Ciao Cielo: Old-World Charm, Modern Italian Flair

Port Melbourne’s Ciao Cielo is the kind of spot that makes you want to settle in and stay a while. Set inside a 165-year-old courthouse, it’s a lesson in old-world charm meets contemporary Italian. Think towering ceilings, original stone walls, a crackling judge’s fireplace, and deep blue banquettes lining the dining room. Out back, the garden keeps things a little looser with a covered, heated courtyard and a custom-built woodfired oven turning out Neapolitan-style pizzas.

The Menu

Co-owner and head chef Bryan Nelson (A La Grecque, Stokehouse) gives a modern spin to Nonna Maria’s northern Italian recipes. Highlights include:

• Shark Bay scallop baked in-shell with garlic, herb crust and guanciale
• Fried zucchini flowers with pecorino and local honey
• Beef tartare with egg yolk, bottarga and potato wafers
• Squid ink spaghetti with Fraser Island spanner crab, chilli, garlic and lemon
• Penne with pork ragu bianca, crispy sage and prosciutto crumble
• Ciao Cielo’s signature tiramisu, served straight from the bowl, using a family recipe that dials up the richness with zabaglione and marsala

The drinks list keeps pace with a house-made limoncello served neat, in a spritz or shaken into a martini. There’s also a sharp selection of Italian and Australian wines, classic cocktails, and $10 spritzes every afternoon from 4–6 PM.

The Garden

For something a little more relaxed, the outdoor space is all about woodfired pizzas and easygoing drinks. The dough ferments for 48 hours before it hits the oven, and toppings keep things tight and traditional. Try the:

• Mortadella with honey, stracciatella, pistachio and chilli
• Burrata on a bianca base with cherry tomatoes, prosciutto and basil

There’s also $20 pizzas all day Tuesday and $10 spritzes daily.

Ciao Cielo strikes the balance between polished and unpretentious. Whether it’s a long lunch, late-night negronis, or a quick midweek pizza, this Port Melbourne favourite does it all—without trying too hard.