Ciuccio

[bri]

Went here for a group dinner on a Friday night. Fantastic service, and drawing with crayons on the table is fun!

Had the Pollo con Pesto pizza which was delicious, wonderfully garlicy. Tried the Abruzzese (I think) and Insalata di rucola, both just as good. The pizzas are woodfired, quite big, nice thin crust.

Calzone and Fettuccine alla Vodka looked great, the pasta apparently very tomato-ey (almost too much) and very filling.

Worth checking out.

http://www.ciuccio.com.au/home.htm

[zesty]

We had some pizzas here a couple of weeks ago and they were easily the best I have had in Hobart. It is in the rather cold and unpleasant Sugo premises, but the staff were great and the prices reasonable.

Will definitely be going back.

[jasonjames]

They are also making the best double shot latte's in Salamanca Square. Especially if you get the young thin guy. He seems well in control.

I like the pizzas, but the second time I went there they had chopped up the basil on the Margarita. They hadn't when I went there at dinner time.

We call it chooch.
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[foodbitch]

Tonight was one of the best meals I've had. Anywhere. Without doubt.

Strolling through Salamanca I was on the lookout for a place I hadn't tried before and wasn't too busy. Mezethes missed out on the second point but Ciuccio seemed like the perfect place for solo dining.

Staff here were fantastic, just the right amount of friendliness. I spotted two of my all time favourite dishes on the menu so needed no help from them but listening in on surrounding tables they were incredibly knowledgeable about the dishes and wines on offer. They were also suitably discreet, appearing when in need of a top up of wine or to clear the plates with none of the over attentiveness than can be offputting in more fine dining establishments. If I'm enjoying a meal I'll enjoy it less if interrupted by a waiter every 30 seconds inquiring if everything is to my pleasing.

The real hero here though was the food.

Started with the Carpaccio, incredibly tender and flavoursome raw beef slices with the traditional accompaniments of rocket, cornichons, gorgonzola sauce, croutons and parmesan. Everything on the plate worked perfectly together, a great start. Minor quibble (because I always seem to need one) was perhaps a touch too much pepper.

Main was the Gnocchi Ragu, just writing those 2 words brings a smile back to my face. It was the simply the best Gnocchi I've tried, beautifully light and fluffy pillows seasoned to perfection. The Ragu was equally good, so meaty yet tender, the flavours really filled the palate. And real freshly grated parmesan!! The joys of what should be a standard inclusion in any Italian restaurant. Very minor quibble was that it came served on a cold plate meaning it was rapidly losing its temperature. But that's such a minor thing when the meal was so good.

All washed down with a tasty Cabernet. Finished with a short black of which I have not tasted better in Hobart.

If the above reads like the rantings of a gushing fanboy it is because I'm converted to one. Hobart needs more quality Italian restaurants and Ciuccio fills this market with flair.

[Buffetslut]

Propelled by foodbitch’s excellent review, I decided it was time to stop drooling over my keyboard and try Ciuccio for myself.

Keen to try the carpaccio, I was not disappointed - in fact it exceeded all expectations - it was spectacular! Definately a must try. I myself didn’t find it too peppery, perhaps it was less seasoned this time? I am, however, a pepper whore, so I don’t think it would have bothered me if it had been quite peppery. I was surprised at the price though - $20 for a very small amount of meat, though all the other prices on the menu seemed reasonable so I can only guess that the meat itself is fairly expensive to start with.

Mains, I had osso bucco with risotto, which I found unremarkable until I doused it with a fair bit of the provided italian sea salt - it then became a flavoursome meal, if not something I could have made myself at home. The risotto was very firm to the bite - not gritty but cooked only just beyond that - I prefer mine a little more yielding. I too found my dish a touch under temperature partly due to the cold plate - it was certainly a noticeable flaw. My partners dish of penne salcissia was appropriate in temperature and very tasty.

Wine was a superb shiraz - Richard Hamilton 2008 - so good I intend to source some more and stock up for the long haul. It’s brilliant now in its youth - one can only imagine what it might be like in ten years.

The only thing marring the evening was when a large group of ridiculously stylish but supremely brainless hairdressers drunkenly decended on a table near us and we were subjected to their loud and trashy plastic personalities for the duration of our meals. Otherwise the ambience was pleasant enough. Decor-wise, I particularly liked the painting of the naked woman on the bull. It was only a second best to our autistic -I mean, artistic efforts of fervent crayon scribblings on our butchers paper table lining.

[Scale]

the art in this place is bloody appalling, but the coffee is terrific here.

[sanga]

Oh god yes. Pepperoni pizza and Cannelloni were just brilliant. I am usually the kind of heathen who likes lots of cheese on a pizza, but this was proper style with minimal cheese and, as zesty said, easily the best pizza in Hobart. Agreed, the art is shit, but my recommendation is to go with someone attractive and you won’t notice or care. Yeah service and coffee were ace too. Kitchen closes at 3pm on Sunday but they still do pizza and coffee after that.

I want to go back and try everything on the menu. Mmmm.

[Scale]

[stuporman]

Dined here last night as a celebratory dinner, which was a mistake. This is a great place to get a meal, but not to dine out. The crayons were missing, meaning that the paper just looked like cheap arse table coverings. The decor might suit other cuisines, but for mine it was a mismatch.

Agree with other posts, the food was wonderful. I had the carpaccio and the linguine fruitti di mare; the entree was the clear winner with just the right amount of dressing. The linguine was nice, but like most oil-based sauces it doesn't really stick to wet pasta, which is a pity because I left no prisioners.

Dining partner had the bruschetta, which missed the mark in plating (it looked like a chunky tossed salad and had to be reconstructed to eat) and the saltimbocca.

I'd eat here anytime if it were just about the food, but if I was looking for the full dining experience I'd go elsewhere.

[harry07]

I really like this place, the food, the ambience the service are all excellent, the only downfall is that there is only 1 toilet and it is unisex which can be a bit messy on a Friday or Saturday night.

[jasonjames]

I felt like I haven't said enough about this place. They serve the Northern Italian style of pizza that I love so much. This crust... hmm...

I want to go there now.
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[shungiku]

I've always been a huge fan of the coffee at ciuccio.. sometimes with soy or sometimes with cow's milk it always tastes delicious. i also love their iced coffees too.

[Kimberletti]

Beef carpaccio was divine, dressing was a lovely contrast.

Found the garlic prawns a little too oily tho - aboslutely swimming in extra oilm, way too much to soak up.

Capricosia pizza was as good as usual, love the crispy base.

Good place for a casual lunch or dinner!

[jasonjames]

Enjoyed our pasta there last week. I had fruit of the sea. Which was good, but would try something else next time. I had to try very hard to not just eat pizza.
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