Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Carnegie Hill

We booked a Saturday reservation and were seated immediately which was nice. We ordered the dumplings, Branzino and Pas Thai. The dumplings came with truffles on top and were excellent. The sauce could have been a bit more exotic than just the soy sauce and vinegar for a Thai place. the Pad Thai has very good taste with very tender shrimps. The fried Branzino was great with spicy mixture with hot pepper, papaya and other flavors. At $45 maybe it was a bit pricey. Service was great with right amount of taking empty dishes away and asking how the food was. Overall vibe was great because the tight space and antique look of the dining room. The decor is not fancy but has a certain style of its own. We also ordered a Thai iced tea and a beer which were tasty as well. Next time I will try curry dishes and Tom Yom Soup.

We were so pleased with our first visit to Carmine's. My husband and I usually travel to NYC alone, and have never gone before because we heard how large the portions are - and they are NOT kidding. There were 7 of us for dinner, and we shared a Caesar Salad, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Rigatoni Bolognese, Eggplant Parm, Veal Scallopini, and Tiramisu and it was perfect portions. Only thing we took home was the Garlic Bread (which the 19-year-old scarfed down likely before it made it to the hotel fridge.) Paul our server was fantastic - happy to see our family reunion the day after Christmas with family from Myrtle Beach. The restaurant is crowded and loud, so expect that - but it's a fun environment and you can tell it's mostly families just having a great time. This dinner capped off a perfect day celebrating the 19-year-old's first Broadway Show.

The food was amazing, the workers were amazing and attentive and (MATTHEW) who severed us on the 25th Dec. for our Christmas dinner was amazing. Very informative and patient with us. A ball of energy. We will definitely be returning.

We plan our trip to NYC around eating at Carmine’s. This time we ate at the upper West Side location. We usually eat at the Times Square location. But this year it was booked solid for Christmas a month in advance. We were wowed again with an awesome meal at Carmines at 91st Street. We had the garlic bread with cheese. We always ask to add the cheese. So wonderful. We also split the lasagna. It is the best we have ever tasted. We brought over half of it home. I would recommend either Carmine’s to anyone wanting authentic Italian food at its best.

Reservations are a must. Crowded at the bar but much more serene in the restaurant proper. Good food reasonably priced. Seasonal menu available. We chose from both. It’s a classic. Enjoy!