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Absolutely Brilliant!

Rating - Overall: 5  Food: 5  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

prbedford
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Apr 11
Rating: 0

7 Apr 2011

I visited because I had heard from a friend that it had recently changed hands and having visited bristol a few times I thought I'd give it a try! I was welcomed by the bar staff as I walked in, who were really vibrant and friendly and then seated by the waiter, who seemed a little quiet but nevertheless, he was very polite.

We wanted to have rather a slow and relaxed evening so we had a few bottles of Peroni along with some garlic bread to start. They were prompt in serving the food and we weren't rushed through and left to our own devices. When we were ready, the waiter brought out two fresh pizzas, which were divine! They tasted incredibly authentic and were perfectly seasoned and well cooked. There was really pleasant Italian music playing in the background at just the right volume, which made everything feel more relaxed. We were uninterrupted throughout the meal, and offered desserts after our food. We declined, as already felt more than fully satisfied!

After another bottle of Peroni, we ended up chatting to the assistant manager about the restaurant and how business was going. She was very nice (and quite attractive) and we ended up staying for another few beers, rather than following on to a pub, which was the original plan!

When we were finally ready to leave, we paid our bill and just as we were leaving, the assistant manager thanked us and also offered a small portion of pannetone to take away! It felt like a great Italian experience and was great value for money! I really couldn't fault it and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone! Thanks for a great evening!

Visited: December 22, 2010
What I ate: Pizza, Garlic Bread, Pannetone

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Very Poor service

Rating - Overall: 1  Food: 2  Service: 1  Ambience: 1

HappyDinner77
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Mar 10
Rating: 0

25 Mar 2010

One of worst dinning experiences I have ever had. One of our party was vegetarian but when the pizza came it had meat on it. A relatively easy mistake but it was the reaction of the waiters that was most disappointing. They told us it was our fault for ordering wrongly. They also placed the offending meat on a side plate and waved it in the face of my friend with comments to the effect of "look how small it is, what are you complaining about?" Attempts to resolve the situation with the manager was difficult as he became very confrontational.

I will not go back.

Visited: June 5, 2009
What I ate: Pizza

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RECOMMENDED!!!

Rating - Overall: 4  Food: 4  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

HAPPYSHOPPER
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Mar 10
Rating: 0

17 Mar 2010

Decided to take the family to Zio restuarant for a family get togther. We never booked however they seemed busy so if there's a group of you i'd suggest you did!! The welcome was very warm and friendly and the waiter took our coats and showed us our table, which was a really cosy booth near the back of the restaurant (try to ask for one if you see a space). We asked for some bread and olives while we waited and after a few moments the waited brought over some hot bread which smelt great and some well marinated olives. The wine was crisp, clean and well price. We went on to have some great starters and really tasty mains. We never opted for pizzas, however we saw a few whizz by and they looked good!! the meal was finished with a few coffees and a round of highly recommended limoncellos ( which is a traditional Italian lemon liqueur). All in all we had a great time and looking forward to poping back!!

Visited: March 5, 2010

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Average

Rating - Overall: 3  Food: 3  Service: 3  Ambience: 3

simba31
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Sep 08
Rating: 1

6 Jul 2009

This restaurant had been recommended to us and we went there for a meal on a Saturday evening. We were surprised at how quiet the restaurant was. The service was OK but the waiters certainly did not go out of their way to make us feel welcome. The food was unfortunately average, which was a shame as we were expecting better after hearing recommendations. The prices are reasonable and the menu is varied. The decor in the restaurant is quite modern and clean but the toilet facilities were not great. All in all we had a nice enough evening but were not overly impressed with this restaurant and will not be returning.

Visited: July 4, 2009
What I ate: pasta

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Always a favourite

Rating - Overall: 5  Food: 5  Service: 5  Ambience: 5

Piglet
Foodie
Member since Jan 09
Rating: 1

5 Jan 2009

This is our local that we visit regularly. They even welcome us back despite my husband tipping over a glass of red wine on our first two occasions! The service is always so friendly and the food delicious. With three children we tend to order four dishes between the five of us and they are more than happy to accommodate that request. The gnocchi is a particular favourite with our son (always with the carbarona sauce). You know that the food is fresh when you can watch it being made and cooked. They are also happy to divert from the menu (eg mix types of pasta with different sauces). I can never understand why it isn't more popular.

Visited: December 27, 2008
What I ate: pizza

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Friendly local restaurant

Rating - Overall: 4  Food: 4  Service: 4  Ambience: 4

Jumpy
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Dec 08
Rating: 0

30 Dec 2008

Having lived a short walk from Zio's for the past 5 years we are now regulars. We love the Italian atmosphere which makes you feel that you are on holiday rather than dreary Bristol, the staff are always friendly and attentive and the food is always to a very good standard. We love this place - you know what you are getting and in our experience from 5 years of regular visits they always deliver.

Visited: November 27, 2008
What I ate: Chicken in truffle cream sauce

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Unbelievable!!!

Rating - Overall: 1  Food: —  Service: —  Ambience: —

bluegreen247
Rookie Reviewer
Member since Dec 08
Rating: 1

2 Dec 2008

Before I reveal the worst dining experience ever, let me at least tell you about the ambience and decor - its formulaic mock greco-roman murals and plasterwork are quite inoffensive and thankfully calming, considering what was to come.

I am not one to rave about a place unless it is outstanding, and equally not one to criticize unless it is unbelievably bad; this was a truly unbelievably bad evening. This is not a review about the food so much, but the service (though calling it service is like saying Muselini provided a service to the allies in WW2).

Firstly, the timing was wrong. Starters did not arrive until after the mains, pizzas went cold and the attentiveness of the burly waiters was minimal... Then, allowing for these basic errors that can occur in formula restaurants like this, it slid down hill very quickly! A hair in the pizza! Not on the pizza. But in the pizza. A stiff shiny black hair protruding from the doe... and enough to send the table into a gagging fit. This unfortunate mistake of the kitchen is a forgivable one in itself, but even with the offer of a replacement, we were unable to finish our main courses, and having already felt somewhat let down we requested the bill.

We hoped the waiting staff would be sympathetic, or at the very least apologetic or considerate: make up for the poor experience with a gesture of goodwill and the invitation to come back so they could make amends. The Opposite occurred! Not even an apology.

A disgruntled mumble or two from the staff as if it was our fault we had discovered the offending hair. On the arrival of the bill, that had no adjustments, I complained about the quality of food and service and requested they did not charge us for the two main courses that had been ruined... At that point all hell broke loose. A torade of abuse, saying 'we were broke and couldn't afford our bill', that 'we were stupid' that 'we were taking the p***'.... and many other statements that were lost in our disbelief.

We had been happy to accept that sometimes things in the kitchen can go wrong, and that waiters can sometimes be curt and short... but this was now abuse. I insisted on paying only for the starters and the wine (which, bearing in mind what had just occurred I was not happy with). Even if the starters arrived after the mains, at least they were eaten, and the plonk was not at all bad. But I insisted we were not willing to pay for main course that were spoiled and not eaten. They continued there barage. They even threatened to call the police. We agreed they should. We know our rights as consumers. They threatened to get the owner. We agreed as we hoped the owner would have a more conciliatory approach, even a concept of customer service, and might even reprimand his staff for being so rude. The time passed, and the altercation continued. Even to the point when one waiter stood imposingly over me in my seat trying to to intimidate me further. Bear in mind we were 3 females and 1 male. We waited 20 minutes, with the occasional verbal jab from the younger of the waiters, until the owner arrived. She stomped up to the table and said the words 'I hear there's a problem'.. but before we had the chance to say a word in response she continued... 'because I can't believe I have had to come out from my day off to deal with this rubbish' and that 'we were wasting her time' and 'clearly not well-off enough to dine in her restaurant'. We were flabaghasted. No wonder the staff are so bad I thought. Eventually, after a few more wranglings, threats to call the police (we wish they had)... our request to remove £11 from the bill was granted. We were told we would not be welcome back, which included a number of swear words that do not need to be included in the review. I have never been so disappointed or shocked by such a disgraceful the level of service and care. It was truly pathetic, and made me embarrassed to be English, let alone from Bristol. One of my guests was a well educated, cultured and repectable Russian, who was astounded that this kind of thing can happen.

So to summarise: If you want a memorable dining experience then we strongly recommend eating in Zio... but we strongly suggest that you complain! Because that is the only way you will turn a very mediocre menu, and stereotypical formulaic italian pizzeria into anything bordering on memorable.

Visited: November 14, 2008
What I ate: Usual Italian fair...

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