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| - In a nutshell: The best dinner I've had in my 2 years of living in Phoenix.
I was initially hesitant to try Cielo because of the mixed Yelp reviews, but when a Groupon was offered, I decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did.
I greatly enjoyed the wonderful, gorgeously-presented polenta and the perfectly cooked pork tenderloin. The complimentary breadsticks and cheese were the perfect items to munch on while waiting for our food. The service was leisurely (not slow), allowing us to fully enjoy each course while nonetheless presenting us with a hot plate at the next turn..
Like another reviewer, I was initially put off by the alarming lack of patrons at the restaurant. The place isn't on the street (but is instead tucked away in the Hotel Theodore), which likely explains some of the empty tables. Nonetheless, once I had the amazing food in front of me, I didn't care very much about who else was in the restaurant. in fact, my wife and I ended up enjoying the calm ambiance on that particular Friday night. However, those looking for a "night on the town" might wish to wait a few months before planning a weekend dinner at Cielo, until word about how good the food is finally gets around.
My only complaint is that the Hotel Theodore is part of the Mondrian hotel group. I had an upsetting experiance at the Mondrian in South Beach (Miami) and had sworn to never patronize any hotel in the Mondrian family again. But I did not know of the relationship when I dined at Cielo and I'm grateful for my ignorance. i will continue to studiuosly avoid anything associated with the Mondrian group -- except Cielo. 5 stars.
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