(212) 362-2200

2450 Broadway (nr. 91st St.)
New York, NY 10024 40.7912 -73.9744

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Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

CARMINESNYC.COM

Hours:

Sun-Thu 11:30am-11pm

Fri-Sat 11:30am-12am

Price:

$$

Last updated 4.14.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Special Occasion Dining, Theater District Dining, Business Dining, Group Dining, Food Delivery, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Seafood, Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Carmine's

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – The room is vast, with high ceilings, rich cream-colored walls and photographs on the walls that lend a pleasant feeling of history. The service is vigorously efficient, friendly and accommodating, as suits a busy, festive restaurant like this one. – – The Food – This is well-known southern Italian fare: pastas, chicken, beef, veal and so forth, and all dishes are served family-style in massive portions suitable for several people; even sides are entree-sized. But the food is surprisingly well crafted for such a large and casual restaurant: Baked clams are…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The wine selection is large and affordable, with a fair number of bottles under $25.
ambiance
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Dishes are enormous, enough for more than one, decor is nice, nothing over the top, a great place to dine in large groups.”
  2. “This place is a great, fun restaurant with wonderful food.”
  3. “The waiter and servers were friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was festive!”
  4. “at carmines, even though the atmosphere was great, we were told that one order would be enough food for our group of 7.”
  5. “Just don't expect a quiet, romantic atmosphere.”
  6. “The food is good and the atmosphere is festive.”
  7. “Not a place to go if you are looking for a romantic setting.”
  8. “Excellent food, service, atmosphere”
  9. “good place but not for romantic dinner”
  10. “Carmine's is the prototypical restaurant for group dining as it has a great ambiance, fantastic food(with family style portions) and overall good service.”
  11. “Great food and prices, fun atmosphere”
  12. “Seating is comfortable and is not too loud or too close to other tables.”
  13. “The food is delicious and the atmosphere is so fun!”
  14. “have been to Carmines at least 20 times and I must admit that the food is good but nothing special but I have had so much fun every time I have gone there, that it is beyond worth it.”
  15. “Good food and great fun”
  16. “Great meal, great atmosphere and wonderful waitstaff.”
  17. “Lots of great italian food in a family ambiance”
  18. “The ambience is wonderful.”
  19. “What a great place to eat, too bad that is far from me, and parking is impossible aroun that area.”
  20. “The place is great because of the atmosphere, which encourages obnoxious food consumption and heavy drinking (for the people there without children).”
dessert
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “Didn't have time to try to the dessert but this is the restaurant to go to after the gym when your metabolism is at full steam.”
  2. “Also, they gave us a bottle of Sambuca that was 3/4 full on the house with our coffee and desert!”
  3. “We planned to order more plus dessert, but now we're leaving.”
drinks
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “We arrived about 9 p.m. on a Thursday night, had two glasses of wine while waiting 30 miutes for a table, then enjoyed the best veal and linguine w/ marinara that we've ever had.”
  2. “The bartender there makes a great drink.”
  3. “Also, they gave us a bottle of Sambuca that was 3/4 full on the house with our coffee and desert!”
  4. “The house wine is also quite good.”
  5. “Try the veal, and the rot gut wine is always entertaining!”
  6. “From appetizer to deseert and coffee, we had a great experience and cannot wait to go back.”
food quality
90.67000389099121% positive
  1. “can't wait to come back here with a big group, there's no better place to be loud, get drunk, and eat great family style food.”
  2. “The food is great.”
  3. “loved this food!”
  4. “But you'll this boisterous, loud , party with great food.”
  5. “love the food here.”
  6. “i've been here numerous times and the food is consistently good.”
  7. “at carmines, even though the atmosphere was great, we were told that one order would be enough food for our group of 7.”
  8. “They take reservations for groups of 6 or more (which I highly recommend), and the food is good.”
  9. “As I said, it is more about the gimmick of being a family style italian place then real good italian food.”
  10. “The place is great because of the atmosphere, which encourages obnoxious food consumption and heavy drinking (for the people there without children).”
  11. “The price for one would be expensive, but since you share the food the cost for four is very cheap.”
  12. “food is pretty good here, we go here once in a while.”
  13. “This restaurant has everything you need to enjoy a meal with friends and family.”
  14. “Best seafood pasta I had in ages.”
  15. “You don't have to spend a fortune for good Italian food in New York.”
  16. “The lighting is neither dim nor bright, and the temperature neither cold nor hot, making the restaurant an ideal place to enjoy a delightful and leisurely meal.”
  17. “pretty good food”
  18. “Traditional Italian food, family style servings are huge and overall prices are very affordable- Carmine's is truly a gem.”
  19. “The food is good and the atmosphere is festive.”
  20. “Huge plates of food, endless bread, and the feeling of being in an old world”
  21. “Good food and great fun”
  22. “The food is delicious and the atmosphere is so fun!”
  23. “The food is really really good.”
  24. “have been to Carmines at least 20 times and I must admit that the food is good but nothing special but I have had so much fun every time I have gone there, that it is beyond worth it.”
  25. “The food is great, the service is better.”
  26. “The also had wonderful Chicken Marcella over angel hair pasta.”
  27. “None of the weird entree's you receive at other quality places, just plain old fashion great Italian food.”
  28. “Great meal, great atmosphere and wonderful waitstaff.”
  29. “When you go to a place like Carmines, you must expect that food is not going to be spectacular authentic Italian fare.”
  30. “It has always been over hyped and the food was never more than belly filler but this day was over the top in bad service and food!”
  31. “This place is a great, fun restaurant with wonderful food.”
  32. “Carmine's has the best Italian food I have ever tasted.”
  33. “We live in the area and have always enjoyed the food but over the years it has become a place for tourists, celebrations and other out of towners.”
  34. “It's a great place to take a group or a family because the dishes are made to sha.”
  35. “The food was great and the portions were MASSIVE.”
  36. “The Osso Bucco special on thursday was awesome and the saturday Carmine's special sounds like a feast for a real meat eater.”
  37. “But, if you love a good variety of great Italian food, this is it!”
  38. “Carmine's is the prototypical restaurant for group dining as it has a great ambiance, fantastic food(with family style portions) and overall good service.”
  39. “From the bread to the entrees this restaurant is fabulous.”
  40. “great food, great experience”
  41. “Excellent food, service, atmosphere”
  42. “Each dish we order was great, we were a group of 21 and the service was better than I could have expected.”
  43. “Great food and prices, fun atmosphere”
  44. “This is the best Italian food in Manhattan.”
  45. “The food is always fabulous.”
  46. “By far, it was the least expensive meal we ate in Manhatten, and it was easily in the top 3 of being the best.”
  47. “huge portions of food.”
  48. “They also have yummy bread.”
  49. “Our waiter was very helpful in explaining how dishes were prepared and suggesting how many of each course to order for the table.”
  50. “As you step into the lively environment, your senses are awoken as the smell of fresh, home-cooked Italian cuisine wafts into your nose, readying your taste buds for what is to come.”
  51. “Their food is delicious and cheap when you divide among friends.”
  52. “The veal portion we ordered was slim pick'ns and we needed to order a second dish so that everyone could eat.”
  53. “the value is wonderful if you end up sharing a few dishes with ppl.”
  54. “Lots of great italian food in a family ambiance”
  55. “The portions are huge but delicious.”
  56. “The food is superb and affordable.”
  57. “dont know about you, but when i go out to dinner with my friends, we dont all order the same food.”
  58. “Whether one is looking for a unique, family-style dining experience or simply a magnificent meal, Carmine's is the place to go.”
  59. “Delicious Italian food at very affordable prices.”
  60. “The food is delicious, the price is very affordable and the portions are huge!”
  61. “LOVE their foccacia bread.”
  62. “Carmine's is our favorite place to go for large parties -- you get a ridiculous amount of food for reasonable prices.”
  63. “Their pasta dishes are tasty!”
  64. “If you don't like rich, garlicky food, this isn't your place.”
  65. “This place is a can't-miss with a large group of friends, the food is great and the portions are huge, making the price just right for starving New Yorkers!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “But, if you love a good variety of great Italian food, this is it!”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Dishes are enormous, enough for more than one, decor is nice, nothing over the top, a great place to dine in large groups.”
  2. “good place but not for romantic dinner”
  3. “great place for a large group of people.”
  4. “It's a great place to take a group or a family because the dishes are made to sha.”
  5. “Carmines is a great place to celebrate any occasions.”
  6. “think it is one of the best place's in the city for groups.”
  7. “cant help but reminisce to when this space was the best chinese restaurant on the upper west side.”
  8. “What a great place to eat, too bad that is far from me, and parking is impossible aroun that area.”
  9. “feel that Carmine's is the best casual Italian restaurant you can find in the Upper West Side.”
return potential
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “From appetizer to deseert and coffee, we had a great experience and cannot wait to go back.”
  2. “am one to say if you get bad service don't go back, but like many people you don't heed to your words.”
  3. “can't wait to come back here with a big group, there's no better place to be loud, get drunk, and eat great family style food.”
service
75.32999992370605% positive
  1. “The food is great, the service is better.”
  2. “service is pretty good too.”
  3. “We had a great server, and enjoyed the whole experience!”
  4. “The waiters are really nice and they generally welcome a big group of friends.”
  5. “Everything was great and our waiter, who the girls at the table all loved and were trying to get was awesome and very attentitive.”
  6. “Excellent food, service, atmosphere”
  7. “Our waiter was very helpful in explaining how dishes were prepared and suggesting how many of each course to order for the table.”
  8. “am one to say if you get bad service don't go back, but like many people you don't heed to your words.”
  9. “The service was helpful and attentive, without being too pushy”
  10. “Sadly folks who eat here from out of town probably do think New Yorkers are rude if based on the staff here, I would too!”
  11. “It's noisy, but the servers are great.”
  12. “Carmine's is the prototypical restaurant for group dining as it has a great ambiance, fantastic food(with family style portions) and overall good service.”
  13. “The place is great because of the atmosphere, which encourages obnoxious food consumption and heavy drinking (for the people there without children).”
  14. “Carmine's is an excellent place to go with a large group of people.”
  15. “It has always been over hyped and the food was never more than belly filler but this day was over the top in bad service and food!”
  16. “Despite that fact, the service was horrible!”
  17. “enjoyed their friendly staff as well as the huge platters.”
  18. “However Jose was very attentive to the other tables in his area which seem to be of Caucasian color.”
  19. “The service has been good everytime I have went.”
  20. “great place for a large group of people.”
  21. “Prices are very accommodating, and servers are very friendly.”
  22. “The waiter and servers were friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was festive!”
  23. “The staff is downright rude and inefficient.”
  24. “Each dish we order was great, we were a group of 21 and the service was better than I could have expected.”
  25. “The bartender there makes a great drink.”
value
90.74000358581543% positive
  1. “The portions are huge, but lots of slop is not really a good thing.”
  2. “have been to Carmines at least 20 times and I must admit that the food is good but nothing special but I have had so much fun every time I have gone there, that it is beyond worth it.”
  3. “The room is huge and noisy.”
  4. “huge portions of food.”
  5. “Since it is a family style restaurant, the portions are HUGE.”
  6. “The huge platters just really shocked me, I thought I was eating for 10 but I was actually the only one.”
  7. “Great prices!”
  8. “enjoyed their friendly staff as well as the huge platters.”
  9. “The food is delicious, the price is very affordable and the portions are huge!”
  10. “Great food and prices, fun atmosphere”
  11. “The portions are huge but delicious.”
  12. “restaurant/kitchen. This place is huge but, you do not get that feeling when you are there.”
  13. “the value is wonderful if you end up sharing a few dishes with ppl.”
  14. “It has an incredible vibe--a huge place that really gives you the New York feel.”
  15. “By far, it was the least expensive meal we ate in Manhatten, and it was easily in the top 3 of being the best.”
  16. “Of course I had to share it because the portions are huge.”
  17. “The food was great and the portions were MASSIVE.”
  18. “Carmine's is the prototypical restaurant for group dining as it has a great ambiance, fantastic food(with family style portions) and overall good service.”
  19. “The price for one would be expensive, but since you share the food the cost for four is very cheap.”
  20. “This place is a can't-miss with a large group of friends, the food is great and the portions are huge, making the price just right for starving New Yorkers!”
  21. “Carmine's is our favorite place to go for large parties -- you get a ridiculous amount of food for reasonable prices.”
  22. “The food is superb and affordable.”
  23. “this place serves huge portions so go there with a big apetite or a big party.”
  24. “Their food is delicious and cheap when you divide among friends.”
  25. “Traditional Italian food, family style servings are huge and overall prices are very affordable- Carmine's is truly a gem.”
  26. “The dished are huge as it is a family concept, I have never been dissapointed about the quality and the quantity, it's even sometimes too much, but we can take it home.”
  27. “Delicious Italian food at very affordable prices.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/01/11

Very good food

by 12345go at Citysearch

Very solid good food. The baked clams are always great as well as the steak and pasta.

1 Star Rating: Poor

03/09/11

Wow we were disappointed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by cherspunky146 at Citysearch

We went to Ny for a trade show 3/6/11 and we made reservations a week ahead cause friends said it was hard to get in on short notice. We were running a llittle late so we called to let them know, they said fine but..."if you are more then 15 min late we have to give your table away. So got there late ,had to wait , they gave our table away, no big deal . I have never been to a resaurant this bad in a long time. It started off with the waitress telling me where the menu's were located....Ummm "WHAT" ! I don't get my own menu ,how am I going to order because I can't see from here , she said , "well you have to go stand in front of it and read it". You mean I have to hover over those people eating? she said " yes "Oh it justs gets better from here.. We ordered chicken riggs & someone else ordered red clam sauce, Well when the food came we got ,chicken wings & red clam sauce , wait!!! we didn't order chicken wings we ordered chicken riggs,"oh I'm sorry" , no big deal people make mistakes, will just eat the bread ,ohh wait we don't have any cause you forgot to bring us more thats another ten minutes.Well then the riggs come and they sure smell good look good BUT!!!!!! they had so much salt in them that no one could eat them yuk ,I took two bites cause I thought I could get past the fact that I think someone dropped the salt shaker in my dish ( yuk!!! ). We could stand no more . My friend decided to complain which by the way ,she never complains about the food anywhere it's usually me( just saying ) and asks the manager to at least take that dish off of our bill ,I mean it was clear that no one touched their food. After the dirty look that he gave my friend he sent the waiter over to tell us that he took some money off the bill so instead of 38.00 it was 28.00 WOW nice damage control clearly he took a Dale Carnegie course on how to win friends and influence people. I would NOT !!! recomend this restaurant to anyone .

1 Star Rating: Poor

12/16/09

carmine's atlantic city

by lula905 at Citysearch

We were at carmine's on mon dec 14 for lunch. after many dinners at all carmine's in ny and atlantic ciity we were very disappointed. the chicken parm was dried out and the cheese was microwaved. terrible!!!! told the waitress when ready to leave wasn't to interested in what we had to say. the calamari was also rubbery!!! first time for that too. All in all the meal left a lot to be disired.

Pat W.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/08/09

Great

by kkkkk01 at Citysearch

Whether one is looking for a unique, family-style dining experience or simply a magnificent meal, Carmine’s is the place to go.

As you step into the lively environment, your senses are awoken as the smell of fresh, home-cooked Italian cuisine wafts into your nose, readying your taste buds for what is to come. The décor is nostalgic: a grand ballroom with high Victorian ceilings, elegant chandeliers, and charming portraits and paintings lining the walls. To the right lies a fully equipped bar, lined with antique, wooden barstools, while in the back sits a grand marble staircase leading up to the second floor. The lighting is neither dim nor bright, and the temperature neither cold nor hot, making the restaurant an ideal place to enjoy a delightful and leisurely meal.

From the moment you are seated, a waiter will introduce him or herself, supply you with a basket of freshly baked bread, and describe the various mouthwatering specials. Each of the restaurant’s waters and waitresses were clean-cut and well-trained, catering to the customer’s every need. The service was helpful and attentive, without being too pushy

  • Pros: really good
  • Cons: not bad
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/29/09

Attention: Garlic Lovers! No Vampires Allowed!

by AntonEgo at Citysearch

Excellent place for the whole family to enjoy a great Italian dining experience. Food is service 'Family-Style' which means each dish serves 4 people so sharing is a must. Easy ordering with oversized Menus on the walls. Carmine's is a must for any special occasion in which you want to leave a lasting impression and a memory that will not fade anytime soon! Garlic is abundant but easily difused with complimentary mouthwash in the washrooms! Its location in the heart of time square and located in the middle of the theater district, its a 'Must-See' compliment to any Broadway show!

  • Pros: Middle of 'Times Square'! Large Family Portions! Garlic!
  • Cons: Crowded so service can be delayed!

The Details on Carmine's

Place Categories:

  • great traditional italian food
  • great place
  • huge portions
  • bad service
  • enjoy meal
  • really nice waiter
  • very affordable overall prices
  • great servers
  • fantastic carmine
  • great fun atmosphere
  • big wa group
  • huge platters
  • recommend casual italian restaurant
  • not all order same food
  • great whole experience
  • inefficient staff
  • great everything
  • enjoy great italian dining experience
  • love good variety
  • comfortable seating
  • noisy room
  • enjoyed friendly staff
  • yummy foccacia bread
  • good chicken parm
  • hot temperature
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