Our Story

Provincetown's best known and most popular restaurant was founded by Ciriaco Cozzi and Salvatore Del Deo in 1954 as a coffee shop. The two young Italian-American men had met in Provincetown in 1947 as students of Henry Hensche, the painter, and in order to make a living as well as be able to paint, they decided to open an after-hours sandwich shop. It was an overnight success and became a gathering place for Provincetown's art colony and the local fishermen community. Sixty-seven years later it remains one of Cape Cod's most beloved institutions where locals and visitors are welcome to indulge in deliciously decadent Italian dishes while sipping on wine and enjoying each other's company. 

 

Today the menu at CIRO & SAL'S consists of pasta, chicken and veal dishes inspired by old recipes, as well as fish dishes utilizing the plentiful supply of fresh local seafood. The restaurant consists of several loosely connected dining areas in a romantic brick wine cellar. With slate floors, candlelit tables and low ceilings festooned with straw-clad Chianti bottles, the restaurant exudes the romantic atmosphere of an Italian cantina. Upstairs, mirrored walls, soaring ceilings and large windows overlooking the surrounding gardens lend an air of Renaissance elegance. The adjoining bar, a charming hideaway tucked beneath the eaves of the old building is a popular gathering place. There is additional seating outdoors in the gazebo amid grape vines, tomato plants and fresh herbs.

 

Larry Luster, the current owner, began working at Ciro & Sal's in 1967, he was mentored by Ciro and named the prep chef - in charge of all the daily food preparation. He make it his mission to ensure the quality and integrity of each dish on the menu and oversees every detail in the kitchen with a watchful eye. Larry is hands on with every operation, from dicing the vegetables for the minestrone, to breaking down a whole cow leg each week, as well as preparing the restaurant's renowned dishes like ragú alla bolognese and vitello alla philomena. 

 

His son Caleb Luster now serves as the head chef, while his son Zach runs the front of the house, establishing rapport with the local community, building relationships with those who have visited the restaurant over the decades, as well as customers who are just passing through town on their holiday,