11/08/09

Great

by kkkkk01

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

07/29/09

Attention: Garlic Lovers! No Vampires Allowed!

by AntonEgo

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!

05/25/09

Great Food, Horrible Service and Attitude

by tehnewyork

If you live in the neighborhood, order this in. The staff is downright rude and inefficient. It is a shame because Carmine's is a wonderful family restaurant. 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...i.e. B&T folk! They must not mind this sort of service but I do. I must have asked for silverware 5 times before someone else brought it to me after saying, he is busy with other parties to deal with, sorry we were only 8 people. The waiter practically ignored us and the prices are outrageous. My children ordered plain pasta, fine $7 but it was so small even they were complaining, while the grown ups had tons of food. It would not hurt them to throw a few additional noodles on the kids plate. Finally we asked that my children receive their food as soon as it was ready. Instead they brought it with our entrees. One of my children fell asleep (he is 9) before the food ever arrived, we had to wake him to eat. 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!

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Everything Else

04/29/09

Very bad experience -- never again!

by EMaini

I went to Carmine's on 4/29/09 for lunch with my family from Italy. There were 12 of us. The restuarant was basically empty. Despite that fact, the service was horrible!!! It started with the wine and the person trying to serve us unable to understand we did not want a $60 bottle of wine. Then they came back with a Red wine we did not order -- we had requested a white wine. Then they opened the wine and just dropped the wine on the table without pouring or asking us to try it. After asking many questions about the day's hot antipasto and asking if there was enough for 12, not only was the portion smaller than they described not all the items listed on that days menu where served. When asked about the missing items, we got a shoulder shrug. It gets better -- we ordered pasta and in the pasta came a surprise -- the screw from the handle which cooked the pasta which looked to plastic was extra flavor they added and which one of the guest bit into -- while they removed the pasta dish from the check, the point is how could could they have prepared it without knowing. The veal portion we ordered was slim pick'ns and we needed to order a second dish so that everyone could eat. We had to ask for more bread several time before we actually got a new basket of bread. At they end we passed on dessert and coffee and are totally turned off. Done!! never again will I go to this restuarant! 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!

• Pros: Cannot think of any
• Cons: Poor food, bad service

04/23/09

Great time.

by JGIBSNYTIMES

I really enjoyed this place a lot. The huge platters just really shocked me, I thought I was eating for 10 but I was actually the only one. Carmines is a great place to celebrate any occasions. I believe they have tons of space and high ceilings for great events such as weddings,debuts,and other coporate related events. I enjoyed their friendly staff as well as the huge platters.

Great Job Carmines.

• Pros: Great service.
• Cons: table are too tight/crowded

09/24/08

Great Italian - Not the Olive Garden!

by foodnyclover

Carmine's is fantastic. They serve their entrees family style, Italian. The food is really really good. It does have a lot of garlic in it though. The service has been good everytime I have went. I read on another website somewhere else that they were complaining that their are tourists here and cougar woman, and in Chinatown they serve larger portions, how ridiculous, do you not think a lot of yourself to critize other people and what does Chineese food have to do with it, probably never even ate here. If you went to Europe you would be a tourist too. I just go for the food and restuarant not who is there. We always have the penne with vodka sauce, salads, meatballs, we practically tried it all, and love it. So do many other families that I know. We will be coming back.

• Pros: A lot of food and great too
• Cons: A lot of food - you have to eat it there

08/17/08

Carmines Uptown Disaster!

by baez1018

Let me tell you all something, Me and My Family love to dine out and for some 15 years now we have been avid Carmine fans especially cause of the family size dishes for many years. Although for many years we have been doing the midtown location on some occasions we have gone to the upper west side location for convenience especially after a movie. Today was the Second time we had eaten there and ironically we got the same server named Jose.

I am one to say if you get bad service don't go back, but like many people you don't heed to your words. Jose did come to us after 10 minutes of sitting funny no one was really in the restaurant at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. He was like "Hi You Guys Been Here Before Right"? and really kind of skimmed thru what the specials were and was kind of like yeah what ever. Anyway to close this up:

1) We asked for bread he said I told the other guy to do it.

2) When the appetizers arrived he never brought us table utensils nor napkins, the busboy had to do it.

3) He never tended to us when our food was served.

However Jose was very attentive to the other tables in his area which seem to be of Caucasian color. Now I am not one that picks and chooses what crowd I'm around but I swear this guy was working all these tables like if his life depended on it! and what ticked me off the most was when our main dinner platter arrived I waited a few minutes to see if he would serve us but he looked real quick toward our table and kept it moving. I stood up and served my Family. He had the audacity to ask later if everything was OK.

Anyway Jose got a (DOLLAR) tip and sorry to say that will be the last time I will be at the Uptown location!

• Pros: Food is equal, quantity and quality
• Cons: Waiters need to know how to treat all races and creeds the same!

05/11/08

good place but not for romantic dinner

by July023

I went there already 3 times. In average the staff if sympathic, some are not friendly at all. 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.

• Pros: value, quality & quantity, ambiance
• Cons: some staff are not really friendly

01/07/08

Lots of great italian food in a family ambiance

by thewhitetiger

What a great place to eat, too bad that is far from me, and parking is impossible aroun that area. Dishes are enormous, enough for more than one, decor is nice, nothing over the top, a great place to dine in large groups. Prices are very accommodating, and servers are very friendly. Recommended restaurant!!

• Pros: food quality, portions, prices
• Cons: parking

04/28/07

SO. MUCH. FUN.

by likuid144

Went to Carmines with a group of ten (girlfriends family was in town) and we absolutely loved it. The food was great and the portions were MASSIVE. One dish can EASILY serve 3 people... we ordered 7. Everything was great and our waiter, who the girls at the table all loved and were trying to get was awesome and very attentitive. The Carmines house wine tasted worse than Chateu De La Cat's Pisss, but what can you expect from a Magnum that costs 12$. I 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.... the Italian way! Also, they gave us a bottle of Sambuca that was 3/4 full on the house with our coffee and desert!

• Pros: EVERYTHING
• Cons: the Carmines house wine