Carmine's

Ok, how can you say this...cielo, nirvana...in any language it would be a delicious taste of heaven. I have eaten there several times and I have to tell you that whether you go to the 44th St or 90th St. restaraunts, you won't be disappointed. The service is great as you have servers that are pleasant. The atmosphere is fun and busy, kinda like having your family over for Thanksgiving. The value is amazing, the amount of food you get for the price...wow. Its definitely a place where you better bring your appetite. As for the food, saving the best for last, its savory. It will make you loosen your belt like you are at home and want to begin to head for the couch. I recommend it to all my friends and its a great date place.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food. The pomodoro is unbelieveable. Even the salad and garlic bread are unbelieveable. I appreciate that they use fresh ingredients and put all the emphasis on big flavor. I could eat there all the time... Yum-O.

The food is great and it definitely comes in very large portions. The bread that is served prior to getting your meal is excellent - probably some of the most delicious bread I've ever had! Beware of eating too much of it, because between that and the appetizer, it's happened on a few occasions that I was barely able to touch my real meal because I was so full. I like to bring visitors from out-of-town here, although sometimes, it can be a bit of a task to find something that we can all agree on to share. Overall, it's a fun, social environment with not much room in the stomach to be spared post-meal. I think this is the kind of place where the larger your party is, the more exciting your dining experience is.

I am an Upper Westside NYC Native sistah who is often viewed as a culinary snob due to my exposure to great authentic ethnic cuisines. I have been all around the world icluding Venice and Sicily and Carmine's is not the best NYC has to offer but they are up there. The portions are out of control, best enjoyed with 4-10 hungry folks. I do not eat red meat or pork, so I cannot rate them there, but the fish entrees and specials are dee-lish, the sauces are nice and slow simmered, eggplant parm appetizer is a winner as is the linguini and clam sauce. Ordering from Carmine's is a real treat ..... mountain above the others in the area. Keep my comments specific to this location, I have been to other Carmine's and my opinion may be different. My I-talian boyfriend is very picky when it comes to food from his homeland and he was actually impressed with the sauces (excuse me, gravy) and macaroni. You know, Italians call eveerything macaroni -- what....eva!! When you go to Carmine's be ready to eat ... a lot and even if you have to get it to go, you must top off this meal with an order of their homemade Tiramisu.

I'm a self proclaimed sauce snob--growing up on homemade sauce made by my parents and extended family. I've even been to Italy where i had more than my fill of pasta. Carmine's is without a doubt the best italian i've had in the city so far. Their sample appetizer platters are excellent! And their sauce and meatballs taste just like what my nonna used to make. Their huge family style dishes leave plenty for doggy bags. Forgettabout the $2.75 coffee. But with that exception, Carmine's can't do wrong.

I always have to drink lots of water while dining here and afterward. And when I warmed up leftovers in the microwave, the pasta was very greasy. Still, you get bang for your bucks. It's not Babbo - but then again, there is only one Babbo. If you've got a large crowd that's craving Italian and doesn't want to spend lots of $$$, you can do a lot worse than come here. And I prefer the UWS atmosphere much more than the one in the theater district.

I have been to Carmine's two times and both times I only enjoyed the appetizers. The entrees are not so great. The chicken cutlets are subpar but the baked clams are great!