Cibo
(7/10) 
There's a cryptic entry on the BBC's (slightly) respected restaurant reviews page for Cibo:
Great hosts, service is much better than it used to be and the Italian sausage is wonderful.
We'll leave aside the merits of the sausage for now - Cibo's service is the point of contention. It all depends what you expect from a place like this. Are we in a cafe where speed and efficiency are the main concerns? Or should we take Cibo's not insignificant prices as a sign of their desire to be taken seriously as a bistro or even restaurant?
As a cafe Cibo scores highly. The coffee is largely unrivalled in Cardiff, and the option of sitting out front, back or inside saves getting bored with any particular piece of wall. There's a good vibe too. If Proust were living in Plasturton Gardens he'd definitely trot down to Cibo each morning to set about the next chapter of some damn good novel he was writing.
But I can't help thinking Cibo wants to have it both ways. The menu shows ambitions to be a restaurant with its Crocchette di Mare (fish cake to you and me) and fennel-infused hamburgers. True, it all tastes good (although since when was it a good idea to serve hamburgers with cold potato salad?) but you just don't get the service to match.
For example - the wine. Perhaps its OK not to get the chance to taste it before it's left at the table, but does it really need to be slammed down so hard that my Fusili Cibo leap momentarily from their plate? And it would be nice if attracting someone's attention weren't like selling double-glazing to the occupants of the local mortuary. That said, perhaps Cibo's merely delivering that truly authentic Italian feel. Ultimately you have to decide whether you're willing to pay restaurant prices for a cafe with big ideas.
Incidentally, those sausages (in case you were wondering) are quite good actually.
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Comments
Bad news - apparently Cibo's now operating a strict time limit on sittings for busy (i.e. most) nights. It's enforced in a fairly Stalinist manner too.
Workers, unite. We shall conquer.
Just to confirm that the table management is shambolic, but the food (particularly the pizza) is damn fine as ever.
Went on a Thursday night - restaurant was packed to the rafters well before 7, with several groups being told to 'come back in 20 minutes'. Despite the fact that a large proportion of the seated were sat waiting for their main. Oh, and we couldn't have a drink at the bar either, because we were in the way of service...
So - we went for a drink around the corner at The Conway (under new management. Watch this space), and were finally seated 45 mins later, by a waitress who was clearly fuming at the manager's overbookings/general mismanagement of the tables (we heard her muttering angrily to him later on)
And yet...both she and the manager were very charming in a 'gosh, this IS a bit chaotic, but we promise it'll be worth it. Sorry' kind of way.
And as for the food - the olives were absolutely top-notch (best I've had in a long time), and the my "Pizza Cibo" was perfectly cooked and covered with gorgeous fresh rocket, buffalo mozzarella and Parma ham. Watch out for the quattro formaggio though if you're not in a seriously cheesy mood.
Victim of its own success? Let's pray they open/buy/steal the top floor.
The management of Cibo is basically exploitative. In a small city like Cardiff, the management know damn well they are on safe territory in terms of choice and quality and so their staff generally treat customers as if they are the proverbial pain the a***e requiring attention when waiters might be doing far better things with their time. The pizzas are definitely the best in town but really, if Cardiff were a bigger city like Liverpool or Manchester, this place wouldn't survive... I had to ask three times for my Peroni whilst waiting for friends and one guy even told me to hold on a minute whilst he carried on his conversation with a colleague! If I were in charge, I'd try to employ cheerier staff who actually have some understanding of customer service- not of the obsequious creepy type- just good old fashioned regard for the paying customer and some decent Welsh manners.... Still, until Cardiff becomes a better city for eating, we'll all be back!
Have not been to Pontcanna, but have visited the Penarth branchline, on the station bridge. It sounds like the same establishment. I tried to ask about coping with a gluten-free diet, but all I got was shrugs and cold shoulders. The one time I made it, the food was decidedly average (pasta, chunky bites of sausage in a gloopy sauce) but we were made to feel very uncomfortable when we were the last ones out, before 10:00pm, like we were keeping the staff up. Waitresses standing over our table, that sort of thing. I won't be going back, though I'm sure the prime location means they won't be short of clients. Better to visit Cafe Mediterraneo. It's on the Esplanade, nice to sit out in the summer sun, food equally average, pizzas a tad dry and biscuity but the staff so much more friendly.
Further to StirlingV8's comments about Cibo Penarth...
The waitresses no longer stand over your table to encourage you to leave - Cibo Penarth is no longer...
This begs the question whether some properties are cursed - Cibo is not the only business to fail in this location....
In my opinion the policy of this restaurant is not satisfactory. They need to take care of their customers more.
swing sets