Carmelo's is always busy, and that's because the secret isn't very well-kept. The food is incredible, the ambiance is friendly and inviting, and the staff is spectacular. A PG favorite! read more

Best pasta dishes we have ever tasted! So fresh, beautiful presentation, and the seafood was excellent. Our server was most attentive to our needs and each dish was presented timely! High recommend the beautiful venue for small or large gatherings! read more

Carmelo's - Italian Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

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Great food. Authentic Italian dishes. Waitress was friendly and the place was clean. Also had the sangria. It was great. read more

Carmelo's - Stuffed Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

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Everything was delicious Servises wonderful our waiter. Joshua was great! Others who helped tending to our table removing dishes, replacing the silverware. They were all very cordial respectful, and Service oriented all my friends, and I were reminiscing over that meal till today! I would gladly recommend Carmelo's to anyone. The ambience is very accommodating and reflective of the culture. read more

Try the Botta Bing. Top restaurant in Punta Gorda. Good ambiance. Good service. Located in a remodeled large home. Separate rooms. We generally go for birthdays etc. read more

Damn. Who thought you would need reservations in summer at 5 o'clock? This is our second time dining at Carmelo's. It is definitely a five star experience. The service is outstanding. The food is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. You just can't go wrong. My wife had the lobster ravioli, and I had some sort of fresh pasta that I can't describe, but it was crazy delicious! read more

Carmelo's - Italian Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

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I'm extremely disappointed with the service I received at the front of the restaurant. When I arrived, the front waitress was dismissive and immediately told me there was no space since I didn't have a reservation without checking anything or making any effort to help. It was an unnecessarily rude interaction and not what I would expect from an establishment of this level. As I was walking out a very kind gentleman whose name I believe is Jack went back inside to see if there was actually seating available. That small gesture was all I was hoping for from the start: just a bit of effort and basic courtesy. A customer should never feel unwelcome. read more

We are in the area for a short time and were looking for a sort of fancy place. It's a beautiful restaurant. We went here for our anniversary. 26 years, so not a Milestone exactly but a special night. We arrived early so we sat at the bar to wait for our table-we made a reservation. Bartenders were very professional and friendly. We were called to the table and our server was a young man named Bryce. From start to finish it was wonderful. The staff is amazing. You will never feel neglected. We noticed a flaming presentation going on across the restaurant so we asked about it. They offer a date night through the week. Table side pasta and apps with a bottle of wine for $100. We loved the first experience so much that we took friends back two nights later and had our same server! Very nice. He even remembered us as we walked in. We were seated in our own private area and the food was unbelievable. Wine from Sicily, fresh made pasta, and the best tiramisu I have ever had. The manager even came by to say hello. Book a reservation and you will not be disappointed. read more

Excellent food and prices. We had group of 7 all had different entrees and they were all great. My veal Saltimbocca was perfectly done. Appetizers were excellent. Desserts delicious. Service was perfect. Never had to ask for refills. Food served hot. No problem with 7 separate checks either. An outstanding Italian restaurant. Do need a reservation most night though. read more

First time here- Not disappointed. Ambience in the garden with live music was exceptional. Three different groups. The female soloist 5 played two sets. Tips were appreciated and happy birthdays sung. The setting is romantic and excellent- under the trees. Almost magical. We both had ossobuco- cooked until the meat was just ready to fall off the bone; the gravy however, lacked distinction. Not enough carrots, it was starchy and gnocchi made it heavier. I asked our waiter (JJ) what made their Ceasar (+$4) salad distinctive. "Our Ceasar salad has real anchovies." (Two !!!?) It was dry, pre-made & disappointing. The butternut squash soup was a better choice. The Big Storm Oktoberfest draft was good; alternative was Scotties IPA (local biers). The house Cabernet was also good. The ciabatta rolls started us off well, but the dipping oil-herbs was not replenished. (Remember- Don't make a meal out of carbs). We didn't. A scratch kitchen allows for fresh hot food. It certainly was. Be prepared to wait 40 minutes to be served, glad our party of four had lots to catch up on. Jj served us well. Very relaxed and enjoyable. He was accessible and ready to deliver. Appreciated. All of the staff is gracious & friendly. My wife had a cappuccino to conclude her special evening. After first being frustrated with the RESY reservation system I was most pleased that it worked cancelling other time options. Coming at 4:45 we were the first garden guests n treated royally with the hostess calling my wife by name. We found that the seating for two is available throughout the evening in the garden but the 4 & 6 seatings were regularly full. But staff cleaned up quickly to allow others access. Come prepared for a relaxing evening and enjoy the garden. Dress appropriately. In our three hour experience it was 80+. Never hot or chilled it was a 1st class evening remembered. read more

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Great food and service but save room for desert. The deserts were incredible. I need to start hopping in there and have lunch or dinner at the bar. read more

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This restaurant was absolutely amazing. The food was phenomenal. Our server. Josh was extremely attentive and probably one of the best servers we've ever had would highly recommend this place will be back soon. read more

Ambiance and service was great. Also food was very good with lots of choices. Good place for date night read more

2nd time here the food was amazing Gianni our waiter was top notch. First time having desert, outstanding

Food was delicious, the service was fantastic and the ambiance was very family oriented. The value of the food based on quality was very good not over priced like most restaurants these days. I recommend Carmelo's for a nice relaxing dinner. read more

Omg, the food was AMAZING. Cant wait to go back. We sat outside and it was a lovely evening with great service.

Right as we got there we were seated by the hostess within 20 seconds of getting there. Our server Ben was amazing and provided us with respect and was super funny, I got the penne pasta and it was AMAZING!! Ben offered a verity of deserts on a tray and all of them looked great. I decided to get the pumpkin roll (which was a limited time option) and I loved it! Amazing restaurant, would recommend to all of my friends and family. The atmosphere was amazing there were lights hanging in the courtyard (which is where I sat) and it was so cool, inside was very cozy and rustic feeling, it felt like an Italian restaurant you would find in Italy! read more

The food touched my soul! Oh my gosh!!! Fresh ingredients, great service! 5/5!! Started with Frutti Di Mare Grigliato as the appetizer and I thought I died and went to heaven! The lobster was sweet. All the seafood was fresh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! read more

Carmelo's is one of these food experiences that have to in your bucket list. Food amazing, services top notch and the ambiance was like bring in Italy. An absolute return!!!! read more

Omg! What a gem! Great, great food and service! I had lobster ravioli and hubby had Osso Bucco!

I was extremely disappointed with the service I received after waiting to get reservations to eat at Carmelo's. When my meal came after waiting a half hour it was the wrong meal that I ordered. I was not offered to take it back. I disliked what I got but was stilled charged for the full meal. It a my 60th anniversary which was to be a fun night. read more

Ambiance is wonderful. A really nice restaurant. Very busy. i tried making a reservation on their phone system. but for some reason it wasn't responding to a party of 1. Someone did call me back promptly. I decided to just take a gamble and walk in and there was. a seat at the bar. The hostess was great and the bartender was wonderful. They were both smiling and greeted me with a smile and a hello. for dinner i had spaghetti with clams. wherever I go I have to try there version. It was good but not my favorite. Seemed to be a bit flat. Wouldn't deter me from coming back. lively pleasant place with a wonderful staff. I recently visited their new place Ortega, there staff was the complete opposite of here. read more

Carmelo's - spaghetti with clams - Italian Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

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Everything about this place earns more than 5 stars. The food is fantastic and you can tell it is made from the heart. A true family owned and operated resturant that stays true to their family roots with exceptional quality. The servers are very knowledgeable about the menu and add to the overall dining experiance. Been here multiple times, can't wait to go back and keep trying dishes. Nothing has disappointed about this resturant. Great for date night to family dinner. read more

6 of us had a very fun outstanding night at Carmelo's. Anthony our waiter guided us through our menu choices which were all delicious. Several substitutions were no problem and the timing of the courses was perfect. Loved this place. read more

This is hands down one of the best staff I have ever seen! They are so sweet and caring! I'll be honest I've never had there food but it looks amazing!!! I hope you're doing good Meg! read more

Great fresh food that is very reasonably priced. Clean environment with a friendly staff. I would recommend if you are looking for Italian. read more

Carmelo's - Penne al la vodka with sausage - Italian Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

We were seated in the outdoor garden, which has a relaxing and unhurried atmosphere. The service was fantastic, and the food was amazing. Would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I have to start with - I am not an Italian food fan. It is never the type of restaurant I will pick. Don't like garlic and ricotta and other weird white cream sauces. But THIS PLACE IS STILL A FAVORITE FOR ME. menu is big enough to please anyone. read more

So we had been told to check out Carmelo's for fine Italian cuisine and to make reservations way ahead of time! We figured with the snowbirds up North for the summer it should be no problem? Well, snowbirds or not they're still booking 3 weeks in advance. We got lucky as I scheduled on line on Monday for a Friday night and was able to book a table for four @ 8:30pm. There's outside dining as well as the desired air conditioned indoor for those hot muggy nights. Our server Gianni was wonderful and took the time to have a conversation in Italian with my Sicilian in-laws. We ordered drinks and some appetizers to start. The apps consisted of fried calamari, prosciutto wrapped melon with a balsamic drizzle and carpaccio. Calamari was delicious, crispy and tender. The carpaccio and prosciutto melon were delicious as well. For the main meal we ordered the sacchettini, the prime rib, the salmon tommasso and the shrimp and scallops limoncello. The mains came with either a salad or soup. We all settled on a chicken Marsala soup and three pasta fagioli's. To say that my in-laws were impressed is an understatement, specially since they have been living in Italy for the past 28 years and frequenting very good restaurants in the old country. We rounded the evening off with dessert and a few espresso's. My in-laws are heading back to Jersey in two days but are looking forward to coming back to eat at Carmelo's in February. In the meantime my wife and I will be rounding back here to try some of their other dishes. read more

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Our first visit to Caramelos but not our last! Everything was fantastic. The food, service, ambiance and staff were all amazing. Everyone went out of their way to make it very enjoyable. The bartender "Michael Buble" (not really but his doppelgänger) and the martie d were so fun, professional and assets to the restaurant ! Can't wait to return again. read more

Wonderfully warm atmosphere and great attentive service. Oh, and the food was outstanding!

Love this restaurant the Italian food was out of this world would definitely go back again.

Love this place highly recommend it. Food and service 10 out of 10! Make reservations it's hard to get in.

Wow, what a fantastic experience. We walked over from a nearby hotel with zero expectations. The wait was almost 2 hours so we grabbed a spot at the bar before the bartender told us she had a high top we could eat on within 10 minutes! We started with the Calamari Agro Dolce, which was fantastic. They have a regular calamari option and this was the "spicy" version. It wasn't overly spicy and leaned more towards flavor. We had to try the Bada Bing since it's what everyone raves about and you watch the presentation at tables around the dining room. It's not even on the menu but we asked our server/bartender and she put our name on the list because there can be a wait! The entire presentation was engaging and fun while the dish was indescribable. The flavors on our plate were unlike anything I've had before, and this was just the appetizer! More our entrees, we let the bartender pick for us after we each gave her our top 3 picks. She did a great job and we all loved our dinner. I had the Bucatini Amatriciana and I added sausage. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the sausage had so much flavor. The portions were huge for such a bargain. For dessert, we also let our server surprise us and she brought out an incredible chocolate cake. Hands down, one of the best dinners we have had on our travels around the country. Authentic Italian food where the owner, Carmelo, is actually working on the line in the kitchen all day, every day. His father presents the Bada Bing dish and you truly leave feeling like you are in the family. read more

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Carmelo's is consistently outstanding. The food is absolutely delicious. The service is amazing, and the atmosphere is beautiful. Our favorite restaurant by far! read more

I would happily give Carmelo's more than 5 stars. Wonderful experience. I highly recommend having the Bada Bing, which is prepared tableside by the chef's father. Pasta stirred in Parmesan cheese wheel. Sounds odd, tastes amazing. Husband had the "pillows" with gorgonzola and pears. Rich, but really good. Our server, Josh, was great. Looking forward to going back! read more

Everything about our experience was amazing! This is the perfect place for a special occasion or daye night., drinks, atmosphere and service was great. We sat outside and it was so beautiful, there was even live music. Our waiter John was so helpful explaining the menu and never showed up to our table without a smile on his face! We forgot our leftovers at the table and ran them out to us before we could leave.We will definitely be back soon! read more

Food was very good, place supposedly if you don't have a reservation it's an awfully long wait, doors open at 4:00pm sharp; we waited about 2 mins max and went right in; hostess confirmed us, and was sat down. Service is was great; our waiter was awesome and knew his menu very well and to the T. We did the Parmesan wheel of cheese as an appetizer; I've had it before in other places in Miami, pretty good here I'd say; my brothers never had it before; he loved it. The place is very nice; what I had was really good... I was happy everyone was else was also. We're definitely returning. read more

First off, it's a bit fancy, and the food is nothing short of amazing! I had my pasta cooked in a cheese wheel!!! Not only was it delicious, I had no leftovers! They take reservations in advance and there's a wait list but for good reason! The service is great, no long wait period for food! The ambiance is like a little Italian style restaurant. read more

We received a gift certificate for Carmelo's for Christmas and had never been there before.but was very happy they we went. They have a very diversified menu and the four of us each ordered different selections and they were all great. It's a little on the pricey side but worth the price. We ate in the courtyard which is beautiful and had live music as well! Great spot! read more