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Ciao Papi Poolside Restaurant + Bar at River Lodge - Ciao Papi, Paso Robles, CA

Ciao Papi

4.2
4.2
49 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Charming
  • Innovative
Drenched in sunshine and style, Ciao Papi is a poolside restaurant + cocktail bar at the swankified River Lodge hotel in Paso Robles wine country. The California-Italian kitchen serves up all-day eats + drinks designed by the culinary team behind the beloved Bistro + Nightcap at Granada Hotel in San Luis Obispo.

Always al-fresco. Open to the public.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Italian, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Apéro Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 221-7378
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Daniel Horn

Experiences

  • Ciao Papi’s Panettone Pairing Experience

    $45.00 per party

    Dec 7, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024
    This holiday season, indulge in a delightful Italian tradition with Ciao Papi’s Panettone Pairing Experience! Designed to share, this set for two features an elegant trio of panettone flavors: Limoncello Panettone – A zesty and sweet treat with a citrusy twist. Pear & Chocolate Chip Panettone – A luscious blend of rich chocolate and pear. Sparkling Wine Panettone – A delicate and effervescent flavor that’s perfect for pairing. Each panettone is thoughtfully paired with a selection of beverages to complement its flavors, including: Crisp Prosecco Artfully crafted House Cocktails Aromatic Italian Vermouths Whether you’re looking for a cozy date night or a festive treat, this pairing experience offers a taste of Italy.
    Ciao Papi’s Panettone Pairing Experience Photo

Offers

  • Apéro

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - Sat - 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
    Join us at Ciao Papi for Apero Hour, 3-6pm every day, where alfresco dining meets indulgent bites and refreshing drinks. Savor antipasti delights like Tuna Toscano, Salmon Sorriso, Beet Bella Rosa, Funghi Festivi, Fagioli del Sud, and finish with our signature Tiramisu. Pair these with handcrafted drinks like the Americano, Walks on Tropea, Hammer Time, Huzzah, or a Sans Spritz. Perfect for a laid-back afternoon with friends to stimulate the appetite and get the conversation flowing. Ciao Papi's Apero Hour offers a vibrant, outdoor escape with unforgettable flavors.

    Apéro Photo

What 49 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • California Central Coast

    Great for outdoor dining

  • San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles

    Innovative

  • San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles

    Hot spot

  • San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles

    Great for outdoor dining

  • San Luis Obispo / Paso Robles

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ciao Papi offers a "fun atmosphere" and "delicious food" in a beautifully renovated motel setting. The "outdoor dining" by the pool is a "lovely" touch, with attentive service and a creative Italian menu. While some dishes could use "fine tuning," the Ciao Papi cocktail and friendly staff make it a "noteworthy" spot in Paso Robles.

49 Reviews
  1. Sarajane

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice Outdoor seating and atmosphere. Food was not good. Root Vegetable Salad had uncooked turnips and cold uncooked kale and one small piece of carrot. Crab cakes were dry and had no flavor or interesting taste. Soup was more like a pumpkin pie filling, Lasagna was poor and uneatable. I am really suprised as I had a wonderful meal here back in July when they first opened. Maybe the Chef was hung over from his Xmas celebration.

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  2. Timothy

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    2.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    My wife and I had looked forward to eating at Ciao Papi as it looked like a fun place with good ratings. Due to the holiday it was a set menu, 3 courses with options to choose from. The first course was fair, my wife sent her shrimp and polenta back as it was not hot, came back same temperature, lukewarm. My fish was dry on my main course, and both of our potatoes and vegetables were over cooked. The panna cotta was the highlight of the meal, very good. The service was poor took 4 requests to get water, we were overcharged for the wine and the server was sarcastic. For a $200 meal it was less than satisfying. The host was very polite and friendly although we won’t be going back.

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  3. cindy

    San Francisco

    25 reviews

    3.0

    25 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    While we were glad to find Ciao Papi open on Christmas Day, our experience was very disappointing. The only dining space was outside wrapped in clear plastic with space heaters scattered around. There were big gaps in the plastic so we were very cold and uncomfortable. The service was so slow that by the time they came to take our order several items on the pre-fix menu were gone. Then what we did get was not appetizing - fish had no seasoning & tasted fishy. The lamb shank (osso buco) was also unseasoned and tasted blah. The steak was good but the crab butter on top was fishy. Dessert choices were odd and not great. Bartender was amazing. We saw potential but not without some changes.

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  4. Swathi

    Minneapolis

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Terrible food quality, overpriced. Never coming back here again.

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  5. Nilda

    New York City

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious food- especially the shrimp scampi dish! Drinks were also excellent! Beautiful setting and our server was great. Will definitely return!
    Ciao PapiResponded 5 days ago
    Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the shrimp scampi, our drinks, and the ambiance. It’s also great to know our server helped make your experience memorable. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon!

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  6. Lily

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Don’t be fooled by the motel exterior inside it is just beautiful. The outdoor bar has such a cool vibe and the dining area has a beautiful fire pit in the middle with gorgeous furnishings. We enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal here and it was amazing! 
    Ciao PapiResponded 5 days ago
    Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the unexpected charm of our space, from the cozy fire pit to the cool vibe of the outdoor bar. It’s wonderful to hear that your Thanksgiving meal with us was amazing—we’re honored to have been part of your celebration. We hope to welcome you back again soon!

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  7. Courtney

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing. Ambiance was great. The staff was super nice! Loved the non-alcoholic cocktails!
    Ciao PapiResponded 5 days ago
    Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the food, ambiance, and the friendly service. It’s wonderful to hear you loved our non-alcoholic cocktails too—they’re a favorite of ours! We can’t wait to welcome you back soon!

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  8. Alexandra

    Caribbean

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful, server was ok. Food not so good. Raw chicken and bland pasta. The biscuit was over cook hard. Ambiance was fantastic and drinks were great. Bacon was perfect and the croissant was very good too.

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  9. Kelly

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 5, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the best time celebrating our anniversary at Ciao Papi! The food and cocktails were delicious. We ended the evening with the fig sundae and it was so good! Our server was sweet and very attentive. We can't wait to join you for dinner again!

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  10. Cynthia

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is my third time and it never disappoints. I highly recommend!

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FAQs

Ciao Papi is rated 4.2 stars by 49 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Ciao Papi

1955 Theatre Dr, Paso Robles, CA 93446-9651

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Paso Robles
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Apéro Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Italian, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Hotel Parking
  • Executive chef
    Daniel Horn
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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