Dining at Cielo Restaurant Sanibel

By: Gillian Birch

If you get a craving for tasty American Fusion/Eclectic cuisine, Cielo is the place to find it. This white-cloth restaurant raises the bar for gourmet cuisine on Sanibel Island, Florida thanks to the experience and dedication of Chef Neil Griffin who sources fresh fruit, vegetables, sustainably caught fish and grass-fed beef to make his specialty dishes.

MustDo.com | Roasted potatoes, califlower and lamb chops in a demi-glaze sauce Il Cielo restaurant Sanibel Island, Florida

Photo courtesy Cielo

Cielo is Italian for “the sky” and it is the perfect name for this elegant restaurant where the sky’s the limit when it comes to quality, taste and service.

MustDo.com | Dine indoors or out on the covered patio at Sanibel Island restaurant Il Cielo.

Photo courtesy Cielo

Dine beneath the stars with a table on the veranda or choose a table in the intimate setting of the Art Deco-style dining room.

MustDo.com | Casually elegant dining room at Il Cielo restaurant on Sanibel Island, Florida

Photo courtesy Cielo

This upscale restaurant recognizes that ambience and service are as important as good food. It provides live background piano music and well trained waiters to ensure your meal is an all-round success. The dress code is appropriately smart casual i.e. collared shirts and no beachwear or shorts.

American Fusion Menu at Cielo Restaurant

Forget pizza, piccata and parmigiana and make the most of your dining experience by choosing one of the more unusual fusion choices on their menu accompanied by one of their handpicked Italian wines.

The freshest salad ingredients are combined to start your meal on a high, awakening the tastebuds with beautiful combinations of flavors such as pear, goat’s cheese and toasted almonds in a ginger white balsamic vinaigrette in the popular Artisan Green Salad.

Fresh fish dishes are cooked to perfection and are certainly never boring. Try the Grouper topped with Blue Fin Crab Meat and served with a Chili Sauce, or succulent Mussels with Fennel in broth. Other specialty dishes include Pistachio Crusted Colorado Rack of Lamb. It tastes as good as it looks!

MustDo.com | Dine on regional fresh Florida fish, seafood and organic produce at Il Cielo restaurant Sanibel Island, Florida

Photo courtesy Cielo

Desserts to Die For!

The dessert is the pièce de résistance in Italian dining, and Cielo makes sure your meal ends on a high note. The chocolate espresso bombe is highly recommended, or how about the divine sticky toffee bread pudding. Old favorites take on a new twist, such as the Crème Brulee which is cooked to crisp perfection.

With prices reflecting the gourmet menu, Cielo ensures that the quality of food, presentation, service and exquisite chef-prepared dishes make every meal deliver value for money.  However, if you want to get the same wonderful experience and service for a little less, consider the signature small plates menu and two-for-one House wines that are offered daily at Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6 pm. with late night Happy Hour from 9 to 10 p.m.

If you are looking for somewhere a little bit special to celebrate a birthday or other event, Cielo will provide that perfect setting for enjoying a wonderful meal and pleasant memories that will linger long after your meal is over.

Written by: Gillian Birch | Author Website

Gillian Birch is a freelance travel writer and, whenever possible between trips, she enjoys life in Florida. As the wife of a Master Mariner, she has traveled extensively and lived in some exotic locations all over the world, including the Far East and the Republic of Panama. Describing herself as having "endless itchy feet and an insatiable wanderlust", she continues to explore Florida and further afield, writing about her experiences with wonderful clarity and attention to detail. With a diploma in Journalism from the BCJ, she has published several travel books and ebooks, all available on Amazon under her name. Formerly the Florida Editor for BellaOnline from 2011-13, Gillian is an active member of the International Travel Writers' Alliance and the Gulf Coast Writers' Association, and an enthusiastic guest blogger for MustDo.com Visitor Guides. Learn more about her writing as YourTravelGirl at: www.gillianbirch.com and follow her blog around the world at https://gillianbirch.wordpress.com/