Alfio's Buon Cibo

Dave Ball

TL;DR: 5 stars. Amazing. As a first time visitor to Alfio's, I was blown away. Long review here, but I feel it's worth it. My wife and I went for dinner to celebrate our anniversary, as I recently found out about Alfio's and thought it looked good. I was very right. Alfio's had personalized menus recognizing our occasion, and made sure to congratulate us as well. If you like wine, this is the place for you. They need an entire BINDER to hold all of their by-the-bottle wines, and they have dedicated sommeliers ready to assist you. Crazy. Atmosphere: 5 stars. Good location, with the only thing to worry about being finding parking close enough, but that was a very minor thing at worst. Restaurant was cozy, with an upbeat, energetic vibe from the staff. You could tell the other patrons were enjoying themselves. It was a full house the whole time we were there. Our table was a table for two in an alcove corner, with comfortable booth-type seating. We actually prefer that, and found it nice. Decor was appropriate and helped set the right tone. Service: 5 stars. Tyler, my man. Excellent waiter. Knew as much as you could want about the food and wine, was knowledgable about the owner and the restaurant's history, loved the food himself, and seemed very active with the restaurant in general. Very nice, very good at what he does. I've rarely had service as good, if ever. Food: 5 stars. Oh my god, was it good. Just the smells were enough to know we were in for a treat. Drinks were 2-1-2 Manhattan and a Riesling. Appetizer was the Burrata. Entrees were the choose-two pasta (veal short rib and gnocchi Bolognese) and the seafood alla goat cheese pesto. Desserts were chocolate tort, vanilla bean gelato, and the tiramisu. (Tiramisu was generously comped to celebrate our anniversary.) All the food was top notch, but our favorite was the veal short rib dish. Just unbelievable. I can easily see how so many of their dishes have won awards. I have been struggling to remember a time where I had a better overall experience at a restaurant. Just fantastic. Very highly recommended. I'm just sorry I didn't know about it sooner. If you go, ask for Tyler if he's available.

Melissa Phelps

Atmosphere, food, and service all 5 stars!! Dined here with a party of four on Valentines day. They were very busy but treated us like the only table in the place. We had the special for Valentines day which was a tasting menu and it was outstanding!! Can't wait to return!!!

Jordan Grant

Food was top notch but the service should be noted first. Our server Tyler was young and probably the best server we've ever had. I watched him interact with his other tables. He was able to read each one and give them the amount of attention and service they wanted. Attentive, intuitive and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was a great mix of Italian and Argentinian dishes. I highly recommend the empanadas, light, flaky, packed with flavor. Get the skirt steak, you'll understand how to cook it properly and how underrated a cut it is. The short rib and gnocchi is literally perfection on a plate. If you have room, get the tiramisu.

Jessica C.

I was visiting friends in Cincinnati on a Friday night and dinner plans was a last minute thought. Alfio's buon chibo just happened to have an opening for 815 on OpenTable and Italian/Argentinian sounded fantastic to all of us and Hyde Park Square was only a 15 min drive away! Also, after previewing the menu, the chimichurri made me tap "Book Now". The restaurant was loud, in a good way, like a big family party (not like a party full of obnoxious hipsters-I was recently in a very loud restaurant, in a bad way, in Hyde Park/Tampa, Florida). Alfio's was warm and inviting, the red colored walls, dim lighting and everyone felt local. There was a bar and the restaurant space was like a rectangle, extending toward the back. We were seated in the back near a corner of wine bottles. My 2 eating partners were local and it was their first time dining in. But they had sampled their tasty empanadas at a Taste of Cincinnati festival, which made them add Alfio's to their list of restaurants to try. The hostess was lovely, and we had Alli? as our waitress & a sommelier who helped us pick wines. We tried one of the Argentinian wines not on the menu, a Trapiche Malbec. And a Barbarossa. Our waitress was the best - so friendly, took the time to explain all the dishes, never felt rushed and had a beautiful sincere smile. I felt she really enjoyed working there. There was a tasting menu (which had lamb and duck-my partners were trying to observe no meat Fridays, which failed in the end), a Specials Menu, and a booklet for the wine list. We started with the Empanadas Quatro, Funghetti, and 2 appetizers from the Specials Menu-lobster deviled eggs and lamb arancinis (4 pieces). We tried to cut the empanadas in threes, for us all to sample (we should have gotten a 2nd order); I was able to try the spiced beef or korean bbq? And it was tasty! My partners loved the spinach/cheese and corn? The Funghetti has no mushrooms (which was why I wanted to try it) but its name comes from the mushroom cap shaped pasta! It was still delicious- bits of butternut squash, sausage?, chimichurri sauce. It was my fav app. The deviled eggs were good, nothing special. Lamb arancinis were served hot and crispy with a white sauce smear - each ball a perfect 2-3 biter. We shared the flame grilled halved romaine Caesar-delicious dressing with big chunks of shaved parmesan (oh and crunchy tasty croutons!) My partners got the Choose Two pastas. Agnolotti (very rich/heavy w/ the gouda and short rib) & mushroom ravioli (wonderful). Gnocchi (definitely tasted smoky) & i don't remember his 2nd pick. I was torn between the skirt steak (the chimichurri was sparking my curious tastebuds) and the Halibut from the Specials Menu (which they say rotates often). I went with the skirt steak and it was my favorite dish of all. It was recommended to be served "medium". It was served on top of grilled Asparagus and large Yukon steak fries. My 2 dining partners sampled the steak and both loved it too. The generous amount of chimichurri sauce drizzled on top of the steak = perfection. We took the potatoes home for a future air fry snack bc they were delicious too! It was my belated bday dinner and our waitress gifted us a carrot cake with goat cheese frosting- little bundt shape and moist. Perfect for sharing. But we also tried the limoncello creme brulee which was a nice palate cleanser, not too heavy/light, creamy & lemony. Looking forward to coming back and trying the tasting menu and basically everything else! And I cannot compliment the service staff enough - incredibly attentive, sincere and friendly.

Bpo5

Last night my husband and I had dinner at Alfio’s with my bil and his wife and it was an unforgettable dining experience. This Italian-Argentinian gem effortlessly blends the best of both culinary worlds. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, with a cozy vibe. Our table opted for the tasting menu—a six-course journey of beautifully crafted dishes, each one perfectly portioned and bursting with flavor. Every plate was a work of art, both visually and in taste. Our server, Tyler, guided us through each course with thoughtful explanations and insight into the culinary techniques behind them. Meanwhile, Sully, the sommelier, was an absolute gem, sharing what made each wine unique and how it elevated the food alongside it. The tasting menu revolves weekly and I don’t think you can go wrong with this option. Overall, the experience was just lovely. I can’t wait to return and try more of their mouthwatering dishes!