A New Chapter on Hope Street: Inside Providence’s New Italian Restaurant, Ciao Ciao

There’s something fitting about an Italian neighborhood restaurant opening on Hope Street.

Long known for its walkable charm, independent shops and quietly loyal local following, the East Side corridor has always felt less like a dining “scene” and more like a community. That’s precisely what makes Ciao Ciao such a natural addition to the neighborhood.

Now open in the former home of KG Kitchen Bar, Ciao Ciao is the latest venture from Rhode Island restaurant veteran Adam Stabile, whose three decades in hospitality, including years behind the bar at Providence Oyster Bar and the Spring House Hotel on Block Island, have shaped a vision rooted less in trend-chasing and more in timeless hospitality.

That philosophy is immediately apparent the moment you walk through the door.

RI Recommends attended a recent press night at the restaurant ahead of its public opening, and while the menu itself impressed, what stood out most was the atmosphere Stabile and his team have created: warm without trying too hard, stylish without feeling performative, and polished in a way that still feels approachable.

The space balances classic Italian influences with a modern East Side sensibility. The restaurant is “moody, sleek, and modern,” but the overall effect is more intimate than dramatic, the kind of place where you can settle in for a full dinner, stop by for cocktails after work or linger over a second glass of wine longer than originally planned.

That lingering is intentional.

Stabile has spoken openly about the influence Italian aperitivo culture had on the concept for Ciao Ciao, the idea that restaurants should function as gathering places as much as dining destinations. He described wanting to create a relaxed neighborhood environment where guests could meet friends, share drinks, snack on small plates and simply enjoy being together.

The menu reflects that same philosophy.

During the preview event, several dishes captured the restaurant’s emphasis on simplicity and craft. A housemade pasta with pesto delivered bold olive oil and garlic flavor without unnecessary embellishment. French fried polenta paired with meatball offered a comforting contrast of crisp texture and rich sauce, while burrata topped with crispy fried prosciutto, asparagus and peas balanced freshness with indulgence.

The culinary side of the restaurant is led by Stabile’s partner and executive chef, Carmello, whose fresh pasta program quickly becomes one of the focal points of the space. Near the front windows, guests can watch pasta being made by hand, an understated but effective reminder that Ciao Ciao’s approach centers on craft rather than excess. The visible pasta station adds movement and warmth to the dining room while reinforcing the restaurant’s neighborhood trattoria sensibility.

The cocktail program may become one of the restaurant’s quiet standouts. A Cold Brew cocktail featuring Tanqueray Gin, cold brew infused Campari and sweet vermouth was particularly memorable, layered, bitter and unexpectedly smooth. The bar program leans heavily into classic Italian drinking culture, with timeless cocktails and an aperitivo approach designed to complement conversation as much as cuisine.

Equally important is the person behind it all.

Throughout the evening, Stabile moved easily through the room, greeting guests with the kind of natural familiarity that only comes from decades spent in hospitality. There is an authenticity to his approach that feels increasingly rare in modern restaurant openings. Rather than building a concept around spectacle or social media appeal, Ciao Ciao appears focused on consistency, warmth and neighborhood connection.

That intention traces back years.

Stabile has described the restaurant as a project years in the making. Inspired by extensive travel throughout Italy, he became drawn to the simplicity of traditional trattorias, places where straightforward ingredients, careful technique and genuine hospitality mattered more than excess or presentation.

It’s a mindset that aligns naturally with Hope Street itself.

Unlike the louder energy of Federal Hill or downtown Providence, Hope Street has long favored understated neighborhood institutions, restaurants people return to repeatedly rather than simply visit once. Ciao Ciao feels designed with that longevity in mind.

And perhaps that is what makes the restaurant feel promising so early on.

Providence certainly doesn’t lack Italian restaurants. But what Ciao Ciao appears poised to offer is something slightly different: a modern neighborhood restaurant that prioritizes atmosphere, hospitality and restraint over reinvention.

The kind of local spot people wish existed closer to home.

For many diners on the East Side, it now does.