After a long absence, I ate here again recently. They had a table available that very evening for an early dinner reservation (heading to a movie afterward). We were pleasantly greeted and then seated. I noticed they'd completely redecorated the interior since my last visit, maybe 5-7 years ago. I thought it looks very nice inside now. I dig the wallpaper! We looked over the menu and placed our order. I think our server is someone who has worked there a long time because I recognized her face. A short while later a basket with slices of warm bread and pats of butter and plates were brought to the table. Soon after, our salads came out. The bread was soft and warm, with a salty top. The salad was made with fresh lettuce and a few halves of cherry tomato along with a *very* tart balsamic vinaigrette. I ordered the pasta Amatriciana and my companion ordered their Carbonara. Both meals were very tasty, and though I ate all of my pasta, there was a nice bit of sauce remaining in my bowl, so I asked for a bin for the leftover. The next day, I cooked some orechiette pasta and then added the leftover sauce, and had another satisfying meal! The service is good and the ambiance is quite pleasant, with "real" candles inside their holders on every table. read more

Delicious food, friendly service, beautiful and warm atmosphere. Can't wait to return!

Awful experience there. They have a strict time policy about how long customers can stay. If your hopes are for a relaxing datenight dinner, you won't find it at Carmelo's. During Covid, most restaurants had a time limit on how long a person could remain at a table. Carmelo's did the same, except they are still limiting the time diners can have a table and that is for 1 1/2 hours. If you like to eat and run, then fine, but many diners like to take some time for conversation and to have some wine maybe, and to savor their dinner, especially if they have put in a long week at work. However, at Carmelo's, they rush you and then kick you out if you're even one minute over your time limit!!! The ambience at Carmelo's is wonderful and the food good, except for my sister's dinner which was an undercooked chicken breast. The dinner had to be returned to the kitchen and was remade. However, that took so long, and she finally got her dinner 15 minutes before we were kicked out. My bread plate was taken right from under me and I was not allowed to finish my wine! Our server was very nice, but management was extremely rude and disrespectful. It was my sister's 84th birthday celebration and we were all over 70. It wasn't like we were drinking too much or being loud; we're just a bit slower. Shame on Carmelo's for their nasty behavior! I've been going there since they first opened, but in more recent years, their attitude has become negative, along with the experience. I will never go back there!! read more

Ambiance of a small family owned and chief husband team is refreshing. Quaint little storefront on main St Paul busy thru street.

I typically don't like to knock restaurants based on service (a food-only critique is optimal), but the service here was unsatisfactory. There was only one server (I could hear her to other tables that the manager was on vacation as the reason they were short staffed). Nearly the whole restaurant was waiting for long, and I honestly tip my hat to the server because she held her cool in the midst of every single person in the joint being dissatisfied. Otherwise, it was overpriced generic pasta. I wish I would have ordered the ravioli, then I could have tried their fresh pasta and perhaps had a better experience. read more

See all

We have been going here for about eight years. The food has always been wonderful. Prices are very reasonable for the amount you get and the quality. Wine selection is pretty good and is very reasonable in cost. The people who own/run it and everyone who works there have always been just great. A very homie, close atmosphere within the restaurant. We would strongly recommend this as your next night out if you're interested in great Italian food. In my opinion, no list of Italian restaurants to try should be without this at the top. read more

Cool atmosphere and great food! The hostess was also one of the owners and she was super friendly and patient.

Food is consistently good. We've been eating here for years and always loved it. My favorite is the artichoke heart sauté. My husband's is the steak with rosemary. read more

Lovely traditional Italian restaurant in St Paul. We had Arancini, salads, fresh baked bread, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Sundried Tomato Pesto pasta. The dining room is nice and cozy. Service was friendly and attentive. We had reservations at 5pm and the restaurant filled up quickly and stayed full the entire time we were there. read more

See all

The best restaurant in St Paul by far. Great atmosphere, fantastic food. The stuffed steaks are the bomb. A real hidden gem.

I am always looking for a great serving of carbonara and have wandered all over the Twin Cities seeking it. Imagine my joy and chagrin to find it nearly in my own neighborhood! I called for my take away order because the website wouldn't let me order through it but the person on the phone was very polite and professional. They bring the food out the back into a small lot off the alley. There's a spot reserved for their pick ups. It was that simple. It came to with a nice little side salad I hadn't expected but did enjoy. The carbonara serving was abundant. Even though I'm trying to gain weight, it turned out to be two servings for me. I'm delighted with the whole process and the meal. I will glean the menu and see what I want next. read more

Loved everything about it. Service food was exceptional and I would definitely be back.

I had a very disappointing meal and server. I came for one dish with sauce and asked if they could change one thing. They said was not possible and the server said to order another dish with the same sauce. That dish was terrible, and it was NOT the same sauce. it came oily and filled with liquid. I returned it because the sauce was not the same. I do not return food. However, they wanted me to pay for the whole meal even though it was the server's recommendation and said it had the same sauce. This is not the way this should have been handled. They should have not charged me anything for this dish. If i would have known that it was not the same sauce I would not have ordered it. I hear some of the dishes are great. This is the first time I ate there based on friends who love it. The owner should have handled this better. I will. not go back. It was not my fault and should have been charged. The server did not tell me the truth. I do feel bad i had to return the dish. However charging me was wrong. read more

Oh my! My husband and I went to Carmelo's last night for the first time. Shelly was our waitress and was so friendly and engaging- and the food- well, we felt like we were in Italy all over again! It's absolutely amazing. Hand made pasta and ravioli, along with the most fresh bruschetta I've ever had along with delectable salads and bread. We've lived in Highland Park 6 years and this was a huge miss on our part! Don't ignore! Go and enjoy! You won't be sorry! read more

Excellent food! Great service! Ambience is rather relaxing. I had the Carmelo Chicken dish which was rich, well balanced and best of all delicious. My party had chicken parm, one of the steak dishes and artichoke pasta. We all tried out dishes and we all agree that this is one of the few delicious Italian restaurants in the area. I liked the fact that their menu has elements from all parts of Italy. Regional cuisine is very unique and they beautifully replicate the food palette of Italy. Make reservations not a walk in place. Service is helpful, kind and quick! read more

One of Mac-Groveland little gems. Everything was ... I don't even know what to say. Perfect. From the moment I called to make reservations to the greeting once we stepped in. You are transported to a time before covid. They are covid safe mind you. That being said they really treat you special like customer service used to be, and should be. We got a delicious Prosecco that was every bit dry, sweet and tickle your nose. Crab stuffed mushrooms very good, house salad with a creamy vinaigrette fresh and light. Rigatoni with Sausage, mushrooms, onions with a perfect creamy spicy red sauce had just the right amount of heat. Alfredo with added chicken was rich, creamy and the perfect amount of garlic. I would of preferred the chicken breast be made fresh for the order. However I understand that's a lot of additional prep and work. Still very nice. And the final bite was a beautiful luscious blueberry cheesecake. One bite and we couldn't put the fork down. This will become one of our go to spots. Everything was done with grace and perfection. read more

See all

dinner Live in Highland decided to take grand daughter to dinner for birthday . The jazz overhead was Tony Bennett all the way to Frank and Billie Holiday. Decor was lovely calming...owner was very pleasant and even sent me home with some homemade bread....it was really a nice night.. but Carmelo's food took the starring role. All homemade.. great service. We had Bruschetta made like the real deal...half my plate was fabulous chicken and capers. My Grand daughter's eyes widened at the size and taste of meatball and spaghetti and a side of spaghetti served with every entree.Caesar salad perfect...this one you don't want to miss. Had to go back with friends again this week. They loved the food , the service.... Just a perfect night to eat and catch up. I wish I had found this restaurant sooner. I'll be back again. It looks like they did a redecorating project recently! It's small and cozy so be sure to make a reservation! read more

An absolute GEM in St. Paul!! I've lived in St. Paul my entire life and I can't honestly say there is a better Italian restaurant within the city limits. The ambiance is perfect, service is amazing and the food is definitely something to brag about!! read more

Ordered the fettucine alfredo for takeout. I was told it would be ready at 7:05. (Very precise, eh?) I showed up at 6:55 and it was already ready - and it was already cold. They need to learn to manage their takeout orders. The salad was crummy and they only offer two types of dressing. At least the bread was good. Definitely not worth a visit. read more

FANTASTIC Find, took friend to dinner - new place to both of us...and we both agree Best Italian foods we've had in years! Service Great and SO realistically priced.. Quaint, old style comfortable place - True GEM! read more

This is my wife and mines go to spot for going out with family and date nights. The food is always hot, service always excellent and soooo delicious! It's an amazing cozy atmosphere to enjoy! Def make reservations, be a courteous patron and try different dishes to find your fave (mines the Shrimp Macalester!). read more

Only giving 1 star, would've given zero if I could. The pasta I ordered was pesto and was $16. I order chicken with it which $6 extra and was like RUBBER. It was so bland! the whole meal was SO DRY. I could've made a better dish. The Caesar salad was an extra $4 for CHEESE AND CROUTONS! The waitress never stated "hey that's an extra charge of x amount." NOPE. I ended up paying $28 for garbage. Update: I was charged $32.23 on my card when I signed for only $28. The scams from this place keeps on coming. This place should be shut down. read more

Carmelo's - Italian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Carmelo's was fine. Issues included salt n pepper shakers that were plastic, shared between tables...like they just bought them from Oxendales..I mean thats weird for a neighborhood Italian place. Our food was fine- neither good or bad but fine. read more

All in all, a very unpleasant experience. Here is why: a. The food took forever to come out. We were seated for 45 minutes before our entrees were served. b. The server told me I could choose between the salad or soup with my entree but did not mention that the soup option is $4 extra. They simply tacked it on to the bill without explaining why. c. They snuck in an additional 5% charge without showing a separate line on the bill. If I had not done the itemized calculation, I would not have known what it is for. If it is for gratuity, why not just mention it? Seems really shifty to not tell the customer what they are being charged for. A fine-print on the back of the menu is not a substitute for a separate line on the check showing the 5%. d. The pesto pasta was really bland. The pine nuts had more flavor than the rest of the dish put together. It cost $6 to add chicken to the pasta, and the chicken was just as flavorless as the pasta. The positives: nice environment, cozy seating area, and good wine selection read more

If i could leave a zero, I would. I was excited to visit this restaurant. I'd driven by it for years. I have never been so rushed in my life, am 51, and have visited countless restaurants. You are bombarded the moment you sit down, over and over again. 1/2 way through our meal, the waitress sent the hostess over to see if we needed boxes. While we were eatting with 1/2 full plates. I wrote a comment about how rude the team was through the whole meal and was disappointed. I was catching up with a woman who's young husband had just had a stroke and whose mother died a week later. Knowing that, we were then stared at by everyone in the back, including the chef, and they clapped when got up to leave after reading the comment card. Ievergreen explained the situitation and instead of having compassion for someone who is having a difficult time we were treated poirly. We were stunned. We paid our bill, left a 20% tip, etc. After they stared at us, one woman came and blew out our candle, only ours. I can't begin to express the level of rudeness exhibited within this restaurant by the entire staff and leadership. The food, was marginal at best. They leave a comment card when they drop the check, but clearly do not want feedback, and are incapable of talking to a patron to see how they can improve. I would not waste your time or money. There are much better experiences to be had! read more

I had high hopes but have to say we had a pretty mediocre experience at Carmelo's. It feels like the kind of place that is a neighborhood establishment and has a loyal following but perhaps isn't quite what it used to be. The restaurant itself is cute. It's very small but cozy painted in warm colors, dim but not dark. When we arrived, it took awhile for us to be acknowledged and then seated. In the end, our waitress ended up seating us because the hostess was busy. Once seated, our waitress was a bit overwhelmed. I think she was the only one on for the whole dining room. It's not huge, but I counted 21 total tables and I would say there were maybe eight filled when we arrived. Because our waitress was overworked, there were big gaps in our service. It took a long time for her to come back to our table after seating us. She waited until we were finished eating our appetizer to take our entree order. And it took too long to get our bill when we indicated we were done. But on the plus side, our server was very nice and had good menu knowledge. We were disappointed to hear that they were out of the ravioli Carmelo -- after reading reviews here, that was something we wanted to try. We got the calamari, which I honestly did not like. The breading was very thick, slightly undercooked and very oily. The creamy sauce wasn't good and I wished for a good old cup of marinara. My husband's side salad seemed pretty average, and my asiago cheese soup was oily, lukewarm and just OK. Honestly, the bread in the bread basket was the best thing on the table until that point in the meal. Entree-wise, things improved. My fettuccine Alfredo was very good -- rich and creamy with perfectly cooked pasta and a good hint of pepper in there too for a little kick. My husband tried the seafood cannelloni, which he said was good. He said that he was impressed that the seafood was fresh. We skipped dessert, so no comment there. In all, it was OK but not the best. I honestly think we would prefer Scusi or Broders for Italian. But I'm glad we tried it and am not sure if we just caught a bad day or what. At $50+, it was a little steep for what we got, we thought. Not sure when we will be back. read more

See all

Cute 70s style decor. Friendly service and great food (best free bread)! It's a smaller place, and you can't stay too long; overall I liked it. read more

Really nice ambience and great service by Shelli. The pasta and shrimp were flavorful and fresh. Bread is excellent and tiramisu is best in town! read more

Carmelo's - Excellent dish. Macalester Padta with Shrimp. - Italian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Absolutely delicious!! Shelly was so lovely and helpful, and it was a perfect atmosphere to enjoy Valentine's Day!

Not worth the prices. We had been in MN for a family need. We were in the cities for the night before our flight back to Florida. We came across Carmelo's while we were looking for a place to have dinner. We sat in a booth which was way too tight to be comfortable so we moved to a table. We were served bread with butter...not with oil and spices that we expected in an Italian restaurant. Tom had beer...my brother Allen, his wife Maryann and I split a bottle of zinfandel that was $36...too much for what we received. Tom had Chicken Carmelo that was "okay". Allen, Maryann & I all had Ravioli that was on the dry side. Our bill was $123...then we added a 20% tip...the meal, drinks, service and ambiance was not worth the cost. read more

See all

Carmelo's is definitely a gem in St. Paul. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is lovely, and the staff is friendly. I love their pasta and all of their sauces, and the chicken Milanese is spot on. And some of the best tiramisu I have ever had. The negative reviews about being up-charged are bogus, it states clearly on the menu that various substitutions are charged accordingly. Try it for yourself, formulate your own opinion. read more

Great food, lovely atmosphere, terrific service! Will be back when we visit our son at Macalester.

This place used to be our favorite restaurant in St. Paul, but no longer. The owner's wife Shelia has turned into a real witch, who acts like she is doing you a favor waiting on you and seating you. We called for reservations and when we arrived, five minutes before our reservation time they had given our table away and told us to wait half an hour. While we waited, we were offered nothing and then requested two glasses of wine. It took Shelia 10 minutes to bring our wines of wine, even tho the restaurant was half empty. We waited 40 minutes and when a table opened up they still failed to clear it and kept us waiting. We finally left and went elsewhere, but was willing to give them one more chance. When we wrote the owner about the bad service, instead of attempting to make things right, they accused us of being rude and told us they didn't need our business, to go elsewhere, they said they would do just fine without customers like us. The owners wife was a real witch and acted like they were doing us a favor letting us eat there. This is an prime example of how businesses fail. Be nasty to customers who have been coming for years, referred them to others, then call them rude and tell them to go elsewhere. We will be following their advice. We will now be going to La Grolla for those special meals in St. Paul. Good bye Carmello's. read more

Carmelo's is a very nice, neighborhood Italian restaurant. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, I'd call it semi-casual, a good place for a family occasion or a date night. This was the first time we'd eaten there, I've waited for the bus in front of it for a long time and finally had an occasion to eat there. There food was really good. My wife had the Carmelo's signature ravioli, she really enjoyed it. I had the pasta with pesto and sun dried tomatoes, also excellent. The wine list was fine, to extensive but all the basics were covered. The staff is attentive and the experience was very nice. We'll defiantly be back. read more

The Arrabiatta pasta was the best I've ever experienced. The sauce was a comforting tomato based cream sauce that was so pleasing. Although this sauce brought the heat, it was so pleasant, just enough! For those who have not enjoyed Arrabiatta in the past; I'd suggest giving this Chef's version a try. A great experience all around. read more

The food is fab, the service is amazing, and I love the old-school supper club vibe! Do yourself a favor, and please come to this restaurant! We cannot lose small independent businesses. read more

Just dined here this evening.. wonderful menu, great service and a lovely ambiance about the place ! Reminds me of the small Neighborhood Italian Restaurants I grew up with in New York.. just great....we'll be back!! BUONO!!!! read more

I reserved a particular table for my boyfriends birthday . We got there and they didn't have my name correct and I didn't think we were going to get a table . They eventually had my phone number so gave us the table . I ordered the pesto . I did not eat any of it . Terrible . The bread was amazing . We were there less than an hour and we were finishing up when the waitress told us the next couple was waiting .. seriously it clearly states on the tag on the table we only get an hour and a half and it wasn't even an hour . We felt pushed out . Will not be going back . Very disappointed read more

I ordered from Grubhub tonight and wound up throwing out half of the order. The stuffed mushrooms even smelled bad. The whole order smelled of old garlic. But I've got to hand it to them for the bread. It was the best part. I do wish them well, but I cannot stand rancid garlic in Italian restaurants. read more

My wife and I have experienced this twice and that's what prompted me to write this review. This restaurant is supposed to be open until 9PM on Wednesdays but, now, this is the second time that we have showed up at around 8pm to find that the place closed. The first time we even saw people finishing up their meals.... This reflects bad on the management! read more