A Very Mixed Experience - Great Expectations Not Met We were so excited to visit this restaurant for a family celebration, having read many great reviews. Unfortunately, the overall experience left us feeling quite surprised and underwhelmed. The Positives: * We were welcomed by what appeared to be the manager or owner and were seated right away. * Our server was genuinely nice and attentive throughout the meal. * The Fried Calamari was outstanding! Honestly, it was the best part of the entire menu and worth ordering. * The wine we had was also quite good. As Well as the chocolate ice cream desert. The Disappointments: We ordered a good variety of dishes to test the kitchen, but most of them fell short: * We tried the popular Black and White Pizza, but sadly, it was nothing special. * The Eggplant Parmesan and the Burrata and Tomato were also just okay--nothing that made us feel "crazy" about the food. For a family celebration, we felt the food was a letdown, especially since we had such high hopes. The final service was also poor: no one acknowledged us or said goodbye when we left, which contributed to a general feeling of a "nothing special" experience. read more

It's been over forty years since I last went to Carmine's! On that occasion, Carmine was still the chef, and we ran into Charlton Heston at the table next to us. I'm happy to say that the place hasn't changed much. Carmine has passed, but successive generations have kept the place much the same as it always was, from menu to ambiance. I particularly like the approach to the menu where you can select your pasta and then the preparation for that pasta. This approach extends to entrées where you select your protein and then the preparation for that protein. Perhaps it's the engineer in me, but I really like this straightforward way to assemble exactly the meal you'd like. We started with Caesar salad and an iceberg wedge. Both were perfectly classic in preparation and portion size. For entrees, we had the unique Chicken Savoy, served with a somewhat tangy red wine vinegar sauce, and a seafood stew. Both of them were also very good. We finished with tiramisu, which was good but not the best I've ever had. I prefer mine with a bit more booze and the lady fingers on the bottom. There's a small but thoughtful selection of wines by the glass, and an extensive list of Italian reds available by the bottle. Service was very friendly, and the overall environment was very welcoming. It's great to see a place that knows what's made it successful for so many years continuing on with the tradition. read more

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It's true what they say about the pizza, it was one of the best ever! So was the vodka pasta. Cozy space. It's quiet but kinda a lively bar on some nights. It's a friendly neighborhood spot and we wanted to return the very next night and order the same thing again! Great food. read more

Traditional.. family style.. great experience.. great food. Service is always welcoming and friendly.. Veal parm, penne alla vodka.. there is more but they are always amazing.. read more

A classic small bar and Italian restaurant with yesterday's lounge feel. Once a famed hot spot of the infamous Rat pack. Family owned and passed down from Carmine Sr... his son is keeping it alive with great food and service. The walls are adorned with timeless Hollywood photographs. The kitchen prepares all the favorites! I ate their signature chopped salad, light and tasty. My veal Parmesan was lightly breaded and crispy. My gf had the special pappardelle with sausage in a light vodka sauce. It was really great. The Tiramisu was light creamy and just perfect. The wine list had some great options by the glass and more. All together, it was a great date night. Easy to get reservations for a late commitment and well worth it. The valet is cash only so have a few $$. I had none but the attendant let me leave to fetch some cash! He was surprised by my tip, but well worth the trust and kindness he exhibited. read more

Went here because we couldn't get into Guido's, which is a seriously old-school Italian restaurant with elegance (think deep red leather booths, low lighting, waiters who know when to ask if you want something, etc.) Sadly it is closing for good. Sigh. So decided to try Carmines for the first time. First, the bar area was so loud we could barely hear ourselves. There don't seem to be any great tables in the whole place, which is so crowded you basically have to bump into diners to get to the bathroom. The sole was decent but the spaghetti was way overcooked. I asked two people for bread but we never saw any. The deserts were huge and delicious, I will say that. All in all, it was OK but nothing special - not the food, not the atmosphere - and didn't feel like an experience that needs repeating. read more

Wonderful ambiance. You walk in and sit down and feel like you're in a NY Italian spot (even though you're smack on SM Blvd). The service is very warm and attentive. The wine was pretty good too-we tried 2 different bottles are both were tasty. The food isn't a 10 but still pretty good. We tried a few dishes and each one was missing a touch of flavor...We will def go back and try different dishes next time. Street parking is easy. read more

LOVE CARMINES! Great food, ambiance and people. It is a real gem of LA Italian cuisine! LOVE the salads, pizza, Chicken Parm & Veal Piccata! YUMMMMM! read more

Very mediocre food at more than mediocre prices. Ordered the clam Linguine. For $35, was not expecting canned clams in the sauce, which wasn't good at all. read more

Food Service and Ambiance, doesn't disappoint, all great. Old school Italian, from our salads soups and appetizers, chicken parm was a little dry, veal was great, fish was incredible. Eggplant parm, tasty yet skimpy and sloppy. So parm dishes need a little attention. eggplant appetizer much better than expected as well as the calamari. Garlic bread didn't deliver. We will be back knowing what to avoid next. Nice for a romantic dinner or group. read more

For starters our waitress was great! This restaurant is not affiliated with the one from NY or Vegas which was disappointing, but the food is so good! I wish it were more options to change the pasta when you order chicken parmigiana. It's low lit dinner. The only bad thing which is why it's not 5 stars for me is because of the guy who greeted us at the front that interaction totally killed the experience. My wife and I felt unwelcome by that interaction and it changed the mood of our trip. Instead of enjoying the meal I was really in a rush to eat and go home. If my youngest son wasn't hungry. I would've left and not eaten there. Honestly, probably won't go back, but the food was good. DISCLAIMER: The Carmine's in NYC set the bar HIGH. So if you've had that one first, this restaurant could seem like a disappointment, but trust me the food is good. read more

Delicious & authentic Italian food. Cozy & elegant atmosphere. The Peroni beer was delivered wonderfully chilled! read more

I always enjoy my visits to Carmines; food, cozy feel and the staff. I was there a few nights ago and have to call out Josh, the bartender, he was the best part of the night; a friendly and easy personality and so knowledgeable about the different alcohols, and all his recommendations were great! read more

Great staff, old-school ambiance, and decent portions. The food is decent but this isn't what I would consider a high-end italian spot (e.g., Scopa, Osteria Mozza, Rossoblu). Luckily, the prices aren't unreasonable and they've got a full bar. That being said, I found the parking situation to be incredibly frustrating (i.e. valet, cash only, no ATM, attendant couldn't tell me where one is and his attitude bordered on rude). Overall, Carmine's is a cool spot with decent food and great service. However, there are many other Italian spots in the area that are more accessible to the non-cash carrying public. read more

Carmines was wonderful. Took my son out for his birthday. We had the best table in the house. The food was fabulous our waiter Leo is great. Looking forward to returning highly recommend Carmines enjoy read more

I had high hopes for this place and I came hungry and excited but left very disappointed. I ordered the Chicken Savoy because our server described the sauce that came with chicken was so delicious, you just had to have it. When it came I couldn't wait to try it. But wow, what a let down! The chicken breast was bland and the Savoy sauce that came with it tasted like it was straight out of a can of Campbell's cream of chicken soup but with a dash of soy sauce and sugar. It was very frustrating. The staff however were really attentive and very nice. They had such good energy. But sadly couldn't make up for the unpleasant food. The place is small for the amount of people in it , making it a little noisy . All in all I would rather go to Maggiano's or Olive Garden and I don't really like those places. read more

While I did give this restaurant a 5 star review last month, I unfortunately have to revise my review since the parking and the food and seating situation was atrocious and disastrous. First... The Parking. The valet at Carmine's is the last valet parking that only accepts cash. Now the owner might respond that "we have nothing to do with parking." But I disagree, because when you go out to dinner in LA, especially on the West side of Los Angeles, parking becomes part of the dining experience. Any valet besides the one at Carmine's now accepts Zelle or Venmo in lieu of cash. This is 2023 for heaven sakes. Not 1973. I ended up walking two blocks to the Walgreens on Beverly Glen, but unfortunately, that went out of business... Even the manager didn't know it went out of business. Fortunately, there was a CBD shop next-door and I had to use their ATM that wasn't affiliated with my bank... Although the parking cost $10 I could only take out 20 and with all my banking fees and the ATMs banking fees it literally cost me $30 to pay for $10 parking. Second ....The Ambiance.... I didn't mind that it was incredibly noisy since it was a Saturday night... However, my wife and I arrived on time for a reservation and we were seated right by the bar at a makeshift table for two that was very uncomfortable with all the traffic to the bar... There were plenty of other couples sitting at tables for four with two seats empty and I don't understand why we couldn't be seated at a table further away from the bar that was more comfortable. Third...The Food. The chicken was "rubbery" in taste. Both the chicken and the pené were hard to chew and digest. I had to take a Tums after dinner to settle my upset stomach. This whole experience was so disappointing since after I went here with friends, I couldn't wait to take my wife. Now the service is very good. The manager was very empathetic to our situation and did not charge me for dinner. So I do appreciate that. So I have to believe, that the regular chef was out sick this time, or food was ordered from a different supplier, or it was hard to maintain quality control with that many diners on a Saturday night. In any event, If you really want great Italian style food, Weho Bistro in West Hollywood never disappoints and I suggest you go there instead. read more

Carmine's was excellent. Great vibe and service was excellent! Food was cooked perfectly and Carmine the owner is a friendly guy. Highly recommend read more

Carmine's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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How exciting we were seated at Dean Martin's old table! The entire restaurant has a story with the bullet holes in the wall and it's covered in old Hollywood glamor pics. This place is great for family, first dates and so much more as I witnessed couples sitting cozy in the dimmed room with an old Hollywood ambiance. Matt our server and the manager were excited to tell us about the history of the restaurant. Carmine's was shut down for 2 years and reopened in 1995 the year Dean Martin died. Could it be this legendary Hollywood icon left something behind so Carmine's son can carry on his father's legacy? So happy they are still here after it all! So romantic! Dean Martin was very Italian and dined here almost daily. I can see why! The food was delicious. I had the Eggplant Parmigiana and chopped salad. My friend ordered the tiramisu which was delicious. I stole a bite. Next time I'm trying the Apple tart which is known to be legendary. Valet is $10. Very friendly staff. Amazing experience of Hollywood glamor. So happy you're all still around! Thank you for taking me back to an era of glamor and romance! read more

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Carmines is an old school Italian restaurant filled with black and white photographs of Sinatra and his crew. There is a dark wood bar, and the overall vibe is very reminiscent of Chicago or New York in the 70s. The drinks are well crafted, and seating at the bar is good for a meal as well. It's predominantly an older crowd (50s and 60s) although we were there early. I recommend sticking with the red Italian. read more

I found my new favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant! I've been wanting to try Carmine's for awhile now and trust me you will walk out happy. The moment you walk inside you feel welcomed by the staff. Our server was great and attentive. He made great recommendations and was extremely nice. We ate the food so fast because it was that delicious. I've been to many Italian restaurants but Carmine's is now my favorite. The food is cooked to perfection and taste fresh. We shared all the dishes and it was perfection. Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu! read more

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Classic Italian dishes tucked inside a hidden gem location with old photos decorating the walls. Tiramisu that'll change your life and pasta dishes worth of the gods. This spot has a vibe like no other and the presence of the famous people and memories tucked away in the decades they've been open is prominent. You can feel the history and the ambiance is astounding. Staff is amazing and you gotta stay eatin bruh! read more

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Our evening started with a reservation at another restaurant, but for a variety of reasons, we found ourselves without a reservation on a Saturday night. We called Carmine's and they said "sure, come on over!" And, we did. Carmine's is near our home and we've passed by hundreds of times, so we thought we'd give it a try. Carmine's is an intimate, dark, old school Italian "joint." Greeted by the bartender who looks like he's been there for decades serving regulars, we were seated and reviewed the fairly small but complete menu. We both had Caesar salads that were very generously sized, and a bit strong (but very good) on the dressing side. My beautiful date had a breaded shrimp dish with pasta and the shrimp were large size and very tasty. The sauce was spicy but very good. I had the steak with marinara sauce (a combo I hadn't seen before, but decided to give it a try) and it was excellent. Both dishes came with sauteed spinach that was excellent. The service was very good but only a 2/5 on the keeping my water glass filled score. I had to ask a few times. And please... don't charge us $2 for a basket of small pieces of bread that weren't even warm. Just charge me $1 more per entree and call it a day. $5 for an Arnold Palmer was a bit excessive, too. We'll certainly go back because when it's not raining, we can walk there from home which is a huge plus. And, it's warm, inviting, and friendly, and that's pretty rare. I should also mention that they had a cool Oceans Eleven poster on the wall (the Sinatra / Sammy Davis version) and I'm told the original Rat Pack used to come here late at night. read more

Me and my sister went to Carmines to have a nice dinner, the atmosphere was nice, there wasn't to many people, thats where all the good stuff I have to say about this place ends. From the get go our server tells us that we have 10 minutes to order before the kitchen closes for the night, which was fine we already knew what we wanted. I should've taken this as a warning for how our dining experience was going to be. From the get go our server begins having the bitchiest attitude I've ever seen, quite literally snapping her fingers as we're ordering. She then takes 15 minutes to get a bottle of water and a Diet Coke (14 of those minutes were spent on her phone or chatting with a bar tender, which I might add she didn't even wash her hands after touching her phone and then touching our food.) We get our salads and not even 5 minutes after getting and eating them she asks how our meal is and if we're done with the salads, I felt pressured and she had already been incredibly demeaning so I said I was finished, she proceeded to set a world record for the fastest grab I've ever seen. Same thing happened with the main course, which might I add tasted like shit, and looks like it came out of one of those cheap Stoffers ready to go, put in the microwave frozen meals, it tasted as such. My main complaint isn't even the food it was this servers attitude, it got so bad that even another table was feeling forced out of the restaurant as they were eating. Please for the love of god fire her, if she wants to have an attitude at customers for wanting to have a meal at this restaurant then she should seek employment elsewhere. read more

First time here for me and i loved it! Leo was our server and he was truly the best. Took his time to explain the menu, was never pushy or rushed us. He was super honest with his suggestions as well! I got the bolonegse and it was amazing. The burrata and heirloom salad that he suggested was great. Ambiance was perfect- small and quaint with a ton of history. For sure will be back! read more

The food really lived up to its expectations. They didn't have signature cocktail but bar tender was nice in making us some. Service was questionable initially but later resolved. I was waiting at the bar and server called us for a table. While we were paying, another server gave our table away. We had to wait another 10 min for a table and were eventually sat down. They did comp a drink for this delay. Ambiance is quiet and romantic. Parking is usually valet. Would definitely return again. read more

Amazing amazing amazing. The energy was great immediately when I walked in. I was greeted by the owner, and escorted to my table promptly! The owner was so personable and kind, It almost felt like I was at home, I felt so welcome. All of the staff was incredible. Every single one of them made a point to acknowledge me and introduce themselves. This is a quality place that I would recommend to anyone for beautiful italian food and great vibes. Not to mention the price point is extremely reasonable! I absolutely can't wait to be back. read more

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Stopped by because it looked interesting and low key. Wow, glad I did because this place is special. Coming back with my girlfriend cause it's a great date spot. Kim, the owner, was so nice and made us feel special. Pizza was A1 read more

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Driven by this place a million times, and since I live in the Valley it wasn't convenient to come over the hill just to eat Italian food. Boy was I wrong! We were invited to a friends birthday party Monday night, so I got to experience this restaurant first hand. And it's amazing romantic atmosphere dimmed lights soft Music. This restaurant is not the family style ones like in LV and NY not the same restaurant! Better small and personal. We started of with some pizza thin as a cracker and as good as you'll find guaranteed and the fellas ordered spicy calamari witch they couldn't stop raving about. My Chicken Parm was amazing, my buddy's Pork Chop was bone clean. Everyone was so knowledgeable about the food and service was out of this world. I'll be back and back again read more

Delicious authentic Italian food in a warm, cozy, intimate atmosphere. I had the stuffed eggplant Cannelloni appetizer for my main course. We shared the chopped salad which was delicious! Great, attentive service. read more

Came here last night with my girlfriend. Nice interior, starters, and dessert were really nice and seemed to be good value. We ordered the Dino Chicken for the main and my god I was blown away by how bad it was. We didn't say anything because we didn't want to be those guests (and our server was great) but it was literally a pre-prepared microwave meal. The sauce was congealed, straight out of the microwave, the meat and veg were so obviously microwaved, the meat quality and everything. It was soooooo clearly microwaved. But the crazy part was that the Dino chicken was listed as one of the specials and the price was $32 which is insane as this was 100% a boxed microwave meal pre mixed. It was so bizarre and obvious, i almost feel like we were served the wrong dish or something. Server was really great though (christine). We took pictures of the Dino chicken. Happy to share but would love to have some sort of explanation first read more

Went last night and it was such a wonderful experience. From the moment we walked in the door, we had a warm welcome and service was top notch the entire night. We loved everything we ordered and literally cleaned our plates. I loved the clam linguine, heirloom tomato salad, and filet of sole (thick and flavorful) with angel hair. We also took some suggestions from our server and got the mushroom papparadelle which was a hit. The house made tiramisu was, according to my brother, the best he had. I loved it too. Ambiance is dark and cozy and honestly just easy and relaxing. Had a great meal and left very happy. Thanks so much Carmine's! read more

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The service was horrible, the wait staff forgot about us and it took 20-30 minutes before they came to tell us the specials. I sat with a empty water glass most of the meal. Our waitress couldn't be bothered to get up from her meal to bring us our check. They messed up our check and it seemed like it was our fault making them get it right. Food was good but service ruined the meal. Management was nowhere to be seen. read more

I hadn't been to Carmine's in . . . well, more years than I want to say. I went with another friend who had never been there. With all the virus restrictions, it has thinned out the clientele significantly. As in..... we were the only two people there for lunch. (The server said it is quite busy for dinner, they open at 5.30, and they close between 3:00-5:30p.) Also, with the tables set so far apart, and nothing on them, it really made the funky old marred brick walls stand out. I long for the day of wine and roses! It's sorta depressing to see a place that is usually so lively have only 2 people. But we were happy to have the quiet so we could talk undisturbed, and the wait person was absolutely perfection, she was so efficient and pleasant. The food was incredible, as usual. I had the Chicken Dino. Large chunks of white meat chicken in a creamy sauce with roasted potatoes, green, yellow and red peppers, onions and....a touch of fennel! Cooked fennel is delicious and gave such a nice burst of flavor. My lawyer friend had a shrimp dish, breaded shrimp baked with lots of mozzarella, on pasta. She loved it. The best finish: The absolutely most perfect Tiramisu I have ever eaten. It was so creamy and yummy. And because they were closing when we finished, we got a huge slab of it! We did our duty and finished it right off. Yum. - Can't believe I let so many years go by without visiting this place. Will definitely be going back, even during virus restrictions. This is an old school place with lots of photos of 1950s tough Italian types on the wall. Iconic. Been there forever. Go. You'll like it. Buona sera! read more

Carmines was fabulous, it was so intimate and cozy and the ambiance was perfect. The food was great, the linguine and clams was delish & so was the parpadelle with mushrooms and sausage special. Martinis were great. The service was wonderful, I wish I could remember our servers name. Overall, a perfect dining experience. read more

The atmosphere is very old school feeling. I love the mirror on the back wall so you are aware of the old mafia coming in to shoot you in the back in case you are facing away from the door The bar is well stocked, the wine list is pretty weak I do like the way they set up the menu where you pick your protein, your style and sauce you want it cooked, etc The prices are fairly reasonable However, I thought the food my wife and I ordered was just ok. Nothing special. She has the filet of sole made piccatta style that was good, but not memorable I had the italian sausage appetizer with grilled onions and peppers with red sauce that was mediocre at best- and for my entree the veal saltimbocca that was also just ok Would I come back- only if YOU are PAYING for dinner read more

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Amazing meal. Amazing ambience. Incredible staff. Exceptional service. Came here with my son and his significant other. Met Carmine Jr. who gave us his personal recommendations and showed us some of the storied history of the restaurant. The ravioli appetizer was great. The chopped salad was also very satisfying. Wine list had great variety. Main meals - just listen to your server and Carmine. We took all of their recommendations. Highly recommend. read more

This is one of L.A.'s hidden treasures, an intimate Italian joint with an old Hollywood history, an active bar scene and delicious food. My go-to has always been the Shrimp Judy: four large breaded shrimp parmigiana served over a bed of pasta. I order the sauce "mild" because I'm a wimp. I've had other dishes but I always seem to gravitate back to the shrimp. I've also had the chicken parm: a generous slab of chicken exactly the way you'd expect it and large enough to almost cover your plate. You won't leave the place hungry. If I have any complaint it's that they discontinued their toasted garlic crackers because somebody cracked a tooth biting into one. Probably the same woman who spilled a cup of hot coffee on her lap and sued McDonald's. read more

Lean Cuisine makes chicken alfredo better than this place... and at least Lean Cuisine prices match the quality of the food. Let me set the scene. My friends and I had dressed up for a nice dinner at what we believed to be a high class Italian restaurant. Boy, were we wrong. There were only two good things about this place: the drinks and the kind waitress. We perused the menu and decided on fried ravioli, angel hair with bolognese, and the infamous chicken Alfredo. We wanted to order sausage with the angel hair, but the restaurant was out. The next series of events that occurred was out of an episode of Punk'd with Ashton Kutcher. The waitress informed us that the restaurant was out of alfredo sauce so our options were vodka sauce or pesto. We went with pesto. Ten minutes after changing the order, the most contemptible character in our story arrives, Philip the manager. Philip told us that the restaurant was out of ALL cream based sauces, including pesto, so we would need to get marinara sauce. We were pretty disappointed with the options at this point, so we asked if we could have a bread basket on the house. Philip said he would "see if the owner could maybe make it happen." Philip shows up again with our food and magically produced alfredo sauce. Every dish was just... bad. We paid upwards of $150 for the most disgusting Italian food we've ever had in our lives. Philip charged us for the bread. We also asked if we could have one of the dishes removed from the check due to all of the mix-ups. We were met with a snarky decline from Philip. We kept trying to negotiate with him but he continued being passive aggressive and borderline rude. Gordon Ramsay, look no further in your search for a restaurant to have on Kitchen Nightmares, this is your perfect place. read more

I have been wabting to come for a while and finally cane leo our server was awesome. The meal was awesome. I totally recommend read more

Carmine's Restaurant - The dining area - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California