Ciaorigato sits inside Hotel Bijou near Union Square, an itameshi — Japanese and Italian fusion — restaurant from the team behind Modi, the Italian-Mexican spot. The name is a portmanteau of "ciao" and "arigato," and that cross-cultural mixing runs through the menu: fresh pasta, artisanal pizzas, sushi, yakitori, and steaks built around Asian-inspired ingredients.
The menu plays with unexpected combinations: chicken skewers charred over the grill, a yuzu spritz, tuna rolls finished with basil pesto, a squid ink and octopus pizza, and bucatini topped with Japanese curry, tsukune chicken meatballs, and fried seaweed.
The dining room reads as lounge-like, with a loose, casual energy suited to a quick drink and a bite rather than a lingering sit-down meal.
The menu plays with unexpected combinations: chicken skewers charred over the grill, a yuzu spritz, tuna rolls finished with basil pesto, a squid ink and octopus pizza, and bucatini topped with Japanese curry, tsukune chicken meatballs, and fried seaweed.
The dining room reads as lounge-like, with a loose, casual energy suited to a quick drink and a bite rather than a lingering sit-down meal.