Carmine's

Pros: Excellent family-style dining that's just like home...if you lived in Italy
Cons: None

I was first introduced to Carmine's over a year ago by a friend who is currently living in Soho. Staying in the city on a break from North Carolina, I was lamenting the lack of good Italian food around my school. She suggested that we try this...

Pros: Reputation, Atmosphere, size of menu
Cons: average food

Carmines is a New York culinary institution. Located in the Theatre District on West 44th it has a reputation as one of Manhattans quintessential family-style Italian restaurants. The menu is extensive and varied, featuring a full range of pasta,...

Pros: Delicious food in generous portions
Cons: Packed to the gills 24/7

Carmine's is old fashioned Italian cooking as it used to be; it's hearty, family-style, and a little bit rowdy. All of the dishes are simple Italian recipes just done well. There's no flair or exotic ingredients, just the freshest meats and produce...

Pros: You get what you pay for!
Cons: This place is a spender! Do not go if you can not afford to do it right.

This is a review for a steak place, if your not interested in steak look for other options.

When to go:
Time of day: Dinner, evening between cocktails, and nightly activities
Season: Year round

Who to take:
Someone...

Pros: Excellent Food, Good For All Occasions, Good Service, Large, Family Style Portions
Cons: Long Wait, No Reservations under Five people, Slightly Pricey Menu

Carmine's is perhaps one of New York's finest restaurants. As such, you will have to expect a wait at this popular restaurant. This wait is usually over an hour. Pagers are given to those waiting to allow you to wander around the neighborhood a...

Pros: fabulous food, great portions, great fun with a large party
Cons: noisy, almost always a wait, not conducive to 2 people

This restaurant evokes emotions from just about everyone - both good and bad. Whether it's the Carmines in the theater district or the one up on the upper west side, you will inevitably wait on a line (short or long, no matter) for a table. Is the wait...

Pros: Spicy Fried Calamari best in city, Tiramisu, rigatoni, sauce
Cons: Cost, crowd, lack of Ventilation creates smoke everywhere, service

What's with the ever-popular tendency for not-so-great restaurants to keep people waiting for tables that seem to be in abundant supply? Carmine's used to be my favorite Italian eatery in the Theatre District when looking for a quick pre-theatre meal at...

Pros: Family Style
Cons: A little loud, Ravioli is nothing special

You ever look over at the plate of the person next to you and wish for a bite or two of what they were having, but where too shy to ask? Family style is the answer!

Everyone shares what's on the table. They put all the food in the middle and...

Pros: Excellent food
Cons: LONG wait

On our last visit to NY we were lucky enough to get into Carmine's for Dinner. The wait was horrendous but well worth it. We had a salad that was absolutely to DIE for (greens, gorgonzola cheese, roasted eggplant,and olives), Chicken Marsala, which was...

Pros: food and atmosphere
Cons: can be costly

Carmine's is a classic Italian restaurant with all of the flavor needed to create an Italian style dinner (even without the food) Make sure that you come to Carmine's with a large group. This way you get to try out a number of different entrees. ALso...

Pros: Great Food, Amounts, Prices
Cons: I live in Dallas..not NY

Well, ok. Carmines has great food. Not only do they have the best Italian, but they have the most of it. I mean, one entree can be ordered for two people. I can eat a lot, but not at Carmine's! The service, ambience, food, etc... was perfect!
...

Pros: great food
Cons: long wait without reservations

We had reservations the last time we went. They are easy to make well in advance and they are necessary. This is a hopping place! That's the best way to do it!!! The food was great. Even with had wine and bloody mary's, the bill (plus tip) came to...

Pros: Nice atmosphere, especially upstairs and outdoors.
Cons: Wildly overpriced food for the quality, and a sad inability to handle steaks.

The "cool" Rush Street ambience ... hooting, screaming people wandering around much better dressed than their behavior suggests they ought to be, possibly because they are drunk ... is not enough to make Carmine's worth visiting.

Consider the...